good morning. mixed message? the only man ever convicted in the bombing of pan am flight 103 that killed 270, including 189 americans, set to go free today. should a killer be released in the midst of a global war on terror? this morning we'll talk to some outraged family members of his victims. another dose. more severe weather stretches across much of the midwest producing tornadoes, hail and heavy rains. out in the atlantic, hurricane bill weakens slightly to a category 3, but forecasters say it could pick up steam again today. a letter from the senator. in a nod to his failing health, massachusetts senator ted

kennedy sends a poignant letter to lawmakers in his home state and he's asking for a succession plan "today," thursday, august and he's asking for a succession plan "today," thursday, august 20, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning. welcome to "today" on a thursday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> in for meredith this morning, i'm ann curry. good morning, everybody. for years now we have been engaged in this global war on terror and at this time now we are about to witness one of the famous terrorists of all time about to go free. >> that's right. on a compassionate release. imagine how you'd feel right now if you had a loved one on pan am flight 103 and you found out the only person ever convicted in their death was about to be let out of prison because he's in failing health. it is hard to believe for a lot of people. we'll get the latest in a live

report and talk to two people who lost family members on that horrific day back in 1988. also ahead this morning, the first interview with the boyfriend of a georgia mother missing for more than a week. douglas davis was actually talking with her on the phone and he says that he heard her scream "don't take me" before the phone went dead. this morning he joins us exclusively in our studio for his first interview on the matter. on a much, much lighter note, talk about a talker? on wednesday we asked people to logon to todayshow.com to voice their opinions about michelle obama's decision to wear shorts as she got off air force one on a recent family vacation. the response to this question, was it appropriate or inappropriate, was overwhelming. one of our largest ever. we'll tell you the results a little later on. but let us begin with the severe weather in the midwest. hurricane bill still out in the atlantic. al's over at nbc's global weather headquarters. al, good morning to you. >> this is where we do "wake up with al" every morning at 6:00

on the weather channel. we have our "wake up with al" wall. it has great technology. in the midwest, another line of thunderstorms. after over 20 tornadoes touched down yesterday from minnesota over into the midwest, looking at another line of strong storms, oklahoma city all the way up to milwaukee and we look for more of these storms to fire up, could be looking at tornadoes again today somewhere between illinois, on into parts of missouri and on into arkansas. now of course, we're also watching the latest on hurricane bill. right now 125-mile-per-hour winds, category 3 storm, is moving northwest at about 18 miles per hour. as it does, it's 325 miles east-northeast of the leeward islands. currently about 350 -- 790 miles south-southeast of bermuda. as this system makes its way through the area, we are going to be looking at a lot of strong storms and we've got more heat building up. we're looking at hurricane bill causing a lot of rip tides ang

the coast. we'll look at that a little bit later. ann? >> al, thanks. now to massachusetts senator ted kennedy looking to the future as he battles cancer. nbc news has learned he has now sent a letter to massachusetts lawmakers asking for a succession plan to be put in place. nbc's anne thompson is near the kennedy compound on cape cod this morning. ann, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. that letter to massachusetts governor duvall patrick and leaders in the house and senate was sent from senator kennedy at his home in hyannisport. he's spent most of his time here since being diagnosed with malignant brain tumor in 2008. it asks for an amendment law if the senator resigns or passes away. under the current law there would be a special election that would occur five months after a resignation or a death.

senator kennedy is asking that the law be amended to allow the governor to appoint someone to hold that senate seat until a special election is held, and in the letter he writes to governor patrick, and the state leaders, "i am now writing to you about an issue that concerns me deeply. the continuity of representation for massachusetts should a senate vacancy occur." what he does not say in the letter is that, clearly, on his mind is the issue of health care. it has been the issue of senator kennedy's career and should an issue -- and should a vote come in the sate on health care reform, and senator kennedy was not able to cast that vote and no special election suld be held, massachusetts would only have one vote on that issue. at the end of the letter, senator kennedy talks about his service to the people of massachusetts and what it has meant to be a senator to him. he does not reference his illness but he says serving the people of massachusetts in the

united states senate has been, and still is, "the hononor ofof myy pubublicc life."ublic aides close to the senator say that this letter does not mean that any change in his health is imminent, it is just something that has been on his mind. >> still, it obviously says that at a time when he's got so much to deal with he's actually also still thinking about the future for massachusetts and for this country. anne thompson, thank you so much for your reporting. 7:06. here's matt. to another very big story. this morning's expected release of the only man ever convicted in the deadly bombing of pan am flight 103. 270 people, including 189 americans, died in that attack. just ahead, we'll speak to the furious mother and brother of two of those victims. but first, nbc's dawna friesen is outside the prison in scotland. dawna, good morning. >> reporter: yes, the scottish government is expected to make the oicial announcement within the next hour or so that convicted mass murderer abdel bassett al megrahi will be

released from this scottish prison and be allowed to fly home to libya to die. it is a decision that has outraged many of the families of the american victims of the lockerbie bombing. he is the man convicted of britain's worst terrorist atrocity. abdel bassett al megrahi from libya has been serving a life sentence in this scottish jail for the mass murder of 270 people killed when pan am flight 103 blew up over lockerbie, scotland in 1988. soon it is expected he'll be a free man. megrahi, now age 57, has terminal prostate cancer and libya asked he be released on compassionate grounds. it's caused outrage especially among families of the 180 americans who died. >> i'm afraid i don't have much compassion for mr. megrahi. i have a lot of compassion for my dead daughter whom i loved and grieve for every single day of my life. >> it was a cold-blooded murder and the families have had to

live with it for 20-some years. >> reporter: seven u.s. senators, including ted kennedy, wrote to scotland's justice secretary demanding megrahi be kept in jail. even the secretary of state, hillary clinton, spoke out. >> i just think it is absolutely wrong to release someone who has been in prison based on the evidence about his involvement in such a horrendous crime. >> reporter: but megrahi's legal team argues he has less than three months to live. >> his absolute priority is in the little time he has left to spend it with his family. >> reporter: megrahi has always maintained he's innocent and many of the families of british victims believe him, think he was a scapegoat, that the real sty of what brought down pan am flight 103 has never emerged. jim swyer's daughter was killed on the flight. >> i'm sure the sooner he goes back to his family the better

because only has week or months to live. >> reporter: underlying it all, politics. britain's prime minister met with the country's leader moammar gadhafi in july leading some to suggest it was politically expedient to let megrahi go home. now it's understood that once the official announcement is made, megrahi will leave this prison, go to the airport and board a private jet that libya leader moammar gadhafi has sent here to pick him up. few libyans believe that megrahi is guilty and it is expected that he'll be greeted in his home country as a hero. >> dawna friesen in scotland this morning, thank you. good morning to both of you. i was watching your faces as you were watching that report and it's hard for me to imagine what you're thinking as you see this unfolding. >> it's absolutely horrendous that we are going through this

20-odd-years later, that the man who murdered our loved ones is about to walk out of jail and go back to his homeland. you know, it doesn't make any sense to me in any rational human being would understand that how do you do that? how do you just let him go when he has murdered 270 innocent people. >> this term, "compassionate release," all these years is it possible for you to feel any compassion toward this man? >> no. he got his compassion released when he got life imprisonment and not capital punishment. this morning it finally hit me -- our loved ones were guilty for being on that plane. the families have been guilty for pressuring our government do seek the truth and find justice. we had to force our government to have an independent investigation of pan am 103. we had to force our government to do the aviation security act of 1990. we had to force our government to get these two to trial. we had to force our government to get them convicted and watch

president bush 43 commend gadhafi and president obama shake gadhafi's hand. this is an unbelievable, surreal ride. >> what message does it send? he went to prison in 2001. so in effect, he will have served eight years for killing 270 people. >> state-sponsored terrorism wins, because in this particular case, true justice was he would finish his natural life in confinement, send his body back to libya for appropriate burial. >> let me play devil's advocate. people out there are saying, you know what? he's going to die in the next several months, what does it matter if he dies in a prison cell or if he dies in his home. >> well, the interesting thing is that the families have not had any confirmation from an outside source of his illness and how -- >> you're skeptical of this? >> well, my husband had prostate cancer ten years ago and he's alive and kicking and in the green room right now off the set. so i mean -- yes, i'm a little

cynical about it. the most important thing is that, regardless of -- i mean i certainly think he should be under hospital care and be given medical treatment -- >> you're not asking for him to suffer in a prison cell. >> absolutely not. i think he should be treated -- scotland has the best health care in the world, one of the world's best health care plans so i don't understand why there is the big push to send him back to libya. i believe his family is in scotland. >> the other thing, too, matt, when i heard in the introduction, he wants to go back or they want him back to be surrounded by his family. we didn't have that opportunity. the only way we could have surrounded our loved ones was to be up in parachutes at 31,000 feet. the whole thing is insane and ludicrous and the message we are sending is state machine sponsored terrorism is winning, because eventually the united states or united kingdom will give in. >> burt and kathleen, our thanks to you for being here today. i know this can't be easy.

126r789s minut now to today's elections in afghanistan. militant attacks on a number of polling sites appear to be having an impact on voter turnout. nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel is in the capital city of kabul this morning. richard, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. turnout was mixed across the country but taliban threats and attacks today did seem to frighten away many potential voters. more than a dozen taliban roets today exploded near polling centers in southern afghanistan. as a man was being interviewed, more rockets fell. see, another one just landed, he said. the attacks, and three small bombings in kabul this morning, had a chilling effect. in kabul, voters just trickled in to schools and mosques to cast ballots and dip their fingers in ink. men on one side, women in segregated areas.

shops were closed, today is a national holiday. forecasting his ballot this morning, we met 35-year-old nebi, a day laborer with his wife and three children. in his one room home in kabul, he told us he wants to vote so his children can receive an education. "i'm voting for a better future," he said. but when he arrived at center, he was the only one voting. turnout was low across kabul. this is one of the main voting centers in downtown kabul but day there's hardly anyone here. in elections five years ago, there were lines out the door at this voting center. today, no crowds at all. threats of violence from the taliban seem to have kept many people away. today the taliban vowed to hunt down those who voted. if we find anyone with ink on their fingers, we will cut it off, said this taliban commander. >> if it's between being killed and not being killed, i don't know, i think i might not come out. >> reporter: buts they cast

ballots today, the leading presidential candidates called on afghans to defy the threat. >> i ask people to come out and vote so that through their vote afghanistan can be a more secure, more peaceful, and a better country. >> reporter: and millions did. with long lines in the relatively peaceful north and west, preliminary results are expected on saturday. there have been some complaints of voter irregularities, problems with ink and equipment. but so far, the biggest problem seems to have been the low voter turnout. >> richard engel this morning, thank you. let us get a check of the morning's top stories. you're sitting here. that means natalie aat the news desk. natalie, good morning. good morning, everyone. we beginith the cia and word of a secret program that used outside security contractors to help locate and assassinate top al qaeda figures. the spy agency spent millions to

hire executives from blackwater usa in 2004 to help with planning, training and surveillance. no terrorists were captured or killed under the program which has since beencanceled. at least two people were killed when a blackhawk helicopter from ft. campbell crashed into colorado's mount massive on wednesday. one person was hospitalized and another is missing. the irs says its pursuit of tax evaders will not stop at swiss banking giant ubs. on wednesday ubs agreed to turn over the names of more than 4,000 american account holde ee suspected by the u.s. of tax evasion. bill richardson says he's encouraged by his meeting with north korean diplomats. it offers a sign of diplomatic relations with pyongyang. the arrest of a black harvard professor sparking a national debate on race, the officer is now accused of racial bias before. in internal documents released wednesday, they show sergeant james crowley had two complaints

against hialleging racial discrimination. however, crowley was cleared in both cases. a 25-foot catamaran crashed ashore on new smyrna beach, florida, then broke apart in heavy surf. officials are trying to figure out how it got there. there was no one on board. 17 minutes past the hour. back over to matt, ann and al. >> i thought you tied the catamaran up. happy beirthday, mr. roker! >> double nickels. i feel like i've been beat up by some double nickels. dst's show you what's urpp oenyi unfortunatelur o friends in e midwest going to get beat up again today, from dallas to detroit, strong storms, isolated tornadoes. they're already firing up and we haven't even got to the heating of the day yet. rainfall amounts from two to three inches of rain in parts of central oklahoma, but the big good morning. we have the sweltering humidity in place at this hour. temperatures are in the 70s, now

75 in washington, partly to mostly cloudy now, highs today reaching the upper 80s and it will be partly sunny from time to time. a likelihood of passing afternoon thundershowers as well as early this evening. remaining humid tomorrow and saturday. could get afternoon thundershowers again tomorrow. partly sunny, near 90. the mid 80s on saturday. may be a morning shower or wea. . now to the latest on what landed rich hatch, the first survivor champion, back behind bars. his arrest came hours after he spoke out on "today" earlier this week. national correspondent amy robach has the latest on this. amy, what's going on? >> reporter: it is confusing. this was a mystery perhaps bigger than any we've seen on survivor. why did richard hatch get tossed back in jail? well, his attorney is now saying she knows the reason why.

richard hatch's big mouth helped him become america's first reality tv superstar, outwitting, outplaying and outlasting the other contestants to win $1 million on the first "survivor." but it looks like his mouth did him in as well. landing him back behind bars after a series of interviews this week. his first since he spent nearly four years in prison after he was convicted of not paying taxes on his winnings. while he was out on house arrest, hatch broke his silence tuesday on "today," an interview which had been cleared in advance with federal prison officials. he told matt he was the victim of discrimination because he's gay. >> what do you think happened? >> well, i know, without question, that there are personal issues involved for the prosecutor. i don't know why. the prosecutorial misconduct has been egregious. >> reporter: but the man who was the u.s. attorney overseeing the

case told us, the "survivor" star needs to drop the conspiracy theory. >> the case was structured around the fact that here was a guy who had received a check for $1 million on national television, and simply didn't pahis taxes. >> reporter: so what got hatch hauled back to prison? it wasn't that he talked. he just talk too much. his attorney now says it's all a big miscommunication. when she got the okay from prison officials for hatch to speak with matt, she thought interviews with the local nbc station and "access hollywood" were fine as well. >> i'm looking to see the creative solution, who actually has to suffer for this is rich. i just think it is a terrible outcome. >> reporter: we just spoke with richard hatch's sister, kristin. she said the hearing to determine his fate is set for tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. she also spoke with him last night. she says he is in solitary confinement 23 hou a day. he gets an hour to shower and make some phone calls. her impressions of how he's

doing, she says, he's holding up but he's still shocked at how this all went down. he still feels he did nothing wrong. matt? >> amy robach in newport, rhode island for us this morning, thank you very much. 20 minutes after the hour. now to the life and career of a legendary news man just lost. don hewitt was the creator and driving force behind "60 minutes." here's nbc's lester holt. >> reporter: it is one of the most successful programs in television history. the man behind it was don hewitt. >> never once did we do anything to attract a rating. ratings sought us. >> reporter: hewitt created "60 minutes" in 1968, from the beginning a mix of investigative pieces, profiles and big interviews. he ran the show for decades. assembling one of the best teams

in the business. >> everybody that works with me is smarter than i am. everybody that works for me is better read than i am. i think i got pretty good fingertips. you feel it. >> reporter: he got into journalism early, first in newspapers, then after world war ii, something new -- television. >> nobody that i knew of any importance at cbs radio would dane to be caught -- television was for howdy doody. >> reporter: cbs evening news with walter cronkite and the landmark first televised presidential debate between nixon and kennedy. but hewitt's greatest legacy remains "60 minutes," still going strong in its fifth decade, an unmatched achievement built on a simple premise -- >> the formula is simple. it's four words every kid in the

world knows. tell me a story. its that he easy. >> reporter: for "today," lester holt, nbc news, new york. >> he had passion. that's for sure. >> he was a giant. no question about it. and a good guy. our sympathies go to his family obviously. especially to his colleagues over at cbs. he spent so much years there and made an impression on so many people. he will be missed in this business. >> absolutely. >> i think his family can be really compensated by the fact that he was so successful, had such an impact on this profession and actually this country. >> a real legacy. back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

good morning. it's 7:26, i'm barbara harrison. in the news at this hour, a physician's assistant faces charges for allegedly touing patients inappropriately at a doctor's office. jorge sanchez turned himself in to police yesterday. investigators say the 49-year-old touched the victims as he treated them at the chantilly specialist office on park lawn court in chantilly. so far two alleged victims have come forward. delegates plan tonnenc ahe t t metro.o.trme to fund are wtro fn the study yee studyosld ct a cld costpa t.

lawmakers say a metro make akesfse dsan mi military jobs are moved to the fort belvoir area. stay with us.

good morning. here is your four-day forecast. hot and humid with a chance of passing afternoon thundershowers, more of the same on friday. could get a morning shower saturday or east of washington saturday afternoon. >> 270 southbound had an accident at the split. it's lootded up. germantown most of theay down. other than that we're okay, wilson bridge, bw parkway okay. >> thank you. tonight at 5:00 a summer comes

to a close there is time to save money when you fill her up. what you can do to pinch pen es at the pump.

morning, the 20th of august, 2009. we've got a nice crowd gathered outside on our plaza. another warm day but doesn't seem to be as bad as days past. we'll get outside and say hi to these nice people in just a couple of minutes. meanwhile, inside studio 1a, i'm matt lauer with ann curry. meredith taking some time off. in this half-hour, an exclusive interview with the boyfriend after missing georgia woman. >> douglas davis was speaking on the telephone with his

girlfriend kristi cornwell when she screamed "don't take me." we'll speak to him in a few moments. very scary times for him an his family. >> difficult times, no question about it. also ahead, the latest on the three young americans who are being detained in iran, backpacking when they allegedly wandered into iranian territory. now being accuseded of espionage. we'll speak with their mother whose are with us in the studio coming up. on a much lighter note, matt, apparently this thing started virally. then you took the raging debate on to our website, the debate over michelle obama's decision to wear shorts during a trip to the grand canyon. listen, people, nearly 300 tho people weighed in on our website. apparently a raging debate. but first let's begin with the latest on the apparent abduction of a georgia mother. michelle kosinski is in blarsville, georgia with more on this story. michelle, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. police just had to call off the ground search.

always a tough decision. this is a vast wilderness. you drive around past 1,000 little paths through these woods, you just think where could someone hide clues out here? anywhere. this is the kristi her family holds dear -- happy, as the new mom of a little boy web's now a teenager. devastated that his mother is somehow missing. this home video, photos, the website that her family has created, are all the more important to keep her case alive as investigators must call off the ground search through these endless mountains, in the searing heat, and the pouring rain. all leading nowhere. >> we're still searching for any information that anybody in the community might have or anywhere for that matter that might shed some light on this disappearance. >> reporter: investigators now with the help of the fbi have searched into three states, interviewing some 200 sex

offenders. the only clue these hills have given up is kristi cornwell's cell phone found in a yard about three miles from where she was apparently abducted. kristi had been out for an evening walk along the same country road wre she stayed with her parents, talking on that phone to her boyfriend in atlanta. he told police she s car car was approaching. he heard a struggle. her scream, and the words "don't take me." he is not considered a suspect. neither is anyone else close to kristi. the woman who devoted most of her life to public service as a probation officer, working in the prison, and as a drug counselor. one question is whether someone she had worked with in the past might have come after her on this dark, winding lane. >> it is very bizarre. we can't even -- in our wildest dreams we just can't even dream of anything this terrible. >> reporter: police say kristi's boyfriend called for help immediately. he's been extremely cooperative.

at this point they don't have a suspect. they don't know if this was random or not. the fbi's helping them profile and they will search. just when they get information that points them in some real direction. ann? >> michelle kosinski, thanks. christy corn bell's boyfriend douglas davis is with us exclusively. good morning. you just heard that theround search has been called off, investigators don't know whether this was random o are whether she was targeted. what are they telling you? what do you think happened to your girlfriend? >> i don't know. i know it was real. i know it's a tragic thing. i believe that the authorities are doing all they can do to find h andnd i'm so grateful for the hundreds of people that have helped to search for her. i believe that if we could just step up this search, that is those out there right now who knows the real truth of this story, who knows where she is, they'd just pick up the phone, make the call and let us bring

kristi home. >> you use the words "a tragic thing." >> well, it is tragedy. someone as precious as this woman, kristi loved life. she loved to laugh. and she really deserves to come home. she has an awesome family whom she loves dearly. she has a wonderful son and every son needs his mother. and i believe that this tragedy can come to a happy ending. believe she's still alive. >> why? >> just in my heart. she's a fighter. she has faith in the lord that is real. i believe that faith will sustain her and has sustained her up to this point. >> what did you hear on the phone? describe why you knew -- why you believe she was abducted. >> as you know, the authorities -- this is important to the case and what i'd like to relay is strictly the sense that i had for that evening. details i can't talk about. however, i know her voice. i know it well.

and the tone that gave me the fullest confidence that she was being abducted, she was afraid and i know for a fact that this is an abduction. >> she said earlier -- ts h w asreported -- that tre a car, a strange car in the vicinity, and then she said, according to your story, that she said "please don't take me." do you -- i know you don't want to give specifics of what was said, but is it fair to say that there is information that you were able to give investigators about that call that might have given them some clues? important clues that they're following now? >> again, because of the seriousness of the investigation, details of that matter should be deferred to the gbi. >> you were questioned by investigators. you've been -- you're not considered a suspect. >> right. >> but i need to ask you, do you know who would take kristi? >> i have no idea. >> or why. >> i have no idea. you know, our relationship was

just about us. we were looking to a future together. and in all our conversations, the many hours that we talked and shared of our lives, she never one time indicated that there was someone of her past that could do such a thing. >> she was a probation officer once. no discussion about some fear that that might come up to -- >> nothing other than when her son got of age and got a little older, she felt like that was just too strenuous of a job and to raise her s inhat world. so she was changing her career and moving on with her new life. she was going to college again to get a second degree and i just don't know of anything of that past. it was never discussed. >> you're remarkably composed, yet your eyesre wet and you're obviously struggling against your inner emotions. partially you've been reading this book while waiting for this interview for a reason. >> just a few days ago i went to get my mail after being away

for -- through this ordeal. kristi sent a gift to me. she said in her note to me, "i hope these devotions will be a blessing to you as they have been to me. with all my love, kristi, forever yours." >> she wrote that in the book? >> it was in a note that was attach attached, yes. i just sat and wept. i've done that so many times, because when you meet someone this precious, it may only come once in a lifetime and to see this tragedy occur, it's like someone took my heart and ripped it out. and i just had to rely on my faith, as she has had to do. kristi and i talked so much about a ministry -- i've been in ministry now most of my adult life and in that ministry we

help hurting people. and that's what i do. i talk to people that are hurting, that are needing salvation, that are needing to know who christ is, needing the lord, and kristi had that same goal, that same passion. and for me, to be faced with this, it was as if i went nowhere. it is testing my faith to the core. but i know god is real and i know he has protected her through all of this and is still doing so. >> what would be your words to kristi if she could hear you of her own aest faith. wh wld you say to minister to her now. >> sweetheart, hold on to your faith. you know the loved loves you with all his heart, he died for you and is willing to save you through this. we don't know how we come through these fires but he takes us through them. that much i know for a fact. all my experience in ministry, when we are in a fire like this, we want to get out. you know?

we want to run, find the door. but my holy father is there to see us through that fire. that's what i know she knows that. she's coming through that fire right now. he is her strength. scripture says in psalm 27:1 he's the lightnd her salvation, whom much she fear. he is her strength. i want to tell whoever is out there that knows anything, you're standing back and you're just don't want to participate because it's scary. and it is scary to step up and say, youn know, "i've seen something the night of this event." please, please, right do the ri thing. make that phone call. the greatest thing that we can do in life is to show mercy. it is the greatest power that humanity has is to show mercy. please, release her. let her go home to be with her family. >> let us tell people, douglas

davis, thank you so much. if you have any information, call the union county sheriff's tip line at 706-3835-2902. or you can also log kron to todayshow.com. we'll guide you how you can help. >> ann, there is a website kristicornwell.com and a reward fund set up. if you'd like to contribute, go to the website and it will tell you how to do just that. all this money will go to help maybe somebody out there that will turn it in and use it for that turppurpose. now let's get a check of the weather from al. as we show you what's happening for today, we dtho ha temperatures that are in the 70s and 80s in the northeast. the really hot weather's in the southwest and into the interior pacific northwest where temperatures will be in the 100s. today we have a risk of strong storms from texas on into ohio and indiana. we've also got sunshine in the pacific no??w???w???w?????w???ww

mostly cloudy, warm and humid on this thursday moing. now 75 in washington, in montgomery, fairfax, prince george's county and arlington county, temperatures in the upper 80s, a likelihood of passing afternoon thundershowers into this evening and more of the same on friday, maybe a morning shower saturday or thundershower mainly east of washington. lower humidity moving i saturday night in place on sunday. >> that's your latest weather. coming up next -- three young americans held in iran accused of being spies. their mothers speak out about their mission to free their children right after this.

7:45. now to those three american hikers being held by the government of iran. we'll talk to their moms exclusively in just a moment. but first, nbc's chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell has the latest on the story. andrea, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. u.s. officials say they are deeply concerned about the plight of the three americans, made even more dangerous because iran is look forge scapegoats for the political turmoil over its contested elections. jane bauer, sandra shourd and joshua fattal, all held in ira since hiking in this tourist area near the iran-iraq border on july 31st, backpacking in the kurdistan region of iraq. the freelance journalists were on vacation, lost their way and were picked up by an iranian border patrol. >> weaven't made any progress. >> reporter: with no diplomatic ties to iran, the u.s. has to rely on swiss diplomats in

tehran. >> switzerland has not been granted access to the three american hikers. iran has also not provided information about their location and whether or not any charges have been filedgainst them. >> reporter: making matters worse, the timing of their arrest. following weeks of violent protests over iran's disputed presidential election. >> we have sent strong messages that we would like these three young people released as soon as possible, and also others that they have in their custody as well. these are innocent people. >> reporter: officials from neighboring iraq have tried to use their influence to get them out. so far without success. the lack of progress prompted this recent travel warning from hillary clinton -- >> go liking, have a great time, you know, do journalism but stay away from those borders. do not put yourself in these positions where you can end up in prison in a country like iran or north korea. >> reporter: clinton's husband

of course was able to win the release of those two americans held in north korea, but right now there is no back channel that we know of to send an envoy to get these three out of iran. >> andrea, thank you very much. now the mothers of those hikers, cindy hickey, laura fattal and norah shourd, good morning. it is cliche, a mom's worst nightmare, child missing in a foreign country. no diplomatic relations. it is like trying to solve a puzzle with both arms tied behind your back. are you getting any information? >> the information we have is that they are being held in ira and we know that the diplomatic powers are doing everything they can right now and we are being informed as best -- to the best of their knowledge. >> when was the last time you heard from your children prior to them being taken into custody? >> i heard from josh on july

27th in an e-mail. and he was enjoying his time in damascus. he was staying with shane and sarah in damascus and that was the last e-mail i had heard from him. >> how about you? >> i heard from sarah two days before they left. she was looking forward to the trip, you know, going to a beautiful area. "don't worry, mom." >> same. talked to me the week before, expressing to me the excitement about going to this hiking area and that it was also a very safe area. >> you heard hillary clinton's warning. and there are probably people sitting at home right now saying this sounds dangerous. this sounds reckless. this area along the border of iraq, kurdistan and iran. how do you respond to that? >> actually, it's a resort area for that region. it's becoming very popular. shane and share arah live in damascus. as we go hiking, their location

is syria and that would be a typical place for them to recreate. >> when you hear there are charges or allegations that perhaps they were spying on the behalf of the united states, i mean this is the timing of this, the political unrest in iran, the cia has done stranger things in the past than send young americans in to stir the pot. are you completely confident you know the entire story here with your own children in. >> absolutely. >> absolutely. >> no question. >> no chance of that. >> no. >> when you saw the results, bill clinton achieved in north korea, do you sit at home and say, former president clinton, what about us? >> we know the state department is working on our behalf. we've had outstanding support throughout the country, the united states and throughout the world. so we know our children are being looked after. >> we wish you some luck and some news and some information at the very least. we will sta pted on this story. >> thank you. >> thank you, ladies. good luck to you. we're back on a thursday

morning right after these messages.

still ahead -- we asked you what you thought about michelle obama's decision to wear shorts iticwas wa as appropriate or inappropriate? the response, overwhelming. >> unbelievable! we'll get the results after your local news and weather.

cloudy out there right now. 75 degrees here in the nation's capital. it's 7:56, 4 minutes before 8:00. good morning. i'm barbara harrison. in the news today, students in the district head back to class this coming monday. this year there are several new vaccination requirements. if your child needs his or her shots the school set up clinics at four schools today. those will be held at kelly miller middle school, blue high school, cramer middle school, and coolidge high school. they will be held from 2:00 p.m. this afternoon until 10:00 tonight. all students are required to have vaccinations by september 8. all lanes are back open along i-95 in prince george's

county. overnight closures started this morning during the overnight hours between route 198 in laurel and 212 in beltsville. crews are building the inner county connector. expect delays for the next few months. we'll be back with the traffic a lo

good morning. here is the four-day forecast. in the 70s with steamy humidity, humid into saturday and a chance of passing thundershowers each day, mainly in the afternoon. then lower humidity sunday into next week. how's traffic? >> along i-272, two separate accidents, clear to the shoulder but we're jammed.

>> tonight at 5:00 p.m. as summer comes to a close there is time to save money putting gas in your car. liz crenshaw reports what you can do to pinch pennies at the pump when the temperature is rising. that's at "news 4 at 5:00." we're back in 25 minutes with an update.

8:00 now on a thursday morning, the 20th day of august, 2009. stop me if i sound like a broken record, but it's going to be a hot, humid one here in the northeast. not as bad as it's been though. what are we looking at today? >> temperatures in the upper 80s. little cooler. >> that's actually nice. we have a little tiny breeze. i feel it. >> and we have a nice crowd of people out here. good to see you folks. as always. i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry and the birthday boy, al roker. meredith is off enjoying herself on vacation. coming up in this half-hour, more on a tragic story. the murder of an aspiring young

model. her body was found just a few days ago. according to police, her ex-husband who happens to be a former reality tv star is considered a person of interest in that case. he also, by the way, happens to be nowhere to be found. we'll get the latest on that story coming up in just a couple of minutes. also, this morning we'll be talking about one of the upshots of in-vitro fertilization. there are a lot of remaining frozen embryos that are still frozen and being kept after you've had your children. a lot of couples who go through this really struggle, what do you do with those frozen embryos? dr. nancy snyderman is talking about that this morning, hopefully helping to pave the way for people. let's take a look. wednesday we asked you to go to a todayshow.com, the burning question of the day, share your thoughts on miclle obama's decision to wear shorts on her family vacation. man, did everybody jump on this. >> some people thought it was inappropriate because she was

photographed coming off of air force one. the presidential plane. other people thought it was okay. we received one of our largest responses, ever. nearly 300,000 of you voted in our poll. here go the results. 17% said the shorts were inappropriate. 83% said -- fine and dandy. >> yeah! >> apparently the the people here agree with that. but it is amazing how many people have been talking about this. >> it's 100 degrees, you're on vacation. come on. >> i think some of the people were concern because she is the first lady.oz%5 but don't you think we should launch another question which is, kerchief or no kerchi. should the men on the "today" show -- >> pocket square. a kerchief is like hold 'em up, stick 'em up. give me the money in the drawer. >> or sleeveless or not

sleeveless for women doing the news in august. let's get a check of the headlines thismorning. natalie's at the news desk. take it away. thanks. good morning. the only man ever convicted in the bombing of pan am flight 103 over lockerbie, scotland is set to be freed from prison today. abdel baset al megrahi has terminal prostate cancer and is reportedly being released by the scottish government on compassionate grounds. libyan leader moammar gadhafi has sent a private plane to scotland to transport al megrahi back to libya. earlier on "today" the mother of one of the victims called the decision horrendous. >> it doesn't make any sense to me in any rational human being would understand that how do do you that? how do you just let him go? >> the 1988 bombing killed 270 people, mostly americans. taliban attacks on polling places in afghanistan are dampening voter turnout as the country elects a president. security is being stepped up throughout the nation.

so far there's been more than a dozen rocket attacks on polling stations. senator ted kennedy is looking to the future as he battles brain cancer. the massachusetts democrat sent a letter to state leaders asking that they change state law to alw someone to be quickly appointed to a seat should a vacancy occur. in the letter kennedy does not mention his health and aides say there has been no change in his condition. global stocks are higher today after chinese shares posted their biggest rally since march. cnbc's erin burnett is at the new york stock exchange. should we be confident in the rebound? >> that's a key question. i'm smiling because we have optimism at least for today. it's been very volatile. we'll have a little bit of a gain here in the u.s. of course there was one around the world. investors though a little bit twisted. frankly they want a pull-back of up to 10%, culling out the bad and saying it will leave room for a healthier rally. donned read too much into the gains. one other headline today, the

obama administration is going to cut its estimate for the budget deficit to $1.6 trillion. still after the n still astronomical but they say they don't need that money to bail out the banks. severe weather, tornadoes and heavy rain slammed parts of the midwest wednesday leaving behind damaged homes, uprooted trees and downed power lines. there are reports of 18 tornadoes in minnesota, illinois, iowa and wisconsin. 8:05. let's throw it brack to al for another check of your weather. >> that's alan davis. worked with you back in cleveland 26 years ago. your son's name is -- >> david. >> everybody wave. let's check your weather. ate ltll on bie of course, midland, texas, our pick city today. news west 9. bill right now 325 miles north-northeast of the leeward is las,ndn 790 southeast of bermuda, category 3 storm.

track of the storm brings it right along the coast but not making landfall, however within the cone of uncertainty, nantucket's in there, bermuda just to the east of it. that's good news. bad news saturday. wave heights up to 22 feet along the outer banks of the carolinas. 18 to 24-foot waves up through new england by sunday. dangerous rip currents. yo wmightt antoooooooooooooooo>> , dihut ty > humidity, warm temperatures as we start off this thursday morning under a partly to mostly cloudy sky, now 76 in washington. highs reaching the upper 80s later on today. partly sunny, and a likelihood of a few passing afternoon thundershowers. some isolated thundershowers could produce some brief heavy downpours, and may linger into early this evening. then tomorrow may be passing afternoon thundershowers again, partly sunny, warm and humid. then on saturday a little cooler, ma>> that's your latest.

ann? >> al, we have a very serious story coming up, about a reality tv show contestant who's now waed for questioning in the case of the murde e ifso' ex-wife who'sif a model. we'll be talking to the victim's agent right after this. i played baseball. so sorry i'm late, miss sykes. oh, that's okay, honey. what's for dinner, mom? are you listening? yes. these are for you. alright! ( laughing ) yes! ( excited shoutg ) tell me about your day. in a minute, mom! oh! i'll be right here when you're ready. when i've had one of those days... i make it a happy meal night. ♪ ba da ba ba ba ♪ fresh and tasty naturally

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if you could see the difference, you'd see soap leaves an invisible layer... of scum on your skin. dove leaves no soap scum. for smooth, clean skin, feelhe difference for yourself. 8:11. the story now of the brutal of an aspiring model. police want to talk to her ex-husband who happens to be a former reality tv star. here's nbc's michael okwu. >> reporter: 28-year-old jasmine fiore had that look, the kind that might launch a career. but she may become more widely known for how it all ended. the swimsuit model was found

dead saturday. her body stuffed in a suitcase and dumped in a trash bin in california. >> the zipper was partially open, it had burst open. i lifted up on it and saw that it was a body, but extremely small person. >> reporter: investigators quickly focused on ryan jenkins who they called a person of interest. court records in clark county, nevada show jenkins and fiore were married in march, and in june he was accused of assaulting her. a self-described real estate developer, jenkins pled guilty to assault charges in 2006 for attacking another woman but didn't serve time. he appeared as a contestant on the vh1 reality show. >> it is going to be the best night of your life. >> reporter: investigators say fiore was last seen with jenkins friday night at a poker tournament in san diego. the night before her body was found. authorities say jenkins reported

fiore missing last weekend but then disappeared. >> we find it suspicious that with all the media coverage that he has not made himself available to us. >> reporter: police put out an alert that jenkins might be driving to canada in one of these vehicles. fiore was apparently making changes in her life, reportedly she had just gotten her real estate license, had started a physical training business with a friend, and had recently moved in to this los angeles apartment building. these three college students were neighbors. >> she was a beautiful woman and you'd always see her around because she stood out from everyone else in the crowd. >> reporter: but the only trace of her today, a voice message on her intercom. >> hello, this is jasmine. i'm not available at the moment please leave a message or text me for a faster response. thank you. >> reporter: authorities may now be focusing on tee yofiore's te

messages. jenkins was upset after intercepting a text message from her ex-boyfriend a night before the body was found. a reality tv regular involved in a very real-life drama. for "today," michael okwu, nbc news, los angeles. >> ken henderson is the ceo of the best agency, the talent group that represented fiore. good to see you. your reaction to the news. >> boy, i was devastated. they see them in the office all the time and we use them on different jobs. it is just horrific to hear what happened. >> she was someone who did some swimsuit modeling, worked at conventions, boxing matches as a ring girl. there have been some reports she did exotic dancing. are you aware of that? the reason i ask, it might place her in contact with a different kind of crowd. >> i didn't know that. i don't know if i would have known that. but generally we do. i never heard that one before. >> you said the last time you

saw her was a month ago. you were two were at a restaurant. she seemed very happy at the time. >> she was. we were in the same restaurant. she stopped, gave me a hug. i said i haven't seen you in a while. she said i'm working on my own business. i said good to see you, stop in and say hi, that was it. >> did this idea she was trying to rekindle a relationship with a former boyfriend and that may have angered her ex-husband, do you know anything about that? >> i don't. i did hear that. at the restaurant i think she was with the boyfriend. >> the ex-boyfriend, not the ex-husband? >> correct. correct. yeah, it wasn't the ex-husband. i didn't even know she was married to tell you the truth. >> ken, thank you very much. we'll try and stay on this story. i also want to bring in pat brown, a criminal profiler. pat, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. >> one of the things stands out here, this young lady's body was

found in a suitcase. that sends a real signal to you. what is it? >> absolutely. that's a big red flag that it's probably somebody she knows. when we find women stuffed in their luggage, it's something that a serial killer doesn't usually bother doing. if somebody's grabbing her off the street, and he kills her, he's just going to dump her body very quickly. maybe he'll use the dumpster but he won't bother tout her in some luggage. anybody that does that, one, they want to hide her very, very well so she is not found quickly. secondly, often it is because they live in an apartment building and they have no other way to get her body out of that building. that usually flags right away it is something she know zplpz we know a little bit about her ex-husband who is now nowhere to be found, ryan jenkins. he was accused of assault on a couple of occasions. anything stand out in his past that leads you to believe he should be more than a person of interest, in fact a suspect? >> oh, absolutely. he has that domestic violence past. i really wish women would check into that so carefully before they get hooked up with these

guys because they do it once. it is not just something that goes away. apparently he was in an ang management program to try to help him with that. but people don't just change overnight. it is a long, long process if they are going to cut down on something like that. it is a dangerous situation. he said something interesting to the police, she's left the place with some luggage. what a convenient thing, she's carrying her coffi along with her. you wonder if she's leaving with luggage, why are you reporting her missing? wouldn't you just think she's going someplace? >> tmz the website is also reporting that yesterday evening a witness reported seeing someone matching jenkins description driving a black bmw suv with a boat in tow to a marina in washingtonnd a short time later deputies found the boat missing. back with more of "today" after this. can i pour? you can help me pour.

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season two of bravo's hit reality show "the real housewives of atlanta" is back. that means the drama and outrageous personalities are back as well. kim is one of those housewives, she joins us now, along with the coast of "wat what happens live" bravo's first talk show. good morning to both of you. first, let me look at these. it says here the second season of the "real housewives of atlanta" kicked off on thursday, july 30th with huge ratings. according to nielsen, the premier was the highest rated series premier of "real housewives" in its franchise history. what's going on with this atlanta thing? >> huge. the franchise is a huge water cooler sensation and the bar keeps being raised by these women and so i tnk people are

obsessed with watching the atlanta housewives just kind of live their lives outloud and interact in their own way. >> you're talking about raising the bar. because actually this season, there is a surprise with you because last season i underand you were the friendly one, the one everybody liked and it was easy. that's not happening this time. what's going on? i definitely was not the one everybody liked last year. i was friendlier. this year there's just been a lot of controversy. there's fights with lisa and i, fights, the drama is intense. >> but why? i have to ask, it looks real. is this real or is this a television show? >> oh, no, it's real. >> it has a documentary kind of feeling when you look at it. >> right. >> but kim, you're on television yelling at people. does that -- >> i'm embarrassed at times.

definitely. i'm definitely embarrassed. but i can just get so heated and get so upset. >> why? >> just because it's a he said/she said. it's just all the drama. i'm not into that. >> people are saying you're the one that's kind of talking behind people's backs. >> they say that constantly. >> were you talking behind people's backs? >> no. they say kim's such a liar, she was calling lisa, talki inin ii sheree, i don't even talk to lisa. >> can't we give peace a chance? i guess that actually wouldn't be good for your ratings if you did. >> right. they're a fascinating group of women. sometimes they get along, sometimes they don't. the season one of the reasons i think it started with such a bang is where we left off last season was such an explosive moment and they came back into it and started shooting and kind of picked up right where they left off last season at reunion

show. it will be interesting to see over the weeks how they -- if they make peace or how they kind of calm down. >> how much do you think this says about how women interact in housewife situations, these relationships between women? how much does it say something that's really important about how women need to discuss things with each other. >> i personally think it is kind of a poor example. only because i know personally myself, when i want to have a conversation, there's miscommunication or you've heard something, let's sit down and have a conversation. there's no need to pull my hair or get aggressive. >> they're pulling your hair? >> yeah. >> we had a hair-pull last week. it was deep. >> like who does that? you know? it's like can we have a conversation? we don't have to always get along but we can certainly xheern kat hou>> lair loorikksei t're moved thrnismorning. ls thank you so much. can you see the "real housewives of atlanta" and watch what happens live tonight on bravo. still ahead this morning, a new list of the most powerful women in the world after your

local news. in our time right now is 8:26. 75 degrees. you can see theumidity in the air out there. we'll get the forecast coming up. odgo morning. i'm joe krebs. in the news for today, delegates in northern virginia plan to announce their proposal to tend metro rail mills. laer mills. ormakers say they are wki on legislation a un f a e sdytuld cth e study could costil mlions ofa xptaer doars. lawmakers say the extension makes sense because o thousands of military jobs moved to the area. we'll take a break and look at our weather and traffright .

go morning. it's partly sunny now, thick humidity fills the air. live picture from the sky watcher camera. in the mid 70s around the region. 75 in washington, highs today into the upper 80s. and there is a chance of some passing afternoon and evening thundershowers. a likelihood as well as tomorrow. then on saturday may be a morning shower or afternoon thundershower. then lower humidity for sunday into next week. jerry, how's traffic? >> we're loaded up in spots on this thursday morning along i-270, headed on down to the split, couple of accidents, two of them have been cleared. elsewhere, downtown, packed in, 395 is crling, the issue had been a broken down vehicle at the d.c. waterfront. look at that. tack time on to the commute downtown. >> thanks. tonight at 5:00 p.m., the summer

comes to a close, there is time to save money gassing up. liz crenshaw reports what you can do to pinch pennies at the pump when the temperature rises.

8:30 now on a thursday morning, the 20th day of august, 2009. hopefully we will have a pocketful of sunshine tomorrow on the plaza when natasha bedingfield takes our summer concert stage in our 8:30 half-hour. what a nice lady, what a fin singer. come on down and check it out. meanwhile out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer along with ann

curry. natalieorales and al roker. >> going to be a disturbing sign? >> very. >> yeah. okay. loving you. thank you. that's cute. >> it got on tv. >> that's cute. coming up -- hey, we've got from bow to wow. jill rappaport's back, she has four dogs back with her today. she founded a she-- she found t at a shelter. we gave them a makeover. it's all about the ladies. >> this is the third time we've done this. every single time all the dogs that have been adopted. also coming up this morning, we're going to be talking about the 100 most powerful women in the world. we'll go down the list, find out who's on it and who's not. also coming up, serious health concerns that a lot of women don't think about necessarily as they enter their

adult years. increasingly though, women are facing issues like binge drinking, anorexia, and even stds. dr. nancy snyderman will be here with a startling reality check. five down, five more to go as "america's got talent" fills its 20 spots for the semi-finals. >> let's run it down. right here on nbc, jeffrey o. they all move one step closer to the million dollar prize and their headlining performance in a las vegas show. a reminder, can you catch "america's got talent" tuesday and wednesday night, 9:00, 8:00 central time right here on nbc. >> it's amazing what america comes up with! >> we got talent. you got weather? >> i got weather. that's right. >> and talent. let's show you what's

happening. we'll show you for today, we got a risk of strong storms from the upper mississippi valley -- and ohio river valley all the way back to texas. sunny and hot in the pacific northwest. tomorrow a risk of strong storms, western new york, central p.a. rain in new england. sizzling from the west coast on into the mid mississippi river valley. some showers until the central great lakes. that's what's going on a good morning. here's a steamy scene of the potomac river and the jefferson memorial this morning. a little sunshine breaking out now after quite a bit of cloudiness the last couple of hours. we're in the mid 70s around washington. to the east here is a view from tillman island southwest of st. michael's. they have more sun there. temperature there at 78. a steamy dew point of 76. that is sweltering humidity. it's going to stay humid today, tomorrow and sa

>> that's your latest weather. now let's head on down to mr. willie scott! how are you, sir. >> happy birthday to you, you belong in the zoo, you look -- >> thank you, sir. >> what are you now? 37? >> no. double nickels. 55, my friend. >> >> 55. that's the limit, baby. rtbi. ayhd birthday.ki feaspeang of al ror' t fdath55th at 55, het us jat us jaewaway fa f ayawm broeing on a ser's jar. emma jeffries, new rochelle, new york, 110. she says ifrl ase l t whe healr life was the l he t.htiglbbu certainly changed things considerably, didn't ?it? rygeegmu, from bellaire xas. or0rsxaea y oea.ld. their oldedilam fy home.

es lil to wk a aund t place. orn ourcelx. erfo former math tereandchoves planting in her ldar gn.de harold westcott n.100 years old from vail, .oroneg on l gevty to aon a loef. ntbehus s. hunts uns hid ateree d un h ated deere.onone. connie caserta, 100rsea old. boto n,idorfla.ra active league and has aa. b ng league and has a glafssin we w occasionally. philip gibison, 100 years old. going to have a big birthday party. matt, celebrate for me when you buy al aice glass of soda water for his birthday. >> willard, thank you very much. as willard just eluded to, we

told you a little earlier today that al is turning 55 today. we decided to have a little fun. of course at his expense. >> of course! >> always. >> finish this sentence. al roker makes me -- >> laugh. >> feel like a kid. >> laugh his tearically. >> laugh his tearically. >> i mean when i'm with him my cheeks hurt. >> every morning the minute al roker comes in, you know he's in the house. >> finish the sentence -- al roker makes me -- >> no, that was the sentence. al roker makes me. >> there is nobody funnier than roker. >> you make me, al. >> hello, my people! >> al roker makes me -- >> sick. >> al is like constantly busy throughout the day. >> al roker makes me -- >> wish i had watched tv more as a child. >> i can say makes me -- al roker makes my jaw drop. >> fried octopus balls. >> did he really say that?

>> the al in the stairway -- woo-hoo. >> i get so caught up in al roker's personality. >> i want to sing about the buddha and the -- i want to singa -- >> he also makes me cry because he's sentimental. al just sent us all pictures from that day at the statue of liberty. >> i thought you said this thing went fast. >> he's larger than life and gives us a good laugh every day. >> yeah! 55 years old. >> wow, that wasn't as bad as i thought it would be. >> the rest comes later. >> we love you a lot and we love you so much that we have brought out -- >> yikes! >> a larger than life kind of -- call the fire marshal. >> look at that. apparently it's got some special little motif on tack? >> double nickels! >> wow! >> come on, al. show us how much hot air you have. >> i don't think i have enough

for this. >> whoa! that was pretty darn -- >> trick candles. >> happy birthday! >> you know that cake smells great. everybody should take a whiff. >> how you going to celebrate? >> i don't know. deborah's got something planned. >> happy birthday. >> thanks, guys. >> you think you might make it to -- i want to be on uncle willard's -- i want to be le 113 and be on his smucker's jar. >> if i were you, i wouldn't buy that five-year cd. >> we'll be back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

almost everyone makes at least one big move in their lives, and this includes one of the largest tortoises in captivity. nbc's kevin tibbles now has rocket's saga. >> reporter: rocket, the giant tortoise, dragging his feet, taking the slow road to oklahoma. just to get the journey underway, a little carrot and stick for the wiley old reptile. top speed, a tenth of a mile per hour. >> it's going to take a little while. >> reporter: at 609 pounds and still growing, rocket is one of the largest of his breed in cab tift. >> just think, little fella. if you were like rocket, in 60 years you could get your own digs. that tickle? >> rocket is very intelligent, a wide old tortoise. when he doesn't want to do something, he understands he doesn't necessarily have to do it. >> reporter: nobody knows how old rocket really is.

some think he was born in the 1930s and he could still live another 80 years, making him a slightly middle-aged man. still a lady's man, at that. >> he doesn't like to leave his girlfriend. >> reporter: but after some pushing, and some prodding, he was off like, well, a rocket. ♪ on the road again ♪ going places that i've never been ♪ >> reporter: down the highway with the speed of a hare, through kansas, across the oklahoma border, to his new home at the tulsa zoo. >> it would be like going into a totally new house. you have to learn the new routine. >> come on, buddy. >> so there is a learning curve that he'll have. >> reporter: these will be rocket's new digs. but first, he's got to spend some time alone in quarantine. the good news -- once he gets out, the tulsa zoo, which has an award-winning breeding program, will have plenty of dates lined up. >> the female they had in

sedgwick was all over. hopefully our females will be just as exciting for him. >> reporter: but if not and rocket decides to high-tail it back to wichita, he just might make it in 10 or 20 years. for "today," kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. >> coming up next -- some lucky women get some special new looks. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

> now to our special series "bow to wow." shelter dogs getting brand-new looks so they can find brand-new homes. a far we're batting .1000 including the jack russell seen here lounging with his new owner. all the dogs featured so far in this segment have been adopted. jill rappaport's back with more. >> it is such great news and it is the girls who rule today -- well, most every day. all four fabulous females are hoping to find a brand-new

loving, permanent home. got to love the girl power. >> as we walk through our adoption centers and you look at all the dogs, they all have a story. >> reporter: starting with angie. this dog had a wonderful home her whole life. then all of a sudden the owner has to go to a nursing home and gave her up. >> yeah, they had to make a heartbreaking decision not only putting the owner into a nursing home but also giving up their pet, their beloved pet. >> she is so mellow and affectionate. >> isn't she? you can see how easy it would be for her, just knowing that you'd love her and you care about her and she'll give the same back to you. >> reporter: next up, ginger. >> she's 2 years old. she's a brussels griffin. another sad story. she was found tieto a gate up in the bronx. they just tied her and left her. a good samaritan thankfully brought her in. you can see h mellow she is. >> you would fit in this any home, wouldn't you? and this beauty is kelsey. >> kelsey is almost 3 years old,

a german shepherd-hound mix. her story is a little unusual in that she came in to a stray to us in 2007. she was adopted and she was brought back to us just recently. her owners couldn't keep her anymore. >> i'm amazing since this is her second time back here how happy and well adjusted she seems. >> that's a tribute to her personality and breed and how well she's taken care of her. >> reporter: last, and certainly not least, lola. they say the best things come in small packages. she's a pure bred yoreky. isn't she? >> they came home with a male and female and they weren't spayed or neutered so she became part of an unwanted litter, ending up on someone's doorstep in a box. we took this pint-sized angel, along with the other three, to biscuits and bath in new york city for some suds and fun. >> we're about to find out how

our four ladies did with their makeovers. first, richard from animal care and control of new york city joins us again. hi, richard. nice to see you. you hanging out with the girls on this o. right? the four lady dogs. let's get started here. the first dog we talked about was angie. i do think this is a heartbreaking story that someone had to make the choice going into a nursing home that couldn't take dogs. heartbreaking for the person and for angie. >> all the family members involved, too. it was a really tough all around. but she looks fabulous. >> let's take a look at angie before. there's angie before. here comes ann with angie after. hello, angie. how are you? >> she's so cute! how old is she again? >> she's 3. angie is a social butterfly. you take her to the dog park, she's going to say hello to everybody. people and dogs alike. she has a really great personality. would make a terrific family dog. >> ann is also a social

butterfly. ann, thank you for bringing angie out. we appreciate it. >>ll right, next we have ginger. let's take a look at ginger before. and then -- before we bring ginger out, what is a brussels griffin? i've never heard of that dog. >> it is the wiry hair on the dog. >> you see them in the westminster dog show. they're very popular dogs. >> all right, hoda. come on out with ginger. after her makeover. >> look at that! >> she's really cute. >> she loves to sit on your lap. if you're home a lot and if you want somebody just to sit on your lap and watch television with you, be another couch potato, she would be perfect. >> how old is ginger again? >> 3. >> she's also 3 years old. >> and so affectionate. she likes me. >> she does. thank you very much. >> let us move on to kelsey. kelsey came in as a stray at first, was adopted, then

actually came back. there's kelsey before the makeover. let's take a look at her now. al's bringing her out. >> hey, al -- that's your birthday gift. ♪ happy birthday >> she loves to have her belly rubbed. >> who doesn't? >> exactly. german shepherd/hound mix. she's got some energy. ♪ happy birthday >> kelsey's a nice dog. she really is. >> she is really terrific. she has a great disposition. >> she's so beautiful. yes. what i'm amazed at, matt, considering the traumatic situations how they were brought to the pound, look how happy. they're not scared, they're so unusual.thts unusual. >> they are well cared for at the moment, which is great. al, thank you. thank you, kelsey. last, but not least -- this dog -- this dog is too cute! this is lola. there's a picture of lola

beforehand. natalie, bring lola out. she's just 2 months old? >> 2 months old. pure bred yorkie. we know that. when she wants to go out, she'll play with your feet a little bit. >> when she wants to go to the bathroom? >> she'll play with the feet a little bit, that's your signal to get up and take her out. she's really mellow. she's not a yapper. some of the small dogs. >> she's not really nervous. >> she's not a shaker. she's not shaking. bring all the dogs back out. if they all get along -- we think they do. richard, just remind people how they can adopt these dogs. >> animal care and control of new york city, nycacc.org or go to our shelter at 110th street tween 1st and 2nd avenue. >> let's keep this perfect record going. all the dogs featured so far have found great homes. four more now could really use a

great home. richard, thanks so much. jill, thanks for bringing the ladies here this morning. >> girl power! >> we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

al, you're tempted, i hear. >> we have a leaner. we have a leaner. >> al, it's your birthday.

you're allowed to take home -- >> but lela wants a dog. >> but it is a responsibility. it is not just a whim thing. >> no, it's not. >> with a dog that size, you can pretty much take them anywhere. >> yeah. that's why they're called a teacup. >> she is good. you want to have some of your birthday cake? >> i tell you, she's very cute. but you're right, not a yapper. -- >> come on, sweet pie. look at you. >> she's not the nervous kind of dog. >> we have some unusual video. can we put this up? we have a video right now of a dog who was watching the cat segment yesterday. watching that cat play the piano. the dog was going crazy at home. this is from a viewer. we appreciate that. >> be quiet. >> that's just funny. thanks to the viewer who sent

that in. anyway, we'll wrap things up. still ahead, the serious health concerns you might not expect, but that older women tend to face. plus, the most women in the world. but first, your local news and weather. our time right now is 8:55. five minutes till 9:00. 75 degrees, a live look at the lincoln memorial. a lot of sunshine, a lot of

humidity as well. a summer day in the nation's capital. meteorologist tom kierein will be along in a moment. em s.kr eb unhe news today, montgomery ty p ice are hoping thisty gasoline cannckra aigation. they foundstve iioat they found it at thecene of tuesday morning's hay fires. someone set fire to bales of hay in three locations in the county. the damage is estimated at $25,000. this afternoon lawmakers from northern virginia unveil a proposal to extend metro rail south into the oldmi.nidoonmi.oo hey want todd n woodbridge. reth aeyor w aking onor atu fa ibas..le thedytu sou ct cos cos millionsf sa ouths ondfil m thousands of being being moved to the nearby fort belvoir area. we'll take a break and come back and look at our weather and raff.ovthursd traffic.

temperatures in the upper 70s and team heat for the next three days. a chance of afternoon thundershowers today and again tomorrow. some storms could produce heavy downpours. how's traffic? >> unfortunately we have a late problem. good morning. outer loop of the beltway, out in the american legion bridge, a truck lost its load, reportedly steel beams. the outer loop is jammed. >> thanks very much. summer comes to a close, there is time to save money gassing up. liz crenshaw report what is you can do to pinch pennies at the pu

we're back now with more of "today" on a thursday morning, 20th day of august, 2009. another warm day here in midtown manhattan. al promises not as bad as the rest of the week, that's good news for the people you are looking at right now who have gathered here since the wee hours of the morning. thanks to them. i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry who is in while meredith's on vacation. mr. roker, the birthday man, is here as well. >> that was good cake. coming up in this half-hour, a difficult story. a woman walking along a country road in georgia, a single mom, kristi cornwell, was talking on

a cell phone to her boyfriend when he heard her scream "don't take me." then the phone went dead. that was over a week ago. kristi has not been seen since. now her boyfriend is speaking out for the first time. we'll hear from him just ahead. also coming up, health concerns that are not just for teens anymore. we're talking about stds, anorexia, binge drinking. you may think of that as concerns for college kids, but think again. we'll have advice for staying healthy and signs not to ignore. >> that's really concerning that so many people, age 40-something to 50-something are now engaging in binge drinking. it is a big increase. that's a big concern. also coming up, something that may and bit more fun, who would you name as t most powerful women in the world? first of all, there were not enough of them. obviously we're looking at secretary clinton, we also saw michel obama there a moment ago. we'll go down the list.

obviously the new supreme court justice, sotomayor. also, hannah montana's dad, billy ray cyrus, dropping by. >> you know how good that chocolate cake was? look at my birthday. mark traub right here, stage manager. finishing off the cake. >> that was good. really good. let's gin side. natalie's standing by with a look at the headlines. good morning. the white house says it deeply regrets scott lan's decision today to free the only person convicted for the 1988 bombing of pan am flight 103 over lockerbie. former libyan agent abdel baset al megrahi was serving a life sentence for the terror that claimed 270 lives. he now has terminal prostate cancer and was released on compassionate grounds. his release announced this morning by scotland's justice secretary. scattered violence in afghanistan today where voters are choosing their next president. at least a dozen taliban rockets have fallen near polling places.

the election is seen as a crucial test of u.s. efforts to stabilize the country. police have called off the ground search for kristi cornwell, the georgia mother missing for more than a week. nbc's michelle kosinski has the latest from blairsville, georgia. >> reporter: this is the kristi her family holds dear -- happy as a new mom of a little boy. he's now a teenager. devastated that his mother is somehow missing. this home video, photos, the website that her family has created, are all the more important to keep her case alive as investigators must cal off the ground search through these endless mountains, in the searing heat and pouring rain, all leading nowhere. >> we're still searching for any information that anybody in the community might have or anywhere for that matter that might shed some light on this disappearance. >> reporter: investigators now with the help of the fbi have searched into three states

interviewing some 200 sex offenders. the only clue these hills have given up is kristi cornwell's cell phone, found in a yard about three miles from where she was apparently abducted. kristi had been out for an evening walk along the same country road where she stayed with her parents, talking on that phone to her boyfriend in atlanta. he told police she said a car was approaching. he heard a struggle. her scream. and the words "don't take me." he is not considered a suspect. neither is anyone else close to kristi. the woman who devoted most of her life to public service as a probation officer, working in a prison, and as a drug counselor. one question is whether someone she had worked with in the past might have come after her. on this da, winding lane. >> it is very bizarre. we can't even in our wildest dreams we just can't even dream of anything this terrible.

>> reporter: michelle kosinski, nbc news, blairsville, georgia. >> earlier today, ann spoke exclusively with cornwell's boyfriend douglas davis and asked him what he thinks happened to kristi. >> i don't know. i know it was real. i know it is a tragic thing. i believe that the authorities are doing all they can do to find her. i'm so grateful for the hundreds of people that have helped to search for her. i believe that if we could just step up this search, that is those out there right there who knows the real truth of this story, who knows where she is, that just pick up the phone, make the call and let us bring kristi home. >> police say davis called for help immediately and has been cooperative with them. residents acrs the midwest are assessing the damage today after severe weather knocked trees on to cars and rooftops and knocked down utility poles. reports of 18 tornadoes in minnesota, illinois, iowa and

wisconsin. oprah winfrey an her frequent tv guest dr. oz are suing more than0 companies for allegedly using their names without permission in product endorsements. the products include dietary supplements, colon cleansers and skin creams. harvard and princeton share bragging rights as the nation's best schools in the latest rankings by "u.s. news & world report." yale comes in third, a four-way tie for fourth. can't go wrong going to any of those schools. six minutes past the hour right now. you're up to date. back outsideo matt and ann. >> university of oregon wasn't on that list. >> i think that was just in the next slot down. congratulations to those schools. al has a check of the weather. >> right above oswego. here is a cute family. who do we have? >> amalia. >> how old are you, sweetheart? >> 4.

>> what's your name? where you guys from? >> sydney. >> sydney, australia. thanks for coming down. let's check your weather. a lot going on in the pacific northwest, strong marine layer. temperatures today in the interior parts of the northwest, 100s.ontina athbiomontint front and the jet stream drops those temperatures back into the 80s. then we're watching bill. right now about 790 miles south-southeast of bermuda, category 3 storm, f 125-mile-per-hour winds moving northwest at 18. the track of the storm keeps it between bermuda and coastal u.s. what we're looking at not landfall but we are looking at strong rip currents and you can see nantucket is in the western part of that cone of uncertainty. dangerous rip currents, large sequels. waves up 16 to 22 feet along the outer banks of the carolinas. 10 to 15 feet along bermuda's good morning. here are temperatures chapproaing 80 degrees.

we've got the sweltering humidity. it's going to be here the next couple of days. as we look at-this view, quite a bit of sunshine over the bay. near 80 there as well. highs near 90 as well as tomorrow, likelihood of afternoon thundershowers each day. then saturday may be a shower in the morning or afternoon thundershower east of washington. and drying out saturday night into sunday and next week lower humidity moves in. >> that's your latest weather. natalie? al, thank you. this morning on "today's daily dose," medical issues you may never outgrow. binge drinking and anorexia doesn't just affect teens and college students. many adults actually suffer from these illnesses as well. dr. nancy snyderman's nbc's chief medical editor. nancy, good morning. the first issue we're going to talk about is one that's been in the news a lot this week, substance abuse in older adults. this study in particular over binge drinking which is csing a lot of controversy.

it's more prevalent in adults than we actually thought. >> truly defined as five drinks at a time. lots of people have to remember that that five drinks can just be one sitting in a month but that five's binge drinking. >> an e-mail question from jim in dallas, writes i'm an alcoholic. 56 years old. but i haven't had a drink in 16 years. but have had anxiety and depression an still do. even though i have quit for 16 years, are there any long term brain effects i should be aware of for the future? >> there are long-term brain effects. you have to remember that alcohol affects every organ in your body. binge drinking means that you can do very risky behavior at the time, a lot of people who are depressed with self-medicate but remember, liver disease very common. risk of stroke and other neurological problems. high blood pressure. heart disease and a profile is different than you might expect.

binge drinkers who are men, when you're plastered you dohings you otherwise wouldn't. risky behavior. >> another study found drug abuse is -- >> in older adults. >> are the effects of drugs and alcohol more detrimental to an adult body than to a teenager? >> we know there is this cumulative effect. pot and cigarettes are both depressants. when you self-medicate and when you sort of say i know i want to get high, you have disasters. taconic trash recently. your body is not as forgiving in your 50s an 60s. you can't tie one on, smoke a joint and say i'll function as well or get up the next morning. body doesn't work that way.

>> long-term effects there. the next one, eating disorders. we often think young girls. but it doesn't end there. >> bodies -- where you don't like where you look, you have either bulimia where you vomit after you eat or calorie restrict in an unhealthy way, or binge eating. probably the most common at this point, can lead to real problems in life because if you don get the nutrition you need, your bones get weaker, it can lead to osteoporos osteoporosis. if you want to age prematurely -- then there are blood pressure problems. even a risk of putting your heart under strain, changes in how well your heartbeats, not only rhythm problems but how effectively. so not having your hand around a really good nutrition in older life really makes you age prematurely. >> an e-mail on related to this

from worcester, massachusetts. "my mother struggles with depression and anorexia at 48. i myself am a 25-year-old female. am i headed in the same direction? what can i do to help both her and myself?" >> she might be headed in the same direction because little girls watch how their moms act. when moms say i'm fat, you sort of know they aren't, or they're displeased with how they look, little girls pick up on that. if mom's already depressed and doesn't like her body, chances are the little girl may be depressed also and not like who she is. for both of them, counseling. >> sounds like she's asking the question at 25 -- sound like she's probably thinking about this a lot. >> when you don't like your body, that's just, oh, well i can't fit into a size 4. it is a psychiatric problem. you can deal with most of these things unless you get professional help. >> next question -- well, stds. this is a huge issue. because a lot of women, divorcees are out there, maybe a

little bit morrisky behavior. >> i saw this about 15 years ago for the first time in a retirement community where the women outlived the men. the women were going out with men who were younger a had some risky sexual behavior. what did we see? we saw hiv bump up in women over the age of 60. on the surface of that you would think, that can't make sense. but, when you're in your 60s, you don't worry about getting pregnant. you say, oh, well, what could happen? he seems like a nice man. and guess2mñ what? your risk is the same if you're 60 as if you were 20. you cannot have unprotected sex if you're not in a monogamous relationship. there are serious health risks. first of all, you can die from hiv/aids. but if you're a younger woman, say in your 30s or 40s, big concern about infertility, especially for women in their 30s. chlamydia is still the number one std which causes infertility. although birth defects is not a big deal for older women, you have to worry about the cancer

risk. hpv causesancer of the cervix. you may not think you fit the profile to get a really bad std. there is no prefile for somebody who gets an std. >> all right. by the way, pregnancies in older women can happen, too. you have to face the very, very difficult decision, i'm 50 and pregnant, what do i do now. this is a huge issue for a lot of people. everybody needs to be thinking about that. it's important for women after pregnancy or around perry menopausal time you can actually have clinical depression. there are a lot of great medicines out there now that can help with depression but the best treatment for depression is therapy and medication. we're a little bit of a pinch right now in society because we -- insurance companies pay for the pill but not for the therapy. depression is real, and can affect every other health

problem that a woman has later in life. >> we have somebody on the phone, yolanda from birmingham, alabama. >> i have an 83-year-old elderly father that's suffering from a bout with depression and his diet is very poor. mainly junk food and milk. what role does diet play in depression of the elderly? >> it's interesting that you even mention your dad's age. a lot of our dads, as they get older, life seems to be slipping away. they lose their interest with foods. they don't eat as well. so if you don't have good nutrition, your brain doesn't work as well. and i think the elderly and depression have probably been the most skipped part of society. there are antidepressants, yolanda, thatour daddy should talk to a doctor about that don't have the big side effects of some of the other ones. but people in their 80s who suddenly don't sleep well, have the blues, don't see the real purpose to life, real reason to

get help. great question, yolanda. >> thanks for the great e-mail questions we got as well. dr. nancy, great information. still to come here on "today," the scottos are back to show you how to cook up the freshest produce of the season and also to give al a little birthday surprise. prt really. the most powerful women in the world. who's on the list? find out after this. apples to apples, against other top companies, to help you get the best price. how do you do that? with a touch of this button. can i try that? [ chuckles ] wow! good luck getting your remote back. it's all right -- i love this channel. shopping less and saving more. now, that's progressive. call or clk da icy.opping less and saving more. now, that's progressive. starting in five days. new olay complete ageless renewing lotion. moisture, spf 20, antioxidants and vitamins help reveal a younger-looking appearance in five days.

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that's why progress plays no role inside post shredded wheat. here, we put the "no" in innovation. post original shredded wheat is still just the one simple, honest ingredient whh naturally comes with vitamins, minerals and fiber. all we did was make it spoon size. did we go too far? dinner with the girls tonight. mmm... mexican, or italian? i really want dessert tonight. i better skip breakfast. yep, this is all i need. ( stomach growls ) skipping breakfast to get ahead? research shows that women that eat breakfast, like the special k® breakfast, actually weigh less. the special k® breakfast, now in blueberry. so why skip? when you can eat all this... and still weigh less. victory is... sweet. from the worlds of politics,

business and entertainment, "forbes" magazine is out today with its annual ranking of the 100 most powerful women in the world. good news for everybody is that women are taking charge in greater numbers tn ever before. senior reporter heidi graham is here with details. good morning. >> hi, thanks for having me on. >> nice to have you here. first, talk about the criteria. >> we are looking at two different factors for our list. first is money. how much money a woman oversees, has access to, whether it be the budget of a country or the revenues of a company. then the other thing is influence, her profile in the media. how many mentions she gets in newspapers, magazines, websites, is she someone that when she speaks the world lizzens to. >> there are a lot of those women on this list. there are nice surprises. women like the only woman to run a big old company. also paula reynolds who is in charge of restruuring aig. there are also some names people are really recognize. oprah winfrey is on here, which that's no surprise. >> not at all.

she continues to be a media empire juggernaut. completely of her own. she is in every area of media that's possible right now covering every platform. her magazine, satellite radio show, she's going to be coming out with a new tv show, tand evn launching her own network. >> oprah came in just ahead -- or just behind michelle obama, the first lady. is that right? >> that's correct. it's actually getting to be harder and harder to get on our list because so many women are doing so many interesting things and taking leadership roles. >> we also have hillary clinton on the list in a very different role, as secretary of state. >> that's correct. she's been doing a lot of really important behind-en had tthe-sc work. going from a possibly democratic presidential candidate, to going to north korea.

>> major med ya companies, thia. >> carol bartz is the head of yahoo! coming in at a very difficult time. one of several women in executive positions taking on a big challenge. she did a very controversial deal with microsoft but she is a real go-getter, very optimistic. we're excited to see what she'll be doing. >> janet robinson. >> new york "times," another woman who's shepherding her company through a difficult time. amy pascal, sony pictures. she produces some of our most favorite movies. >> judy mcgrath. >> of mtv. again, tough time in this business, in tv but she is a very creative woman. >> stacy snider. >> she has dreamworks which releases some of our most favorite animated movies. >> ann moore, "time," inc.

"people" magazine. need i say more? anne sweeney at disney, she oversees abc network, oversees the disney channel. this is one really positive story. all of her properties are doing very well. >> talk about washington. traditionally that's been the place that you really need to -- we talked a little bit about secretary of state and also michelle obama. but what about in other elected offices? in elected offices? >> this is a particularly exciting story i think this year. we're seeing women in unprecedented roles at the top of our government. traditionally male-dominated areas. mary shapiro is the head of the s.e.c., coming in right at the crux of a very difficult time, the financial industry. janet napolitano overseeing homeland security. trying to get in there and fix our border. we've got -- >> you had kathleen sebelius. >> kathleen sebelius. what's more difficult than the health reform plan right now? she's head of hlth and human services. >> also we've seen sonia

sotomayor being added to -- >> first latina supreme court justice. again, not in politics, but i would just like to mention ursula burns. she's head of xerox and she's the first african-american corporate leader of a publicly traded company. >> well, it is exciting. as exciting as this news is about how far women have come we still have a long way to go. we just end with that. heidi brown, we need a longer list. still to come ts morning, two great friends get lucky on our plaza. what our crack makeover team has done with them. but first these messages. maybe it's your name. richard? no, smucker. (laughs) (announcer) when your last name is smucker and you live in orrville, everyone knows what you'll do when you grow up. you're gonna make the world's best jam. i love jam. (announcer) for five generations, with a name like smucker's, it has to be good.

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rely on tums dual action for fast, long-lasting relief of heartburn. brand power. helping you buy better. that's why i use covergirl's simply ageless makeup with olay regenerist serum. a department store brand can glob up in lines and actually make you look older. simply ageless makes you look amazing. from olay and easy, breezy, beautiful covergirl. good morning again. i'm barbara harrison. it's 9:26 on this thursday, august 20, 2009. let us look at the weather,

see what kind of day we're going to have. tom kierein is standing by. good morning. >> hi, barbara. the most humid weather so far this summer. temperatures around the region around 80 degrees with sweltering humidity. humidity will stay high today, tomorrow and again on saturday. highs each day near 90, and then as we get into sunday, lower humidity returns, it will be in place next week. >> thanks, tom. and we aaknd ce

tough trip along 270 trying to get to the american legion bridge. it's jammed but the good news is the truck that lost its load at the bridge is all cleared so lanes are reopened. downtown, getting there, still

slow to the 14th street bridge. >>okay. thank you. tonight on "news 4 at 5:00," a summer comes to a close. there is time to save money on gassing up your car.

♪ pop sensation natasha bedingfield started singing as a teenager with her family in london. obviously she's not stopped singing. tomorrow she brings her sensational sound to the plaza along with her boom box for a live performance right here on "today." get ready -- a week from tomorrow -- oh, man. teen queen miley cyrus takes over our summer concert stage, along with her major hannah montana following, i'm guessing 4ycñ plaza's bound to be packed.

average age, 10. that's august 28th only on "today." meanwhile, coming up later today, the guy responsible for bringing us miley will be here, her famous dad, billy ray. also this morning we're debating a road trip in the next few weeks. if anybody's thinking about doing that, we have good excuses to take one because there are some deals to be had. we'll give you some ideas on how to pay for gas, for example. coming up. also the crew is lining up upstairs. i already went up there -- >> oh, yeah. >> check out the pas, by the way! take a look at john. very colorful family, the scottos are here with some summertime favorites but also here for al's birthday. >> it is obviously a little chilly in the studio there. >> they're going to show us how to cook fruits. and we're not talking about them. >> whoa!

let's see what's going on. for today, ann curry shoots and scores. for saturday, rain along the eastern seaboard with thunderstorms, hot weather for the western third of the country. mild in the mid mississippi river valley. sunday -- sunday -- look???????? good morning. thick humidity fills the air on this thursday morning. live picture from our city camera. we've got that summer haze and temperatures near 80 degrees. it will climb to near 90 later this afternoon. looking across the bay, quite a bit of sunshine. near 80 with a dew point of 77. that is just high humidity. and it is going to stay high into saturday. fgs maybe afternoon >> that's your latest weather. natalie? coming up next -- ways to

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>> announcer: "today's" "travel on the roads" brought to you by goodyear. ♪ on the road again ♪ ♪ this morning on our special series "today's" travel on the road," an estimated 42 million households planning on heading the highway this season, we have tips on how to save on everything from gas to family fun. kate, good to see you. there is still people -- people are out there trying to save money. that's first and foremost. they might think to put a vacation on a back burner. but there are ways to save. >> there are great drives. we have loads of tichs to save you money. >> membership programs. you say it is not a bad idea to sign up for memberships at aaa, costco, even various hotel

chains. >> if you aren't already a member of aaa, do it now. it's $58 for the first year. you not only get roadside assistance you get great discounts on hotels, entertainment, dining. >> what about big box stores, costco. >> you think of bulk items but also did you know that fuel is a lot cheaper, between 10 cents and 15 cents a gallon cheaper at costco. >> how about the hotels? >> we're impressed with hotels. they've up m membership programs. join your favorite chain. >> the low-cost line from w hotels, they have 30 around the country, places like tempe, arizona, north carolina, minnesota. >> you say the second night you get 50% off? >> they cost on average $75 a night. the first night for atth, the second night is 50% off. hyatt, same type of deal. $83 a night, second night 50%

off. >> hampton inn. >>fq"; they have a great deal a well. >> you get free internet. i ke that. >> absolutely. >> now gas, if you're hitting the road, that's a big factor. you mention costco. >> good news for gas this year is that it's cheaper than it was last year. last year about this time it was $4 a gallon. this year it is $2.64. there are great websites out there that allow you to compare different filling stations. we really like fuel gauge report from aaa. it allows you to compare gas along state lines. in california, gas tends to be 2 cents a gallon more expensive than over the border in oregon. it is the same for philadelphia. and new jersey. really go on to the websites. many others, goodbuddy.com. >> you say gas is cheaper at truck stops? >> it is. it the not just for truckers.

go in there and save some money. >> and can you get a good chili dog, too. >> a led feet is an inefficient way of maximizing mileage. >> do fuel companies have membership programs, too? >> shell saver card, this is a no-brainer. it costs you nothing to join. it saves you 2 cents per gallon. mobile, 15 cents. but the catch is the mobile credit card. >> there is a new feature for active families, sierra club. >> lots of these hiking places charge for trails. but sierra club has a new free facility, a kind of community website. you can upload your own trails and download other people. >> it is very interactive. >> yes. >> as far as you're outdoors, but face it, it rains.

there is an interesting little -- >> regal cinemas is offering free family film festival until the end of the month on tuesdays and wednesdays. take the kids at about 10:00 a.m. first come, first serve. they have free films. >> you have to eat on vacation while traveling. but it is the best time of year to be stopping at farmer's markets. >> it is easy ton a road trip to eat junk. you'll be getting totally fresh produce but you'll learn stuff. kids can talk to the local farmers and learn about the produce. >> people also say they should check out if you're going to a city, check out the town's convention and visitor's bureau. >> on the website before you go. also when you get there, too. they have great discounts. pick up leaflets. find out about restaurant weeks all over country. can you eat in restaurants that maybe would be less affordable otherwise.

>> kate maxwell, thanks and happy trails. >> and happy birthday. >> thank you. he still ahea t mosquitoesmosquitoeskocottos are here to tell what you to do with your tomatoes. right after these messages. has progress taken us to a better place? i'd say it's taken us for a ride. honestly, what thanks do we owe progress? we're up to our necks in landfill, and down to the wire in resources and climate change is out to get us. that's why progress plays no role inside post shredded wheat. here, we put the "no" in innovation. post original shredded wheat is still just the one simple, honest ingredient

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which can nourish deep down. new dove body wash with nutriummoisture. superior natural nourishment for your skin. >> announcer: "today's kitchen" brought to you dove. this morning on "today's kitchen," we don't just have one hot, schef. we have a family of them. >> scotto family is going to show us how the delicious fruits and vegetables of the summer can be combined into delicious recipes. >> good to see you all. >> thank you. >> very nice. what are we starting off with? >> al, we're starting off with tomatoes and sliced white and yellow peaches. we combined it.

we're going to put a red wine vinaigrette on top, salt and pepper, and you know what? it's the best of the season now. you can get better peaches or tomatoes. right now is the time. >> fantastic. move through this quickly so we save some time for elena. wait, hold on. we don't have time for elena. but first -- >> we do want to mention that we are now packaging our frozen foods. >> selling it through schw schwans.com. >> in fact, john, you should take these to the freezer right now. >> delivered right to your home. >> and al will clean up. >> i'm doing a red pepper and tomato soup. onions and garlic, i got the

tomatoes. going to cook it for about five minutes. okay. so after it's cooked, we put it in the broiler for about 15 minutes. >> you forgot the salt. >> okay. we got some honey. we got some balsamic vinegar. cool it down about ten minutes, put it into the blender. al, this is your part. you push the button -- >> oh, good job! >> it then looks like this. we have the kicker, which is our tabasco sauce. >> did your voice just crack there? going through the change? >> coming of age. you make me a little nervous. then we put a little mascarpone. >> you can serve this chilled. >> it would be great. it's part of the recipe. why didn't you tell everyone i made a mistake. >> no, i asked you, is it

chilled? >> it is time for elena. >> people realize tomatoes are a fruit but why would you use green tomatoes in this? >> if you use something under ripe it would give it lemony zest than if it was fully ripened. risotta. white wine, onions, garlic, let that cook down. >> risotto takes a long time to cook? >> yes. >> you just keep pouring this liquid? >> cover it and keep reducing it down. there is a little kicker to this. you need to add just a little bit of bacon fat. >> okay. >> cook that up. then we'll finish with green tomatoes. >> these are fantastic just by themselves. >> see bra coloko

>> yum. elena you're making a peach mint soup? >> it is a little lighter than what these guys have started off with. we simply start by cooking down our peaches with some water. we're going to add honey. >> how do you pick a good peach? we know it is in season right now. >> believe it or not, the way to pick a peach is one, to smell it. it has to be nice and fragrant. it has to be a little bit soft to the touch. you brightly colored. very important. so getting back to the recipe -- we're going to add some lime juice and little bit of peach liquor, orange juice. let this boil. then we go to our food processor. this is cooled down. we're going to blend this up, add a little bit of sour cream just to thicken it.

it is delicious. chill. >> you serve that chilled? >> we serve that chilled. we do, al. we're going to add some white peaches to it, a little bit of whipped cream. and just a sprig of mint. the nice thing about this is could you make it in advance, keep it in your refrigerator and enjoy your house guest. >> elena! >> mary and john, anthony and elena, the new york restaurant the scottos. back with more in a moment, but

the birthday boy has not just one, but two cakes. >> that is beautiful! >> i use this one in a pinch.

>> when we were in texas we knew your birthday was coming up so we got you what you really love. al's gourm nuts. >> thank you for letting me hold my nuts. >> we have a gift for you, too. >> really. >> yep. >> the gift that keeps giving. >> it's all for you. >> al, happy birthday. >> coming up, we've

our time now is 9:56. 79 degrees out there at ronald reagan national airport. a lot of humidity in the air. we'll get the forecast coming up. in the news for today, a physician's assistant faces sexual battery charges for allegedly touching patients inappropriately at a fairfax county doctor's office. jorge sanchez of hagerstown turned himself over to police. investigators say the 49-year-old touched the victims as he treated them at the chantilly specialist office. so far two alleged victims have come forward. delegates in northern virginia plan to announce a proposal to extend to potomac mills. lawmaker ay l laegontiis tonoce lonegislation to ilibstasy oityheudlaf t feasibility study of the ec tuedy t.ec the study aloneouosld ct

becauseesakenseak becauseilyite being moved to the fort belvoir area. students in the district head back to class o monday. this year there are several new vaccination requirements. if your child still needs his or her shots the school has set up clinics at four schools. those will be held at the kelly miller middle school, balou and coolidge high school from 2:00 to 10:00 p.m. all students are required to have vaccinations by september 8th. let's get a check on our forecast. we're going to tom kierein in storm centerrn moing. good morning. as we approach late morningin he is a view of washington in the distance. you can see the thick summer humidity that fills the air around the region. temperatures now climbing into the low 80s, we'll hit near 90 this afternoon, clouds in and out. a likelihood of passing afternoon thundershowers as well as early this evening. more on friday.

steamy into saturday, maybe a morning shower or afternoon thundershower east of washington. then drier a moves in saturday night into sunday and next week. >> we're struggling from the issues at the american leej bridge. 270 out of gaithersburg stop and go down so a lot of extra travel time needed. we're okay at the wilson bridge, 95 northbound, setting up the road work at lorton. look for midday delays. >> tonight at 5:00, hot gas as summer comes to a close there is time to save money. liz crenshaw reports what you can do to pinch pennies at the can do to pinch pennies at the

captions paid for by nbc-universal television hey, everybody. it's thursday, it's august 20th. we're very happy you're here to spend al roker's birthday with us. >> how old is al today? >> he's 55. >> 55 years old. happy birthday to al. we had fun today with him. he got two cakes. he got two cakes. scottos took care of him. >> we all love al. but the person you feel most at ease to tease is the person you truly, truly love. we all feel right at ease to be

able to tease him. >> you guys can just be in the makeup room in the morning, al roker walks in, he's like 10 decibels. he wakes the place up. since i've worked here i've never seen him walk in that room in a bad mood. not once in all those years. >> even what people don't see there, he's got them talking about willard scott -- ♪ everybody loves my willie ♪ everybody loves my willie scott ♪ he just never, never stops. we love him. help barth day. there is some news breaking right now. the lockerbie bomber, abdel baset al megrahi is now leaving scotland. >> on his way back to -- >> back to libya. this is the only person convicted in the lockerbie bombings. now the reason that scotland decided to release him because they called it a compassionate release that he has cancer, he is expected to live three more

months approximately. they decided to let him out. now the u.s. government was very upset with this. came out strongly, hillary clinton and company saying we think this is a horrible idea. i'm obviously paraphrasing. but they are very much agastin that. as you see now, he's actually leaving the airport. i wasn't sure this was really going to happen but it is happening. he was set free. >> is there outcry from international universal outcry? >> right now we're just hearing from the survivors of the victims who are extremely upset. >> they didn't have a chance to say good-bye to their loved ones. >> the thing that's frustrating, we don't have jurisdiction. it is not our court. it is obviously upsetting a lot of people. i can understand it, my gosh. you think why would a guy who was found guilty and responsible for all the deaths of these people be shown any mercy?

>> i'm all more mercy but that's a tough one. has peter gone too far? >> there is a billboard out there in florida. it is raising some eyebrows. it is -- here it is. okay? it's a picture of an obese woman and what it says on there is "save the whales, lose the blubber, go vegetarian." you can see there is a picture of an overweight woman and they're trying to make a point which is mean and nasty, quite frankly. >> i think it is going to backfire on peta. like so many things they do. there are fair-minded well-intentioned people at peta. they are all against cruelty to animals, which any decent person is. but for me, not at the expense of cruelty to people. is cruelty to people and it is pretty much the same thing as cruelty to animals. find a different way to make a n't aabtbou-utth isn't about

cruelty to animals so much as this -- i think they're trying to say if we're all concerned about health, then eat vegetarian. but it all goes to don't kill animals. >> i just think that what they try to do is they want to make headlines. that's why all those people are posing naked. >> i get sometimes -- you all right? >> yes. >> sometimes with some of the deals you don't get a lot of press for your group so how do you do it? you rattle cages, make people pay attention. but at what cost? >> i had a conversation with the woman who was the vice president of peta, she was talking about at mcdonald's they have the unfriendly meals, "unhappy" meals. children open it up and it is mutilated animals. it is a tough enough world for kids these days. teach your kid compassion at home. i think they go too far. but again, dzealots. they have blinders on. they should actually be doing

some damage, too, to people. i don't think they would want that, but that isometimes what happens. anybay, we can't solve -- did you hear about the guy that was so in love with his wife and so attached to his wedding ring he spent 16 months looking for it in the sea? >> he lost it on a beach somewhere, wherever it was on the beach. >> yeah. >> in the water. >> in the water. okay. where was he from? new zealand. he's searching and searching and searching for this ring and can't find it. >> he's been married three months. >> his wife says we'll get another one. he says i want that ring. he finds it. here's what happened to me. this watch my sister gave me i took off because it was hot. >> do tell. >> now we're bored. so i took it off on the beach and put it down and lost it. i went back, i was like where's

the watch? we're all digging in the sand. no one can find it. we go back next week, where's the watch. it was somewhere around here. can't find it, can't find it. we go back again, can't find the watch. stop. >> i'm yawning. i know the story. >> there was a guy with one of those things, he's walking around. my mom says, hey, would you mind doing that over here because she lost her ring -- i mean her watch. the guy goes like this, om, there's my watch. three weeks later, my watch. >> which still doesn't tell time. has never told time. >> whatever. it's five after -- 3:00 in the afternoon. >> right. i subtract. it's five after 10:00. >> you got to love the woman. you got to love the woman. >> wait. we have a little shout out. we love on page 6 when one of our guests gets mentioned.

louis licari was on 5th avenue snatching people off the street. >> we have louis licari doing it for next week. >> he's actually plucking women off the street with bad hair-dos and fixing them. >> a lot of people want a new do but don't want to pay for it. we had a huge reaction to mrs. obama's short -- shortgate, maybe we should call it. >> the most people who have ever logged in and posted their opinion on something dithn's. t. 300,000-plus responses on todayshow.com. >> overwhelmingly they felt it was totally appropriate for her to wear the shorts. >> two thumbs up for the shorts. 13% thought they were inappropriate. >> why all the brouhaha?

there is a park in new england, a park that stinks apparently. >> there's a rule in this theme park because there is so much b.o. floating around, i guess, can you not raise your arms on the rides. >> which do you prefer, b.o. or b.s. i prefer the b.o. because you can move away from that. >> not if you're on the plane. >> you're still talking about that? it was a very long trip she had back from dubai. >> anyway. >> don't make me laugh, hoda. >> but actually when you raise your arms you are sanctioned basically -- first they tell you, oh, lord. first they tell you that you should put them down. and if you do it again you have to leave the park. >> don't you love that? if you are offensive. >> they say the rides are really scary and you really start sweating and so when your arms

go up, it is also offensive. >> i thought they would go by there's so fast there is no way you're going to smell . oh, no. speaking of that, we have a thing for college kids going back to school. i'm taking this to my son in california tomorrow. it is a stinky dorm kit. apparently it works. contains two 16-ounce jars of odor neutralizing crystals and it is available for about $40? i'm taking this. >> cover your drink. >> i don't smell it. it's on the ice cream now. here, hoda, try this. what do we have this for? it keeps ice cream cold anywhere. >> i don't want to eat it now. >> you did it, you made yur bed, now you -- >> get past the top. good thing is this keeps it cold

anywhere for i think a few hours. i guess you take your -- >> even in the hot sun or anything else. we could have used that yesterday, couldn't we have? how hot wastat my house yesterday. >> we had a shoot at kath's house, doing something for "self" magazine natalie andry doing together. kathie lee was our coach/cheerleader. we were sweating. here's kath with cassidy with a pa parosol by the pool. >> you guys were bicycling, swimming and running. i was changing clothes and drinking. yes. >> on the phone, we have -- if you watch "the real housewives of aanta," it's huge. we have -- you know her well -- mimi. she's on the phone. hi, nene. >> hey, hi, how you guys doing

this morning. look at you. you girls look hot. >> thank you, baby. how are you today? >> i'm doing really good. >> you are doing well because you have a new hot book out. "don't make the same mistake twice?" >> "never make the same mistakes twice." i released my memoir last week across the country. >> good idea. but you need to send one to hoda fast. >> i did send one to hoda. you didn't get it? >> i didn't get it. >> um-hmm. >> i send one to you. >> i'm going to have to come over there and talk to the producers. >> the hoe is hot. you guys are really duking it out on the show. all the promos show like someone pulling kim's hair and someone cursing. what is going o with you guys this season? >> if you hate each other so much, why do you spend so much time together? >> with who? >> kim. >> oh, my gosh. i'm so not pulling kim's hair. that's shere.

everybody nose kim and i, we have our ups and downs but we always seem to find ourselves back together. >> what's shere's fallout about? >> the conversation started because i said i thought kim had said something about my husband. shere said she did. kim said she didn't. she just got into a big argument. >> that's a wig that kim wears, i think. >> that is a wig that kim wears. she loves her wigs. >> she does. whole line of wigs coming out soon. >> nene, good luck on the show an come back and visit us. >> thank you guys so very much. >> we're having kim on, by the way. nene. >> yeah, i heard kim an andy are going to be there. good luck to both of them. >> bye-bye. >> let's collection in with sara. >> we're talking about the peta

ad and if they went too far. majority of people wrote they went way to far. sherry, i thought advertising s to get our attention. well, they got our attention. >> most people think it went too far. >> but will it make anybody turn vegetarian? >> mary wrote in being a vegetarian can be successful for some but it is not a cure-all and you can actually gain weight if you don't do it right. >> this is electronic brilliance. two more women get pluckedou r ofour plaza for the royal ambush treatment. we're going to see the results right after these messages

>> announcer: "today's makeover" is brought to you by maybelline. maybe she's born with it, maybe it's maybelline. >> we're back with the results of "today's plaza "ambush makeover"s." >> louis licar j danill martin are both contributo dinishis week's special "us weekly" issue. they've plucked another two very lucky ladies, these two happen to be friends from the plaza for instant makeovers. >> yes, hello to both of you. how are you? the plucking is -- it is hot today. >> it is hot. it is the kind of weather when your clothes stick to you.

we have two great women from texas. personalities are big in texas! >> good. >> u're about to meet them. >he first ones kathy s,ole'sh0 5eolssar old from houston, texas.s edo her enar tri husband james for 20 yearseyh t have two kids together. for the last 23 yearse sh's worked as a transportation shma genaat a trucking company. shels geade with truck drivers l da aylong. cols rhe hair using boxed dye from the store and only pampers herself by taking long walks on saturdays. >> brittany, i know you want this for your mother. tell us why you want her to have a makeover. >> she's always working all the time and look, herat doesn't even match her shoes. come on. look at her outfit. she just needs a total makeover just to pamper herself. >> i think it was the hat that did it. but yes, there's opportunities here. >> opportunity. are you ready for three hours of pampering? >> oh, yes. i don't think i've ever gotten three hours of pampering. i'm looking forward to it.

>> she is a doll. btty's hes he along with her friend. we are going to show you -- again, keep your blindfolds on until we're done. show kathy before. all right, kathy. let's see the new you >> oh, my gosh. come on over, stand right there. you guys ready? >> take off your blindfolds. >> oh, my god! >> that's unbelievable. >> wait, mom, are you ready? take a breath. inhale. all right, turn. >> look how gorgeous you are. >> you look like a movie star. >> tell us about the hair. >> obviously she has a great haircut. if you have fine hair, keep the back short, at-home color user and abuser.

>> no more! >> i'm going to give her a formula actually that they can maintain that's a little deeper and look like it grew from her head, not came fro a model. >> that dress is hot. >> she has nothing girly in her wardrobe. >> the truckers are going to love it! >> brittany, what do you think? this is your mom. >> she's beautiful. >> kathy, here's the trick. we'll send you over there. can you not look because your friend's going to come out. >> just turn your back we have our second lady. jeanie engle, 44 from houston, married to joe, one daughter tether. during her 25 years working at the johnson space center she met heu h hsbdsb who is ad former restaurant. when she's not working she focuses all of her attention on her daughter. let's hear her story. >> well, you also want your mother to have a makeover. tell us why. >> she's always working and she

always takes care of me. i think she even takes care of the dog better than she does herself. i think it would be great for her to get a new look and change up her every day routine. >> do you take care of the dog more than herself? >> that's what she thinks. he's a golden. he takes a lot of work. >> well, we are going to take care of you. you ready to go? >> yes, i am. >> okay. we take one last look at jeanie, she's here with her daughter and friend. bring out the new jeannie. >> ready, kids? one, two, check it. >> whoa! >> all right. are you ready to turn around? >> okay, now we're going to bring -- hold on, hold on. close your eyes.

everybody close their eyes. ready? they're going to look at each other. one, two, check each other out? >> oh, my gosh. >> wow! >> i love it! >> the hair looks awesome. >> great little short haircut. we made her hair a lite bit more golden. she has pale skin and she accents it all with a little pink. >> she walked in and said i'm very conservative. we stepped that up a notch with this ann taylor dress. >> congratulations, both of you. you've been ambushed by the "today" show. still to come, special stain-removing secrets.

still to come, why you should -- you never know what's going to happen when a group of real housewives get together for dinner. >> kim'sn the house. it's all good.

we are following developing news t man convicted of bombing pan-am flight 103 has been freed. we'll have the latest developments and reaction. good morning. i'm barbara harrison. also coming up on "news 4 midday," this morning in the district a window washer left dangling nine stories up. we'll have the rescue story. "news 4 midday" begins at 11:00 a.m.

we're back. ever drip a little coffee on your dress? >> n problem! >> your pooch couldn't waitwalk? >> no problem! here to sta out those stains, jul lie, the "accidental housewife." >> you have tricks that actually work. >> we try. >> coffee stain. every day i come in with coffee stain. >> what do you want to do? i love using things handy around the house. hand sanitizer.

it is very inexpensive. always put something underneath. you just put a bunch on here and you never rub. what you would do is blot. you blot. always blot. that will come out. >> how long does it take? >> depends how bibb a slob you are. i put more milk in my coffee so it is a lot easier. >> you're on a picnic. watermelon. it is a hard stain. but using things we have around the house, hairspray. again, put something under it. you never let these stains -- set. you want to do them pronto. you don't put them in the dryer. if they're still there. because they'll never come out. >> the heat is the worst thing. >> yes. >> so spray. can you see it lifting already. >> i wonder why hairspray. >> something aerosol -- i don't know, i'm not a chemist. it has to be aerosol.

>> you sprayed it down when you're done. now what? >> dab it. like a pretreater. you just put it in the wash regularly. >> that's wild. >> that not only works for watermelon, ink stains. >> again kids are back in school. for my blogging friends, if kids come home grass stains, pizza stains, you just throw this right in. manicure friendly and time saving. >> this works as well. on a lot of different things. it also works on grass stains. >> we've got little doggies. sometimes you're too tired to take them out at night. >> i am never too tired to take my puppies said. >> that's not what hoda's saying. >> this is pee stain. >> the crew is always happy to

help. >> thank you, guys. they are toilet trained. first you blot as much as you can get. always blotting. blotting. >> she gets the british accent. >> i do french as well. then you mix 50% white vinegar and 50% water. you spray. quite a bit. saturate it. then what we will do, once it dries, love baking soda. it is good for cleaning, deodorizing. arm and hammer. love that. it is like a little science experiment. then a little hydrogen peroxide. >> then you mix with dish washing detergent. >> good grief! buy a little dog. >> or put a cocktail table over

the rug. >> my jewelry, only non-porous jewelry, things like diamonds and platinum. cannot be things like pearls. >> you let it set in the vodka? >> diamond are a girl's best friend. with vodka? hello! >> of course, after all this, have a dirty martini. by the way, tweet me at accidental housewife. >> cheers. >> up next,ma alsni downstairs in our studio. >> you're going to need a good drink. >> ooh.

we are back with my very favorite part of the show. julie stops by to introduce us to all interestingcreatures. >> if you won't make it to orlando's discovery park and sea world and busch gardens, julie is the person foryou.

bringing these babies here to us today. >> look at that! >> wait. show people. long tongue is in the test tube. >> the tongue is 16 inches. >> 16 inches? >> of all the animals we're going to bring today, they're from our park discovery park. you guys will like ts. this tongue is a little bit longer even. but willow is the baby. >> look at the difference in her fur. >> what's she doing? >> she's looking for grubs down there. >> her tongue is coming around the bark and getting the grub on the other side. >> i'm sorry. >> perfect demonstration. these guys -- look at how --

>> can you see that? >> feel this. leb her grab on to you. you can feel how powerful they are. that's what they've got. they have no teeth. they are using those to get into the termite mounds and into the ant mounds and all that. >> they eat termites, ants and little things like that? >> everything always has something that eats them. >> she's hanging on to me. >> tell you what, we'll take cypress off. put willow back down. this is a kinkajue, another small mammal from south america. people think they look like a

honey bear. that's actually their nickname. >> oh, my gosh. how sweet. >> they are in the -- when they get older they're not that sweet. it takes a lot of work -- >> to keep it domesticated? >> yeah. she's actually got a little bit of a long tongue as well. let everybody see how long that tongue is. >> how cute is that? >> they are one of the only male pollinators -- aside from bats, of course. >> she can't get it. we're so mean. >> we're going to make sure she gets some honey. >> on my head i've got a --

>> the nest. so over the hair -- >> they're only found in africa. what's really amazing is not only that they -- it looks good on you. >> get it. >> they like scampering. >> get it. why is it so at home there? >> two more birds from the really spectacular aviary -- >> just take it -- no, take it! >> hold out your arms. we're going to fly in two other birds. can you hang on to that one. hoda, hold out your left arm. >> oh, please. okay. tell me when it's over. >> there it comes. >> got it going, hoda!

>> you are just the bird magnet today. >> we love you. >> thank you. coming up next, guess who's in the house? we have kim with andy. take the birds.

if you've become addicted to the "real housewives," you're in luck. the cure awaits you. >> one of atlanta's southern belles is in studio with us. kim is back. the ladies are burning down the house with their ratings. maybe we can get a few secrets out of kim. >> she's here with andy. >> kim, first of all, you guys are rated through the roof. it's hot.

if you ever watch a tease or promo, you guys are fighting. someone's pulling your hair. you have a wig. someone's trying to yank it off. >> real classy, trying to yank my hair off. >> why was she so angry with you. >> because they try to accuse me of stuff that i really didn't say or didn't do. do i say stuff and i admit it to nene, but there is all this tension. nene have this connection above all of them that we always fine our way back do each other. >> we was on the phone with us at the top of our show and says you guys always wind up together. >> i don't know if it is a love connection. >> a love/hate relationship? >> it is not hate. she says things that hurt me. >> a wig pull, you can't underestimate the power of a wig pull. >> remember back in the day of

"dynasty" and they were fighting? everybody loves that stuff. >> remember on jersey housewives, somebody threw the table. then with your show, we see more physical. i feel like everyone's trying to amp it up. >> i think there was always violence in shere. >> are you guys amazed just at the celebrity that has come along with -- what's it like to be you? >> my life changed so quick. some people kind of gradually get into it. mine was like seven weeks and complete change. it's hard balancing my children. that's the problem i'm having right now, trying to keep my 12-year-old off the internet and trying to keep my kids balanced and focused. >> you had them on the air. was it a tricky decision for you? >> no, i didn't even think we'd be this big. i didn't know what to expect.

>> now have you changed your mind about exposing them so much? >> yes and no. they're like the most important thing in my life and i want people so see that. they're fantastic, i love to spend time with them. it hurts my feelings that i have questions for me that are hard to answer. they love nene, for example. when they see us fighting, they're like, mommy, why would she do that? we're learning how to deal with it. all in all, no regrets. >> is this the al you, the one we see on the tube? >> i think last year the reason i said i have to come back as season two, i can't be portrayed any worse than i was last year. i just think i was real naive. i haven't changed any but i was more outspoken this year. i tried to remain classy. >> look at you yelling. >> i don't like to be accused of stuff. ere tends to bring out the worst in me.

>> so the producers put you together more often than normal? just to make the sparks fly? >> um-hmm. >> you guys get together, you were trying to have a little summit to repair your friendship. then the wig pull happened. >> is this real what we're seeing? >> yes, it absolutely is. these are five women in atlanta who know each other in varying degrees. it is amazing to see how their relationships change. i think that's what people can't get enough of. i think you all are so volatile and exciting and independent and strong. >> you think i'm volatile? >> a wee bit. >> it is good for tv, as they say. >> kim, good luck. >> check out bravo's "the real housewives of atlanta" at 10:00 easrn, 9:00 central. set your alarm. when we come back, two somer moms you don't want to compete with.

we're back and we're "giving it a go" with the ultimate soccer moms. >> brandi chastain and mia hamm are soccer champions and champion moms as well. >> you have 2-year-old twins if. >> i do. i do. >> are they already playing? >> iey ava and grace. we have them doing squats -- no. >> how old are your kids? >> i have a near-21-year-old son and a near 3-year-old boy. >> the other one is my stepson but he's my son. i've gone through everything but this phase. mia and i have done so many great things through soccer that our kids have gotten a chance to witness. but i think what we're most proud about is being moms. >> of course. >> and being here to share with

you guys the message that we're sharing with america, don't play with the flu. we want to make sure our kids get vaccinated against the seasonal flu and how important it is for all of us moms. >> you guys write for an organization. show us a thing or two about soccer. >> we're going to start down here. kathie lee, you're on my team. excuse me, she's got skills. >> hello. >> brandi and i are going to dribble around the cones, pass to you, you drubl around and back. first one to shoot in the goal wins. >> what goal? >> the rock. here we go. >> go, hoda! >> yeah! >> what do you guys think about the future of soccer for girls?

when you guys were playing it wa on fire. everyone -- >> but you guys changed the whole game. >> i think that the future of this game is so bright. i think as moms we're so excited about it. i know for my two young girls to know this is an option for them to play professional, play in the olympics mean so much. >> get paid for what you love doing. >> do you remember when brandi t that -- >> i was expecting you to do that when you scored. >> this picture, do people still ask but that all the time? >> all the time. the great thing about it is, i think what people see in that picture is that it was an awesome opportunity for mia and i to share soccer with our world and the teammates and how great the game >>nk >> thank you very, very much. congratulations. tomorrow billy ray cyrus stops by. t