good morning. will a killer go free? nbc news has learned scottish officials are weighing whether to free the only man ever convicted in the bombing of pan am flight 103. 270 people, including 180 americans, died in that attack. this morning the mother of one of the victims speaks out, and she has a lot to say. happy days here again? the feds now say the economy is leveling out. but with the federal deficit soaring to an altime high, how long will the good times last? and "today" exclusive, brad pitt speaks out about life, love, and calls for him to run for mayor of new orleans. ann's exclusive interview

"today," thursday, august 13th, ann's exclusive interview "today," thursday, august 13th, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this thursday morning, i'm meredith vieira. >> and i'm matt lauer. this morning, family members and iends of the victims of pan am flight 103 are angry. they're expressing their shock over the possible early release of 57-year-old abdel basset ali al meg raw 4i. >> he is serving a life sentence for the bombing over the scottish town of lockerbie in december of 1988. all 259 people who were on the plane, and 11 others on the ground died. al megrahi is terminally ill with cancer and he wants to live out his remaining days in libya. we're going to get reaction from susan cohen who lost her 20-year-old daughter in that attack. >> also ahead the latest on a bizarre story. this one comes from brazil where a crime-based reality tv host is

accused of arranging murders in an effort to boost his shows aratings. investigators say they became suspicious after he showed up at crime scene after crime scene before the police. we're going to get into that story a little later. >> and the man who captivated the country just a few months ago captain richard phillips was held hostage aboard a raft by somali pirates for five days before he was freed in a dramatic rescue by navy snipers. the captain and his wife are live in our studio to talk about how their lives have changed since that very frightening experience. >> and we all remember living through that one. obviously their family more than anyone. let's begin with scottish authorities considering early release for the only convicted bomber of pan am flight 103. nbc's stephanie gosk is outside the libyan embassy in london. stephanie, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. the defense team for abdel basset ali al megrahi submitted the request for his release in may after a similar request was denied last october.

his defense team says he is dying of cancer and letting him go home to libya is the only humane thing to do. >> the plane was a fireball passing over the village -- >> reporter: it was the worst terrorist attack ever on british soil. 270 people were killed. including 11 residents from the small scottish town of lockerbie. and 180 americans. pan am flight 103 went down more than two decades ago after a bomb blew up inside the cargo hold, representing the 747 apart in midair. the only suspect convicted of the crime was this men, libyan abdel basset ali al megrahi. megrahi wasn't convicted until 2001. a scottish court found the father of five guilty of murder and sentenced him to life in prison. but british reports say the convicted terrorist may soon be released on compassionate grounds, or transferred back to a libyan jail. megrahi suffers from terminal prostate cancer that has spread throughout his body. scottish authorities say they

are still considering the application for release and that the justice secretary hopes to make a decision this month. at the g-8 summit in italy, libyan president moammar gadhafi met with prime minister gordon brown and lobbied in person for megrahi's release. the libyan government has agreed to pay $1.5 billion to the families of the victims, but their pain even 20 years later is still there. >> the awful rawness of the tragedy tends to recede a bit. >> reporter: in lockerbie today, the ground where the plane hit has been rebuilt. but as abdel basset al megrahi faces a possible release it is a reminder that the painful memories are just below the surface. seems to be a split in opinion amongst the family members of the victims. here in the uk many support the potential release, while a majority of americans are outraged at the prospect of the only convicted suspect being set free. matt? >> all right, stephanie gosk in london for us this morning. stephanie, thank you very much

susan cohen's daughter was among the 180 americans killed in the pan am bombing. susan is with us exclusively. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> this idea that megrahi may be released under a provision that is known as compassionate release, i would imagine those words have to be hard for you and other family members of the victims to even hear. >> oh, i would say it's the best argument for capital punishment i've ever heard. we were told he would at least serve his term in scotland. and i think he should die in scotland. he gets treatment for his disease there. what is this compassion, compassion for him? my heart is broken. my daughter's birthday is soon. she would have 41. it's just been living in hell. but don't kid yourself. this whole thing is not just about megrahi. it is about appeasing moammar gadhafi and it is the oil interests with the governments

in tow which are really behind this. >> wait, wait, let me make sure i understand you -- >> that's what it is. >> you're saying that there may be some sort of a deal here, if it ever happens, simply because libya is an oil-rich country? and other countries want to curry favor with that country? >> oh, that is absolutely true. i've watched this play out, compassionate release. another appeal. the possibility of a prisoner exchange when there are no british prisoners in libya. look at what george bush and cheney did. complimenting gadhafi. it -- it -- >> but this would happen under a democratic administration, if it happens. and i have to ask, do you think that the american government, does the u.s. administration, have any real say in this? or is this going to be between the uk and libya? >> well, i assure you, that the u.s. government has a lot of power. i am very much on obama's side, and he is a definite improvement over bush, but i have asked to

meet with him. he shook gadhafi's hand. he hasn't shaken my hand. we, the families, would like to have had the chance to meet with obama. we asked for condolences on the 20th anniversary of december 21st last year. after all, he'd already been elected. my impression is that nobody cares very much, and that everyone is happy to go on with this, because the amounts of money are so great. >> in the 30 seconds i have left, susan, i know you've referred to the families of these victims as the stepchildren of terrorism. can you briefly, briefly explain that for me? >> yes. because we were the worst crime of this sort before 9/11. but nobody seems to care. nobody seems to mind that, you know, that megrahi did this crime. nobody seems to care if gadhafi comes to new york to be at the u.n. at the end of september. we once had a police taking us

through the streets when we went to the pan am building, and from there to the u.n. they were on our side. am i going to have to watch now police escort for moammar gadhafi? we are the victims. we are tossed aside. and i can only tell you that megrahi is guilty and he should serve his time, and that there should be a strong position on libya, whose human rights record is the worst in the world. and instead i see appeasement, appeasement, cohen, thank you much for your time this morning. eight minutes after the hour. here's meredith. >> thank you. now to the economy, and a big question, are we really out of the woods when it comes to the struggling economy. on wednesday the feds delivered confidence saying things appear to be leveling out. but what does that really mean for millions of cash scrapped americans. here to help us sort it out are cn cnbc's erin burnett and jim

cramer, the host of cnbc's "mad money." understand there's no hard and fast rules to determine when we are coming out of the recession. but the fed said yesterday, information suggests that economic activity is leveling out. that word suggests has a little wiggle room to it. chat what exactly are they saying? >> i think that what they're saying is the recession is over. but most americans still feel, and don't believe, that there's any recovery. and they're notoing to tighten anything until more jobs are created. >> and there's always a lag between the end of a recession and job growth, right, erin? >> there is. last time we came out of this, everyone talked about the jobless recovery. if you look at historical patterns, it could take up to 2 1/2 more years before you really start to see an improvement in unemployment. and to jim's point, fine, maybe technically the economy is growing, but if people aren't getting jo, can we really say? >> let's talk a little bit about growth. the last five months we've seen tremendous growth in the stock market. dow up about 45%. how much of that is real growth, and how much is just cost cutting, and job elimination?

>> wall street is demonical in some ways. the more people fired, the higher the profit, the higher stocks go. the stock market is not reflecting the average pain of americans. it's reflecting exactly what you don't want to see. the more people who are fired, the more we cheer. it's terrible, but it's true. >> if the recession is over, if the fed is saying everything suggests that it is over, we have pumped about $1 today billion of thats 870 billion stimulus package into the economy. should we just stop dumping money at this point? >> that is a big question. it's been approved. i think that that's off the table. people can have that argument, inllectually, should we pull it back. but they're going to keep spending it. and the white house has said they're going to be spending about $100 billion each quarter for the next five quarters. >> how can we afford to do that? our deficit is at a record high. >> we'll afford to do it. we can afford it because we need to do it. we can't create jobs without it. we can't create jobs, the economy can't really be in a sustained growth path. there are such benefits to

creating more jobs. including perhaps not as high taxes, and definitely a sense that, well, once you start hiring, there's a psychological impact. >> you're saying why are we borrowing it now as well? >> we have a national debt of over $11 trillion. at some point you've got to pay the piper. >> at some point you do. >> the chinese are paying the piper. >> put it off a little bit further, in the hopes the government spending will turn into real demand. if it creates jobs and people buy things, that becomes self-sustaining. taxes are going to go up at some point, that's a reality, and that money will be used to pay that debt. they will go up, but not still. >> he's doing an unbelievable job, that's really important. he turned from someone who was slow to someone who is fast. i just can't say enough great about what this man is doing. >> when you see the sales they've gone up slightly, and the jobless number has gone down slightly, how significant is that? >> i think housing is really important. jim's point about why we still need the stimulus or some sort of stimulus, you know, we keep talking about slight improvements in housing, they're

there. but housing prices are likely going to fall another 10% to 15%. up to half of americans with mortgages could be under water where the mortgage is worth more than the home. you can argue over the magnitude of it, but -- >> california, florida, and nevada have all turned. once it goes down 40% or 50% we get a dramatic increase in sales. >> yes, a bottom is formed. between now and when you actually start to see an improvement, most people think their homes are worth more money could take a long time. until you get there, that's the biggest thing most americans own, it's hard to take this thing off the table. but a turn is not a recovery. >> somebody sitting at home having their cereal right now, does not have a job, it could be another two years before they get one? >> i don't want to say that, no. i think the recovery is happening. i think it could be a shorter period of time. you've got to hang in there. things are getting better. >> things are getting better. but historicall it takes about 2 1/2 years until employment situation fully recovers. >> this economy is turning. >> but it could take awhile.

>> thank you very much. it is 7:12. >> all right, meredith, now to the fiery debate over health care reform. as tempers flare at town hall forums all across the country, some are starting to ask if all that hostility is even about health care anymore. nbc's chief white house correspondent chuck todd has more on that. hi, chuck. >> good morning, matt. well, look, as you said, what is really being debated at these town halls? the intricacy of health care policy or something else? clearly what we're seeing is an exposure of a familiar, but deep, partisan divide. >> the supreme court of the united states -- >> reporter: the president took a break from selling health care to host a celebration at the white house wednesday for his supreme court pick, sonia sotomayor. >> this moment is not just about her. about every child who will grow up thinking that him or herself that sonia sotomayor can make it, then maybe i can, too. >> reporter: he praised her achievement as the nation's first hispanic justice and only the third woman to sit on the court. >> it is this nation's fate, in

a more perfect union, that allows a puerto rican girl from the bronx to stand here now. >> reporter: but outside of washington, that face of a perfect union seems to be facing a test of sorts. >> this is not health reform, this is control! >> reporter: the angry outbursts at these town halls appear to show a nation divided on more than just the issue being debated. >> hey, hey, hey! >> reporter: is it health care policy they're really upset about, or is it something else? >> for a lot of people coming to the town hall meetings this is a debate about america's role in the economy, and how actively the federal government should get involved. >> reporter: the white house isn't buying the hype. even blaming the media for ginning up this story. >> i doubt we're seeing a representative sample of any series of town hall meetings, despite the food fight on cable every day. >> reporter: but with cable hosts calling him racists and questioning president obama's citizenship, and demonstrators portraying him as a nazi with a socialist agenda, is this going

down a dangerous road for the gop? >> republicans run the risk of overplaying their hand and they themselves being associated with very extreme charges and extreme rhetoric, and that can backfire. >> reporter: and white house aides even believe that the angry pictures might stiffen the spines of some wavering congressional democrats and get health care passed more quickly. another unintended consequence could be a more united gop going into the 2010 election year. >> it's the most unified republicans have been since president obama won the election. >> reporter: now, matt, don't expect a change in the president's tone tomorrow at his town hall in montana. more importantly, they like to see congressional democrats learn from senator claire mccaskill, who we saw here on the "today" show yesterday. >> chalk todd at the white house. as always, thank you very much. >> and let's get a check of the rest of the top stories. ann is on assignment so hoda kotb is filling in at the news desk. >> good morning, everybody. a wildfire in northern california has forced hundreds of peoplof from their homes in santa cruz county.

that fire has burned more than 1,000 acres and is threatening some 250 homes. in afghanistan, the taliban is being blamed today for roadside bombings that killed at least 14 civilians, including three children. meantime, it is the second day of a major marine operation against the taliban. today marines helped a family flee to safety after their home was caught in the cross fire. u.s. troops are trying to break the liban' grip on the area in advance of next week's presidential election. former vice president dick cheney reportedly believes former president bush stopped taking his advice during his second term in the white house. according to "the washington post," cheney, in informal talks about his upcoming memoirs, said the statute of limitations has expired on many of his secrets. his memoir is out in 20:. in detroit this morning, a fiery end to a police chase, as they were pursuing a suspect. th suspect's car crashed and burst into flames. an important recall this

morning, little taikes is recalling more than 1,000 little toys and trucks. there has been one report of one child needing to be hospitalized. you can go to our website at todayshow.com. louisville basketball coach rick pitino apologized wednesday for what he called an indiscretion. the married father of five admitted to a woman six years ago and giving her money for an abortion. the woman is facing charges that she tried to extort $10 million from pitino. and the bear in southern california apparently thought this backyard pool was just right on wednesday. he took a dip, and then wandered off after beating the unbearable heat. >> oh. it is 17 minutes past the hour, let's go back to meredith and al. >> what was that little laugh there? >> going to need more cloning. >> mr. roker, what's going on? >> we've got a lot going on. let's take a look first of all along the east coast.

we are talking about a lot of rain, low pressure area bringing flood watches for parts of eastern p.a., new york city. carolina yesterday got eight inches of rain. heavy rnaiha tt. then as we take a look out into the we've got two waves we're watching. tropical wave looks pretty impressive. tropical depression number two is the one we're watching. by tuesday ear; partly cloudy now, temperatures in the low and mid 70s around the region. it's 73 in washington, 60s to the west and north. afternoon highs should climb into the mid 80s. there is a chance of a passing isolated thundershower this afternoon and early this evening. that may interrupt the beginning of the skins and ravens in baltimore. partly cloudy tonight for the game and in the 70s through the game. tomorrow, saturday and sunday, humid and partly cloudy. highs in the 80s. near 90 by sunday. that's your latest weather.

meredith? >> al, thank you. a public wake is being held on cape cod today for eunice kennedy shriver. the 88-year-old founder of special olympics and sister of john f. kennedy died on tuesday after suffering a series of strokes. nbc's andrea mitchell is at the church with more, including a look at the next generation of kennedies set to take over the family's legacy. andrea, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. in a family that has suffered more than its share of losses, jfk, bobby, jackie, and john jr., eunice kennedy shriver will be celebrated and mourned today for her extraordinary contributions outside the world of politics. in the small parish church where kennedys have long celebrated life's joy, like caroline kennedy's wedding, and its tragedies, like the 1998 funeral of bobby and ethel kennedy's son michael, after a skiing accident in colorado, the family and surrounding community will gather today to honor eunice kennedy shriver. it is a passage made all the

more poignant by her young brother teddy's valiant battle against brain cancer. president obama, awarded the veteran senator the medal of freedom at the white house wednesday. >> the life of senator edward m. kennedy has made a difference for us all. >> reporter: on honor accepted by his daughter. even in the kennedy family eunice was a star. familiarry patriarch joseph kennedy sr. once said she would have been the first catholic president had she been a man. in fact her achievement, including empowering the mentally challenged, will stand the test of time alongside those of her more famous brothers. >> even though the history books will be filled with jack kennedy and bobby kennedy running for president, when you change attitudes in a country and in a people, that may be an even greater lasting legacy than simply being in politics for a certain period of time. >> reporter: with eunice's death and her brother's illness, carrying on the family legacy rests more heavily on the next generation of kennedys and shrivers. among them daughter maria,

journalist and first lady of california, who has taken on the cause of alzheimer's research, the result of her father sargent shriver's affliction with the disease. >> when i walk in the door i just try to go, even though i'm 52 years old, hi, daddy. >> reporter: from tim shriver carrying on special olympics. mark shriver helps run save the children. caroline kennedy, who failed to catch on as a senate candidate in new york, remains a champion for public education. bobby kennedy jr. is an environmentalist. his sister kerry kennedy a human rights activist and kathleen kennedy townsend, former lieutenant governor of maryland. >> eunice proved that you don't have to run for office to have an enormous impact. i think some of them will do that. i would not be surprised to see some of these folks run at some point. but this third generation will make, i believe, a big contribution to the country, and already is. >> reporter: but the younger generation has its share of troubles, as well. teddy's son patrick, a rhode island congressman, recently re-entered a treatment center

for alcoholism and prescription drug abuse. today's wake will be open to the public and then the family will reconvene tomorrow at another church in nearby hyannis for a private funeral. meredith? >> andrea mitchell, thank you. and coming up, one of the biggest stars on the planet. ann's exclusive interview with

t. still to come, the host of a reality tv crime show suspected of ordering murders to boost his ratings. we'll get the latest on that. >> plus, what is next for the se captain held hostage by somali pirates. captain richard phillips is in the studio along with his wife. c

some clouds but some blue sky out there, too. 73 degrees here in the nation's capital. good morning. thursday, august 13th, 2009. again the time 7:26. i'm barbara harrison. in the news at this hour, three siblings under 17 were injured in a serious crash. a 12-year-d is in critical condition. thcrash happened in germantown at the intersection of ridge road and morning star drive. the redskins play their first preseason game tonight. they face the ravens in baltimore. some big name players will be missing from the field, though. albert haynesworth and portis will sit this out. we'll take a break and come back

with a look at weather and traffic.

good morning. temperatesa with partly cloudy sky in the low 70s around washington and the nearby suburbs, to the west and north in the 60s, near the bay it's in the low to mid 70s. high today in the mid 80s. may be a passing afternoon or early evening thundershower. may affect the skins and ravens. tonight partly cloudy, jerry, how's traffic? >> an accident 270 southbound below route 109 in hyattstown. left side is tied up. 355 is going to be a better bet for the time being. outer loop of the beltway a

broken down vehicle. an accident moved to the shoulder. >> thanks, jerry. tonight on "news 4 at 5:00" a preview of the redskiit

7:30 now on a thursday morning. it's the 13th day of august, 2009. cloudy, gray here in new york city. doesn't seem to bother the people out on the plaza. and hopefully, they'll be here for flo rida tomorrow as he performs out on the plaza in our 8:30 half hour. if you're in the area come on by. i'm matt lauer alongside meredith vieira. coming up in this half hour, captain richard phillips. the man held hostage by a band of somali pirates. navy s.e.a.l.s came to his rescue in dramatic fashion after a long, five-day ordeal. this morning, captain phillips

and his wife andrea are with us exclusively. they'll talk about the ordeal d really how it's changed their lives, and what the future holds. >> also ahead, brad pitt. the actor speaks out in an exclusive interview with ann about his passion, his definition of true love, and if he'd ever consider running for mayor of new orleans. you're going to hear what he has to say about that. >> but we'd like to begin this half hour with the host of a crime-based reality show in brazil, who's accused of ordering killings to boost his ratings. nbc's peter alexander has the latest onthis. peter, good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning to yoto you. these days reality tv shows will go to great lengths to try to get your attention. but murder? the lead brazilian investigator tells nbc news the host claimed his popular program was essentially investigative journalism. that he was helping police crack down on violence, a crusader against crime. but polic now say he was he wa actually the one ohestrating many of those crimes. for nearly 20 years, host

wallace souza's crime-fighting reality show was version of must-see tv. led by his vigilante front man the show's crews were famously first on the scene, often before police, capturing exclusive and graphic video of violent crime. sometimes, as they happened. brazilian authorities now say souza's constant team of scoops wasn't the product of good reporting, or good luck. it was something far more sinister. souza went as far as creating facts, this police chief explains, and ording the crimes be committed to generate news for the show brazilian investigators suspect souza, and his son commissioned at least five murderers, allegedly to knock off drug trafficking rivals in the dangerous amazon region. this week investigators seized illegal guns and ammunition as well as $575,000 worth of cash from a safe in souza's home.

now prosecutors and the judge are getting their own police protection. after receiving threats. wallace souza bece a media personality after his career as a police officer ended in disgraced. fired for his alleged involvement in theft and fraud scams. but souza's television career pat consulted him to success as a politician, getting elected three times. twice with more votes than any other legislator in the state. souza's lawyer says the latest accusations are false, blaming a conspiracy devised by his political enemies. a once popular brazilian crime show, now redefining a tv hit. souza's show went off the air late last year as the police investigation began to heat up. for now he remains free with legislative immunity that prevents him from being arrested as long as he is a lawmaker. it is reality tv brazilian style. >> peter, thank you very much. let's get a check of the weather now from al roker. >> all right, thanks, guys.

we're here, this the madison square boys and girls club. 125th anniversary? >> 125th. for 125 years we've been serving thousands of kids throughout new york city. so we're very excited to be here. it's our birthday. >> happy birthday. and maybe they could send somebody a little taller? >> a little taller. >> let's check your weather, see what's happening. it is hot out in the plains. bismar .96 dodge city, 95. temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal. rest of the country, we are looking at a high on into the southeast. southwest temperatures well over 100. we've got more rain along the mid-atlantic coast. southeastern atlantic coast. showers in the pacific northwest. lots of sunshine through the southwest, and of course we're watching tropical depression number two, which is headed right for the atlantic coast, maybe. maybe. but that's still a long way

away. the ly thing that might cause a problem for it, our director joe michaels is headed to north caro partly cloudy sky to ririmapopothvevec isr r r potomariver thisriing. there'e's capitol hill in the distance, this live picture from our city camera. 73 in washington, near 70 montgomery, fairfax, arlington, prince george's counties. highs today reaching the mid 80s. may be a passing afternoon or early evening thundershower. humid into the weekend, partly cloudy friday, saturday and sunday. a very small chance of an afternoon thundershower each day. mid 80s tomorrow. upper 80s saturday. sunday high near 90. where you guys from? >> massachusetts. >> good to see you all. thanks for coming. meredith? >> al, thank you. now to ann curry's exclusive interview with brad pitt. this month marks the fourth anniversary of hurricane katrina, and the hollywood superstar has dedicated himself to rebuilding his adopted hometown.

he recently sat down with ann to talk about that work, his political aspirations, and his definition of true love. >> we are sitting in the house of a woman who just, after four years, moved back in this house because it was made available, thanks to your organization. >> and it's nice to see. it's homey. now it's somebody claims it. she's claimed it and made it her own. >> a home they can finally call their own. >> they couldn't apply for a full house. >> it's where we caught up with brad pit in the lower ninth ward of new orleans. for the last four years, brad pitt's charity, make it right, has been rebuilding the area hardest-hit by hurricane katrina. his goal, 150 homes by the end of 2010. and now world famous architects like frank gherry are pitching in to make it right. how excited were you when you heard that frank gerry, the man who designed the gugen him

guggenheim in bilbao spain was going to be designing homes for displaced people? it's architecture at its best, solvingroblems for an area and coming up with solutions for how we live. >> what has he come up with? >> it was designed for sue plexes. >> two-family homes? >> uh-huh. we are the greenest neighborhood in the united states already. and that's only recipient houses. that's really sad. we will be 150 houses next year. and you know, it's an extraordinary success. at the same time, i'm irritated because there's 4,000 homes that were lost in this neighborhood. we're just scratching the surface. now let me tell you the good news. we got families here that have moved in and they're coming home with $20 utility bills. $12 electric bills. >> thinking back to when i first talked to you about this, there was so much excitement when you first announced what you were going to try to do in the lower ninth ward. and then you started to see houses rise from the wreckage of

katrina. the pink landscape that you created. but what is your message to people who have money, who are not spending it on charities? >> really, i don't know what people's personal situations are, so i'm hesitant even to speak. >> i know you don't want to talk to people about what they can donate -- >> make it right new orleans dot org. >> get it righ >> i don't want to discourage anyone. >> a lot of people, though, have turned their attention to other things and not to new orleans. but yet you got on a plane last night to be here for today because you want to pay attention to this. >> well, i want to see this through. it means something to me. so it's not -- it's not a big act. i'm actually i get antsy when i can't get down here. >> you talked about i care about this, have you seen the t-shirts? >> yeah, i've seen the t-shirts. >> i'm looking at this here and it's pretty good. it's got a -- there's a -- there's a nice rendeng of you, i think. right? it's chosen, would you run?

>> yes. >> would you serve? >> yes. i'm running on the guy marriage, no religion, legalization and taxation of marijuana platform. >> okay. >> i don't have a chance. >> would you want to be the guy? would you take it -- >> didn't i just answer it? >> no, you didn't. you didn't answer it. >> that's my answer. >> your answer is, no way. because you're not the guy? >> i don't have a chance. no. it's not what i do best. >> what brad pitt does best is focus on family, film, and fanning the media frenzy. pitt usually avoids talking about his personal life, in a recent cover story for "parade" magazine he spoke candidly about his idea of true love. if i could ask you about this, you said something really actually wonderful to "parade" magazine recently. you said, do you know how to tell real love? it's when somebody else's interest -- >> this is where we get -- >> no, don't. it's when somebody else -- this is good, no, because i'll tell you why, it affected me. it's when somebody else's interests trumps your own. love of someone else, a family,

of your kids, becomes the most important, most worthwhile thing in your life. >> yeah, i stand by that. some day it won't always be there. so i don't look forward to that day. so. >> so you think about that possibility. >> well, it comes with it, now know. the greater the love, the greater the loss, as the saying goes. >> and for more on brad pitt's make it right program logon to our website, todayshow.com. want to hear more from brad next week when his new film is released. up next the man who wasiralat p five days on the high seas. we're going to catch up with captain richard phillips.

this morning on "today's update" one of the year's most captivating and compelling stories. back in april, everyone was talking about captain richard phillips. he was taken hostage by somali pirates and held for five crueling days aboard a life boat. captain phillips and his wife andrea are withs exclusively this morning and we'll talk to them in just a couple of

minutes. but first, his story of bravery and determination against seemingly insurmountable odds. the return home safely to a hero's welcome, richard phillips, the captain of the "maersk alabama." in his humility and appreciation, captured american's hearts. >> i am just a bit part in this story. i'm a seaman doing the best he can. >> reporter: after days of tension a happy ending. phillips was at the helm when somali pirates boarded his ship april 8th. the ensuing five-day hostage drama ended easter sunday when navy sharpshooters shot and killed three pirates, taking another into custody. >> from start to fin, how long did that final operation take? >> for me it felt like five minutes. it was probably seven, eight seconds. i had no idea. time was fractured for me. >> you hear the shots and then complete silence? >> complete silence. and then an american voice. >> when you heard the american voice, you realized, no, i've

just been rescued. >> yeah. i thought that. yeah. >> was that just a moment of pure elation? >> no, still surreal. i wasn't elation until i was in the rim boat, away from the life boat. coming up next to the navy ship with some military people in the boat. it took that long, which was probably 15 seconds, but it took that long. i was still trying to get over what happened. >> reporter: since phillips' return home, life has been filled with flash bulbs and honors, with a visit to the white house, a first pitch at fenway, a key to new york city, and perhaps no surprise, he signed a book deal, and has a movie in the works. it's a new kind of life for a ship's captain turned american hero. and captain richard phillips and his wife andrea are with us exclusively this morning. it's great to see you guys again. >> good to see you, matt. >> i think the last time we spoke it was just a couple of

days after you got back, and after the way this ordeal ended, rich, i mean it was clear to me at the time you were still a bit numb. how long did it take you to get, figuratively speaking, your feet back on the ground, and kind of put into perspective what happened? >> it actually took a few weeks. and as one person said to me, give it a month before you make a decision, or change anything. and i would say a few weeks for it actually to back to normal, and started calming down. >> you had some amazing experiences in the time since then. and i'm wondering, andrea, if you'll chime in on this, also, was it emotional to be in the oval office with the president, considering the fact that here's the most powerful man, arguably, in the world, commander in chief, and he's the guy who personally said it would be okay to use deadly force. he gave the orders to say, it's okay to save your husband's life. >> it was for me. i think actually the phone call that i got sunday evening, after richard got rescued, i think i was a little more emotionally,

justifiably so. but sitting in the white house was just -- just never thought i would ever find myself there. and it was just overwhelming to, you know, have met somebody who actually was involved, and you know, youould say a powerful man. >> saving your husband's life. >> saving my husband's life. >> did you talk to the president, ritchie, about the future in terms of merchant maris and how you might be able, if he might be able to make some changes to prevent other crews from finding themselves in your situation? >> we basically just talked about the current situation that's still ongoing, even today. there's still ships taken, still seamen taken. albeit, not a united states seaman. but there are still people over there being held captive and still beg attacked today. >> you know, you would favor a little bit more pro-active steps? you were left there on the deck of the "maersk alabama" with firearms. that's basically what you had to defend yourselves. you would like to see more aggressive steps taken by other ships? >> i would like to see more

reinforcement of the path of aggressive which is the industry standard. and giving us the tools and the assets to keep the incident from going any further. >> we're talking about incidents happening like this in the future it raises a very simple questi. are you going back out? >> i'm due to go back on my normal rotation in late september. >> you're due to go back. let me ask the question again, are you going out? >> i really haven't made my mind up. i am looking at other options of things that have come with the incident. but i'm due to go back late september. >> i talked to you after this and i said is he going back out and at was months ago, and you said, we're going to see. >> yes. >> do you have a say in this or are you just tired of having him around the house? >> i got to -- i told richard whatever decision he made i would stand by him. >> are you worried, though? >> not really. i always said richard is a smart guy and whatever he encounters or does when he's out at sea, he does it right. >> with what you've been through over the last several months

since you got back with the white house and the first pitch at the red sox game and the book deal and the movie deal, and honors at the maritime academy imere you graduated, it's almost possible for that not to change a person. have it changed you? >> i don't think it changed me basically. there are definitely a bit more opportunities, more doors opened to me. actually, more decisions i have to have make with the book and a possible movie. and i'm speaking with the walker agency. so there's many opportunities, there's more decisions which -- >> a little more complicated? >> a little more complicated than was previously in my life. >> the big question if the movie goes forward, who do you want to play andrea and who do you want to play you? >> i'd like to play myself. >> a big break. who should play ritchie? >> oh, gosh, i thought of a few people. he jokingly said danny devito. but i'm all for maybe george clooney. >> and she wants to play herself.

>> harrison ford. >> also george clooney plays him, you want to play yourself. >> or harrison ford. >> i get . it. >> it's grea to see you again. good luck. we'll keep posted. >> we will. >> we're back right after this.

still ahead a troubling phenomenon among teens that many parents know nothing about. >> plus new evidence that a healthy sex life at home translates into success at the workplace. tell you about that after your local news.

the sky above us here in the nation's capital 73 degrees right now, it's 7:56, this thursday, august 13, 2009. good morning. i'm barbara harrison. sheewth nt ou ais h tr a man convicted in a series of violent home invasions in d.c. and maryland will be sentenced in court this morning. jose garcia perlara was convicted after breaking into the homes of four women. in each case he hog tied and bound the women in their homes. the final victim of bethesda was severely beaten and died. he can face life in prison without parole. plans to build a marriott

hotel have been approved. adrian fenty signed off on the deal. the building will be at 9th street and massachusetts avenue northwest. construction of the hotel is expected to begin in october. we'll take a break and come back with a look at our forecast and traffic. is

partly to mostly cloudy, temperatures in the low 70s around the metro area, highs reaching the mid 80s today, and

may be a passing afterno or early evening thundershower. tomorrow, saturday and sunday, partly cloudy, humid, highs in the mid 80s on friday, upper 80s saturday near 90 on sunday. how's traffic? >> we'll go to northeast washington, good morning everyone. new york avenue inbound looks like some traffic is getting by. both directions now at the building fire at bladensberg road. anticipate delays, elsewhere along 395 northbound, heavy but steady to and across the inbound 14th street bridge. >> thank you, jerry. tonight on "news 4 at 5:00" a preview of the redskins/ravens preseason opener.

8:00 on this thursday morning, august 13th, 2009. right now our crowd is flowing to the music of rapper flo rida, who will take over our summer concert series tomorrow. tomorrow on "today." i'm meredith vieira outside with matt lauer and al roker. >> we have to pass along some other news. mariah carey was going to be here on friday august 28th for a concert on the plaza. unfortunately that concert has to be postponed a little bit. we'll have a future date. but on friday september -- august 2th, we've got miley

cyrus. >> oh, wow. >> she's going to stop by and perform on our plaza. so we should have a huge crowd for that and we are very happy to report it. we'll get you information on the mariah carey concert as soon as we have it. >> that's very exciting. we love her. meanwhile, ahead in this half hour, a disturbing trend among teens that a lot of parents have never heard of. it's generally known as cutting and it's hurting yourself on purpose. one teen will share her emotional story and advice on how to deal with it for both parents and teens. >> also ahead, here's an interesting question for you, does a healthy sex life at home increase the chances that you would have a more successful career at work? >> oh, yes. >> i think so. >> if you can get out of bed and go to work, sure. >> we're going to take a look at the results of an interesting study on that subject that really contain none of meredith's findings. >> there you go. and the competition on nbc's

"america's got talent" is heating up. >> absolutely. >> last night five more acts will go to the semifinals. voices of glory, detective tenors, paradiso dance, the fab five and tony ward. .d rory eythl eyeventually join 15 other acts vying for a chance to win a million bucks and headlining performance in a las vegas show. >> the guy's name is tony ward? >> that's "america's got talent," tuesday/wednesday nights at 9:00, 8:00 central here on nbc. >> speaking of top stories, ann curry is on assignment today. hoda kotb is standing by at the news desk. >> good morning, guys. good morning, everybody. the man serving a life seine ten for the bombing of pan am flight 103. abdel basset ali al megrahi was the only person convicted in the terror attack over lockerbie

scotland that killed 270 people. a scottish judge is considering an early release because al megrahi is reportedly dying from cancer. a decision is expected by the end of the month. a fast-growing wildfire is burning inorthern california enthatatinstrein lea 250 structures. ir f is just north of santa cruz, and is moving closer to property of lockheed martin. hundreds of people have been evacuated. rescuers in taiwan are having a hard time yetting to areas hit hard by this week's typhoon. hundreds of people are still stnded in remote mountain villages. more americans are on the verge of losing their homes. realty track said the number of houses that received a foreclosure notice in july was up 7% from the month before. that is the highest monthly level in four years. today jetblue is offering a new one-month unlimited flying pass that will allow travelers to fly a many times as they want, anywhere the airline flies for $599.

the pass would be valid for travel between september 8th and october 8th. researchers say the number of people dying from cancer has declined over the past 30 years. they say younger adults, age 35 to 45 years old, showed the steepest decline. ar emov tpriren improvements to advances in cancer screenings, and treatment. family and friends are gathering on cape cod later today to mark the passing and honor of a legacy of eunice kennedy shriver, who died tuesday at the age of 88. a public wake is being held in a small church in massachusetts. her funeral will follow tomorrow. and a 5-year-old new york boy is being hailed as a hero this morning. quick thinking, he called ni ee after his pregnant mom blacked out in their home last week. he gave his home address, and worked with the operator to try and wake her up. the boy was honored wednesday as a junior paradic by new york fire commissioner. the mother, who is just fine,

says she told him what to do in case of emergency when he was just 2 years old. the little boy wants to be a firefighter or a police officer now. it is now four minutes past 8:00. >> little boy is off to a good start, too. >> helped save his mom, whh is great. >> where's al? >> right over here. we've got some teachers who miss their students. what school are you from? >> elkhart elementary. >> my gosh. and this is your baby's first trip? >> it is! >> oh, you're not going to see many pictures. >> no. >> but very nice. well, thanks. kids, you can all play one day of hooky officially. now let's check your weather, see what's going on. our pick city today just happens to be los angeles, california. early morning fog, then some sunshine. 83 degrees. and as we take a look at your weather for today, we've got some wet weather in the southeast. we've also got some showers in the pacific northwest. sunny skies throughout the plains. then for tomorrow, we've got

more wet weather along the coast. slight risk of strong storms in the plains. and we're looking at wet weather in the pacific northwest. and there are two gorgeous little girls i want to show you here. this young lady. what's your name? >> jordan. >> and? >> jocelyn. >> look at that smile. where are you guys from? >> rochester, new york. >> oh, rochester. >> okay, nice to see you all. ; good morning. here 73 in washington, partly cloudy around the region. a rather humid start this morning. and we're in the 60s around the mountains. highs in the mid 80s. may be an afternoon thundershower as well as early this evening. and humid friday, saturday and sunday. a small chance of an afternoon thundershower each of those days. mid 80s tomorrow. upper 80s saturday. near 90 on sunday. next week should be near 90 on monday and tuesday as well.

that's your latest weather. now let's head back to matt. >> all right, al, thank you very much. these ladies ditched their students just to be on the "today" show. there's something very wrong about that. nice to have you here. when we come back we're going to tslk about some teens who hurt thselves on purpe. one brave young lady will share go college and need a laptop. what do you got? you, in the top corner. our next class laptops could be perfect for you. we got student feedback and designed them specifically for college. are they legit brands, though? boom! we partnered with hp, toshiba, sony and dell. okay. uh, what's the square root of 841? 29. announcer: laptops designed for college and thousands of people eager to help. nothing. you don't enjoy things the way you used to. you're sad, restless, you can't focus. maybe you feel guilty or worthless.

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we are back at 8:10. this morning on "today's health," a disturbing condition increasingly seen in young people. it involves cutting, burning and biting one's body. 19-year-old katie stewart had a very happy childhood. but when she was 13 she started feeling depressed, and that's when it started. i want to warn you that katie's story is disturbing. >> on the outside i was happy. i was smart. and i had a lot of friends. and as far as everyone knew, everything was fine. it was just that i was falling apart inside. i used to go in my bathroom and i had a drawer full of razor blades and band-aids and things and i would cut myself. i cut myself whenever i felt really bad about myself. i spent most of my time trying to keep it a secret from my parents and my friends. i always wore long sleeves. i started looking for other ways to hurt myself, and i began to chemically burn myself on my shoulders and on my thighs. i wanted to die everything in

me. i wanted to kill myself. my cuts got deeper. really, my entire arms are scarred. i cut my hips, i cut my legs. i cut the word stupid, filthy, worthless, fat, inadequate. all into my body. kind of as a consttreminder just of what i thought of myself. the worst thing i did probably is i tattooed the word worthless on my chest. when i was 17 i poured boiling water down my legs. and i think that was really the breaking point for me. because after i had done it, i was in immense pain, my legs were covered in second degree burns. they were swollen and blisters, and as i was laying there in the hospital they pulled up my sleeve to put in the iv and they saw all the cuts. pretty much that it wasn't normal. that i wasn't going to exist much longer if i continued to do this. i got into treatment on my 1th wirth day in january 2008.

it's been over a year. i still want to cut myself a lot. but, i learned that i can't be perfect all of the time, and that i'm loved, even if i'm flawed. >> katie's story will be featured in the september issue of "seventeen" magazine. the editor in chief is with us along with nbc's chief medical editor dr. nancy synderman. good morning to you both. katie's story is disturbing. even more so because you realize that it is not unique. and your magazine polled its readers, asked young girls, have you ever harmed yourself, inflicted wounds on yourself, and the results were shocking to me. >> 51% of "seventeen" readers say that they have intentionally hurt themselves. so the skashiest part about katie's story is that this is the new normal. these are pretty, popular girls who feel this incredible pressure, and they're taking it out on themselves. >> why do they do that, though? >> you heard a word that katie

said, perfect. they strive to look perfect. the outside of these kids, they seem to have everything. most of them are affluent. they're doing well. they come from marriages that seem to be intact, they're on their way to college. but this need to be something. when i talk to adolescent girls over the years, i think why? because i needed to feel something. i'm so numb. i just don't feel anything. so whether it's pleasure or pain or that weird combination -- >> with katie it seemed to be a combination. she wanted to let the pain out, she wanted to punish herself and she also wanted to finally feel. >> a weird exhilaration the girls will talk about. >> is it a syndrome in and of itself or is it part of something much bigger? >> i think the root of it is depression. and i think we underdiagnose and we do not legit mass depression in our preteens and teens. there's no doubt to me that it's a psychiatric illness. there's something else going on in these young girl's lives and you absolutely need professional help. >> and why are we seeing it more in girls than in boys?

>> i mean, the same reason we see annex yeah more in girls. a lot of, where do i fit in the universe? boys will barrel through it more. and they get contact sports. >> girls internalize their angst. they say they feel ugly, they feel worthless. they never live up to anybody's expectations. just as you said, it's a form of punishment. a very private form of punishment. >> is it ary for help or a sign that in the future, the tendencies will get more suicidal? >> i don't think there's a risk of necesrily being suicidal, because the real link to self-loathing, we teach young girls in this society not to like their bodies. i mean, look -- i have to, girls in women's magazines, everything is photoshopped. nothing is normal. so when you're naked or in your cotton underwear and you're looking in the mirror and you think this is my normal but it sure isn't ver good. madison avenue is the normal. we know as adults that it's not true. but you can't say that to a 13-year-old.

>> but to go from that to cutting? >> not really. and when the pressure is being the best on your lacrosse team, going to the school, and everything starts in fifth grade, what do you want to be when you grow up, if not earlier, we, whether we see it or not, see a disconnect. these kids do not see a disconnect. >> let me ask you, because a lot of these kids wear long sleeve shirts or bangles or the whole thing to hide the fact that they are harming themselves. what's the parent to look for? what are the warning signs? >> i would never go into somebody's room or snoop unless i thought there were drugs or self-mutilatn or a real problem at school. the kids get smart. bangles, long sleeves, and hot weather, if they aren't wearing tank topsut long sleeve shirts, roll up those slees. and don't forget which hand your kid is. a left-handed kid will cut on the right arm. so don't just pull up the arm that you think makes sense. watch for changes in eating disorders. watch for changes in friends. things at school. >> and is there a treatment for

it? >> well, so often our girls are saying that this is a very private thing and they don't want to be caught. you know, this is the sort of -- it is a cry for help but it's a very private ritual that they're going through. and it's very hard to spot. absolutely, with 51% of these girls cutting themselves, it's impossible that they're not being caught, but they are. they're keeping it to themselves. >> did you put this article in the magazine in hopes of reaching other kids out there that may be doing this to let them know there is help out there if they need it? >> it's so important for girls not to feel alone. to know that somebody cares about them, that they are paying attention. and just -- >> the shame is unbelievable. >> we're going to have to stop at that point. i know nancy, you're going to be talking about this on your show. >> on msnbc on dr. nancy. >> also talk a little bit about what kind of help is out there if girls need it. as always, thank you very pt . "seventeen" featuring katie's story is on newsstands now. dangerous plaque that can build up in arteries. it's called atherosclerosis--or athero.

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we're back now at 8:21. this morning on "today's relationships," can a healthy sex life at home give you the upper hand at work? a new study suggests that men and women find more success at the office when they have a healthy sex life at home. here's nbc's mara schiavo campo. >> reporter: she's always been a type-a employee. but lately, she's been an a-plus. >> i have really been hustling a lot at work in the past month. >> reporter: what's changed? >> i've been seeing somebody recently. and it's been great. >> reporter: several weeks ago, she started seeing somne she's compatible with, mentally and

physically. she says it's the physical intimacy that's been helping at work. >> i've been feeling really productive, and really focused when i'm at work. when the physical part of any relationship is there, and going well, it helps you balance out your sensitivity, and your drive, and anxiety. >> reporter: could a healthy sex life make you more productive at the fice?hi tnk see to think so. and biological anthropologist dr. helen fisher says it can in real life, too. she analyzed 40,000 personality tests from the dating site chemistry.com and found that those with higher levels of the brain chemical de minimum and testosterone reported earning more money. so what does that have to do with intimacy? well, dope minimum and testosterone are driven up by a fulfilling sex life.

dr. fisher's theory, happiness in the bedroom can lead to success in the workplace. >> amin is associated with success, and creativity. walk into the office with those kind of feelings and you're going to be better as a team player. >> a little more self-confident. >> i usually feel very relaxed, but quite creative. >> more energy. >> more energy. >> reporter: but for all the benefits there could be an unexpected downside. for employers, that is. >> sometimes i want to get out of work earlier wp >> reporter: for "today," mar are schiavo-campo, nbc news, new york. >> ian turner is a clinical sex therapist and the author of "le in the time of colic" robi ludwig is a psychotherapist and a contributing editor for cookie magazine. this is one of those studies that's going to get a lot of headlines but take those out for a second. is there something to the study? >> oh, absolutely. i think when you have a healthy sex life, you tend to be more confident. you have more self-esteem.

you feel ved. you feel valued. and all of those feelings play a really -- >> but that's attitude. you're talking about attitude. and this study talks more about chemistry. >> right. but when you have a good sex life it does affect the chemistry in your brain. it helps with the endorphins which is the feel-good chemical. >>fter all these people talked about feeling relaxed. oxytocin is a hormone that's released during sex and that does contribute to the a sense of feeling good, relaxed, connected. so i think that helen is right. that those brain chemicals do have an impact. >> robi, didn't this deal basically, though, with married couples? >> yes. >> not dating couples. >> and that's right. when you think of that, in order to have a good sex life when you're married you have to have good communication. because sex really is a form of communication in marriage. so if you're communicating well with your partner, and they're getting you to feel loved unconditionally, you probably have good skills in that area, which translates to your work life. >> i have one of these weird logical minds, so i'm always

looking i there another study out there that has studied the people who have an unhealthy sex life at home and are they then less successful at work? >> i think you could say that is true. i counsel a lot of couples who are stuck in sex ruts. and i could say that these folks, they are more depressed. they areore frustrated. they tend to be more distracted and anxious at work, and yes, they are vulnerable to workplace flirtation. infidelity. when you don't have a happy sex life at home, when you're not happy in the bedroom, it affes erything else. >> i think people want to feel loved and they're in the right relationship. when people have a healthy sex life in a marriage they tend to think, you know what, i'm really with the right partner. that does get you to interact with your environment in a very different way. >> and solving the problem in the 23 seconds i have left, the way to get healthier sex life goes right back to that word communication. >> communication, and just do it. kind of set that as a priority to have within your relationship. >> robi and ian, thank you very much. still to come on a thursday morning, eating right when your family is traveling. it's sometimes a very difficult

thing. we'll get some tips on that. our time right now is 8:26. 73 degrees. good day to be out riding those wheels along the potomac bike path. it's thursday, the 13th day of august. i'm joe krebs. in the news for today, a judge in maryland is accused of deflating a woman's tire on her car outside a court house. the woman said the guard told her that the charles county circuit court judge took the air out of her tire on monday because she was parked in his restricted spot. the incident outside the courthouse was allegedly caught on cell phone video although that video is yet to surface. the la plata police department says they are investigating a case of vandalism but will not confirm whom they are investigating. the fate of a popular fruit

stand in bethesda goes before a judge. the stand has been serving customers on river road for the past decade. the maryland highway officials call it a safety hazard and say farm stands are not allowed in a state right-of-way. the owner of the stand wants a hearing on the matter. today a judge will decide whether that will happen. we'll take a break and come back and look at weaer and nk

good morning. here is your four-day forecast. the afternoon, mid 80s, maybe a shower. how's the traffic? >> a live

we are back,:30 now on a thursday morning. 13th day of august, 2009. not the nicest morning we've had here all week. but not the worst. and we've got a nice crowd, we can always say that. and these people, here's a birthday. with these people stick around for a couple of more hours. actually 24 of them, they will get to check out one of the hottest rappers around. what are we doing? okay one of the hottest rappers

around, flo rida out here on the plaza tomorrow morning. he's going to light it up. everybody got their apple bottom jeans? >> absolutely. >> i just asked hoda the same question. >> it's the bottom. they're a type of jeans. >> if you've got a little junk in the trunk. and we like that. >> apple bottom. >> not bottom down here. >> thank you for filling us in. >> that's what we're here for. >> speaking of concerts, take a look at one of these iconic photos from woodstock. remember woodstock, gang? >> oh, yeah. >> most of the people there don't. >> 40 years later, wre are those two people? well we found them. >> wow. >> we're going to find out what happened to them. it's a great story. >> that's pretty cool. and if you've ever taken a family road trip, are we there yet? don't make me stop this car. you want to eat right but how do you do that? it's a shameless plug for my book. where can you find all the fast food restaurants where you can eat right? we're going to show you and tell you how you can keep clean as

you're traveling. foodwise >> and also more of ann's exclusive interview with brad pitt. he's going to talk more about whether he should be the mayor of new orleans. >> interesting information there. >> before we get to that, how about some interesting  partly cloudy here this morning. temperatures in the low and mid 70s. now 75 in washington. still around 70 around the shenandoah valley in the mountains and near the bay mid 70s. we'll have afternoon highs in the mid 80s. there is a small chance of an isolated thundershower this afternoon and a very slight chce friday, saturday and sunday. remaining humid into the weekend. mid 80s tomorrow upper 80s saturday near 90 on sunday. near 90 again monday and tuesday. that's your latest weather. now let's head down to washington, d.c. and say hello to big willie scott! how are you, sir?

>> oh. good to see you big guy. you're beautifuls ever. thank you. wish the people at home could hear that song he sings in the morning. >> yes, i do. >> one day we're going to get that and play it back. the last day. that will be the last day. happy birthday. take a look as our jar spins around. ear of life that i get t he rde . t okay. ot g fibde oelisfdeibelyt o, onoh.ytio ohio. nyn o a amtyer s ty in americicno w?that?at s ovhari00eren fds erriov00 fhaends00 that alwaybi. hifag ove l him. computer has been his friend for 85 s.arye imis whimer h a v hy happy birthday. a na ed reynynds, brooklyn,ew.rk 107. began dressmaking in her early 20s and is now retired. l ovweheer. ov heer. e esiksh to deo .gayoga

we have reos osheiman, ph syphnniapean0lv, 10ia tald, old today. t stcakes.ey still make those, th e th me, don't they?on former bookkeeper, enjoys going out to lunch with friends and loves to talk about living in probably t wheherenhe trhe there. of them goch b town here. in ncthdag wi the ars.g 'sthat his best nethli.line. thur grewe, keeps busy testing out differenttools.en he's kind of an inventor. improves on things. loto josephine grillo oful crveci ty, .rnli 0 10rsead.olrs graduated from college at 81 how about that? never too late. enjoys going to the casinos for a t sttho poker. crazy about poker. niig sficafiint zi dugal,

andover, mass, 100 years old. builds cradles. meredith is back in little new york. we've got bugs down here, meredith. >> all right, willie. i've got barbie next to me. the real barbie. 50 years old. happy birthday to you. in her pink. up next how to eat right on your next family road trip. you going away? >> yeah. >> there you go. >> i am. >> i hope you're eating right. nt

"today's travel" on the road is brought to you by goodyear. get there on new fuel max tires. >> and this morning on "today's travel" on the road we're talking about eating right. if the healthy guidelines you live by at home go right out the window on a family roa trip, you're not alone. elizabeth ward is a ledgestered

dietitian who also works for "usa today." hi, elizabeth. >> good to see you. >> this is hard. you're on the go. you're eating at roadside restaurants, at convenience stores, airport restaurants. sometimes it's hard to stay healthy. >> it's definitely hard to stay healthy. once the key goes in the ignition the dietoes right out the window. we're here with some great meals and snacks. >> the goal is to keep people below 2,000 calories a day. you did research. did you find that easy or hard? >> i didn't find it as hard as i thought i would. we could cobble together meals at fast food places, mini marts and convenience stores that put people on the right track. >> let's start with breakfast. this may surprise people. you want people to eat eggs. >> i definitely want people to eat eggs. protein at breakfast and i want them to eat breakfast. because breakfast sets the tone for the day. >> your choice is here starting with mcdonald's. >> two scrambled eggs and an english muffin and some orange juice, very satisfying because of the eggs and because of the protein level. >> moving on to burger king.

>> orange juice. what is that? >> that's an egg and ham omelette sandwich. again the ham adds a little more protein. >> let's keep in mind, this is inexpensive eating, as well. then you went to a convenience store and you thought this was a good selection. >> right the cheerios have the whole grain and i love that in a meal. a little bit of extrarotein with the egg and we've got the milk and the banana. very filling. >> this is all right in the 400 calorie to 500 calorie range? >> all the meals are under 550 calories. >> okay. let's move on to lunch. a lot of people say i'm going to have a very light lunch, middle of the day, they're on the road. you think they should actually bulk up at lunch. >> you should load up at lunch within reason. and that's because you don't want to have the hungry horrors at 2:00 and be pulling off the road and looking for your next doughnut. we've got some nice selections. mandarin chicken salad from wendy's. very filling. actually the lettuce has water in it. >> 540 calories. >> and we've got the bean burrito from taco bell with the rice

beans are very satisfying. very high in fiber. they keep you fuller for longer. >> and that's got 460. and these are some snacks that you like, right? this is a lunch. >> this one was a surprise to us, because this is a roast beef and cheddar wrap that we found in a convenience store. you probably should eat only about half of the sandwich and save the rest for dinner. but if you take it and combine it with fruit and milk, you've got a meal. >> okay. and again, any time you can stop off and get fresh fruit whether it's a banana or the cut u fruit, that's obviously the best way to go. >> that's always the best way. it's not always the easiest. >> for a snack, fig newtons, i love those, for an apple. you're trying to keep yourself, bridge the gap between lunch and dinner. >> snack smart. snacks should be mini meals, not meals. especially when it comes to the kids. this is something i give to my children. it's got fiber from the apple and the fig newtons. >> baked potato chips along with a little bean deep? >> this is a shocker. i had no idea we could get away

with under 250 calories and get some fiber in with this snack. this is great. >> popcorn and a slice of sharp cheddar cheese. >> some dairy. and this is a whole grain. >> only 30, 40 seconds left. go through dinner. >> eat light at night because you want to stay alert, especially if you're traveling and you're on the road. we've got burger king burgers here. the two small ones, a side salad and we've got some milk from kentucky fried chicken, again, what a great place, you can get grilled chicken. you can get lots of sides, vegetables. we got two svings of vegetables in this meal, which is really hard to do. >> and finally you've got a little late-night snack. >> this is from a convenience store. >> in combination if you pick one of these lunches, breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner you can stay below the 2,000 calorie mark? >> and you can have one or two snacks even. >> fre fruit, fresh fruit elizabeth, thank you very much. to learn more about eating right on your next road tp check out today's edition of "usa today." up next a mother determines her walk to her son stationed in

iraq. we'll explain how she did it, not once but twice.

we are back at 8:44 and now to "today's american story with bob dotson." this morning a tale of two mothers, their friendship forged by war, and one remarkable quest. ♪ >> reporter: determination is a better road map. better than google ever made. vivian white is only 5'1". no taller than a corn stalk. but she is determined to jog nearly 6,500 miles. that's the distance from her home in illinois to her son's frontline army post in iraq.

>> every mile that i run every day in my mind brings him that much closer to being home. >> reporter: so far, more than 1,000 miles since brian went to war last january. 5,500 to go. neighbors quickly realized that she would need help covering that distance. word got arnd. soon, others who had kids in harm's way started walking or running, and adding their miles to bring her closer to brian. >> this is the 32nd running of the boilmaker road race. >> reporter: sandy utley knows the pain of a life put on hold. >> 10k. >> reporter: her own son nick went to fight in afghanistan. >> that was tough. not knowing, am i going to see him again?

>> the rocket pr-propelled gren hit the right side of my truck. two of them at one time. >> you walk and you walk and you walk. >> reporter: until her feet bled. because no words could convey the fear she felt. >> you can't reach out and give him a hug when you know it's been a bad day, or times are tough over there. >> reporter: so she hugged vivian, instead. >> it's nice to meet you. >> thank you so much for coming. >> reporter: then added the 140 miles she had walked to vivian's total. why do you feel compelled to get in a car and drive half a day just to see her? >> she's a mility mom. i know what she's feeling. >> reporter: both moms raised small-town sons who had never lived away from home. brian grew up in charleston, illinois.

nick, in gwanda, new york. both boys turned 20 in harm's way. >> this is nick. coming home. >> wow. >> but that was the first we'd seen him and it was a long journey home, as you can tell. >> reporter: nick's national guard unit came back from afghanistan just as brian's army division was shipping him to iraq. >> my hope is every mother's story is going to end with their sons all come home, their daughters come home. but reality, that's not always the case. >> reporter: so she keeps marching. nick had a mission and now you do, too. >> i feel i need to still keep walking and walk until we bring all of the men and women home. >> there are days when you just don't feel like running. those are the days when i think about brian and think, you don't get days off in iraq.

♪ for every 300 miles we get to add new feet. >> reporter: then tell brian in kirkuk. >> can you hear me now? >> reporter: that's where vivian and her army of moms are now. >> we're at 14,867. >> whoa. >> yeah, pretty cool. >> reporter: i'm already home. >> yes, you're home. >> reporter: thanks to 300 people, in 42 states, jogging and walking, and donating their miles so one mom can feel closer to her son. >> i think that's the power of a mother's love. >> reporter: not just the ones with kids in harm's way. even those whose kids have come home. >> put your hands up. >> reporter: for "today," bob dotson, nbc news, with an "american story" in utica, new york.xtn a p,ic axt

picture that aec b t became the cover of the original woodstock album. that couple there, where are e they 40 years later? you'll find out.

this weekend marks the 40th arni0 versofy ofodstock, and

there's one image pcu intiarlari that kind of captures the spirit of that legendary t.enev meredith and a friend wrapped in a blanket.en this i not meredith. but this photo was freneatud i the original woodstock album cover. so where is that couple now? here's nbc's brian williams. >> liftoff. >> reporter: there was a lot going on in the summer of '69, and so three days in the country in upstate new york seemed like a good idea to a lot of people. ♪ somewhere in the crowd was photographer rke, and elyer that sunday morning, as jefferson airplane took the stage. >> good morning to you all. >> reporter: he took a picture. >> it was a very gentle thing. you could see people still asleep, and people just beginning to come to. and they just stood up and gave each other a big hug, and sort of, you know, held onto each

other for a little bit. and then it was over. >> reporter: it wasn't over. the photo made the cover of the hugely popular woodstock soundtrack album, and became an instant icon. but who were those two people? well, she was 20-year-old bobbie kelly who worked at a loc bank. he was nick eurkeline, also 20, a college kid with two jobs. both were from upstate new york. they started dating just two months earlier, and married two years after woodstock. these days bobbie is a school nurse, nick is a retired carpenter. and the best news might just be that they are still married. we asked t ed them to return to site of the woodstock festival and share their memories 40 years later. >> it just sounded like something spectacular was going on and we needed to see it. >> this was something so close to us, why would we miss it? >> reporter: the draw of woodstock was the music, a

marathon concert by some of the '60s' biggest stars. but the real star obeedhow t co turned out to be the crowd itself. half a million strong, far bigger than anyone expected. >> there was singing, there was crying, there was shouting, there was laughing. there were so many people. there was so much going on. >> they were from all over the country. they came from all over the world, as a matter of fact. but we were all kind of alike and we all wanted to get along. >> it was about peace and love, and the generosity and the sharing, and the togetherness. ♪ freedom >> our music reflected a lot of things growing up, civil rights, the women's movement, anti-war protests. that was the main draw that was here. this is our music, this isus, this is our time. >> reporter: this countryside fell silent long ago, and in all these years, they never met the man who took that famous picture until just this spring.

>> it's a pleasure. it's a great honor. >> the honor was mine. >> welcome to our home. >> reporter: the moment was captured by a documentary film crew as burke photographed nick and bobbie once again. this time for smithsonian magazine. >> with all that they've symbolized in this photograph, now they're still living it, how beautiful is that? >> reporter: this is the picture that matters most to the s these about is aboutfamilyou but at pho takenmio long ago will always be part of their lives, and ours. >> yeah, it's me and bobbie. but it's more of a couple of kids caught in a mome. that's how i look at it. it's really awesome to sit back and say, wow, that's really reflective of my generation. >> our kids have grown up with it. it's part of who we are. it's part of who they are. and it's a wonderful thing to share with somebody that you love. >> what a great love story. >> it's so sweet.

>> wonderful. >> our lights are doing a little woodstock thing back there. >> yeah. >> wow, look at the colors. lo at all the colors. >> now i remember the '60s. >> wow. >> maybe shouldn't have had those mushrooms up in the commissary. wow. >> i'm happy. >> i'm happy for them. >> of course i'm very happy for them. that's wonderful. you were 12? >> i was 12. in woodstock but at camp kennybrook. down the road. down the road. summer camp. saw a lot of helicopters, that's all i knew. >> my parents would have never let me go. >> no. >> ihas aknho high school. >> me, too. >> i was 8. >> oh.sc our time right now is 8:55, 75 degrees out there. we've got clouds over the nation's capital, we' get the forecast coming up. i'm joe krebs on th thursday,

the 13th of august. in the news for today, a 12-year-old boy is in critical condition after a bad accident. his two siblings were also injured. this happened last night in germantown at ridge road and morning star drive. a car trying to make a left turn got rear-ended by a pickup truck. residents tell us they have been calling for a traffic light at the intersection for some time. the reward is increased in a disturbing case of animal cruelty t. humane society is raising it to $4,000 after this dog was found discarded in a dumpster in southeast washington. the dog nicknamed trooper has undergone surgery for injuries believed to have been received in an illegal dog fight. the vets say she is not doing well. we'll come back and look at traffic and checout the weather too.

>> temperatures in the mid and upper 70s, we'll hit the mid 80s and there is a skmans of a passing afternoon thundershower. partly cloudy and humid. partly cloudy friday, saturday and sunday. and rather humid. a small chance of an isolated afternoon thundershower each day. mid 80s tomorrow. upper 80s saturday. near 90 on sunday. as well as monday and tuesday.

may be some midweek thundershowers next week. how's the traffic? >> a live look, the capital beltway jammed leavi springfield all the way up to 66, earlier accident inner loop at 236 is cleared. elsewhere, an accident branch avenue inside the beltway in the process of clearing. expect delays headed up on route 5. >> thanks, jerry. tonight a preview of the preseason opener. back to the "today" show after we take this short break.

♪ we're back with more of "today" on a thursday morning. the 13th day of august, 2009. of course, it is national left-handers day. not sure when they came into existence. but -- oh, it was 1974. here is a little fact for you. did you know that most lefties are not 100% left-handed? >> no. >> most do things with their right hands, as well. for example i writeeft-handed but i bat in baseball right-handed, play golf right-handed. >> wow. >> eat left-handed. >> is there a right-handers day?

>> there's not a right-handers day. >> i feel so left out. >> oh! >> oh! >> out on the plaza, matt lauer along with lxtv's sara gore filling in while natalie's on vacation. and mr. roker joins us, as well. neither of you left-handed? >> no. although i wear my watch on my right hand and i shoot bkets with my left hand. not that i play a lot of basketball. >> because you tend to wear your watch on your off hand. >> i wear mine o my right hand, too. but i never wear a watch. >> coming up in this half hour we're going to have some medical advice for women. it's actually kind of scy how often women's illnesses are misdiagnosed. we're going to talk about the four most commonly misdiagnosed diseases in women, and what the true symptoms of those diseases are. >> wow. on a slightly lighter note when you go out shopping do you like to haggle? >> no. >> i do. >> i really do. they say you can actually save some money with the right words. we're not just talking about

flea markets or when you're out, you know, out on the road. we'r talking about real, brand-name stores. >> like department stores? >> like department stores. >> that's so strange. >> apparel stores, you can haggle and get the right price in places like best buy. >> i've got to find out how that works. >> if you watch. >> i know. >> we're doing the segment together so you'll find out. >> okay, also, ann was the lucky lady that got to sit down with brad pitt for an exclusive interview. we caught up with him in his adopted hometown of new orleans, where four years after katrina brad takes us inside one of the houses the organization helped build and talks to him about the t-shirt that suggests that he's running for mayor. >> or should. >> he'd get a lot of votes. plus his recent definition of love. so we'll see about that. >> cool, before we go any further. ann is on assignment today, hoda kotb is over at the news desk. take it away. >> good morning, everybody. the only person convicted in the 1988 bombing of pan am flight 103 that killed 270 people could

be set free. lawyers for abdel basset ali megrahi are asking the scottish government for a compassionate early release because he's dying from cancer. earlier on "today" the mother of one of the victims of the attack expressed outrage. >> we were told he would at least serve his term in scotland. and i think he should die in scotland. he gets treatment for his disease there. what is this compassion, compassion for him? my heart is broken. my daughter's birthday is soon. she would have 41. it's just been living in hell. >> the scottish government said a decision is expected by the end of the month. former vice president dick cheney may be ready to criticize his old boss in an upcoming memoir. according to "the washington post," cheney feels that president bush lost some of his resolve during their second term, and became two flexible in the face of public opinion. cheney's book is due out in 2011. a somber homecoming today in

florida. the remains of captain michael scott spiker will arrive in his hometown of jackson file. speicher, a navy pilot, was shot down on the first day of the golf war in 1991. his remains were discovered last month in iraq. a wildfire that started on wednesday night is threatening 250 homes today in southern california's santa cruz mountains. it covered 1,000 acres near the town of bonny doon. 600 people were ordered to evacuate. president obama heads to a town meeting in montana tomorrow to confront what he says are the myths about his health care overhaul plan. members of congress have forums scheduled today in at least seven states. in new jersey today, one veteran said he already has government health care through his va and he has to wait for fests and leave voicemail for his doctor. an important recall this morning. little tikes is recalling more than 1.5 million workshop sets and trucks because of oversized plastic toy nails that can pose

a choking hazard to young children. there's been one report of one child needing to be hospitalized. for more information on this you can go to our weite, todayshow.com. and this x-ray says it all. an egyptian man got a spoon truck in his throat while trying to dislodge a fishbone. doctors had to surgically remove it. thank goodness it was not a fork. anyway, it is five minutes past the hour. head back outside to matt and sara gore. >> tryinget a fiset a fish bonet of his throat. maybe i'll jam this spoon down there, and that will force everything down. >> oh, yes. >> didn't work out. hoda, thank you very much. >> now we're going to send it over to al to give us the weather. >> luckily he didn't use a knife. wow. got the rough riders from saskatchewan here. what are the rough riders? >> canadia football. >> oh, okay. be a beo t be a pause there. nobody seemed to know. we're wearing the shi but we don't know what it means. all right, saskatchewan rough riders. let's check your weather.

flood watches in parts of ea sern p.a., new york city, coastal south atlantic with a front that's just stalled alongg there. rainfall amounts, some areas picking up up to five inches of rain. we're watching the tropics. tropical waves coming off the african coast. tropical depression not as impressive, but we'll keep an eye on it if i; good morning. temperatures now in the mid 70s around the region at this hour as we look at the temperatures across the bay, the eastern shore, the mid 70s. in the mountains near 70. for the rest of the day partly cloudy, high reaching the mid 80s. a chance of a passing afternoon thundershower, remaining humid into the weekend. partly cloudy friday, saturday and sunday. a small chance of an afternoon thundershower each day. a bit of a warm-up, too. highs near 90 by sunday, may hit 90 monday and tuesday. that's your latest weather. hoda?

>> al, thank you. this morning on "today's health," diseases doctors get wrong. symptoms can be misleading. and about 40% of all mistakes that doctors make are misdiagnoses. the current issue of "redbook" magazine explores how you can help prevent medical error. stacy morrison is redbook's editor in chief and our own dr. nancy synderman. first of all, how sca that they are misdiagnosing, we're going to talk about four different diseases, illnesses. but how is it that doctors are misdiagnosing things that seem so obvious? >> well, i think a lot of the blame, frankly, i'm going to put on the patient. especially as women. we walk into the doctor's office, and the first thing we do, i'm so sorry to take up your time, i know i shouldn't be here. so the shift of power automatically changes. and then i think, well, what do you have that's so important if you're wasting my time. we have to come in and say, so last week i experienced boom, boom, boom and you lay your case out. then i think that changes. >> let's talk about the first one. this shocked me. doctors misdiagnosing a stroke.

stacy, tell us the symptoms of a stroke. >> so many symptoms being complicated. with stroke it's headaches, dizzess, blurred vision, a lack of balance or muscular coordination, numbness on one side. that can be a lot of things. >> what is the most common sort of other thing that doctors diagnose the symptoms as? >> a lot of people just think it's dizziness, tell them to nega it because we don't think heart disease, stroke, those kinds of things can happen in women. a lot of times women come in and say, you know, my speech is a little off, i feel a little unbalanced it's an inner ear thing. >> i'm tired. >> that's scary. especially with strokes you have to be treated immediately. that's dangerous. >> that's the big thing. 14% of people who had a stroke under the age of 45 are misdiagnosed. and it's critical that you not leave the hospital without getting treated because that's where they can interrupt loss of paralysis, locals of speech, if they get it right then. >> any little change. slurred speech, abnormal balance, something that absolutely is new to you, you

have to rule out the bad stuff first. >> right. >> then you can figure out if it's nothing to worry about. we sort of think, oh, well it's nothing to worry about and put the bad stuff in the waste basket. >> let's talk about tmj. >> tempo mandibular joint syndrome. your jaw joint is right up against your ear canal. if something's wrong with your jaw joint, it can refer pain to your ear. a lot of times you'll walk in and your doctor will say it must be an earache, it must be an ear infection. if you have a clicking in your jaw, if your suddenly have pain on one side or another you have to consider. and we chew gum. >> you don't know what's doing it. when you have tmj, you have a variety of symptoms? >> sometimes it comes out as back pain or neck pain. things we also think is stress. the really tricky thing is you have to see a dentist if you have tmj. >> surgeons. someone who does this kind of stuff. >> they'll talk about whether you need to get night guards or something to keep you from clenching. >> heart disease. i've just done a special on this.

this is huge for won. >> number one killer of women. >> you would think that every doctor in the world would know if you walk in and say look, i'm having heart palpitations, i don't feel great, blah, blah, blah, they would say this may be heart disease. >> because the guys get crushing chest pain, i feel like an elephant is sitting on my chest. pain going down one arm. a woman will, and i'm not kidding, walk in and say, i'm so sorry to bother you, but, dot dot dot, i don't feel well, i'm tired. i'm short of breath. i feel -- >> i'm nauseous. >> i have nausea. >> so what's the -- >> gallbladder. ulcer, you know. >> tell me the right thing. i'm a woman, i'm feeling icky, fatigued, heart palpitations. >> heart palpitations. it may just be -- tired. two aspirin. chew them immediately to get aspirin into your system. assume you might be having a heart attack, call 911, or if you think you're having a heart attack or ongoing symptoms, you get in to your doctor immediately. >> i think it is, what we're talking about is own your

symptoms and don't walk in in a vague sort of way. >> since 50% of women's heart distress is misdiagnosed, 50% with all the research and all of the news that we've done over the last several years, you need to immediately think as a woman, do i need to rule out that i'm having a heart attack. that should be our first response. is this a heart attack? whether i'm young or in good shape, it doesn't matter. >> finally got to get to this one. a lot of women feel depressed, lethargic, icky, basically. and that could be, you think, depression, not feeling great. what could that be? >> well, if you just had a baby or you're perimenopausal, easy, and i think the most misdiagnosed problem, thyroid problems. >> thyroid problem? >> a simple blood test will show if you don't have enough thyroid in your body. hypothyroid is very common. >> the things we should look for for that? >> fatigue, it's gaining some weight, insomnia, having a really hard time sleeping,aches and pains. this is a classic thing where women will say i'm not getting enough sleep, i'm overworked.

if it goes undiagnosed, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and depression. >> go in to your doctor, confident, knowing your symptoms, specifically. >> and look them up. >> look now nondescript all of these things were. you have to think beyond the obvious. because on the surface he goes, just get eight hours of sleep, you'll be fine tomorrow. you might not be fine tomorrow. you might not be here tomorrow. >> that's good advice. great article in "redbook." thank you so much. cruising for bargain vacation. we're going to show you how you could save big bucks on your next ocean going adventure. and speaking of saving money, a icqu lesso in how to haggle at some of your favorite stores. fact: life today calls for more than an ordary wipe. that's why there's lysol dual action disinfecting wipes. they go beyond ordinary wipes because they have two different sides. a scrubbing side with powerful built in fibers that easily lifts tough messes and a wiping side that cleans and kills 99.9% of germs.

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this morning on "today's consumer," haggling. when you think about the skills of bargaining you usually think about used car lots, yard sales. but in this ecomy you might want to think about trying bargaining at some of your favorite retail chains. >> in an article on time.com an gregory listed simple tips that will save you big bucks. good morning. >> good morning, sara. >> i'm shocked by this whole thing because i'm not a hagler, but in a recent survey it says 72% of consumers have tried haggling in retail stores, which i couldn't believe, and 80% of them were successful. that's almost 30% up from last year. now, why do you think this has become a trend? >> because the consumers have the power. i mean the retailers' sales are down every month. and they need to get rid of

stuff. and so when it's a buyer's market, give it a try. there's a psychological scariness to haggling in a place that's structured and we're not supposed to do that. but, hey, all you have to do is ask and people are getting discounts. >> and most people, i think psychologically just, like you said, just don't like to haggle. why is that? >> i think our culture, you go overseas and you're expected to haggle. it's a cultural thing. i think -- i asked somebody about the kind of cultural history of this and after world war ii he said when we produced everything, we became a culture of hey, we make the best stuff, you either like it or you don't and you're going to pay for it. now that we've seen our economy drop off a bit, the tides are turning a bit. >> you went to four different retail stores, i think, with a professional haggler. is that what she is. >> yes. >> and her name is teri gault. how did you make out on this little session? >> it was amazing. four for four. when i started this, i'm like new york city, you know, there's a lot of -- >> whakind of stores? >> we went to sports authority, we went to a jewelry store, we went to lowe's, and the best

whole foods. >> you able to haggle at whole foods? >> not only that, al, she got $12 of bacon for free. >> how? >> oh! $12 of bacon! gold! >> at whole foods. >> why? >> because it was a very smart strategy. she went looking for packages that were past the expired date. >> well, that can't be healthy. >> listen, she found one and then she used it as a bargaining chip, once you find one say listen i wanted to buy this but i see this and then it's a little past the date, and then the clerk kind of felt guilty and wound up giving it to her for free. i think he was a little scared that he would get reported or something. >> you got some ti. print out better deals from otr store ads or online ads and show them to the sales clerk. is the sales clerk usually a lot of these stores empowered to do some haggling? >> in some, yes, in some, no. that's where you go to the manager. >> that's tip number two. >> you know, i think we're again, it's in our nature to only go to the manager when we have a complaint. but use thems -- they have the

authority, use them to, you know, get what you need. >> when you say go to the manager you say, why would i see the manager? just ask nicely? >> of course. d you have to ask very nicely. and i'm surprised because when i saw teri ask for the managers, the clerks didn't get that offended, i think they're getting used to people doing this. >> you also say you should be complimentary, compliment the product, be upbeat and compliment the sales clerk, as well. nice shoes. >> it's human nature. you know, you think of haggling and negotiations you have to be hard, you have to play hardball. i think when you're haggling over consumer products you have to be a little nicer to the folks in front of you. >> more of a kill them with kindness, i'm in this with you. and you say get into their personal space. >> be a close talker? >> you don't have to be close talker because it becomes uncomfortable. but lean in a little bit. we're in this together. we're on the same team. without kind of scaring the sales clerk a little bit. >> those are some great tips. >> how much for that jacket? >> you can haggle pretty low on thisne. >> all right.

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zyrtec® works fast, so i can love the air™. yep! look in your bag, made you something. (announcer) it's more than just that great peanut taste, choosing jif is a simple way to show someone how much you care. choosey moms, choose jif. some 100-calorie snacks just fall flat. ( thud, ding, applause ) 100 calorie right bites. make the most of every bite. good morning. i'm barbara harrison. it's thursday, august 13, 2009. the time 9:26. let's check on the forecast. here's meteorologist tom

kierein. >> good morning. fromhe blu ridge to the beaches it's partly cloudy, temperatures now in the mid 70s, it's 75 in washington, going into the mid 80s later today and there is a 40% chance of a passing afternoon or early evening thundershower. tomorrow saturday, sunday, remaining humid. partly cloudy and a small chance of an afternoon thundershower each day. mid 80s tomorrow. tomorrow upper 80s, near 90 on sunday. barbara? >> thank you. trafexc nist. n

let's see what's going on with the weather now. tom? >> it's me. hi. >> of course. we just got the weather. i just used up all of your extra time. >> that's all right. watch this. on the outer loop of the beltway, traffic still very slow, getting past van dorn street. no late issues, just construction zone over there. we'll let you know the inner loop to the wilson bridge is okay. 270 southbound all cleared out

for the commute. on the beltway from college park to silver spring, fine. >> jerry, thank you. tonight on "news 4 at 5:00" a

♪ ♪ looking at her >> come on, sara. go ahead, hoda. ♪ love love love >> welcome back. >> the man who calls himself flo rida, the hit-making rapper. yes, what a shock. from florida. that's right. from florida. he's burning up the charts, taking over our summer concert series tomorrow on today. then next friday, the sweet sounds live on the plaza. and if that's not enough. >> it's not. what else? >> miley cyrus on the plaza

august 28th. i have a feeling my daughter will be here. >> yeah. >> grab the kids, come on down. we have got a heck of a lineup. speaking of a heck of a lineup. we've got hoda kotb and sara gore who are helping us out. and we've got more coming up from brad pitt >> that's right. half of hollywood's hot it couple, he has a new movie coming out. recently he sat down with ann in new orleans and he is talking about the one thing he is truly passionate about. >> does that include me? >> now, now. >> also ahead, the project runway winner is showing his ideas for fierce fall fashion trends. we'll find out what he has to say about that. >> plus, if you're in the mood for a good cruise, we've got some real bargains out there, even on some of the more upscale lines. we're going to show you how to hit the high seas for low prices. and speaking about summer vacations, how about a little weather? >> why don't we get to that. >> great idea. glad i thought of it. for today, showers in the

pacific northwest. heavy rain alonghe southeastern atlantic coast. for tomorrow, we are looking at some showers along the mid-atlantic coast into the southeast. slight risk of strong storms in the central plains. rain in the pacific northwest. sizzling in the southwest.; sky watcheram sky watcher camera overlooking washington, a few clouds passing through our sky at this hour. it's in the pleasant 70s around the region. a little bit cooler in the shenandoah valley out of the mountains now. probably the mid 80s around the region by late afternoon there may be a passing thundershower as well as early this evening. then tomorrow partly cloudy, morning lows near 70, afternoon highs mid 80s. humid, humid into the weekend as well. highs near 90 saturday and sunday. small chance of an afternoon thundershower. and that's your latest weather. sara? >> al, thanks. up next, brad pitt on life and love, right after this.

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this month marks the fourth anniversary of hurricane katrina, and from the beginning, brad pitt, one of the most influential celebrities in the world, stepped up to make it right for the people of new orleans. ann got to sit down with brad and talk to him about his charity, his political aspirations and his definition of true love. >> we are sitting in the house of a woman who just, after four years, moved back in this house because it was made available, thanks to your organization. >> and it's nice to see. it's homey. now it's somebody claims it. she's claimed it and made it her own. >> a home they can finally call their own. >> they couldn't apply for a full house. >> it's where we caught up with brad pit in the lower ninth ward of new orleans. for the last four years, brad pitt's charity, make it right, has been rebuilding the area hardest-hit by hurricane katrina. his goal, 150 homes by the end of 2010. and now world famous architects like frank gehryre pitching in to make it right.

how excited were you when you heard that frank gehry, the man who designed the guggenheim in bilbao, spain, is going to be designing homes for displaced people? >> it's architecture at its best, solving problems of an area and coming up with solutions for how we live. >> what has he come up with? >> the second wave of design for his duplexes. >> two-family homes? >> uh-huh. we are the greenest neighborhood in the unitestates already. and that's only with 15 houses. that's really sad. we will be 150 houses next year. and you know, it's an extraordinary success. at the same time, i'm irritated because there's 4,000 homes that were lost in this neighborhood. we're just scratchg the surface. now let me tell you the good news. we got families here that have moved in and they're coming home with $20 utility bills. $12 electric bills. >> thinking back to when i first

talked to you about this, there was so much excitement when you first announced what you were going to try to do in the lower ninth ward. and then you started to see houses rise from the wreckage of katrina. the pink landscape that you created. but what is your message to people who have money, who are not spending it on charities? >> really, i don't know what people's personal situations are, so i'm hesitant even to speak. >> i know you don't want to talk to people about what they can donate -- >> we'll take donations. i'll use them. makeitrightnewor leans.org. >> get it right. >> i don't want to discourage anyone. >> a lot of people, though, have turned their attention to other things and not to new orleans. but yet you got on a plane last night to be here for today cause you want to pay attention to this. >> well, i want to see this through. it means something to me. so it's not -- it's not a big act. i'm actually i get antsy when i can't get down here. >> you talked about i care about this, have you seen the t-shirts? >> yeah, i've seen the t-shirts.

>> i'm looking at this here and it's pretty good. it's got a -- there's a -- there's a nice rendering of you, i think. right? if chosen, would you run? >> yes. >> would you serve? >> yes. i'm running on the gay marriage, no religion, legalization and taxation on moor juana platform. >> okay. >> i don't have a chance. >> would you want to be the guy? would you take it -- >> didn't i just answer it? >> no, you didn't. you didn't answer it. >> that's my answer. >> your answer is, no way. because you're not the guy? >> i don't have a chance. no. it's not what i best. >> what brad pitt does best is focus on family, film, and fanning the media frenzy. pitt usually avoids talking about his personal life, in a recent cover story for "parade" magazine he spoke candidly about his idea of true love. if i could ask you about this, you said something really actually wonderful to "parade" magazine recently. you said, do you know how to tell realove? it's when somebody else's

interest -- >> this is where we get -- >> no, don't. it's when somebody else -- this is good, no, because i'll tell you why, it affected me. it's when somebody else's interests trumps your own. love of someone else, a family, of your kids, becomes the most important, most worthwhile thing in your life. >> yeah, i stand by that. some day it won't always be there. so i don't look forward to that day. so. >> so you think about that possibility. >> well, it comes with it, now know. the greater the love, the greater the loss, as the saying goes. >> absolutely right. for more information on make it right you can go to todayshow.com. we're going to hear more from brad pitt next week. his new film comes out, just released august 21st nationwide. coming up next, bargains on the seas when you don't have a titanic budget. you know when i tickle your belly...

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now if you haven't planned your cruise yet, you could be in luck. the cruise industry is offering some very tempting deals. an expert on the cruise industry has all our latest info. >> good morning, al. >> you reached out to a lot of your contacts in the cruise industry, and you were surprised at the deals you were hearing about? >> you know what's amazing? the cruise industry is absolutely on sale. there's so many ships coming out, they need to fill the ships. the economy is getting better, they better book now, because these prices willo up. so i recommend booking today, at today's prices for next year. >> all right. so now, a lot of folks, sometimes don't have time for an extended vacation. you say there's somethingut there for them. >> something for everyone. for example, carnival has a ship called the "elation" leaving out of san diego. three-night crews $199. >> three nights. >> you can't get for $199 for three nights. >> where would it go? >> cabo san lucas. in the baja area of mexico.

nine hole golf course on board, miniature golf. >> coming out this fall, also holland america. >> holland america has the "oosterdam." seven-night cruises for $399 in the mexican river yarra. that's less than $60 a day. it's an inside cabin. just go up on deck and take a look at the ocean. >> odds are if you're in the cabin you're probably sleeping anyway. >> thank you very much. thursday try the veal. now one of the big names, i'm shocked at this. "queen mary ii" from cunard. that's a name people know. you say they've got a heck of a deal. >> i did it last summer. it's cunard, it's not a cruise ship, it's an ocean liner. >> what's the difference? >> it more of a transportation where there's so much to do on board. they're offering a special from united kingdom, southampton to new york in october, $995 for a six-night voyage. there's so much to do on board. planetarium. they have a canyon ranch spa. they have the largest orchestra

at sea. this is a ship, it's a magnificent city. >> wow. that's amazing. >> and if you bring your dog, they have dog kennels on board. >> do a lot of people do that? >> people buy dogs, people bring dogs. they have kennels on board. >> now this next one i've never heard. azamara? >> this is the hotte new luxury cruise line in the world right now. just came out two years ago. smaller ship, personalized service. goes to the most exclusive ports. they're offering an amazing opportunity $1699 for a seven-night voyage for next year, and that goes from the greatest ports. but when you think about it a five-star hotel you could never go seven nights for $1699. po what are you talking >>ittleg >> little interesting port, you go to italy, some of the smaller ones that aren't the larger cities. but it's so exclusive, al, they have a pillow menu. >> i'm sorry. >> what kind of pillow you want. if you book a suite they'll give you all kinds of special extra

things. it's something i'd recommend. azamara on travel and leisure's top ten list. >> our director said if you take your dog do they have to stay in the poop deck? >> they kind of do. >> all right. the all-inclusive crystal cruises. >> crystal is five star. ultimate luxury. always on conde nast traveler's top ten nest. $2165 seven-day voyage to new england, mexico, europe, and they also have a program called as you wish. they'll give you up to $2,000 for onboard credit, you can spend it as you wish on board the ship. >> all right. >> the values are tremendous. >> this next one, it's the biggest cruise ship under construction right now? >> extraordinary. royal caribbean always builds the most amazing vessels. the "oasis of the seas." it starts december 5th. carries 5,400 guests, 2,500 crew. divided into seven neighborhoods. they're building a central park on board the size of a football fiels,th jnggiogibtrs, jogging

courses and literally lofts. this iseyond anything you've ever seen before. zip lines, you name it. >> a zip line? >> a zip line across the ship. >> that's amazing. >> unbelievable. >> you did a good job. i know you did a good job because your mom is just standing right there smiling there. like that very much. always nice. always, phil, thanks so much. coming up, project runway winner christian siriano is here with all the trends for fall. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on "today's style," fashion for fall. christian siriano walked away the winner of season four of "project runway." now the wunderkind is out to conquer the fashion world and the beauty industry with his own makeup collection for victoria's secret. christian, good morning. >> good morning. >> it's early. everyone knows you for winning

"project runway" fourth season. congrats. >> thank you. >> but nobody really knows you as a makeup ardist. when did this come about? >> i know it's so funny. when i first moved to new york city that's kind of what i did. i worked from bloomingdale's to sephora. i was a freelance makeup artist and i loved it. probably wasn't the ultimate dream and goal. >> it's new york. >> you need a job. you've got to pay the rent, hon. got to buy shoes. >> you've got to buy some shoes. >> you do. >> kind of like the jumping off. you know. but it's still really like fashion industry and kind of goes hand in hand. >> so now you have a makeup line. >> makeup line, collection at victoria's secret. very exciting. and yes, going really well. selling tons. i really, i love it. it's like very inspiring, i think. >> and so what you're going for right now is an egyptian look? >> yeah, my whole fall collection from the clothes to the shoes to the bags and to the makeup is inspired by egypt. egypt and artifacts and culture and the idea of royalty. >> nice. >> and it totally translates.

>> she looks fantastic. >> gorgeous. >> if i had those legs i could wear that, too. >> me, too, honey. >> okay, tell me about this one. >> this is that kind of modern-day egyptian kind of woman. and it's, you know, all about luxe and luxury, and really with the makeup and the beauty, we did this kind of smoky, gorgeous liner which is a cleopatra kind of look. >> i love it. >> really rich, really luxe, beautiful face. that clutch is my makeup bag, $12. >> oh, nice, absolutely. could anybody pull this off, do you think? >> i think it's definitely a look where it's all about, you know, taking different pieces, and kind of mixing them, matching them. but i think the look is something that for evening i gorgeous. >> awesome. it's beautiful. next we have rock 'n' roll. >> rock 'n' roll. >> the '80s are back. when did they leave, really? >> i love it. this is a great look. i really love this because it's

really kind of very now. it's kind of my homage to miley, if you will. >> studded leggings. >> studded leggings. i love that. you know, classic leather jacket. the boot is amazing. but really it's all about mixing, matching, really giving that kind of rock edge. and you know with the beauty, that new look is really simple and really intense, fierce, smoky eye is important. >> there are things you can bring back from the '80s and there are things you should definitely stay away from. >> yeah, yeah, you need to kind of mix. don't wear it all. >> that's fantastic. >> she's working it. >> i love it. >> next we have preppy. >> preppy. >> makes you think gossip girl. >> it does. i love this. how cute. >> it's so cute. >> but really this look is about kind of that younger, fashionista, who's really fresh and dewey, she has sublime on her lip and really simple shadow.

and with that look, pairing it with a flat. this is very everyday. >> this is everyday. >> which i love. >> really anyone can pull this off. >> yeah. >> and simple, clean. >> thank you. >> okay. our next look is -- >> i think our next look is probably the most '80s you can get. >> the most '80s. >> yeah. >> this is kind of that downtown, younger '80s fashionista. and we really went all out with this. this is totally a trend. i don't know what trend it is. with the makeup we really were like, let's just go. all over the lid, that blue, punk color. metallic is such a trend. >> are those jelly bracelets? >> jelly bracelets. >> i love it. yes, i did have them. i love all of the looks. we should have them all come back out. those e great looks. it's really about the makeup and the outfit, not one or the other. it's the whole thing together. >> who joined our fashion show?

>> how are you? >> hoda's the modern egyptian. >> i feel left out. >> i know. i told her. >> hello. >> this is the modern-day egyptian diva. >> it is. >> okay. we've got a big show coming up, you might want to stick around and watch. we've got the kardashians in the house. it is kathie lee's pre-birthday. >> pre-birthday? >> surprises, surprises, surprises. >> wow. >> and our "ambush makeover." we have a big show. >> big, big, big. and of course we've got our ecspl effects people standing by with fire extinguishers for her cake. >> wait! .

9:56 is our time. 75 degrees out there. got some clouds above the nation's capital but blue skies as well. we're going to get the forecast in a little bit from tom kierein. good morning. i'm joe krebs on this the 13th day of august, it is a thursday. a serious crash injured three siblings, all under the age of 17. a 12-year-old is now in critical condition. that crash happened in germantown at the intersection of ridge road and morning star drive. the intersection the neighbors say is known to be dangerous. the ntsb is changing its tune about when metro reported a close call on the tracks, it happened in march at the potomac avenue station on the orange line. metro says the train safety system failed and an operator had to use an emergency brake to

avoid hitting a train. the ntsb initially said it didn't learn about the incident until last week while it was investigating the crash that happened in june. however, investigators say metro told them about this close call after the june collision rather than in august. plans to build a marriott hotel across from the washington convention center have been abrooved. mayor fenty signed off on the deal last night. the 14-story building will be at ninth and massachusetts avenue northwest. construction of the hotel is expected to begin in october. now let's get a check on our forecast. we'll start with tom kierein. >> good morning, joe. it has been a pleasant summer morning, a few clouds around. it's rather humid, temperatures will reach the mid 80s by afternoon. there is a chance of a passing thundershower from late afteoon to early this evening. then tomorrow partly cloudy, morning lows near 70, remaining humid into the weekend. saturday highs upper 80s and

partly cloudy. a small chance of an isolated thundershower as well as sunday. sunday's highs near 90. jerry, good morning. how's traffic? >> still tough out there. as we head to 10:00, still looking at very heavy traffic on the beltway between springfield up to 66, series of earlier incidents are out of the roadway, this is all residual slowing. south of town no lane concerns at the wilson bridge. top side we're looking good. >> thanks. tonight on "news 4 at 5:00" a preview of the redskins/ravens preseason opener. now back to the "today" show now back to the "today" show after we take a short break.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello, everybody, it's thursday. it's august 13th. we're just delighted that you're here with us today. >> and it is a significant day, because it is the beginning of the birthday celebration for kathie lee. >> we just barely got finished with yours. >> i know, everyone is over mine. now it's your turn. your birthday is sunday. >> it's sunday. >> today is the day we start celebrating you and frank gifford's birthdays. >> we're 15 years old. what's to celebrate? >> let's have a little toast. >> oh, all right. >> for your birthday. >> i figured that would work.

>> why not? >> here's to you. >> thank you, baby girl. >> i like that you don't care about the age thing. >> it's not that i don't care. it's not that i don't care. i care very much. >> yeah, but? >> i think it's stupid not to be honest about it and be grateful that you're still here. grateful that you still look amazing. that's a joke! just still here. i'm fine with. and healthy. >> so you didn't dread it? you're not looking forward to it -- >> you know what? i had my second child pretty much right on my 40th birthday. so the 40 was like a joyful time. >> right. >> 50, i don't remember. if you know what i mean. and this one i don't like so much. >> this one is -- >> this one is 56. and that means i'm closer to 60. 55 was okay. because like, i'm also close to 50. this one is no going back. there's no going back. >> i thought a lot about what to do for your birthday and i decided the one thing i could do. here is -- this is a birthday party in a box.

okay, in this little box. >> you should know. you should know about a little birthday in a box. you don't do big things. you like little -- never mind. >> in this box there is a one-minute birthday cake and we're going to really put it to a cake. if i canbake you a birthday cake in a minute. >> you're not good in the kitchen by your own admission. >> what came in the box. here's the mix. this is the cake mix. this is the other important ingredient, water. >> okay. >> can i use my wine instead? >> we're going to start making the cake and let me see, hold on, let me pour the water in the mixing bowl. >> every bit. >> and then i'm going to stir it. >> put a little elbow grease into it, hoda. this is my birthday. >> i'm thinking about you, a minute's worth of thinking about you. >> let's start that. >> oh, it starts when it goes in the microwave. >> oh, it goes in the microwave. >> do you microwave it in this thing? you microwave it in the case that it came in. okay so now it's time to start the timer. >> the timer is started.

>> let's start the music. >> okay. jerry, bake it! >> we're going to see. >> everybody needs a jerry at home. >> jerry's running. >> get it in the microwave. go! >> he's going to pop it in the microwave. where is the microwave? >> it's way, way, way, way back there. >> what is back there? >> oh, my gosh. >> you know what's back there? jimmy hoffa's body is back there. >> okay. go, go, go. >> okay. >> he's stirring t. >> now one minute. >> okay. >> and take it from -- >> also in the package comes the rest of your party. it's a little blowy thing like this. >> see! >> i doubt i can do that anymore. >> sprinkles for you, a little balloon and a single candle. just one. that's all you need. isn't that a cute little idea? >> we are cutting back here at nbc. >> all right. one more test. >> thank you my darling friend. >> 34 seconds on the cake.

>> jerry's ready. he's going to come running back. >> in the meantime we can talk about how difficult it is sometimes at big parties to keep track of your own beer. so they have the perfect thing now. instead of one that has your name on it, you just at the beginning of the night pick a slogan. or bombed. or pickled. or -- >> and you put it on your beer. >> then nobody can pick up your beer. >> let's check in with jerry. 5, 4, 3, 2 -- bring that cake over here. >> come on, jerry! >> come on, jerry. >> don't burn yourself. >> careful, careful. go, go, go. >> look at that. >> more music. keep the music going. it's good. ♪ >> it adds some tension. >> okay. jerry, jerry! >> come on, jerry. >> now you've got to come on. >> a little icing thing here. >> jerry, right here. i've got icing right here. >> thank you very much, jer.

>> oh, don't burn yourself. >> okay. >> hold on, i'm icing the cake, if you don't mind, your birthday cake. >> oh, my gosh. honestly >> this is -- >> really, it's a gift. >> i know i shouldn't look a gift cow pattie in the eye. >> there's your party. >> it's kathie lee's birthday. >> one more, jerry. >> much better than right now. come on. >> nothing's better than right now. oh, hoda, only if al roker were here with us. that would make it perfect. >> pretend like it's lit, like us. >> let her go, jerry. >> happy birthday, kath. >> thank you. my god. you spared no expense. >> we went wild. >> you did give me everything i love the most in the word, banana grams. you've got to love the banana grams. >> yes. >> and i'm going to give one of these to you so you can give them to yr mom. >> a gift on your birthday.

>> if you need something to do on a rainy day with your kids, they've got to be able to spell, hopefully they can read, play banana grams. obviously i love this game. >> what's it like? >> it's like scrabble. but it's individual. my friends turned us onto it. some of the most fun nights we have ever had as families is playing banana grams. it's really, really good for your brain. which at this point i've killed a few brain cells. >> we've got ice cream for you, too. by cold stone. >> this is available for anybody to get if they want to for a birthday party. >> it's kind of a cute idea. >> you put all the different ice cream cones in and all the kids or grown-ups go and pick one out. this is the first tower ever, by the way, by cold stone. >> ever. can i take that baby home? >> if it can make it. >> it's -- >> oh, yeah, you told me about that. >> and bill o'reilly -- >> you told me you're having quite the -- >> i'm having left, right, middle, everything. i'm a great american. >> you are. >> i am bringing people together. >> i am.

i'm going to wear my banana gram hat. no i'm not, my hair looks good today. i'm not stupid. >> if you want to have -- i thought this was a good ad. jet blue is doing this deal where they are paying if you pay $599, you can go anywhere jetblue goes for an entire month. okay. so that's -- if you think about it that's $600. a ticket costs roughly, i know, $300. >> is that going to pay your hotel, too? >> no, just your flight. but in a month you can take as many flights -- >> as many as you want? you didn't make that clear, hoda woman. >> what are you talking about? >> sometimes you can get it much cheaper -- >> no, you can go anywhere you want between september 8th and october 8th. >> which is a slow time after the holidays. i think it's a great deal. >> i think that's an awesome deal. >> you can go to 56 cities. >> i like jetblue. i like their entrepreneurial spirit. >> and i like the tvs. >> yes, i know you do. >> yes, and there's also something you can do. you can go camping. >> where? >> did we look up that one? the camping thing. in san diego.

at this great resort. usually is pretty pricey. they've found, they've taken the stuff out of the room >> right. >> and you can come and you can camp in one of their rooms, and they'll give you a tent or you bring your own tent? i don't know. >> they have a tent. >> there it is. there's a tent in the room. and how much is it, tammy? >> $19. >> $19. >> so they give you is like some furniture. >> you can use the spa facilities and the golf. >> and you sleep in the tent. it's a gimmick. but it's good. >> it's called the book to pass by august 21st. >> that's interesting. >> some other things you need to know. >> go to klgandhoda.com. we don't know. obviously. and did you see ann's interview. >> with brad pitt. >> of course you did. you've been working since 7:00 this morning. this is brad pitt for mayor. i guess it's sort of a groundswell. he is actually putting his mouth, you know -- his money where his mouth is and really making a difference down there. >> but he sort of made a joke

out of running for mayor of new orleans. ann interviewed him, so let's listen to this answer. >> have you seen the t-shirts? >> yeah, i've seen the t-shirts. >> i'm looking at this here, and it's pretty good. it's got a -- here's a -- it's a nice rendering of you, i think. >> okay. >> right. would you run? would you serve? >> yes. i'm running on the gay marriage, no religion, legalization and taxation on marijuana platform. >> he'll be in like that. >> he'll be mayor. >> it really is the question, is that a yes or no? and he said i've already told you. he's making a joke and trying to be funny. >> here's the thing we talked about yesterday about eunice kennedy shriver, she never had to go into political office to make one of the most enormous differences in the world by just keeping her -- her focus on one group of individuals that truly, truly had been mistreated, misunderstood. sort of forever.

>> yeah. >> and she changed literally the world for millions and millions of people. >> sometimes you have to do it outside of the political process. >> i think he's doing it outside of the political process. we're going to go to her funeral tomorrow. i hope i can get through it. because there will be so many people there making unbelievable toasts about this woman and her life and her legacy. >> at the end of your life you wonder what you did. when you look at her life, it's so admirable. you always wonder at the end of my life, what will i have left behind? >> yeah. >> and i can't believe in addition to an incredible family and the rest. >> all righty. >> something you need, it's called -- maybe you don't. but i could use it. it's called viagra-like ice cream. i don't know what the name of it is. >> what's it called? >> of course it's called -- >> it's a very posh ice cream shop that offers viagra-like ice cream. it will open in london.

an ice cream cocktail called sex pistol, which i don't like. they liken it to a dose of viagra in a frosty glass. i was asked to bring it up because we're trying to keep the public informed. you might go to london. the chilled treat contains ingredients -- speaking of libidos that pump, sara, what's going on? >> well, first of all we have to remember to remind everyone of curtis girls' night in. >> i keep mentioning that. >> i live curtis. go to klgandhoda.com. then i asked people to do birthday wishes that rhymed for you. to kathie lee may your glass never be empty. a birthday rhyme for kathie lee, i still can't see your wrinkles on hgtv. >> you won't see them in person, either, baby. >> michelle wrote in your face never droops and your back never stoop and may you always be able to control your inner betty

boop. >> i thought it was going to be poop. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> thank you everybody. >> oh, my gosh, it's going to be one of those. >> here we go. >> we have the kardashian girls. they've got big news. >> something they're going to talk about. >> you don't want to miss this.

welcome to miami. we're finally a business owner in miami. this is so exciting. >> hello! this is like mine and courtney's shindig, not really yours. >> you're up for owner. >> you're just here for the store opening. >> that's enough of kim. those are the kardashian sisters, stars of the hit reality show "keeping up with the kardashians" and they are starring in a new tv show. >> we just can't get enough of

them. >> this time courtney and claire are leaving the nest. took the keachs of miami. as you can see, drama is sure to follow. >> hi, girls. welcome. >> hey. >> happy birthday. >> thank you. >> happy soon-to-be birthday. you had to upstage me. >> upstage poor khloe, who gets her own cover. >> we were all prepped to do the interview mainly, i have to say about you, and you stole the thunder. explain to us why the thunder has been stolen. >> because i'm pregnant. and you see like every -- it all happened in miami. we were going to miami -- >> we know how it happened. >> but we were going to like do these crazy single girls, and have this experience, and it turns into like something so unexpected. >> now you didn' want to announce it until the show started, right? >> yeah. >> and it was -- it came out. >> it happened while we were on an airplane yesterday. >> oh. >> we got off the plane, i had about 75 ie-mails.

>> we wanted to give me my thunder. >> kourtney, how old are you? are you dating somebody? >> i'm 30. and i'm expecting in december. >> yes. >> that soon? >> yes. >> what? >> we've been hiding it for a long time. >> really? >> her mother kris is one of my dear, dear friends. and i called her this morning and said, hello grandma. she said if you ever call me that again. but she's waited a long time. >> we call her k.j. because my mom's mom is m.j. >> she won't let us call her grandma. >> she said if you ever, ever. let's go back to khloe. >> you had a great run on "the apprentice." >> yeah. >> then kim came out with a great exercise video. >> yeah. >> helped you lose 20 pounds in four weeks. is that true? >> well, it wasn't four -- it was probably like what six, seven weeks. >> and khloe jump-started it with what, was it? >> jump rope. >> that always worked for me.

>> i want to lose five more pounds. i'm looking for someone to lick me if they have a cold because i want to get sick. >> so wait, how did you -- >> how did you lose the 20? >> well, i actually -- i just started working out really hard. i also was -- >> you never liked the exercise stuff. >> no, but finally it was just like a way of life. i just sort of changing. i love to eat. so i don't -- i didn't change my diet that much but i did a program my mom introduced me to called quick trim. which is four different programs. if you just take it you burn 8,000 more calories a month. just by taking it without working out. >> is it a pill? >> it's a pill. but it's natural, now kim and i are endorsing it because kim took her -- she did the cellulite treatment, got rid of her cellulite. and we're two totally different body types. and different products worked for us. i still want to try the other systems of it. i still want to lose some more weight. but it definitely is not just that i was working out. i'm still working out. >> how much weight do you want to lose? because you look great.

you don't need to lose anymore. >> i just want to tone up. i'm not someone that weighs myself. the numbers would kill me. i just go off how i feel in my clothes. >> her body is rock hard. she doesn't need to tone up. her booty is like -- >> that's such a compliment. >> if you slap it like it doesn't jiggle. >> all right, stand up. >> i like the juggle. >> i'm going to slap id. >> it jiggles a little. >> barely. >> not much, though. >> how about the 56-year-old. not a bit. that's because of spanks, i'm sorry. >> you gained ten? >> are you excited and happy about the upcoming baby? >> i'm so excited. >> you're not saying who the daddy is? >> no, i'll say. >> you will? >> if you want. >> no, i don't think you're supposed to. your mother said not to say. >> aunt kathie is looking out for you. >> what a freak. >> if you want to say -- >> she's 30 years old. >> why do we care? >> it's scott, my ex-boyfriend. >> all right. >> who is now my boyfriend.

>> he's now back to your boyfriend? you guys talked about the title already. >> obviously. >> you're obviously thrilled about it. how is scott? >> he's very excited. he was actually like -- when i found out i was so shocked i didn't know what to do. i was so confused. >> didn't we go through this once, though, on the show? >> yes. but i didn't really think i was. like i don't know. but this time it was such a difference, i knew it. but he was so for it, and so excited from the beginning. and we'r really happy . >> any marriage plans? >> we'll see. >> we'll see. >> well, we have a little gift for you. >> yes, we do. >> jerry is a very busy guy today. he baked a cake. >> this is for you. >> these are our favorites. these are our favorites. >> they are? >> yes. >> okay, this one says -- >> this is so cute. >>re these people really my relatives? >> oh, that we need for my family. >> this is for your mom. grandma loves me. >> we have these at smooch. >> you do? >> we do. >> this is a cd?

>> in the family. >> when they were little they went to bed with those. that's how long that thing's been around, practically. >> kourtney and khloe, good luck with your show. we love you so much >> all right. >> best of luck. take care of yourself. >> i'm taking care of her. she doesn't get -- >> so the new series kicks off sunday night on the e! channel. still to come, louis and jill plucked them from the plaza. now they're getting ready to show you the results of their "ambush makeovers."

and still to come the birthday surprises just keep coming for our own miss kathie .fe giffo >> and today's lucky ladies reveal the results of their "ambush makeover."

it's been a troubling few months for metro with increasing incidents on the rails. the head of the transit agency is under fire and some are calling for his resignation. it's that time of year. football fans are gearing up for the games. wooesh we're live as the region gets ready for the preseason game. and what tom says about the chance of storms in our weekend forecast. join us for news 4 at midday.

we're back with more of "today" on this thursday. you know what that means. it is the plaza "ambh makeover" date. >> as always our crack makeover team scanned the crowd early this morning for two deserving ladies. now ivillage contributor and stylist to the stars louis licari and fashion expert and "us weekly" contributor jill martin are ready to show us the results. >> as usual you found two great ladies. >> they almost found us. we found two ladies so interested to be made over, we really had no choice. >> they had their way with you. >> just loved it. >> we had no choice today. >> let's meet the first lucky lady, shall w >> her name is maria, she is 69 years old and she is from kansas.

she was born in greece. she moved to canada when she was 31 years old. she's been married to harry for over 20 years. she has three daughters and six grandchildren. she dyes her own hair with a home coloring kit and the only time she ever does anything to pamper herself is when your daughter forces her to. now her 70th birthday is coming up and she wanted a new look. so let's listen to what she had to say. >> you are doing the we've got picked dance. this is your third time here. >> yes. >> why do you want her to have a big makeover? >> because she's hitting the big 70. we wanted her to look hot, cool and not like a grandma. she's a wonderful woman, best friend and a wonderful mom. >> oh. >> i love her. >> i know you're crying now but we're going to take good care of you. are you ready to go? >> yes! >> maria is so ready. >> her family is ready to with the ping and red blindfolds off. >> the little one. >> no, he doesn't want it. >> okay, you don't have to have it. you get what you want,

sweetheart. >> the one who wears the diapers is the boss. >> keep your blindfolds on until i give you the cue. here is maria before. let's see the new you. >> whoo! >> come here, maria. come on. stay right there. stand there. are you ready, guys? take off your blindfolds. >> oh, my gosh. >> mom, are you ready? >> you've got lipstick on your teeth. we need her all perfect. >> so amazing. >> pretty amazing. >> you look so good. >> do you love it? >> i love it. >> she loved it. >> i love it. >> tell us what you think. hold that mike up. >> you look gorgeous. >> thank you. >> you look so -- >> oh, beautiful. beautiful. tell us about the hair. >> maria has sallow skin. she has yellow highlights in her

hair. i don't know if it was from the gray, but i god rid of it, made her skin color come alive. we gave her a layered cut, more of a bob. and that coral lip, again, softens the sallow quality of her skin. >> louis is crying, too. >> can you believe it? >> she's so beautiful. >> wipe your teeth a little bit with your kleenex. >> it looks great on your lips but not on the teeth. >> i mean 70 years old. she looks fantastic. >> amazing. >> needed some basics for her wardrobe. so the jacket is from while house black market. >> that's right. >> i love white house black market. i'm in. i'm with you. >> it's fantastic. >> you look so good. >> are you guys happy? >> a winner. >> go right over there. >> that's so sweet. now the second lady is tammy hartford, 50 from chesterton, indiana. she's been married to her husband dave for almost 27 y cc lysisiex .shsh an excluvely. sheand h hussh hth workaswo

registered nurses and their daughter is in school to become a nurse.yenshe recenyhe turned town celebrating withh her family. before she left for new york she tried to change her image and it turned out just horrible, she says. so she was desperate to be ambushed. let's hear her story. >> well, you stopped yelling for a second, so that's a good sign. i kow you're so excited. why do you want this so badly? >> this is my dream. it was my dream to come to new york, and then to top it off we're going home tonight with a makeover. this is just awesome. >> i know you want this for your mom. >> yes, she's always taken care of other people, she's a nurse, and she always puts other people before herself. so i think she really deserves it. someone who can doomething nice for her for once. >> you ready for a new wife? >> yes, i'm ready for a new wife. >> well, not totally new but we are going to make you look fabulous. look at those tears. are you ready? >> i'm ready. >> she's adorable. and she's here with her husband and two kids. let's take a look at tammy before. and bring out the brand-new

tammy. >> oh, my gosh! >> okay. >> don't look in the mirror. >> family, take them off. >> buckle up. >> oh, my gosh. >> oh, my gosh! >> woi. >> tammy look at yourself, darling. >> oh, my gosh! >> that is crazy. >> oh, my gosh! >> who is this woman you have been hiding under all of that before? >> wow! >> all of that. >> oh, my gosh. >> oh, my gosh. >> her hair. >> now tammy obviously a beautiful woman to begin with. shead grays and covered them. what i said is, brighten her, lighten her. i wanted her to make sure the highlights were gold, not delicate, with bold strokes of color. lena give her a layered haircut. >> and the outfit is adorable. >> the little black dress. and look at this body. >> oh, my gosh. >> nicole miller available at macy's. >> both ladies, thank you so

much. >> thank you, jill, louis. >> home runs. >> complete home runs. >> home runs. home runs. >> you're officially ambushed by the "today" show. up next i guess i'm getting a little surprise. medication to lower your bad cholesterol but your good cholesterol and triglycerides are still out of line? then you may not be seeing the whole picture. ask your doctor about trilipix. statin to lower bad cholesterol, along with diet, adding trilipix can lower fatty triglycerides and raise good cholesterol to help improve all three cholesterol numbers. trilipix has not been shown to prevent heart attacks or stroke more than a statin alone. trilipix is not for everyone, including people with liver, gallbladder, or severe kidney disease, or nursing women. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take and if you are pregnant or may become pregnant. blood tests are needed before and during treatment to check for liver problems. contact your doctor if you develop unexplained muscle pain or weakness, as this can be a sign of a rare

but serious side effect. this risk may be increased when trilipix is used with a statin. if you cannot afford your medication, call 1-866-4-trilipix for more information. trilipix. there's more to cholesterol. get the picture. waking up to breakfast delicious. now, we're making it more affordable. with five one-dollar-off coupons... in specially marked boxes of cereal. wake up to breakfast... on kellogg's. the best to you each morning. into an incredibly strong,.. healthy cat.he has blossomed... his coat is incredibly shiny and soft and very thick. everybody thinks he's the most handsome cat they've ever seen. [ woman announcing ] purina one for indoor cats... unlocks the brilliance of nature... with a natural fiber blend that helps minimize hairballs... and maintain a healthy weight. [ laurie ] he's a character. he brings so much laughter into this household. and he's the best-lookin' cat there is. [ announcer ] it's amazing what one can do.

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watch tough stains disappear right before your eyes with clorox 2 stain fighter and color booster. see for yourself lose the stains. keep the color. > "today's kitchen" is brougt to you by new dove deep moisture body wash, with nutrium moisture. >> all right, we are back in "today's kitchen," and we are

getting saucy with a few surprise guests. and they are here to surprise miss kathie lee gifford who has already kind of figured it out. >> i saw mashed potatoes, corn, spinach and rice puden and said it's got to be mary's restaurant. >> you know kathie lee's favorite restaurant of all time is mary's. we decided to bring in the a-team. this is jimmy, and chef michael. >> whoo! >> oh, jimmy. >> jimmy. how are you? >> you know what's so funny, i'm having this dinner party tonight at our house and i said to jimmy the other day, can i just take your lamb chops because there's like no lamb chops in the world, i'll buy them from you like this, you put the seasoning on and frank will grill them. >> that's right. >> i love jimmy. >> what makes your lamb chops unique, jimmy? >> first of all, they're american. >> they're american. >> and that's -- >> and so are you, my irish friend. >> i love it. michael is a big man. >> come on in, mike. >> if you want the greatest

home-cooked meal you'll ever eat. >> so what are we doing? you've got the lamb chops. >> you cut the rack. >> that's what he said. >> mike, where are you from? >> i some from greece. >> i knew that. i just wanted you to tell hoda. >> oh, i see how you're doing. >> you don't cut each individual one. >> no we do it double. >> what are we putting on there? >> salt and pepper? >> that's it? >> that's it. >> and a little -- >> just salt and pepper? >> and then when i put them in the oven, we put lemon juice. >> okay. >> okay. >> and how long do you cook them? you guys are the most -- >> i just love the taste of the lamb. >> is it about picking the right rack of lamb? >> you've got to have a great rack, i'm sorry. >> this is an american rack. >> an american rack. good american rack.

american lemon, i should say. >> thank you, mike. at least someone is holding on. >> squeeze some of that? >> and you brought all my favorite condiments. oh, my gosh. >> so it's just lemon? >> hoda, come taste. you're not going to believe it. how delicious they are. >> put it in the oven? >> you bake them, mike, for how long? >> for eight to ten minutes >> tt's it? >> here's the thing. the best thing in t world, when you brake them apart and eat them from the bone. hoda, try this. >> i will. >> tell me what you think. there's nothing like it in the whole world. >> oh, my gosh. >> unbelievable. >> and what's this? >> spinach. >> oh, that. >> oh, my gosh. >> this is so funny. i was going to go to lunch there today, too, with my friend dee. and now three times i'm eating at neary's today. that's the best birthday in the whole world. >> how long do you put the spinach to saute? >> about three to four minutes. >> hon a, i'm going to be eating

it all day long. jimmy, i love you. >> you want to talk about the rest? >> tell us about the dessert. >> rice pudding. >> tell us. >> tell us about that. >> that rice pudding. >> the rice pudding, i put it rice, i boil it with the milk. >> yep. >> and i finish it when you start picking it up, vanilla extra, and i put it. >> mike, thank you. >> jimmy, thank you. >> 57th street. >> this is kathie lee's favorite meal. >> oh, thank you, my dear friend. thank you, my darling. >> thank you, jimmy. >> happy birthday, kath. we have more surprises. more surprises for kathie lee coming up.

the toyota concert series on today, brought to you by toyota. toyota, moving forward. >> all right. he is a man of many, many, many talents. he fills kathie lee's home with music. >> bob -- >> he is here to sing god gave

us a son. his name is robert mathis. >> oh, my gosh, i'm so excited. >> hello, my darling. i love you. i love you, i love you. yes, yes, yes. oh, my gosh. i'm so excited. please. ♪ ♪ i was standing on the shoreline ♪ ♪ between heaven and the sea ♪ ♪ an ocean full of sorrows all but consuming me ♪ ♪ i was weak i was wounded ♪ ♪ i was too tired

to even pray ♪ ♪ always running away rushing ♪ ♪ to beat the break of day oh, but then god gave me a sunrise ♪ ♪ and the eyes to see its light god gave me a sunrise ♪ ♪ at the end of my darkest night ♪ ♪ and that shining brightness like a prophet's mournful cry ♪ ♪ cried what you think won't fill you up is nothing but a lie ♪ ♪ hallelujah god gave me a sunrise ♪ ♪ sun rise

♪ i was standing in the shadows ♪ ♪ between desire and despair ♪ ♪ and a voice just seemed to whisper you know no one's gonna care ♪ ♪ i could fly i could fall down ♪ ♪ i could chase the wind until the day i die ♪ ♪ oh, from these waves of dperation ♪ ♪ a morning sky ♪ and god gave me a sunrise

and the eyes to see its light ♪ ♪ god gave me a sunrise at the end of my darkest night ♪ ♪ and that shining brightness like a prophet's mournful cry ♪ ♪ cried what you think will fill you up will only leave you dry ♪ ♪ hallelujah hallelujah ♪ ♪ hallelujah god gave me a sunrise ♪ ♪ a sunrise >> oh. >> now that's a song. >> that's a song. >> happy birthday.

>> lamb chops and rob. i'm the luckiest woman in the world. i love you my friend. i want to come over tonight for lamb chops? >> sure. >> we'll see you there. >> you were terrific. >> how's your career going? >> well, i'm excited with this year. i got to musically direct the obama concert at the lincoln memorial. and i'm just about to start this betty lyvette record. >> you've been working on that. >> she was at the obama concert. >> she killed everybody at the kennedy center honors singing the who song. we start that next week. >> you need to put out your music of colors of light, whatever it's called. >> oh -- >> when did you do that, like 2001 or something? >> ten years ago. >> you just gave it to me. i listened to both cds every day, sitting there and watching -- and so i said, well i gave mine away, right? to my girlfriend and the next thing you know, i found out that you cannot get them. so i went on ebay and got how many, christine? ten? >> you found them. >> you've got to re-release that and that's going to be my life's

work. >> we've got another surprise for you. stick around for the next surprise. >> we'll be right back.

all right, this would not be a party without a cake, and some fun people, so i think it is time to bring out our next surprise, not only do we have a cake for you -- >> cody! >> with cody pushing it! we also have -- >> and next we have cassidy gifford bringing out crabs from your favorite crab place. >> oh, my gosh! >> hold on. >> and wait, there's more. >> oh, my baby, thank you. >> happy birthday. >> hi, cody. >> hi, darling. >> thank you, my son.

>> and here comes frank gifford with the fire extinguisher. 56 candles. >> hi, kath! >> oh. >> exciting. >> oh, yes. >> thank you, sweetheart. >> oh, my gosh. >> yes, yes, yes. >> you guys, thank you so much. >> we have a glass of chardonnay for you. a couple of glasses. >> that might be enough. i'm not sure. >> ready to blow out the candles. i need my kids to help me with this. i need your help, too. ready? >> one, two, three -- >> you got it. >> all righty. ! >> here's to kathie lee gifford. happy birthday!