good morning. attention car buyers -- fears that cash for clunkers is running on empty as consumers run into dealerships as the president and congress work to pump additional billions of dollars into the program. it was a mistake.om says no spell,oneliness and monthly expenses. nadya suleman reveal as look at life as a single mom of 14. and coming to america. british singing sensation susan boyle reportedly plans to launch her professional career far from home, and that's got her fans here in america singing happy tunes. "today saturday," august 1,

2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television ng up this morning, olympic former michael phelps, back in the pool at the world swimming championships in rome, facing the guy who almost spoiled his olympic gold medal winning streak. you'll certainly remember this race. the closest thing in phelps amazing olympic run. tookokoky arararara what?d. still think hess won. >> of course he does. i didn't get to go to a lot of events but i was at that "vent, and i mean, everyone was standing waiting to see what happened. i guess everyone was doing that at home, too. even if you saw it on the television screen -- >> looked like the same time. only one gip got the medal. >> true. >> rivalry, an added twist.

controversial swimsuits. much more on that. did you know august is a great month to go shoching. turns out there are amazing deals you can only find this time of year. we're going to tell what you they are in just a bit. >> you love every mth for shopping. >> what month isn't great? if we're being honest. >> and summer jobs. the job i picked, a new york city tour guide for a day. one of those double-deckers. i had a great time. >> did you lie or tell the truth? >> a couple things i may have made up. >> did you embellish? >> no. a fun show and a fun way to see the city, because it makes you look up. >> i've never taken one of those buses. i've been told, even if you live here you should do t. i'll take you on the bus. >> all right. coming up, cash for clunkers. a report it was running out of cash. the obama administration and congress took quick action. the white house promising to honor all the deals made through this weekend and the house of representatives voting friday to pour another $2 billion into the

program. the senate takes up the bill next week. because nobody knows how long the program will actually last, the rush to cash in is on. nbc's chris jansing has more. >> reporter: back at the ford dealership friday after a long night. it was a mad house. it was crazy. >> reporter: phone lines have been jammed with customers. >> thanks for calling. >> reporter: nervous customer, anxious to buy cars before the money runs out. >> we have a recession. >> reporter: based on promises from the president that if you sell it, the money will come. >> selling cars. let's go. >> reporter: reimbursements to dealers have been slow. enrique turned in his gas guzzler and picked up his new car. >> very exciting, very comfy. >> reporter: he's buyer , and the toyota company is on the hook for $200,000. once the deal is done, a lot of

dealers are holding on saying they aren't going to get rid of the cars until uncle sam comes up with the cash. the system has been overwhelmed. >> nothing could have prepared us for the extraordinary demand on the american people. >> reporter: and going through 156 pages of regulations. >> for the average car salesman, that's a big chunk of time to read a bunch of legalese and comprehend it. >> reporter: on the heels, most dealers are ecstatic. >> thanks a lot. >> it's been great. we've done over 260 units so far. >> i've got a flood of traffic and people in and it's outstanding. >> reporter: and for sharon, patience pd off. >> i love it. it's pretty cool. >> reporter: dealers are hoping theirs will, too. chris jansing, nbc news, los angeles.

and host of nbc's "hardball." here to talk about cash for clunkers and other economic things. nice to see you. >> good morning, lester. >> a shot in the arm, certainly to the auto industry. same time gdp numbers came out. not as bad a drop as many thought. good news potentially for the economy, the same time the nbc news wall street journal poll says 49% approve, 44% disapprove. what's the disconnect between the public and what we're seeing in numbers? >> people don't like a high unemployment rate. the president sees that. both looking at the same reality. he's trying to talk up the economy now but the people are looking at the unemployment rate. he's trying to get people to behave somewhat rationally. we might be out of a job, but let's go by a car. the clunkers for cars is classic

opinion 25% savings on a new car. what i love, the assisted suicide of old cars put engine grenades, pour it into a engine so you can't sell a car again, called sodium celliout. we're getting rid of old car, not just selling new ones. >> good, certainly for the environment. the president said it again this week and has been saying it for monthshat he inherited this economic crisis. how long does that dog hunt? is there an expiration on that line? >> let's say a year from now he definitely can't use that one anymore. right now, he's right around the edge of popularity. he's got about a 50/50 performance rating. it's fading. the health care is not helping. people think it's one more burden. he w trying to sell it, reform the economy, it looks like it's one more burden on the economy. he has not had a good july. he's got to turn thing around

and begin to sell health care as winner for people that have healthcare. he hasn't done it. >> she meetihe is meeting with cabinet, a summit, if you will, this weekend. what's on the agenda there and is there giving marks for the last six months what have they done well and what would they like to re-do? >> the good news. the partnership, the merger, if you will, between the barack obama forces and the clinton forces has been almost miraculous. they're working together it has been perfect, a seamless relationship in foreign policy, and my hunch has always been the reason barack obam hillary clinton aboard as his top cabinet person was political. he needs her to cut a deal in the middle east, to support him, support of israel and more importantly, if this economy stays slow, he's going to need her for the white working class, where she did so well on the campaign last year. he needs the clinton in the

economic and political crunch that's coming between now and the congressional elections next year. i think the big fight over the economy is next year, lester and it's about whether he can hold the people to stay the course to the next election. >> you mentioned health care a moment ago. it got through the final hurdle certainly in the house in terms of committees. how important is it? is it health care, health care, health care in terms of what will get him past this hump? >> if he loses in health care this fall, it will be a failure, his first year. if he wins on health care, a narrow success. it's the first year win or a first year loss. it's his inaugural scorecard and he has to get a w next to his name. and the republican, at least the real critical republicans say they want an l next to his name. this is the ball game. >> chris, nice have you join us on the weekend. >> great to see you. nover ot newsdesk, and savannah guthrie has the top stories. >> good morning, amy, lester and everyone. we begin at new york's laguardia airport. terminal c evacuated, and

kaerngs lined up outside. the bomb squad is called in, they are examining the person's bag. that person is in custody and the investigation is ongoing. severe weather hitting much of the country. the northeast saw strong storms that uprooted trees and downed power lines. more than 30,000 in new jersey and massachusetts are without power this morning. in new york state, heavy rains and flooding kept people trapped inside their homes. maryland's weather ripped roofs off many home, and in the south, residents in tennessee and mississippi are still cleaning up from tornadoes on thursday. on the economic front, the month of july saw its best stock market performance in 20 years. the dow finished the month up more than 700 points. in his weekly radio address, presidt obama said tt obama sai president obama said the recession is easing, but that a full recovery won't happen for "many more months." the department of defense has released more than 100 photos from that controversial air force one flyover in april. the flight was part training, part to get new publicity photos of the president's aircraft, but the site of a low-flying plane

over manhattan panicked many new york city residents. the white house later apologized, and the official responsible for that flyover was fired. and finally, a quartet of cheetah cubs are stealing the hearts of many at the san diego zoo. all cared for by handlers because the cubs' mother rejected them. animal experts say mother cheetahs often walk away from their young because the chances for survival of low. that was supposed to be one of those cute story, kind of depressing. >> rejection card really was a downer. >> i know. sorry. >> nbc meteorologist bill karins here with the first check of the weather. >> we're happy july is over, i mean -- >> didn'teel liken'ik july. >> in so many areas, heat in the nort n hwesai rin the east, and, aiwell, augt is going to unfortunately start more of the same. more cool weather in the northern plains pap cold front sparking strong thunderstorms over the ozarks through

oklahoma, northern texas today, arkansas, louisiana. you are the rainy spot on the weather map. temperatures today, still warm in the northwest. nothing like the 100s. 95 in portland. 88 in seattle. enjoy that. a beautiful saturday. one nice day in the northeast in the mid-atlantic then. then tomorrow more rain arrives. plan accordingly for outdoor ou s innd dry in ght-stof sout. ner texas. ou y wndeeke foreheth w tutereaee o side the your winindow. that's a look at your

forecast. amy? >> bill, thanks so much. still to come on "today," an olympic rematch. eight-time olympic gold medalist michael phelps gets set to face the man that almost snatched his win in the olympics. first, this óç>ol

butterfly looked like the serbian singer was going to take the gold but in this very last stroke, michael phelps surged ahead touching the wall first by just 0.01 of a second. itching for a rematch, that showdown will happen today at the world swimming championships in rome, and rowdy gaines will be watching all the action for nbc sports. rowdy, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, amy. >> what a moment that was nearly a year ago. the rematch is today. what are we expecting?

>> reporter: well, i'll tell you, this is the most anticipated duel of this meet so far. it's amazing the buildup over the last six or serve deign, amy. if you think about what happened last summer, andt's taken a whole year and throw fire on it with a lot of trash talking the last couple of day, it's going to be a great, great race. >> also the talk around this race has dealt primarily with these swimsuits, we're hearing they're ban. the high-tech suits, banning as of january 1st. why wait and what's the impact of this ban? >> reporter: well, certainly the suit has changed the sport more dramatically than anything else in history. of course, i'm of the opinion that it's been great for the sport, and in many ways. first of all, it's given us recognition. i'm on the "today" show at the crack of dawn here with you guys. i'm not sure i would have been on if it wasn't for the suit and, of course, michael phelps. gives us a lot of attention in a

year after the olympics and people like to see the home run. certainly the suits provided that home run for our sport. >> yet michael phelps, to pull him from competition if the suits weren't banned, how influential was his voice in the decision to ban the suit? >> reporter: that's a great point, amy. ip think it's a big part of the decision. not only michael phelps' coach but all the coaches have a lot of say-so in the sport. they said, this can't be done anymore. we're going to stop it and start pulling our athletes oust meets. therefore, they had to come up with this decision. my problem, will it hurt the sport later on down the line when the world records aren't broken, because a lot of the world records will be set and set for generations to come. >> your opinion, these records that have been set have been primarily because of the suit. once banned they may last a phenomenal amount of time? people won't be able to match the speed? >> reporter: i don't think

there's any question about it. take, for example, the 400 freestyle for women, pell greeny, italians, wednesday 3:59. and 4:09 held 19 years. literally impossible for an athlete to go, in the suits they've started to say that's the type of say it's they're going to wear, for a generation, which means 15 to 20 years at least for some of these records. >> reporter: rowdy gaines, swimsuits aside, michael phelps aside, you know you're always welcome on the show. >> reporter: thankouy., am watch this duel. onyo du't want toiss d it. >> we will, rowdy. thanks. you can catch all the poolside action of the world swimming championships today and tomorrow starting at noon eastern right here on nbc. coming up, she first stole our hearts on youtube. now singing sensation susan boyle is coming to america. details after these messages. wow, sweet minivan! ( revs engine ) ha ha! whoo! ( thunderclap )

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it's the biggest little thing you can do. though she was discovered on "britain's got talent," susan boyle is launching her professional career here in the u.s. according to the "london mirror" she'll release her first album and perform for american audiences. nbc's keith miller has the story. ♪ >> reporter: she's had a makeover -- hired a manager -- and discovered that a little confidence could go a long way. and after her collision with fame -- susan boyle told the "today" show's meredith vieira sha she's finally having a wonderful time. >> it's just been unbelievable. indescribable. apart from the security, you don't know what's going to

happen, or how it's going to end. i don't want it to end. it's incredible. >> reporter: cool, calm and collected, that's how susan boyle appears as she launches her career. she didn't feel that way in the final week of "britain's got talent." sudden celebrity overwhelmed her. >> i think she has a unique opportunity now to become a genuine superstar, for her music, not just because of her background or the rocky balboa story element or any of those things. actually for her voice. >> reporter: she is spending a lot of her time in london cutting her debut album and polishing up her live act for her upcoming tour. boyle has support now. lawyers will ensure she not taken for a ride, and a doctor travels with her to help ease her into herew life as a celebrity. >> impact, a demolition. you know anyone with that kind of impact, it's really hard to

get a handle on it. ♪ >> reporter: but a successful singing career could be just what the doctor ordered. boyle hired a financial wizard who helped guide others to fame and fortune to manage her career and jumping by the power of her voice, she stands to make millions of dollars in record sales and concert tours. for "today," keith miller, nbc news, london. >> probably one of her most effective promoter, simon cowell. he's weighed in, said this album is not going to be a collection of show tunes. actually may surprise a lot of people. >> he says he was blown away. he might have a financial stake in her success, possibly. i don't know. it just guessing. still to come on "today," octomom nadya suleman opens up about life with 14 children. we're going to tell you what she now says was a mistake. >> and our summer job series continues. a new york city tour guide. you'll never see the big apple this way. first, these messages.

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starting off as an absolutely gorgeous day as we look at the washington monument. nary a loud in the sky, lots of sun. meteorologist steve villanueva will be along in a moment to give you your weekend forecast, for now, it's 71 degrees at 8:27. i'm keith garvin. in the news for today, ntsb is done testing the track at the site of june's fatal metro collision, it said it will begin replacing the circuitry on the red line. the work expected to take a month. metro riders should continue to expect delays on the red line. and residents in frederick county maryland are cleaning up from a tornado that hit yesterday. the town of iamsville was hit

hard with a lot of downed trees neyod several damaged homes. ur julie loves target, it's got the supplies teacher told her to get and for a great deal. she also expects he'll love the sandwich. she expects he'll think of her when he sees the note. so she shops target. gotta have deals on the stuff she's gotta get.

target. expect more. pay less. well, good morning, everyone, it looks like a beautiful day today. yesterday's nasty weather is now offshore. right now, 71 degrees, we're heading up to about 90. it is quite humid out there, and that's the way it's going to stay right up through the weekend.

all is quiet on doppler, yesterday's storm is offshore. but there's another one heading our way for tomorrow. today, mostly sunny, and quite warm. that's your forecast, keith? we're back this saturday morning, the first day of august, 2009. a very enthusiastic crowd outside this morning. i'm amy robach along with lester holt. coming up th half hour, we're going to tauct about octomom nadya suleman wlan she said to "us weekly" magazine talking about a mistake she made. >> a lot of people when she had the octuplets, and what nadya suleman's regret and details about the anonymous father of all 14 of the children. >> also coming up, talking about shopping. one of my favorite pastimes on

this labor day -- a lot of people wait for the sales come labor day weekend. we'r here to tell you you don't have to wait. in fact, august is the perfect time to grab bargains on a lot of big ticket items. we'll tell what you those are and what you should be buying in the month of august. >> then continue our series on summer jobs an the job i picked was to be a tour guide here in new york city. any questions about new york? that i can answer? it worked out. it actually worked out pretty well, and i love new york, and the double-decker tour bus, as you see there, u bi u bic cuous. i always wonder what do they say? a lot of it was my own personal experience. i tried to give stories and what it's like to live in new york. >> was there a question you couldn't answer? >> a couple of them. yeah, yeah. when was -- you'll see. >> can't wait for that. all that is coming up. first a check of the weather from nbc meteorologist bill

karins. good morning. >> good morning, amy and lester. a lot of great people out here today. we have your ten-year anniversary. nice romantic spot here on the plaza with everybody. which one's which? who's grant and who's lee? >> grant, lee. >> and we also, a bunch of, all sisters here? >> all sisters. >> this is the mom. amazing sisters. 70. right? fantastic. looking great. take a look at forecast and we'll try to make it look great in your area. what a july we've had. so many extremes portland, two hottest days ever. n south texas,ro w ou s texas, weren't of theou warmest if not the warmest july in many southern texas areas, and the south struggling so bad, chicago, madison to michigan, a miserable, cool summer and wet in the east. drenched yesterday. today actually a nice day. most are happy to get rid of july, moving now into august. right?

that's a lookt aou yr national arew 'sk lt oo at the weather loo ltsyoidouinure do ww. ou now, you flew all the way, almost -- who did you fly so far to see? >> us! >> poor kid. can't get a word in. send it over to amy. >> all right. bill, thanks so much. coming up, eight 6-month-olds. what the octomom says was her

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garth, you're up. hold on, i'm at capitalone.com picking a photo... for my credit card. here's one from my prom. oh, what memories. how 'bout one from our golf outing? ( shouting ) i know, maybe one of my first-born son. dad, ys the boys gotta go. personalize your card by uploading... your own photo at capitalone.com. what's in your wallet? ♪ the woma known at the octomom is making headlines. this time for saying having so many children wasn't such a good idea after all. lee cohen has the story. >> reporter: she sparked a controversy almost as soon as her babies were born. not one, not two, but eight. >> they were just so beautiful.

>> reporter: time hasn't changed that sentiment, but in retrospect, nadya suleman now tells "us weekly" implanting so many embryos may have been a mistake. >> if she could have done it all again, she really would have transferred only two or three. >> reporter: she admits the procedure was russian roulette, as she calls it. strong words, give wlan she said when she first brought the infants home. >> i don't apologize for having all my children and i never would. >> reporter: not that she dn't realize how much her life would change, even hinted to dr. phil this wasn't her ideal outcome. >> in hindsight, i think every single human being looking back would change things. >> reporter: the realities of the babies $30,000 a month price tag, not to mention letter 18-hour days have really sunk in. >> startling and refreshing to hear her say, wow. i think i did make a mistake, because i think every american watching her story in january also felt that she had made a mistake. >> reporter: admitting it

doesn't change the outcome, but it may garner her a little more sympathy from a public still scratching their head. for "today," lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. linds you powers is a staff editor for "us weekly" magazine. thanks for coming on. >> thanks for having me. >> the quote, i think it was a mistake in terms of the well-being of the oct octuplets and my other kids. i can't give them 100% of myself, i wish i could. a lot of people were critical say, i told you so. has struck you about that comment? >> interesting. here's this woman from the beginning so defiant. i'm having all of these kids and now is really backtracking on those strong statements, and she says that she lived her life in a could have, would have, should have wait, she acts and then reacts after. it was not the best decision. >> what's the reality ji what is her life like? we all imagine what it would be like having 14 kids. give me a typical day? >> doesn't have enough time to

spend with all of them. wishes each day was 40 hours long. she's writing memoirs to make money until 4:00, 5:00 in the morning. up again by 6:00 a.m. with the kids. gets the oldest kids off to school during the school year and then tries to spend time with each of her octuplets and doesn't even have time go to the grocery store she's so busy. >> even if she does, she's world known, recognized everywhere. is she taunted? >> her car vandalized, received death threats and past that tried to take her oldest son, an 8-year-old to the movies, over 30 people were chasing them down, saying, octomom, octomom! >> bizarre. what about the father? in the article she talks about the father up to the point of naming him. >> right. reveep veals new details and admits she impregnated herself with extra donations without his knowledge. only crime she wanted the kids to have the same mother and

father. at this point, having octuplets, they haven't spoken since. >> hasn't seen the children, in relationship? >> no relationship and the kids are asking every day, who's my dad and regrets t fact she's bringing them into the world without a father figure. >> you're reporting $30,000 is month is what it's costing her. she signed a reality tv deal. what else is she doing in terms of trying to find income? >> she has a whole mix of plans. in addition to making the $250,000 at the reality show, she's working on her memoir, also has a special form of sit-ups she's thinking about marketing, because it helped make her stomach incredibly flat after having twins. thinking about getting involved in baby commercials. >> gee. that's a thought. a little experience there. lindsay powers, thanks for coming on. appreciate it. up next on "today," august is a great month for great deals. we'll tell you what you should buy now. but first, these messages. having to go in the middle of a ballgame and then not being able to go once i got there.

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ticket items. editor of "shop smart" magazine and here to tell us what to grab up. good morning. >> good morning. >> i want to ask, what is it about august? why this time of year? why is this a great month to shop? >> august is sweet for sales. the back-to-school sales are going on an then the end of season sales. all of this great summer stuff on sale, like air conditioners an things like that, and then a lot of new models rolling out. stores getting rid of old inventory to make room for the new. >> perfect time to get a bargain, and one ever those, computers. >> computers. now's the type when a lot of people are buying computers a back-to-school sales are going on in full force. apple, which nerve hear a sale runs its annual, buy a computer, get something free. now the ipod touch, if you're a student, and cut computer prices by $300. great deal. netbooks are another big deal. tiny laptop-type computers. smaller than this, and they're like $400.

and the aspire, good one. deals from the phone company. skip those, because they could cost you hundreds of dollar a year in service fees. the netbook is sold cheaply but you have to pay the service fees. another great deal, buy a $300 ompact, which is fantasti >> great. also a big sale item, you say, air conditioners. even though it's august, there are a lot of hot days in the country. >> now's the time to buy it. 9 minute you plug it in you'll start saving because the new units are so much more efficient than older units. another thing you might get, savings from your local utility. if you replace your whole a.c. system you might get a tax break pap great time to buy an air conditioner. >> dehumidifiers. right now in new york, perfect for one of these, it's been so humid. >> another seasonal item. why they go on sale at the end of the year. take the stickiness out of the air. go for the smaller, not the bigger unit.

it will suck up less electricity and you'll spend less to begin with >> a good deal. >> also lawn mowers. end of summer, august, big ses on lawn mowers. the great thing with those, you don't have to spend a lot to get good quality. we found in the test, you could spend $200 on a craftsman and get a great mower. don't go by horse power and price. see the ratings online and how they performed in our test. >> i've done this beforete when used to ha a backyard. you always go at the end of summer and can get pnahenomel deals on outdoor furniture. >> don't wait too long. they run out of all the good stuff. one really good thing here about patio furniture is, we tested patio furniture and found that the cheap sufficient stuff, the stuff you can get at like, walmart, target. >> target. >> actually is just as good as the more expensive stuff. you may not got the detail and styling you want, however, cast aluminum is the best kind. not wood.

baup it is the most durable. aldougu isosis hose it h off. rub the oils onhi ts type of ite.ure. ok. thisakes sense too. ren sale? >> yeah, end ofso sean sales for grills. with grills, a few things. bring a magnet. if it doesn't stick, a good thing. less vulnerable to corrosion. >> interesting. >> burners important. a ten-year warranty. those are the things that will kill you if they die. >> and we showed everybody what you should buy. anything you should hold off buying on for now? >> of course, car, because the cash for clunkers thing is up in the air again. of course, holiday weekends are big times for buying cars. but traditionally, this is a good time of year to start buying cars, because the new models are starting to crunch. trying to get rid of old inventory. back-to-school clothes. a lot of people buy now. better to wait until columbus day sales, labor day sales. buy what you need now, wait until th. s furniture. new models coming into the showroom.

great time to buy that as well, clearing out the old. >> thanks so much. great shopping tips. coming up next, imagine having lester holt as your tour guide in the big apple? lester's summer job coming up, but first, this is "today" on lester's summer job coming up, but first, this is "today" on nbc.?o lester's summer job coming up, but first, this is "today" on nbc.during times like these it seems like the world will never be the same. but there is a light beginning to shine again. the spark began where it always begins. at a restaurant downtown. in a shop on main street. a factory around the corner. entrepreneurs like these are the most powerful force in the economy. they drive change and they'll relentless push their businesses

to innovate and connect. as we look to the future, they'll be there ahead of us, lights on, showing us the way forward. this is just the beginning of the reinvention of business. and while we're sure we don't know all the answers, we do know one thing for certain, we want to help. come see what the beginning looks like at openforum.com

well, this morning as the summer job series continues and it's my turn i looked for something i enjoy doing, explores the sights and sounds of the big apple. e so i jumped onboard one of these, the red apple and put my knowledge to the test as a new yorkity tour gde. ♪ tell us about the boys from new york city ♪ >> reporter: one of the most popular ways to see the big apple is by hopping onboard a double-decker tour bus. >> this times square has really changed. >> reporter: roger has been a tour guide for gray line new york ten years offering visitors

a smorgasbord of tidbits. >> where they used to play. >> reporter: i asked myself, how hard could it be? i've been a new yorker for more than a decade. ♪ remember me to herald square bus rider ♪ >> reporter: what's the most important thing to know as a tour -- >> order. no chaos. everybody has a seat, no standingup. >> reporter: the tour kicked off in midtown manhattan. >> you're going to see picnic tables out there and lounge chairs. people sit there with newspapers and check out the great white way. ♪ down the street >> reporter: we weren't more than a few blocks before i hate bump in the road. >> that's an important question and a question that deserves an answer. because -- >> lester holt -- >> you're doing a tour of manhattan, the great white way

is key. i have no idea. stumped already. of all place, times square. >> why's it called the big apple? >> reporter: i live here and i don't know. >> the big apple came from a gambling train many years ago. >> reporter: let's try this again. and this is where the new york knicks play, the new york rangers' hockey team and, of course, a lot of big concerts here. >> reporter: once i got the hang of it, i was in the groove. ♪ anybody want to get off at the empire state building? we're entering the flat iron neighborhood. >> reporter: from tribeca. >> stands for triangle below canal. >> reporter: to city hall. >> we got the federal building on your right. >> having a good time with lester. >> if anybody wants to cross the brooklyn bridge, please see me at the end of the tour. >> reporter: then we moved by the world trade center.

>> you might see the glimmer of the silver building. actually the first to be replaced. >> reporter: on to wall street. >> if you're bullish about wall street -- great place to get your picture taken. >> reporter: and the south street seaport. >> you might want to get off at pier 17. a great place to stroll and enjoy a great day and get some great sea air. >> d all right, and answered my question about the great white way. hopefully i'll learn by the end of the tour. >> reporter: about two hours later we finally made it back to my stomping grounds. >> that's studio 1a, the nbc "today" show. >> reporter: but in the end, i'm only as good as my last guided tour. >> lester's excellent. he studied very hard. he's really, really smart. >> i don't take tip, but if you watch nbc, i'll consider that a tip. >> reporter: and just beyond studio 1a, the radio city music hall one block over, sixth avenue -- >> your job's done.

now back to your day job. i thought it was funny. the guy the line, he was okay. still hasn't answered my question about the great white way. do you know the answer to it now? >> i just looked it up a few minutes ago. appare apparently, broadway, one of the first cities to have a city with a string of electric lights. back in 1880 and later the "evening telegraph" called it the great white way. >> now we know the answer. the big apple? >> it's kind of -- in the thing and -- you know. >> uh-huh. that. all right. we'll be right back. yodid a good job. ya'll lovin' your mccafé experience

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on this saturday morning. our thanks to bill karins and savannah guthrie for joining us. tomorrow, saving big time for summer travels. >> plus the aspiring story of a young woman, competitive swimmer paralyzes after a medical procedure. now back in the pool. wait until you see what she can do. we'll see you then. i'll see you back tonight for "nbc nightly news." until then, so long, everybody. thanks for watching, and i'm going to continue my tour. anyway, this is 49th street, and that's -- -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

coming up in about one minute on "news4 today," the weekend edition, federal investigators are turning back a section of track where june's deadly crash occurred over to metro. we'll tell you what's next for the investigation and red line travel. capitol hill could breathe new life into the cash for

clunkers program, of a an it almost runs out of money. i'm derrick ward with details. and a new study looks at whether air pollutiur child's intelligence. we'll have results. steve? >> good morning, everyone. weatherwise, it looks like a wonderful day today, after yesterday's storms. all the details, straight ahead. "news4 today" is coming right up, we'll be back in a moment, stay with us. try the new subway big chipotle cheesesteak.

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