good morning. breaking news. the taliban's leader in pakistan, one of the most wanted terrorists in the world, reportedly killed in a u.s. missile strike. hidden message. an unpublished post on george sodini's blog reveals he admired a woman at the pennsylvania gym where he went on that shooting rampage, killing three women and injuring nine others. and not the wife he knew. the husband of the woman who police say was drunk and high when she caused that deadly wrong-way crash speaks out for the first time. >> listen to this i go to bed every night knowing my heart is clear. she did not drink.

she's not an alcoholic. >> what he thinks really happened in a live interview with his sister-in-law "today," friday, august 7th, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this friday morning, i'm meredith vieira. >> and i'm lester holt. matt lauer will be back on monday. this morning, u.s. and pakistani intelligence officials are working to confirm the death of pakistan's taliban chief baitullah mehsud. >> he was reportedly killed on wednesday in a cia drone attack on the home of his father-in-law. mehsud is public enemy number one in pakistan. a man believed to be behind the deaths of at least 1200 people including the assassination of former pakistani prime minister bezir bhutto. we're going to have much more in a live report in just a moment. >> also ahead, lisa ling the sister of freed u.s. journalist

laura ling, will join us to talk about her sister and euna lee's release. also their celebration at home. and talk about the 4 1/2 months they spent in prison in north korea. and we're going to remember john hughes. the writer/director/pro-ducer of some of hollywood's biggest hits. the 59-year-old died on thursday of a heart attack. his films captured the essence of what it's like to be a teenager and inspired an entire generation. >> brought us many many great films. on a lighter note we're going to take a look outside right now. we've got a big crowd here to see jason mraz live in concert. he'll be taking the stage. >> as you said he's bound to make you feel happy. but we're going to begin with those reports tt the top taliban leader in pakistan is dead. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel has the latest. richard, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. u.s. and pakistani officials

tell nbc news they believe baitullah mehsud was most likely killed by a u.s. drone attack. but confirmation has been difficult. because the attack took place in an area still under taliban control, so they haven't been able to recover a body. pakistan's public enemy number one, baitullah mehsud. his face rarely seen. the 35-year-old was the leader of a taliban coalition linked to al qaeda. with an estimated 20,000 fighters in the lawless border region with afghanistan. it was here in a village in south waziristan that pakistani officials say they believe an american drone killed mehsud his brother, and wife, sometime on wednesday. it would be a major blow to militants in pakistan. mehsud was a charismatic leader blamed for the 2008 bombing of the marriott hotel in islamabad. and the 2007 assassination of pakistan's former prime

minister benazir bhutto. her husband ali asaf al zardari is now pakistan's president. for him, killing mehsud has been personal. revenge for his wife. the cia and u.s. special operations have tried to kill mehsud before. at least three times. in june u.s. military officials tell nbc news an airstrike on a funeral for another pakistani militant just missed mehsud. but u.s. drone attacks in pakistan have been controversial. pakistan says they cause too many civilian casualties. but wednesday's operation could be a boost for u.s./pakistani cooperation in coin ter teorism. a taliban source told nbc news mehsud was on the roof of his father-in-law's house at the time of the u.s. drone attack. meredith? >> richard engel, thank you very much. it is 7:04. now here's lester. >> meredith, thanks. now to the latest on the gunman who killed three women and wounded nine others in that suburban pittsburgh health club. and the troubling messages that

filled his home videos and online blog. nbc's mike taibbi is in bridgeville with more. mike, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lester. how are you? you know, it appears from studying the internet that george sodini spent many many years examining his own increasingly unhappy life before spending the last year arming himself in the assault that he carried t tuesday night. just before the shooting started, police say he called his mother to tell her he was about to kill people, and expected to die himself. in videos posted on youtube, sodini had talked about what he wanted. >> my objective is to be real and to learn to be emotional and to you know to be able to emotionally connect with people. >> reporter: but he admitted that on any given day he hid from his emotions. >> and there you go. one more day. and one more day turns into one more year. >> reporter: finally, in the past year, he purchased at least three ofisndhans agu nd handguns and also bought magazines and amo for them from the same green

bay, wisconsin who supplied the virgia tech gunman who killed 32 people in april 2007. maybe not a coincidence, experts say. >> what we've seen in the past with mass murderers and other killers of his vein is that they have a tendency to study those that have gone before them. >> reporter: this mass murderer wrote that he chickened out the first time. and in a hidden message in his blog considered canceling the plan altogether for a woman he saw at the gym. he wrote, to get a friend like her, and for night time action i would cancel this plan or put on hold at least for aheil. but tuesday night he opened fire. jo ann and her daughter julia were in that aerobics class. >> he was just shooting. he just started shooting randomly. he wasn't really you know aiming. he was just shooting. and everybody started running and screaming. >> reporter: on an older website called crazygeorge, last updated in the year 2000 sodini answers yes to the question, is he really crazy? he describes his marital status

as single bliss. but later adds i am still single, so obviously nothing ever worked out. in fact he appears in a self-help author's web workshop on how to do better with women. >> it's normal to be scared when you have been hurt by women in the past. >> reporter: the memorials have begun. many in this community saying they want to forget sodini and think only of the innocents he victimized. but not julia gazam, who says she needs to know everything about the killer she watched tuesday night. >> i honestly can't stop watching it just to try to find out who would do something like this and why. >> reporter: four of the injured women remain hospitalized and to this point no word from la fitness on when or even whether the health center expects to reopen. lester? >> mike taibbi thanks. it is now 7:07. >> lester thank you. now to the latest on the release of northern journalists laura ling and euna lee, who were detained in north korea for nearly five months. among the most grateful for

their release, laura's sister lisa ling, who is with us now by phone. lisa, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> lisa, can you describe your emotions wednesday morning as you watched your sister laura step back onto american soil after 4 1/2 months in north korea? >> well the whole thing was just so surreal and beautiful, and it was a day that our family has been waiting literally for 140 days. when laura and euna walked down the steps of that plane, i mean it was truly one of the most glorious sights i've ever seen. and you know her face just looked like she still was just in a state of shock. because she was actually there. and 30 hours before they were sitting, you know in a facility and truly, truly thought that they would be sent to a labor prison imminently. >> 140 days of being held against your will much of that in isolation, has to take a toll on somebody.

any sense talking with laura about her physical and mental condition, how is she doing? >> well honestly meredith i have to say, she's quite weak, she's exhausted. and because she would literally go weeks without talking to anybody, because even though there were two guards posted in her room at all times, they didn't speak any english, so there would go days just in near silence. and so even sort of getting sentences out is a little bit challenging, because she's just not used to talking as much. and so we're just taking things very, very easily with her. >> i know that she went to the doctor, i believe it was yesterday, and she has dealt with ulcers in the past. is she doing all right? >> well she -- she still has the ulcers. they ccked yesterday. for the most part she's doing well. i mean she has endured a lot of

trauma, and the level of stress was really incredible. but she says that it's nothing that home can't cure it's just going to take a little time. >> i know, lisa that you want lawyer ra to tell her story when she is ready to do so. but can you give us any insight into what happened to these two young women on the day they were arrested and in the days afterwards in terms of what they endured? >> you know i have to be frank, when we talk about what happened you know laura is still, you know she's still very tempered about what she says, and she, again, she really just wants to take time and we are not pressuring her in any way. because a lot of the things are very difficult to talk about. but she certainly does want to talk about it. i mean i know that there are a lot of questions about it and she has every intention of doing so and will probably write a piece about it. and i really really want to let her tell the story. >> yeah and i understand that. i understand also that laura called home in july and she said

to you that north korea would be willing to grant amnesty if former president william clinton were the one to seek the release of her and of euna lee. is that when the ball really started rolling, lisa? >> it certainly did. we were able to only get four calls from laura and euna during their 4 1/2 month detainment in north korea. and obviously the phones were very closely monitored, and there were things that were being communicated through her. and on that last call she very clearly stated that it had to be president clinton or they would still behere right now. and so we immediately jumped into action we called vice president gore we let the state department know and president clinton himself graciously agreed to go. and if he had not done so laura and euna would be still in north korea right now. >> before i let you go have you spoken to euna lee and her

family and how they are doing? >> actually they came over to laura's house last night. and laura and euna had their first pizza. and they just really sort of delighted in it. and hannah i have never seen her so happy, euna's 4-year-old daughter. it was remarkable to see. >> we are very glad they're all home. lisa we can't thank you enough for your time this morning. >> thank you, meredith. >> nice to hear they're all well. you get the feeling this story, when it's told in its entirety is just going to blow your socks off. >> i think so as well. >> want to get a check of the rest of the top stories. we'll say hello to ann curry at the news desk. >> good morning to you, lester and meredith. also in the news this morning, sonia sotomayor will be sworn in tomorrow as the newest justice on the u.s. supreme court after the senate's historic vote thursday to confirm her. nbc's justice correspondent pete williams has more this morning. hey, pete good morning. >> reporter: ann good morning to you. hispanic groups this morning are celebrating the vote that confirmed the first latina, and the third woman, to serve on the court, after months of debate she was approved by a

comfortable margin. a smiling sonia sotomayor left the federal courthouse in new york after watching the final televised debate. >> judge sotomayor has demonstrated the very trait that she is accused by some of lacking. the ability to leave her personal opinions at the courthouse door. >> i believe judge sotomayor's philosophy of law, and her approach to judging fail to demonstrate the kind of firm inflexible commitment to these ideals, i must withhold my consent. >> aye. >> rorter: she won the support of all senate democrats, and nine republicans. >> the yeas are 68 and the nays are 31. >> reporter: hispanic groups were watching around the country, like this one in los angeles. >> i knew i had hope that it

could happen some day, maybe in my lifetime. and look here it is. >> reporter: president obama said he was deeply gratified and praised his nominee's beliefs. >> they're a deals she's fought fo throughout her career, and the ideals the senate has upheld today in breaking yet another barrier and moving us yet another step closer to a more perfect union. >> reporter: she'll be sworn in tomorrow at the supreme court by chief justice john roberts. but we won't actually hear from her until a white house ceremony next week. ann? >> all right, pete williams this morning. pete, thanks. today, new figures from the labor department onhe nation's unemployment rate and analysts say that nearly 15 million americans are looking for jobs. and that the numbers are likely to keep growing into next year. last night the senate approved an additional $2 billion to extend the cash for clunkers program. the president hailed the vote saying the program is giving the economy a much-needed boost. dramatic rescues in the philippines where flooding has killed at least ten people and triggered landslides.

three villages are under water, and cut off. twitter is tweeting again this morning, after hackers disrupted it for hours on thursday. hackers also slowed down facebook for a time. and boxing great mohammed ali was on hand to help give an award to the new york yankees last night. but it was ali who ended up being honored by the crowd that began chanting his name as he neared home plate. one yankee player said seeing ali there was giving him chill bumps. yeah he does that to people. it is now 7:15. let's turn back to meredith lester and al. >> truly great. >> welcome back. >> thank you. i had a good time out west. good to be home. perfect weather. big crowds for jason mraz. we're all excited about it. let's see what's happening for t otak deaasro fhe t dakotas into minnesota down into iowa.oerns,adeavy h rnadoes, hvy rain large hail. on the radar you can see all ra atat activity starting toir ae up. as we get that heating starting to develop during the day, those

atmospheres become destabilized and we get the strong storms. across the country you'll see beautiful weather here in the east showers down in florida. we do have clouds in the pacific northwest. sunny and warm from texas right on into the southwest. in fact we've got extreme heame good morning. we've got low humidity in place, a few high clouds passing through, a blue sky, live picture from the sky watcher camera, 65 in washington low and mid 60s in the suburbs and in the rural areas only in the 50 this is morning. low humidity with lots of sun. highs mid 80s. then hotter tomorrow and near 90 with increasing humidity and oppressive heat and humidity sunday monday and tuesday. highs in the mid to upper and that's your latest weather. lester? >> all right, al thanks. now to politics and a mixed week for president obama. on the positive side he scored two big victories, judge sonia sotomayor's confirmation as the next skofrt justice, and the

extension of the popular cash for clunkers program. but two new polls show his approval ratings have dropped to a new low. david gregory is the moderator of "meet the press." david, good morning. good to see you. >> good morning, lester. >> let me ask you about the polls. can you point one thing, a couple of things that may be hurting him right now? >> this is really all about health care. the white house will dispute some of the numbers you see in some of those polls. they think that things have evened out a little bit over a past few bumpy weeks for the president. but again, all were health care. this is not a pretty process. the deadline that the president set slipped. there's still a lot of disagreement about where they go for the fall to try to resolve the differences over health care. and the president's involved in that. trying to chart the course for what he wants, congress do its work. again, presidents get evaluated based on accomplishments. when they start getting into law making it's not a pretty process. >> he was so focused and locked in on health care then came the gates controversy, then came questions over whether there would really be a middle class

tax cut or maybe a tax hike. how much of a distraction were those? >> well, i think those are distractions. and there's the larger overhang of the economy, and the deficit, and the question about whether the country can afford health care reform on such a massive scale. look to hear from the president and his top aides over the next several weeks, consumer protection. they kept to this message. they want to go out there and say to the american people if you've got health insurance, you're not going to lose ground. you're not going to suffer a decreasing quality of care because of health care reform. that's the kind of reassurance campaign he's got to be on. >> you know it's amazing. congress has dragged its feet on so many issues but cash for clunkers, they were quick to refund that. considered a big win for the president, as well. what does that say about future stimulus programs? >> i think what's going to be evaluated is what actually works. this is something that hit consumers right where they drive. and they could feel it. it also shows how much pent-up demand there is on the part of consumers to go out and buy things but only if the

conditions are right. because, i think consumers are so careful about spending money rather than saving money. this was an instance where, if you can show for sure that there's a real impact because of a stimulus program, congress will be on board. still a lot of questions about where the immediate benefit is from some of the other aspects of the stimulus plan. >> what have you got this weekend on "meet the press"? >>e're going to have more on the back story of the release of the prisoners, of the journalists from north korea. we have the national security adviseral aki bongutthat a a the way forward with north korea. that g jal eress.am'snejo thele jssobneecy,he jobless numbers coming out today. two big key players, michael bloomberg of new york and newark's mayor corey booker. >> okay david, we'll see you sunday. once again here's meredith. now to the tragic depth of john hughes the iconic director producer and screenwriter behind such hits as "the breakfast club" and "ferris bueller's day off." the 59-year-old died of a heart attack on thursday. "today" national current natalie morales is here with more.

natalie, good morning. >> and good morning to you, meredith. if you experienced it as a teenager chances are john hughes wrote a movie about it. and if you grew up in the '80s, as i did, well his movies then became the sound track to your life. writer/director john hughes is credited with creating the teen angst genre in modern film. his movies were not only box office successes, but critical ones, as well and often praised for their realistic look into the lives of modern teenagers. >> when you grow up, your heart dies. ♪ take it off baby now ♪ >> reporter: hughes' films served as a huge break for some of the biggest stars of the '80s including matthew broderick. >> how could i possibly be expected to handle school on a day like this? >> reporter: and molly ringwald. >> for five hours and he's got somebody. i live here my whole life and i'm like a disease. >> reporter: who appeared in three of his films, including

"sixteen candles." >> my little brother paid a buck to see your underwear. >> reporter: ringwald went on to become part of hughes' legendary brat pack. >> does barry manilow know you raided his ward robe. >> reporter: immortalized in "the breakfast club," a story about a group of high school misfits forced to spend saturday detention together. for many young fans hughes' films made their teen years not only tolerable, but hopeful. which is exactly what john hughes wanted as he said in this rare interview. >> i think one of the mistakes that's commonly made in hollywood teenage pictures is that they're going for the bucks and they're not going for the heart. >> reporter: hughes got his start selling a story he wrote for the humor magazine "national lampoon" chronicling summer trips with his family as a teenage per. that story inspired his screenplay of another hit, "national lampoon's vacation."

>> crazy, crazy, craze ski! >> reporter: a vacation which may have led to another of his road trip comedies, "planes, trains, and automobiles." >> where's your other hand? >> between two pillows. >> those aren't pillows! >> reporter: after writing and producing the wildly successful "home alone" series in the 1990s -- >> aaah >> reporter: -- hughes largely stepped out of the hollywood spotlight to spend time with his family. leaving behind a legacy of not only movies, but this message to teenagers past, present and future. even though your parents may not understand you, a hollywood director once did. and john hughes is survived by his wife of 39 years nancy, two sons, and four grandchildren. sure gave us a lot of laughs. >> absolutely. >> she was his high school sweetheart. >> a great story there. >> what's your favorite john hughes movie? >> i loved "national lampoon's vacation."

but seeing it -- >> "home alone." >> "mr. mom" was great. michael keaton. love that one. >> never feed a baby chili. >> learned a lot from that movie. >> john hughes terrific guy.

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th sbe huofd an w t the husbanheof thed ife who caused the horrible one-way crash speaks out. >> plus a live interview with his sisser if in law. - to paint with primer already mixed in? - ♪ yeah yeah yeah... ♪ - test samples instead of can commitments? - ♪ whoo! ♪ - what do you say we dip into our wallets less... - ♪ are you feeling it? ♪ - ...and grab ahold of the latest tools out there... - ♪ oh! ♪ ..o weho can quit all that messing around with extra steps - and get busy turning our doing dials up a notch? - ♪ whoo! ♪ ♪ oh! ♪ more saving. more doing. - that's the power of the home depot. - ♪ yeah yeah yeah. ♪

good morning everyone. the time now 7:26. we're following breaking traffic news. let's go to jerry edwards for th latest. >> good morning. authorities in prince william county have a serious accident investigation at this hour closing off the interchange route 1 nearopitz boulevard. a pedestrian was hit and the investigation has route 1 closed. those who take it north will be diverted off to i-95. we'll keep you updated. tom? >> low humidity moved in and is with us this morning. temperatures in the 50s and 60s.

for the rest of the day we'll have a few high clouds mperatures climbing into the mid 80s but low humidity. then more humidity. then the heat and humidity cranking up sunday and monday. barbara? >> thank you. more after a short break.

> details in the investigation of the fire that destroyed the home of peggy cooper ka prits. the authority found no problems with water pressure in hydrants near the area.

firefighters complained of pressure problems while fighting the fire. the mayor is expected to announce the findings of the city's investigation later ts morning. and coming up tonight on "news 4 at 5:00" a dangerous snario in pregnancy.

♪ 7:30 now on this friday morning, august 7th, 2009. sunny start to the day in new york city. perfect weather for a friday concert and we have a great one lined up. jason mraz is here. take a look at that crowd. i think it may be as big as the crowd we had last week. and that was huge for kings of leon. >> all the way up to 49th street. >> blocking traffic. i'm meredith vieira algside lester holt. matt is back on monday. and just ahead we're going to have the latest on that tragic

wrong-way crash here in new york in which eight people died. police say the driver 36-year-old diane schuler, was drunk, and high on marijuana at the time. but her husband came forward on thursday with tears in his eyes insisting he had never seen his wife drunk. more of what he had to say in just a moment. plus, his sister-in-law will join us for a live interview. >> also ahead here this half hour michael jackson's brother jermaine speaks out about the investigation into his brother's death, and how jackson's three children are doing. we're going to hear from him, and tell you where the family is considering moving a part of jackson's neverland ranch. and a programming note. monday on "today" a live exclusive interview with kate gosselin. her first since announcing her split with jon. that is kate gosselin live, monday, only on "today." but we are going to begin with the widow of the woman who drove the wrong way on a new york highway, causing a crash that killed eight people, including four children. nbc's rehema ellis has the latest. good morning rehema. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. daniel schuler spoke out for the

first time on thursday. and refused to accept the autopsy report that showed his wife was drunk and high. at times schuler was emotional, as he talked about his family and that horrible crash. with his attorney and family around him, daniel schuler met with reporters to say his wife was a responsible woman, who would not drink and drive. >> she is not an alcoholic and my heart is rested every night when i go to bed. something medically had to happen. >> reporter: buttocks cog reports indicate diane schuler downed the equivalent of ten shots of vodka and had smoked marijuana, before her minivan going a wrong way on the highway for almost two miles, then crashed into a suv, killing her and seven others. >> i'm not saying that test is wrong. but something had to happen. this is not a woman who would jeopardize five children. she was the one who chose to always drive. >> reporter: daniel schuler

insisted that when he left his wife the morning of the fatal crash, she was fine. schuler's attorney said he may ask for a second, independent autopsy. as his client struggles to make sense of all that he's lost. >> my little girl, gone. i don't know what to say about that. a little girl. i promised my wife i will take care of my son the way she wanted me to. that's what i'm going to do. >> reporter: the families of the three men killed in the suv have announced plans to file a civil lawsuit. as for schuler's 5-year-old son brian, the lone survivor of the crash, his father says he remains hospitalized but his condition is improving. meredith? >> rehema ellis, thank you very much. jay schuler is diane and daniel schuler's sister-in-law. dominic barber is the attorney for daniel schuler. tom reston was hired to conduct

a private investigation. good morning to you all. >> good morning. >> good morning, meredith. >> jay, first i'd like to express our condolences to you and your family at this terrible loss. >> thank you. >> i know that there was a news conference yesterday. you were there, and your brother-in-law daniel was there. in part to defend his wife diane, given all the reports that have come out since the accident that took eight lives. he said at that news conference that she was not an alcoholic, that as far as he was concerned, something medical had happened to her. something medically, he put it happened to her. do you agree with that? >> absolutely, meredith. diane was a wonderful, loving caring mother friend sister, sister-in-law, daughter. she -- i can't even explain to you, if we had a family barbecue we would make one blender of pina coladas. this is not diane. absolutely, 100% not. even herbrother, her sister-in-law, everyone knows these things about her.

that's why we're all devastated over the results of the toxicology. we just can't explain. >> what happened. let me ask mr. barber about that. because according to the toxicology report diane was intoxicated and high at the time of the accident. so are you disputing, then the results of that report? >> i think, meredith what really is the issue is first of all, we all have to accept certain facts. number one, when she left the camp ground she was absolutely sober. when she went to mcdonald's she was sober. and what should have taken one hour and 15 minutes took 4 1/2 hours, she was totally lost. we know that something happened to her. not alcohol or pot. if that occurred at all. this woman had some event oww khano tt we now know that one of the cldren in the car spoke to her father and said that her aunt was having

problems saying words and seeing. that's not the actions of a person who's just simply drunk. >> but, again, i don't want to interrupt you -- >> you realize -- >> go ahead. >> i'm sorry, ma'am. no, no please. >> i didn't mean to interrupt you, but the report clearly states that there was alcohol in her system and evidence of marijuana in her system. >> well we all know that that's what it says. and i'm not necessarily -- the family believes it's incorrect. i as a lawyer for 38 years have to look at it, and start to question it. but what you have to say to yourself is, this woman with five children in a car had to take ten shots of vodka, and after calling and saying she's having problems seeing and she's having tunnel vision of some sort and i've heard various reports that that doesn't happen from a stroke which is absolutely incorrect.

but it does and can happen from a stroke. we then have to think that after she called and said all these problems, she lights up a joint in front of these children? it's not even logical. to think of this in any way. in the morning. >> well i know it's not logical, and it's tragic to think that this could have happened, but jay i have to ask you, there was also a bottle of vodka apparently found at the crash site. is it possible as horrible as this may sound, that you didn't know that she had a serious drinking problem? the family wasn't aware of it? >> meredith let me answer this question. the bottle of vodka wasn't necessarily put into the car as of yet. we haven't been able to determine if it was at the crash site or in the car. they were known, because they were not drinkers to carry the same bottle of vodka for the whole season back and forth because daniel liked to have a drink every once in awhile at home. so they would use the same bottle of vodka, they did carry

it open sometimes in the back of the car, in one of their bags. now daniel has said he loaded those bags into the car. he's not sure for our investigation, if he loaded that bottle of vodka. we're determining that now. >> so what can you -- >> meredith you have to think -- >> go ahead. >> meredith i'm sorry. you have to think that it's illogical to you,age educated woman, that someone can down ten shots of vodka with five children in the car, and then light up a joint? >> and be at mcdonald's before feeding the children five children. >> what we know now, meredith is that there were four calls made to and from diane's phone over a period of an hour and a half, while she was lost. those calls, in one of those calls her 9-year-old niece emma spoke to her father and said to her father, aunt diane is having trouble seeing and having trouble with her speech. we don't know what's happening. and then they lost the call.

that doesn't sound to me from my 31 years of law enforcement and private investigation experience of someone who is drunk. it sounds to me like it possibly could be a medical event. >> well then very very quickly, will you call for another autopsy? just to clarify this? >> we'll decide as the experts start to get us more and more information. but i think, and i know you're going to end me quickly, this family is clearly devastated for everyone. and i know this lovely woman wants to tell the other family also besides losing the poor poor, poor little girls, there also were three people in the other car. seven dead people. and that other family, their hearts go out to them. but, does this seem logical that happened, even from someone who is a drinker? >> well i don't think --

>> even from someone who is drinking once in awhile. >> i'm not sure you can apply logic in situations like this. jay, i want to end with you. how is their son doing? . he's progressing. it will be agad ro. long road. he's speaking. he's talking. he's asking for people and family have -- we have all been there for him to support him, to love him, to comfort him. and to really help him through this. we have a wonderful family support system for brian, and we are at his bedside as much as we can be. >> meredith i'd like to just add, if anyone out there saw something, we're asking them to go to your website and give us a call today, if they saw, heard, or know something. please call us. we are looking for witnesses to anything that they may have seen. >> tom, appreciate that very much. jay, especially thank you so much at this time for joini u,ha tyo reme.thdi >> dominic barber tom, thank

you agea fermro thea fm wes r"y'heats i datoy's weather" is toto to you by astrazeneca. learn more about plaque buildup in arteries. visit athero.com today. >> we have got a perfect day for a concert for jason mraz. i mean it is huge. last week we had a huge crowd. this week it looks even bigger and better. here's a much-better looking crowd. look at them. wow. are you ready for a party? my people! all right, let's check your weekend weather. see what's going on. first we start with saturday. saturday's looking great in the east beautiful weather. chances of some afternoon storms, slight risk of strong storms in the plains. sunny out west. then on sunday -- sunday! -- we've got beautiful weather down through the gulf coast. strong storms possible in the northeast, into the great lakes.

on into the central plains, some clouds in the pacific northwest. sizzling h good morning. here the humidity has dropped overnight. it's in place this morning as high pressure pushes in from the west. high clouds drifting over. that's a live picture from the sky watcher camera. sunshine out temperature in the mid 60s in washington low 60s montgomery prince george's county. highs in the 80s with high clouds and low humidity. hotter tomorrow near 90. partly cloudy and increased humidity by the afternoon and the evening. high humidity and heat on sunday and monday with hazy sunshine, looks like that's going and that's your latest weather. meredith, i have to start this ♪ don't cry for me argentina ♪ >> and now, al, you have to stop it. why did he come back? no. we're so glad you're back al roker. and coming up next michael

jackson's brother jermaine speaks out about the drug investigation, and how jackson's children are doing. the very latest right after this. whil building my life my high cholesterol was contributing to plaque buildup in my arteries. that's why my doctor prescribed crestor. she said plaque buildup in arteries is a real reason to lower cholesterol. and that along with diet crestor does more than lower bad cholesterol, it raises good. crestor is also proven to slow the buildup of plaque in arteries. crestor isn't for everyone like people with liver disease or women who are nursing pregnant, or may become pregnant. simple blood tests will check for liver problems. you should tell your doctor about other medicines you are taking or if you have muscle pain oweakness. that could be a sign of serious side effects. while you've been building your life plaque may have been building in your arteries. find out more about slowing the buildup of plaque at crestor.com. then ask your doctor if it's time for crestor. announcer: if you can't afford your medication blp.a may be able to help.

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back at 7:56 -- 7:46. now to a new holdup in the release of the much-anticipated autopsy report in the michael jackson case. this as jermaine jackson speaks out about the drug investigation and michael's kids. nbc's jeff rossen is in los angeles. jeff, good morning to you. >> reporter: hi, lester good morning to you. we have to wait even longer to know what killed michael jackson. the coroner's office just delayed the toxicology results again, beyond next week raising new questions about the case and where it's going. but this morning, michael's brother jermaine isn't waiting. with harsh words for the doctors, who may be involved here. there are reports michael jackson had a cocktail of drugs in his system making it hard to pin blame on any one drug or doctor. but jermaine jackson wants the doctors on notice. speaking to cnn for an interview

to air later tonight. >> if there was anything administered in my brother's body was that not in the pper setting, meaning a hospital then that would be dealt with. >> reporter: we've heard a lot about propofol and thean law enforcement sources say gave it to jackson, dr. conrad murray. his lawyer maintains dr. murray did nothing wrong. and there's been no arrest. instead, a new open-ended delay in releasing jackson's autopsy. the only reason given? authorities need more time to investigate. >> if i'm a defense attorney i'm having a field day playing with all the different drugs, who caused what who gave what which is probably why we have the delay now. >> reporter: but katherine jackson's already on the offensive. court papers reveal she's demanding hundreds of contracts signed by her son michael, covering all his business deals and private matters. >> the fact the family is going after contracts, it's a very clear signal in bold release, that they're thinking about a lawsuit, a huge wrongful death action. >> reporter: so much at stake, but it's michael's kids prince

paris and blanket who need the most attention now. >> they're doing fine. they're slowly but they're playing with my kids and they're coming back strong. but they're doing fine. >> reporter: on thursday debbie rowe awarded visitatio with the two oldest kids made a mysterious appearance in beverly hills. >> debbie have you seen the kids? >> reporter: she was visiting the office of dr. arnie klein, jackson's dermatologist who sparked a mystery of his own this week. his lawyer told a judge, dr. klein has unique interests in michael's kids. and wants a say in how they're raised. fueling tabloid reports that he's really their biological father. >> i really don't know that much about it. but you can look at the kids and tell that they're michael's kids. and the fact that people come forth and they say things just to get attention. but, those are definitely michael's children. >> reporter: and this morning we actually have some new information about neverland ranch. sources close to the family tell nbc news they may actually

dismantle part of neverland and move it to las vegas. we're told serious discussions are under way about opening a michael jackson exhibit right near the vegas strip. our sources tell us the estate could make a lot of money with a jackson tourist attraction. think graceland. nog g lele , stst n nbuerermet lester, but no question this is on the table now. >> all right, jeff rossen than. st > ahead, more onha tt t wrong-way driver. is it possible for a woman to hide a drinking problem from her family? we're going to get into that. but first, these messages. these days, wouldn't it be great if saving money happened as automatically as everything else? at bank of america, it practically does. use the bankamericard power rewards visa credit card and earsar ward like cash back with every purchase. cash you can put into savings. o r even use to help pay dowt b rdcecaanal. re c t card alance. it's one of the many ways we make saving money in tough times a whole lot easier. ca what are you doing for lunch? how about beer-battered shrimp

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>> plus li concert in the plaza from jasonraz. first your localews and weher.

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beautiful morning out there very low humidity. 65 degrees is our temperature at 7:56. good morning. i'm barbara harrison. we're glad you're with us this morning. we're following breaking news out of prince william county. police are on the scene of a deadly accident a man was struck and killed by a car this morning along the jefferson davis highway near the intersection of woodside drive in woodbridge. the driver did stay at the scene. the tax-free holiday is under way in virginia. school supplies less than $20 each are exempt from sales tax. that applies to clothes and shoes costing less than $100 per

item. the tax-free holiday runs through sunday.

ñóñoq?ñ we've been following breaking news in traffic. let's go to jerry. >> we'll show you on the map the accident, the investigation where the pedestrian was struck this morning, route 1 remains closed at opitz boulevard, 95 is the detour. the trip along 270 not bad, south to the capital beltway travel lanes are open. even the outer loop of the beltway which is typically jammed college park to silver spring not bad. minimal delays reported. tom, how about the friday forecast? >> the humiditas h h drd, high pssure m inero the

west. we'll have another day with l humidity and a few high clouds coming through now. temperatures are in the 50s and 60s, we'll climb into the mid 80s with low humidity and high clouds. tonight should be a lovely evening, temperatures in the 60s tomorrow morning, saturday partly cloudy, afternoon highs near 90 with increasing humidity. then on sunday and monday, oppressive heat and humidity. highs mid to upper 90s, sunday, monday and again on tuesday. a bit of a heat wave coming in saturday through tuesday. then a break in the heat with maybe a few thunderstorms on wednesday and thursday. barbara. >> thank you tom. tonight on "news 4 at 5:00" a dangerous scenario during pregnancy when women take diet and exercise to extreme. 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. ♪ 8:00 now on this friday morning, august 7th, 2009. we have a lot of faces who have packed themselves into our plaza for the next half hour. live music that is sure to put even bigger smiles on those faces. jason mraz live in concert. i'm meredith vieira along with lester holt. al roker. matt is back on monday. in this half hour that tragic wrong-way crash here in new york. police say the driver was drunk and high at the time of the accident. her husband says that is not possible.

so can a woman hide a drinking problem from her family? we're going to talk to a mother of young kids who is a recovering alcoholic to get her perspective on this. >> we've also got an inspirational story about a 15-year-old. we've actually met him before. he's a surfer and he's quadriplegic. there's a new wrinkle to the story. >> and if it's friday that means it's time for the friday whip. that's right. and it's all -- >> oh. >> all things made in the usa. including jason mraz. what time did you guys get here? >> 4:30. >> 4:30. all right. you've got a perfect seat for jason mraz. right now you're seeing our cameraman tommy hogan but this will get much better. >> in a half hour. >> do you all know that he is single? putting it out there. should we go in to ann? >> we should. >> ann at the news desk. good morning again ann.

>> good morning once again, you three. let's talk about the news this morning. because this could be a major development in the war with the taliban. both the u.s. and pakistan say there are strong indications now that the taliban's top commander in pakistan is dead. they believe that baitullah mehsud was killed in a u.s. drone strike earlier this week along with his wife in south waziristan. the taliban also says that he was killed, but so far there's no physical evidence to confirm this news. mehsud led 13 separate taliban groups including some 20,000 fighters linked to al qaeda. and he is blamed for the 2007 assassination of former prime minister benazir bhutto. this morning in northern iraq, a car bombing claimed the lives of at least 21 people and wounded more than 70 others as they were leaving a shiite mosque for friday prayers. police say that the gunman, who went on a deadly rampage in a pennsylvania gym this week called his mother first, telling her that he was about to kill people and was expected to die himself. three women were killed, nine others were wounded. on thursday, dozens of people gathered for a vigil and prayer

service to remember the victims and to offer support for their families. sonia sotomayor will be sworn in tomorrow as the newest justice of the u.s. supreme court. on thursday the senate voted 68-31 to confirm her as the first hispanic and the third woman to serve on the high court. today volunteers in seattle will begin getting an experimental swine flu vaccine. the tests are among eight trials in the u.s. designed to prepare for swine flu this fall. officials say that a vaccine should be ready for mass distribution by october, and the trials are under way now to determine whether one or two shots are needed. this morning, secretary of education arne duncan discussed what schools and parents should do to prevent and prepare for an outbreak. >> there's really a tiered response. and that decision will always be made at the local leve so if there's a handful of cases, we want parents to do the right thing and keep those children home and start to make plans now that the child has to stay home. the parent can't stay home because they have to work can a

grandparent, can a neighbor can someone else help out? so with a handful of cases we really want to try to keep schools open and keep those children home. if it starts to escalate and the numbers change at a certain point it makes more sense to keep the schools closed. but that's not the first option. >> the swine flu so far has infected more than 1 million americans. and check this out, a man in england took off on thursday flying on a paragliding bicycle prepared by a small motor. it's called a flyke, he can go about 25 miles an hour up to 10,000 feet and he's hoping to reach the northern tip of scotland by the end of the month. you know it's just cool. it's just now 8:04. let's go back outside to meredith and lester. >> ann, i'll go up if you'll go up. >> come on really? >> yeah. >> would you really? >> okay. >> let's make sure he lands safely first. then you're on. >> all right. >> a little climbing adventure.

al roker is standing by with our check of the weather. al? >> and meredith if you and ann go up i'm going to be watching you from the ground. cleveland! love cleveland. what's your name? >> my name is ann. >> now ann what time did you guys get here? >> yesterday, 6:00. >> yesterday? >> yesterday. >> wow. well, you got great seats down here. well you're going to see the keyboardist. >> we got here yesterday. >> okay. >> you got here and that's all that matters. >> confusion reigns here. let's check your weather, see what's going on. pick city of the day kansas city missouri. 94 degrees. and as we take a look this is the latest on hcaurneri fecia, category 3 storm, maximum sustained winds, 115 miles an hour moving west/northwest at about 10. as we take a look at the path of felicia, it is going to be

weakening over colder waters. 1300 miles give or take from the hawaiian islands. by the time it hits it will probably be either a weak tropical storm or maybe even a tropical depression. still good news for hawaii if it does weaken because they need the rain. they've had a big drought. and in fact s hurricanes, did you knowci w hurricanes, did you know we've tgo extreme hurrine week coming up next w on ther chnel. heatanchl. whitea w erthdaun with weather proof hosted by my partner on "wake up with al" stephanie abrams. it is a refreshing summer morning with low humidity moving in overnight on a gentle northwest breeze. along the banks of the potomac river there. right now 69 in washington, it's in the mid to upper 60s in montgomery, fairfax and prince george's counties. highs in the mid 80s, a few high clouds. tomorrow more humid, highs near 90. high heat and humidity for sunday and monday. highs reaching the mid to upper 90s. looks like that may linger i

and you folks have a perfect view of jason mraz's drummer's tushie. you've got a great view coming up in just a half hour. lester? >> all right al thanks very much. coming up this morning, perspective on mothers who drink from someone who knows. a mother of three, a recovering alcoholic, is going to share her story this morning. and later, we'll lighten things up because we do have jason mraz in the house to take our summer ernct series coming up. hey mike, why ford, why now? i say brace yourself that gas guzzler in your driveway just might be, a clunker. but don't panic, it could be a good thing. your ford and lincoln mercury dealers are cash for clunkers specialists. they'll recycle your ride, and get you a big fat juicy rebate from uncle sam. you can get all the details, charts, graphs, etc, at ford.com. why ford, why now? why not? visit your foror lincoln mercury dealer. i'm thinking now would be a great

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back now at 8:11. now to the question many are asking after that deadly wrong-way crash in new york. can you hide a drinking problem from your family? police say the driver who killed herself and seven others was drk and high at the time. but diane schuler's husband is not accepting the toxicology report saying that his wife was not an alcoholic. with us now is rachel burnell, a mother and a recovering alcoholic and the autr of "mommy doesn't drink here anymore." dr. nancy synderman is also with us. good morning to both of you. >> hi meredith. >> rachel if you could start with you, you are a recovering

alcoholic, 22 months sober at this time. >> yes. >> i know you never drove drunk with your children in the car, but when you heard this story about diane schuler, what went through your mind? >> what went through my mind is i wondered if she had ever tried to get into recovery and what kind of help and support she had in her life. honestly, that's what went through my mind. >> if in fact we don't know whether she was an alcoholic or not. >> yeah. >> but that's what crossed your mind, because you were. >> that's right. and it made me wonder what kind of drinking problem she had or didn't have. but it's mostly it was just a tragic story. and it's amazing more stories like that doesn't happen more often. >> at your worst, rachel how much did you drink? >> well, i don't like to talk too much about specifics. >> why is that? >> mostly because i think it's not the -- i mean here's what i will say. i think when i just had a glass or two a night i thought that was just fine. and what happened for me is it started to be lots more than that. really quickly. and so that was really my level of concern was that i was just drinking, you know probably about a bottle of wine or more a

night. >> did anybody in your family say anything to you about it? >> you know, they didn't. but i was staying at home with my kids and so i hid my drinking from them a fair amount of the time. and so by the time my husband would get home from work i would have as far as he was concerned i'd have my first glass of wine. but really it wasn't. >> i think it's so interesting because a lot of people hearing this story about diane schuler are confused. how could a family not know that somebody is consuming that much alcohol? >> you just said something having. we don't know that she's an alcoholic. but we do know by this one incident that she was a binge drinker. and we tend to think of binge drinking as not really having a drinking problem. if you have six or ten glasses of alcohol in your system that's more than just meeting someone for a cocktail. and so that binge drinking means there's a drinking problem, even if it's hidden from the family. and i suspect there were warning signs all over the place. >> and that people just choose to ignore them. >> mm-hmm. >> what kind of impact do they have on your family especially if you're drinking in front of

them? >> clearly it did have an impact. at the time when i was drinking i would tell myself it didn't. but, as i got sober, and they started to say things like mommy's not drinking anymore. i realized even though they are quityoung, my twins were 5 and my youngest was 2, that they were paying attention to what i was doing every day. >> and it's very interesting, rachel's drug of choice was white wine which is a socially acceptable thing for women to drink. vodka, which is perhaps implicated in this horrific crash, you can't smell it. so women will tend to stay away from the scotches, and the bourbons of the world, and they'll go for things that frankly, you can walk around and no one's going to say oh, well mommy's arunk because she's had two bottles of white wine. you can sort of snooker people. >> you talk about being accessible. you talk about going on this mommy blogs during the day, and alcohol was a big discussion point on these blogs. >> sure yep. i wrote for bottle.com and we at the time, you know we had our friday cocktail play date

where we'd come up with a funny name for a drink and it was part of the subtext of what we were talking about. momma had a headache or oh, it's been a hard day, i need a drink. it was just really part of the language that we used at the time. and it was very much a part of what i talked about. >> and what was it that finally made you decide i can't live this life anymore? >> well i noticed that my drinking was getting -- i was drinking more and more really quickly, and i missed a couple of key events in my daughter's first year of school the twins were in kindergarten and that was really a red flag for me. because i've always looked forward to them going to school. so when i missed the parent orientation because i was hung over, it was just one of the final signs that i had a problem with alcohol. >> do you look back now, especially in light of this case that we're talking about and say, but for the grace of god, that maybe you could haveeen in that situation? >> absolutely. absolutely. any of us that struggle with alcohol and drug addiction, could have easily have been in that situation. >> right. >>nd you know sometimes you have to look at your kids. you start to watch their behavior and you'll see preteens

who are suddenly hanging out with kids who are drinking or they'll turn over their keys and they're getting sloshed. so start to look at your kids and sometimes they see you before you see you. >> okay. and intervene when you know something is wrong. >> you have to risk the chance of losing a friendship because you think you're going to save somebody's life out there. >> all right, rachel. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> dr. nancy, as always. >> okay. the sparkly flakes. the hon-baked bunches! the magic's in the mix. my favorite part? eating it. honey bunches of oats. taste the joy we put in every spoonful. we call the bunches in honey bunches of oats the prize in the box. well, now there's a prize inside the prize. pecans! pecans! baked into crunchy oat bunches. taste the delicious surprise in every spoonful. new honey bunches of oats with pecan bunes. beautiful.

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fewer smog-forming emissions. it gives you a 50 mile per gallon rating. the 3rd generation prius. it's harmony between man, nature and machine. "today's" brought to you by mcld brought to you by mcdonald's.to >> back now at 8:19. this morning on "today's friday whip" made in the usa. the great places and products you can experience and pick up right in your own backyard. >> from travel and fashion to food and wine our fou experts are here to share their favorite homegrown picks. we're kicking things off with nina wildorf editor in chief of budget travel magazine. we're going to talk about three

great road trips. the first one, california's highway 1 between san francisco and l.a. you and i are californians. we get it. start in san francisco because? >> san francisco down to l.a. because you road is not obstructed by other cars. you have the best views of the cliff. >> the ocean is on your right. >> you can stop at the beach board walks along the way. this is the only major seaside amusement park on the west coast built in 1915. that is old school in these parts. and you can stop at big sur at tree bones resort. these are 16 years, sort of the best of camping with the amenities of a hotel. >> kind of roughing it but not really. >> but not that bad. $145 a night and there are 16 of them. you wake up to the sounds of the crashing surf. >> give yourself a couple d ys for the highway 1 trip. historic route 66. we've heard the song what do you do on the road? >> there's a reason it's a classic. it was built in 1926. called the main street of america. and you know right outside of kansas city there is a really

fun historic hotel called the 'ems resort. built in 188. and the elms resort has seen everyone from harry truman t al capone. you, too, could stay there for $109 at. this is a pnight. this is a part of the country where pop is king. and there's a place called pop in central, oklahoma. they have a wonderful roadside attraction. >> oh, i love that. >> it's hilaous. it is a four-ton 66-foot-tall glass soda bottle. >> and the other one the blue ridge parkway between charlottesville, virginia, and the great smoky mountains of tennessee. great places to stay along there, as well. >> exactly. a national park itself. >> nina glad to have you here. meredith, you got to look stylish, right? >> that is right, lester. and from t-shirts to tennis shoes our "today" style editor bobbie thomas has searched coast to coast for the best fashion finds. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> people think fashion, they think paris, they think milan. you have ground great designers here including the pern who

designed this outfit nanette lapore. >> i'm a big fan. she is helping to fight save the garment district in new york. it's hard to produce here. designers like prairie and millie. >> i love millie. >> lawyer are miller out of chicago. you have to give them credit for keeping it at home. >> you and mrs. obama. >> categories beginning with basic rights. these are undergarments produced by american companies. >> this is american apparel. we'll start with them. what i found interesting is that you know they've got these rainbow colored t-shirts et cetera. but they actually operate the largest garment factory here in the u.s. and employ about 5,000 people in l.a. alone. >> keep in mind in this economy. >> exactly. you're keeping jobs at home. out of vermont, commando. big hollywood favorites for their invisible undergarments. and no nonsense made in tennessee. they have an environmentally friendly approach to their company. >> and give me that -- because it's the blue jeans, you think of them as of amemericacant. bt t a lotf arican brands

at aren't. >> brands $40 to $80. great variety. sizes that range up to 24. and even chemical free. so look on pie website -- on our website. i have my article where i list. >> and finally shoes. the average american four pair of shoes a year. most not made in this country. but new balance is. >> funny enough 90% of the shoes we buy are imported. we are the largest importer of footwear. and new balance is the only athletic company still making shoes here in the u.s. that was a hard thing to find tennis shoes. and then monroe and obviously red wings. great history behind them. everyone from eisenhower to queen elizabeth. >> okay thank you so much. now tasty foods made in the usa. ann? >> >> -- knows all about how to turn it all into tasty meals. he's the author of "kitchen express, 404 inspired seasonal dishes you can make in 20 minutes or less." mark good morning. >> good morning, ann. >> one of the things, is there a

reason not to go to the farmer's market? >> no. if you have one near you you should be going there. because you take these combinations like peaches and tomatoes, a little lime and a little basil and that's just a terrific, you know the sweetness of the peaches, the tartness of the tomatoes the textures match. it's really a perfect, simple little salad. >> bottom line is. >> five minutes. >> and you know you don't have to cook anything. it's easy. people can put the lime on. but the point about farmer's markets is you've got basically better produce generally. >> probably. >> at a cheaper price. >> well often or at least at a price that makes you feel good about it. you're supporting local farmers and you're getting better. >> okay all right now you've got another salad here. as we talk about this you actually wrote an artic that was what the most e-mailed item for four days across the country? it was called 101 simple salads for the season. and this is one of them. >> this is one of them. you can't get anything simpler than this. shaved cucumber and red onion. a little dressing of vinegar,

oil and dijon mustard. and that's it. >> all right. >> salt and pepper. >> other ones including this corn and bean salad, which is a great on the website and we'll tell you more. we've got to now go to al because he's got wine to show us. >> forget about france forget about italy. great rains in this country. our wine editor from wood and wine magazine. ray. >> white wines. finger lakes region new york state. fantastic riesling. delicious wines. crisp, like biting into a green apple. >> great summer wine if you want red? >> rose oregon. lovely wines. pinot noir mostly but they make a fantastic dry rose. texas, the supertexas. >> i'm a super texan. >> that's right. and this is a fabulous party in your mouth, intense wine. >> a party in your mouth. >> i like that. >> and if you want to toast? come on in meredith. lester. >> washington state sparkling wine. michelle this is a blanc de blanc.

come on, come on. >> party in your mouth. >> to the party in your mouth for the usa. >> great, thank you. raz ave beautiful morning in washington. 65 degrees right now. we'll check the weather coming up shortly. i'm barbara harrison. it's friday, august 7, 2009. 8:26. in the news we're following breaking news from prince william county. police investigating a deadly accident that happened early this morning. a man was struck and killed along the jefferson davis highway near the intersection with woodside drive and woodbridge. the driver did stay at the scene of the accident. in a few minutes we should learn the results of the city's investigation into the fire high drans near the scene of the fire on cham bridge. water pressure is not a problem in that area. that contradicts reports from

firefighters at the scene. the fire destroyed a home owned by peggy cooper cafritz. carol! denise! you've lost weight! it's just all these giant things make me look small. (chuckle) i hate dieting. me too. that's why i eat this fiber one yogurt. (mr. mehta) it has five grams of fiber zero fat, and fifty calories. please, this is too creamy and delicious. it's true, only fifty calories. i am adding this to my list. here it is. (announcer) go to fiberoneyogurt.com for valuable coupons. ññxa

good morning. mperature 69 in washingto with low humidity. it's in the 60s now from the shenandoah valley to the atlantic beaches, the low humidity in place with highs in the mid 80s and a few high clouds. tomorrow nea 90 partly cloudy getting more humid saturday night and humidity sunday, monday and tuesday. >> the drive in on 66 struggling to recover from an accident. the lanes are open toward the beltway. at the wilson bridge, no hangups, looking good. beltway north of town this type

of morning it's jammed not so much this morning. minimal delays from about university boulevard on the outer loop west over toward georgia avenue. >> thank you, jerry. tonight, a dangerous scenario during pregnancy.

♪ 8:30 now on this friday morning, all 7th, 2009. beautiful summer morning here in rockefeller plaza. in just a moment some beautiful music, jason mraz live in concert. and guys what a crowd we have here. ♪

all the way that way. >> it's the feel-good song of the summer. >> it is. >> it's going to be a lot of fun. >> also ahead in this half hour talk about paula abdul. she, of course is speaking out about her departure from "american idol." we'll talk about the famous women the show is planning to replace her with. >> and a little bit of a reminder. monday on "today," meredith sits down for an exclusive live interview with kate gosselin. >> get out, i do not? >> you do so. >> wow. >> with "jon and kate plus 8." you're going to sit down and talk. this is the first live post-separation interview. >> yeah absolutely. i'm very excited to sit down with her. i talked with her the other day. she wants to set the record straight. she's been quiet since they went into hiatus. and this is her opportunity to speak out. so we're glad to have her here. that's monday. >> and how about a little check of the weather? >> let's do it. fantastic idea. first of all, for our weekend,

saturday strong storms working their way down through the great lakes, on into the central plains. showers along the western plains into the pacific northwest. then on sunday -- sunday! -- we've got rain in new england. from western new york back into the central plains. clouds in the pacific northwest. sizzling weather through the southwest. and guess who turned 65 years old? smoky the bear. he's here. and joining us is priscilla, the director of client services here at the ad council. how are you doing? >> good. thank you so much. >> now priscilla, smoky has been around 65 years. from -- when we first saw him to now, how has the campaign changed? >> it really hasn't changed that much. smokey has evolved but the message is the same. we all are responsible for putting out wildfires. that message has been consistent for 65 years. >> what's the misconception about wildfires? >> the misconception is that it's not caused by people. it could be lightning or

something else. in fact, it is us who is doing it. >> most wildfires, human cause? >> absolutely. >> and so we have to make sure your fires are put out when you leave your camp ground. >> ashes are cold before we leave. we have great tips on smokeybear.com. >> oh, thank you smok. that's very nice. we've got something for you smokey. a little honey. there you go. >> oh. >> and we want our forest fire service protection folks over here, too, to say hi. great to see you guys thank good morning. lower hu in overnight is in place on this friday morning, high pressure from the west a few high clouds and blue sky. live picture from the sky watcher camera 69 in washington. a pleasant day under way, we'll have low humidity in place all around the region with lots of sun, highs mid 80s. hotter tomorrow with a high near 90 and increased humidity saturday evening. high heat and humidity for

sunday, monday and tuesday. hazy sunshine. and by the way, our produce your don nash said smokey you look like you're wearing the same jeans as president obama. you've got those dad jeans on. smokey didn't find that too funny, don. showing a little bear butt there. all right. smokey, yeah! fist 3u6r7, smokey. lester? >> all right al thanks. still ahead we've got songs to make you smile. jason mraz live in concert.

ó#ó#>> back now at 8:36. earlier this year we brought you the inspiring story of a california teenager who could make you believe that anything is possible. and today jenna wolfe is here with an update.

>> good morning to you, meredith. when patrick was here on the "today" show back in march, he touched a lot of hearts. he spent most of his time bound to a wheelchair. but patrick is also completely fearless and his true passion is surfing. he just turned 15 and it seems that his life is now changing at lightning speed. >> one, two, three! >> reporter: patrick is in the zone. >> they've done more for me surfing is like spiritual. this is my second home here, you know. >> reporter: like many california kids patrick grew up with dreams. >> how was sumping yesterday? >> reporter: an unbeliefable feat for someone who spent nearly his entire life in a wheelchair >> i remember what life was like before the accident. a lot more simple. >> reporter: it was 1995. a pristine fall day and jennifer was out with her 14-month-old son when he let go of her hand

for just a split second. >> i didn't have time to grab him. you know one second he was there. and the next second he wasn't. >> reporter: in a freak accident, a car backed up over patrick. he was airlifted to a nearby hospital, his mother fearing the worst. >> i didn't want to go in the door because i thought as soon as i went in there he was going to shut the door and he was going to tell me that patrick hadn't survived. >> reporter: patrick did survive. but his spinal cord was crushed. he was completely paralyzed from the neck down. but as a toddler in rehab, it soon became clear nothing would stop this kid. >> he learned how to water ski and jetski and kayak and sail and a bunch of other stuff. >> reporter: but his biggest wish of all, to ride that perfect wave. >> he said he wanted to learn how to surf. and so i'm like oh, yeah okay. i don't know how we're going to make that happen. >> reporter: until they heard about jesse, a well-known surfer with a spinal cord injury. >> he and i have a similar

injury. i was like, i can do that. >> reporter: through billhauer's spinal cord awareness foundation patrick is getting a chance to live out his dream. >> there really isn't anything that he n't do. >> reporter: so using duct tape and fame wedges patrick fits his elbows into holders which keep him steady on the surfboard. >> he's pretty fearless. >> reporter: a team of volunteers then carry patrick deep into the ocean. >> look at the size of these wave breaks, they pitch him. and for a few spectacular moments, he's completely free. >> let me see.

>> reporter: to help build strength patrick goes through intensive physical therapy at a facility called project walk. slowly he's regaining his muscle control. when we first met patrick back in march, he was surfing with his high school surf team. four months later -- check this out. it's the u.s. open of surfing, the super bowl of the sport. and patrick was there. one of just four wheelchair surfers chosen for an exhibition. what kind of honor is it to be in the u.s. open? >> i was out in the water with my favorite pros. i was in front of hundreds of thousands of people doing what i love to do most. >> reporter: patrick, who recently turned 15 also has some significant new additions to his life. a snazzy now board. it's lighter with more traction. and it was donated and designed just for him. >> i can turn on it and i landed my first floater.

>> reporter: then there's tona, his new service dog. >> she's going to come with me to school in the fall. >> reporter: a golden lab mix, she will help patrick become much more independent. assisting with everything from the delivery. to a dropped pen. >> i can finally take care of something instead of being taken care of. >> reporter: he's also discovered another bonus to his new four-legged pal. so you say kona is a quote chick magnet? >> he's going to be my buddy. we're going to wreak some havoc. >> reporter: a new team embarking on life's next chapter. >> every day is better than the last day. >> what a remarkable remarkable, remarkable young man. patrick has one goal he does think about every day and that's to actually walk across the stage at his high school graduation in two years. and with his determination and his will and his gut, there's no doubt that he's probably going to do it. >> i totally agree with you. great story. thank you so much. up next, jason mraz live in concert.

♪ ♪ ♪ tell me who's watching. ♪ (announcer) it's right here. it's easy. r♪ i always feel likesomebody's watching me. ♪ ♪ i always feel like somebody's watching me. ♪ it's the money you could be saving with geico.

the "toyota summer concert series on today" brought to you by toyota. toyota, moving forward. here to put us in the right mood as we get set for the weekend, singing his hit song i'm yours, ladies and gentlemen jason mraz. ♪ well you done done me i tried to be true but you're so hot that i'm melting ♪ ♪ i fell right through the cracks and now i'm trying to get back ♪ before the cool done run out i'll be giving i my best ♪ ♪ nothing gonna stop me but divine intervention ♪ ♪ i reckon it's again my turn

to win some or learn some ♪ but i won't hesitate no more no more ♪ ♪ it cannot wait i'm yours ♪ ♪ ♪ hey hey ♪ ♪ well open up your mind and see like me ♪ ♪ open your plans and damn you're free ♪ ♪ i look into your heart and you'll find love love love ♪ ♪ listen to the music of the moment people dance and sing ♪ ♪ we're just one big family ♪ ♪ and it's our god right to be love love love loved ♪

♪ so i won't hesitate no more no more ♪ ♪ it cannot wait i'm sure ♪ ♪ there's no need to complicate our time is short ♪ ♪ this is our fate i'm yours ♪ ♪ ♪ now sing with me the song of love sing it ♪ ♪ whoa whoa ♪ ♪ i've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror ♪

♪ and bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer ♪ ♪ my breath fogged up the glass so i drew a new face and i laughed ♪ ♪ i guess what i've been saying is there ain't no better reason ♪ ♪ to rid yourself of vanity and just go with the seasons ♪ ♪ it's what we aim to do our name is our virtue ♪ ♪ i won't hesitate no more no more ♪ ♪ it cannot wait i'm yours ♪ ♪ open up your mind open up your heart ♪ ♪ and you will find the sky is yours ♪ ♪ there's no need the's noeed to complicate ♪

♪ our time is short i'm yours ♪ >> jason mraz. thanks. we'll catch up with jason and hear more music in a moment. first thiss "today" on nbc. 8@@@ 8a at suntrust, we help you manage your money at home.a@aaa @ and make it easy when you're away. and where ever you go, atm fees won't follow.@ @@@ get back to what really matters switch to suntrust checking today suntrust. live solid, bank solid.

following his second album and constant touring, singer/song writer jason mraz took a much-needed break a few years ago from everything no touring, no recording, nothing, nada. now he's back with a whole new look at life and music and his latest album is called "we sing we dance, we steal things." is it basically true you said i want out? i want a year to do my own laundry and raise my avocados? >> i want to go to the grocery store. i want to know what i want to buy. on the road sometimes it's hard to really do that for yourself. >> and in the process you sort of found yourself? >> i did. you know and i recommend it everyone. students. i recommend that they travel. people who have been in their careers for a long time. take a big, solid break and really like heal yourself. really get to know what life is about here. >> you know lester holt paid

you the highest compliment earlier today, he said when jason mraz sings i'm happy. >> how about that. i just try to let the s shine in, you know. we just like to share it everywhere we go. >> and i know you're heading out on tour. you're going to be -- >> jones beach tonight. in new jersey tomorrow. philly on sunday. we're hitting the road. we're around the u.s. for the next two months. >> right now you are here rockefeller plaza. what are you going to sing next? >> a new version of the old favorite disthe remedy." >> liking it. ♪ sing "today" show "today" show ♪ ♪ yea yea ♪ ♪ yea yea ♪ ♪ i saw fireworks from the freeway ♪ ♪ and behind closed eyes i cannot make them go away ♪

♪ because you were born on the fourth of july freedom ring ♪ ♪ now something on the surface it stings ♪ ♪ well something on the surface kind of makes me nervous ♪ ♪ andhat kind of g would serve this ♪ ♪ you've got the poison i've got your remedy your remedy ♪ ♪ this is a danger ♪ ♪ a comedy this is a serious ♪ ♪ i see the tragedy is how you're going to spend the rest of your nights with the lights on ♪ ♪ so shine the light on all of your friends because it all amounts to nothing in the end ♪ ♪ i i won't worry my life away yeah ♪ ♪ i i won't worry my life away ♪ oechlt oh, no no no no no no no no ♪

♪ ♪ did we not fall in love i take my time ♪ ♪ there's no need to hurry love when i'm making up my mind ♪ ♪ you can turn off the sun gentleman but i'm still gonna shine ♪ ♪ and i'll tell you why oh, ♪ ♪ ♪ i'm gonna tell you why ♪ come on. ♪ ♪

♪ the remedy is the experience ♪ ♪ it's a dangerous liaison ♪ ♪ i say the comedy is all kind of serious ♪ ♪ and it's a play on the words i say the tragedy is how you're gonna spend ♪ ♪ the rest of your nights with the lights on ♪ ♪ so shine the lights on all of your friends ♪ ♪ when it all amounts to nothing in the end ♪ ♪ yeah yeah ♪ ♪ sing it ♪ i -- i won't worry my life away ♪ ♪ i won't worry my life away ♪ ♪ i won't worry my life away ♪ ♪ i won't worry my life away ♪ ♪ sing it with me now ♪

♪ i won't worry my life away ♪ ♪ i won't worry my life away ♪ >> jason mraz thank you. more music just a little bit later. more from jason mraz. coming up first your local news and weather. boy, a beautiful day outside, not too many clouds mainly blue skies and starting

to warm up a little bit. tom kierein is going to have the forecast in a bit. for now 69 degrees at 8:55. it's friday, august 7, 2009. in the news this morning we're following breaking news from prince william county. police investigating a deadly accident early this morning. a man was struck and killed near the interstion with woodside drive in woodbridge. the driver did stay at the tgony meromntou cy montgomerynt fifi firefighter facing check charges. e ynwayn thmothea adren add by g a irl who ea-ydol g irl who p. he frco ins he is free on aee0, $100,000 bond. he also has been put on paid administrative leave. $ it's quiet on the home 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. (announcer) if you think all batteries are the same, consider this: when a tornado tore through holly, colorado, air life denver took to the air... their night-vision goggles keeping them safe on a perilous flight... and powering those precision goggles--- is the only battery air life trusts: duracell. trusted everywhere. look for new duracell ultra advanced now with even more power to protect.

it's less humid overnight. we have sunshine through high clouds, live picture from the sky watcher camera. and temperatures now near 70 will climbnto the mid 80s by mid afternoon with a few high clouds and low humidity throughout the day and tonight and much of saturday more humid saturday into saturday night. heat and humidity on sunday and

monday, highs in the 90s. that may continue on tuesday as well. cooler wednesday and thursday, a chance of passing thunderstorms. jerry, good morning. how's the traffic? >> good morning to you. we'll focus attention on the outer loop of the beltway which is below the speed limit but not that bad at the moment get floog the work zone at van dorn. elsewhere along i-270. a car fire all the northbound traffic held up southbound is slow because of rubbernecking. outer loop college park to silver spring better than normal. >> tonight a dangerous scenario in pregnancy. when women take diet and

♪ i'm yours open up your mind ♪ and we are back with more of "today" on this friday morning, august 7th, 2009. everybody, happy after jason mraz. a great mood. you've got the remedy for our summer blues because you've broken out a lot of smiles here. we're going to hear one more song a little bit later on. once again for jason mraz. >> yes! >> the band was great. >> and his band. his band working the moves. >> awesome. loved it. >> they're like a show band. >> the horn section.

>> it's like the blues brothers are back. >> yeah. whoo! >> love it i'm al roker along with natalie morales. lester holt. matt is back on monday. coming up a healthy vacation from safety items to the things you should not even be thinking about in your hotel room. dr. raj is here with important dos and don'ts. >> now that paula abdul has walked away from "american idol," the greatest reality show now may be speculation about what she is going to do next and who, if anyone will replace her? could there be a spot for victoria beckham? she was a former spice girl. very talented. very witty. funny. >> could be a good pick. also we flekting on a huge lost movie maker john hughes was the creative force behind some of america's most beloved and iconic movies. especially about being a teen in america from "the breakfast club" to "ferris bueller's day off" to "home alone." we'll take a look back at a storied career. he passed away on thursday 59. just walking on the street here in manhattan.

>> for the latest news now let's go inside and check in with ann curry. ann? >> all right, thanka lot, al. good morning, once again, everybody. in the news today, encouraging news about the enuraging news about the economy. and a sign the recession may be easing. the nation's unemployment rate fell in july to 9.4%. a drop of 0.1% from the month before. the unemployment report is better than analysts had expected. and even so the economy did lose 247,00 jobs in july. and almost 15 million americans are now still looking for work. one of the world's most wanted terrorists is believed to have died. bothhe u.s. and pakistan believe the taliban commander baitullah mehsud was killed by a u.s. drone missile strike earlier this week. mehsud was blamed for a string of suicide attacks, including last year's bombing of the marriott hotel in islamabad. and the 2007 assassination of former prime minister benazir bhutto. nato says the taliban air attack meantime in southern

afghanistan has killed three british paratroopers. the soldiers' armored vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb on thursday and the explosion was followed by a firefight. rescuers carried babies and children to safety in the northern philippines, where typhoon rains caused an earthen dike to give way. at least ten people died including two french tourists when they were swept away in a car. car shoppers meantime have until labor day to get a -- take advantage rather of the cash for clunkers rebate program. the senate approved a $2 billion extension on thursday. sonia sotomayor takes her oath on tomorrow to become the first hispanic and the only -- the third woman to serve on the u.s. supreme court. she won senate confirmation on thursday despite strong republican opposition. twitter says its service may be a little slow today on the online messaging site as it recovers from cyber sabotage. hackers shut down twitter for several hours on thursday. facebook had similar but less extensionve problems.

>> aerosmith's steven tyler is recovering from head neck and shoulder injuries. he fell from the stage during a concert on wednesday in south dakota. oh. oh, goodness. police in oakland, california are defending the decision to taser a fan not once, but three times at an oakland a's baseball game this week. officers say the 280-pound man was drunk, shouted profanities and resisted arrest. those are some of the top stories at four minutes past the hour. let's go back outside to lester. >> all right, ann, thanks very much. al roker standing by with the weather. he may do a number. >> i was watching the horn section here. what's your name? >> reggie watkins. >> fernando. >> charlie. >> and you guys got those -- show us a little -- the -- yeah. oh. whoo. yeah. i like it. choreography and you're playing ry es impr ve ry impr sive gentlemen.

let's check your weather, see what's gngim on show y'ry toeweki loo dato ay we'rekioongng at some strong storms getting themselves together in the central ains. some wet weather down around florida. we've got some showe working their way into the great lakes, down around iowa nebraska they've got some strong storms. in fact, take a look. we've got a of strong storms stretching from the dakotas back into minnesota. parts of wisconsin, and the northwest corner of illinois. clouds in the pacific northwest. sunshine up and down the east coast. some rain it is mild with low humidity and a few highhose wiclouds those will move to the north and st. we'll have increasing sunshine he as t day progresses so getting quite a bit of sun through the high cloudiness. live picture from the sky watcher camera. near 70 elsewhere. highs today in the mid 80s with low humidity and sunshine, tomorrow partly cloudy and hotter. getting more humid saturday night and quite a bit of heat and humidity sunday, monday and tuesday. high

and that's your latest weather. natalie? >> al thank you. now on to "today's health." and ways to keep everyone safe and sound on your vacation. before you pack your bags there are a couple of phone calls to make and some items to buy. medical editor of health magazine is here to tell us about those things along with a checklist when you check in. good morning dr. raj, good to see you. >> you, too. >> we've got a lot to get to. when you're staying in a hotel don't leave the bed cover on the bed. >> no. you know they change the sheets every day but the bet cover they actually don't. >> ew. >> we don't know when they wash it. it's a great place for dust mites to hang out in. >> or rors. >> you should really take the bed cover off. >> good one for sure. next one is if you'reas n om orotel om or vacation rental you want to call ahead and make sure that you check whether or not the room is child or the house is childproof. >> exactly. if you have children, you want to call ahead. a lot of hotels will do the

childproofing for you. but if they don't, you can just pick up some very simple items, electric plug outlet covers. >> a lot of us have these at homes. >> things for the cabinets safety latches because you just don't want to have any accidents. when you're not at home you have to make it as safe as your home. >> and if you have a vacation rental you say to bring the carbon monoxide. >> absolutely. it's odorlesst's tasteless. you won't know if it's in the environment. if there's any fuel burning appliance, you should have a detector. some of the homes will have it. if notring bour own portable ones. >> homes that haveelectric generators. >> next is wipe down the tv remote and phone when you get into your room. why is this so important? if you're a germophobe. >> you can imagine the amount of hands touching these appliances. you really need to wipe it down. because the cleaning staff isn't going to do that for you. it's a great place for germs in your own home. you've got to wipe it down. >> and safety of course is a must. so your checklist when traveling you say is to make sure that each floor has a sprinkler.

>> right. >> is that required in all hotels? >> you think it would be. but some of the older hotels only have it in the lobby or a restaurant. don't even go to a hotel that doesn't have a sprinkler on every single floor. >> also always good to know where the fire exits are. >> sure. they have those cards usually in the hotel room. look at it. have a fire safety plan for your whole family. make sure they know where to go if there is a fire. >> another checklist must don't take the mini bar key when checking in. >> you may as well -- there's really nothing healthy in the mini bar. just leave it in the bby. as an alternative, bring your own healthy snacks, fruit, nuts trail mix. stuff you can just leave out and you'll save yourself cash and calories >> a lot of cash because the mini bar is really expensive. next one, when you're staying in a vacation home bring the carbon monoxide detector. what are some other things if you're in a vacation rental? >> especially with children you have to be careful if there's a swimming pool. make sure that there's a fence around the swimming pool. should be a least four feet high. there should be a lock on it because you never want a child to be there unattended.

and you have to make sure if there's a water heater there, the temperature is often set very high 140, 150 degrees. that can cause third degree burns in two seconds. so as soon as you get there turn the setting down to 120. >> all right. and all-important things that you should be doing as you check in to your hotel or into that vacation rental. >> the other thing, people who take a lot of medicines, also when we go on vacation we forget to pack those. make sure you do. you can call your doctor but they'd rather you remember. >> and bring that first aid kit with you, too. absolutely. >> you never know what boo-boo may come up. dr. raj, great information. >> thanks. >> still to come this morning, you've heard of antibiotics, but what are these so-called pro-biotics, do they really matter matter? can they make a difference? but up next will it be a posh for paula switch on "american idol"? when i was seventeen i was not good to my skin. long summer days and not enough sleep. what i wouldn't do for a do-over. (announcer)

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as rumors fly about where paula abdul might land now that she's leaving simon you coulding's side speculation about "american idol's" replacement is swirling. nbc's lee cowan had a few ideas. >> reporter: she's now the wandering idol. out of her judge job, but not out of fame. >> it's overwhelming what's going on right now. i have to really carefully think about everything. >> reporter: tmgzd caught up with paula abdul as she waived her post-idol option including a possible seat on the bench on "so you think you can dance."

>> i didn't know they'd made me an offer. >> reporter: even in hollywood some say the reality tv market, she better take what she can get. >> she'd be lucky vust to have a job. and honestly i don't mean that as an insult. paula abdul was a huge star in 1988. not now. not just recently. in 1988. ♪ >> reporter: fox is moving full steam ahead. in fact auditions for the first paula-less "idol" are set for this weekend in denver. and her seat executives say, will be filled. the network already announced it's made room for some guest judges. not necessarily replacements for paula, but definitely some new blood. tops on the list pop star katy perry who will be schmoozing with simon cowell during the early audition rounds. ♪ >> reporter: so will former spice girl victoria beckham. ♪

what do they bring that paula didn't? >> let me think. sex appeal. >> reporter: fox says both perry and beckham are one db offs. but the network does want something more permanent and is looking at some big names. perhaps people simon already has in the fold. >> there's already speculation that annie lennox or olivia newton-john or one of his clients may show up as guest judges or maybe even a permanent judge eventually. >> reporter: but fox admits without paula, next season's "idol" will have a different dynamic. the question is how do you replace paula abdul? do you put another woman that's sort of out there and says crazy things? or do you replace her with a whole new person with a different outlook? >> reporter: fact is thedol formula worked. and if you take paula at her word simon cowell at least, feels the loss. >> he misses me already. >> reporter: no doubt paula is missing the paycheck.

for "today," lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >> peter castro is "people" magazine's deputy managing editor. good to see you. >> good morning. >> so who do you think this is going to hurt more "american idol" or -- or -- or paula abdul? >> well, there are no winners here. but i think "american idol" is going to take a big hit. this is a woman -- "american idol" is a contest show. she made it a reality show. at "people" magazine the next day, after one of her loopy moments, we would all talk about oh, my god, did you hear what she said? and she made it interesting. "american idol" without paula abdul will become boring. >> i kind of look at it as your really good-looking crazy aunt who -- >> exactly. >> who you invite over and just don't know what's going to happen. >> and that's what made it so great. she brought surprise to "american idol." and i think it's going to be very interesting to see what it's going to be without her. >> so what about kara? what do you think this means for her? >> for? >> kara dioguardi? >> well you know america hasn't really responded to her. and she is no paula abdul. >> it's kind of a lukewarm

response. >> i think it's actually been worse than that. i think every poll i've read about, whether or not she even holds a candle to paula it's abundantly clear they don't like her nearly as much. what they're going to have to do is replace paula. how you do that, i don't know. there's talk about posh you know, i've never seen this woman smile. she's -- she's like marble with you know, wonderful clothes. so, how they're going to bring her in and, you know replace paula is beyond me. >> all of this seems to resolve around money and hurt feelings. we read about simon's big deal about ryan seacrest's big deal and paula while fox saying she was offered a 30% raise, her folks thought, not enough. >> yes, i do think that if she does think that she's as important as sin, she's a little deluded. however, i can totally subscribe to the notion that she's every bit as important as ryan seacrest. and i thk, and our sources are telling us that she was very disappointed and very hurt by the fact that the show didn't

respond to her in the way that she did. she's making $2 million. ryan seacrest is pulli n million that is a million that is a wide gap. >> in fairness they're saying it's part for "idol" and also other projects. >> but he's making $10 million straight for "idol." her point is show me the love a little bit. >> what do you think is next for paula? >> "so you think you can dance" is coming a-courting. the thing is going back to the thing about no winners. she's not going to make the money that "idol" is offering her. there's a lot of time between now and january -- >> do you think that the door is completely closed? >> it's not completely closed. i think "american idol" executives understand how important she is. there's a lot of time between now and then. and they may kiss and make up. >> i think you're right. i think january she's back on the show. >> i think so too. >> that's my prediction. 6 course we know how good i am at predictions. now to turn the page here the sad news yesterday. >> yeah. >> the death of director john hughes suddenly heart attack on the street of manhattan, 59 years old. what a loss. >> big loss. i mean there are very few

people not to get too lofty, j.d. salinger captured the angst of teenagers perhaps better than anyone. john hughes was a close second. i mean this is a guy that never talked down to teenagers. i mean there were a lot of teen movies like "porky's" that were mindless but funny. john hughes brought a poignancy to teen angst and i think a lot of people responded. >> a lot of his movies that he's not just directed but he also wrote and produced like "home alone" spoke to people. there are a lot of great directors, incredible directors but was there anybody lik john hughes who is so identified with a generation? >> i don't think so. thinking about that right before the segment, and i was trying to come up with names and i think nobody captured an era, a decade, as cogently as john hughes did. and i think that's you know that spoke to the tremendous success that he had. >> and he launched a whole calfalcalf al calfal cade of stars with people who are still working. >> he was a hit-maker from the

get-go. >> what do you think he's going to be remembered for most? >> i think that. not talking down to teenagers and creating a body of work that was special in that way. he made a lot of teen movies but all of them were smart. all of them had heart. and i think, unlike a lot of filmmakers, his movies actually will gain importance with time. >> and he stepped away to spend time with his family. but do you also think that in a way the times had changed, and that we perhaps, as a society, don't -- didn'tppreciate what this man did? >> no i think we appreciated it. i think he stepped away because he finally, you know i think, you know i did it. i wanted to do this body of work. i did it. and now i'm going to enjoy life a little bit. and he was with the same woman for 39 years. >> how terrific is that. >> it's fantastic. and it's really really sad. >> your favorite john hughes movie? >> ferris bueller. >> bueller! and one more thing, eric could you step over here really quickly? >> oh, no.

>> in case you decide to rob a bank we have your twin brother here. >> thank you. >> it is amazing. >> okay. thanks. >> this is eric. >> i'll hit the southern banks, you hit the northern. >> okay. >> eric, thank you. go on camera peter. take your mike with you. take your mike, peter. >> thank you very much. >> okay. eric you're expected at "people" magazine offices a little bit later. >> okay. let's do a close-up. >> i'm going home. >> you look like -- can you look like tricker hat? >> yeah. >> i'm sorry. >> i'm actually a mets fan so i'll never live this down. >> oh, we've got much mor coming up. but these messages. m (announcer) here at the new cottonelle institute of sensitive skincare, the world's top skin expert... here i am! (announcer) is making sure the gentle care you give to your face works for me. (announcer) ...hands... remember the elbows! (announcer) and legs

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still to come this morning, will adding pro-biatics to your diet really make a difference? we'll find out. >> plus jason mraz, after your local news and.ea erth fancy feast introduces an entirely new way to celebrate any moment. fancy feast appetizers. simple high quality ingredients like wild alaskan salmon white meat chicken or seabass and shrimp in a delicate broth prepared without by-products or fillers. new fancy feast appetizers. lebrate the moment. (announcer) fall in love with color... ...all over again. (announcer) maybelline redefines plum. (whisper) the color of elegance (announcer) new color sensational from maybelline new york. (announcer) pure pigments for richer, crisper color. honey nectar for our most luscious feel. new color sensational.

(whisper) maybe it's maybelline. a beautiful and pleasant friday. a great way to start your

weekend. blue skies, not too many clouds. meteorologist tom kierein is in with the forecast. for now 71 degrees. i'm keith garvin. friday, august 7, 2009. our time again 9:26. in the news a montgomery county firefighter faces inentter s charges. wae motherhead answered a crli gsaist ad byas w ags libe wed a 16-year-old girl wwho as an ofr.fi w ashe wh ce fiofr. he wasr.esrr ad atet ain sppho pp center last month. th the lieutenant is free on a $100,000 bond. he is on paid leave.

ús>> a pleasant summer morning under way. temperatures climbing into the low 70s, we'll hit mid 80s. tomorrow hotter and increased humidity saturday night into sunday and monday with the heat really turning on. how's traffic? >> we had a problem on 270 which is backing up traffic on the beltway a bit.

a vehicle fire 270 northbound at old georgetown road. clearing the outer loop slowing getting past the scene. >> tonight on "news 4 at 5:00" a dangerous scenario during pregnancy. ñoño?ññó

kate and i have decided to separate. >> i'm not very fond of the idea, personally. but i know it's necessary, because my goal is peace for the kids. >> and the boys over there? >> well now that we know the fate of "jon and kate plus 8," the family is moving on and kate gosselin is making the "today" show a stop on monday in an exclusive, live interview, kate will break her silence for the first time since the split. she'll be speaking with meredith. be sure to tune in monday on "today." meanwhile our gang's all here sort of. ann had to leave a little bit early this morning on this friday. but still to come talking about

probiotic probiotics. they're on the grocery shelves. everything is supplemented with probiotics. the question is do they really work? what exactly are they? and are they necessary? should you add them to your diet? we're going to get the bottom line on that. >> i started with amateur biotics. and then will move on to probiotics. speaking of easing. we're going to ease you into your summer weekend. we're going to get more song one more song from jason mraz he's got a whole new attitude toward life. and speaking about whole new altitude jenna and lester. >> we're here. >> we've got pretty much the same old attitude. but a different show every weekend. >> you want to hear about it? >> absolutely. >> if your kids are heading off to college, we'll bring you expert advice on keeping your kids out of a financial disaster keeping tabs on them from afar and perhaps even more important, we'll tell you how to cope with empty nest syndrome. something i know all about. >> plus the historic hotel that had some professionalaseball players running scared. so is it really haunted?

i checked in and spent the night there to find out. >> ooh. >> yeah. >> all of that. >> you sleeping. >> and we've got -- yeah that was. and chills of another kind. we'll bring you the scoop on our ice cream test all this weekend on "today." >> you know what there isn't anybody who doesn't look better in that night vision scope. >> yes. >> everybody -- >> i didn't even recognize myself. m like what are you guys talking about. oh, that's you. >> whoo-ee. >> eight hours. >> let's check your weather. see what's going on. we'll show you our weekend. 've got some rain in the pacific northwest, the plains sizzling in the southwest. strong storms around the central plains into the great lakes. then sunday -- sunday! -- more storms working their way into western new york. rain in new england. storms into the central plains. sunny and hot mid-atlantic states into the gulf coast.

good morning. some high clouds passing over the region on this friday morning, we have low humidity in place, there's a live picture from the sky watcher camera. temperatures are pleasant, mild in the low 70s around the region. climbing into the mid 80s with low humidity. wonderful evening tonight, too, in the 70s flew the evening. good weather for the nationals and diamondbacks at nationals park. tomorrow, though hotter highs near 90. humid by saturday night. high heat and humidity for sunday, monday and tuesday with and that's your latest ather. >> al thank you. coming up next to probiotics really matter?get in at? are you a safe driver? yes. discount! do you own a home? yes. discount! are you going to buy online? yes! discount! isn't getting discounts great? yes! there's no discount for agreeing with me. yeah, i got carried away.

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this morning on "eat smart today" the pros of probiotics. we've seen the ads and probably heard the buzz word. but what exactly is it? natalie fernstrom is here today. good morning, natalie. probiotics what exactly are they and are they necessary? >> first thing is our bodies are filled with bacteria. >> healthy. >> healthy bacteria and bad bacteria. and the idea of probiotics they're healthy bacteria. they're good bacteria. and when you think of how the

body works it's a balance of good and bad bacteria. and when you have probiotics these healthy bacteria, either in foods or supplements, you help to support good health by keeping that balance even. and it's helpful for digestion, for absorption of nutrients. >> are there any cons to probiotics? >> there really aren't a lot of problems. if you're going to get them in foods or a supplement you want the good bacteria. but you don't want to overdo that at all. if you do have a compromised immune system or a lot of digestive problems and take medicine for that you'll want to talk to your doctor first. but for the vast majority of people adults and children over 3, probiotics can be a good addition to your diet. >> how do they work in the system? >> you consume them. and then your digestive tract, these healthy bacteria help the balance of good and bad. because you're always thinking you're going to digest and absorb food healthy bacteria helps to digest to absorb to make things pass through easier. and they also help to combat the bad bacteria that may not make you sing but are always in your

digestive tract. >> there are a lot of claims out there. do they really work then in that way? >> with probiotics there are way too many claims. and the jury is still out on a lot of different things. but what it can do is really help with a lot of common stomach problems like gas and bloating diarrhea constipation irritable bowel. these kinds of things that we don't talk about often but really are present. there ar a lot of claims for immune response and immune function, and different things that the jury really is still out. but it's an area of active study, because it does so much. but for the most part stomach problems and also things like urinary tract infects or yeast infections sometimes skin rashes like eczema can be helped. and you know the exact mechanism isn't really known. but, you know this can only be a good thing for most people. >> okay. now there are a lot of products on the grocery shelves nowadays that have the probiotics in them. ackia activia yogurt. why add the benefit of

probiotic? >> such a good question. there's a little confusion. yogurt naturally has bacteria cultures. when you add it, you're adding more live cultures more active cultures of a different variety. there's not one kind of healthy bacteria. there's hundreds and hundreds of good bacteria. so the more good bacteria in the different varieties that you have, the more actions you'll have. >> what should you look for? you see a lot of times like active acidofhilis. or bifidus regularus. >> any yogurt is going to be good. when you have more added, a lot of times, the taste is not good for people. european yogurt is often like that. >> i like that. the tangier the better. >> exactly. that's why these probiotics are for you. if you don't like the tangy taste, a yogurt is going to be fine. but you want t look for live active culture. added things in. it's fine. if you want -- >> you mention -- for kids too, i mean this starting at the age

of 3, it's a gd idea maybe to introduce this to their systems. >> live probiotics. it's sort of a liquid yogurt. it's drinkable yogurt. it's really a great thing for kids. also give you some calcium and protein in addition to these probiotics. >> what about you've got some bars here. >> people don't like dairy, just can't take all of that there are a couple of different products. one is these little bars called attune that have five times the probiotics that are contained in the yogurt. it's good if you can use the calories, not a problem. you don't need it but it's a good source of probiotics. sometimes as wacky as it sounds they're added to cereals. >> they're fortifyiedfortified. >> and where is this coming from? that how can this be -- we're connected to yogurt. you're just kind of freeze dried and then when they get into your digestive track, when they have more water added to that they come alive again and they can be just as effective. >> you really can't get the probiotic except in yogurt in a natural food? >> well sort of foods that most

people will have. sfer fermented things like sauerkraut, these are not things people are going to look for as a source of food. >> good idea to supplement with things that have them fortified. >> exactly. >> and you know what happens is oftentimes doctors are prescribing probiotics if you're taking antibiotics. my son just had an ear infection and they gave him a little thing of florastor which helps restore the good bacteria. >> the doctor is doing these because these are over-the-counter products. when you take an antibiotic it's going to be killing off all the bacteria in your body both good and bad. that's where you get a lot of problems of stomach and digestive problems. diarrhea. it's really uncomfortable for kids and adults. if you supplement the good bacteria they can help to aleve those symptoms. whether it's food or a dietary supplement. >> what about these supplements. there are a variety of these in the market now. and -- even better than the others? >> they're all about the same. you read them you know. 10 million bacteria. 20 million.

it doesn't really matter. you want to look for a mixture of different bacteria. you'll see different names. that's a good thing. take them as directed. one or two, and check with your doctor not to overdo it. because you do want to support good health but you don't want to overdo anything. >> what can happen if you do overdo it? >> sometimes y get sort of the effect you're trying to block. stomach bloating or a low gas if there's a little too much activity there. but it's going to be a win-win for most people. >> ooh that could be a day all right. >> natalie fernstrom, thank you very much. and to get more of her great information head to our website, todayshow.com. and visit our ivillage community. coming up next we've got one mo song from jason mraz right after this. (announcer) for many with arthritis pain not treating is not an option. alprescription nsaid pain relievers like celebrex, ibuprofen and naproxen help treat arthritis pain

and have some of the same warnings. but since individual results may vary having options is important. prescription celebrex has been the option for millions of patients for 10 straight years. just one 200-mg celebrex (once a day,) can provide dependable 24-hour relief for many with arthritis pain stiffness and inflammation. based on the available data the fda stated that for certain patients celebrex's benefits outweigh the risks. if you are worried about stomach upset, you should know, in clinical studies a lower percentage of patients taking celebrex reported stomach discomfort versus prescription ibuprofen and naproxen. and if you are taking low-dose aspirin for your heart and need an nsaid pain reliever, celebrex can be used because it doesn't interfere with the effects of low-dose aspirin. but when it comes to relieving your arthritis pain, you and your doctor need to balance the benefits with the risks. the fda requires all prescription nsaids, including celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen and meloxicam

to have the same cardiovascular warning. they all m increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors for it such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. all prescription nsaids, including celebrex also increase the chance of serious skin reactions or stomach and intestine problems such as bleeding and ulcers which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. do not take celebrex if you're allergic to aspirin or suonamides. ask your doctor if you could benefit from celebrex. understand theisks. feel the benefits. light & fit has 80 calories versus 100 in the other leading brand. and a taste you'll find... [sluuurrrrpppp!]

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you ♪ ♪ listen to your voice the one that tells you the taste on the tip of your tongue ♪ ♪ i don't want to wake before the dream is over ♪ ♪ i'm gonna make up my mind it's time i know it ♪ ♪ i'm gon make it mine yes i'll make it all mine ♪ ♪ are you awake new york city ♪ ♪ i keep my life on a heavy rotation requesting that it's lifting you up up up and away ♪ ♪ and over to a table at the gratitude cafe ♪ ♪ and i am finally there and all the angels will be sing ♪ ♪ oh, la la la oh, la la la la

la la love this ♪ ♪ yeah i don't want to break before the tour is over ♪ ♪ i'm gonna make it mine this time i know it ♪ ♪ i'm gonna make it all mine yes i'll make it all mine ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ oh, and timing's everything but this time there's plenty ♪ ♪ i am balancing

careful and steady ♪ ♪ and reveling in energy that everyone's emitting ♪ ♪ yeah i don't want to wait no more ♪ ♪ no i want to celebrate the whole world ♪ ♪ i'm gonna make it it mine ♪ ♪ because i'm following your joy ♪ ♪ i'm gonna make it all mine ♪ ♪ because i i am open ♪ ♪ i'm gonna make it it mine ♪ ♪ that's why i'm gonna show it i'm gonna make it ♪ ♪ all mine ♪ ♪ gotta make gotta make it make it mine ♪ ♪ i'll make it mine i'll make you mine ♪ ♪ it's mine ♪ ♪ it's all mine i'll make you mine ♪ ♪ yes i will make it all mine ♪

>> jason mraz and the band rocking the plaza this morning. andex nt ek nwet week we have flo rider.

still to come the glamour dos and don'ts for women on the run. wait until you check out the before and afters of two women our glamour girls tracked down at grand central station. >> plus birthday surprises in store for hoda from kathie lee that involve krazy glu ae explosives. you can only imagine what she's got. but first your local news and weather.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television hi, everybody. it is friday. yes, it is. it is august 7th. and it's a very, very special day around here because it's only two days away from miss hoda woman's birthday. she's going to be 24 on sunday. >> 45. >> is not! . really? >> it's a big one. >> i've been telling everybody it's 44. >> no i was born in 1964. you know that point when you're doing birthdays when you have to

subtract because you forget? no i'll be -- 64 makes it 45, right? i'm 45. i will be. >> i thought you looked good before. but now, you are one hot woman! >> your birthday is coming up, too. >> we're not going to talk about that. >> yes, it is. >> between frank and myself, we're off the charts. you know. we're well over what people should -- i didn't think either one of us would live this long. but here we are. we'll talk aboute next week. this is a fun thing to talk about. >> what is a fun thing? >> it's only fun to talk about because none of it applies to you and all of it applies to me. they have brand-new names for female body parts i love this. this writer for britain's globe and mail he compiled -- >> it's a she actually. a female writer. >> okay. the "b" wringer also known as chapter 11. that's the wrinkle right between the eyebrows. >> that's the one you get right here. >> the one you get botox for. >> the bunny lines are the small

lines from th tear duct of the eye up to the bridge of the nose. >> tear ducts. >> the little ones? >> yeah. >> nope you're doing good there. >> crowe's feet. >> we know what those are. >> parentheses. or brackets. the lines on either sid >> have you seen those wrestling commercials or commercials for -- >> yes. >> people look so different and i think not for the better. >> really? >> i think it changes the shape of your -- it changes the shape of your face. it changes the look. >> it's a really, really deep though, you don't have to do -- >> mine is. >> no no, no, i've seen it on some friends, it really does help a lot. >> it doesn't change their look at all? >> it makes them look younger and fresher. and it didn't take 30 years to get furls that deep. >> let's go to t next one. >> when wrinkles start to form horizontal pattern along with vertical -- >> like a tic tac toe thing? >> i'm getting that right over here. >> you are not in >> definitely. you live long enough it happens. >> vampire dinner lips.

>> this is getting rude. >> i only have one but you start to get more. if you're a smoker. yeah, yeah yeah. >> but you know what the real word for that is? it's called perioral wrinkles. >> ring tree trunks? i don't like this. >> that's the ropey neck. >> i have that, too. >> glugeon is. the little bumps of skin where the bra meets the torso. we called that bra goo. lady arms? >> flabby undercarriage of the upper arms. the alluvial fan. pattern of lines that are formed on the upper chest that drain to the cleavage. >> then there's creepy cleavage. which is when you're not -- when you shouldn't be displaying your cleavage. >> first of all do we need extra names? >> it's to help you celebrate your birthday. because you don't have any of these things. although you are showing a little cleavage whatever. this i am a little concerned

about. "time" magazine. >> it came out with this article hitting news stands this week. the author says that sometimes if you exercise more, you actually are heavier than if you stop exercising. they did a study of a bunch of people and they found out that those who quit exercising but were more mindful of what they ate ended up losing weight. and actually i ran into a friend of mine at the hair salon and she has telling me that she hasn't worked out in forever and she's dropped 12 pounds. since she stopped exercising. >> i wonder what joy would say about that. joy bauer would have a fit about that. leslie you're sitting over there and you were part of our backstage diet and everything. you haven't actually been exercising a whole lot but you've lost a lot of weight. >> but you're going to start. >> let's follow you then and see what happens. >> see what happens to leslie as she exercises. >> i have a severe herniated disc and i couldn't do anything for several weeks. >> yeah. >> i lost 14 pounds. >> i think you are more mindful of what you eat when you aren't exercising. sometimes when i exercise i

feel like, this tub of ice cream, oh, i went to the gym, you'll eat a lot more. >> you can put it away, hoda. >> i know. it's something sweet. but every time i go on the scale in the gym i'm frustrated every sine time. >> what are you going to do about it? >> i don't knowhat to do. >> eat everything you want for your birthday and don't exercise and we'll see what happens on monday. >> okay. >> you don't have to. >> no i could do that. but it gets frustrating when you keep getting fat. >> we haven't had alcohol in like a week. >> what's going on? >> kath's birthday. >> and to you, too. >> we also have some of your other -- >> oh wait you've got to do this. i've been waiting to do this for so long. there's an ad, i was in the gym by the way, and i was on the treadmill. >> gaining weight. >> and everybody put their treadmills to this commercial. there's a commercial called slap chop. it's the kind of little gadget that you can chop up. >> nuts or anything. >> whatever. somebody funked it up with some kind of rap music. >> they what it? >> funked it up. funked. and then the slap chop people i

think liked it and turned it into a commercial. >> very, very clever. >> so let's watch a little of it. ♪ slap chop ♪ ♪ slap chop ♪ >> oh, no. >> you love this. >> wait, no no, we didn't get to the part. there's like dancing and chopping and, you know. >> excuse me. >> what is -- >> i'm also turning older. let me see that. >> i don't even know, what is that? oh, here it is. >> it's -- oh, thank you. >> okay. >> what is going on? >> don't ever do that to me again. >> we can't see anything. >> we have a little paper that i couldn't see. i'm so sorry about it. this is for you. these are what we call our little hoda-isms. >> uh-oh. >> i'm just saying it's one of those days.

>> i'm just saying. i'm just saying. i'm just saying. i don't know. i'm just saying. i'm just saying they like it. i think we're just saying. we were annoyed. that's it. look at her. now really, really -- like do you not want the bottle? there you go. there we go. hoda you can look now. >> good for you. >> oh, okay. >> is it over? >> there you go! >> what is going on at this table? >> we're going to go on a little road trip thelma and louise. >> are we changing gears? >> no. if you give us such a hard time because i adore her. >> that comes up a lot! >> oh. >> oh. >> kathie lee -- >> normal people, yes. i'm giving up -- >> oh, my gosh.

>> you got it. oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. there you go. >> we have had some fun. >> a couple of reasons that we all around here adore hoda kotb. am i right, everybody? >> thank you. >> adore you. adore you. happy birthday, my darling friend. >> thank you. >> now i'm going to cry. >> we have some other surprises during our little show today. >> we do? >> yes. you better keep some kleen close by. absolutely. >> can we go to commercial? >> going to sara? >> we're going to go to sara. we could talk about the free vacation. but there is no such thing. a serbian woman is demanding a full refund of her greek vacation because their room was next to a room occupied by two girls who always went out on their balcony naked. so the woman claims the girls were out on the balcony so often that her husband suddenly also had the urge to soak up a little sun. and just happened to do so whenever the gir were outside. here's an idea fire your

husband. you know. >> you know what people, are suing for everything. remember the story about the woman who couldn't get a job after college and wanted to sue her college because she didn't get a job. >> right. >> i mean, it's enough already with the suing. >> i think maybe we start with tort reform as opposed to, you know, health reform. it's all about these lawsuits that are so frivolous. >> i think people should take responsibility. like, you know, find a job. sometimes it's tough. or tell your husband not to ogle -- how do you say it? ogle. >> ogle. >> ogle, ogle. >> ogle i think. >> is it? >> don't be a jerk and look at nude girls. >> yes. >> let's see what sara's doing. >> what you got, sara girl? >> i love what angela said when you were talking about the woman who sued the college she goes what employer wants to bring on that trouble bubble? >> that trouble bubble. >> christy wrote in what is a normal afternoon or evening like for you guys when you leave here? >> well hoda's a wild and crazy single girl so it's a little different than for me.

>> what i usually do after the show is sometimes we have lunch. >> mm-hmm. >> you and me afterwards. sometimes i do some "dateline" stuff just because that -- that's brewing. >> if this doesn't work out she can always go back to that. >> and a couple of nights a week i'll probably go to an event. something. you know. whatever it is. i'll do a couple things. what do you do? >> well because you work out in the morning i don't get to. >> yes. >> because i come in from connecticut, so i try to go home and get on the treadmill. but after today, forget it. my pilates machine? bye-bye. no. let's see if i drop those pounds. >> you're on a roll. you have not had a sweet on this set and it's not easy. i mean look, we have ice cream right here. >> you want to tell the folks how that works? >> know those little push-ups. i don't know if you remember these when you were younger. they had the push-up things you could buy at the ice cream trucks. >> that's how push-up bras came to be. everything has its origins in some other good idea.

>> you scoop ice cream in here like this. very simple. yes, it is. stick it in. hoda, no! >> that's how you do it. >> no, it's not. >> yes, it is. >> well whatever. when you're done it looks like this. >> and then what do you do? >> you take the top off, give it to your children, and they use it as a like -- they eat it like a little ice cream, it's like a little cone. >> adorable. >> i guess it's available -- >> from this to that. there it is. >> because the prop guys did it that way. >> they said it wasn't easy >> and there's other stuff you can do to keep cool in the summertime. these have little beads in them. cooling water. you soak them in water then put it on your head look like a dork but you'll be nice and cool. especially if -- we did this down in san antonio, right? >> soak them. >> mary -- >> soak it. >> and you can stick it around. >> mm-hmm. >> and it will keep you cool apparently. but look at you. your friends -- known will be

soon with you. but you will be nice and cool. >> look at you. just look for another minute. is there anything else? no we're going to stay here for just another minute. >> what's up? >> coming up our glamour girl hits the streets to turn a couple of fashion don'ts into fashion dos. this would be a don't, i think. - hey susan. - hey spence. uh i was thinking that these third quarter numbers... ( pop, pop, pop ) it's 3 o' clock and all you can think about... is grabbing a snack. time to reach for something you can feel good about. introducing special k crackers. count 'em! 17 delicious crackers for 90 calories. crunchy yumminess, without undoing your day. you know what i'm talking about? uh-huh. thanks, susan. special k crackers. fight munchies with a crunch. (announcer) introducing smoothies

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we're back with today's don'ts and dos and tips to give your work wardrobe an update. >> with flip-flops becoming a major part of office couture we sent suze yalof sh schwartz to the sheets to do some makeover magic. >> here's the problem with america now in new york city which is supposed to be the

chiccest city in the country and as you can see on the streets everyone's dressed like a complete slob. these people are going to the office. need to fix that immediately. when you get dressed in the morning, what do you think? >> this one, i think this is fun. fun, bright colors and everything. >> and what do you do, like what is your job? >> i'm a marketeer. >> marketeer or musketeer? >> i love these shorts because they're not too short. they're just perfect length. >> you happen to -- >> oh, my. >> you know how you get right of that? just go like this. you look amazing. little perfect shift dress. matching shoes that look like they're kind of comfortable. and where did you get this? like when did you buy that? >> a long time ago. >> we're here inside ofgrand central station looking for glamour don'ts to turn into

glamour dos. >> i actually like that skirt. >> it's the top that i feel even if i just -- >> big tops make you look bigger. we're about to go to the banana republic store because if you're going to one place for work clothes th is where you want to go. >> oh. >> yes. >> oh. i could see both of you in this dress. >> i want something professional and easy to manage. i need manageable clothes. clothes that are professional. and i'll be comfortable in it. >> i try to just grab whatever i can out of the clothes i have. i don't even have a full mischer so i don't know what i look like. >> and suzy is here with us with the results of her makeover. you can be a little brutal on the streets. >> but they always thank my afterwards. i help them, give them a little direction. i never stop someone and say you don't look good and then keep going on. >> you try to fix them. >> but maybe if you did a little bit of that.

>> fixing bra straps on the street. >> so you found two people on the street. >> i did. >> that you wanted to give a once-over to. >> exactly. we went inside grand central station. they were on their way to the office and i said to myself, if you don't care about the way that you dress for work, it might look like you don't really care about work. the idea is to dress phenomenal for work so that when your boss looks at you -- >> what did the boss think when they came in two hours late? >> well, the boss obviously said go for it. so there's a sign. >> here's our before picture, right? this is camilla. >> right. >> and you liked her skirt. >> she was trying to do the monochromatic thing but it wasn't matching. that was one problem. i liked her skirt. but it was two sizes too big for her body. it was an 8 and she's actually a size 6. >> let's bring out camilla. let's see the new outfit. whoo! >> oh! >> how adorable. >> i love that. >> isn't that amazing? >> love that. >> she could be a fashion editor

at "glamour" magazine. >> tell us about the outfit. >> so what we did was we put on a flirty top so if you took it off it's perfect for the summer but sometimes there's ac inside your buildin and high-waisted pencil skirt looks good on everyone. >> you have a great figure. you should be showing it off. >> and your famely's all behind you. they're very very proud. >> her husband is like, whoa! >> how do you feel in that outfit? >> i feel fabulous, actually. it feels good. i feel young. i feel more energy. >> and it's sexy, too. >> and you do have a bunch of outfits that look cute on you. >> she's very easy to dress. but she forgot to have fun with clothes. >> camilla, thank you. you look adorable. >> thank you. >> all right. thank you. okay next we have tatiana. all right so let's take a look at her before. tell us what you thought? >> she was wearing a really baggy top to camouflage her

stomach and also horizontal trips that were making her bust look bigger. and high-waisted crop pants that were making her legs look shorter. >> okay. >> so the triple whammy? >> don't wear anything too baggy because you're going to lk bigger. >> okay. let's take a look at tatiana now with the new outfit. come on out, tatiana. oh, that's adorable. >> i love that. >>isn't that great? >> love that. >> yes. >> the thing about tatiana is she has a baby that she has to take to day care so she doesn't have time to get ready in the morning. wearing a dress, you just zip it up throw on the big necklace and you're ready to go. i love this dress. this is the mad men inspired dress by banana republic. >> i love the costumes in that show. >> i love the shoes, too. >> those are also from banana republic. they're woven metallic. i love the metallic shoes because they work with everything in your wardrobe. >> i haven't been in banana republic for awhile. i think i need to go. i had no idea they really, really stepped everything up. >> the jewelry, too.

>> yes. >> let's bring out camilla again. come on out. >> good job. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> now these women need a promotion. >> yes they do. >> they're going to get it. >> and thank you so much. >> we'll be right back. my name is chef michael. and when i come home from my restaurant i love showing bailey how special she is. yes, you are. i know exactly what you love don't i? - [ barks ] - mmm. aromas like rotisserie chicken. and filet mignon. yeah, that's what inspired a very special dry dog food. [ woman ] introducing chef michael's canine creations. so tasty and nutritious it's hard to believe it's dry dog food. chef-inspired. dog-desired. chef michael's canine creation d di did you know grt guo- is gu specially made fto reeze and thaw by lunch timto so kiav ki hane their favorite ur hg tyot in heir lunch boxt go-gu. itre ez.e thaw it. eat it up.

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still to come, i think of all the things i could possibly think of. >> yes. >> in your entire world. >> yes. >> your entire life that would thrill and delight you the most this would be it. >> what a nice birthday tease. >> yes. >> we also have animals to make up for it. >> yes, we do. okay, there's ave' itula i've heard. but there's that parrot and that turtle. >> and a turtle who needs to go potty.

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for the best in home entertainment. don't miss this unbeatable value 3 great services for the price of 2. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v this if fios. this is big. we're back with more of "today" on this friday. and since it's hoda's birthday this weekend we sent out some party invitations and guess what? they all said yes. >> this is not good. terrific. naturalist david from the national wildlife federation has brought along a bunch of furry friends. >> this is not furry. >> hello mr. -- >> call him dave. >> all right. so what do we have here? >> this is a tortoise. an african species, lives in the desert and it's actually t third largest tortoise species in the world. >> i was actually surprised.

is this a he or a she? >> it's a he. >> how do you know? >> the bottom of the shell is concave which helps in the mating process. i won't elaborate on that. >> look at this. just the word mating and he went crazy. >> see if i can get him to eat a banana there. this is a desert species. these guys don't really pee very much. helps them to conserve water. they have really really thick skin that helps them preserve their liquids in the desert. >> is this the top speed? >> close to top speed. and here's an interesting birthday piece of trivia. you can count the age of this turtle by the rings around each of his scales on the back of the shell there. >> so that was about ten you said? >> maybe a little bit older than ten. >> we're worried. what's over here? >> don't look yet. >> he's actually heading back to the enclosure. >> all right, then >> this one is a little bit prettier. this is a green winged macau. now this is a species that lives in south america the second largest macaw species.

>> look at it looking at you, hoda. >> i'm telling you, they don't like me. >> this is not -- >> why did he put his arm up like that? >> ready to smack. >> he's not particularly fond of men, which is why i'm not holding him. because you see that bill? they have a tremendously powerful bill. these guys are eating nuts and fruits and seeds in the jungle. that bill can actually -- >> look at him. >> he's strong enough to break a broomstick in half. >> or an egyptian head. anything. he doesn't like you. >> i know. i don't like him, okay? >> okay. >> that's a mean-looking bird. >> they're beautiful animals. >> they're beautiful. >> does it talk? >> but they're powerful and you have to respect them. when they're in captivity like this, yes, you can teach them to mimic words. >> does this one know how? >> they don't really do that in the wild, and this one doesn't. >> now on to the really good tough. >> oh, look at this. >> we were close to something -- >> ew. >> don't look down there. the macaw. >> oh, no.

>> a tarantula. >> who would like to told this little beauty. >> kathie lee. >> if you say i can -- >> it bites -- >> this is a chilean rose hair tarantula, one of the most docile species out there. he really does not want to go on your hand there. this is female. females are a little bit big irthan the males. one of their defense mechanisms is to flick off the hairs. you're a predator trying to eat this, she can flick off her hairs. >> that macaw is looking at that tarantula. >> but my nails look good, don't you think? that's all that matters really. >> you're very brave. this is a glorious animal. it's a really important predator. without animals like this in the wild, they're eating insects. without them you have a lot of other insects and critters. >> you say he doesn't eat that? >> come on. >> let's put it back in the box. >> all right i've got another animal here. >> all right. >> that can be considered a little bit of a creepy crawly. >> okay.

and hoda maybe you'll hold this one. >> maybe. >> maybe. but if she just -- >> what is it? >> oh, you're going to get warts from this guy. >> oh that's a myth. >> is that a frog? >> it's not a myth. >> you see it actually just peeed on me. what you want to do -- >> hoda. >> it's good luck in the amazon. >> but if you were a predator trying to eat this guy, that's what toads do to help keep predators from eating them. >> they pee on them? >> yes. this guy is also pretty toxic. it's a species of toad introduced around the world. they're considered invasive. what happens with their skin is very toxic. and so dogs and other predators might try to eat these guys and they actually can die from it. >> so they won't try again after that. >> exactly. some people foolishly think if you lick these toads you'll get a psychedelic experience. >> who would lick a toad? >> some people do that sort of thing. >> look at that turtle wheating the whole -- >> oh, he's back.

>> chowing down like not even paying attention. >> let's go on to our next animal. >> there's one more. >> we've got to get the lid off. >> look at that turtle chowing on that thing. >> this next animal is really, really cute. >> can we get a cloth for dave? >> it's okay. >>ew. >> that is a rat. >> this is not a rat. >> oh, please dave. it's my birthday. >> aren't you happy? >> a rat on my birthday. >> it's a possum. a short tailed or piggy possum. this guy is native to south america. it's a marsupial. kind of like a kangaroo. >> hangs by its tail. >> it has a little prehensile tail. >> prehensile hoda. >> if this were in the subway tracks it would be a rat. >> you're right. it would be mistaken for one, definitely. >> one of the really interesting things about this guy even though it's a marsupial, it doesn't have a real pouch. what happens is when the babies are born they attach onto the mother's nipple which swells in the baby's mouth and they're just kind of stuck on there

until they get big enough that they can climb onto her back. >> that happened to me once. >> somehow i knew you'd have a comment about that. >> i never got over . that's why -- never mind. we're going to thank you. thank you david. >> you're welcome. >> we're going to be right back with more birthday fun for hoda. more on that right after this. (mom) i'm not ready to start the back to school rush, just yet. so i asked everyone in my momtourage for ideas on how to keep the summer fun going. their advice? instead of running t go to walmart. they have all the things my kids need to feel good about going back to school - the right shoes and clothes, and even newrames for glasses. the best part? nine dollars. that keeps the summer and my budget going. ♪ for just nine dollars, you can get them shoes from names like danskin now and starter. ♪ select eyeglass frames are just $9 at walmart -- and they have a 12-month guarantee.

♪ juniors tops from op are $9 too. and you can get them the school supplies they need to start the year for just $9 total. nine dollars. considering what you get... that's a really great price. back to school costs less at walmart. save money. live better. walmart. jç'o (soldier brown) i joined the army because i could see myself gaining by leaps and bounds over everyone else. he knew he could come out of it with a career. i told my kids i want you to do better than i have.

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"toyota summer concert series on today" brought to you by toyota. toyota, moving forward. okay, so hoda woman in honor of your birthday, which is coming up on sunday. >> yes, it is. >> we've invited back one of your all-time special artists. he was on tour in europe but he came back special to be with you, and he is joshua raven. >> oh you're kidding. >> all the way, baby. >> happy birthday. >> i can't believe that. oh, my gosh. >> and tell us who your friend is back here, joshua. >> hi baby. >> how are you? >> this is the reverend vince. >> good to meet you reverend. how are you? welcome, welcome. >> what a pleasure. >> wow. >> so i'll go on this side of you. this is so -- look at your hair. ok what you've done to it. >> i didn't do anything. that's the problem. >> usually he has a hat on.

>> i know. >> it's interesting. it's curly. >> all right. >> the swedish girls messed it up while he was in sweden. >> that's what you're doing? >> i was touring all over europe. i saw you in london. >> oh yeah yeah yeah, with melissa. >> oh, really, saw each other in london. >> yes, we did. >> okay. >> shhh. but this isn't -- >> this is hoda birthday coming up. she's going to be 24 on sunday. >> yes, exactly. 24. >> what are you going to sing for us? >> i'm going to sing a song called "brand new day." >> that's my favorite. that's precious. >> thank you. >> wow. >> joshua, everybody, and the reverend. ♪ ♪ can't imagine late at night ♪

♪ when the moon smiles down at me ♪ ♪ in the soft blade of grass when i woke the world was you? end i never felt like that ♪ ♪ it's a brand new day the sun is shining ♪ ♪ it's a brand new day for the first time in such a long, long time ♪ ♪ i know i'll be okay ♪

♪ most kind of stories save the best part for last ♪ ♪ and most stories have a hero who finds ♪ ♪ you make your past your past ♪ ♪ you make your past your past ♪ ♪ it's a brand new day the sun is shining it's a brand new day ♪ ♪ for the first time in such a long, long time ♪ ♪ i know i'll be okay ♪ ♪ ♪ this cye never ends ♪

♪ you gotta fall in order to mend ♪ ♪ it's a brand new day it's a brand new day ♪ ♪ for the first time in such a long long time i know i'll be okay ♪ >> thank you, reverend. >> thank you, joshua. >> happy birthday. >> better the second time. >> how do you like your birthday so far? >> i love my birthday. >> we'll be right back with more surprises right after this.

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well, it's one thing to eat your favorite food. >> yes, it is. >> but it's a very different thing to have your very favorite people prepare your very taf rid food. and so we have a little surprise for our hoda woman today. we have your mommy sammy. your brother alex. >> what? >> aunt pauline, and your beautiful, beautiful -- >> oh, my god! oh, my gosh! >> hi sammy. nice to see you. >> oh, my goodness. >> surprise! >> oh, my goodness. >> okay. okay. this -- wait a minute. this is the best. what are you doing here? can i hold you? can i hold you for a minute? can i hold you? oh, my goodness. look at you.

>> look, look, look. look, who is that? who is that? can you wave? who is it? oh. >> that's me. >> i can't believe it. there you are. >> what are they doing? >> we're here to make all of hoda's favorite things. >> okay, go on. >> cornish game hen. >> yes. >> let's marinate it. >> marinate it. >> put in a little bit of soy sauce. >> soy sauce, okay. we can add little bit of onions. yes. >> you take this. >> all right. >> a little garlic powder. >> garlic powder. >> i n't believe this. >> and how much are you going to put in there? >> two or three bay leaves. >> this is the way. >> this is the way hoda likes it. >> exactly. >> i cannot believe that they're all here. i am freaking out. >> we'd have flen in hala but

dubai is a long way. >> ow long do you marinate it? >> about two hours. here they are. you pat them dry, and let's a little olive oil. >> a little olive oil. >> lk. >> look sweetie. >> what is she doing? >> what is grandma -- >> what is taita doing? >> she's starting your birthday. >> for your birthday. >> oh. >> and you cook those for how long? >> about 45 minutes. at 450. and then turn it down to 350 for about half an hour. >> i don't know if you heard that but it will all be on our website. now come on back here. what else is hoda's favorites? >> salad. >> okay. she loves salad. >> which is greens with -- >> avocados. one of her favorite things. >> with oil. >> this is her favorite thing right here. >> help yourself. >> you want some rice? you want some? here. >> okay.

>> and look how beautiful it is. >> she loves these. and of course your famous, famous baklava. >> baklava? >> oh, my gosh. you want another bite? >> i cannot believe -- can i just say one thing, i cannot believe that everybody's here. i can't believe my brother's her colleen, hannah. i was just like mom, i just called you earlier. she's not picking up. now i know why. she's here. i am thrilled. did you guys see the show? >> we did. >> oh my gosh. >> would you like some baklava? >> yes. >> yes, please. >> would you like some? >> okay. >> what do you say? say thank you. >> what's the key to all of this i think is just made with love right? >>exactly. >> sami you have had a lot of love in your family. >> exactly. >> i think that's the main reason hoda hasurned out -- i'm going to cry now. >> stop talking. >> your mom, your sister.

you all raised her -- >> i cannot believe it. i am shocked. >> hi, how are you? >> we'll be back of "today" on nbc.

it's not easy to surprise hoda but our cast, our crew, everybody did such a great job. >> what are you doing? what are you doing? >> hold it down kid. >> so there is one more surprise. >> what is it? >> bring it on out. >> whoa! >> a cake! and a special cake, some flowers. joshua radin really --

>> a toast to go. >> yea! >> all right. >> this is all for you. here hoda woman, here you go baby. >> thank you. >> here everybody. >> thank you. >> and hoda joshua wants to give you some gorgeous flowers. >> joshua, thank you. thank you, thank you. so much. >> so i hope you all have a wonderful, wonderf weekend. if you happen to run into hoda anywhere in her travels this weekend -- >> let me just say real quick you guys for everything you did today, for my family for joshua, kathie lee for everything you do, tammy thank you so much. this was a terrific birthday. are we going to blow out candles now? come on hannah. let's blow our candles out. one, two, three. >> have a great weekend, everybody! . if you run into hoda, wish her a happy birthday. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com