good morning. remembering patrick swayze. the 57-year-old actor who danced into the hearts of millions of fans in "dirty dancing" has died following a 20-month battle with cancer. this morning a look back at his most memorable roles. arrest imminent? police identify a potential suspect in that brutal murder. a campus worker who has reportedly failed a lie detector test and has scratch marks on his body. now investigators are trying to figure out a motive. and speechless.

on the debut of his new primime show, jay leno asked kanye west about what his late mother would have thought about that awkward disruption at the "vmas." >> what do you think she would have said about this? >> how that question nearly brought the rapper to tears today, tuesday, september 15th, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a tuesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and i for meredith, i'm ann curry. this patrick swayze news hit a lot of people really hard because he touched so many of us with his heart and his work and his fight with pancreatic cancer. >> a prolific actor, even with treatments he continued to work but unfortunately his fight

ended on monday when he died with his family at his side. swayze's performance in 1987's "dirty dancing" made him an instant superstar. this morning his co-star, jennifer grey, is remembering him. much more on his life and career in just a couple minutes. also ahead, today is an important day for prince harry. he turns 25 today and receiving one very generous gift left to his by his late mother. this is also a day that dan brown fans have waited for for six years, the release of his new book, this one's called "the lost symbol." a rare and exclusive interview with one of the best-selling authors of his generation. let's begin with the death of actor patrick swayze. here's nbc's george lewis. ♪ and i owe it all to you >> reporter: swayze leapt into hollywood stardom in 1987 with

"dirty dancing," a role of a lifetime that he had been preparing for since he was a kid in houston. his mother, patsy, is a famous dance choreographer who trained patrick for ballet at an early age. he met his wife of 33 yes, lisa, when at age 15 she began taking lessons at his mother's studio. after his dancing ability led to broadway, swayze landed tv and movie roles, playing young, tough guys in "the outsiders" and "red dawn." on the tv series "m.a.s.h.," he had a brief role as a dying soldier. >> i don't know much about leukemia, but i know there's no cure. >> reporter: then came his big break. in "dirty dancing," swayze got to show off the moves he learned as a teenager and his acting chops as well. >> nobody puts baby in a corner. >> "dirty dancing" is a movie that really is a touchstone for a generation, so he's always be remembered for that. >> reporter: it catapulted swayze onto hollywood's "a" list

and the title of sexiest man alive in 1991. >> it's absolutely flattering to me. it makes me feel great and opens doors in my life and makes people keep coming to my movies. >> reporter: he could still play the tough guy in movies like "road house." but he was able to show his sensitive side in romantic roles like "ghost." ♪ wait for me >> reporter: and he wasn't afraid to make fun of himself. swayze's chippendales skit with chris farley still ranks as one of the all-time funniest moments on "saturday night live." a self-described seeker, swayze was always looking for spiritual direction from catholicism to scientology and finally buddhism. as his star power faded in the '90s, swayze turned to his other fashion, training show horses. throughout his life he struggled with bouts of binge drinking and a heavy smoking habit. >> and now please welcome

patrick swayze. >> reporter: in january of 2008, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and received a standing ovation on the stand-up to cancer live television special. >> tonight i stand here, another dividual living with cancer. if i leave this earth, i want to leave this earth just knowing i've tried to give something back and tried to do something worthwhile with myself. and that keeps me going. >> reporter: after months of radiation and chemotherapy swayze rallied through a grueling five-month shoot in chicago to play the lead in an a&e television series called "the beast." >> you can trust your damn case file, and you can trust me. my work is my work. my work is what i do. it's my legacy. >> reporter: it would be his last major role. >> i'd love, by the time i die, to have a career like geep kelly, dustin rofman, robert deniro wrapped into one. ♪ i had the time of my life >> reporter: and as patrick

swayze was having the time of his life on the screen, he managed to light up the lives of his many fans. for "today," george lewis, nbc news, los angeles. >> yeah, he was a good guy. and speaking of lighting up the lives of his many fans, he did that for a young lady on this program not long ago. we're going to show you a clip of that a little later in the show. >> i think that the reaction really crosses generations, even my daughter was just -- when we heard last night the news -- oh, you know, because he was really great and such a sweet man. we've got other stories to get to iluding new developments in the murder of that graduate student on the campus of yale university. investigators have reportedly identified a suspect, a man who worked in the building where annie le's body was found behind a wall on sunday. nbc's jeff rossen is at police headquarters in new haven, connecticut. jeff, good morning to you. >> reporter: ann, good morning to you. here's what we know at this hour and the story is still developing. law enforcement sources now tell nbc news the suspect is a lab worker, a yale employee who worked in the very same research

lab as the victim here, annie le. and we're told this morning an arrest could come at any moment. investigators worked overnight as a suspect emerged in the case. law enforcement sources tell nbc news it's a yale lab worker who failed the lie detector test and has defensive wounds. police sources say the lab tech has scratches on his chest. he works at the same research lab as annie le. her body was discovered stuffed in a wall in the building's basement. >> she would have yelled and screamed for help. and i am not surprised that this person has scratches on his body. the way he harmed, you know, annie, where he placed annie, it's just absolutely mind boggling and just gruesome. >> reporter: le was last seen in this surveillance photo walking into the lab one week ago today. she never walked out. police sources tell nbc news they still don't have a motive why the lab tech or anyone else

would kill this medical student, a bride-to-be, just days before her wedding. >> he felt comfortable that he had, number one, enough time to assault the victim and kill her, and number two, to hide her body and get awaynd still not be seen by anyone else. >> reporter: at a candlelight vigil on campus last night, thousands of worried students showed up. and so did yale's president who tried to reassure them. >> our commitment to truth, openness, trust and collaboration. is making the world a better place. we will endure. >> reporter: for the first time annie le's roommate spoke publicly. >> that this horrible tragedy happened at all is incomprehensib incomprehensible, but that it happened to her, i think, is infinitely more so. >> reporter: they were here for annie but could not ignore their own fear. on campus that nervous feeling that the suspect is one of them, a member of the yale university

community. >> i could just go to work one day, and i'm not even aware that someone has something against me? how can i proceed like that every day? >> it makes us all feel powerless that we couldn't be there to help her and be there for her. >> reporter: police have interviewed more than 100 people during the course of this investigation. and according to published reports, they've actually intervwed the suspect several times. and matt, they really focused on him, according to those reports, because he could not explain those fresh scratch marks on his chest. once again to reca we're expecting an arrest, according to police, later this morning. >> jeff ross known new haven, connecticut, jeff, thanks very much. let's bring in criminal profiler pat brown. pat, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. >> if you look at the facts we've just learned from jeff, if these are all true, we've got a guy with scratch marks on his body, defensive wounds. he perhaps has failed a polygraph. he had access to that secure lab where the murder allegedly took

place, and yet he's not in custody. they must have this guy under complete 24-hour surveillance. >> absolutely. they don't have to bring him in as long as they know exactly where he is, and they're keeping an eye on him. they want to make sure they have those ducks in a row before they actually go ahead with the arrest because they want to make sure their probable cause is good enough. >> where the murder allegedly took place, if we stick with this potential suspect for a second and this is someone who worked in that lab, he had to know it would have been discovered sooner or later where he works which pretty much ties him to the crime. what does it tell you about the planning or the lack thereof? >> i'd say the lake thereof. i'd never believe this is a premeditated crime. one thing about a serial killer, they want to pick locations where they can grab the victim, do her in, run off and nobody has a clue who it is. in other words, if it's a serial killer, you know, he doesn't have to go for her. he can go and grab some girl on the street and throw her in the

bushes and look at all of new haven and say who could it be? this location just says to me not premeditated. this guy had an obsession with her, one of those psychopathic stalkers. >> so crime of passion? >> there's no such thing as a crime of passion. the sky is a psychopath who thinkshis girl should be mine. she didn't pick me. she picked this other guy. how could that be? what an insult. she's getting married sunday and it's my last chance and i have to make my move on her. it takes a psychopath. >> police are analyzing a large amount of physical evidence. it seems to me if you have a suspect with scratches on his body, i mean, just sounds logical, you go to the victim's body and look under the fingernails. and if there's matching skin or dna, you've got your person. >> right. i don't think -- there's not a question in my mind they're going to put this guy away. we're not looking at a stranger homicide, you figure out who it is three years later and he's had time to get rid of his clothing and scratch marks have vanished and there's nothing matching him.

in this case we have evidence right there. that's why i say it's not premeditated and they'll put him away unquestionably. it's a shame that annie had no clue thi guy obsessed with her and her own fault was that she was very sweet and didn't recognize the signs this guy was really stalking her. >> pat brown, appreciate your insight. >> thanks, matt. now to tough talk from president obama. this time not about health care but the economy. the president traveled to new york's financial district on monday and lectured wall street on its home turf. nbc's chief white house correspondent chuck todd has more on this. chuck, good morning. >> reporter: the president taking a break from pitching health care, has been turning his focus this week to the issue that propelled him into office, in part, the economy. >> i want everybody here to hear my words >> reporter: one year after the near meltdown of the nation's financial system, the president says the storms are beginning to break and the system is returning to normal. but he had a stern warning for wall street. >> those on wall street cannot resume taking risks without

regard for consequences and expect that next time american taxpayers will be there to break their fall. >> reporter: in an interview with cnbc's john harwood, the president said lessons from the past year have not been lost. regulations must be stronger. >> if washington does not provide the kind of regulatory oversight that's needed, then ironically, what you may end up with is the government being even more mettlesome in the markets than it otherwise would have been. >> reporter: while the white house has allowed congress to take the lead on health care, a decision many observers have since questions, the administration has gone another direction on this front, crafting the detailed financial reforms themselves. >> the country is headed in the wrong direction. >> reporter: over the weekend tens of thousands of protesters descended on washington to voice their opposition to a number of obama's initiatives including his health care reform proposal. >> you lie! >> reporter: today south carolina republican joe wilson faces the possibility of a resolution of disapproval in the

house for his outburst during the president's speech last week. but wilson has been getting nearly unanimous support from congressional republicans and despite calls that he apologize on the house floor, he pointedly did not do that when he spoke there monday. >> in conclusion, god bless our troops, we'll never forget september the 11th and the global war on terrorism. >> reporter: could be a wild day on the hill. and meanwhile, the president hits the road again today, pitching mostly the economy. he's visiting a gm plant for the first time since he led the government into that intervention into general motors and the essential takeover of that. by the way, the president will be making his first appearance as president on "meet the press" this sunday. ann? >> chuck todd this morning. hey, chuck, thanks. let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories from natalie who's over at the news desk while ann is next to me here. natalie, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt and ann and good morning to you. the iraqi reporter who threw a shoe at then president george w. bush is free today. he was released this morning

after spending nine months in a baghdad jail. he says he was beaten and tortured with electric shocks during his first days in custody. he's considered a hero in the arab world after flinging his shoe at the former president during a news conference last december. u.s. envoy george mitchell is in the mideast today meeting with israeli and arab leaders. he urged benjamin netanyahu to stop building israeli settlements in the west bank. officials say there was no threat to new york city after an fbi terror raid on three residences in queensn monday. at least one person was arrested. investors watching retail sales this morning. trh regan is at the new york stock exchange. trish, wall street is hoping consumers are back to spending especially with back to school. >> they sure are, natalie. that's an important part of this economic recovery. so traders are watching this number. they're watching all of this economic data really because they need data that's going to support a bullish market. don't forget, we've seen a significant rally in the last six months.

well, at some point the economy needs to catch up to that. so for that reason, they're going to keep an eye on that. the health of the consumer is obviously critical to any kind of economic recovery. also chairman -- fed chairman ben bernanke is speaking today, so that will be another highlight as well, natalie. >> trish regan at the new york stock exchange, thank you. a dramatic landing in germany monday when a plane with landing gear problems skidded across the runway with flame s shooting from underneath. fortunately no one on board was seriously injured. and one of the greatest upsets ever at the u.s. open. in a four-hour, five-set match, argentina's juan martin del potro defeated five-time defending champion roger federer who at one point even lost his cool during the match and began swearing at an official. it is del potro's first grand slam title, and he'll be stopping by a little bit later on to celebrate with us. we're looking forward to that. 7:16. back over too matt, ann and al.

he collapsed on the court, couldn't quite believe it himself. >> sobbing. >> we've got work cut out for us if we're going to pronounce his name like that. >> say it one more time. >> juan martin del potro. okay. i was going to call him juan martin del potro. >> nobody says it like natalie. >> thanks, natalie. mr. roker, how you doing? >> you want to say something, ann? >> no, what's going on? >> well, what's going on is the same thing that's went on for the last 24 hours. this low-pressure system in the southeast, this upper low, will not stop. it's continuing to bring showers and thunderstorms down through the southeast. we've also got another upper-level low that??oo?o?eo?eo here the sun is up and it's a mostly clear sky and partly cloudy across virginia and near the bay, mid-60s and highs in the mid-80s, the warmest day of the week. increasing clouds tonight and by

tomorrow, drizzle and a cloudy day to follow. mid-70s and light rain from time to time. again and that's your latest weather. matt? >> thank you very much. jay leno kicked off in primetime last night here on nbc, and as promised, jay had the audience laughing as he poked fun at current events. but the moment that's getting the most attention this morning was one that brought no laughter at all, just silence. here's nbc's lee cowan. >> your host, jay leno! >> reporter: after three months of buildup, the stage was jay leno's again. >> this is not another annoying pro. this is the actual show. >> reporter: he said he wanted his primetime experiment to be topical, and it was. >> it's been a busy week for president obama. i understand he's having kanye west and taylor swift to the white house for a root beer summit. >> reporter: he didn't waste any time getting to the pop culture

headline of the day, kanye west's outburst at the "video music awards." >> taylor, i'm really happy for you. i'm going to let you finish. but beyonce had one of the best videos of all time. >> reporter: after that outburst, kanye's scheduled appearance on leno's show made opening night even more timely. >> it was rude, very, you know. i would like to apologize to her in person. >> reporter: while the apology wasn't necessarily a surprise, jay leno's next question about kanye's recently deceased mother was. >> let me ask you something. i was fortunate enough to meet your mom and talk with your mom a number of years ago. what do you think she would have said about this? >> reporter: the studio fell silent. >> that was priceless stuff. that was the kind of hugh grant moment that we'll remember for a long time. >> reporter: especially for the live studio audience.

>> it was very awkward. but i thought that jay asked a fantastic question. >> reporter: upntil that moment, jay's new show had spent the hour poking fun at itself. >> i mean, is your staff aware that i have not been on television for 11 years? >> reporter: first guest, jerry seinfeld, hinted jay could have done better on the celebrity front. and then there was oprah, sort of. >> i'm on that new jay leno show. >> really? >> yes. >> what time is that on? >> reporter: in the end, it wasn't a new jay, it was just the jay most remember. >> and while we're off the government started this program to give people money for their old cars, i made $5 billion. >> reporter: beyond laughter, it was the silence from his opening night that his fans might remember most. for "today," lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >> wow. jay made us laugh as well as cry. i mean, really, that's pretty intense moment for kanye west, don't you think? >> no question. and great timing to have someone like that on your first show. so well done on all fronts.

>> that's right. >> and i guess you have to compliment kanye for keeping the appointment. he could have easily said no, i'm not going to be there tonight. exactly right. still ahead, much more on the life and career of patrick swayze including some touching words from his "dirty dancing" co-star. but first, on

still ahead this morning, could that murder on the yale campus help solve a nearly 11-year-old killing of another yale student? plus, today is prince harry's birthday. wait till you hear what he's getting for just turning 25 after your local news.

good mornings, the time is 726, a maryland high school student who was struck by a car has now died. she was hit on september 1 walking across the street and she was on her way to class at crossland high school. she's been in the hospital ever since and last night she died from her injuries. grief counsel loweors will be t to talk to students. >> the new area located in the main terminal and replace the

airport officials say it will be less confusing for .

good morning the afternoon highs in the mid-08s. the last warm day of the week and a big change in the weather pattern beginning tomorrow m cooler and we'll have a likelihood of passing showers as well on thursday and friday. jerry, how is the traffic? >> problems out on the beltway the, the inner loop of the beltway. two left lanes are blocked.

this is out of tyson quarter and also at the american legion bridge. that's jucleared. barbara?

it is 7:30 now on a tuesday morning. it is the 15th day of september, 2009. nice people out there enjoying what's probably the last warm day for a while here in the northeast. the temperature's going to drop, probably only a high of about 60 or so tomorrow morning. but look at them, they're having a good time. we'll get outside and say hi to them in just a couple of minutes. inside studio 1a, i'm matt lauer alongside natalie morales. ann had to leave early for an assignment. meredith is back tomorrow.

thanks for pitching in. >> made a little substitution there. an eerie echo of the tragic murder of a yale university student named annie le. >> back in 1998 there was another murder nr the prestigious campus, a student brutally stabbed to death and it still remains unsolved. more on that case in a moment. also, britain's prince harry is celebrating his 25th birthday today. happy birthday to him. he's inheriting a fortune today. we'll tell you why that is obviously bittersweet for him. and a quick programming note, this friday we'll have a special edition of "today" live from cowboys stadium. a $1 billion price tag on this building. it is the largest, most expensive nfl stadium ever built. and the building's first regular season game is this sunday night right here on nbc. we're going to take you on a tour and get a unique of the crowning achievement, the world's largest high-definition tv. 72 feet tall, 160 feet wide. >> if only we had that in our living rooms. plus, we'll introduce you to our

newest correspondent and native texan general ra bujenna bush h up on friday. we look forward to welcoming jenna bush to the family. >> we certainly do. we begin with more on the tragic death of actor patrick swayze and his two roles that will be forever tied to american pop culture. ♪ had the time of my life ♪ and i owe it all to you ♪ ♪ i've been waiting for so long ♪ ♪ now i've finally found someone ♪ ♪

>> swayze's "dirty dancing" co-star jennifer grey released this statement, patrick was a rare and beautiful combination of raw masculinity and amazing grace. when i think of him, i think of being in his arms when we were kids, dancing, practicing the lift in the freezing lake having a blast doing this tiny little movie we thought no one would ever see. my heart goes out to his wife and childhood sweetheart, lisa niemi, to his mom, patsy, and to the rest of her family. for more on the life and career of patrick swayze, let's bring in larry hackett, "people's" managing editor. good morning to you. >> morning, matt. >> we've been following this story on and off for the last 20 months. i would imagine you folks at "people" have been following the events of the last several weeks. what have you been hearing? >> as some people may know, he was planning on having an autobiography coming out. and in the last week or so there was an abrupt change in those

plans. the reporting last night is that his condition had worsened, he had been taking new chemo treatments. some of the folks on "the beast" had seen him at one of his ranches and said clearly the chemo was taking an effect. he remained vital and forward thinking and positive but things were really starting to turn. >> let's talk about his career for a second. if he had only done "dirty dancing" and "ghost," it would have cemented his place in hollywood history. what was it about his performance that made such an impact? >> he's like gene kelly, an incredible mixture of grace and amazing athleticism. the people we've been speaking to said he could have been a professional kickboxing from the work they saw him doing on "road house." he was the son of a champion rodeo man and also the son of a dancing coach. i mean, he had an amazing neatly american mix of virility and grace. he seemed authentic in these

roles. there was never embarrassment. in someone's hands, they may have been self-conscious. >> "people's" sexiest man alive in 1991. >> there was something about him that was completely real at all times. >> what i liked is he had a sense of humor, playfulness, a self-depp indicarecating sense . we sawim playing the chippendales dancer on "saturday night live." there aren't a lot of actors that allow themselves to have fun poked at. >> he had that great sense of tone at all times to be authentic in those pictures and then to be able to make fun of himself. you know, people love that. they love that accepts of who he -- that says more about who he was than anything else. >> he had some troubles. >> yep. >> let's not brush over them, some drinking problems. he was a heavy smoker. >> right. >> i think he attributed some of it to fame at an early age. >> right. and, again, he had a struggle with it his whole life. there was an issue of when he

was flying the plane, alcohol and things like that. so he had some tough times. but he was also very candid about it and talked about the challenges that he had. and i think the third part about his life was his marriage. you talk to anybody in hollywood, it was a 30-plus-year marriage. they met as teens at his mom's dance studio. they were legendary in hollywood, a couple that were there for each other. >> what will we learn about the memoir? will that be released? >> they're planning to. it's going to be a lot about his treatment and remaining positive and things like that. we'll see whether or not any of that changes. but i think what you'll get from him is a spirit of who this guy was and how optimistic he was and how he lived a full a life as he could. >> did he manage to also raise some awareness over these last 20 months? >> i think so. he was very reluctant, stage 4 pancreatic cancer. 75% of the people who get it die in the first year. he was reluctant to take the treatments because like a lot of celebrities, it's your

individual choice. but i think in terms of struggling with what pancreatic cancer is and how devastating it can be and the work that needs to be, it goes without saying. >> he'll be on the cover of "people" this week. >> yes. 36 after the hour. let's get a check of the day's weather from al. >> thank you very much, matt. and see you in 16 years -- no, that would make you 84? >> 84. >> no. what's your name? >> marian. >> meredith? >> marian. >> marian, all right. well, you look terrific for 84. god. you look fantastic. thanks for being here. we've got another birthday or here. young birthday lady, what's your name? >> angela. >> where you from? >> texas. >> all right, texas, deep in the heart of. got some texans over here. yeah, all right. let's check your weather. i like the hat. very nice. let's check your weather, see what's going on. down there in the southeast, unfortunately, texas, louisiana, arkansas, mississippi and texas, we're looking at some wet weather and some strong storms due to this upper low that will

not move.?o?o?oo?o?ow?o?oo?oo?ow one more summer-like day and then a big change in our weather. right now, it's pleasant and in the low to mid-60s. elsewhere, in the suburbs, low and mid-60s with quite a bit of sunshine around this morning. increasing clouds this afternoon with highs in the mid-80s. not very humid. cloudy and foggy and and your 35th wedding anniversary. what are your names? >> nancy and brian. >> man, you guys must have got married when you were 12. you look fantastic. let's go back in to natalie. >> al, thank you. and now to "today's" 25th birthday of prince harry. he's grown into a popular soldier prince who today stands to inherit a big chunk of his

late mother's estate. nbc's donna friesen is in london. donna, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. yes, being a prince-made him quite a catch, but now as he turns 25, prince harry inherits part of his mother's fortune. there's no big party planned, no lavish spending, but there are rumors he may be rekindling an old romance. prince harry, like his brother, learned early that being a prince can be both a blessing to his every false move whether it was stumbling out of a nightclub, smoking pot or guzzling beer, harry has grown up in the spotlight. but with time, he's matured. being on the front line in afghanistan and now turning 25 seems to have found his fe. >> i think the experience on the front line and doing actual royal engagements abroad has benefited him. >> reporter: he showed his serious side recently in new york, his first solo trip abroad

where he paid tribute to the victims of 9/11 and spoke to matt lauer. >> very, very, very moving in the couple of hours i spent. >> reporter: while in new york he raised $400,000 in a charity polo match. money that would go to orphaned children in africa. >> he's very, very good with people, very good with children. the so-called common touch that diana had has been passed on to him. >> reporter: as for romance, harry is officially after splitting with chelsy davy earlier this year, but there are rumors he's trying to win her back, that the two were spotted dancing in a london nightclub on saturday night. >> he's always been a rather passionate man when talking about chelsy, and they seem to be passionate together. >> reporter: now that he's 25, he inherits part of his mother's fortune, but for now money and romance seem to have taken a back seat to what he and his brother are doing, learning how to fly helicopters. in fact, prince harry is supposed to be so wrapped up in

that course training to be a helicopter pilot that not only is he expected not to have a party today, he probably won't even be allowed to have a drink. natalie? >> donna friesen, thanks so much. and we wish him a happy birthday. still to come, a rare exclusive interview with dan brown on his new book, "the lost symbol." up next, another grisly murder that's rocked the yale campus, and it's remained unsolved for more than a decade now. we'll have the details right after this.

we're back now at 7:44. as we reported, police in new haven, connecticut, have a suspect in the murder of university graduate student annie le. but this is not the first time a murder has shocked that prestigious campus. >> just a little more than a decade ago another promising young stent was brutally murdered. and after all these years her killer is still on the loose.

>> reporter: at yale university, after the murder of annie le, many are terrified. >> there's no words to describe how nervous i think everyone is. >> reporter: it's eerily reminiscent of 1998 when another murder just as horrifying and bizarre left the very same community ripped apart. >> the ivy-covered walls of yale university have been rattled by fear and anxiety. >> reporter: like annie le, suzanne jovin, a popular and beautiful 21-year-old senior, had such a bright future. >> we're looking for anybody that saw her in that area walking or getting ia car. >> reporter: the nightmare began when jovin's body was discovered on a street corner late one december evening. >> people were shocked when suzanne jovin's body turned up in a neighborhood of wealthy yale professors. >> reporter: jovin had been stabbed from behind 17 times. in her head, neck and her back. a haunted community searched in desperation. and then many thought the case would be solved when police named a person of interest.

jovin's advise james vand veld, a yale lecturer, at the time. >> did you kill her? >> one day you're going to come back and apologize even for asking me such a question. >> reporter: he was never charged and aggressively maintains his innocence to this day. >> they could never prove that he had anything to do with the murder. >> reporter: years later, hopeful dna evidence also fell flat. >> it cannot be known whether the dna evidence found in ms. jovin's fingernail scrapings is that of the murderer. >> reporter: but the community did not give up hope. in fact, at this year's ten-year reunion for yale's class of 1999, the administration asked jovin's former classmates for leads in the cold case. now perhaps yale's most recent tragedy will help solve an old one. >> with this horrific case of annie le, it might revitalize an old case like jovin's. perhaps someone will come forward with information on that case now. >> and we reach out both to investigators of the connecticut state's attorney's office and

james vand veld's attorney, they both declined to talk with us at this time. in light of the murder of annie le, it's a cold case now, will get more attention. in fact, the state attorney's office recently launched this cold case unit to try to solve the murder. >> we'll keep posted on that. still ahead, we're going to have a rare exclusive interview with author dan brown. his new book comes out today. but first, these messages.

back now at 7:50. of course, we're remembering

patrick swayze this morning. the 57-year-old actor lost his battle with cancer on monday. >> we've talked a lot about his movies and his gift for acting and dancing, also just a good guy. >> that's right. back in 2005, he made a surprise appearance right here on our show when we made a dream come true for a woman who was a big fan of the film that made him famous, "dirty dancing." take take look. >> we have someone else here. who wanted to give you a spin out here on the plaza. >> no, no, no! >> we thought you might recognize this guy from "dirty dancing." >> hi. how are you? >> patrick swayze. >> oh, my goodness! >> how are you? >> i'm great! i'm excited! oh, this is terrific! >> don't you want to say the famous line, patrick? >> i think so. absolutely nobody puts donna in a corner.

so hit it, guys. ♪ >> you are good! woo! >> that was a nice ment. >> such a great moment. >> really cool, especially for donna. >> absolutely. >> again, our condolences go to patrick's family. we're back with much more on a tuesday morning right after your local news and weather. ♪

♪

a beautiful morning out there. 67 cool degrees. it's going to warm up later. we'll check in and find out later about the weather and talk to jerry about the traffic. i'm barbara harris and it's 755. at the news at this hour, you can now add playgrounds to the list of places that you cannot smoke in maryland. they ban it within 40 feet of playgrounds and government and city-owned parks. >> near playing fields, pools, and bark clubs. that's in addition to that policy. >> the tennis center heads to koufrt. right now the children who use

the tennis and cycling pattern are run by the estranged wife of marion barry. she says the center allowed its charter as a registered corporation to expire. but barry says that the problems have been cleared up. ande'll take a break and

it's another fresh and cool september morning. good morning. bright sunshine is climbing into the 60s around the region. low 80s by the afternoon. cloudy tonight and maybe add a little drizzle. otherwise, cloudy and cooler on thursday, friday, and saturday. >> good mornings, everyone. the inner loop on the virginia, let's go to the map and show you where the delays are. they are substantial. springfield and on up, jammed from college. that's probably why i called and canning summer and the dlirn

we're back now, 8:00 on a tuesday morning. the 15th day of september, 2009. it is a really pretty day here in the northeast. we're getting some warm temperatures going up to, what, about 80 degrees? >> yeah. >> then what happens, mr. roquer? >> then things cool down. >> fall's here tomorrow, right? >> that's right. look out. it's coming. get ready for it. >> we're happy about that. we don't mind. nice people gathered on the plaza this morning. thanks to them for showingp early. i'm matt lauer along with al roker.

meredith was here, had to leave a little bit early. she's a busy lady. you know what i think? meredith and ann are curling up with dan brown's newest novel. "the lost symbol" hits bookstores today. of course, this is the guy who wrote "angels and demons" and "the da vinci code." he sat down with us for an exclusive interview in his home, and he calls it the fortress of gratitude. kind of cool. we'll have that interview coming up in just a couple of minutes. >> he likes theidden doors. >> he does, passageways, no question. now, jack may be a little young, i don't know about you, but leila has been asking, she's in fifth grade, wants to walk to school. >> yeah, i know. >> and i'm really nervous about that. it's a big question. you want your kids to be independent, but you want them to be safe as well. well, coming up, we'll have expert advice for families struggling with this decision. >> so she's 10? >> she's going to be 11 in november. >> 11. >> it's not that long a walk, but i'm still nervous. >> good luck, pal.

>> yeah, thanks. >> good luck to you with that. she sings, dances, produces, not leila, we're talking about barbra streisand, and now she's getting into the auction business as well. she's auctioning off some iconic items from her fabulous career. we'll have some of those right in our studio. we already do. but first, let's go to the news desk. ann is off on assignment. natalie's got the headlines of the morning. hi, natalie. >> good morning. as we've been reporting, hollywood is remembering patrick swayze who lost his 20-month battle with pancreatic cancer. the actor died monday in los angeles with his family by his side. flowers and candles have been placed at his star on the walk of fame. swayze danced his way into the hearts of moviegoers in the film "dty dancing" and sealed his superstar status with the movie "ghost." he was 57 years old. new haven police are focusing on a lab tech nation as they investigate the murder of yale graduate student annie le. the technician worked in the same secure building where le's building was found hidden behind

a wall. last night students gathered at the university for a candlelight vigil in memory of the 24-year-old medical student. it is all about the economy again today for president obama as he meets with workers at a gm plant in ohio. meanwhile on wall street monday, the president called on congress to impose stricter regulations over financial institutions and called the economic crisis a failure of responsibility. senate finance committee chairman max baucus says he plans to introduce one bipartisan version of a health care reform bill by tomorrow. meantime, house democrats are planning to vote on a resolution of disapproval for republican joe wilson who yelled "you lie!" during president obama's health care address last week. and now here's brian williams with a look at what's coming up tonight on "nbc nightly news." >> hey, natalie, thanks. this new mystery novel by dan brown, as you know, turns on some key symbols in washington, d.c. it's just fiction, yes, but could "the lost symbol" change our view of american history? that story tonight on "nightly

news" and much more. natalie, for now, back to you. >> thanks, brian. it's 8:03. let's go back outside once again to matt. >> what can you say about this day but beautiful, mr. roquer? roker? >> bottle it and cherish it and keep it. what's your name? >> victoria. zblur headed off to iraq? >> yes, sir, i'll be going in december. >> be safe. come back and see us when you get back. >> i will. >> god bless. let's check your weather. pick city, atlantic city, new jersey, nbc 40, sunny skies and 76 degrees. and as we check out your weather for today, we're basically looking at a big system in the southeast. that low pressure will not go away. spinning off showers from florida all the way to texas as far north as parts of west tennessee. also got an upper-level low in the great lakes. make that the rockies.?oo?oo?o?? it's a soft september morning. good morning as we take a look around the region, temperatures

are now in the 60s to near 70 it hit 70 in washington. increasing clouds today with highs in the low to mid-80s. and then tonight cloudy and perhaps by tomorrow, light drizzle is around and cloudier. passing shower is possible by and that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al, thanks very much. when we come back, a rare exclusive interview with dan brown about his new novel, "the lost symbol," but first, these messages. to plaque buildup in my arteries. that's why my doctor prescribed crestor. she said plaque buildup in arteries is a real reason to lower cholesterol. and that along with diet, crestor does more than lower bad cholesterol, it raises good. crestor is also proven to slow

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save money. live better. walmart. new pencils, new books... new backpack... looks good. just trying to look our best. eh, gonna take more than looks. from what i hear, ms. haskins is a toughy. oh, we had a good breakfast so we're ready. gonna be another great year, huh guys?! you bet your 8 layers! yeah! long-distance high 5! oh, careful! hey, watch it. start the school year with an excellent source of fiber. a clinical study showed kids who had a filling breakfast... of kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats® cereal... had 11% better attentiveness... compared to kids who missed out on breakfast. ( shouts ) keeps 'em full. keeps 'em focused. when morning comes in the middle of the night, [ rooster crow ] it affects your entire day. to get a good night's sleep, try 2-layer ambien cr. the first layer dissolves quickly... to help you fall asleep. and unlike other sleep aids, a second dissolves slowly to help you stay asleep. when taking ambien cr, don't drive or opera machinery. sleepwalking, and eating or driving...

while not fully awake with memory loss for the event... as well as abnormal behaviors... such as being more outgoing or aggressive than normal, confusion, agitation and hallucinations may occur. don't take it with alcohol... as it may increa these behaviors. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath, swelling of your tongue or throat may occur... and in rare cases may be fatal. side effects may include next-day drowsiness, dizziness, and headache. in patients with depression, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide may occur. if you experience any of these behaviors or reactions... contact your doctor immediately. wake up ready for your day-- ask your healthcare provider for 2-layer ambien cr. now to our exclusive interview with dan brown. his new book "the lost symbol" hit bookstores at 12:01 this morning. recently i had the rare opportunity to sit down with him at his home where he showed me what he calls the fortress of

gratitude, a room that holds copies of all foreign editions of his books along with props from the movies like "the crypt ex" from "the da vinci code" and anti matter from "the da vinci code" with secret passageways. now it's ready to showcase his latest book, "the lost symbol." even he admits he's feeling the pressure. >> there's plenty of pressure. you're following up "the da vinci code." you want to make sure that you hit it out of the park. >> reporter: 5 million copies of "the lost symbol" hit stores today, along with huge expectations this book will be the year's best-seller. is that why you waited six years? was it that you just had to make sure you got it exactly right? because that's one of the things people are speculating about. >> sure. i mean, of course that's part of it. and the other thing is that this book is -- the topic is so interesting and so mind boggling and so complex that i needed a lot of extra time to research it and understand it to the point that i could work it into the story.

>> reporter: the story is an action-packed, 600-page thriller that takes place over 12 hours. harvard symbologist robert la langdon is back, intducing readers to free mason science and cracking codes along the way. it all takes place in our own backyard. why the nation's capital? >> washington, d.c., has everything that rome, paris and london have in the way of great architecture, great power bases. washington has obolisques and pyramids and underground art and a whole shadow world that we really don't see. >> when you talk about the shadow world that we don't see, how did you discover it? >> one of the great luxuries of having written "the da vinci code," it gave me access to all kinds of things i never had access to before. >> explain this, because you're an author you can pick up the phone and say i'd like to come

in and pokeround and get that access where you didn't get it 15 years ago? >> i guess it really is that simple. not in every case, but sure. >> reporter: one of the main groups in this book are free masons. >> sure. >> reporter: give me free masonry for dummies. give me the 101 on it. why is this group fascinating? >> they are fascinating because we live in a world where different cultures are killing each other over whose version of god is accurate. and here you have an organization, a global organization, that is spiritual and yet will bring muslims, jews, christians and even people confused about the religion, bring them together and say look, we all agree that there's some good big thing out there, but we're not going to put a label on it. let's worship together. >> reporter: so basically all free masons agree there is a supreme ing. >> yes. >> reporter: they agree that we are all created equal and are all equals. they live by a strict code of morals and ethics. why are they fascinating? where's the mystery in the free masons? >> the mystery is in their origins and in the fact that they have managed to remain

pretty secret. their rituals are arcane. you know, you sort of catch snippets of what their rituals are like. you can really see a lot of what happens within the organization. >> reporter: you said a lot of people wondered what took so long with this book. some people speculated it was about the plagiarism law which was dismissed by the courts in the uk. >> right. >> reporter: what impact did it have on you, though? >> you know, it was terrible. it's like, you know, as j.k. rowling says, it's like somebody showing up at your door and pointing at your child and saying, "that's mine." it's not a pleasant thing to go through, to have all of your work called into question. i think everybody on the outside had a pretty good idea what that was about, and we just got through it. >> reporter: given the controversy that was generated by "the da vinci code" and some in the catholic church called for a boycott of the book and movie and i know you've received threats. so when you pick up the phone and you called the free masons, i'm surprised they even took your call. i mean, why would they say wait a second. look what happened with the

catholic church. why do we want to let this guy in to poke around? >> it is a double-edged sword. you have access and simultaneously you often need to do your research in other ways under other names or through other routes because there certainly -- >> reporter: you use an alias and you do research under an alias? >> i've gone to d.c. many times and taken tours, just regular tours, with a baseball cap on and just let that sort of be my first experience. and then i may decide, you know, i can set a scene here. let's go back and take more notes. >> we are under attack from an old enemy. >> reporter: "angels and demons" first gave brown the idea for "the lost symbol." >> they've come for revenge. >> reporter: he spent five years doing research, taking notes. this book began as a 200-page outline, an outline he shared with no one, not even his longtime editor, jason kaufman. >> that's for your own benefit. >> yes. i'm proprietary and don't let people see things until i feel they're in great shapes. >> reporter: when you're writing

chapters now, do you send one at a time to him? >> no, you send blocks of chapters because that's the way stories are read. 50 pages at a time. >> reporter: do you skip around in the book? could you write chapter 112 before chapter 58? >> yes. >> reporter: how do you keep your san snit. >> you can talk to my wife. there may be some debate on that topic. >> reporter: best time for you to write is? >> 4:00 a.m. >> reporter: do you have a cup of coffee? do you sit down? do you get dressed? do you sit in your pajamas? >> it depends. my writing is not in the house. i have to walk to it. it's funny, i often get into trouble because i'm so eager to get to work that i'll walk over in pajama botto and a sweatshirt because it's pitch black and nobody's around. >> reporter: then there's the great dan brown legend that if you have any kind of block and you say you don't have real writer's block, but if you come to a stop sign, you jump in the grafity boots like richard gere in "the gigolo." >> i wish i looked like him.

the writer's boots are trisk because not only do they increase circulation in your head, but you think differently upside down. >> reporter: you're pulling my leg here. do you think you think differently upside down? >> of course. when you were a kid, you hung off the furniture, off jungle gyms. >> reporter: i get dizzy and throw up. >> that's not going to happen. >> reporter: you're telling me some of your best books have written after stints in the gravity boots? >> i say i know i'm going to find a way out of this. then if you don't, you hang upside and think about it from a different point of view and sometimes it works. >> reporter: you've been involved as a producer in both "the da vinci code" and "angels and demons." what is it like to watch as huge portions of your book are left out of the movie. >> if they have left nothing out of "the da vinci code," it would have been a 20-week mini-series. the important thing to me is that the core fage the book re intact. i had enormous faith in ron howard and this whole team. >> reporter: you wring seems

in chapters for langdon, it just seems impossible for me to imagine that you're not picturing tom hanks as you're writing. >> it didn't. you have to remember that, you know, i spent a few months on a movie set, and i've spent years in my head with this other character that i created. i think tom did a great job. he's a great robert langdon. >> reporter: many suggest robert langdon is dan brown himself although brown denies it. instead brown says langdon is the guy he wishes he could be. brown's imagination took root early, writing music by kindergarten. your first book, 5 years old. "the giraffe, pig and the pants on fire." it's a thriller? >> you know what? i thought so. mom was thrilled. >> reporter: my 5-year-old wrote a book? >> right. i dictated it to my mom. and i did all the illustrations. >> reporter: were you a precocious kid? >> i think i was a shy kid. i grew up without television. >> reporter: right. >> i had a dog. and we lived up in the white mountains in the summer.

and i had no friends up there. and i'd go play hide and seek with my dog and probably had some imaginary friends. but it worked. >> reporter: they have since left the building? they don't pop up on your shoelder? >> no, no, not those kind, but i spend my life now with a lot of imaginary friends, if you want to put it that way. >> reporter: is it ever mind boggling to you that based solely on your past performance, they're going to print 5 million copies of this book. >> i try not to think about it. >> reporter: i mean, that's not because they've read it and they have decided it deserves 5 million copies, they're doing it based on the fact that you have delivered in the past. >> well, that's -- you talk about pressure, there's some pressure. and i have delivered again, i believe -- i'm thrilled with this book. this is a book that i would love to read. >> reporter: that's the best review ever. the author would read this book. >> that's right. >> reporter: there you go. so when's the next book and what will that be about? brown joked about that, saying since "the lost symbol" took him

six years to write, his wife, blythe, might seek a different sband if he were to go ahead and start the next one right now. and starting tomorrow, we'll reveal the answers for our "search for the lost symbol" clues. and up next, a difficult question for parents. whenre your kids old enough to walk to school alone? we'll get into that right after this. vegetables are naturally low in calories.

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ocean spray craisins, sweetened dried cranberries, are sweet. we'll take that as a yes. craisins -- the sweetest way to eat a cranberry. medication to lower your bad cholesterol but your good cholesterol and triglycerides are still out of line? then you may not be seeing the whole picture. ask your doctor about trilipix. statin to lower bad cholesterol, along with diet, adding trilipix can lower fatty triglycerides and raise good cholesterol to help improve all three cholesterol numbers. trilipix has not been shown to prevent heart attacks or stroke more than a statin alone. trilipix is not for everyone, including people with liver, gallbladder, or severe kidney disease, or nursing women. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take and if you are pregnant or may become pregnant. blood tests are needed before and during treatment to check for liver problems. contact your doctor if you develop unexplained muscle pain or weakness, as this can be a sign of a rare but serious side effect.

this risk may be increased when trilipix is used with a statin. if you cannot afford your medication, call 1-866-4-trilipix for more information. trilipix. there's more to cholesterol. get the picture. back at 8:21. this morning on "today's family," when are kids the right age to walk to school by themselves? it's a question millions of parents wrestle with a compelling story in "the new york times." our janet shanley has more. >> reporter: it's long been a badge of being a kid. whenom or dad finally let you walk alone to the bus stop or to school. the recent discovery of jaycee dugard has some parents thinking twice about this slice of independence. dugard was 11 when she was abducted from a school bus stop

within sight of her california home. >> my daughter's only 6. so i feel safer just picking her up and taking her home, making sure she's home safely. >> reporter: rain or shine, sonja silva picks up her daughter every day from ft. worth's middlebrook elementary. and she's not alone. >> i think probably for safety reasons, that's the only reason that it's best just to have the parents pick them up and take them home. >> reporter: in fact, when the bell rings, this school is surrounded by cautious parents. >> it's a lot of trouble in the street. >> reporter: those fears are not unfounded. the national center for missing and exploited children found that almost 40% of all abductions not involving a relative happen when walking to or from school. >> most of the people attempting to abduct children preying upon children are white males who target children before or after school in cars. and it's really important that children do whatever possible to stay out of those cars. >> reporter: the majority of children are between 12 and 15

years old, and two-thirds are girls. >> it's really important that parents not be terrified or paralyzed by fear, but you need to teach your kids how to stay safe. >> reporter: ellen says statistics say whose kids screamed, yelled and ran away, those who fought for their life, were most likely to save it. for "today," janet schenley and nbc news, houston. >> dr. janet taylor is scientist and contributor to momlogic.com and cliff is an nbc news analyst and former fbi profiler. good morning to both of you. >> morning. >> good morning. >> doctor, let me start with you. statistics show a lot of these fears are kind of irrational. because out of 60 million kids in the u.s., under of age of 15, only 115 have been taken. and when we hear a statistic like 40% -- almost 40% of kids have been -- they've been taken, do you say that's an alarmin and actually maybe a misleading statement.

>> well, we know that parents, the number one concern of parents is the safety of their children. and so when we have a case like the dugard case, is certainly increases our fears. but the reality is most of our children are safe. and the independence of a child asking to walk to school -- and you have to make that decision with them -- is an important milestone because developing independence without fear is key for your child's overall psychological development. >> so you're saying once they start to ask, that's wn you really need to start thinking about it? >> you think about it, you listen, you set up rules. you look and see how they've taken other responsibilities. and you can make it really gradual, but you don't want to squash your child's need for independence because, again, they need that. we want our children to trust us and to trust the world. >> you know, we've got poll results. and people are obviously conflicted about this. my daughter who is almost 11 wants to walk to school. and we talk about this almost every day. take a look at these poll results. 33% say they would let their child walk to school.

35 -- almost 36% say no, and 31% say i'm not sure. so it's fairly well divided. >> it is well divided, but as parents we have to temper our own fears and not project them onto our children because what we know is anxious parents develop anxious children. >> let me bring cliff van zant in. and cliff, as parents, should we be afraid to let our children bach to school? and what are the parameters we should be looking at? >> no, i don't think we should be afraid at all, al. you know, as an fbi agent, i investigated cases of child kidnapping and child molestation. i was 7 years old when i was walking a block from my house, and i was taken by a child predator myself. i escaped. many children don't. in my case, i took the lessons i learned as a victim, the lessons i learned as an fbi agent. we put together a free dvd, protecting children from predators," that i give away at livesecure.org. i give it away, al, because i know what it is to be a victim. but what i think we need to do is empower our children. they need to have -- just like they go to school and learn

lessons, they need to learn from their parents, their caretakers. >> and we'll try to make sure they get those lessons. dr. janet taylor, cliff van zant, thank you so much. still ahead, the new king of the u.s. open tennis courts. we'll meet him after your local news and weather. the good morning. it's 8:26. first, let's get to the news on this tuesday, september 15th. good morning. in the news today, a new security screening area opens today at dell less, international. the main terminal replace the current activity on that same level. less confusing for passengers and less

a delightful september morning. 70 degrees in washington and increasing clouds today. ternoon highs in the low to mid-80s. cooler weather moving in with a chance of light rain or patchy drizzle as well as thursday and friday. for the weekend, it will be mostly dry, though. sunday into monday, a chance of rain moving in. highs in the 70s by monday. jerry, how is the traffic now? >> it's been a challenge. 270 remains closed and all the way out there, part of the

reason was the bridge earlier and combined with usual rush hour commuters. no distance is blocking. a problem outbound has been removed. >> great. thanks. and

♪ don't tell me not to live 8:30 now on a tuesday morning, september 15th, 2009. no raining on our parade this morning. that, of course, is the unmistakable music and voice of

barbra streisand. as we found here on the plaza, i ask the question, natalie, why are we playing the music of barbra streisand this morning? >> well, because she has an auction coming up. she's putting some of her signature items from her biggest movies and concerts up for auction. we're going to run down them and tell you what your money can buy you perhs if you're in the market. >> all right. >> all right. good to know. >> did you happen to check out the men's finals of the u.s. open? >> saw the highlights. >> i saw the beginning and then i had to go to sleep. >> roger federer was just two points from his sixth straight title, and guess what, did not win. the man who won, can you say that name for me, natalie? >> juan martin del potro. >> guess what? he's here. and we're going to be talking with him. >> last time he said he couldn't find the words to describe the emotions. we'll see if he's come up with them this morning. you know the hit weight-loss show "biggest loser" premieres

tomorrow. 15 contestants are going for a second chance. allison sweeney is the host of that show. >> hi, allison. >> good morning. good to see you. >> so it's all about second chances. and daniel. >> and daniel. well, he's been t poster boy for the idea of second chances from last season to finish what he started. >> and he's lost a lot of weight. but also he's going to be helping out shea now who has replaced him as the heaviest contestant. >> that's right. last season he weighed in at 454 pounds. he's lost over 100. he's still on that journey. shea who weighs in at 476 pounds. the heaviest contestant we've ever had. >> what differences do you have coming up this season? >> i think this season is -- you were saying second chances. i think that makes it a very emotional journey. i think we're going to really get into not just obviously eating right and working out, but we're going to follow them on the story of what brought them to this point. and i think that makes it really unique this season. >> you must find inspiration in a lot of these people. >> absolutely. >> when you get to meet them and interact with them on a weekly

basis. >> i'm inspired every time i meet a new contestant. in particular, we have a contestant named abby this season. she has a very amazing -- she has a tragedy in her past. and she has overcome it and is dealing with i every day. she inspires me every single day i talk to her. >> meanwhile, jillian michaels and bob harper are going to be coaching the contestants together. it used to be they would pair off and do their thing, but now they'll be working together. >> they're working together. they are unstoppable when they work together. you're going to be amazed at how much they can accomplish. >> it is the new season of "biggest loser." it premieres tonight, 8:00/7:00 central time right here on nbc. allison, always nice to see you. >> thank you so much. >> good luck with the season. a pleasure. come back and see us. and by the way, later this morning, strength coach jillian michaels will be here to answer your e-mail questions. but right now al's going to answer the question, what's the weather going to be like? >> let's show you what's

happening for today. we are looking at beautiful atr, east coast on up into the great lakes. out west looking nice. however, we do have wet weather around the gulf coast. and showers in the rockies. tomorrow, more wet weather moves into the northeast. mid-atlantic states as well. the heat continues out in the good morning. one more summer-like september day under way. already now we are near 70 degrees and we'll reach the low and mid-80s by midafternoon with increasing clouds and low humidity. by tomorrow we'll have it in the mid-70s and the likelihood on thursday, a bit and for your latest weather 24/7 go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com. >> that was an award-winning

forecast. so i would like you to hold this. >> thank you so much. >> the u.s. open trophy. >> unbelievable. >> the first time that a u.s. open tennis champion has not been named roger federer since 2003 in a stunning five-set match last night. juan martin del potro of argentina stunned the defending champion, 20 years old, first victory over federer. first grand slam final and title. juan martin del potro is live on the plaza with us this morning. >> congratulations. >> nice to meet you. >> so last night you were honest and you said, "i don't have the words to describe what this feels like." you've had about ten hours. can you describe it now? >> no. it was the best moment of my life. i cannot believe it. i cherish this moment. >> you broke federer's winning

streak. i mean, he was going for his sixth consecutive title there at the u.s. open. he started to crumble a bit. do you think the pressure got to him toward the end? >> maybe, a few moments of the match, it was so difficult to win. i was nervous in the beginning of the match. >> you had wind and rain and rain delays at the open. do you think that had an effect on the outcome of the match? >> oh, i don't think so. we had good accommodations. in new york playing at the u.s. open, you should be happy every time. >>id you sense a moment during the match -- i think a lot of the people, let's be honest, came to that stadium last night hoping to see history made. six consecutive u.s. open championships for federer. did you sense a moment in the match, though, where the emotion started to move to you? they were all of a sudden

looking for a cinderella story? >> yes, when i was close to the victory i was. i started saying maybe i can win this tournament. it was a good sensation to play. i played great tennis. >> and they started chancing "ole!" right? there you go. >> how are you going to top this? >> i don't know. i just want to go home to be with my fans. >> congratulations. what a stunning victory. well deserved. juan martin del potro of argentina, the u.s. open champion. >> you'd better hang on tohat. he was trying to take it. >> thank you very much. we'll have much more of "today" on a tuesday morning. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

♪ memory back now at 8:40. now to one of the biggest names in entertainment, barbra streisand. she's worn many hats throughout her career. singer, actor, director, composer. well, now some of her personal items are being auctioned off, everything from furniture to jewelry to clothing. darin julian and martin nolan are from julian's auctions and here with a few of the items hitting the auction block next month. good to have you back. last month, michael jackson, this month, barbara streisand. she's still very much active still out there working. so why is she selling so much of her stuff now, darren? >> she wanted to raise money for her foundation. a lot of things were in storage in her houses and apartments. it was a good way -- 100% of the proceeds go to the streisand foundation. >> she's still working with her

new album coming out "love is the answer" in a few weeks. >> so the timing is right, absolutely. do you expect -- obviously with michael jackson we saw some of the items go for a lot more because of his death. >> yes. >> but barbara streisand's stil alive, still very much working and involved. do you expect that that dilutes sort of the importance of some of these stomachs or not? >> not really. >> because she is barbra streisa streisand, she is who she is. >> she's won academy awards, emmys, tonys, every award you could win. her fan place is global. >> huge. >> she's got a huge collector base. we've received catalog orders and people wanting to participate from all over the world. >> she's a huge collector, a designer, too. >> she's a very sophisticated collector. >> very much so. not just clothing, by the way. there are items, furniture, too. >> furniture, a painting that's attributed to van dagen, art deco. >> crafts, everything. >> let's get to some of the auction items first. first up, what looks like a bathrobe. that's a bathrobe? it's actually "the way we were,"

one of my favorite movies of all time, a classic barbra streisand. >> with robert redford, '73. >> best romance story ever. >> we estimate $2,000 to $3,000. it's an iconic piece she wore. >> so it could go for more. next up is this dress from "funny lady"? is that right? >> yes, barbra bore it in 1975. and it's a style today. >> it is classic, yeah. >> she created her own costumes and stuff. this is a great piece. we estimate $1,000 to $1,500. >> you could actually wear this out today and look very stylish, too. >> that's right. >> this is an interesting, you know, grouping here. these are various items from her movie "yentl." which earned her an academy award? >> she was nominated for an academy award. this is a film she directed, produced, wrote and star in. she's the first woman ever to have done that. this is two lots here. we estimate them around $600 to

$800. >> this point was a turning point for her. >> major. >> absolutely. these items could be of interesting. now, over here -- not my favorite of the items. >> getting rid of this. >> this shocking pink bridesmaid's dress from "the mirror has two faces." >> that's right. we estimate it at $600 to $800. >> you're hiding behind the dress. >> she played -- in the film she played her sister's bridesmaid, so this is the dress that she wore. $600 to $800, again, it's a piece of barbra streisand. >> all right. hopefully not a lot of bridesmaids would be wearing this. okay, now over here, and help us out here, martin. >> absolutely. >> this is a very interesting eclectic look from "meet the fockers." a lot of fun stuff. >> she was a fun character, hugely successful movie. we estimate is at $600 to $800 because of the fush ra, the vibrancy, the handbag, the ring. >> very 1970s, very hippie. >> $600 to $800. that was a hugely successful

movie, groed over $500 million. >> wow! i love that movie. >> she wore this outfit. >> i remember that. okay. now, over here. this beautiful black and white gown. >> yeah, beautiful black silk with ivory insert. >> donna karan design. >> actually, barbra. >> okay. >> comes with a copy of the sketch that barbra drew for this particular outfit. 1993, 1994, the concert series tour. she started in vegas. highest grossing ever performance. >> so maybe the highest grossing auction item? >> hopefully. >> that's what you're hoping? >> we estimate $3,000 to $5,000. one of the highest price items. of course, some of her furniture is priced much higher and the painting. >> there are more affordable pieces, too, right? >> there's something for everyone from the "a" barbra took out of her name when she ben her career. >> why did she do that? just because. >> because she's barbra and she can. >> she can take an "a" out of her name.

over here -- this is the limill concert dress. >> she wore this on the cover of the album. it's a taffeta outfit. she wore this on the cover of the album. >> with that green shawl there. >> in fact, we hope to sell that as well but barbra wanted to keep that. it's something she is keeping, but a lot of the items she's getting rid of -- >> she didn't want to part. >> the auction is in beverly hills. at the beverly hilton hotel october 17 and 18. we're going to do an amazing exhibition recreated in barbra's home with the design team, rjw design team. >> what are you expecting overall there? how big an auction will this be for you all? >> we estimate $60000 to $800,000. it benefits the barbra streisand foundation she started in 1996. >> so a great cause. thanks so much. appreciate it. >> thanks. >> we should mention also that meredith will have a rare interview with barbra herself two weeks from today. coming up next, authors tiki

and ronde barber face some of

we're back now on the plaza. we're seeing double today because the barbara brothers, tiki and ronde are with us. they've written another book, their third, called "wild card," and it's based on their own tween years. ronde, tiki, good morning. nice to see you guys. >> good to see you, matt. >> right off the bat, the cover says "wild card." why does it list you like that? >> that's because i'm better looking. it's a point of consternation. >> it generally has a better ring. i'm not going to lie. >> we are surrounded by young people between 8 and 12. this is the target audience for this book. do you find when you sit down to write these things that it's

hard to get these kids to focus? they have the internet. theye got youtube. they twitter, some of them. how do you focus them on a book like this? >> we've got a pretty strong base because of who we are, what we used to do -- or what he used to do, what i still do. kids are football fans. their parents are. they are. and they gravitate towards -- it's kind of a lack of merial for boys specifically this age. and if we can derive them because of our popularity in sports, that's a good thing. >> and a good story. >> it is. it's simple. there's nothing complex in these stories. it's things we went through as children. obviously, we took some creative liberties as a writer. but it's interesting for kids to read. and i think boys, in particular, they see themselves being in the same situation. >> it's about the hidden valley eagles. it's a good team, good for seven years in a row. they're having a little bit of a different season. what's up with the team? >> you know, this book is interesting cause we tackled something that happens a lot. i think in middle schools and high schools where kids start

focusing on sports too much and not on the academic part of the game. which is something that's always been important to us. our mother stressed it. the fact if we didn't do our homework and didn't do well in school, we couldn't play sports. one of our kids, kicker, gets kicked off the team because he' not doing well in class. >> it's about supporting teammates. it's about understanding how to support someone. it's easy when things are going as well. >> absolutely. it's not coincidence we named him kicker because kickers are essential. we know that -- i never did it myself. tiki was always there to help me. i was always there to help tiki. we translate that outside of our family in helping in the story. and we know that there's a lot more things involved in life than football and playing sports and whatever else. and that's another thing that we wanted to get across. i think it comes across strongly in this book. >> let's ask some of the young people to ask you. caroline, you with a want to start off? >> sure. >> okay. what's your question for the barber brothers? >> in the story your mom told you to play proud. when you were younger, is there

anything else your mom might have told you that was inspirational? >> yeah. do your homework. my mom is special because she always had the right thing to say. she did a lot of it by herself, caroline, but at the end of the day, she understood that we were going to self-motivate. and all she needed to do was be there and give us a little bit of direction, and we wereoing to take it. and i appreciate her for that now. >> james, you want to ask a question? >> how did you feel about playing on separate nfl teams? >> you know what? we played together for so long. we lived together, actually, until we were 21, and he went to tampa and i went to new york. it was hard for the first few years. but after a while it became a job, you know. we played each other. it was my job to run over him. it was his job to try to tackle me. but after the game we were still just brothers again. but for those first couple years it was really tough. >> logan. logan, what's your question? >> what does it mean to you to be a teammate? >> i think being a teammate

means supporting everyone around you. we all have highs and lows as athletes and as individuals. for instance, i'll give you a case in point. in the nfl, we had a kicker one year who missed two or three field goals. in one game -- we ended up losing that game. it would have been easy to not talk to him anymore. but lifting him back up allowed him to get his confidence back and be the kid we knew he could be later on and when we really needed him. being a good teammate means supporting you whether you're high or low. >> you and your brother faced a lot of challenges in and out of your book. is there any challenge that you wish you could something back and do again? >> a do-over. >> oh, wow. i would have loved to have taken a couple of my classes over again. you're supposed to fail sometimes. and the things that you fail at, i think you really can dedicate yourself to working back towards. are there any that i'd rather go back and do? i don't know. i think it's better to learn from your mistakes. >> i agree. >> and find a way to move

forward afterwards. >> i agree with that. >> you know, just real quickly, i've only got 20 seconds left. are you worried that winning is becoming too important for kids in sports? >> when i first started, we did a story on overpraising kids. sometimes i think we don't let our kidsail enou to realize the lessons in falling down and getting back up. >> is another book in the works? >> maybe. >> what's the title? >> it's going to be called "matt lauer's lesson." but ronde and tiki barber. ronky and tiki, good to see you guys. thanks very much. we'll be back with more on a tuesday morning. this is "today" on nbc.

i was greeting the barber brothers so i didn't get to hear the bottom line. bottom line, is leila getting to walk to school or not? >> she's not. >> when? >> maybe in the next couple of years. >> here we have her now on the upper east side. leila. still to come, we're going to take you behind the scenes of new york's fashion week. plus how to raise healthier kids and much more on the passing of patrick swayze.

time now is 8:56. a man died yesterday and the train hit him yesterday in alexandria. rescue workers used an escape hatch to get down and help him. it's supposed to help life easier for travelers. opening a new security screening checkpoint. it's supposed to make the process faster and a lot less confusing as well. weather

good morning. bright sunshine and a blue sky. live pictures from the sky watcher camera. the temperatures are beginning to fly into the 07s. we'll hit the low and mid-70s with a cloudy night to follow and by dawn tomorrow, maybe a few sprinkles tomorrow morning. and then a passing shower likely by tomorrow afternoon and

evenings. a cloud cover tomorrow and remaining cloudy thursday and sunday. a chance of showers on both days. for the weekend, mostly dry saturday and sunday. late sunday afternoon, maybe a little rain for the rams and skins at fedex field. jerry, how is the traffic? >> tom, it's a miserable folks for most of them. an accident has been cleared and now there's a broken down vehicle that is causing a backup. earlier probably northward is gone. >> thanks. tonight, scanning summer. you're delicious fruit may be drying up but you can

nobody puts baby in a corner. >> an unforgettable line that launched an unforgettable career. patrick swayze in the iconic "dirty dancing." today he is being remembered as a star on the walk of fame in hollywood and throughout the world after losing his 20-month-long battle with pancreatic cancer. he was just 57 years old. inside studio 1a on this tuesday morning, i'm matt lauer along with al roker and natalie morales. coming up in just a moment, much more on an actor that

personified romance in the late 1980s and then again in the early 1990s with roles in that movie we talked about "dirty dancing" and "ghost." he worked almost really till the end of his life. we'll look back at his career in just a couple of minutes. >> yeah, i think so many fans are very sad this morning to hear the news. and i know i feel like i grew up with him because those were the movies during my time. >> it's still kind of shocking to hear. >> yeah. also ahead, we've got a story about weight. >> that's right. obesity rates for kids between 6 and 11 years old have more than quadrupled over the last 40 years. "today" trainer jillian michaels will answer many of your questions including how to tackle the battle of the bulge early on. a healthy weight for your kids and how to fix the perfect healthy breakst they'll actually want to eat. >> news you can use. also talking about kids a little later, we'll show you some of the best educational toys on the block. but first, since ann had to leave a little early on

assignment this morning, let's get a check of the top stories. joe biden is in iraq on an unannounced visit. he's there to meet with iraqi leaders and u.s. troops. it's his third visit this year. the iraqi reporter who hurled his shoes at president bush was released after nine months in prison. he says he was tortured and beaten during his first days behind bars. president obama speaks to autoworkers at a gm plant in ohio trying to assure americans that the economy is bouncing back. in new york on monday, the president warned wall street that taxpayers won't stand for reckless behavior and unchecked excess that could lead to another meltdown. investigators are now zeroing in on a yale university lab worker as the prime suspect in the murder of the graduate student annie le. sources tell nbc news the man who worked at the same lab as le has scratches on his chest and failed a lie detector test. last night students and faculty held a candlelight vigil in memory of le.

authorities say no weapons or explosives were found monday when a terrorism task force raided three new york city apartments. federal agents were tracking a suspected al qaeda associate from denver who visited new york this week. new research suggests that those who contract the swine flu are contagious for at least a week. the government had said that those infected with the virus should avoid contact with others for only one or two days after the fever breaks. and some amazing pictures out of china where a bus engulfed in flames was videotaped rolling down a highway. state television says the driver was able to safely evacuate all of the passengers before the bus became engulfed. that's truly remarkable story there. >> that is something you don't see every day. >> absolutely. thank goodness. three minutes past the hour and you're up to date. we want to turn our attention outside. >> mr. roker's outside with a check of the weather and some guests. al? >> that's right. thank you so much, al. today is international day of democracy. and the since international winners of a democracy video challenge are here.

a worldwide competition to ask people about completing the phrase "democracy is." joining us now is the undersecretary of state, judith mchale, also with us, joining us are the six winners. why don't you say your names. >> my ne is jesse. >> my name is anna israel. >> i'm luke shulda. >> literally the united nations here, madam undersecretary. tell us, what was this challenge? >> we are constantly looking for new ways to reach out and engage with people around the world. and we felt that democracy provided us a unique opportunity to use media, to reach out. and we asked people to enter a competition and submit their ideas of democracy. we were overwhelmed. we got over 900 videos from over 95 countries. and it sparked an incredible online date about democracy and what it means. >> what do the contestants win? >> they win a prize to the united states, to new york and

los angeles. of course, because this is about democracy, they're also going to washington, d.c. >> and being with me is second prize. you guys did wonderful work. thank you so much. if peel want to see the videos, where do they go? >> utube/democracychallenge and find out how to enter the second competition which we'll be announcing later today. well, we've got a mild september morning under way on this 15th day of september. bright sunshine and temperatures in the mid-70s along washington. cooler in the suburbs and rural areas. we ought to climb in the low and mid-80s later on this afternoon but we'll have increasing clouds and it may trigger a few sprinkles by dawn tomorrow and then maybe a passing shower later in the and that's your latest weather. natalie? >> al, thank you. and now to the passing of an

american icon. he was a trained dancer, a prolific actor and a fighter until the end. patrick swayze died at the age of 57 on monday with his family by his side. nbc's george lewis has more. ♪ and i owe it all to you >> reporter: swayze leapt into hollywood stardom in 1987 with "dirty dancing," a role of a lifetime that he had been preparing for since he was a kid in houston. his mother, patsy, is a famous dance choreographer who trained patrick for ballet at an early age. he met his wife of 33 years, lisa niemi, when at age 15 she began taking lessons at his mother's studio. after his dancing ability led to broadway, swayze landed tv and movie roles, playing young, tough guys in "the outsiders" and "red dawn." on the tv series "m.a.s.h.," he had a briefole as a dying soldier. >> i don't know much about

leukemia, but i know there's no cure. >> reporter: then came his big break. >> good. now roll this way. >> reporter: in "dirty dancing," swayze got to show off the moves he learned as a teenager and his acting chops as well. >> nobody puts baby in a corner. >> "dirty dancing" is a movie that really is a touchstone for a generation. so he'll always be remembered for that. >> reporter: it catapulted swayze onto hollywood's "a" list and the title of sexiest man alive in 1991. >> it's absolutely flattering to me. it makes me feel great and opens doors in my life and makes people keep coming to my movies. >> reporter: he could still play the tough guy in movies like "road house." but he was able to show his sensitive side in romantic roles like "ghost." ♪ wait for me >> reporter: and he wasn't afraid to make fun of himself. swayze's chippendales skit with chris farley still ranks as one of the all-time funniest moments on "saturday night live."

a self-described seeker, swayze was always looking for spiritual direction from catholicism to scientology and finally buddhism. as his star power faded in the '90s, swayze turned to his other passion, training show horses. throughout his life he struggled with bouts of binge drinking and a heavy smoking habit. >> and now please welcome patrick swayze. >> reporter: in january of 2008, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and received a standing ovation on the "stand up to cancer" live television special. >> tonight i stand here, another individual living with cancer. >> if i leave this earth, i want to leave this earth knowing i've tried to give something back and tried to do something worthwhile with myself. and that keachs keeps me going. >> reporter: after months of rard yags and chemotherapy, swayze was in chicago to play the lead in an a&e television series called "the beast." >> you can trust your damn case

trial and you can trust me. >> my work is what i do. it's my legacy. >> reporter: it would be his last major role. >> i'd lov by the time i die to have a career like spencer tracey, gene kelly,ustin hoffman and robert deniro wrapped into one. ♪ i had the time of my life >> reporter: and as patrick swayze was having the time of his life on the screen, he managed to light up the lives of his many fans. for "today," george lewis, nbc news. los angeles. and among those honoring the life of patrick swayze is whoopi goldberg, his co-starn "ghost." and she issues this statement. patrick was a really good man, a funny man, and one to whom i owe much that i can't ever repay. i believe in "ghost's" message, so he'll always be here. and here with more on patrick swayze is kate coin, "people's" senior editor. good to see you. >> hi. >> if patrick only did the two roles, "ghost" and "dirty dancing," that would have cemented his reputation, right?

>> absolutely. i mean, most actors in hollywood are lucky to get one iconic role. and he really had two. >> yeah. and his co-star in "dirty dancing," jennifer grey, released a statement as well. she writes about the two sides of swayze, that he had a raw masculinity and an amazing grace. where did that come from? was that his upbringing? >> it really does epitomize who he is because he was a cowboy who could dance. i mean -- >> dad with a rodeo -- >> his dad was a rodeo cowboy and his mom a dance instructor. really, it's hard to imagine anyone else in "dirty dancing" because that is absolutely who he was, a guy with plenty of swagger, plenty of macho sensibility, and yet a very tender, graceful side as well. >> he had other movies, road house, the outsiders, point break, he did some theater as well. but he also had a really amazing ability to make fun of himself. i think the clip we were all laughing at in george lewis' spot is when he plays a chippendale dancer on the

"saturday night live" skit with chris farley. it cracks me up every time i see it. >> it'silarious still today. that was one of the wonderful things about patrick is he had an understanding of the fact that he was, you know, a big burly guy who danced, you know. he was a dancer. and that's not the manliest thing to be in some respects but he was able to have fun with that. >> he was able to make it manly, made it very sexy. he did run into trouble early on in his life when he started to get really famous. you know, what happens there in marriage and life in general? >> there were periods of heavy drinking, heavy partying. and i think really any celebrity who achieves level of fame that he did, not once, but twice, is bound to endure some pitfalls. what's really a testament to his character is the fact that he pulled through those with his marriage intact, with his sanity intact that really those battles just made him stronger. >> in fact, his wife, lisa niemi, really seemed to keep him grounded. she was his high school sweetheart, and they got

married, and their marriage was pretty much rock solid. >> 30-plus years, one of the interesting things that came out of patrick's battle with cancer is people got to see a little bit more of lisa and just what a tough, strong lady she was. you know, she wasn't a sub missive little thing. she really was an equal partner with patrick, and she was very much a part of his fight. >> and speaking of the fight, i mean, he battled so bravely, even though he was diagnosed 20 miss ago, during those months he was shooting a cable show. and he was doing his own stunts for a lot of them. >> oh, he just -- he did not stop. i mean, he was determined to go down fighting. and he wasn't going to let this illness take over his life he kept on working. he kept on doing the things he loved. and that's really what he did right up until the very end. >> and he wrote a memoir, too, which i understand he was going to go out and talk about it. but obviously that can't happen. >> he had big plans for this book. and it's sad that he won't get to fulfill those plans. and yet it's at least comforting to know that that book is

finished. and ideally the world will be able to see what he had been working on. >> soon to be released, then? >> ideally, yes. >> kate coin, thank you so much. good to have you here. >> thanks. and we'll be back with more after this. ♪ ( jet pack powers up ) ( men vocalizing ) announcer: the super grain nutrition of quaker oats. power yourself with the limitless possibilities of instant quaker oatmeal. (announcer) we all want to stay active. we don't want anything... ...to slow us down. but even in your 30s... ...your bones can begin to change. overtime, you can begin to have bone loss.

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you can learn to switch off hungry. join weight watchers now and get a free month of meetings... and all you'll need is 45 minutes a week to turn hungry off... and turn weight loss on. hurry registrion's free too. weight watchers. stop dieting. start living. today's health is brought to you by lyrica. >> this morning on "today's health," giving our kids a healthier life. 23 million children in america are overweight or obese. which means once unimaginable health problems like early onset heart disease and diabetes are now affecting our kids. as a parent we owe it to ourselves and our children to step in. jillian michaels, the best-selling author of "master your metabolism" and strength coach on nbc's "the biggest loser" is here to answer questions. jillian, good to see you. >> good to see you. >> i've got to tell you, 23

million children, that is a startling statistic. >> yeah. >> as parents, what role do we play in this? >> the biggest role. you know, you are your child's primary role model. so the example you set for them will last a lifetime for better or for worse. >> so we have to start early. >> absolutely. >> all right. let's get going. we've got shelly from massachusetts on the phone. shelly, what's your question? >> caller: hi, jillian. according to the bmi scale, my 5-year-old daughter olivia is overweight, she is 3'9" and 50 pounds and doesn't look overweight to me. should i be worried? >> what about the bmi? >> the bmi is an outdated way of determining obesity because it doesn't take into account body composition. according to that, arnold schwarzenegger is obese. >> we're talking mass. >> absolutely. it's outdated. i was lucky enough to see a picture of your daughter earlier. and she looks like i did when i was a little kid. by no means obese, i'm now a healthy adult. keep your eye on her.

get her into an activity that she can enjoy and make sure she's eating healthy foods. but only use positive reinforcement, and don't let her sense your concern. >> should you measure your child? is there some ratio? >> the best way to determine obesity is something called a waist-to-hip ratio. you take a little tape measure, measure yourself just above the belly button and right around the widest part of your bummy. >> your bummy. >> your bummy, and then you essentially divide your waist by your hip, and that will give you a healthy measurement. you can use google. >> i was going to say, now i've got to do math. >> i know. the internet, there's a calculator on the internet. >> what's the ideal for a male, female? >> the ideal for female is .85. and i think for a man -- >> .9 or less. >> there we go. >> if you're at risk, it's 1 or higher for a male and .9 or higher for a female. >> exactly. >> now we've got a viewer on skype, crystal from lake forest,

north carolina. good morning and what's your question? >> caller: hi, jillian. we would like to know, what's the perfect breakfast for kids? >> how cute. >> almost looks like bob the baby in the etrade commercial. what a cutie. >> that's unbelievable. the perfect breakfast really is a combination of healthy carbs, protein and fa you want to get all three macro nutrients in there. we have a few examples. organic yogurt with fresh berries, lowfat. then we've got whole grain cereal with either some organic milk oroconut milk which is a fantastic all determine pif because it has medium fatty acids, very healthy. and then a scrambled egg with whole grain toast. the real key is what not to feed your child, and that's refined sugars, enriched or processed grains, make sure that they're -- >> so those breakfast pastries probably not the best thing. >> we're going to pass on those. yeah. >> all right.

thanks. what a cutie you've got there. >> if you ever need a sitter, let me know. >> don't call her. >> the clock is ticking. >> do not call her. >> i resent that. >> we've got an e-mail written by elhielliz beth who lives in cincinnati. my 16-year-old daughter has always struggled with her weight since she was 9. she's 199 pounds, 5'4", poor body image and can't stay motivated to lose weight. how can i help her? >> tough question. first of all, with your kids, especially your teenagers, you want to make sure not to make an issue out of their weight. lead by example. take up exercise. have only healthy foods in the house. and then if your child or your teen approaches you, engage in a dialogue and a them how they want to be helped. if they want a workout buddy, if they want help with recipes. and another thing you can do is engage them in positive stories of transformation. >> and this is not in any way to be, you know blatant, but a show like "the biggest loser"

is, in fact, really transformational. and ther are great positive stories there. >> that is why the show is so powerful because people at home are identifying with the journey of the contestants. they see themselves and the contestants -- >> and not all -- not all win. i mean, they have struggles. and they have setbacks. >> absolutely. and that's a part of life. and that's why our season is called "second chances" because everybody gets a second chance and a third. >> jillian michaels, so good to see you. >> thank you, al. >> catch more of jillian tonight on the season premiere of "the biggest loser" at 8:00/7:00 central here on nbc. still to come, toys your children will love and you'll love to buy. we'll tell you why. but first, these messages. ver. and i waso tender to the touch-- but i didn't know why. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia. and then he recommended lyrica... fibromyalgia is thought to be the result of over-active nerves that cause chroc, widespread pain lyrica is fda-approved

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so did you hear, we're looking for "today's kid reporter." if you know an inquisitive kid, the music sounds like spanish inquisition, between the ages of 8 and 12 have what ta takes, have them report on any story they like. >> the video submission should be no longer than a minute and they should be mailed to "today's kid reporter," 30 rockefeller plaza, new york, 10112. the official rules posted on our website, todayshow.com. coming up in "today's kitchen," salmon and mushrooms, it's a law firm.

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bonus on every single purchase. what you do with it is up to you. what will you get back with your cash back? it's another beautiful morning here in the nation's capital. 74 degrees is the temperature. it's 9:26 and we'll check in with the weather and check the traffic coming up shortly. good morning, it's september 15th, 2009. the battle over a d.c. dennis center and looking over an injunction against the eviction order. the center allowed the charter as a registered corporation to

expire but barry says that the

good morning. a mild and comfortable september morning. just a few clouds in the sky. we'll hit the mid-08s by t afternoon and increasing cloud tonight. main have drizzle from time to time. all the way until the evening. high mid-70s and a bit cooler and a few more sprinkles or light showers but over the weekend it looks like it could be mostly dry. late showers sunday into monday. how is the traffic? >> there is still a rush hour out there. it's extremely slow from montgomery village all the way down to the split. no late issues. just problems earlier.

we'll see how we are doing. 395 to the 14th street bridge, the lanes are headed towards downtown. the delicious juicy fruits of summer may be drying up but you

who will make this year's best dressed list? these are some of the famous faces from last year. we'll check out "people" magazine's picks for the best and worst dressed tomorrow on "today." sort of a double-edged sword. do you show up on both lists or neither? i know you've been -- >> bad public lis it'itpublicit. >> i know you've been best dressed. >> i have? you're on my best dressed list. coming up, jeffrey ross is known as the roast master

general. he's insulted some of the -- >> cracking himself up! >> from pam anderson to bob saget to our own matt lauer. he's here. and we' better watch out to see who's in his sights. you do not want to be on the receiving end. >> i'm not doing that interview. you're doing it. also ahead, school is under way but that doesn't mean fun has to end. we'll check out some of the best educational toys just ahead. ow. that could hurt. also in "today's kitchen," we'll talk about the difference between wild and farm-raised salmon. i'm always so confused which one is a good one. >> one's on a farm and the other is out in the wild. >> what you should eat and what you shouldn't eat. >> i got you. >> he's going to show us a simple way to sear it. >> smells so good. >> if you like salmon at 9:00 in the morning. >> who doesn't? >> you have a check of the weather for us? >> let's show you what's going on for today. we're basically looking at sunshine. beautiful weather here in the

northeast, great lakes, mid-atlantic states. pesky low-pressure system won't leave the southeast. a lot of rain coming. showers around the upper rockies. we're looking at sunshine? the pacific northwest. tomorrow, a little frontal system brings us showers into the northeast and mid-atlantic states. warm in the plains. hot in the southwest. and rain continues in and that's your latest weather. >> al, thank you. he's all yours. you. >> oh. >> coming up next, comedian jeff

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had it comes to comedy zingers, jeffrey ross is the roast master general. slinging memorable insults from everyone from pam anderson to bea arthur to our very own matt lauer. in fact, just last year at the friar's club roast, i was an eyewitness. take a look. >> matt lauer, you're one of my favorite television personalities, which is ironic because he doesn't even have a personality. matt lauer is so bland his nickname in high school was matthew lauer. who else could make al roker seem ghetto?

>> and the gloves are off. >> jeffrey's new book is called "i only roast the ones i love." jeff ross, good to see you. >> great to see you, pal. >> you, too. okay. you know, you had a star-studded book warming at the friar's club. you even brought abe vigoda back from the dead. >> you know abe. he said jeff ross keeps telng everybody i'm dead. the "today" show called and said, "are you dead?" >> thank you very much. did you know that abe was actually related to matt? >> is that right? >> take a look at this picture we have. >> really? oh, yeah. look at that. separated at death. >> so, you know, you're picking up the newspaper. you find your material everywhere. what are you thinking about these days? >> you know, it's all

inspiration comes in. you know, the next great roast, i think, would be kanye west, don't you think? guy -- he loves to rain on people's parades. i heard he goes to little kid's birthday parties and throws the cake on the floor. >> all right. so give me an idea, what makes a good roast? >> well, you need to -- the hardest part is finding somebody who's a good sport. you want somebody who can take a joke and somebody who has a lot to live up to. nothing to lose. for instance, we recently roasted joan rivers which was tricky because i never roasted a dead person before. i love joan. look at that. like the crypt keeper's grandma. i was going to write her a love poem, but i couldn't think of a rhyme for decrepit. >> tepid. >> joan rivers, if you google her, al, you can find her on craig's and schindler's list. >> oh! oh! wow!

>> a good crowd at the "today" show. it all comes from a place of affection. i only roast the ones i love. >> there you go. when you roast, do you have to know your subject in that how far to go? >> yes. you have to be very careful because i once roasted pam anderson, and courtney love, you know, i was there. and it was a benefit for peta, people for the ethical treatment of animals. i came out in a full fur coat. i said, "don't worry, it's not real. we just shaved bea arthur's back." and courtney love started attacking me. i didn't know what to do. it's a benefit for peta, maybe somebody would have a stun gun or something. i just couldn't get her to lay off me. i had to roast her into rehab. >> i was there when you were roasting matt. you did a line with aretha franklin. >> oh, yeah. >> what was the line? >> well, we had been sitting there for hours eating or chicken waiting for the show to start. i remember i was sitting right by you and that was the reason a

aretha frank lynn, finally the show started, and i said, "never went to a show where the fat lady sings in the beginning." >> and she gave you a one-finger salute. >> she did. she was a great sport and she sang that beautiful song. i think it was called "america the delicious." it's all in the book. >> you give some tips for a successful roast for people who want to roast. it's the new sport. >> exactly. >> so what are some tips for fledgling roastmasters? >> the trick is have confidence in your material. never apologize. there was a lady talking about apologies today. a roastmaster never apologizes. don't back down. stand by your material. and then it's also good to know a little self-defense. >> i was going to say. you were off "dancing with the sta stars" in record time. >> i got voted off during the first commercial break. i got a lower score than when

heather mills' leg through off. i had the worst score in the show's history. it's true. cloris leachman beat me. she sn't even dancing. her partner just dragged her body around the dance floor. it was like "weekend at bernie's the musical." >> jeffrey ross, the book is "i only roast the ones i love." thank you, my friend. >> thank you, buddy. up next, how to put fun into arning. get the kids the book! but first, these messages. king it easier for bacteria to grow on your dentures? you are if you use toothpaste instead of soaking them in polident. toothpaste is abrasive on dentures look, scratches where bacteria can collect and grow and bacteria can cause bad breath that's why i recommend replacing toothpaste with polident. only polident is proven to clean without scratching

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(announcer) grands at only $0.25 a biscuit you'll find any excuse to eat in this morning on "today's family," the best educational toys with kids back in class, how can you reenforce their lessons without having them feel like they're in school all the time? stephanie has great ideas. stephanie, good morning. >> good morning, natalie. >> let's get to it because this is like a kid's heaven. >> that's right. >> really educational toys. >> the best thing parents can do is give their kids the love of learning. no matter what it is. and the way to do that is give them lots of opportunities to be successful and have fun. >> i love that there's not a single video game up here, too. >> throw away the flash cards for the a, b, cs. this is the dr. seuss super

stretchy game. then you have to be super stretchy. you've got to put your hand on the "e" and your ear on the "t." >> kind of like twister. >> exactly. a great way to work on the a, b, cs. >> also leapfrog. >> you want them to have a love of reading before they get to school. it's designed for kids 2 to 4. you load up the book text but also 100 other sounds onto this computer stylus and the kids can explore it with you or independently. >> great. bring it to life, too. absolutely. >> you know from your older son they love to tell stories even long before they can write their own. i love these new pads. they're write me a story pad. they come with wonderful illustrating stickers. they can write their own. you can also have them dictate you a story. take pictures from the summer, put them in a book and have them tell you a story. >> they have their own little book which is wonderful. for the scientist. >> science can happen, you know, with an avocado pit that you have on the kitchen counter. we've all done that.

what i love to teach kids is all the things and gadgets we use -- >> where they come from. >> right. and they were invented by real people. one of the ways you can do that is introduce them to our great inventors. this is a pop-up based on leonardo da vinci's journal. we need them to dream they're our next inventors. >> alexander graham bell. >> all the way from da vinci -- this has new software this year. >> that's cool. oh, my gosh. >> it's a little crazy but it's something kids are going to enjoy taking apart and putting back together. >> and parents will love helping them do it, i'm sure. >> history comes to life with this wonderful set from playmany. obil wi bchl playmobil. >> it's amazing. >> also in a step-by-step format. we live in an instantaneous world. and sticking with a task can be hard. doing that is with puzzles. this is an animal puzzle from

briar patch with wonderful illustrations. look at it. it's seven feet long. >> that's great. this is beautiful. look at this. much like art. >> much more challenging, a good parent/child project 5 and up. again, if it's too frustrating for your kids, get an easier puzzle. you want them to be successful. i don't know about you, i was pretty mapphobic. >> i am mapphobic, too. >> our kids love these polar bears. as they're playing, they're getting bigger math values. this is a dice game for the over 11 set. >> uh-oh, teach them how to gamble. not that way. >> you know what? no matter what game your kids play, let them be the scorekeeper. >> even counting the dice, my son has had so much fun. is this higher than that? that's fun to do. >> and building sets teach problem solving, spatial relations, but start small. don't buy the biggest set.

have tm have the success of building. we want our girls to be engineers and mathematicians. >> yep if. >> if this is the only way our daughters will build, bring them home the pink set. we usually don't recommend that. >> and then over here, buildings and blocks. >> citiblocks, my new addicti toy. it's made of wood from new zealand. and put it on the coffee table and see what people build. >> this is really great. stephanie oppenheim, thanks so much. great ideas here. next, we'll show you how to fix a simple salmon dish to wow your friends and family. it's horrifying! but first, this is "today" on nbc.

oe h today's's kitchen is brought to you by grands biscuits. it's calling. >> this morning in "today's

kitch kitchen," you don't need to be a gourmet chef to prepare seared salmon and wild mushrooms. chef telly palmer, restaurant owner. he's a group. he's a mob. >> the nuario. >> when does it open? >> tonight. >> tonight. all right. >> speaking of turn, we're going to turn that one over. >> that's right, turn, turn, turn. >> seared salmon. >> is that the difference in cooking salmon? >> exactly. see that nice crust on there? >> mm-hmm. >> that's what you're looking for. but it's so, so simple. >> now, before we get started -- >> yep. >> -- the difference between farm raised and wild salmon. >> you look at it right here. this is wild salmon. and when you go in the market and looking at the signs and talking to the fish monger, wild salmon is much more expensive, farm salmon is less expensive. people ask me all the time, what's the difference? first of all, farm-raised salmon in general has a lot more fat. you know, if you can afford wild

salmon, always buy wild salmon. that's the best. farm-raised salmon now is getting much, much better. you know, the process and everything that they use and how they're feeding the fish continues to get better and better. let's face it, without farm-raised salmon -- >> we're going to run out. >> we have no more salmon in the world. >> what are we making? >> salmon and wild mushrooms. fillet cut nice and thin. you can have your fishmonger do that. season it up nice, sea salt and cracked pepper. you want a nice kind of medium-hot pan. not too hot and that kind of thing. >> you don't want it cooked too thin. >> you don't want to overcook it either. i always say put it in the pan. we'll put one in there with it. >> what are you cooking with it? >> just a little canola l. just a touch in the pan. >> that takes' higher heat? >> exactly. we want to get one started. this one we don't want to overcook. a lot of times people overcook. >> that's the big mistake with salmon? >> this literally takes two minutes. so you're in the pan. you're going to sear it nice. then we're going to get -- >> meantime you're making a

mushroom ragu. >> mushroom, shallots, sweet butter. i'm going to add a little dry sherry, season it up, a little bit of sea salt. a little cracked pepper. and a little chives. >> mostly when you guys come, you always use sea salt. why sea salt? >> because sea salt, first of all, there's so many different types. each one has its own distinct flavor. let's just turn that off. we'll let that set. we're going on the back here. come around this side. but, you know, sea salt, you know, a little bit of -- some have more saline taste. some are lighter and not quite as, you know, harsh. >> right. >> you know, and they have the iodine. you pick what you like. better ingredients make better food. that's all there is to it. >> makes sense. >> beautiful, wild mushrooms. >> this is a simple preparation. >> it is. mushrooms, chives. i tell people when they taste fish at a restaurant or at home, a quick squeeze of lemon on top just like that. when it comes out of the pan. >> done. >> goes into while it's still

warm. take wild mushrooms. we're going to go right over top, keep it nice. >> you can't ask for something simpler or easier or quicker. >> it's really quick. >> natalie comes in just in time. >> salmon is really quick. >> the mushrooms look amazing. >> good help in the opening of the restaurant. >> alws grea to have you here. >> good to see you. and the cipe, of course, on our website. coming up, guess who's here? vanessa williams. yes, coming by. visit hoda and kathie lee. but first, your local news. >> and weather.

from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. live from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza. hey everybody. it is tuesday. it's september 15th. thank you so much for being here with us today. hello, miss hoda. >> how are you doing? >> i'm good. i had a lot of homework to do yesterday. we're back into the saddle again, you know? there's so much going on in the world. i wanted to watch oprah's

interview with -- >> whitney. >> which i did. then i wanted to see -- i had a screening for the movie "informant." scott bakula. i wanted to watch that. then frank premiering of football. >> last night? >> yes. he'll be on during the whole season. >> then we had to watch jay. >> then i had to stay up and watch jay. >> then the tennis. i missed tennis. >> if you were not in front of your tv, we feel sorry for you. first of all, everybody's sorry. >> everybody is sorry. >> everybody is sorry about everything. >> i'm leaving this morning. i say to frank about kanye. talking about kanye. frank says, i can't believe tim conway would do that. i said, am i allowed to say that on tv? because that's hiss tear iical. frank goes, who is kanye west. >> just because ofuc a timing, happened to have been one of jay leno's first guests on this very first show.

>> a gift from the heavens, huh? >> one of those things where you're curious. they were supposed to perform, kanye west, jay-z and rihanna. caan way said he wanted to come out and say something, which this is probably going to be his biggest audience to say what he wanted to say. >> everybody would be tuning in to see jay's show last night. >> it did come late in the second half hour. >> came a quarter to 11:00. >> we're going to roll the clip of what kanye west had to say to jay leno on the show last night. >> i was fortunate enough to meet your mom and talk with your mom a number of years ago. what do you think she would have said about this? >> um. >> would she be disappointed in this? would she give you a lecture?

>> yeah. you know, obviously, you know, i deal with hurt and, you know, so many celebrities, they never take the time off. i've never taken the time off to really -- you know, music after music and tour after tour, and i'm just ashamed that my hurt caused someone else's hurt. my dream of what award shows are supposed to be caused, i don't justify it. i just need to take someime off and analyze how i'm going to make it through the rest of this life. how i'm going to improve. because i am a celebrity and that's something i have to deal with. and if there's anything i can do help taylor in the future or help anyone, i'd like to -- because, you know, i want to live this thing is hard sometimes so -- >> he seems sincere to me. >> he's really struggled. >> he did.

>> you can see in his body language when he first walked out. then he put on the jacket and the dark glasses to go perform. >> this is the first time i've seen him -- >> humble. >> no, without his sunglasses. that's revealing, i think. because often you're hiding behind something. if you see him in any performance, any picture, i bet it would be tough to find a picture of him without the sunglasses. >> he wasn't wearing them on "rolling stone" with the thorns on. >> every time you see him on stage he's got the shades on. >> in light of also watching the oprah interview with whitney, the times when they, both of them, could hardly contain themselves was about their mother. whitney was talking about how her mother ultimately saved her life by coming in with sheriffs and saying to bobby brown, don't you move or these guys are going to take you down. you, i'm not going to lose you to the world. you're coming with me. i didn't raise you this way. >> both had terrific moms.

>> funny how you grow up and you become an adult but you never get away from what you were taught. that's why it's so important to don't bring them into the world -- when sondheim wrote, children will listen. and the good stuff they will hear and they will keep it inside. sometimes too long, until they start to really remember it and apply it. >> i think it's interesting, too, we are seeing a lot of apologies. we're going to talk about serena williams in a second, congressman joe wilson apology. we have a segment on that. because the question about apologize -- apologies is an interesting. people say i'm sorry for how that made you feel. >> i'm sorry if you were offended. >> instead of what i did. take responsibility for what you do as opposed to making it someone else's issue. >> i was caught up and it was inappropriate. yeah, it was. but it was wrong. you know? >> well, let's listen to serena williams. she won the doubles with her

sister, then she issued -- she had a few other apologies. you have to have multiple apologies. >> in your heart and mind, then figure out what you really want to say. >> do we have the serena soundbite? >> it's a graphic. >> i want to sincerely apologize first to the lineswoman, kim clijsters, the usta and tennis fans everywhere for my inappropriate outburst. i'm a woman of greated pride, faith and integrity and i admit when i'm wrong. it's not the way to act. win, lose, good call or bad call n any sport in any manner. >> i think now that covers it. >> i think we're done with that. >> yeah. what should con yeah do or tim conway? i'm sure he's done some really nasty things, too. how much do we all adore tim conway? could there be two people more different? >> i think that's hysterical. he said he will take himself out of the picture for a while.

regroup. >> that's what he should do. when you think about it, these kids come out of tough lives, most of them. they get all thisñi money so fa. all of a sudden they've got a posse around them telling them how fabulous they are. they have access to every excess. you start to totally lose perspective. >> you do. >> it was not the kanye west awards. it was the mtv vma yftawards. it was voted on. somebody else won. that's america. >> and sometimes you don't have to speak. even if you have something on your mind -- >> we all have opinions. >> -- you don't always have to say them. sometimes it's month mature to hold back and let someone have their moment. >> you know what isn't mature at all? >> what? >> for me to tell you how much i love those earrings only because i gave them to you for your birthday. >> you wore them last week. the tennis match. roger federer had an opportunity to win six consecutive. it was an incredible match. this guy, who i didn't even

hear -- >> argentinean. he was here today. >> potso, what is it? >> potro. >> potro. >> no. >> potro. >> potro. >> anyway, he's awesome. he came out of nowhere and wow. >> sixth seeded. >> look at him. he just started sobbing afterwards. >> that's what i do after every show in the morning. we did it, hoda, we did it. >> we have an exclusive announcement, don't we? >> yes, we do. you and i are going to be a small humble part of an exciting night. thursday night in new york. actually, brooklyn. >> the diva awards. the ones that paula ab dull will be hosting. we're going to be handing out something. >> chocolate. >> i don't know. something. we're announcing there are going to be duets. i love to hear duets being sung.

exclusively announced on this program. leona lewis is going to be singing with cyndi lauper. >> that's going to be awesome. >> kelly jarkson will be singing with melissa etheridge. >> that's going to be powerful. >> jordin sparks and martina mcbride. picture those two. jennifer hudson and stevie wonder. >> i didn't know stevie was a diva,ut we're happy to have him. >> miley cyrus and sheryl crow. >> those are very cool. i was going to leave early, but then how can i miss that? you and i are going to close the show with "i'm every woman." that's a joke. >> thank god that's a joke. there was sad news today. patrick swayze, as you guys heard, at 57 died of pancreatic cancer. >> after a really heroic battle. >> 20 months. he fought hard. it was sad to wake up and hear that news. >> our prayers are with his wife. what a love story the two of them had and still will have. lisa there, god bless them. you know?

>> yeah. tough. >> what can you say except that he will be missed. >> yes. >> what are our friends talking about today? >> we're talking about kanye and leno. a mixed crowd. constantino says he's more upset about his future, hence the apology. it seems sincere. time will tell. we've got both coming out. >> conway -- >> kanye. >> frank is killing me. kanye is used to so much adoration. >> yeah. >> i think when he walked out there yesterday, he looked like somebody had been dumping fertilizer on him all day long. >> yeah, he looked beaten up. >> so i'm sorry to tim conway and to -- >> kanye. >> i'm so sorry. because vanessa williams is here. what's she going to think? >> i think she likes us.

we all know that women are wonderful at multitasking, but -- shoot me. multiexcept for me. i'm the only one that can't do it. but vanessa williams, he's got to be at the top of everybody's list. >> a mother of four, that's right. four. she has an emmy nomination for her role in "ugly betty." while she was shooting that show she managed to record a new album and donate her time to dress for success. i know you're just showing off. >> come on. >> i try. the daytime emmy, can we start off with that. >> how about a clip of that? >> it's such a funny opening

act. >> we did a parody of all the daytime shows. so she superimposed me -- this is a kind of a supremes. my daughter's right there. >> which one? >> the one in dance school now. >>ere it is. >> vanessa was in every single clip of every single show. >> there you are. >> that was brilliant. vrsnd how beautiful do you look? who's dress was that? >> carmen. just went to a show the other day. he makes a woman's body feel comfortable but also very feminine. >> but you work at that body. >> i do. i work. like we all do. >> an emmy nomination for the show. that had to feel good. >> it's my third in a row. >> it is your turn. >> we don't know. we'll see. >> do you still get a little nervous about it when you go. >> yeah, but i love what i do. it's about the work. >> it's always been about that for you. >> the ensemble is fantastic.

we're starting our fourth season here. we're shooting in new york. >> the move must have delighted you because you're from new york. >> yeah, exactly. >> you're such a big star. >> i wish, no, no, no. we had a tax incentive here, yes. so that was before everything collapsed and they were trying to bring production here. so i think cashmere mafia was here. >> lipstick jungle. >> were you watching the vmas. >> no but i saw all the -- >> what did you think about all the hoo-ha. >> i know her. taylor. she's 17 years old. looking at a 17-year-old, you think as the mother, what would you have done? it was completely unacceptable. yeah. and again, you keep your mouth shut. you do. >> sometimes you do. >> you don't take somebody else's fire. >> and their moment. >> and thank god for beyonce who at the very end said listen, when i was 17, i won.

>> she showed all of us how to live with grace. >> absolutely. >> you got this charity that you're busy with. tell us about that. >> it's a combination of allegen who make the botox cosmetic. >> we love you allergen. >> all of our foreheads. >> and they've donated money to dress for success which is a fantastic nonprofit. everyone -- a l of people bring clothes that they don't need for their business and handbags and stuff. absolutely. so we've teamed up and we're doing this complain called expresssuccess.com. you can go there and see how you can give back. if you have any questions about how to use botox and where to go for good doctors. >> it's not just the botox, it's how it's applied. sometimes you go to these parties. i haven't, of course. but i hear that people do. you have to be an artistic person who knows where to put that stuff or you can look

extremely weird. >> you're paid by allergen. >> yes, i do. >> she does so much for charity that we'll cut her slack. >> we love you so much. >> come back soon. >> soon. >> all the best at the emmys this sunday night. >> yes, good luck. >> we're rooting for you. >> so many people are saying they're sorry. do you believe them? >> we have to figure out the right way to say sorry. >> you need to mean it, people.

♪ i'm sorry ♪ so sorry >> we're back with "today's relationships" and why it's so hard to say "i'm sorry." >> from congressman joe wilson's outburst to kanye west, there's been a whole lot of apologizing going on lately. why is it so difficult to admit our mistakes. our online correspondent sara haynes hit the streets as always to find out. >> do you have a hard time saying "i'm sorry"? >> when i'm wrong. but yes. >> i definitely did some bad roommate things that i was very sorry for. but yeah, it was really hard to tell her that i was sorry. >> who is the hardest person in your life to say "i'm rry" to? >> maybe your mate.

>> friends, like why didn't you do the dishes? or why did you throw your shirt on the floor? or -- >> you need more? >> the reason i don't think it's that difficult for a man to say he's sorry is that at ast a person who has been married 40 years as i have, is that you learn very soon to say you're sorry whether you're wrong or not. >> that's work for you then. >> worked very well. >> here is some advice, lauren bloom, the author of "the art of apology." welcome, ladies. >> why is it so hard for us to say we're sorry to people we care about, especially? >> there's so much in any personal relationship. there's history, there's a lot invested. if an apology fails, there's a lot of risk at stake. >> you make yourself vulnerable. there's pride. some people see saying you're sorry in very black and white terms. if i say i'm sorry, that makes

me right, you're wrong, i'll the winner, you're the loser. >> there's a right way to apologize. you feel the congressman has not apologized properly yet. >> sincerity is essential. from everything congressman wilson has said, he doesn't mean it. he recognizes that the outburst was unfortunate, and so there's a political spin reason to say it. >> but hoda brought up a good point earlier today. she said most of the people sitting there had already read the president's speech. they knew what he was going to say. to then say it was an outburst -- >> seems kind of weird. >> exactly. >> even kanye. >> a lot of it's the timing of the apology, isn't it? if you do something terrible and you say right then and there, oh, my gosh, i'm so sorry. >> you don't want an apology to be manipulative. áup'd what i did to cause somebody else pain. i'm going to do better the next time. >> we don't care about other people's pain any more

culturally. the most successful of all of our funny people are funny at the expense of other people's feelings. >> that's their job. that's their job. >> it's different. it's changed through the years. somebody was saying i think it was in "usa today" today -- today today -- that because of the internet, it's so easy to be rude with distance, privately, with anonymity. that it's sort of seeping into our everyday relationships as well. >> there's a lot of aggression, you know? it can seep out and hurt other people. so if you're in denial and say, i really didn't hurt anybody and if i pretend it didn't happen, it's likeñi it didn't really happen. >> some people say, i'm sorry if i made you feel bad. >> oh, i hate that. never use the "i" word. i'm sorry, but never use the "i" word, never say if. the essence of an apology is sincerity. you have to say i'm sorry. >> we're actors and actresses. >> the minute you say if, you've

given up responsibility for what you did. you know you heard them. >> i wasn't aware that i hurt yo >> the intention was not always to cause pain. >> no. sometimes there are spontaneous outbursts. i don't think one happened on the floor of the congress. >> some people say kanye west wanted attention. the one question that i wish jay had asked him was were you under the influence. there are pictures of him with a bottle of cognac. >> that would just be an excuse. >> but it would make it more understandable. maybe not inexcusable but understandable. >> making excuses is deadly when you make an apology. explaining what happened not so much. a very fine line. you have to be careful how you walk it. >> i think he feels sorry but he's not aware of why he did what he did. >> thank you both so appreciat >> coming up, allison sweeney.

we're back on this tuesday with more of "today" and the very talented allison sweeney b i day she's sami brady on "days of our lives" but by night -- she's the host of "the biggest loser" which premieres tonight. that show keeps getting better. >> such an amazing show to be a part of. i'm so lucky and honored to be there. >> this is the one about second chances. i like that theme. >> it's sort of almost literal. daniel was in season seven.

everyone fell in love with him. now he's back on season eight. >> a second chance to win the whole thing. or has he fallen off the wagon a little? >> he hasn't. i feel like we really embraced him because he work sod hard. he weighed in as our heaviest contestant last year. he lost over 100, but that still puts him in the 300s he has a long way to go. we wanted to a part of his journey. >> he can actually encourage and help other people, which he the does on the show. >> everyone embraced him in that way. teach us, help us. then he took hands with shay and wanted to help her. she's the heaviest person we ever had, this is shay, 476 pounds. and she's a woman. >> i see you tearing up about the people. so you're obviously very emotionally involved, but there is some criticism once in a while you're exploiting these people that really have a problem. how do you answer into that? >> they know what they're signing up for. it is all about the positive

journey that we're helping them get through. sometimes it's tough love. sometimes it's not all hearts and flowers because it's hard. the real world is hard. >> this woman named abby. her story is heartbreaking. >> it's a very difficult story to tell. she lost her husband and two children. she tells it better than i do. she'll tell it tonight. she lost her family in a car accident 2 1/2 years ago. since then she's had to wake up every morning and carry on. >> i can't even imagine. >> we had the same conversation. i can't imagine what she does. she does it with a smile on her face. she inspires us every day. when you meet her on the show tonight, you fall in love with her. she's so proud and inspiring. she's a wonderful person. >> we love jillian and bob. they're tough, though. when they get in your face, you think i don't know if i could handle that. >> i don't want to meet them.

>> i work out with both of them. i take bob's spin class. and he just -- he comes up to you and he takes your hand and he says, you're a mother now. be inspiring. you're just like, okay, bob. he just gets you. >> look at his blue eyes. >> it must be different training men and women. because we're motivated differently. >> that's what they're also so good at. they met so many contestants but they get you, they know how to motivate you. >> it's exactly that. >> so individual. customize it to them. >> absolutely. >> i know that a lot of my friends who watch this, just say it kickstarts them. are you getting feedback from mary smith on the street? >> people tell me all the time that they lost 50 pounds, 100 pounds. people say it makes me work out the next day. i eat a salad while i'm watching that show. it's all to the positive. we're part of the solution which makes me proud. >> do the contestants typically keep it off? >> we do really well. our contestants, i feel we do

better each season keeping them for the long haul. >> they get all this anonymity -- i mean all this acclaim, then they go back to a life of anonymity in some ways. easy to fall into old habits. >> but they've stayed together. past contestants come and they facebook each other. >> like a family. >> we're all on twitter together. we hang out and we -- yeah, they do triathlons together. >> you're the perfect, perfect host for it. great to see you again. >> thank you. >> premieres tonight at 8:00, 7:00 central time right here on nbc. >> up next, the fashion moves that don't fly.

we're back with "today's don'ts to dos" and how to travel in style. >> there was a time when people continue step on a plane without looking like they stepped off the pages of a fashion magazine. but those day, if you noticed, are long gone. >> yes, they are. >> since you never know who you will meet in the seat next to you, the fashion editor at large for "glamour" magazine to offer travelers very necessary tips. great to have you back. >> good to be back. ♪ >> it used to be that people dressed up for flights. now they dress for comfort,

which makes sense. but some of these clothes actually look like pajamas. >> am i going to see myself saying this is how you should not dress? >> i don't know. >> oh, god. >> i want to talk about you're so cute, then i look at your outfit and i think you could step it up a little bit on the airplane. >> oh, my god. >> you want to look pulled together, monochromatic look, white jeans, navy blazer. something simple. would you fly on a plane if they had a dress code like you had to wear a blazer or a jacket. >> no, no, no. >> i'm looking at debby's outfit, she could put on some shorts and she's ready to go running. she has the running sneakers that are a little dirty. these jeans are great. i don't mind the jeans. but when you wrap this around, the rear -- >> yeah, i know. i got hot. >> then your outfit is literally straight for the run. >> we're going to get you some great clothes that will work for both the flights and also the airport.

♪ >> yeah. >> you ready, guys? let's see. hmm. okay. well, i don't want to ruin my reputation. i don't know. you can definitely do +ñbetter. next. >> so they were good sports. >> but that's a smart place to go. because we're always confused about what to wear on a plane so you're comfortable and warm but you don't look shlubby. >> sometimes you have a ten-hour flight. >> don't wear workout clothes. everyone is wearing workout clothes or pajamas and they're terrible. >> but they're comfy. >> i don't care. some of these clothes should never leave the gym. >> all righty. >> you found these two sisters. >> we picked them up at baggage claim. >> you tell us what the issues are with them. >> this is linda.

i have to tell you, this is exactly a perfect workout outfit. >> mesh top. tying around the jacket -- >> she did have a point about that. you get on the plane. you turn on those things, it's freezing. you do need an extra something. >> correct. >> have a little mercy. >> put it over your shoulders. >> over your shoulders. >> suze knows. >> we saw the picture before o the two sisters. let's seehe new look. come on out, ladies. >> they are cute. >> this is now the outfit. so linda is wearing a sweater in a bright color, which is great. comfy and cozy. this is from the gap. by the way, they just celebrated their 40th anniversary. they started with denim.

if you're a size 6 or a size 4, will be true at the gap. >> thank you for that. >> sixreat styles. that's great that they do that. >> i love this scarf. that just pops it. >> you want to turn around. you look amazing. >> turn. hold on, cameraman. >> i love the idea of a colorful scarf to tie it together. and a lot of people don't realize that blazers like the one that debby's wearing can just look as great as a cardigan or a weatshirt. >> are you comfortable in that? would you be comfortable flying in that? >> mm-hmm. >> really? >> just open up t buttons. >> if we run into laguardia ever again, you'll be looking like this? >> absutely. >> that's a great way to tu your boots into the skinny jeans. aren't those great? worn-out boots are the new -- those are also by piper line. i like the fact that black boots with dark denim make your l

look like one line. >> we're all off together. >> it's fashion week. we'll be doing a littleoot sh today with you. >> we're going to max azaria. >> if you want suze come find you, go to tyson's corner in northern virginia. i bet my mom's going to be there. >> are we going to that? >> no. she'll be there for a glamour event but also in search of the next transformation. >> be on your guard. up next, the five nutrients that

♪ i am woman ♪ watch me grow >> we're back with "today's woman" and the five nutrients that women just do not get enough of. >> you probably know all about the importance of iron and calcium, but what are we not getting and what are we getting too much of? elizabeth summer is here with all the answer. she's a doll and she's the author of nutrition for women. you're the picture of health.

>> oh, my goodness. yes, i do know. >> let's dive in. vitamin d, i know that's one of the ones we don't get enough of. i don't drink milk. >> we know that vitamin d is important for bones, lowers your risk for heart disease, multiple sclerosis. you could reduce 58,000 breast cancer cases a year if women just consumed more vitamin d. >> how do you get it? >>roo we eat the yogurt every morning withhoney. we won't get anything with that? >> milk is fortified with vitamin d but most other dairy products aren't. 80% of women don't get enough vitamin d. go for the fatty fish, egg yolks, for for the fortified foods. orange juice in the morning anyway for vitamin c, get it fortified with vitamin d. milk, soy milk, total cereal. >> this is magnesium. >> so important. three out of four women don't get enough magnesium increasing

their risk for everything from high blood pressure to diabetes. you need lots of magnesium-rich foods. start with whole grains like roman meal, 100% whole wheat bread is a great foundation for that. nuts, seeds, legumes, even cocoa. >> what about avocado? >> watch out for supplements with magnesium. if you take too much magnesium is the active ingredient in milk of magnesium. >> then give me some. just kidding. you know what i'm saying? >> it's great. but don't go overboard. >> omega 3s. >> but there are three omega-3s and they're not all created equal. you want the ones in salmon, sardines, mackerel. >> the cold water fish. >> but they'll lower your risk for heart disease but in the dha is really important. 97% of the omegas in your brain are dha. lowers the risk for depression,

dementia, possibly alzheimer's. two or three servings of fish a week. >> can you pop a vitamin? can you take a pill instead? >> you can get dha in a lot -- >> sent rum silver for those of us over 50. >> there are a lot of supplements that have the dha. even walmart has a new one out, spring valley has the dha in it. look for foods fortified with a contaminant free algae based dha. >> vitamin k. >> that's important not only for keeping your blood healthy but keeping your bones strong. a study from tufts university found that women who had low vitamin k levels had a six-fold increased risk for hip fractures. >> osteoporosis. >> at least two servings a day of dark greens, kale, spinach, broccoli. >> is that lentils? >> those are lentils. legumes have vitamin k in it. if you're on blood thinning medications like coumadin, talk

to your doctor. >> i hope you're taking notes at home. >> 30 seconds. >> b-12 is important in keeping your brain sharp. there's been studies that show that women who were battling memory loss who boosted their intake of b-12 saw significant improvement in memory. animal foods, meat, chicken, fish. >> basics. >> or take a supplement that has 2 to 5 micrograms. >> i worry about too many vitamins, you know? can you take too many? >> 90% of women think they eat well and almost all of them are delusional. to fill in the gaps -- >> you're delusional. >> that's what elizabeth's saying apparently. >> for e days you don't eat perfectly, take a multivitamin. >> thank you. >> coming up next, a generation gap challenge. us versus the interns. >> i have some brain food.

we're back with "today's generation challenge." i don't like the concept of this. me and hoda will take on two nbc interns that are a little younger than my shoes. >> a battle of the past versus the present. chuck is here to help us out. how does this work? >> very, very simple. we'll ask you each a question. you have ten seconds to answer. if you get it right, you get a point. if you get it wrong the other team gets to steal. >> we answer as a team. >> answer as a team. so are we ready? >> pages, are you ready? we want you to realize this, just because they're older, smarter and have more money doesn't mean you won't crush them. kathie lee and hoda first. ttyl stands for what abbreviati abbreviation. go right ahead. >> talk to you lear. >> i knew that. i'm hip. >> i'm so hip it's sick. >> when you say you're hip, you pretty much are not. >> i'm hippie.

>> nbc pages. your abbreviation is aarp, what does that historically mean. >> that's rude. >> association of retired people? >> okay. that's not even enough letters. >> american association of retired persons. >> the point to kathie lee and hoda. >> oh, i'm sorry. >> pages, don't worry. you just hang in there. we're going back to kathie lee and hoda. couples today don't go steady, rather th blank -- >> hook up. >> that is absolutely correct. they do hook up. >> and the pages are like, yes, we knew that. >> we did. >> here we go, pages. who is emily post? [ laughter ] >> oh, god, that was precious. >> she's an actress. [ buzzer ] >> do you want to steal? >> she's one of the official

manners people descended from the famous marjorie meriweather post. >> nicely done. >> who used to own mar-a-lago. >> she's absolutely right on all counts. guess what? back to kathie lee and hoda even though they are crushing you. >> pride comes before the fall. >> that's right. can you name the three jonas brothers? >> joe, nick. >> kevin. >> and kevin. >> wow. >> did you guys know that? because i didn't. >> okay. you got 20 seconds. real quick. >> pages, name the four beatles. >> oh, my -- >> try it. just hit it. >> ringo. >> john lennon. >> yes. >> george harrison. >> and. >> the cute one. >> paul mccartney? >> yes. >> you guys are all right.

there you go, baby. we've got to go. we'll have a great show tomorrow. >> scott bakula. >> and triathlon training.