iced tea that's fresh-brewed. thirst-quenching fuze fresh-brewed iced tea. the newest fresh idea at subway. ♪ good morning. parting shots. sarah palin lashes out at political opponents, the media and hollywood starlets as she officially steps down at alaska's governor. >> by the way, hollywood needs to know, we eat, therefore we hunt. >> was her campaign-style farewell the start of a presidential run? "today" exclusive. katherine jackson's attorney joins us live in studio to answer the big questions swirling around michael jackson's death. where do things stand with the will? what will happen to the kids?

and is this mystery man really michael's fourth child? and women gone wild. the adirondacks may never be the same. ann and i have made our way to new york's ladies and gentlemen lake george to do a little fishing, camping and boating in the great outdoors as "today takes a vacation." "today," monday, july 27, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to a special edition of "today" on this absolutely gorgeous monday morning. i'm meredith vieira along with my buddy ann curry here. matt lauer about a four-hour drive south of us in studio 1a.

>> ladies we miss you. it's only been a minute and a half. you guys were learning to fly fish. ann, i'm happy you see you're out of surgery. >> no see, i'm okay. others may not be. >> listen we did catch something -- but that's a little different. as you can see, matt we're in beautiful lake george nestled in the adirondas. about a two-hour drive from new york city. >> this lake is about 32 miles long. we're inside adirondack state park. it is roughly the same size as the state of vermont. >> we are standing on the morgan a steamboat and paddle wheel boat. it goes allround the 109 miles of coastline that make of lake george. behind us is our final destination, the historic saginaw hotel. look at the crowd here one of the largest crowds we've ever had on a remote. >> it is amazing. you can't see it but folks are

alongside this boat as well. you can hear them whistling and chring. how much do they pay these people? but no there are really people from around the area. one of the reasons why there is so many people in this area is because there is so much to do out here from boating to fishing to whitewater rafting, even cliff diving which meredith actually excelled at matt. >> and, matt there is a lake george monster in these waters. i guarantee you, there will be a sighting. >> you're guaranteeing that? you're saying we will absolutely see it? >> i'm not going out on any limb, honey. >> sounds like a fun morning. we'll check in with you in just a second. coming up from here the only man authorized to speak on behalf of michael jackson's mother katherine is here to tell us where things stand between her and debbie rowe when it comes to the custody of michael's three children. we'll talk about the investigation into what caused michael jackson's death. and reports that katherine jackson is fighting for a bigger

say in how her son's will should be executed. we'll talk to attorney londell mcmillan about all that coming up. let'sby begin on this monday morning with sarah palin. this morning she's once again a private citizen. what's the future hold? nbc's norah o'donnell's in fairbanks, alaska. norah, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. sarah palin may be out of office but she's not out of words. it was a fiery farewell speech and she took a shot at her opponents, the media, and even hollywood starlets. >> some still are choosing not to hear why i made the decision to chart a new course to advance the state. and it should be so obvious to you. >> reporter: sarah palin said she's stepping down to avoid what she calls petty politics like the ethics charges that have dogged her time in office. >> with this decision now i will be able to fight even harder for you, for what is right and for

truth. and i have never felt that you need a title to do that. >> reporter: before more than 5,000 people at fairbanks pioneer park she scolded her opponents in alaska and beyond. >> we are facing tough chalnges in america with some seeming to just be hell-bent maybe on tearing down our nation perpetuating some pessimism and suggesting american apologetics. >> reporter: she also lashed out at hollywood liberals. >> you're going to see antihunting, antisecond amendment circuses from hollywood, and here's how they do it. they use these delicate tiny very talented celebrity starlets. by the way, hollywood needs to know we eat, therefore we hunt. >> reporter: but she saved her toughest attack for the media. >> democracy depends on you, and that is why our troops are

willing to die for you. so, how about in honor of the american soldier, you quit making things up. >> reporter: palin has always believed there is a double standard for her family with children of other political families off-limits. >> one other thing for the media. our new governor has a very nice family too, so leave his kids alone. >> reporter: her speech revealed how angry palin is about the past year in the national spotlight. her approval ratings are now at their lowest level. her husband todd palin tells nbc news his wife is not going to disappear. >> she's going to affect change and help others affect change and she doesn't need that title to affect change. >> reporter: as for her political future she's raised over $1 million for her political action committee. more than $300,000 since she announced her decision to step down. >> remember i promised to step

fastly and doggedly he guard the interests of this great state like that grizzly guards her cubs. as a mother naturally guards her own. and i will keep that vow wherever the road may lead. >> reporter: that road leads first to the ronald reagan presidential library in california. that's right. she's going to give her first political speech in two weeks. she's also been invited, but has not accepted an invitation to speak, in iowa site of the first in the nation presidential caucuses. matt? >> norah thank you. stay tuned. norah o'donnell in alaska for us this morning. now to the latest on the controversial arrest of harvard scholar henry louis gates jr. the woman who placed the initial call to police has now come forward. nbc's ron allen's in cambridge, massachusetts with more on that story. ron, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. sergeant crowley returns to work today and the woman who placed the 911 call is speaking out for the first time about what she

saw. a lot of people are very anxious to s sergeant crowley and professor gates settle their differences publicly and meet with president obama. sergeant crowley has kept a low profile since talking with the president. a conversation that took place while crowley happened to be at a bar for lunch with his fellow officers. >> suddenly gets this phone call on sergeant crowley, jimmy's, phone ll and it is the president of the united states. whoa. >> reporter: the president is anxious to focus the nation's attention back on the health care reform debate after admitting friday in his poor choice of words saying cambridge police acted stupidly helped fuel the conversation. >> in my conversation with sergeant crowley, there was discussion about he and i and professor gates having a beer here in the white house. >> reporter: gates has also changed his tone posting on a website he oversees that he would be happy to oblige meeting the president and the sergeant over a beer. >> hopefully we can get that done in the next several days. >> reporter: however some of the president's critics still want him to apologize for taking

sides in the gates-crowley dispute. >> also makes you wonder who will be next if the president decides to use the bully pulpit. >> reporter: late sunday an attorney for the woman who called 911 issued a statement saying that she called police to report "two men at the house," not "two black men" as had been widely reported. she says she did not know the race of the american when she called 911 because she was too far away and their backs were turned. police are not expected to release the 911 call. the cambridge police are assembling a panel of outside experts and community leaders it review what happened. they want that panel to hear the tapes first. police have cleared crowley of any wrongdoing and of any racial profiling. >> there is no evidence whatsoever that the arrest was race-based. >> reporter: but some here including the city's mayor, insist that sensitive issue still must be discussed publicly and plans to hold a community

forum on the matter in the weeks ahead. >> the whole issue around race and class and social justice permeate most evy aspect of any city and town. >> reporter: over the past few days as people have discussed what happened, there are numerous indications that people of different cultural backgrounds are drawing different conclusions about who was right and who was wrong. once again exposing the nation's very sensitive faultline on matters of race and class. matt back to you. >> ron allen in cambridge for us this morning, thank you very much. chuck todd is nbc's chief white house correspondent. chuck, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. >> if that story was a distraction last week taking attention away from health care reform, let's get back to health care reform. on this monday morning, just a week or so before the august congressional recess where does everything stand? >> reporter: let's start in the house because they take a vacation after this friday. what we know is that they're not going to get a bill passed by the end of the week. they just hope to get it through all of the committees, as you know, the conservative blue dog

democrats have been holding things up in one of those committees. they think they've worked it out but frankly, it is going to take four days to g it done and they want to give members more time at home to defend this bill. nothing gets passed in the house but they will get the committee work done. in the senate we are still waiting for max baucus chairman of the senate finance committee, the democrat there, working very closely -- it is the only bipartisan effort left in health care working very closely with chuck grassley from iowa who by the way is getting pressure from conservatives for even negotiating at this point with some democrats. he's finding it very difficult getting some outside groups to get involved there. we don't have his plan. his plan may come out by the end of the week. then again, may not. the president has an event on health care later in the week but he's diversifying and doing some other things like china today, matt. >> before i let you go chuck, if nothing's going to happen in the house before recess at the end of the week why did nancy pelosi come out and say if it gets to the floor of the house she's got the votes. is that one of those "if" and

she knows it's not going to? >> reporter: that's right. if she brings it to the floor, she's not going to bring it to the floor unless she has the votes. at this point they've got to get it through these committees and they're not going to force it at this point because there is too many of her members don't have want to have a vote if the senate's not going to vote. they're definitely not voting before they go on their vacation. >> chuck todd at the white house this morning, thank you, as always. let's swing over to the news desk. with ann up at lake george natalie's giving us the headlines in the morning. good morning, everyone. we begin with the heartbreaking story here in new york where officials are now trying to figure out why a family's minivan ended up going the wrong way on a parkway north of new york city. it crashed head-on into oncoming traffic sunday killing eight people including five members of one fami. among the victims, four girls under the age of 10. today israel's defense minister says no option is off the table when it comes to

iran's nuclear program. an indication that a military strike remains a possibility. he made the comment during a visit by u.s. defense secretary robert gates. a study out today in the journal of pediatrics is offering new insight into what some people thought might be a relationship between gastrointestinal diseases and autism. nbc's chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman is at the aspen health forum in colorado. nancy, good morning. why are these findings so important? >> reporter: the findings are important because they really dismiss the link between the gut and these neurological problems that we see in autism. primarily, they were looking for problems like malabsorption and inflammation. 124 children followed matched with otherwise normal children. these findings are very conclusive. there is no link between illness in the gut and the signs and symptoms that we see in autism. >> nancy, even though researchers found that there was not a significant difference in the overall incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms

children with autism may have some issues though related to food. why is that? >> right. there may be issues with constipation most of all. children sort of not liking their diet. we know that kids with autism sometimes like the same food all the time and may not drink enough liquids. that may cause constipation. and medications they take may also cause constipation. but this is a really important study for parents because it means if you're putting your child on a restrictive diet or doing colonics, which is a type of enema, if you're using vitamins and nutents and spending a lot of money, there is no reason to. there is no link between the gut and the signs and symptoms we see in autism. >> dr. nancy snyderman in aspen for us thank you, dr. nancy. officials in paris say french president nicolas sarkozy is doing well following a health care on sunday. he collapsed while jogging in hot weather and was hospitalized for tests, then was released this morning. all tests were reportedly

normal. the 54-year-old sarkozy is an avid jogger and cyclist. alberto contador of spain won the tour de france on sunday, his second win in three years. seven-time champion lance armstrong finished with an impressive third place. it is now 7:14. you're up to date right now. after 3 1/2 years of retirement that's the way to do it. he'll do better next year i'm sure. meredith and ann are enjoying a vacation up on new york's lake george. tomorrow al and i will team up down in key west florida. al is there already getting a head start on the umbrella drinks. al good morning. >> that's right. i've got a itonmaai for you, my friend. first let's look at your weather. there has been some severe weather going on but we've also got heat out west. that's our big mastory. these temperatures unbelievable. portland, 100 degrees.

medford, 103. eugene 100. yakima, washington 101. lk ta ing records all over the place today ithifetaac p ac northwest. rest of th uny,trea hunt continues down into the southwest. n i lfeer in florida with temperatures in the 90s. on 70s up in new england. also in the northern plains and central great lakes. as far as conditions are concerned, sky conditions we are looking at showers and thunderstorms along the delmarva peninso a good monday i' m i'm meteorologist cck bell. we have a cloudy sky with a few light showers earlier, now most of the rain is pulling out of the area. we'll have a couple of dry hours. we'll have another chance for rain later on this afternoon. temperature 72 in washington 73 in annapolis and prince george's county, 68 in frederick, maryland. today partly to mostly cloudy.

>> more from here in key west florida a little bit later on. now to the economy and the looming question is the recession finally over? wall street begins the week on a roll, up 9 of the last 10 trading days. cnbc's maria bartiromo is the anchor of "closing bell." good to see you. let me go right to the cover of "newsweek" magazine. it says -- "the recession is over." then is says "good luck surviving the recovery." let's take the first part. is the recession over? >> technically it probably is. >> but it is a technicality. >> it is a technicality, matt. i think the point of that cover story -- i agree with the cover story -- is that the recovery is not going to feel much different than the recession. we still have very high unemployment and people are hording cash. it won't feel that much better. >> looking at wall street i think the best two weeks since 2000. investors are feeling the love. what about consumers? >> consumers are still pretty ca utdaus to y. i think they're hoardgirheto t cash they're worried about unemployment, people are

expecting unemployment t o worsen second half of the year. i think they're sll pretty nervous. we are seeing the business sector still slow a lot of small and mid-cap businesses can't get any access to credit so there is a lot of money on the sidelines. people felt that the stock market had gotten so low that it was time to put money to work again. we are going to need evidence though that fundamental economic growth comes back. >> when you look at consumer spending, people thinking it's not doing well right now but if you're worried about losing your job or you've already lost your job, why are you going to go out and spend money? >> absolutely. that's the reason the savings rate is up to 6.9% now, matt. people are saving money or paying down debt. >> you have a special on tonight called "meeting of the minds the future of health care." what can we expect there? i'd like you, if you can, while you answer it talk about the cost of the future of health care. >> enormous cost. this is the biggest expense for business, labor and health care the two major pressures on business. and all of us are feeling it. we've brought together -- we call it "meeting of the minds"

because we've brought together government thinkers leaders in business to try and figure out how to get the costs down. one take-away, we asked the question what is a life worth? when it comes to our own loved ones, i would say it's obviously priceless. but somebody's putting a number on it because insurance companies have decided here's what we're going to pay for, procedures, the drugs. one take-away i had which was really interesting one of the people on the panel said all of us have to take personal responsibility. turn the issue on its head basically saying if you get into a lot of car accidents, your insurance is going to go up. >> if you smoke. >> did you know that an obese person will cost a company four times more than a th arhese are the costs. >> maria bartiromo, thanks as always, good to see yo check out maria's "meeting of the minds the future of health care" tonight at 9:00 p.m. eastern, 10:00 pacific time on cnbc. let's go up to lake george right now with meredith and ann. >> thank you, matt. thomas jefferson once described

lake george as without comparison the most beautiful water i ever saw. >> and from what we've seen he's not the only one with that opinion. >> reporter: these waters belong to the fishermen. lake george is 32 miles of seemingly endless water, surrounded on all sides by the majestic adirondack mountains. as the morning mist lifts, the lake comes alive with boaters, swimmers and peals of laughter across the water. >> our population year-round in the lake george region would be somewhere around 5,000. now if all the beds are full which they are many nights of the summer we'll have as many as 25,000 to 26,000 people. >> reporter: what they find here is pure americana. it's a step back in time where summer vacation means simple pleasures. simple fun.

>> we have 17 each august for a big family reunion. everybody has good memories and everybody has learned to swim and sail and they've done everything. >> reporter: lake george has been a summer vacation destination for more than two centuries. it's first visors were hunters and fishermen, but with the arrival of steamboats came the aristocracy, the privileged few who could afford a vacation. >> around 1900 an era that we call millionaire's row, where the wealthy purchased huge tracts of property primarily between lake george villagend bolt landing. >> reporter: they call their homes camps, a term still used today. >> a camp can be anything from a one-bedroom lean-to, i guess, into a multi-room 50 60 rooms. >> one of the camps has 42 rooms and 17 of those rooms are bathrooms. that's a camp. >> reporter: steve has been giving tours of lake george for 28 years. he captains the lake's famed sea

boat the minne-ha-ha. he says his job never gets old. >> when we cross the lake, we see down the lake the islands, the lights the sunset, that's my favorite part. my office has got the best view in the world. >> reporter: it truly is magnificent here. really. the weather is absolutely gorgeous. coming up, ann and i had a chance to take part in one of the favorite past times here fly fishing. coming up -- women versus fish. but first this is "today" on nbc. vo: since 2006, walmart has sold over 260 million compact fluorescent light bulbs. saving our customers over 7 billion dollars on their electric bills. save money. live better. walmart.

: volast year, walmart contributed a percentage of every eligible associate's salary to their 401(k) and profit sharing plan. ...even if the associate didn't contribute a dime... ...making good jobs even better. save money. live better. walmart. vo still ahead -- is there a custody deal for michael jackson's three children? an exclusive live interview with katherine jackson's lawyer. much more fromwel haveuch more from the adirondacks and the beautiful lake george coming up right after this.m

>> announcer: "today takes a vacation is brought to you by -- expedia. " is brought to you by -- expedia.

good morning. it's 72 degrees here in the nation's capital this monday, july 27 2009. the time now 7:26. i'm barbara harrison. in the news at this hour montgomery county police discovered a body in a burning minivan. officers were called to bethesda this morning. what appears to be a body of an adult was found in the driver's seat. it's unknown if this is foul play or an accident. no other vehicle was found at the scene. drivers using 14th street expect delays between constitution and pennsylvania avenues will have intermittent

closures throughout most of the day. the closures are expected to last through 6:00 p.m. for some kind of high level government meeting at the reagan building. the district department of transportation suggest using ninth or 12th street to get around the closures. it's quiet on the me front-- not a lot of activity. you read the news. and yet, some people need to sell and other people want to buy. this is a moment of challenge and opportunity. fortunately, re/max agents have the experience to help you meet the one and recognize the other. thanks. because the future's counting on us. nobody sells more real estate than re/max. if we don't act, medical bills will wipe out their savings. if we don't act, she'll be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. and he won't get

the chemotherapy he needs. if we don't act, health care costs will rise 70%. and he'll have to cut benefits for his employees. but we can act. the president and congress have a plan to lower your costs and stop denials for pre-existing conditions. it's time to act. how does jell-o sugar free pudding fit all that rich, chocolatey taste in 60 calories? ♪ ♪ oh, so delicious ♪ who cares? jell-o sugar free pudding. every diet needs a little wiggle room. i'm meteorologist chuck bell. 89 degrees later this afternoon with a 50% chance of more showers and thunderstorms coming up. hot and dry tomorrow. jerry?

>> chuck in from the west on 66 big delay this is morning from fair oaks on in, had a broken down bus before the exit for the capital beltway. >> tonight at 5:00 a breakthrough device to keep your connie loves target for its incredible deals. and with her daughter starting middle school tomorrow connie's got some high expectations. she expects look 11 might be the one.

she expects look 17 might be the one. so she shops target. where they've always got her back for back to school. target. expect more. pay less. 7:30 now on a monday morning. it is the 27th day of july 2009. meredith and ann are not the only ones taking a vacation today. er that joined by a lot of new friends they've made up there on beautiful lake george in the adirondack mountains of new york. lots of people on the water, lots of people behind them at the hotel. meredith and ann, good morning again. how you guys doing? >> good morning. >> we're doing great.

>> look at this crowd. i think they're having a little fun, matt. >> we'll check back with you. by the way, great weather for your trip up there, always a nice thing. coming up in this half-hour, lingering questions in the death of michael jackson and the custody of his three children. is jackson's mother close to reaching a deal with debbie rowe the mother of two of those children. we'll have the latest in an exclusive live interview with katherine jackson's attorney londell mcmillan. meredith? we'll show you some of the great things you can do at lake george. parasailing, jet skiing canoeing. riding on the "minne ha-ha." >> you can find a little peace, a little fun, but we also found some great and very flattering wear. when you go out on the lake and on the rivers my goodness do

we look good. we're going to make sure you know that matt. >> the fly fishing, that's what we've been teasing all morning long. we will see the results of that ladies. thank you very much. but first let's begin with the latest twists involving the death of michael jackson. we'll speak exclusively with katherine jackson's attorney londell mcmillan in just a moment. but first, nbc's jeff rossen's in los angel with the latest on the story. jeff, good morning to you. >> hi matt good morning to you. could be a big week for the case. we'll set the table for you here in just a little bit. you have two investigations going on at the very same time. first, you have the coroner's investigation, just trying to figure out what killed michael jackson. then separate from that you have the criminal investigation, police trying to build a case for manslaughter. and we could get results on both this week. this morning, new questions about the time line of michael jackson's death. a time line that could change the case. consider the 911 call. >> we have a personal doctor here with him, sir. >> oh you have a doctor there?

>> yes, but he's not responding to anything. -- he's not responding to cpr or anything. >> reporter: the doctor giving cpr is dr. conrad murray. the call came in at 12:21 p.m. but three hours earlier we've learned two women claiming to work for dr. murray were at his private storage unit in houston. sue lion runs the facility. >> they moved out three to five boxes. not many. just small boxes, put in the trunof a car. then they carried a couple things out, went and put in their mercedes. >> reporter: before that moment she says no one had accessed dr. murray's storagenit in more than a month. police searched it last week along with his office. mark geragos represented michael jackson in the molestation case. >> they will go to these people they will try to roll them over in common parlance give them to give testimony that says that they were trying to destroy evidence. >> reporter: now tmz reports when paramedics arrived at jackson's home he was already dead, flat-lined. all this raising new doubt about the timing of his death and who

knew what when. with the coroner's autopsy report due out this week if it is declared a homicide criminal charnls could follow any time charges could follow at any time. >> it is not a slam-dunk prosecution. you'll argue if there is multiple prescriptions, you'll argue other things could have caused it. >> reporter: court papers reveal dr. murray is the target of a manslaughter investigation. his lawyer says dr. murray did nothing wrong and will still cooperate with police. they're even planning a third interview. performing was michael jackson's passion but his kids were his life. more than a month after his death his three children still don't have a permanent home. >> do not touch me! >> reporter: only swirling speculation about debbie rowe their grandmother katherine and aunts janet and rebbie. >> it's not good for the kids it's not good for their psychological well being. if everybody settles out of court, everybody can get back to their normal lives and these kids can have routine in their lives and do what they're normally used to doing. >> reporter: the custody hearing

is set for august 3rd. that's a week from today. the question is can katherine jackson reach a deal before it goes to the judge. matt, that seems like a pretty good place to leave it for. you. >> it really is jeff. thank you. with us exclusively with the attorney for katherine jackson, londell mcmillan who's also represented stars like prince stevie wonder and others. that's the question right now, do you have a deal in place between katherine jackson and debbie rowe prior to this august 3rd custody hearing? >> well good morning, matt. i want to adjust your language about a deal. we have been working on an agreement and i want to say that the parties have been very responsible, debbie rowe her lawyers, mrs. jackson. they've been very thoughtful very caring and very prudent. and we do believe that we're close to reaching an agreement and the swirling speculation is just swirling speculation. >> is it a financial agreement, londell? >> the agreement is a custody agreement. this -- whatever the agreement

will be will not be based on money. that was not the -- >> but will it involve money? >> the agreement about custody is not a money issue. michael and debbie rowe had their agreement prior to his passing. that is not on the table. that's not what we're dealing with and despite a lot of the public kind of inquiries, that is not what's happening. >> why does there have to be an agreement in the first place? because debbie rowe for all intents an purposes, signed away her rights to having custody of these children in the past. she's made statements saying she doesn't deserve the title "parent" because she's done nothing to earn it. and so why does mrs. jackson have to deal with debbie rowe anyway? >> well matt i'm not a family lawyer but what i've learned is that parents have parental rights legal rights not withstanding agreements that they make. and to make sure that we don't have a custody battle or we don't have conflict, that's not really in the best interests of the children. we've kind of gotten together we've been thoughtful and

prudent and we are working out an agreement that's not just going to be what's best for debbie rowe or mrs. jackson but what's best for the two children that debbie rowe had and of course michael had three children so we're working to make sure -- when i first met michael, michael would always say from the beginning to the end, "make sure you take care of my children and my mother." that's what we're going to do. >> i'm going to use your terminology. this agreement, wou you as katherine jackson's attorney allow her to sign any agreement that would give anything but full custody of those three children to her? >> well it's not what i would allow her to sign. it's what she would want to have and what's best for the children. >> is it possible that there will be some shared custody between katherine jackson and debbie rowe? is that something that's currently on the tabl >> what's best for the children is what michael wanted and what has been happening. mrs. jackson to have custody of these children and we expect to be making an announcement very shortly and i want to also just compliment again those people

that have been involved in the process. beuse not withstanding the media projection of what has gone on behind the scenes this has been very thoughtful and very prudent. >> you're being very careful with good reason. can you just tell me londell, has done by rowe expressed any desire to have contact with those children whether it is a custody situation or not, even contact with those children down the road? >> matt we'll be making an announcement very soon. >> okay gotcha on that. let me ask you about some rumors that have been swirling. you can knock these down or help me out on any of these you can real quickly. have the kids expressed any wish or desire to live with janet jackson? >> i don't have any information concerning that. >> there was a rumor in the last couple of weeks, londell, that diana ross was somehow involved in some sort of a custody situation, that she wanted a stake in this. can you clear that up? >> again, rumors are outstanding with michael jackson. he was such an icon such a very mysterious and extraordinary figure. rumors have created so much

fodder so much commentary but i can't comment on all the the rumors. what i can comment on will be the legal issues -- and there are many issues. you talked about the criminal issues earlier on your segment. there are contractual issues. there are intellectual property issues. family law, legal issues. there's intellectual property issues, there's probate issues. there's real estate issues. there's just a panoply of legal issues that i've had to help mrs. jackson navigate these waters so that she can protect the best interests of the children, as well as to preserve the legacy of michael jackson. one of those issues pertaining to the legacy is her role as the most trusted person in his life over the past several years. >> he named two executors to his will, these are former advisors of his. there are been reports that katherine jackson would like a seat at the table, use an expression, that she would like some say in how that will is executed. is that accurate and do you think you can accomplish that? >> over the past four years,

michael demanded and required that she have a seat at the table for any of his major business assets. she was the one sole trustee that survived years of various different representatives and managers. so the will was in 2002. there were different people in his life in 2002. michael jackson did not have constant contact with these people in 2008 2007 2009. the will was sitting in a safe. but mrs. jackson has been in constant contact. one of the things i want people to know is that she wasn't just some passive, loving mom. she was someone that was regularly in touch with michael. michael trusted her dearly. she was supportive and she was the trustee. so we believe that she is the most trusted person in the entire world, notwithstanding what happened in 2002 and she's the most fit from a legal standpoint to serve as a guardian of the estate. >> two other quick things for you. omar livedt neverland for about eight years when he was a

teenager. he was in the front row of the memorial service with the jackson family. what is your understanding as to his connection to michael? is he a biological relative of michael jackson? >> i don't have information regarding that in any detail. i know that's been reported in the press and i know he certainly is a loving person in the family. i don't have the details on that, matt. >> finally, mrs. jackson went to court asking for some allowance to take care of some of the financial needs that have opped up as a result of her taking care of michael's three children even temporarily. which leads us to believe this family is strapped for cash. what is the situation, and if the court does not come forward with money, what happens? >> well for clarification, the temporary special administrators they filed for -- seeking cash. we should have been working tother so that we could have coordinated our request. we think that as we coordinate that request, it will happen. michael jackson was very generous with his mother as well as providing for the

havenhurst estate. because he has passed and because the estate has not been probated and validated yesterday, there are some expenses that need to be taken care of. and we think by working together we'll be able to accomplish those goals as opposed to one side of the table presenting submissions to the court without the buy-in of the group. >> can you reach an agreement between debbie rowe and katherine jackson before august 3rd? >> absolutely. >> londell mcmillan thanks very much. >> thank you. >> appreciate it. good to have you here. let's go down to key west florida for a check of the weather from al. >> thanks matt. we are here at key west westin resort and marina. in the marina - t heyot g a big marina. carnival "freedom" just coming in to the port. we do have strong storms firing up along the texas-oklahoma border rainfall amounts between dallas and shreveport we're talking five inches of rain in some sections. it is going to be very wet.

a lot of wet weather works its way way up the a good monday morning. i'm chuck bell. we have low overcast over washington first thing this morning. look at all of the cumulus clouds not making much in the way of rainfall yet. there you can see one or two lonely sprinkles. temperatures are in the low 70s right now. highs this afternoon upper 80s to near 90 degrees. 50% chance of thunderstorms later today. hot and dry tomorrow. >> that's your latest weather. >> p u> next meredith and ann go fishing right after this.

"today takes a vacation" is brought to you by expedia.com. welcome back to the first stop on our week-long road trip as "today takes a vacation." >> we deserve vacation after experiencing the ultimate adventure. >> we did all sorts of things here including fly fishing, because fishing here isn't just a hobby -- it's fundamental.

the team meets up dock side ready to learn fly fishing eager to catch some fish. >> tell us again where we're going. >> four miles down the lake. there's picnic island. >> reporter: with the wind in our hair ann is ready for some fun. >> i'm king of the world! >> reporter: before we take our skills to the water, john tara our instructor and guide, teaches us technique and strategy. >> i have no idea what i'm doing but it is fun. >> i need to be more relaxed and zen-like. >> you've got to, yeah. because you let the rod do the work. >> what i would like you to do is watch the line go behind your head. >> reporter: but it doesn't take long for a pair of crack journalists to figure out the real story behind fly fishing. >> a good caster can present the fly right on the water and make that settle on the surface just like an insect would. >> wow.

>> yeah. >> tt's the secret -- to act like a bug. >> reporter: were now ready for fish point where the fish are allegedly biting. or not. there is a famous saying in this sport -- that's why they call it fishing, not catching. and so we move on. we love the boats who live on jake george. >> are they paying you for this? >> they're extras. i think they're getting paid. >> reporter: it's now time for fly fishing up river. >> i just met you, i'm not sure i should let you dress me. >> they're liberating. >> we're going to scare the fish out of the water! >> reporter: wading through the river is a challenge. so are the fish in these waters. >> hey! you got company!

hi! what's going on? >> reporter: but one of us lands something. unfortunately, it's not a fish. it's our cameraman, craig. >> i'm so sorry. oh, my god. >> hey, meredith -- >> i know he's cute -- but come on! >> reporter: fishing time is up. lucky for some. no fish for us this day. ann and meredith nothing. angling for a better view of the river, we grab the paddles and load into the canoe. >> that was me. >> what the heck are you doing? sit down! this is no time to be shifting seats. >> this river's been going longer than we've been alive. that's a long time. >> yes, it is, ann curry. yes, it is. >> reporter: our great fishing adventure ends with a perfect bike ride. >> there we go annie.

>> reporter: down a perfect lane and the chance to appreciate the beauty of life's simple pleasures. >> this is a great day. what do we do? fly fishing? go on to a lake? go to the river? go in the jeep? go on a bike? >> cheers. >> it's girl time. >> so john's now again with us. john, it was so much fun. thank you so much. he was with us yesterday. you just saw something that was pretty funny. you said that after four hours of a lesson just a few hours, you can catch a fish. if you're here on lake george. unless, of cose you're meredith or me. you also told us women catch on to this sport faster than men do. >> yes, they pick it up real quk. >> why is that? >> i think they can't use their strength. they have to use technique. >> let's try it. >> oh yeah. oh, yeah. john, such a pleasure.

>> it was really fun. >> matt you could use a lesson. coming up we'll have some camping and also what could be a rather amuseing race. we'll be right back after these messages.

still ahead, what are cankles and how do you deal with them, meredith?

7:56 is the time. it's 72 degrees in washington and good morning, i'm barbara harrison. it's monday july 27 2009. in the news drivers using 14th street should expect delays today. 14th street will be closed between constitution and pennsylvania avenues until 6:00 tonight, actually it will not be closed all of the time intermittent is what they say. the closures are due to a high level government meeting at the reagan building. ddot suggests ninth or 12th street.

a public hearing will be held about a proposed walmart store. the hearing is the final step before the board takes up the proposal. the planned store has sparked a fire storm of protests but walmart says the store will not harm the historic cowe b'l wacme akeld. we'lcome back with a look at weather and look at traffic, too. stay with us.

a goodon my morning. i'm chuck bell. out on doppler radar, lonely showers moving out of eastern prince george's county and the southern half of anne arundel county. a couple of light sprinkles here

first thing this morning. most of the area now is cloudy but rain-free. we'll have many more dry hours to come but later on this afternoon we'll be under the gun for thunderstorms. highs today starting off now in the low to mid 70s, highs today between 85 and 90 degrees. couple of those thundermshe ton on the strong side. jerry, over to you for a check on the roads. >> trouble on 270, good morning everyone. southbound 270 an accident near shady grove road has at least one travel lane tied up. the backup begins at least montgomery village south. prince george's county, accident inner loop at the eenbelt metro station drawing attention in both directions. if you're headed there, watch your travel time. >> thank you. tonight at 5:00 a breakthrough >úñúzú

s ♪ we're back now at 8:00 on a monday morning, it's the 27th day of july 2009. ann and mayoreredith, wherever they go they have a theme song. making an entrance up on lake george in the adirondack mountains of new york on a beautiful morning as "today takes a vacation." meredith and ann, good morning, ladies. hey, that's nice. >> this is not just a carriage we're making our way up to the

top of the hill at the saginaw hotel. that group there that was leading us in are from the fort. >> the fort's located on the northern tip of lake george it was built in 1755 and was open to the public about 100 years ago, matt. >> it's very pretty. ann, how did you get the back seat? what happened there? >> i don't think it's a bad view. i've got to really be honest. we got so lucky with such a beautiful day and really such a warm reception. >> people here are so excited we're visiting. they're just wonderful, wonderful hosts. >> you'd love it here matt. >> here we're going to talk about something that o to be honest with you, right over my head. we're going to talk about a troubling feature on the bodies of a lot of people and in particular women are concerned about this. we're talking about cankles. you're laughing because you don't have cankles. basically that's a chubby ankle.

we'll try and find out what you can do with it and that's all i'm going to say about it. >> i can tell you're a little uncomfortable discussing it. coming up we'll fill you in on a perfect camping adventure wherever you take it. one resident in the adirondacks that's smarter than the average bear. we're talking about a bear called yellow yellow. >> 40 years ago campers were banned from hanging food in trees and keeping it out of the reach of bears. instead these were installed at local camp sites that was supp tro-parof.-pof they were tested even stood up to the massive grizzlies at yellowstone. but yellow yellow the bear here, seems to be able to bust through even the toughest containers. >> in fact this local trash can designer, she calls this bear a genius bear because he seems to have a soft spot for italian

sausage and granola bars, matt. >> thank you for bringing us up to date on that bear. now to bring us up to date on all the headlines of the morning, natalie's at the news desk while ann is "on vacation." good morning. speculation is mounting over the political future of sarah palin after she stepped down as governor of alaska on sunday. at an event in fairbanks, palin said she was leaving office in order to better serve alaska and to avoid what she called petty politics. political observers believe palin is gearing up for a presidential run in 2012. police are trying to figure out why a minivan was traveling the wrong way in new york on sunday. it crashed head-on into traffic and eight people were killed. powerful storms spawned a tornado, knocking out trees, power lines and caused significant damage to about 30 homes and businesses in new

york. residents in texas are dealing with a much bigger problem. the state there is going through a severe drought. >> reporter: that's right. this goes on merely hot and dry. take a look at lake travis or what used to be part of the lake. boats and docks are now sitting on rocks. this is no longer lake-front property. in terms of agriculture, the state has taken a big hit. the state's corn and cotton crops are largely a wash. many ranchers have had to send their cattle to market early because there's simply no grazing land. the bad news is experts say this drought is very severe and could continue through the fall. for now, back to you. >> janet schamlian in lake travis, tes, thank you. "g-force" took over the top spot at the box office taking in over $32 million over the weekend, according to early estimates. harry potter and the half blood prince was second and "the ugly truth" came in third. 8:04. you're up to date.

let's go back outside once again to matt. >> thank you very much. let's get a check of the weather right now. al roker's getting a jump on our vacation spot for tomorrow. he's down in key west florida. al what's going on? >> it's warm it's humid, it feels like it's about 95 degrees. but there's a nice breeze. we got a nice group of folks who's come on down here just to say hello and get ready because they want to see you, mr. lauer. as far as your weather's concerned, today our pick city happens to be green bay, wisconsin. nbc 26. afternoon storms possible high of 79 degrees. our week's temperatures normal conditions in the east below normal through the mississippi river valley much below normal through the plains. pacific northwest, going to be much above normal. portland today getting up to 100. precipitation stays dry out west. showers an heavy rain working their way through the red river valley on into the lower mississippi rivei river valley?ao?ao?a?ao?a?ao?a?ao?a?ao?a?ao?a?ao?a?ao?a?ao?a?ao?a?ao?a?ao?a?ao?a?ao?a?ao?a?ao?a?ao?a?ao?a?ao?a?ao?a?ao?a?ao?a

i'm bellll. a a goodod mstyhuck bell a good mday mor to m you. we have cloudy sky first thing this morning a little bit of sunshineow trying to break through the clouds. we have sprinkles in upper montgomery county and a shower there south of annapolis in southern anne arundel county. all of these are pushing to the northeast. temperatures in the low to mid 70s around the area. highs today in the upper 80s with a round of thunderstorms likely this afternoon. >> and that's your latest weather. matt? >> al thank you very much. when we come back we're going to talk about something disturbing for a lot of women. they're called cankles. and much more from meredith d an ann up on beautiful lake george when we come back.

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target for the body conscious -- the cankle. in fact just last week the costly fight against cankles actually made it on to the pages of the "wall street journal." in the 1960s, we tackled love handles. in the '70s it was the saddlebag. and a few years ago it was the muffin top. but lately our body-conscious gaze has shifted downward to an area just below the knee. >> calf right into ankle. cankles. >> reporter: yes that's right. it's the dreaded "cankle." >> cankles are a condition when your calf muscle is basically the same width as your ankle. there's really a straight line. you could be called piano legs. now it's called cankles. >> reporter: and those piano legs have strolled to the forefront of cultural awareness. spoofing hillary clinton on saturday night live amy polar remarked -- >> stop saying i have cankles.

>> reporter: jennifer aniston playing rachel on "friends" was fixated on her ankles. >> i do not have chubby ankles. >> reporter: and the guest host of "today" last week had a beef with cankles. >> there are guys that look at these cankl and they get turned off by the canks. >> the cause of cankles is mostly genetics. you're predisposed to have fat deposits in your ankles. >> reporter: sorry, guys. it's not just women who have to be worried. gold's gym has declared july cankle awareness month. they're offering classes to help fight the bulge. >> i've been working hard to be defined all over. hopefully i've eradicated it. >> reporter: while others work out, others go to extremes. >> liposuction of the calves and cankles is one-third of all the liposuction operations do i. very popular. >> reporter: but it can be pricey. according to dr. pittman, surgery can range anywhere from

$5,000 to $12,000. have we become overly rankled about our cankles? >> i think for the most part it's really something that people focus on on themselves and it is not something that most people are looking out for. you should not let crankless crush your confidence. >> so what can you do about the cankles? we have three experts, dr. stephen weinfield, good morning. cankles not exactly a medical term. it's when the calf merges with the ankle. how exactly does it happen and who's genetically predisposed to it? >> there are people the fat deposition pattern causes the increase of fat around the ankles. the normal contour of the calf coming down to narrow at the ankle doesn't happen. >> are people genetically predisposed then? >> yes. some are predisposed to have fat deposition around the ankle. >> as far as surgery, when

dealing with the cankle liposuction that we saw in the piece is one way? >> that's really the only way to get rid of it. other medical conditions are predisposed to cankle. obesity, women in pregnancy. leaking voins can cause fat deposition in the area. >> let's find other ways to tackle the cankle. we have a personal trainer at gold's gym. nikki. gold's gym has called july the cankle awareness month. you sayirst start with jumping rope. >> that's right, natalie. the great thing about this remember we're eliminating excess weight. i tell everyone combination of cardiovascular exercise. strength trainin and nutrition. so we're doing the cardio with a lot of energy. >> that's putting more pressure on the ankle, too.

>> also we're getting those calf massles and ankles active. i also like to do squats. go up to calf raises. nice and easy. we're strengthening and lifting. >> thank you. now over here to jackie of "shape" magazine. things to avoid when it comes to the cankle and fashion. capris definitely a staple of the summer but if you have cankles, probably something to not where. >> i have a fashion cure. a longer length pant. obviously ankle slimming. ladies, throw out your capris unfortunately. nothing that shows off the ankle. then move to the dresses as well. >> here we see the longer lengths, too. is the idea to just cer them up as much as you can? >> it is. thankfully maxi dresses are still with us this season. nothing that hits mid calf or

the knee because that puts the focus on the actual ankle. >> let's talk about shoe wear. where the strap is and the kind of heel you wear can make a big difference. >> you want to avoid very skinny heels. that's georgia for a great wedge. look for something like a pump that gives the optical illusion of a slimmer ankle. these are guccis. it creates a longer leaner line. avoid a kitten heel something like this. it will draw attention. no ankle straps as well. >> thank you to all of our guests this morning. next get ready for this. meredith and ann are going to battle it out old-fashioned sack race. right after this. cash for clunkers. - ( car being crushed ) offering uto $4500 to ward a new car 00 th wi toward a new car with an eligible trade-in.el plus, toyota is offering factory incentives omany models for even more savgs. with toyota being the

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travel possible? yes, i am fromhe future. announcer: phones, plans, and advice from ousands of people eager to help. "today takes a vacation" is brought to you by -- expedia.com. and welcome back as "today takes a vacation." ann and i are at lake george, the gateway to the adirondack

mountains. >> peter alexander grabbed a sleeping bag to check out the camping. >> you can't have the chocolate before you have the marshmallows. a good s 'more is a good gentle spin. the bad economy is sending a lot of people back into the great outdoors, they're choosing to skip fancy resorts or trips overseas. instead taking a trip into the woods. it is an all-american tradition. the family summer vacation. >> whether it's going to a beach in cape cod or camping in yellowstone, or even going to an amusement park the classic american vacation is really back. >> reporter: and facing a rugged economy, americans are looking to get more out of their vacations for less creating a growing demand for old-fashioned favorites like camping. some parks this summer reporting campsite bookings up 30%. >> the appeal of camping is that

you can get back to nature. it's also really affordable. and can you do it anywhere. >> reporter: families like this family with a long island new york. >> will. >> carolyn. >> christine. >> emily. >> peter. okayo i'm not actually a member of the bfa lymiut this group and their extended family 25 in all, have been camping at hearthstone point on lake george for years. >> i think the best part about camping is we get to be together as a family. >> the memories that it brings for the kids. i get good pictures. >> reporter: this summer they let me tag along. >> hi, guys. are you going to help me set it up? oh, boy. everybody take a corner. just like that? let's switch it. is that the front though? one more time. after effortlessly constructing my home for the night, we all hit the road for a little

adventure. we met up with new york state forest ranger for what i'll call the v.i.p. tour. that's very important camper. >> people get out in the woods, you're near the adirondack mountains. >> reporter: later ranger john took me on a hike for a better perspective of our surroundings. what sort of wildlife do you see out here? >> if you're lucky enough white-tail deer black bear moose, maybe a rattlesnake. >> reporter: the top prospect mountains offers scenery that can only be topped by the single greatest camping creation known to man. simple show of hands. who had a good day camping? [ we are the campers ♪

♪ mighty mighty campers ♪ >> reporter: while my new family was just warming up i was ready to call it a night. >>ed into, daddy. >> night. >> sleep tight. >> goodnight david. >> goodnight. >> good night, larry. >> goodnight. goodnight goodnight, pete. >> good night, emily. >> goodnight, chris. >> goodnight, peter. >> have a good night, maann. >> goodnight. >> goodnight, christine. >> reporter: as the sun goes over lake george these well rested -- well rested campers began a new day. a family trip filled with lasting memories not unlike stories from my own family vacation in summers gone by. we really did spend the night in that camp. another camping tradition is the sack race. we'll welcome you to the first annual lake george "today" show sack face invitational.

okay? thank you. quickly we'll do the names. when i say go you go. nick and emily, colby and meredith. shelby and ann. mason and grace. ready? on your mark get set -- go! >> yay! >> yay! i'm the last one! >> the champion of the first-ever "today" show sacrifice lake george invitational, nick and emily. congratulations.

>> they're going to have that for the rest of their lives. >> i want to eat thosely 8:25 is our time. actually 8:26. 72 degrees under thick clouds above the nation's capital. we'll get the forecast. i'm joe krebs on this monday, the 27th of july. in the news today, montgomery county police discovered a body in a burning minivan. officers were called to bradley boulevard in bethesda. police say what appears to be the body of an adult was found in the driver's seat. it's unknown if foul play is to blame. no other accident was found at the scene. we're going to come back and look at weather and traffic.

welcome back. i'm chuck bell. it's a cloudy start in the washington area. a couple of sprinkles crossing out of the annapolis area over the chesapeake bay bridge on the eastern shore. temperatures around town in the low to mid 70s now. our forecast and high upper 80s to near 90. a 50% chance of more thunderstorms coming up this afternoon and evening. hot and dry tomorrow. jerry, down to you for a check of the roads. >> we'll look at the capital beltway. here is a picture what we're talking about for the last week or so. the lanes split, outer loop after van dorn. all lanes are thru lanes but it

is cching more than a few folks by surprise. give yourself extra time. let's see what else is happening. headed downtown inbound 14th street bridge looks okay. backed up on the outbound side. >> thanks. tonight at 5:00 a breakthrough device that w since re/max first opened its doors back in 1973 we've helped millions of families buy or sell a home. through good timesnd bad including five previous recessions, re/max agents have provided the kind of experience america relies on to get the job done. today, in the worst housing market most of us have ever seen, that experience is more important than ever. find out what re/max can do for you. nobody sells more real estate than re/max.

8:30 on this monday morning july 27th, 2009. welcome back to lake george new york nettled in the adirondacks. a popular destination for lots of families. we have lots of folks out here. i'm meredith vieira along with

ann curry. matt is back in new york with natalie. mr. roker's made his way to tomorrow's "today goes on vacation." in key west florida. wednesday kathie lee and hoda will be in san antonio, texas. and saturday you and amy robach will be in las vegas. >> it is a great way to showcase great places people can go. in scotland they have a loch ness monster. here at lake george we have a lake george monster. >> and it is not meredith vieira. >> hahaha. >> girls, girls. you guaranteed meredith we will have a sighting of this monster some time during our broadcast. >> that's right. >> what part of that didn't you understand the first time? >> i just want to make sure that i got you on the record saying -- >> you have us on the record. >> she's good for her word.

>> this is not my first time at lake george. yours ther. >> no. but the place has changed so much that i hardly recognize it. the last time i was here was 1992. it's really amazing that within four hours of new york city there is this playground that is so stunning with all these -- my in-laws, b and carrie cohen mweawrearried and honeymooned in lake george in 1955. we came back and stayed at the saginaw. >> we just missed each other. back to you guys. >> actually speaking of memories -- >> that's right. basically we went to the town on sunday and basically what we did was we -- you know how you guys take those old-time black a white photographs? we actually did that. we want you to take a look at some of the things we did.

there are all kinds of -- different kinds of costumes you can pick when you take those photographs. i wonder -- basically there was gangsters, victorian outfits, wild west. what do you guys think we picked? matt? >> hookers -- i mean the flappers. did i say hookers? i meant flappers. >> you know matt lauer -- we'll get you! >> what did you choose? what did you choose? >> well take a look. take a look, matt lauer. >> what are you in the mood for? >> these are the cowboy shirts. these are the civil war. >> civil war? i remember that. >> we are kind of leaning toward a gangster feel, right? dead or alive? >> not gangster. wild west dead or alive. >> yes, right.

oh, ann, we have to have holsters on. >> let's go do this. >> pretty good. >> very good. very good. >> bonnie and bonnie. that's nice. really good. >> moon shineit mederh and coyote curry. >> t' thas a little deja vu for u. yo didn't you do a pictu leyoik that with your dad? >> i'm really glad you brought th.at up it's actually oney of m most treasured items. that's a picture of my father and i. mi. we were on his way to his 40th high school reunion years ago in colorado. he was kids curry and i was little britches. now that he's gone that's a very very important picture for me.

that wshy this kind of stuff i really recommend it. >> let's get a check of the weather from al. al, take it away. >> thanks a lot, guys. meredith's probably going to bring that gun back just to keep you in line. let's check it out, see what's happening, show you as far as today'concern, we're looking at some strong storms up in the u.p. of michigan all the way down into southern minnesota. some of those storms could be heavy at times, maybe even isolated tornadoes. heavy rain along the oklahoma-texas border. hot, hot, hot out west in the pacific northwest, temperatures well over 100 through the northwest. showers and thunderstorms through the central mississippiç a good monday morning. hope you enjoyed your weekend. i'm chuck bell. we have low clouds drifting over washington first thing this morning. not much in the way of rainfall

coming out of these clouds yet. we'll get a little sunshine here late this morning and early this afternoon. it will move our temperatures from the low and mid 70s up into the upper 80s to near 90 degrees by later on this afternoon. a 50% chance of more rain showers with embedded thunderstorms coming later today. hot and mostly dry tomorrow with a high of >> all right. not quite as big a crowd as ann and meredith. but a passionate crowd. a passionate crowd. >> al i'll see you down there in a few hours. and we come back we'll go back up to lake george with meredith and ann. tips to make your nextt

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welcome back everybody. to this special edition of "today," "today takes a vacation." lake george is one of the most popular camping destinations in the northeast. >> if you're planning a trip to the woods, you have to know what to bring. the gear editor of "back peaker" magazine joins us. we'll start with the obvious. this is a really cool tent. this is a tent for four. >> great family tent for four people, two doors, lots of pockets in the side. easy to put up. this is a really nice sleeping system by thermarest. a pad, a sheet, quilt and pillow. it's deluxe. the cool thing about it is that you can take the pad and insert it into this chair kit -- >> that kurnd into this? >> yes. yes. in a matter of minutes. >> i love this grill. it's the coleman fold-and-go. i have some pancakes for you to try.

>> of course. >> the cool thing is that you've got a griddle surface, can you switch it out for a grill surface for your hot dogs and hamburgers and your burner. the propane tank is separately. when it is time to do the dishes this is the kitchen sink. fill it with water. have you dries racks on the side >> i love it. >> i know your kids are too big for this so are mine but this is a great day pack to take on a hike. you can store all your gr in here. when the kids get tired, you open it up and you plop the kids inside and you can carry them. you don't have to worry about bringing any strollers. about 30 pounds in here. i love this light, too, the coleman l.e.d. quad. it will light up a whole campground. one kid wants to go in one direction, another kid wants to go in another direction, four lights. they clip on and recharge like that. >> good camping stuff. >> i've got a good idea from the

executive chef of the sagamore and also an avid camper. we always worry about how do we figure out how to cook out in the wild. but you make it really easy. you say we can vacuum pack it and take it with us. >> we just get a nice food sealer at any department store. special bags that come with that so you can boil in a bag. we just place it right there in the boiling water. it is a premade filet, already seasons, cooked up ahead of time. put accompaniments right there with it in the water. as that boils and heats through we can do other things. in this instance -- >> even a salad. which is crazy, ken. you can vacuum-pack a salad? you don't obviously put it in the boiling water but you can have a fresh beautiful sanddandelion salad? >> dandelion greens go for it. put a little bit vinaigrette. put it in this nice spray

bottle. already mixed. blackberries. >> when you pick berries you have to be careful. >> and then? >> little mushroom. >> wow, look at that. >> warm mushroom-berry salad. >> oh that's beautiful! the smell is amazing. it is very simple. you wouldn't vacuum-pack this then? >> no. >> just do this out there. then in terms of this this is what? you said it was about $100. you just put the food inside of it, and goes right -- look at that. you can have a filet mignon out in the woods. you just warm it up in a pot of hot water. >> all those nice juices come out. >> we had dinner in the restaurant last night. you're fantastic. the food was great. >> thank you. >> that's a great idea. i always worry about who's going to do the cooking, how's it

going to be. >> thanks ken, for making it look so easy. >> and you've got to drink. bloody marys. we were given our own bloody mary mix and they told me to share it. so i am. coming up the lake george monster. but first this is "today" on nbc. (music playing) hello? (woman) in here... well, this is new... i'm working on my digestive health. whatcha eatin'? yoplus. it's a yogurt for digestive health. it's delicious. here... blackberry pomegranate. honey, i can't find my hand. (announcer) yoplus hashe special combination of...

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back now at 8:45. now to a very special woman doing her part to help fellow sufferers of a rare disorder. "today" national correspondent amy robach has her story. >> good morning. abt 4 million people in this country deal with an auto immune condition which causes significant, and in some cases, complete loss of hair all over the body. i met up with one womanho has traveled the country on a mission to help others like her by doing something as simple as

lunch. >> i would saybout 13 years ago, that was the time when my hair started falling out. all over my head. lost my body hair lost my eyebrows. >> reporter: for thea the onset of the disease meant some big changes in her life. what is that like for a woman specifically to realize, i'm losing all of my hair and it's not growing back. >> in our society, there's so much emphasis on how we look. when a woman loses her hair she's really facing the mirror and having a whole new self-image. >> reporter: since 2005 thea's traveled to 33 citiesringing together hundreds of women with the disease at supportive gatherings known simply and i have reverently as "bald girls do lunch." i joined them recently in oak brook, illinois. >> i still think of most people have never heard of that. they look at you, like what? >> they want to know well why are you bald if you're not sick?

i'm at a loss for words. >> what do they say to you? >> they assume you have cancer. >> exactly. >> it's fairly common. a lot of people have it in the u.s. up to 2% of the population has it. and not everyone has it in the full degree that we all do. >> mine's a little different. i have a lot of hair left but you can call me patches. i can grow a nice mohawk but that's just not the look i want. >> what does that feel like when it started to fall out? how do you describe it? >> i thought i was dying. >> i think it's the worst thing ever the transition of losing your hair. because you go through all of the stages of grief, i think. you're sad, you're angry, you feel sorry for yourself. you know? you're just beside yourself. >> eventually my doctor's like i think you have alapecea. she sent me to a dermatologist. you'll love this.

she's like "here's a pamphlet. there's nothing we can do for you." >> it is really frightening at first. then you realize, allf us here have families we have great careers, we're smart women, we're beautiful, and it's made a big difference to me. >> in what environment do you feel comfortable taking your wigs off? and are you comfortable anywhere? obviously you are. >> i tried wigs in the very beginning when i lost enough hair to where i couldn't cover up the patches anymore. but it just didn't work for me. what i ended up doing was eventually going to get my head shaved. for e first time. i went to a barber shop. it was still a very emotional moment in my life. so after that it was still a while before i came out in public. once the weather warmed up -- see, i'm from texas. beautiful texas. when it gets warm it gets warm. i was like okay i got to come out of these. >> last november i was like not

expecting something at all. this is the first time in public i'd actually taken my hair off. after that i was like i'm going to be okay i can do this. who cares you're bald. >> reporter: in fact one of the benefits for the ladies at this particular lunch is trying on new looks. >> ooh! >> i know you're very up front with the people when you first meet them. >> yes, i am. >> you told a guy on your first date. >> i did and he completely freaked out. completely freaked out. i will tell you he did had tee and i did not judge him. let me just say that very clear. >> stephanie, is this your first lunch? >> yeah it is. >> what do you think? >> i think this is fabulous. >> despite the name the women are not required to take off

their wigs and these lunches. the group of gals i met were very open about it. thea wants everyone to know wigs or no wigs anyone with the disease is welcome to join them. we posted more information about bald girls do lunch on our website, todayshow.com. they were a brave group of women and just full of life and spirit. they said we're healthy and we're happy. life could be a lot worse. >> i have to say, bald is beautiful. absolutely. coming up next much more from new york's lake george. but first, this is "today" on nbc. hmmm... well... naaa... yeah! calculating for getaway. ♪ find your way to a perfect destination at busch gardens... and water country usa... where family-fun surrounds you... and world-class rides astound. start at buschgardens.com.

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♪ big and small! there's fun for all! ♪ we are back in new york's absolutely beautiful lake george and the sagamore hotel. matt had to take off for key west. al is there. we promised matt we'd reveal the lake george monster. we'll reveal him in one second. the story goes back to 1906 two wealthy summer residents had a fishing competition. one of the men claimed to have caught a 40-pound trout. turns out therout was this. >> that's right. wait a minute. there is a pay-back. the other man caught his own wooden fake. this is it. this is the monster. all right? and he actually rigged it up

with this ghastly looking creature with wires so it could be pulled out of the water whenever his friends went by. >> look at these eyeballs on it. not only was the man's friend scared, the entire lake -- >> i'm horrified! >> let me finish. folklore has it one honeymooning couple spotted the monster when they were out on the boat and the groom was so shocked that he fell out of his boat never looked back didn't help his newly married wife he just married, left his new bride to fend for herself. she was so angry that she basically told him they were no longer married. this is serious stuff. >> folks here were nice enough to loan this to us. it is really a cherished relic here. >> that's right. from the lake george historical museum. it is called georgie the monster. we've gotten to the bottom of this mystery. meredith is actually true to her word, she promised it and she delivered. >> we als have gifts, don't we?

>> ooh, gifts! >> al you're going to get the first one. i want to show i to you. you know how you love boating. >> oh my gosh. >> this is -- >> that's amazing. >> this is a represent mr. ka of one of the schooners you might have seen here back in the day. that's a bottle boat for your mantel. then for matt what we basically have he dogged you fly fishing. >> but he likes to do it. our fishing buddy john who taught us how to fly fish basically picked out all of these beautiful flies for you. he really went overboard. i may not bring these back for matt. >> for natalie -- we'd never leave you out -- this is some maple syrup from a local maple syrup maker, big bee's best. >> that's syrup? >> hope you guys like these

gifts. >> i love them. love them. >> honely al if you saw this thing pop up out of the water would you be scared? >> actually i think i'd go into groucho. "want to buy a duck?" >> it was just a prank. there you go. we'll be back with much more. >> we have plenty more grfrom lake george. 8:56 is our time now.

clouds above us in the nation's capital. looks like sunlight getting through, some blue as well. 73 degrees, we'll get the forecast coming up. good morning. i'm joe krebs on this monday, the 27th day of july. > >> t inhe news for an paliaedrexefolichi c willednesday tohi i rtou wsdneeday to or dng cne fesrivi driving under the influence. chief david baker was arrested saturday after an automobile accident. police say baker's blood alcohol was .19. baker was sworn in in 2006 after serving as deputy chief for 16 years. he is on administrative leave. drivers using 1h street expect delays. it willing closed intermittently until 6:00 this evening. the closures are because of a high level government meeting at the reagan building. drivers take either 9th or 12th street. we'll take a break and come back and look at weather and traffic.

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i'm chuck bell. it's cloudy but most of the rain has drifted away from the area on the eastern shore. we'll have a partly to mostly cloudy day, more showers are likely this afternoon and one or two stronger thunderstorms also possible highs up near 90. jerry? >> we'll head out and see how we're doing at this hour. to the american legion bridge. a little volume. the inner loop looks pretty good. aded down do 395 northbound to the inbound 14th street bridge, pretty loaded up. had the closure lower 14th street but the good news is reopened. >> thanks. tonight at 5:00 a breakthrou fresh.fresh...fresh. really fresh. come into your local giant today for mouthwatering fruits and vegetables all at prices you can handle. like northwest cherries, just $1.49 a pound. this week only at giant. you know, it's not the grill that makes a delicious, tender, perfect piece of steak.

[ crowd gasps ] it's the steak. enjoy quality selections from the butchers at giant, like top round london broil just $1.79 a pound. this week only at giant. "today" on this monday morning, july 27th, 2009. you are listening to the music of the stoney creek band in lake george, new york where meredith and ann have been kicking off our week-long visit to some of the most popular vacation get-aways in america as "today takes a vacation." oh dear there they are. holding down the fort here in studio 1a i'm natalie morales.

matt already on his way to key west to join al. meredith and ann, you guys are having a lot of fun. looks like you've been taking advantage of every minute. >> we are having such a great time here. the stoney creek band making it even better for us. they've been playing since 1973 earned the title best area band from the local paper. they've certainly not disappointed this morning. the crowd has been great -- thank you! >> we're having a lot of fun here. i can't stop watching you dance, meredith. great music and great food. there's also a lot to do on the lake. we went fly fishing, did a lot of biking a lot of stuff. we'll show you about what's possible to do on your next

vacation. there you go! natalie, back to you. >> i just wonder if they can play a faster tune just so we can see you dance even faster meredith and ann. meredith has clearly had a long weekend weekend. all right, we're going to catch up with them in a couple of minutes. still to come from here with all of the time that we spend away from home during the summer, we have some ways to keep your kids safe first though another check of our top stories this morning, out of office with a fiery farewell. today sarah palin is a private citizen. now alaska's former governor she left office sunday after taking parting shots at her opponents and the media and hollywood. we get more from nbc's norah o'donnell. >> reporter: sarah palin said she's stepping down to avoid what she calls petty politics like the ethics charges that have dogged her time in office. >> with this decision now, i will be able to fight even

harder for you for what is right and for truth. and i have never felt that you need a title to do that. >> reporter: before more than 5,000 people at fairbanks oneer park she scolded her opoen noents in alaskand beyond. she also lashed out at hollywood liberals. >> you're going to see antihunting, antisecond amendment circuses from hollywood, and here's how they do it. they use these delicate tiny very talented celebrity starlets. by the way, hollywood needs to know we eat, therefore we hunt. where but she saves her toughest attack for the media. >> democracy depends on you, and that is why our troops are willing to die for you, so how about in honor of the american soldier, you quit making things

up. >> reporter: palin has always believed there is a double standard for her family with children of other political families off-limits. >> one other thing for the media -- our new governor has a very nice family too, so leave his kids alone. >> reporter: as for her political future she's raised over $1 million for her political action committee. advisors say more than $300,000 since she announced her decision to step down. >> remember i promised to steadfastly and doggedly guard the interests of this great state, like that grizzly guards her cubs. as a mother naturally guards her own. and i will keep that vow wherever the road may lead. >> reporter: that road leads first to the ronald reagan presidential library in california. that's right she's going to give her first political speech in two weeks. she's also been invited, but has not accepted an invitation to iowa, site of the first in the nation's presidential caucuses.

norah o'donnell, nbc news fairbanks, alaska. defense secretary robert gates says the u.s.' offer to engage iran is not open-ended. he made the comments this morning while meeting with israeli defense minister in jerusalem. bar dl . police today are trying to find out why a family mini-van was traveling in the wrong direction crashing into an oncoming suv killing four young girls and four kids. french president collapsed while jogging sunday was airlifted to a military hospital and was kept overnight for testing. he was released today. the health scare was blamed on heat and being overworked. severe weather hit parts of the northeast over the weekend. two tornadoes were confirmed in western new york state. one near buffalo left a jumble of fallen trees, utility poles

and power lines. there were no serious injuries. you're up to date rye now at five minutes past the hour. now let's get another check of the weather from al. he's already in key west where matt is on his way, looking like a nice day there, al. >> we're warming things up for matt. it is going to get to 90 92 with humity. of course it feels like 100. but it is a dry heat -- n. let's see what's going on show you orday, we a looking at beautifu day here along the shores of florida. however, we've got strong storms working their way up through texas, into oklahoma. we've also got some heavy thunderstorms later today along the -- up into the upper mississippi river valley into parts of minnesota. record heat will continue in the pacific northwest. portland getting up to 100 degrees today. almost aç ç s s ç s a good monday morning. i'm news 4 meteorologist chuck bell. it's cloudy and humid as well. not many cars in or out on the 14th street bridge.

temperature 75 degrees here in washington. 75 also in prince george's county and fairfax county. 73 at dulles airport. it's going to be warm and humid for sure. enough sunshine to get temperatures near 90 degrees before afternoon showers and thunderstorms roll back in. >> that's your latest weather. natalie? "today takes a vacation" is brought to you by expedia.com.er >> and wcokmeac b to the first stop of our week-long road trip "today takes a vacation." this morning in beautiful lake george new york. >> that's right. we should probably mention to history buffs, this is the scene of of william henry's great battle

french and indian war. >> it is from a book called "the last of the mohicans." you can do a lot of canoeing biking, boating. a lot of things. >> but our favorite fly fishing. around here fish something not just a hobby, it is a fundamental right. we were treated to a private lesson. the team meets up dock side ready to learn fly fishing, eager to catch some fish. >> tell us again where we're going. >> four miles down the lake and there's a picnic island. >> reporter: with the rind in our wind in our air, ann is ready for some fun. >> i'm kink of the world! >> reporter: before we take our skills to the water, john our instructor and guide, teaches us technique an strategy. >> i have no idea what i'm doing but it is fun. >> i need to be more relaxed and zen-like. you've got to because you let

the rod do the work. what i'd like you to do is watch the line go behind your head. >> reporter: but it doesn't take long for a pair of crack journalists to figure out the real story behind fly fishing. >> a good caster can present the fly right on the water and make that settle on the service just like an insect would. >> wow. >> yeah. >> so that's theecret to fly fishing. to act like a bug. >> bugs. >> reporter: we are now ready for fish point where the fish are allegedly biting. or not. there is a famous saying in this sport, that's why they call it fishing, not catching. and so we move on. we love the folks who liver on lake george. >> are they paying you for this? >> they're after us. i think they're getting paid. >> reporter: it's now te for

fly fishing up river. >> i just met you, i'm not sure i should let you dress me. >> they're liberating. >> we're going to scare the fish out of the water! >> reporter: wading through the river is a challenge. so are the fish in these waters. hey! there! we got company! hi! going on? >> reporter: within but one of us lands something. unfortunately, it's not a fish. it's our cameraman, craig. >> i'm so sorry! >> meredith! >> oh my god. >> hey, meredith -- i know he's cute, but come on! >> reporter: fishing time is up. lucky for some. no fish for us this day. ann and meredith 0. fish 2. >> reporter: angling for a better view of the river, we load the paddling and get into the canoe.

>> what are you doing? sit down. this is no time to be shifting seats. >> this river's been going longer than we've been alive. that's a long time. >> yes, it is ann curry. yes, it is. >> reporter: out great fishing adventure ends with a perfect bike ride. >> there we go annie. >> reporter: down a perfect lane and the chance to appreciate the beauty of life's simple pleasures. >> this is a great day. what did we do? fly fishing. we went out on the lake. went to a river. drove a jeep. rode a bike. >> very relaxed. >> cheers. >> to girl time. >> to girl time. >> okay. we didn't catch any fish but we did catch two more cute guys steve and john representing fort william henry, the american soldiers who actually tried to defend it from the french and indians in 1737. why should tourists go there? >> we have a motto -- history done fun. we fire cannons, muskets,

grenades. we'll even sign the kids up for the army if they're brave enough. every night there is a ghost tour, takes you around haunted lake george. >> it is haunted and there is a lake george monster. >> yes. >> very good. guys, thank you very much. we'll have a lot more of "today takes a vacation" from new yor tk lage righor newt yk right after this. >> i love america. with natural instincts. it's the healthier way to blend away gray and give you color that shines on. how? the antioxidant rich ammonia-free formu feels good and looks even better. in fact the more often you use natural instincts, the healthier your hair looks. it's the healthy-looking color that shines in just ten minutes' time. natural instincts, it's all good. look for natural instincts new champagne indulgence collection. from clairol.

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a hallmark card. it's the biggest little thing you can do. and welcome back to lake george in new york. safe to say, we have had a wonderful time here. people are so lovely and the place spectacular. >> how lucky do we feel about being here? >> the best way to learn about place is to talk to one of the locals. one of our very own locals is

here to tell us about lake george sara gore host of lxtv's "open house" and "first look." >> good morning, ladies. >> do you get back here very often? >> i'm here almost every other weekend. i can't get eugh of it. >> since you're all about food and you're from here you probably have a lot to say about how great the food is here. >> i'm so glad you guys have been able to come and enjoy what i love about it so much. we also have a joke here. we don't like to get the secret out but i'm going to share it with you ladies. hopefully you've been able to discover what we love about it so much. i'm going to show you what i have been up to all weekend. ♪ >> reporter: well, it's another beautiful day in lake george but to really enjoy it you have

to -- we have this great boat. let's go. plk ♪♪ >> reporter: boating really is the number one activity here on the lake. as you can see, we are not alone. actually there are over 200 islands here. but on a day like this one of my faft things to do is just get together with my family and my friends and have a picnic right here on the boat. ♪ these are the days that i've been missing ♪

♪ give it the taste ♪ ♪ give it the joy of summer wine ♪ ♪ these are the days that bring you meaning ♪ ♪ i feel the sun and i feel fine ♪ >> reporter: okay. this is where all the local kids go and apparently the big kids like me go for a little adventure. i couldn't come to lake george and not jump myself. so here goes nothing. all right, here goes nothing! if you prefer an adventure on land i've got something for that too.

>> we're in bold landing, new york. today sara's going to be getting harnessed up. we're going to take her to the course. shoal's have a blast. >> i'm ready to go. i feel like peter pan flying through the forest. okay it's been a really long day and i'm exhausted. but no day is complete on lake george without my martha's. everybody loves martha's in lake george. i'm going to find out why, what their secret is. i've been coming here for years, since i was wee high. and i keep coming back for more. obviously everyone does because there's something in your ice cream that is nowhere else to be found. what is the secret? >> it's just family it's creamy it's a real gd ice cream. lot of happiness put into it and

a lot of love. >> it's made with a lot of love. i taste the love every time. oh shoot. oh, look how pretty that is. not too bad! >> that is awesome. >> it's going to -- >> your first cone ever? >> yeah. >> that's great. >> hi there. "today" show. >> reporter: oh you got to try this. it is a little bit early in the morning but it is never too early for martha's. tell me that's not the best ice cream you've ever had. >> that's amazing. >> look at you. >> it is a hot day. it's all melting. >> that is blackberry. black raspberry. >> chocolate anyone? it's so good. you just have to come try martha's. >> bottom line homemade ice cream, no matter where in the

country, it is fantastic. there are so many places people can go this summer or even throughout the year when they want a little time off -- >> absolutely. >> that's a great way to get time off. just get an ice cream maker. that's a great way and not spend a lot of money. >> or come to martha's. >> hello! did we not learn nothing? anybody? we'll be right back with much more from new york and also from lake george. announcer: what if we could use the sun... - ( ac blowing ) - ...to help keep us cool? ( women vocalizing ) solar-powered ventilation... to help cool you available on the third-generation prius. it's harmony between man, nature and machine. we call the bunches in honey bunches of oats the prize in the box. well, now there's a prize inside the prize.

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kids are hungry after school. that's why i always have totino's pizza rolls. big pizza taste. in a bite size roll. kids can't resist their delicious pizza flavor. totino's pizza rolls. the pizza way to snack. light & fit has 80 calories versus 100 in the other leading brand. and a taste you'll find... [sluuurrrrpppp!] irresistible. now try new watermelon and cantaloupe flavors. it's july 16th and i'm julio pez with a look at the past 24 hours on royal caribbean's liberty of the

seas. stingrays in the caymans gave the murrays a honeymoon to remember. ulrich from germany kissed a dolphin right on the lips. back on the ship the afternoon bridge action was almost non-stop. and finally, an ice cream cone was rescued... on deck 11. that's the news. i'm julio perez cruising with royal caribbean. why aren't you? with meredith matt ann and al traveling for "today takes a vacation," it is a little bit lonely here in studio 1a. but you know what hopes when you feel alone? the taste of an old family recipe. al what are your favorites? >> my mom used to make these fantastic black-eyed peas and rice. unlievable. >> meredith and ann?

>> it's always mom's recipe. to me it is my mom's apple pie which i've never been able to quite duplicate. but it is the best. >> i guess it would be fried rice. because my mom was from japan. she would just -- everybody in the neighborhood, whenever she'd go next door she would make a big plate of fried rice with vegetables and meat in it and all kinds of stuff. i guess that's what it would be. >> i think my mom's beef stew was probably my favorite. i know i make it and my husband loves it too. but whether it is your grandmother, your mother's apple pie, beef stew fried rice or the way your mo ip ccheskitoous jel m ipch cookies just melt into your mouth, we want to know about it. we are kicking off a new sipies called "america's best hand-me-down recipes." go to todayshow.com and maybe you'll be chosen to be live with your recipe on "today." ♪ mmm... hot fudge sundae. ♪

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on this monday, the 27th of july. good morning. i'm joe krebs. in the news montgomery county police are investigating a bizarre death in bethesda. body was found in a burning minivan early this morning. it's unknown whether it was foul play or an accident. no other vehicle was found at the scene. we'll take a break andome back and look at our weather forecast and check the rush hour.

i'm meteorologist chuck bell. a little sunshine getting through but plenty of clouds over washington. no rain on the radar yet. temperatures right now in the mid 70s. we'll have high temperatures today between 85 and 90 degrees. a few more showers are likely. and one or two stronger thunderstorms also a possibility later on today. jerry, down to you. >> chuck, there is good news for folks traveling through bethesda. the intersection of bradley and

arlington road reopened now. police wrap upd their investigation. south of town no late issues to the wilson bridge. >> tonight at 5:00 a device that supposedly keeps your food

and you are once again looking live at lucky folks having fun in sun here in lake george, new york and the gorgeous adirondack mountains. that was cannon fire from fort william henry, a historical spot here on lake george. this is day one after seriesll week we are having called "today takes a vacation."

al? >> hey, guys. >> al what do you have coming up? >> well coming up we're getting ready for matt's arrival. we'll be in key west show you all the sights and sound and activities the food. this is the southern-most tip of the united states. the 48 states. the lower 48. we're going to have a great time and, of course after we're done with this natalie and the beautiful amy robach and the beautiful natalie morales will be in las vegas. we're counting on what happens to vegas doesn't stay in vegas, natalie. >> oh yeah -- don't worry, we got it all on videotape. it's pretty tame. hoda and kathie lee a going to san antonio wednesday. and then yeah amy and i in las vegas, baby you're going to see why so many people are drawn to the glittering lights in the desert

there. really biz week for lyly business week. i think we need air traffic control to help keep track of everyone. that cannon fire is crazy! >> every time one of those cannons are fired, we jump. but actually i think they're so happy that we mention them. it was a major war, major battle. so more of that coming up. be prepared. >> we'll get back to meredith and ann in a little bit as well. more from lake george. also summer presents new concerns for your children's safety. we're going to tell you how to choose the best sitter possible to handle those summer dangers. we also have your checklist of the best products available to protect your kids as well. plus "today's kitchen" goes mexican. we have some delicious recipes, fresh from the los angeles farmer's market. there they go. first though let's get another check of the weather from al who's already getting nice and hot there in key west. al? >> that's right, it's 87 degrees

right now, natalie, with the humidity feels like 99. but it could be worse. could feel like 100. let's show you what's happening as far as the week ahead. we are looking at -- as far as th we's temperatures normal along the eastern seaboard. much low normal temperatures in the plains and on into the western great lakes. much above normal in the pacific northwest. precipitation, we're going to have a real wet week ahead stretching through the red river valley on into the mid mississippi river valley. out to the west it isis going ts ç ç s ç ç s ç ç s ç ç ç good monday morning. i'm meteorologist chuck bell. we have sunshine breaking through a fairly overcast sky. is there a check of live doppler, no heavy rain around the area yet. temperatures are starting to warm up quickly. it's steamy outside. temperatures in the mid 70s around town and by the bay. low 70s in the mountains. the forecasted highs up close to 90 with a 50% of more rain and thunderstorms later this afternoon. hot and mostly dry tomorrow.

>> and that's your latest weather from key west. >> al thank you. coming up next, impo ant information when you're in charge of the kids this summer right after this. welcome to chili's. start your three-course meals with a shared appetizer. for a second course, choose two entrees from over 15 chili's favorites like our big mouth bites -- the mini burgers with giant layers of flavor. or a half-rack of our triple-basted baby back ribs. then save some room to share a decadent dessert. a lot of bold flavors, for a limited time only. chili's -- this is one way of getting vitamins and minerals. this is another. new total blueberry pomegranate cereal gives you 100% of the daily value of 12 essential vitamins and minerals.

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dissolve... and rinse the whole mess away. so in the morning your dishes will feel like new again. and so will you. cascade complete all-in-one actionpacs. for a perfect clean, every time. this morning on "today's family," summer sitter safety. this summer comes a new set of concerns for children and safety. if you're parents, you know making sure tha you have the right sitter and supplies needed to prevent emergencies is imperative. the ceo and founder of ivillage's baby-sitting expert. you first form of protection is making se you have the best baby-sitter for your children.

first, what are some of the things you should be looking for and asking a person who is coming for the job? >> first make sure your sitter has a lot of energy. they should be asking you more questions than you're asking them and a general sense of responsibility, they should show up be on time and look presentable. i usually recommend parents ask do you know cpr, first aid and the heimlich maneuver. that's really the basics. >> tell me first how you chose these safety products. >> i've had over 2,500 baby-sitting jobs in my life -- >> wow! and you kept your sanity. >> i'm still here. these are products parent really need to transmit to their sitters to be safe this summer. >> we have a lot to get to here. the first being sun protection. you like -- i use these as mom, too, with a young child these are great to help with the spf. >> they're great. they're baby silk sunscreen

towelettes. it's almost like a diaper wipe you can just apply it to the area you're interested in. i think these travel incredibly well. it is not a spray, it doesn't get in eyes or noses. >> you don't have to worry about dripping. >> you can take them through the airport as well. the other thing about these is they're dermatologist dermatologist-recommended. they've got aloe and vitamins in them. i think they're really nice. >> if your child's getting exposed to too much sun, these stickers can help. >> this is a sun uv sensor. you can put it on a hat or on skin. the idea is it changes from yellow to a dark orange when the kids need to be taken inside or taken out of the sun. really useful. >> first aid, always have one on hand. but you should know how to use it. this tells you all the information you need. >> this is baby med basics. i love this kit, it covers cpr, burns, bleeding. if you're a sitter you can get

to the information really quickly. you just flip through the tab and it has lots of illustrations. >> minor emergencies, this is the kit for you. this comes with just about everything in it you would need. >> i absolutely love this kit. it's not scary like a lot of first aid kits but it has over 117 different pieces in it everything from these great cran band-aids to cold packs. it's really got what you need. >> now to stop the bleeding, i think that's what scarce kids the most. tell me about these gauze pads. >> abc gauze is really need. you take a piece of the gauze, put it on a cut. what it does is forms a protective gel over the cut. it decreases infection. in the end you just rub it off with water. it is like not you have to pull a band-aid off, which no one likes. >> perfect. bug repellants. >> these are like the towelettes we just looked at.

i love again that this is not a spray. there are a lot of chemicals in bug spray, gets in the eyes and nose. these you apply directly to the skin. i also like that these are based on a natural plant insect repellant so they're a little more natural and green than other kinds of bug sprays. >> now water safety. this cannot be stressed enough. you actually have an alarm, this is sort of like a watch or safety band that your child can wear. what happens if your child gets in the water? >> this is a safety turtle pool alarm. this you place within 100 feet of the sensor which you place around your child's wrist. if a chilsd falls into a body of water, this is what you hear. >> that will keep going. >> absolutely. >> you know exactly when your kids get into the water. i think that's just fantastic. it means they're in trouble. another thing that i think is great for water is the original confidence jacket. kind of like swimmies almost but

it is a little more intense, it has eight different floats that you can add or take away depending on the buoyancy. >> you can help them build their confidence. >> teach to swim. absolutely. finally, this is a great example of a pool lock. you should have a pool lock. with any pool, make sure it is up out of the kid's reach. make sure the sitter checks it before she begins her job so it was closed properly. >> i'm to this phase now with the baby gates. great information. find out more on our website at todayshow.com and visit our i aleage community. turning gourmet.eefood gourmet. 'd say it's taken us for a ride. community. turning mexican street food gourmet.

which naturally comes with vitamins, minerals and fiber. all we did was make it spoon size. did we go too far? my name is chef michael. and my dog bailey and i love to hang out in the kitchen... so she can watch me cook. you just love the aromas of beef tenderloin... and, ooh, rotisserie chicken. yes, you do. [ barks ] yeah. you're so special, you deserve a very special dog food. [ woman ] introducing chef michael's canine creations. the deliciously different way to

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bars from kellogg. fiberplus so much more. this morning in "today's kitchen kitchen," a farmer's market fit for the ages. "today" it is more successful than ever. the author of l.a.'s original farmer's market cookbook and the executive chef of the restaurant located right in the farmer's market, good to have you both here. jo ann, i know you're from new york and you went to l.a. you didn't have a lot of friend so you started hanki around the farmer's market. that's wt inspired this? >> yeah i was like a fish out of water. exactly. i fell in love with the

nostalgic charm that you could eat around the world and sit and people watch and walk around which for a new yorker is so key. so i fell in love with it. as i got to hang out there and meet the cast of characters i was like this would be a great book. >> you say it is a food lover's storybook. you really wanted to give us a sense of some of the faces behind some of the stands and the produce and the food that you see there on a daily basis. >> yeah. i think a lot of cultures tell their story through food. so it was really important to reach not just showcase the signature recipes of course but really capture the personality of the market. >> and for seven years now, jimmy's been one of those people. you have like a mexican food stand there called lotteria. >> named after a children's game like bingo. >> nobody's taking their chances when they try your food. >> we'll make something today.

>> these are the ultimate breakfast food in mexico. what you do with yesterday's tortilla. as many towns or cities there are in mexico there are recipes. it's made with green tomatoes. >> this is very easy. >> this is a simple sauce, a two-stage sauce. we brought fresh tomatoes. we cook these with a little bit of water. >> you can buyt your grocery store or farmer's maet. >> they're not like southern green tomatoes. but they're so available nowadays everywhere. >> this sauce is -- you put the tomatoes in a pot, little bit of onion, chile jalapeno and garlic. just cover with water. then you bring that to a simmer. let that cook 10 or 15 minutes. then once it's ready put it in the blender, then fry the sauce. put a little bit of oil in the bottom of a pan, then cook the sauce. when the sauce is ready, then

we're ready to make it. this is really simple. you get tortilla chips. we've made our chips -- >> you've actually fried your own tortillas. >> yes. >> you can probably use store-bought stuff. >> you can. basically you get a sauce, it's very much like a pasta dish. we'll put the chips in there. >> we're starting to run out of time. >> we'll do this quickly. that's the good thing about this it is a quick little dish. little bit of onions. toss them. >> that could be a mess. >> i'm standing back. >> good thing you know what you're doing. i know you say this is a great hangover cure. >> the ultimate. >> like pafafter a wedding? once it cooks, plate them up. just like this. they're so good. finish them off --

>> top it off with black beans, cheese. tiny bit of onion, cilantro. jo ann and jimmy, thank you so much. the book is called "l.a.'s original farmer's market cookbook." we're going to be back with more from lake george new york coming up.

hey, meredith and ann in lake george, tomorrow al and matt in key west. al what do have you coming up? >> we've got -- we're going to do some shopping here on the streets of key west where you can get some of the best hkes ev. tchotchkes ever. matt and i will have a hot sauce-off to see who can do a little bit better. i'm actually going treasure hunting with a group of treasure hunters.

mel fisher treasures. diving for buried treasure. >> have a great time. we want to take one quick second to thank all the wonderful folks here at lake george. they've been so tremendous. thank you guys for everything. the folks at the sagamore hotel we've had a great time. >> we wanted to show you all the highlights. we put together a little tape for you. ladies and gentlemen, take a look.

er

i think, for the most part, traditionally men have ruled the world. i think that they're in control. women rule the world. men are just here for the company.

really? k yoe. the new depend brand. for women and men. 9:56 is our time. 75 degrees out there. cloudy skies, some sun getting through, though. going to be a warm and muggy day. we'll get the forecast coming up. good morning. i'm joe krebs. good news for drivers using the bradley boulevard at the arlington road intersection. the intersection has been reopened since an early morning incident. a body was found burning in a minivan minivan. police spent the morning at the scene i th oeher no other vehicle was found at the scen > >> the>> a alexandria police cefhi ef will face charges for driving under the influence. chief david baker was arrested

after an accident. his blood alcohol level was .19, more than twice the legal limit. he was sworn in after serving as deputy chief for 16 years, is now on administrative leave. a public hearing will be held about a proposed walmart store. the hearing is the final step before the board of supervisors which has the final say will take up the proposal. the planned store sparked protests among preservationists and historians but walmart says the store will not harm the historic battlefield. we're going to start with meteorologist chuck bell in storm center 4. >> good morning. hope you enjoyed your weekend. now that monday is under way, sunshine is out and fairly cloud-filled sky. temperatures are in the mid 70s across town. 75 in downtown washington 75 in prince george's county 76 in annapolis. 74 in hagerstown and panhandle

of west virginia 71. partly to mostly cloudy, more showers are likely a few stronger thunderstorms cannot be ruled out. close to 90 degrees, in the low 90s tomorrow and again on wednesday. jerry, down to you for a check on the roadway. >> all right, chuck. we'll look along 66. jammed up had an accident east on 66 at route 50 fair oaks tying up the left side. not bad at the wilson bridge. route 50 at the bay bridge moving nicely as is i-270. >> tonight at 5:00 a breakthrough device that supposedly keeps your food perfectly fresh.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television hi, everybody. it is monday, july 27th. that means my hoda woman is back from her vacation. >> i heard you all had a little party going on. >> but we missed you, hoda woman. how was dubai? >> first of all, it was a ball.

if you've never been to dubai, it is one of those places where you go and you are astonished at everything. everything's new. everything's built. it's right there. they have shopping mall with a ski slope in it. they have an ice rink. >> how hot was it? >> just so you know, it was 120. >> say it again. >> 120. >> but it was a dry heat. >> if i were going from us over there to davie which is like nothing i'd take a cab. if you're walking along the streets in dubai, cabs will pull up next to you and stop because they can't believe anyone is outside walking in the heat. >> then how does a hooker get a work? if you can't w talke streets, how do they girhe t hework. >> my sister lives in dubai. iv >> what is she doing this? >> that was a little birthday. see that little thingie? we decided to celebrate while i was there. we had a little birthday

celebration at the restaurant. that's that hotel in the background, remember matt hit the golf ball ff o that top deal?ff it looks likesl. weid dalaisl. we did all the happy -- >> she looks so much like your s mom. >> doesn't she? >> she reallyds. oe but the water loksyscrtal t clear. >> that's her friend. the water is beautiful. can you go in the water, especially this time of year because it is summertime between like 7:00 a.m. and 8:30 or 9:00 a.m., that's about it. >> people go to the beach, lay out, get suntans -- >> and run back in. >> how can you even walk on the sand? >> you have -- you're right you have to have your sandals with you. what i found funny is there is starbucks near my sister. you go there, people are sitting outside chatting,having coffee like it's just another day. >> not even iced coffee. >> no regular coffee. >> but i heard by the end of the week you acclimated yourself and you were one of those persons sitting there drinking coffee.

>> i brought you something. >> you didn't have to! thank you, hoda woman. you went away for a week, for goodness sakes. >> thank you, sweetheart. >> you're welcome. and i wrapped it myself. >> how much did we miss hoda, everybody? come on. >> isn't that nice. seemed a little lame, but that's okay. >> wow. wow. look at this. >> like little footsteps in the sand. >> footsteps in the sand. that's beautiful. is that a famous photographer there? >> it's one of those famous prints that everybody loves over there. >> thank you my darling friend. that is very, very sweet. gnarly footsteps. >> stop it! those were work boots. but the temperatures over there are getting us set for -- san antonio! >> "today is taking a vacation." we were in lake george this morning where ann an meredith were. fly fishing. what i really enjoyed them wa stop on the bicycle ride and sit and have their wine together

like two good friends would. >> i was wondering when that wine came into play. >> it is a beautiful place up there. >> i didn't know they did the sack race. they did all kinds of things. >> that was me trying to get in my spanx this morning. >> al and matt are in key west. san antonio -- yeehaw. >> j.k. long who produces these pieces called me and said i'm just laughing watching this video. >> we were very naughty in texas. >> we did night life in texas in san antonio. then we went to a place called ban bandera, texas. we went to the dixie-dude ranch. i'm looking forward to seeing the friends we made down there. melissa, diane, everybody. >remember the guy who was dancing with us at the honky-tonk with the beard. >> oh, my gosh.

wait until you see -- i don't remember that. but he wanted hoda. badly. badly. lonely cowbo days were over! but no. then cookie remember cookie the chef? >> wait until wednesday you guys. it's really going to be fun. >> you missed some big news stories while you were gone. >> i did. the new story about the harvard professor that actually made it over there. >> really. what was their take on it in dubai? >> there you get cnn bbc and all the rest so he sort of reported it -- >> the way it should be. just the facts? >> i think so, for the most part. i haven't read up on every detail but from what i saw, when we saw obama at the news conference commenting on it there was a collective uh-oh like talking about that subject was sticky. that was going to be trouble. wasn't it? >> i don't think so. i think when he gave that famous speech in philadelphia about race it was magnificent and i

think it was very healing and it was brilliant, i thought. i felt very, very comfortable with him making that particular speech. i think what made people uncomfortable was that he prefacesed it by saying i don't know all the facts then he made a judgment about how the policeman had reacted. >> i was trying to picture myself breaking into my house and then some police officers come in and say "show me your i.d." i can imagine myself saying, "this is my house." "like "don't ask me for my i.d. in my house. who are you coming into my house?" then saying to him, "come outside." i was feeling it frst from his perspective, what it would feel like to have police officers asking you to show your i.d. in your own home. then when you hear the rest of it, sounded like both sides were getting kind of belligerent. >> first i've never gone to china. but if i came back from a flight from china and couldn't get in my front door i'd be a little

on edge. >> you know how long my flight was? almost 14 on the way home. when i sat down to go home -- a guy sat next to me who smelled so bad. 13 hours. i didn't know what to do. almost 14. >> almost 14. there he sat. he was like this, oh no. so i tried the blanket. >> oh, no! was it body odor or oral -- >> erything. >> dear lord. >> i didn't know what to do. what do you do in that situation? >> we had something about that lasteek while you were gone called sweatiquette. i feel bad i sweat, but my god! he needed towels. >> by his own admission, it tends to spritz. but we asked about that. >> i said to the flight

attendant is there any way we could have another seat? it was full. she was nice enough to say there is an alternative seat here, then he started to move it ended up that everything worked out fine in the end. but i'd had enough to sit for 13 hours next to him. >> you did move. >> he ended up moving at the end. >> at the end? what? 20 mites left? >> at the end of the story. >> that's a tough one. >> that's a hard one to figure out what to do. what are these and why are they up here? >> lego. they're saying that -- your business cards are passe now. >> this is what they want you to hand out. these are just kind of mock-ups of us. i don't know if you can see this one right here, this little girl, on the back is your name. >> why are you a boy and i'm a girl? >> i don't know. my name is michael mcnally. what's your name? >> i don't know.

i can't -- julie. my name is julie stern. on the back it has your phone number. you give it to somebody and they put it in their purse. then they never find it. >> i would never find this in my purse. would you? >> it's clever. >> you can't find anything in your purse. >> we've got to do this thing. >> let's do it. >> sorry. we'll get to you. sara -- >> we have to quickly do this thing about if two people had the babies. we have to. we've been trying to do it for weeks. if two people -- who's that? who is that? that's omar sharif and you, hoda. >> what? >> if you married a man -- that's george clooney and you. >> that's terrifying. >> me and you.

okay. >> you guys would have beautiful babies together. >> i think between the four options, you and i should do it. you know what i'm saying? >> we put out a question about what you guys should do in san antonio to some of your fans. kim wrote in they absolutely must ride horses and wear cowboy hats. janet said go visit my ex-boyfriend and tell him i said hi. carol said hopefully you can stay indoors. it's hot, hot, hot. >> we didn't stay indoors much. but we hope you enjoy us onn wednesday. if you believe in psychics you'll like these guys. after these messages. >> they seem like nice guys.

we've only been here four hours. >> the american dollar was not as strong as anticipated, gus. that's why i had to put the whole thing on a credit card. i said "a," credit card. hi. >> those are the stars of the tv show "psyche" which is back for its fourth season now. congrats. >> can't believe that. >> the show follows the adventure of a pseudo psychic and his friend as they try to solve crimes and get into just a

little bit of trouble along the way. i like the rapport between the two of you. was that pretty early on or did that grow out of just the work? because you seem very relaxed together, very comfortable. >> almost immediately. he's the spark that starts the fire. >> how did they tap into your chemistry, to figure out you guys would work together? >> i had the part. and we were searching far and wide for who would be my guy. "my guy." and i actually drove out to his house in woodland hills -- >> go down this street make a left. >> we had like a little chemistry session in his living room which in retrospect is strange because i already had the job. but no. we pretty much hit it off right from the beginning. >> you felt it right away?

>> that it could definitely work. it was a cool vibe. i think if we had a chance to work over a period of time it would get better and better. >> rarely do you get a chance like that in the world today. if you don't hit it right off the bat you're gone never see each other again. >> usa network. >> i like the concept of this show. you're not really a psychic but people sort of believe you are and you're kind of the straight guy friend. right? >> his run of jokes will end. congratulations to thomas on his recent emmy nomination. we're very very happy. >> such sincerity. >> are your characters sort of evolving over time? >> i think a little bit. we're still sort of a couple peter pans. you don't ever want to see us grow up too much. >> that would kind of spoil the

whole -- >> there's a bit of a glass ceiling in our maturity, unfortunately. >> how about shooting in vancouver, one of the great places in the world? >> you have a chance to get away from everything. there we're pretty much going to work and going home. you don't know how people react to the show, you're in a bubble. >> how do vancouver people deal with it? what's one you did before? people know you from "west wing" over there. that must get you a little bit. the guy's a big star. >> people know me as the guy who gets groceries sometimes. >> is there a lot of ad libbing that goes on in this show that's sort of you guys just figuring it out? >> yeah sort of the fabric of what we do. our show creator is great about that. we established sort of early on that would be how it worked. he's cool with it but a lot of

times writers aren't. >> on the "west wing" it was so scripted down to the very word. >> it was a whole new thing for me. i remember when they first started filming, they went on this tan intelligent "what are you doing?" >> but that's so much more fun. >> and it works for this show. >> well congratulations. >> good luck guys. >> when you become a really big star, come back. okay? give me love to maggie lawson. we ddel"model behavior" together ten years ago. she's a doll. >> she gives it right back to you. >> you guys are adorable. you're great. thank you. >> catch all the new episodes of "psyche" on usa our sister station. up next, a segment for adults only. ee ystohow ev ranp utow rev up your sex life no matter how long -- i guess this is for me -- you've been married. >> yeah, for you.

if your appetite for sex is dwindling, we have a pyramid for you. not a food pyramid a sex pyramid. it is all about recharging the sex in your life. welcome. a is ex

a sexologist. a ph.d. >> this is not a joke, people. >> you are talking about when your sex life i flat-lining and not doing well, you can actually get in there and mix it up. >> or even when it is healthy. you wouldn't like to eat the same food day after day so you probably don't want to have sex the same way every single time. we developed a sex pyramid which follows the same philosophy as a food pyramid. basically integrate different foods, have a healthy diet. integrate different sex tips -- >> but some people aren't as adventurous. >> i think i know what solo is. >> take charge is? >> basically just having the woman in the driver's seat saying do what you want being in control. >> apologetic? >> make-up sex. when you have a fight. >> what's electric? >> quickie. electric has different meanings obviously. >> adventurous?

>> that's basically anything out of your normal comfort ne. could be trying new position or having it on the couch if you always have it on the bed. little tweak, something big. intimate is the sort of very connected sex, re-establishing your bond. the cuddling it may not include intercourse, it just be cuddling. getting back in sync with your partner. >> romantic. >> what if your husband or boyfriend likes it a certain way and that's what he likes and you want to spice it up. what's the best way to approach and say let's try it? >> the interesting way to use this pyramid is that we can actually use this to find out what our personal pyramid is and what our partners are. you can start to see if there is a connection or disconnect and how to get beyond that. i'm a big believer in honesty. hopefully if you're intimate with someone, if you really want a fulfilling sex life you can have this conversation and say, listen i love you and i love our romantic life but why don't we try something interesting, try something different. >> it would seem to me that the fastest way to not make progress in this area is to complain

about the way it is. so you have to find a nice way to suggest that you're sick of -- >> nobody's saying you have to give up what works for you. just try something else in addition. >> does that include another person? >> what? what are you talking about? >> well, for some that might be the case. but certainly the average relationship might not include that. but it is really about the presentation. right? to be able to say i love it when you, x, y, z or when we x, y, z, but maybe we can try this. >> what about people who's been married a long, long time? >> how long is long? >> how many years have you been married? >> long. 23. >> what if it's been a long time and you are just sort of set in the way things are? >> not that anybody here is. but if that were the case, what -- >> it's okay to be set in your ways. if you have a satisfying sex life and you're feeling fill fulfilled on different levels, you don't have to worry about these things.

the flip side is some times if we crave the adventure and newness all the time maybe something is lacking. it is okay to be fulfilled in the same way all the time. just know that you have options if you want to be different. >> your pyramid and relationship can change over the course of 30 years. when you're newlyweds, it looks like this, but maybe 20 years down the line -- people have different need at different times. >> i think people should expect that. >> relationships evolve. >> you said after four years -- >> one very esteemed gentleman told me basically all relationships have a fiery four-year period, then it better be about something else. >> b there is a deeper connection. absolutely. >> yeah. then once you start having children and mortgages and all that stuff it all changes. >> guys, we got to go. thank you have much. interesting. she was an overweight kid but this stay-at-home mom went from a 26 to a 4.

a minivan on fire a body found inside. we're on the scene as police investigate this developing story in bethesda. good morning. i'm joe krebs. also ahead, the alexandria police chief accused of dui. and summertime means sweat. that means stinky feet. we'll get to the bottom how to clean up your and keepct and keep your cttoes smelling like roses.

ç roger, this is glen. when your driver gets out see if he can pick up the suspect vehicle. >> will do that. >> this is not an episode of "law and order," it is from tonight's episode of "the wanted." >> it centers on a team who hunt down accused terrorists or war criminals and try to bring them to justice. roger carsons is part of that team, a former green beret and expert on irregular warfare.

roger, welcome. we love the whole idea that initially when you were approached about this you said they asked you if you wanted to be part of a television show and you said no way. >> were you the only one in the world who didn't want to be in a reality show. >> but when you heard about the point you said this was something you wanted to do. >> if you're in intelligence or operations communities you don't want to be exposed. idea of television doesn't make sense to us. when they said it was in part about chasing down those who committed the genocide in rwanda in, i wanted to be part of that. >> innature >> innately, we go crazy waiting for justice to happen. how's your success rate on this so far? >> i think pretty good. last week we confronted a tough terrorist group in iraq. tonight we'll take a look at a gentleman who's accused of funding 9/11 and contributing to the logistics of the madrid bombing. i think we're doing okay. >> you don't have any law

enforcement arrest powers. >> no authorities at all. >> you just approach these people then do what? >> it's different every single show. we would like to have a confrontation. in a perfect world we'd like to get the authorities to arrest. but tonight you'll see something that's pretty exciting towards the end. last week we actually sat down with this mullah and spent four hours of him, of which you saw about like six minutes of television. >> they're willing to sit and chat? >> in some cases so. >> that seems kind of odd. >> it was shocking. the interview was very unnerving very uncomfortable for everyone in the room. but, yeah surprising. >> the end game is what? say you do an interview with these guys. >> and they know this is for nbc news. >> oh, absolutely. we're above board. >> what's the end game with the first episode and with tonight? >> it is really shining a light on some cases that have been dormant for years, saying these people have been accused of egregious crimes against hueman humanity and are going unnoticed. we're trying to shine a light on

these cases. using diplomacy. >> journalists and others tracking down supposed or alleged bad guys isn't great practice, that should be left up to the law enforcement. what do you say about that? >> i would argue against that. in this case it is journalism except you are bringing to bear more tools, special operations and diplomacy. for many cases law enforcement hant done anything in many years or can't take the neck step because the law doesn't support it. we act a is a catalyst for government action. >> do these guys think they're not doing anything wrong when they agree to sit down with you? >> it's all different. the gentleman last week said absolutely, i've done all that and more. in other cases people sit there and say i haven't done any of that. we sit there and say well we have witness statements, you have an interpol red notice. >> never boring. wow, wow. catch "the wanted." i think you've done a darn good

job of selling it. thank you so much. catch "the wanted" tonight at 9:00 right here on nbc. a stay-at-home mom once weighed 270. lost 140 pounds right after this.

>> announcer: "today's "joy fit club"" is brought to you by truvia. natural sweetener, honestly sweet. the induction of the fit club's newest member is a 38-year-old stay-at-home mom from helena montana. >> hi. my name is natalie. i've had a weight problem all of my life. i was put on diets as a kid had problems finding clothes to fit, and was teased for being overweight. i lost some weight but i always put it back on. by the time i finished high school i weighed 180 pounds. when i got to college my weight soared to over 200 pounds which is where it stayed for most of my 20s. when i graduated college and started my career, i kind of gave up on myself. there was a level of shame and guilt attached to being overweight and i felt ashamed i let myself get so heavy. i got married and had two

beautiful children. both pregnancies were difficult due to my weight and with each one i gained more and more weight. my friends said i had a perfect life. i loved my life but not my body. reached my highest weight ever of 270 pounds. i knew i had to start doing something. i started counting calories weighing and measuring my food and started a food journal to keep me accountable. i've now lost more than half of my body weight i've gone from a size 26 to a size 4. i feel great and i have more energy than i ever had. >> and the leader of the pack nutritionist joy bauer is here. >> natalie is such a remarkable woman. her ultimate goal was too overwhelming so instead she focused on small changes one at a time and, like you know, they add up. the weight started to come off and the more she lost, the more she wanted to le. >> we should point out she's not tall. she's five feet tall. >> so 140 pounds on someo

who's five feet tall is an enormous amount of weight. >> natalie before. all right natalie. come join the "joy fit club." whoa! >> you're so little! >> ny! >> congratulations. >> do you see that that was you? >> it feels like a completely different person. >> a different world. >> how long did it take? >> the initial amount took about 18 months. >> but that's a healthy -- that's fast actually. >> a year and a half. >> the last 30 was within six months. >> probably added 20 years to your life. >> did it come off quickly in the beginning in. >> it did. i didn't make a ton of changes. little small changes at first. >> like what? >> at first i just started eating smaller meals, drinking a lot more water. i added a lot more veggies and fruits into my diet and doing really tiny walks, 20-minute walks is all my body could handle.

>> then you upped it and upped it. >> every week. >> you took the kids with you. >> i took the kids. >> the family encouraged you in the process. >> your mom gail is so adorable back here. she's so proud of you. hi gail. so the food the food the food. >> we laid out her six-step action plan. first step one she incorporated lots of fruits and vegetables into meals and snacks. step two sneakers put the kids in the stroller and just walking. >> can you just walk at a normal pace? >> absolutely. whatever you can do. the idea is to move more an burn calories. step three, she got a food journal. she was accountable. she wrote it down, everything that she was eating. >> every single thing you put in your mouth. >> the good and the bad. >> that's really revealing. sometimes when you snack and are eating handfuls -- >> yes. >> another step, step four, she allowed herself a portion controlled afternoon snack. a piece of cheese and an apple. so it enabled her to not overeat

when she got to the dinner table. >> natalie, just an apple and cheese? >> the ounce of cheese was kind of indulgent for me so it helped. i think the protein pbably helped fill me up too. >> absolutely. step five she learned how to kick healthy meals. i love this. she watched the food network and she made her own healthy changes. she baked fries she used skim milk. she cooked with a lot of low-salt chicken brought. she made her own salad dressings. step six, as the clothes got bigger she donated them to goodwill. >> no going back, natalie! >> that is so smart. >> one pair of pants, because she wanted to be on the "joy fit club." her and i could both fit in them. >> look at you. >> keep up the good work. >> congratulations. >> if you or someone you love -- go ahead.

>> if you want to be considered for a spot on joy's club, go to klgandhoda.com. read natalie's story there. coming up next, two foods that are going to help you protect yourself from a financial crisis right after this.

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we're back with "today's money" and how to protect yourself from a financial crisis. >> here's some bad news. if you're a woman, a new aarp study says 2 out of 3 of us are likely to go through a financial crisis at some point in our lives. so today's financial wizard jean chatzky is here. with her bangs. >> nobody solves our problems like jean. tell us about these life things. >> divorce, disability, loss after spouse. job loss a big one. two-thirds of women have gone through these already or are pecting them. what happens is we can't focus we can't concentrate so we have to prepare for these things in

advance. >> and we make bad decisions when a crisis happens. like some people instantly sell their house if they lose it. people panic. >> people don't go to the right people for advice either. we turn it our friends or family because we know them but we should be turning to an exrt. >> but they're who we trust. >> but you have to do two things to prepare for those crises. pay down debt and get the right amount of life insurance. >> pay down debt. >> the pay down debt thing was interesting. say you owe on three cards. tell us what you do if you owe -- >> on three cards, take them out figure out which one has the highest interest rate put all your money muscle toward paying down that card and pay the minimums on rest. when that card is done, youoll to the next one. then tear it up. don't cancel it because it will hurt your credit score. butut it in the freezer give it to your mother. >> don't give it to your mother

zblmplts she ! she might be a shopaholic. get rid of debt that way. then look at the life insurance picture. we think particularly if we are at home and we have a spouse in the workforce we thi why do we need life insurance on me? we need it because we have value. the services that we provide for our families taking care of our kids have big value so you need life insurance on you and on your spouse and the best way to get it is to buy term life insurance. >> what does that mean? >> term life insurance is just a death benefit. it has no investment component. it terminates at the end of a term. you want to lock in right now because prices are going up. for 20 or 30 years. you could have the same policy same premium and not have to go through another physical down the road so if something happens to you you know you'll be covered. life insurance when you buy term is really relatively inexpensive. >> people don't want to spend the money. they're strapped right now to

get groceries. they're thinking i got a good 0 years left. >> you do have to prioritize. if everybody would just take a look at how much money is coming in how much is going out and where it's going anybody can free up a little bit of money, then you put it to its best use. >> back to the/carr thing. can you call the credit card company and say -- you used to be able to call they will um and work a deal. >> it really doesn't work anymore. they are not making deals. they're at the credit card legislation an thinking right now we are not cutting those deals. but if you're not making your payments if you're already delinquent, then you call an then they will deal because they want to get whatever money they can. >> jean, always, we love you. thanks. up next, a lesson in

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hey, baby, what's your sign?

>> mixologist clair smith wants you to know she's making a living tailoring drinks to your zodiac sign. clair, we're so happy to have you! for many, many reasons. >> is this just another reason to drink or is there something to this clair? >> it is the inspiration behind the cocktails. cocktails are all about fun, being playful. why not use your personality trait to create you own specific cocktails. >> kathie lee and i are both leos, we have our birthdays in august. >> this is sunshine in a glass. really outgoing. what we've done is created a kind of contrast between a belini and a cocktail like a mimosa. some peach puree here, clem clementine juice. take your juice and peach puree

add about an ounce. you can make this in the glass but it takes a little bit longer. i'll make it in the tin. your yellow label, again -- >> i happen to be allergic to citrus. is this no good for me? >> no. what a shame, what a shame. >> you take a sip and tell me what you think. really outgoing really fun. beautiful colors. >> just to be friendly i'll have a sip. my daddy used to say, let's just have a little sip of something. cheers. you're from england, aren't you? >> yes. >> sara is a virgo. so are you, clair. >> yes. we're neat freaks. we don't like anything to color us. i've created a drink that if you spill it you know, we've got

belvedere citrus. this is a really natural product. >> more citrus kathie lee. >> you know what? >> some mint, lemon juice. i'm just going to shake this up with a little bit of ice. this is one we've created as a none-roll non-alcoholic version as well. >> is sara of age? >> shake it up. >> woo! >> you go girl. >> we're just going to strain this. and then just prop it up with a little bit of san pellegrino. summery, refreshing, light. >> you are a spokesperson for belvedere, vodka. >> i'm very lucky. >> how is it sara?

>> come on in. this is the sara klein drink at the end. go down by your drink. >> it is amazing. inspiring, mysterious, stormy passionate. >> we go rtoun honey. love you. thank you. the concoctions are on our website. see you tomorrow.

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