join us again at 9:00 for a full hour of the latest local news, weather and sports. good morning. paying tribute as a family, and the nation says good-bye to senator ted kennedy, questions as to whether his death will bring new life and new momentum to the cause he championed, health care reform. firestorm, thousands of homes threatened as a msive wildfire explodes overnight. what makes this wildfire so hard to put it out? freefall. a tangled parachute sends a sky

diver into a 10,000-foot plunge and he's alive to tell the story on this sunday, august 30th, and he's alive to tell the story on this sunday, august 30th, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on this sunday morning. i'm lester holt. >> and i'm jenna wolfe. to say that would be my worst nightmare would be an understatement. nding gears on airplanes.put you can actually walk off it. this is amazing. chute didn't open. >> imagine what he's probably thinking here. he reazes he has 10,000 feet to fall and he has no main chute. >> he's thinking he should have driven to his destination. >> clearly. >> we'll find out how he survived that incredible plunge and how he's doing. >> definitely. police responding to a 911 call discovered a horrible scene at a home there.

they say it's a mass homicide on a scale they've never seen on that county. we'll bring you the details, coming up in a live report. investigation into the case of the kidnapping of jaycee dugard just got even bigger. authorities have widened their search, adding a new crime scene. where they're looking now, just ahead. first, final farewell to senator ted kennedy. the senator was laid to rest after tributes stretching from boston to washington. here's nbc's andrea mitchell. >> reporter: in a drenching rain under leaden skies, the kennedys and the nation says farewell to teddy. awaiting him at the mission church in boston, his wife, vicki, pillar of strength during his struggle with cancer, his sister, jean, soul survivor of her generation. sergeant shriver, afflicted with alzheimer's. republicans and democrats

equally touched. honored by three of the four surviving presidents and the current president. above all else, it was a window into the family man. >> for my grandfather's brave promise last summer that the work begins anew, the hope rises again and the dream lives on. >> reporter: and the son, thanking the father who helped him through life struggles. teddy jr. who, as a 12-year-old, lost a leg to bone cancer. >> as i struggled to walk, i slipped and i fell on the ice and i started to cry and i said, i can't do this. i said, i'll never be able to climb up that hill. and he lifted me up in his strong, gentle arms and said something i will never forget. he said, i know you can do it. there is nothing that you can't do. we're going to climb that hill together, even if it takes us

all day. he taught me thatothing is impossible. >> reporter: and patrick, the rhode island congressman, revealing the private yearnings as a lonely child who kept his father at his bedside. >> i couldn't see it at the time, but having asthma was like hitting the jackpot for a child who craved his father's love and attention. >> reporter: president obama eulogized the senator as an heir to a weighty leg acy. >> we weep because we loved this hero who persevered through pain and tragedy not for the sake of ambition or vanity, not for wealth or power, but only for the people and the country that he loved. >> reporter: finally, edward moore kennedy left his beloved boston for one last journey to the nation's capital. at the senate steps, thousands greeted him, including current

and former senate aides. >> he knew that he was only great because he had great people supporting him. >> rorter: from there, he followed the same route his brothers had taken decades earlier to arlington national cemetery. senator kennedy was a frequent visitor there to his brother's grave. now his family reveals a final last testament. sent to pope benedict xvi, delivered by president obama. >> i was diagnosed with brain cancer a year ago and though i continuereatment, the disease is taking its toll on me. i'm 77 years old and preparing for the next passage of life. >> reporter: the senator told the pope he had been an imperfect human being, but had tried to right his path. as night fell, the kennedys said their last good-byes. illuminated only by the light of the eternal flame.

for "today," andrea mitchell, nbc news, washington. >> joining us now is david gregory, moderator of nbc's "mt the press." good morning. >> good morning. >> we watched as the nation paid its final respects to the senator that the washington times called the senator of our times. how wi they remember him? >> they'll take the measure of the man, which the tributes have been about the last couple of days and he was an extraordinary father, brother and uncle and he was a rock of a family that needed it. i think what struck me over the last couple of days is there are so many knedys who needed a father, who needed a father figure. and that was ted kennedy. and the importance of that can't be overstated. the legislative piece will be so important as well, that he made such an imprint through his work in the senate. and it took a long period of time, but he did it with

principle and with the power of oratory and sheer dedication. >> you were at this event sterday. it was poignant, it was emotional. what struck you most about the day? >> without any question, what moved me is what andrea reported. teddy jr., giving that talk, his eulogy, talking about losing his leg as a young boy, trying to sled and feeling so afraid and vulnerable that he couldn't get back up thatill. and his father saying to him, you can do it. there's nothing you can't do, and that he would walk up that hill with him. as parents, the best thing we can do for our kids is show them love and make them feel secure. and that's what he was doing in that moment. i think everybody in that church was incredibly moved by that. >> absolutely. you're dedicating the entire hour of "meet the press" this morning to the life of ted kennedy, including a conversation you had with his niece, maria shriver, right? >> yes. it was a very interesting conversation with maria. i talked to her about that final speech that senator kennedy, her

uncle, made at the 2008 convention. she was seen wiping tears from her eyes. he talked about his support for then senator obama and his passion, and in a way that was a long public good-bye and it led to the final year of his life, which i asked about. >> what was that final year like for him? >> well, i think it was, for me, watching this final year was beautiful, because i think, you know, there have been a lot of things written about teddy over the years, and it hasn't all been complimentary. and i think for someone to have that kind of love come at you is a very powerful thing, because very few people, i think, ever experience in their lifetime. >> very few people and notably what he got to experience, what ted kennedy experienced in this past year is something that his brothers could not experience, and that is the experience of how people felt about him. >> i want to ask you quickly about health care.

it became the cause of ted kennedy's professional life. undoubtedly, president obama will miss his presence in congress as he tries to pass this legislation through. some have expect lated that parties on both sides of the aisle will come together in his honor to come at this issue. do you think that's likely to happen? >> there's certainly a hope, based on what people have said that i've talked to from the white house as a legacy to ted kennedy. it may not be enough to bridge the differences we're seeing right now on this issue, but certainly there will be an attention focused on it because of how hard he worked for it. >> david gregory, thank you so here's lester. >> all right, jenna. now to the major wildfire threatening thousands of homes north of los angeles. it's one of ten wildfires burning across california right now. nbc's miguel almaguer joins us live from lakeview terrace. good morning. >> reporter: lester, good morning. since we last spoke, the fire has exploded in size. overnight, fire officials say

they believe it has tripled. the station fire has charred now more than 20,000 acres and despite the work of some 2,000 firefighters, only 5% contained. at this hour, it's estimated some 10,000 homes, 10,000, are in danger, said to be in the path of the fire. 4,000 have been evacuated. the station fire in la quinata is said to be moving in every direction. late last night fire officials called this, quote, the perfect storm. there's dry brush, hot temperatures and low humidity really fueling this fire. the governor declared a state of emergency. in fact, he'll come here to the firestation headquarters and be briefed by fire officials. the damage tops $1.3 million. containment on this blaze isn't expected until september 8th. so, still another week away. the good news is that only a handful of homes have been destroyed. the fire actually began last wednesday, and the hot weather is hampering firefighrs. they expect a very long day on

the front lines, lester. they say they've got a huge job ahead of them. >> remarkable pictures there. miguel, thank you. >> now let's get more of this morning's headlines from cnbc's melissa francis over at the news desk. >> good morning to both of you. good morning, everyone. police are investigating the murders of seven people found a mobile home in georgia. wtlb affiliate is in brunswick, georgia, where it happened. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, melis melissa. as you said, seven people were found dead inside the mobile home. the mobile home park is behind me. we're not allowed any closer because it's private property. when the coroner asked if it was execution style he said close to it. two people were found alive inside, at area hospitals in critical condition this morning. as for a suspect, police are simply saying everyone in the area needs to be cautious until

the investigation is over. and people living in this community say they are just completely in disbelief. they say this is typically a very quiet, peaceful community. melissa, back to you. >> corrine hautala, thank you for that report. jaycee dugard, kidnapped 18 years ago, authorities have expanded their investigation, cord onned off the property next door to philip and nancy garrido. the then girlfriend first called police suspicious of tents and children in garrido's backyard. a man in england is lucky to be alive, to say the least. video taken by a sky diver to slammed into the ground from 10,000 feet and survived. 30-year-old paul lewis' par. achute tangled and he cut that one. his second parachute did not come out. he suffered dislocated neck,

bruises and nerve damage. not surprisingly, he says he's not going to sky dive anymore. >> that's what i want tohear. so often you see these kinds of things, i'm going to do it again. >> what are the chances both chutes have issues and he lives on a tin roof? >> and he survives. >> and you can watch the whole fall on a computer. it's amazing! >> janice huff is here with a look at the weather. >> i'm going to sit right here. we're going to fly over across the country. we'll take a look at the weather. contrasts for you this morning. feeling like fall, almost winter across the northern plains, upper great lakes, temperatures in the 30s, parts of minnesota. to the southwest, they could use some rain and cooling off. sizzling again, 98 forw=w;w=w=w= meteorologist, chuck bell. we have clouds hanging over washington first thing this morning. they are on the move and will move away from the area.

temperatures in the mid and upper 60s in some areas. 72 here in downtown. forecast for today, skies will get bluer and bluer as the day goes along. a touc chicago. feels like fall. northeast, 84. 77 in boston. now here's lester. >> janice, thanks. up next, controversy over whether there is a link between one vaccine and autism. discover gives you a cash back bonus on every single purchase. what you do with it is up to you. what will you get ck with your cash back? it pays to discover.

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and autism. matt is here. >> we talked exclusively to the doctor at the center of it all, dr. andrew wakefield, influenced the lives and stirred the passions of parents all around the world while at the same time outraging the medical community. dr. andrew wakefield's controversial theory that raised the possible link between a childhood vaccine and autism has had an impact the world over. >> a child is vaccinated then something happened, children fell apart. >> his theory caused many parents to question a vaccine meant to save their children's lives. >> i have to look at the likelihood of my child contracting the disease, but i have to look at the particular vaccination and look at a likelihood of a severe or fatal reaction to that. >> and gave parents of children with autism a possible answer to the question why. >> dr. wakefield is a hero. i don't know where we would be without him, because no one

would listen to us before him. >> others see him differently. >> do you think he has done a lo of damage? >> i think this man has done a tremendous amount of harm and it amazes me that he doesn't accept the responsibility for that harm. >> dr. andrew wakefield sits down to address the conflict head on, after a decade of debate. >> i knew that there was going to be controversy, and it was going to challenge people's opinions. >> it's more than controversy, though. this has exploded, doctor. >> his theory laid the groundwork for a worldwide movement, questioning the safety of vaccines. despite tremendous opposition from the medical establishment, which points to numerous studies in hundreds of thousands of children that seem to have disproved him. >> he's actually a fascinating character. i mean, despite this amazing wealth of data that has shown his hypothesis to be correct, he still walks staunchly ahead, his head held high and he is unwilling to accept all the data that is shown him to be

incorrect. >> and refuses to back down. >> what the authorities need to realize is that the children are not going away, their parents are not going away and i'm not going away. so we need to get on and deal with it. >> while he may be considered an outlier by most of the established medical community, there is someone who believes he has to be heard. >> scientists have to be listened to, even if they're not popular. >> dr. bernadine healy says there could be a very small number of children affected by vaccines, that the large studies might be missing. >> i don't think it's terribly humble to say we have all the answers, stop, shut down the research. don't ask any questions. all the questions have, by no means, been answered. >> as for dr. wakefield, the controversy continues. >> i've heard people call you everything from a charlottan and a fraud. i wasn't sure if i was going to see a halo above your head or

horns coming out of your head. how do you feel about the controversy you've generated over this last decade? >> well, i think if you make an observation, which challenges policy or prophet, then there is going to be a reaction. i don't know whether vaccines cause autism. i know it's a legitimate question that needs to be answered. i'm not going to walk away from it. >> h he solved a medical mystery or has the debate about vaccines and autism sent people searching for answers in all the wrong directions? lester, this has been going on for a long time. although the medical community is strongly on one side, and andrew wakefield is on the other, he shows no signs of letting up and discontinuing his work, at least here in the united states. >> generally, how is he viewed within the medical community? >> the medical community, you know, some people, as i said, call him a charlottan, with no research to back up his findings. every major medical study that

has come out since his findings were published, a decade or so ago, have refuted his findings, yet these parents still want something to believe. >> and somere passionate, right? >> very passionate. they feel he listens to their problems and gives them hop that's what drives him on. >> he doesn't practice medicine here. >> doesn't have a license here. >> what's next for him? >> a medical council in the uk is investigating him right now. they could take the dramatic step of stripping his medical license in the uk but he says he is goingng on. >> "date line: a dose of controversy" right here on nbc. for my credit card. here's one from my prom. oh, what memories. how 'bout one from our golf outing? ( shouting ) i know, maybe one of my first-born son.

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still to come on "today," this little guy. plus britney did it. can whitney? e topped the charts for years, then fell from disgrace. when to save your money and wipe the hair off your suit. you. me. getaway. really? where? anywhere you want. a bed and breakfast? bed and breakfast. check. a place by the beach? a place by awesome. oh, you are smart. accumulate 10 nights and get a night free. welcome rewas from hotels.com. smart. so smart.

awesome. beautiful clouds there, but don't be worried because i don't think most of tho wil be sticking around, at laeeast according to meteorologist, chuck bell. good morning, i am keith garvin on this sunday, august 30th. thousands line the streets from the capital to arlington national cemetery yesterday to

say good-bye to the senator. the senator was laid to rest last night at arlington w cemetery next to his rs,heot , john andbobby. > >>boney. next, on "meet the press," maria shriver will share her memories ofer h e,clun along oh jth j kerry, andishr c dohrd. as well as kennedy's former speechwriter. two women are recovering from injuries after a hi inruaniln rerdrt kivep e therivtep g briisdehlltepin tha a this grill behind that yis areo touseo e.se po s belongs black black toyota suv or pickup truck. your weather is coming up next. stay with us.

it's almost september and starting to feel like it, chuck. >> yeah, starting to feel like it a touch. today is still feeling august-like out there. temperatures in the upper 80s today, which is average this time of year. by tuesday morning a lot of the suburbs will be down in the 50s, and pces west of the blue ridge by tuesday morning or wednesday morning will be in the 40s. right now, outside a beautiful sky over head. these clouds are out of their way out of the area. here is a check of doppler radar. the last of the showers drifting out of the great state of delaware and headed to southern new jersey. they are riding along a weather front stalled outside of the washington metro area. and you folks from fredericksburg and southern maryland might get a brief passing shower today, but by and

large most will be dry. temperatures right now, 60s and low 70s. we will be in the mid-80s for highs today. clouds will be back briefly today and might be bringing a passing shower along the weather front. today, cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid-70s, keith. keith. we are live and we're back on this sunday morning, august 30th, 2009, with a look at the crowd gathered at rockefeller plaza this morning. whitney houston is who you're listening to now. the song is called "salute" from her new cd "i look to you," being released tomorrow. still to come this half hour, we'll talk about whitney's redid

debut. she says don't call it a meback. it's what people are talking about, it's sort of a comeback after everything she's been through. >> her first album in seven years, has had a lot of downs over the last seven years. this is obviously a chance to sell some records again, but perhaps reenergize, restart her career. this could perhaps do the trick. we'll talk about that, coming up. also ahead, i'm a breakfast, cereal person. >> captain crunch, lucky charms? >> now that i've gotten older, my taste in cereal has gotten older as well. this is a much better picture to talk about that when we're talking about this. if your tastes are more classic, cheerios or super healthy, kashi cereals, we'll see which came in first, second, third, in a big survey. if you're having that battle with the kids, kids' cereal, adult cereal, which wins out . d >> i have that battle between

myself. medicine for your pet, what should you save on, what should you splurge on? we have puppies in the house. boy, is that a cute one. we'll talk about when to spend money on fido and your kittens. >> you have a dog? >> i do. >> what kind? >> a mut, rescued dog, little millie. >> hopefully, she's watching. we'll get another check of the morning's top headlines with cnbc's melissa francis. a raging wildfire in california has tripled in size due to high winds, expected to continue today. nbc's miguel almaguer is there with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: melissa, good morning. firefighters are calling this, quote, the perfect storm. they say dry brush, low humidity and hot temperatures are really fueling this blaze. it has now scorched more than 20,000 acres. it is said to be only 5% contained. the big headline is that this fire really tripled in size overnight. it is now threatening some 10,000 homes, 4,000 homes have

been evacuated. that number could grow as the day goes on. the governor has declared a state of emergency, the price tag to fight this fire is over $1 million right now. it's expected to burn all the way into september for another week. firefighters have a long day ahead of them. it's going to be a very tough battle on the front lines, melissa. >> miguel almaguer, thanks so much. police in georgia are investigating the scene of gruesome murders found inside a home. there have been no arrests and police have not released motive. the mother who caused a deadly wrong-way crash in new york last month was not an alcoholic, according to autopsy results released. her blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit at the time of the crash. she also had marijuana in her system. eight people, including four children, were killed in the crash. finally acres global tribute to the king of pop. fans around the world gathered saturday to honor michael jackson on what would have been his 51st birthday.

there was singing and dancing from as far away from europe and taiwan. and in new york, thousands turned out for a tribute party hosted by film maker spike lee. that's a check on the news. back to lester, jenna and janice. >> melissa, thanks very much. let's turn to janice now on the other side of the plaza with a check of the weather. >> thank you, lester and jenna. two brothers and a sister from new hampshire. what's your name? >> brett. >> you? >> drew. >> you? >> hope. >> i understand you slept out for the miley cyrus concert here on the plaza. how did that turn out? >> it was terrible. >> not miley, but the weather was bad, wasn't it? >> yeah. >> what did you guys do? >> stayed in the hotel room and watched it on tv. >> smart. you're my kind of guys. >> you had fun anyway, right? >> yeah, we did. >> parents right there. don't want to miss them. let's check the weather, see what's going on around the nation today. thunder showers across the gulf coast. air quality is bad this morning around houston.

temperatures will be quite warm across south texas. feels like fall in chicago. your high, 66 today. meanwhile, 111 in phoenix. sizzling in the west. heat will remain from oregon through california and into the southwest as well as west texas. tomorrow freezew=w=w=w=w=w=w;w=; a good sunday morning. no freeze warnings in the immediate future, but by wednesday morning a lot of the western suburbs my cut to th upper 40s. a taste of autumn is on the way. and right now temperatures are around 72 here in washington, d.c. and highs today up in the mid-80s with increasing amounts of sunshine. the sun doesn't go down until florida, in the 90s. south texas, same thing, southern california and the southwest, 90s to above 100. now here's lester.

>> janice, thanks. coming up next, whitney houston's new album. will it be the diva's new comeback? we'll talk about that and more. 10 years. i used to wonder why my controller medicine wouldn't help prevent... ...help prevent my symptoms from coming back. i just figured it couldn't get any better. and then i found out something i didn't know... i found out there are two main causes of asthma symptoms... ...airway constriction you feel and inflammation you may not. most controllers don't treat both. so my doctor prescribed advair. advair treats both main causes to help prevent symptoms in the first place. (announcer) advair contains salmeterol. salmeterol may increase the chance of asthma-related death. so advair is not for asthma that's well controlled on another controller medicine. advair will not replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be taken more than twice a day. talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of advair. if you take advair, see your doctor if your asthma does not improve or gets worse. if you're still having symptoms ask your doctor how to help prevent them with advair.

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in the seven years since whitney houston released her last album, headlines have focused on her personal problems instead of her music. the man who discovered whitney houston and coaxed her back into the studio is hoping to change all that. here is nbc's chris jansing. >> reporter: in the '80s and '90s, the world was in love with whitney houston and her soaring vocals. in hit after chart-topping hit. >> in her prime, the best voice out there. one of the best voices ever out there. >> reporter: houston's mega watt talent matched only by her beauty. it was a rapid rise to stardom, followed by a breathtaking fall. houston's tumultuous life was splashed across tabloids, rehab,

missed concerts, messy divorce from singer bobbi brown. now poised for a comeback with clive davis. >> i picked up the phone and called her one day and i said, you know, it's time to get back to work. she was a little stunned. >> reporter: 3 1/2 years later, houston is about to release her first album in seven years. "i look to you" is filled with songs of triumph over adversity, written by others but true to her life. >> is this emotional? absolutely. is this a personal feeling of gratification, apprehension, anxiety, concern as she gets into rigors? ye, ucvery mh so. >> reporter: reviews have mostly been good, including "usa today" and "billboard," even while acknowledging that time and hard living have shaved some notes off that range.

>> nobody of her age can. and the great ones find ways around it. >> reporter: houston returns to a changed musical landscape, dominated by much younger singers, miley, taylor, beyonce. an online promotional video reminds the world of a whitney so good she sold 170 million albums and singles. can her star rise again? >> my mail would indicate that thworld is rooting for whitney houston. >> chris jansing, nbc news. >> nbc news contributor joins us from los angeles. good morning. torii, what kind of music is it and how does she sound? >> her music is very r & b. she has a couple of songs that are more pop, but she sounds okay. she doest soundike the whitney that we remember, especially off the "bodyguard"

sound track, no big numbers, no big songs, she doesn't hit that note that we all sing in our shower. it's a good album. it's just good. it's not great. >> you think if her fans liked her before they'll like this album as well? >> they'll pick it up because they have those few songs that speaks to the trouble she's been through. my favorite song on the album is "i didn't know my own strength" which could be a gospel album, r & b and could play on the pop records -- pop stations, excuse me, and encapsulates where she has gone. >> singing from the heart. don't call it a comeback, i've been here for years. she has been here for years, but hasn't been singing for years. how is the music industry reacting to this newest work now? >> well, i mean, like many people, i think there's just a nervousness about what's going to happen to whitney with this project.

her sales have been declining. two albums ago, 4 million records sold, last album was 700,000 and now everybody's sales are in freefall. there's fewer places to expose a singer like this. the brand has been damaged by the reality show being bobbi brown, rampant stories about drug abuse. and it's a difficult time for her to come back in terms of where her life has been the past few years, in terms of where the industry has been the past few years and where it is right now. it's just really, really difficult. i talked to her and she said when clive called, she was thinking about buying her island home and leaving this whole rat race thing. >> right. >> that's kind of like, well, why didn't you do that? how could this be better than that, living on an island home? she kind of misunderstood the question. she's like, what are you talking about? living on an island home is way better than this. i don't know. >> let me ask you, based on what trey said, she's had a rocky

seveyes, drug rehab stint, divorce from bobbi brown. is america ready to reembrace her? not just her music, but the whole concept of whitney houston? >> we love a comeback, ike and tina turner, we went out in droves to see what's love got to do with it. we've been waiting for her to come back to realize you are better than this guy, be the diva that you were, ome back. we dyinelit aer c lto to come back. that delefinne inthy o of e reasons why clive davis wbl ae to get half the music industry in new york, lincoln center just to see her. you know what i mean? i think we're all anxious for that. >> one thing i did read is that she will not be giving many -- or any live interviews and will not really be touring at all. why is that? does she not want to put herself out there? >> i mean at her age it's going to be difficult to do those big songs, big note, use that voice the way she used to do, night after night. she's going to need two, three, four nights to rest the voice

before she can go again. here is another problem for her. at her age it's hard to tour, you know. as i said, it's hard to get exposure. how do you pull new people into your tent when you can't go out and touchhem at the garden, staple center, et cetera? maybe wel see her do one or two big dates. you can't do a ton. regular people are saying now you have to pay attention to that instant messaging of twitter and facebook. if she goes to radio city music hall even and doesn't have a perfect night, twitter and the whole world tells you there's a problem and the whole brand starts to crumble down. >> whitney houston's new album comes out tomorrow. thank you for joining us. now here's lester. >> thank you. this morning on save versus lurge, the economy may be in the doghouse but may not know it from the way we spend on pets, sales have reached $43 billion

in 2008 and are expected to climb to $45 billion this year. the question arises, when should you drop big bucks on your favorite animals? pet expert andrea arden is here. good morning. great to see you. >> good morning. >> barking ovation there. >> yes. >> good place to start in terms of whether to save or splurge. are you better off going to a breeder, getting a purebred or adopting? >> absolutely better off going to a shelter and adopting. you're saving an animal's life and on the initial cost. it will be about $150 to $200 opposed to $500 if you're buying from a breeder. they will ao be ayed a neutered already. purebreds, mixed breeds, some shelters have reptiles and other types of animals. >> puppies and kittens everywhere. >> you're sneaking away. >> let's talk about foods.

all brands of food, different prices. save or splurge when it comes to food? >> splurge when it comes to food. buying a premium brand, wellness is a good example, is a good option. you're going to ensure that your pet will be that much healthier, no artificial flavors, colors or fillers. those things will potentially cause health problem. >> some of the things you wouldn't want in your own diet. >> right. >> this guy over here has a chew toy. these dogs are playing with little plastic things. talk about toys. it's expensive to replace the things they chew up. save or splurge? >> absolutely save. you buy toys that are food stuffable. the reason for that is, first of all, they keep your puppy very busy. they make them for cats also. these will be reusable. these two toys that cost anywhere from $7 to $10 could be used for the next year or two as opposed to a toy they would ingest and play for a day or two. >> and hold their interest. that's great. let's talk about medicines. being a pet owner, you can spend a lot of money on medicines and

first aid, that sort of thing. >> yes. >> is this an area we should be splurging or you want to save? >> splurge to seeing a vet on a regular basis. when it comes to prescription medication, get your prescription and go on to websites like 1-800-pet meds and get those prescriptions filled at a much lower cost. >> first aid is something to be thinking about? >> you should actually splurge on this. everybody should have a pet first aid kit handy in their car or home. the reason for this is because if there is an incident where there's an accident, you can, hopefully, use these things in the first aid kit to protect your pet until you get them to the vet. >> something we often don't think of for animals, but a great idea. other supplies in general, things add up. >> so ny things out there, fancy shampoo you want to splurge a little bit on or things like pads, clean-up tools. you can save a lot of money by going on the web and searching, pet net direct, a great place to get all the things you would

find in a retail shop at a much lower cost. >> this puppy has a little vest on. more than a fashion statement? >> you might think isn't this the place i would save? you're seeing a safety vest, which we should always splurge on. walking your dog in the early evening or later evening, you're going to be able to be very visible, as will your pet, which means you'll both be safer. >> we talked about how much people are spending right now. why are we spending so much on our pets? >> if there's any place we feel good about indulging ourselves, it's indulging the animals we share our lives with, and i think they deserve it. >> yeah, because they are a big part of it. >> yeah. >> animal haven here in new york. >> animal haven. >> all these dogs are kittens are available for adoption? >> yes. r family's "ifs" can be confusing.

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this morning on "today's" taste test, breakfast cereal. if that's how you start your morning, pay attention. real simple magazine polled its readers to get their taste options. staff editor susan russ. good morning. >> good morning. >> things come and go, change all the time, but breakfast cereal is a staple, it's there all the time. >> people are eating more breakfast at home because of the economy. we want to give you healthy choices. >> right. let's go through it all. we have a bunch of categories. i'm really not that surprised it's cheerios. >> great overall oaty flavor

appeals to adults and children, one gram of sugar. you can't go wrong with cheerios. >> this is a bowl that could feed an army of 1,000. that's how much cereal i eat. but it's not the end of the world. >> not bad at all. >> best raven bran. so many out there. you like this one. >> please taste. >> cascadian, organic cereal, plump juicy ravens, good balance between the flakes and the raisins. >> that's good. >> i like that. >> we like that one a lot. >> next up -- i'm always worried about this. you look for the best fiber brand cereals. usually you think cardboard, but you found one that doesn't taste like it? >> good time to get your fiber in the morning. kashi go lean has puffs. >> they like the taste of this? >> yes, overall. >> it's good for you? >> a lot going on, different tastes in there.

it's not boring. it doesn't taste like cardboard. >> that's pretty good. crunchy. >> might convince the kids to eat that one as well. >> what about shredded wheat? am i convinced it's something kid also want to eat? >> sometimes they are, kashi, autumn wheat, nice airy crunch to it. >> can i taste it? >> yeah. it's not too sweet. you get a little fiber in there as well. it's filling. >> seems like there's a lot of fiber in here. >> you said you exercise in the morning. >> who, me? no, i don't know what you're talking about. >> if you want something sweeter, post shredded wheat. >> that's sweeter? >> yeah, if you want to nibble that. >> no, that's okayo. i feel ke a ho kids at home they want their sugar cereal, parents want something healthy. you found a way to blend the two. >> with the total cinnamon crunch. >> pour that milk. >> yes. try this. smaller than the standard. >> cinnamon crunch, what is it?

>> total cinnamon crunch. try that. see if you like that. >> i'm sure i will. >> this is much better than cardboard. >> mmm. >> we like that a lot. >> this is fabulous. >> that' good. kids love it. >> it's healthy for you, right? >> it's healthy for you. >> it's total. >> you can get your fiber and everything. your backup is the honey nut cheerios, which appeals to the whole family, not too sweet. >> these are really the ones you want to go for? >> everyone was happy with these choices. >> i'm going to stay through t commercial break and finish up every bowl. you don't have a problem with that, do you? >> not at all. >> we'll be back right after these messages. when it comes to being more like the original,

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good morning, lester. special tribute to the life, legacy and political career of senator ted kennedy. with us, his nieces, mariaan k shrir andathlathleen kennedy townsend, john kerry and chris dodd, plus bob shrum and doris kearns goodwin. >> many thanks to melissa francis and janice huff, and lester holt. why people over 50 are start in to get back into tattoos again. >> i'm turning 50 this year. >> and? >> and i am not. sesame street, we'll find out what happened when we get a visit from elmo. thanks for being here, enjoy the visit from elmo. thanks for being here, enjoy the rest of your weekend.ee -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

the final resting place for another beloved politician. plus the ominous orange glow of wildfires threatening million-dollar homes. why firefighters are having such a difficult time getting the upper hand. horror in a small town. seven people found dead.