good morning. state of emergency. widespread flooding in parts of the south blamed for at least six deaths, including a 2-year-old boy swept from his father's arms. up to 20 inches of rain already, and this morning, more storms are on the way. high stakes. president obama set to address world leaders at the united nations for the first time. what can he expect? matt will ask president bill clinton when he sits down with him for a live interview.

and spare me. police raid a florida home, but it wasn't the alleged stolen property or drugs that really caught their eye. it was the suspect's video bowling game. and for nine hours, they played and played and played, and it was all caught on camera, today, tuesday, september 22nd, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning. i'm meredith vieira in studio 1a, and we're going to get to that terrible flooding down soutin jt a moment. meanwhile, matt lauer just down the street at the site of the annual meeting for the clinton global initiative. good morning to you, matt. >> hey, meredith. good morning to you as well. that's right, we're just a couple blocks away, and this is former president bill clinton's effort to address some of the most pressing issues faced by

people all around the world. today president obama will kick things off as he addresses the opening session in just a little while, and we're going to sit down with bill clinton, former president bill clinton, for a live interview, talking about the initiative and other pressing subjects in just a couple of minutes, meredith. okay, also ahead, important information about vaccines for both seasonal flu and h1n1 flu when it comes to kids. how many shots do they need and when should they get them? dr. nancy snyderman will be here with the new recommendations. and later, a remarkable reunion in maine. two co-workers discover that they are actually each other's long-lost brother, and that news helped them find a long-lost sister as well, and they are all here for an exclusive, live interview. but we're going to begin with that widespread flooding in parts of the south. nbc's ron mott is in powder springs, georgia. ron, good morning to you. >> reporter: meredith, good morning to you. the death toll here has risen with the water. as you mentioned, six dead so far, including, sadly, that 2-year-old toddler. a number of people remain

missing. this as forecasters are calling for even more rain for the rest of the week. from the skies over metro atlanta, a sea of submerged neighborhoods below after several days of torrential rain left large parts of north georgia full of water. >> it's pretty bad. there is water up to your chest. >> reporter: as much as 20 inches of rain has fallen since friday, flooding creeks and rivers catching many by surprise. >> everybody's in their homes hollering and screaming. >> there's older people in their homes still. >> reporter: heavy downpours shut down roads and made driving dangero dangerous and deadly with at least five motorists swept to their death in floods. a 2-year-old boy also died after his mobile home was swept away. in some places, boats are the most effective means of getting around, as rescue crews spent monday ferrying people to safety. adding insult to injury, at least two flooded homes went up in flames, though firefighters were unable to save the houses due to high water. >> i could see the family in the living room and kept screaming, "get out of the house!

get out of the house!" and they finally came through the front door. >> reporter: now, with it raining throughout metro atlanta, seemingly nonstop, residents are holding onto one another, waiting and hoping for the water to recede and for the skies to clear. now, the commute today is expected to treacherous throughout atlanta, and that is saying something in this city. a lot of roads remain closed because of high water, and officials are urging people, if you do not have to get out, to stay home. meredith? >> ron mott, thank you. for more on that flooding, we're going to bring in al roker. al, good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith. and the rainfall just unbelievable. we're talking about rainfall you get in a hurricane. powther springs, where ron is, 21 inches of rain, peachtree creek, over 8 inches, macon picking up over 5 inches, hartsfie airport, 2.75 inches of rain. we do have flash flood warnings and watches and flood watches from mississippi all the way to orgia and up into parts of eastern -- make that western north carolina. as you can see on the radar, we are seeing some rain.

right now not too heavy, but it could kick in againater this afternoon, on into tomorrow. rainfall amounts over the next 24 hours, we're talking about some areas picking up as much as four inches of rain again over the next two days, and that could be devastating for especially the western suburbs of atlanta. meredith? >> al, thank you very much. president obama is in new york city today and his agenda is packed. nbc's andrea mitchell is here with what's at stake. good morning to you, andrea. >> good morning, meredith. as 130 heads of state gather here for the u.n.'s annual meeting, president obama will try to jump start his middle east diplomacy today, but he faces some foreign policy challenges that make passing health care look like a walk in the park. president obama and the other leaders are in new york, causing enough traffic gridlock to match the diplomatic gridlock. but first, another television appearance, this time with david letterman monday night. even there, mr. obama was asked about sending more troops to afghanistan. >> we're not going to make a

decision about any further troop deployments unt we know what exactly is our strategy, what are the tactics, how will troops be used. i'm going to be asking some very hard questions. >> reporter: with talk of going after al qaeda and war and peace, there was still some comic relief. >> this picture just screams picnic to me. >> we're having a wonderful time. >> reporter: there won't be many ughs today when mr. obama brings together two adversaries, israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu and palestinian leader mahmoud abbas. their first joint meeting since netanyahu took office. israel is refusing to stop expanding settlements in palestinian areas, despite pressure from mr. obam starting with his cairo speech last june. >> america will not turn our backs on the legitimate palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity and a state of their own. >> reporter: the u.s. and israel are also divided over whether to use military force against

iran's nuclear program. for days, iran's president ahmadinejad, also heading to the u.n. this week, has been escalating his anti-israel rhetoric. the u.s. fears israel will attack iran if upcoming talks don't produce results. >> the israelis are also going to have to take that into account. how much damage do they want to do to the united states in the region and is it worth it for them, given what is it is they can do to iran? >> today, in addition to middl east peace, the president will be focusing on global climate change and development in sub saharan africa. just a few of the other huge problems he'll be addressing before appearing at the official opening of president clinton's global initiative. meredith? >> so much on his plate. andrea, thank you very much. and for more on that, he's matt. >> meredith, thanks very much. in the past five years, president clinton's global initiative has raised more than $46 billion -- that is with a b -- billion dollars, to help solve some of the world's most pressing issues. it's impacted the lives of some 200 million people. president clinton, good morning.

nice to have you here. >> good morning, matt. >> i'm going to talk about this initiative and all the great workou're doing in a second, but let me start, as you know how this goes, with some other issues. president ahmadinejad is coming to the united states to address the united nations this week, and he comes here having ignored three u.n. resolutions on his nuclear ambitions, violentling suppressing protests in his country following a contested election, upping the ante on his anti-israel rhetoric over the last couple weeks. during the campaign, one of the issues was do we engage this guy or do we isolate him? does he, in your opinion, seem to be behaving in a way to suggest he's encouraging the engagement? >> of course not. the question is whether this is strategy employ and whether we can find some way to do it or whether he is just what he seems to be and nothing more. that is, a guy that if he had

these kinds of weapons would be inherently dangerous and crazy enough to put the whole civilization and history at risk by using them. i think that what president obama and what secretary of state is going to do is to find out. >> how do you find out? how do you find that out? >> well, i think what -- i can just mirror what they have said. what hillary said repeatedly the last few days is, it's fine if they want to talk. we want to talk. but they can't say, we'd be glad to talk to america, but we' not going to talk to them about our nuclear program. we're not going to talk to the world. this is us and we don't care what anybody thinks and he's back to denying the holocaust again. since he denied it and then stopped and denied it again, this is obviously playing politics in the run-up to the u.n. so he can try to solidify that more fanatic element in iran that supported him when he suppressed honest dissent, and apparently, a lot of the votes in the election. >> what seems to be a less

important subject -- there are three u.s. hikers being held in iran right now. president ahmadinejad says they crossed the border illegally, they must be punished. you had a high-profile mission to another so-called rogue nation recently, north korea. you gained the release of two journalists. have you been asked or would you consider to be part of any mission, similar mission, to iran? >> well, i would do anything the president asked me to do, but i think the facts are different there, in all probability. that is, based on what the president has said -- and i have declined to go with one word beyond what the president or the secretary of state or our envoy, ambassador bosworth, have said about this, because the ball's now back in their court, and they have to decide where to go going forward. but in the case of north korea, it's obvious that the leader, kim jong-il, having gone through a period where they were dealing with the succession crisis and questions about his health, have

reached a point where he thought he knew that these young women, even though they have admitted they crossed very briefly into a very tiny portion of north korea on the chinese border, had no business going to prison for 12 years and that there was way more down side than up side there and that there might be some upside in doing something that would give both north korea and the united states, and now with the release of south korea, a chance to rethink this. >> but you don't think president ahmadinejad finds himself in the same situation? >> no, but he could. and keep in mind, he'd probably be toast right now if the mul h mullahs had not backed him, the ayatoll ayatollah. ahmadinejad's poland. so, we could get something out

of this maybe, but they'd have to send a lot different signals, and i think that -- however, keep in mind, i don't have access to all of the intelligence. i don't know what's really going on that we don't know. and this is one that i think -- if you just look at what hillary said in the last few days, as well as the consistent position of not just the president, but the whole national security apparatus, i think we've got to trust them right now, because it's for reasons that no one can clearly understand, ahmadinejad is lashing out at the world, apparently in retaliation to all the vicious -- excuse me, the vitriolic criticism he received because of the way he acted in the election. so, itould be that he's just playing his political cards at home. we just have to let them sort it out right now. >> on afghanistan, general stanley mcchrystal has said that if we don't get more troops in there -- this is not going well. we can't increase security there without more troops. if we don't have those extra

troops, the outcome there might be failure as opposed to victory. president obama has said he wants to assess his options, he wants to give some thought to this. is there any way, in your opinion, that he can ignore the advice of his top military commander in that theater? >> well, let me answer you in this way. the surge worked in iraq, and our guys did a fabulous job, the men and women we sent there. but if you talk to general petraeus, anybody who was involved in it, they will tell you that it also worked because the iraqi sunni in anbar, let's say, fought with them side by side, were willing to risk their lives because they were sick and tired of the al qaeda in iraq, all the killing they did and the irresponsible behavior they had. in other words, we had somebody to help. if you go back and look at vietnam, the real lesson is not that we didn't try hard enough

or we didn't spill enoughlood there. god knows we did. it is that in the end, the local vietnamese either didn't oppose the vietcong and their sponsors or they didn't oppose them enough because they didn't think that the south vietnamese government we were backing held out enough hope to risk their lives. >> are you leading me to say the afghani people have not reached the point yet where they're willing to stand up and insist the taliban be gone? >> not quite, but what i'm saying is i think that they're teetering there, and i think what the president may want to do -- this is up to him. we have to take him at his word. you heard what he said, he wanted to ask a lot of questions about this. but i also believe that while asking questions, he may want to see how this election controversy's resolved. let them come to the final count. a lot of these votes have been questioned. maybe the resolution will be to

have both the top two candidates in some configuration in the afghani government going forward. maybe if that happens, you get a lot more local people willing to back them. and look, it's worth it to us to keep the taliban from coming back into afghanistan, from giving the al qaeda free range, where they could wander around over any place instead of being pinned up. it would be easier for them to plan attacks on americans. >> what you're saying is you're supporting the president not only in signing the order to send additional troops there without real careful consideration of the situation. >> i am. there is no question that general mcchrystal told him what he believes the truth to be, which is that in order to secure a higher percentage of the land and the people who live there, he will have to have more manpower. but in the meanwhile, i think what the president will probably try to do -- and again, all i know is what i read about this, but look what they've done. they're way up, the cia's

activity there, including paramilitary and intelligence, working with local leaders. they can redeploy, maybe even reconfigure the present number of troops that are there. and i think the president is prudent in wanting to take a little time just to see how this, the political situation, levels out, because you canelp someone fight a battle, but you can't fight their battles for them. in the end, they have to fight with you. that's what i think the president is saying. mcchrystal knows, however, to give credit to him, what it takes for success in counterinsurgency. so, it's not that he's wrong. it's just that in addition to doing what he says, the local conditions for victory have to be there. >> real, real quickly, if you can. you're in new york. the governor here is embattled. his popularity ratings are anemic. the white house has suggested he should step aside. he should not run for election next year. should he run for election or will he hurt the democratic party? >> i think, first of all, the election's next year, and he's

not in good shape now. but i will say this about david paterson. he is a good man and he has achieved a lot in his life, and the people who really know him tend to really like him and are very -- i think that he will do, in the end, what he believes is best for new york. and i think we should trust him to do that. i trust him to do that, and i believe that if he thinks he's got a reasonable chance to win, i think he'll probably run. if he thinks that the chances are one in ten or worse, i think he probably won't, but that's up to -- i think he'll decide and he'll make a good decision. >> finally, your global initiative. you're focusing on investing in the success of women and girls -- >> we are. >> -- this time, and you're dealing with a difficult economy. can you have the impact you've had in past years? >> i think so. it's very interesting. we have as many paying members. we have 30 more commitments this

year going into the meeting than we had last year. we've raised more money this year in health care and education than we did last year, and almost as much in economic empowerment. the only place where the money's down is in the expensive energy projects, because the demand for new energy is not as great and the capsule available is not as great. but if you look at what we're focused on, women and girls and trying to fight human trafficking. let's just take that. the one proven strategy in every culture, across all religious and ethnic and racial differences that has worked to lift incomes and to reduce soaring birth rates in very poor places is putting all the girls in the world in school and giving all the young women in the country access to the labor market. so, we're going to talk about that. we're also going to talk about what can be done to stop something that sadly has increased in this bad economy, which is trafficking, mostly in young women, but also in young boys, and selling them into bondage, into slavery. >> and i want to say, first of all, congratulations on what you have accomplished over the last

several years and good luck, again, with the initiative this year. >> thank you, matt. >> president clinton, it's a pleasure to have you here. let's go back to the studio, studio 1a. ann curry's got a check of all the news headlines. ann, good morning to you. >> i do. good morning to you, matt. good morning, everybody. also in the news this morning, just a day before he speaks at the u.n. here in new york city, today iran's president, mahmoud ahmadinejad, said his military will cut off the hands of anyone who tries to attack his country. he made the remark at a military parade after israel said all options are on the table to stop iran's nuclear program. counterterrorism officials say that mass transit systems in the united states should step up patrols following the arrest of a colorado man and two others suspected of plotting to detonate bombs in backpacks on new york city trains. officials are still looking for others who may have been involved. today the house considers extending unemployment benefits by 13 weeks for people in states with jobless rates of at least 8.5% and whose benefits are running out at the end of this month, and the measure is expected to pass. overseas markets are mostly

higher. wall street's melissa lee is at the stock exchange with more. there is news about aig. >> yes. an insurer you and i effectively own as taxpayers. a year ago, they were teetering on the verge of collapse with a massive government bailout. the accountability office is reporting that aig is in fact showing signs of stabilizing. there is also talk that the government may ease the terms of its bailout package, sending the shares soaring 21%. and ann, as taxpayers, that is certainly good news to see the stock move higher. >> well, thanks for that. melissa lee, thank you. autumn arrives this afternoon, but on monday, the last full day of summer, it looked like winter in parts of colorado. several inches of snow fell outside denver. look at that. and officials in polk county, florida, have launched an investigation following a nine-hour drug raid at a suspect's home. a security camera inside the home caught some of the officers bowling for hours using the suspect's nintendo wii. the sheriff calls it

embarrassing. maybe bowling is just right up their alley. it is now 7:20. >> oh! >> let's go back to meredith and al. that goes to roke. roke gave me that idea. >> when it goes downhill, they blame me -- >> no, no, no, it was a good one! i thought it was a good one. i always tell you when i give credit. i thought it was -- >> it was very clever >> god. >> next time, spare us. >> oh, man! >> i'm going to strike you. >> oh, geez. i'm not even participating. >> thank you very much. >> weather dn south miserable. >> that's right. >> what about other parts of the country? >> well, we've got rough weather in texas, as well, as we check it out. we do have, again, some flooding possible in extreme southern texas. the good news is, they do have a drought situation there, and this will help. the bad news, of course, if too much falls too quickly, that could be a problem. the good news is, though, it is starting to die down. we look for up tooç#ç#ç#ç#ç#ç#ç#

>> that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you very much. and coming up, is the man accused of holding jaycee dugard captive for 18 years responsible for at least two other unsolved kidnappings? new details on phillip garrido's possible connection to those crimes.

still ahead, two co-workers discover they are long-lost brothers and then guess who walks in the door? a sister.

7:30 now on a tuesday morning. it's the 22nd day of september 2009. got a happy crowd out on the plaza. they are celebrating -- i don't know if that's actually right, but they are marking the last few hours of summer. depends if you like summer or fall. fall officially begins this afternoon, 5:18 eastern time. mark your calendars. back inside studio 1a, i'm matt lauer alongside meredith vieira. ni to see you in person. >> thank you.

nice to see you. >> thanks. >> nice job with president clinton. >> had a tough commute back, three blocks. still ahead this half hour, what all parents need to know about kids and the new flu vaccines. >> yeah, that's right. there are some new government recommendations this morning, and the number of shots a child needs, a small child, will depend on how old they are. we're going to tell you about that just ahead. and the little kids aren't going to like what we have to say. all right, also ahead,he ugly side of the struggling real estate market. foreclosed homes gutted by criminals. it's happening so often, the fbi is now involved. and wait until you hear who's doing much of the damage. we'll get to that in just a couple of minutes. and a quick programming note. on monday, we talked with a woman who was implanted with the wrong embryo during an ivf treatment. now she's carrying someone else's baby, and when she gives birth in just a few weeks, she'll have to give that child back. coming up tomorrow on "today," the biological parents of that child will share their side of the story in an exclusive interview. but we're going to begin with the latest on the california

couple accused of kidnapping and holding jaycee dugard captive for 18 years. police and fbi agents are going back to the home of phillip and nancy garrido today. nbc's george lewis is there. good morning to you, george. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. the question police are trying to answer is whether phillip and nancy garrido can possibly be tied into the unsolved kidnappings of two northern california girls, cases that date back two decades. that's why investigators are digging in the garridos' backyard, using high-tech equipment that found disturbances in the soil and dogs that detected a possible scent of human remains. >> we think it's a strong lead or we wouldn't be pting the resources into it. we're going to leave here without any stone unturned. >> reporter: they're looking for possible clues that would tie the garridos to the disappearance of mikaela garrett in 1988 or eileen mish layoff in

1989. there are stunning coincidences between these cases and the kidnapping of jaycee dugard in 1991. all three girls were taken away in old cars matching the description of one seized at the garrido property. in some photos, jaycee dugard and mikaela garrett bear an uncanny resemblance and the sketch of the kidnapper, based on eyewitness accounts, resembles this 1976 photograph of phillip garrido. police say they have yet to find any evidence so far linking the garridos to these old cases. >> this is where we're at a really tough part of the operation here, because we didn't find anything of significance that's helped us solve the case thus far. >> reporter: in the jaycee dugard kidnapping, the garridos have pled not guilty to all the charges. so, in questioning jaycee, have police asked her if she ever saw the other girls? >> i can tell you that the people that interviewed her had our cases in mind and that she didn't provide any specific information that assisted us

with our cases. >> reporter: mikaela's mother showed up at the garrido house to thank investigators but said the lack of any concrete evidence about her daughter's fate is frustrating. >> it's been very stressful. you know, today, knowing what's going on here, i had a very hard day. i haven't been feeling very well. >> reporter: this as the digging continues. police say their excavation here at the scene will conclude today, unless they turn up something significant. meanwhile, the laboratory analysis of evidence gathered so far, including bone fragments, continues. meredith? >> all right, george lewis, thank you very much. clint van zandt is an nbc news analyst and former fbi profiler. clint, good morning to you. >> hi, meredith. >> hey. as george mentioned, there have been some bone fragments discovered on site. some are still being analyzed. some are, apparently, the remains of an animal. what are the obstacles that these authorities face in their search for human remains? >> well, part of the challenge

is that this is almost like an egyptian archeological dig. they have to go through inch by inch, foot by foot. they have to sift this. you know, they're looking for bone fragments, clothing fragments, anything like that. and in their hunt, they're using two different types of dogs. number one, a cadaver dog, as you know, that will try to detect human remains, as well as, they have a specialized bone dog that is out there strictly looking for bones. then they have fbi and other agencies using ground-penetrating radar, trying to find some indication that something could be buried under ground. but you ow, these cases that they're looking at right now, as george lewis indicate, go back 20 years. so, there is a lengthy history here. and of course, authorities have to be convinced that should this suspect be responsible, that he might have even placed the bodies at his own home. >> the fact that these dogs authorities say that the dogs have alerted them to something

at least twice in the same general area. isn't that a positive sign? >> well, it's positive, meredith, but you have to understand that a lot of this area where these homes are, there are old indian burial grounds, too, so they may well find human remains, but they may be remains of someone who died, you know, 100 years ago. so, i think the challenge for the authorities, number one, is to find the remains, and number two, to be able to date them, just to suggest how long ago the bone might have been there, and then start to do dna analysis and see if they can link the bones, the dna, to anyone who was related to these victims. >> you know, listening to mikaela gerhart's mother there, it's heartbreaking. her daughter disappeared in 1988. you've dealt with families waiting for loved ones to come home. what must this be like for her and other families involved? >> meredith, i have. and this is a roller coaster ride. i've dealt with families where we get leads, we think the child's coming home.

i've sat with families and held their hands and looked in their eyes and cried with them and told them their child will never be coming home because of some predator. but on this particular roller coaster ride, you -- you know, everything in you wants to believe that if jaycee survived 20 years, if elizabeth smart survived a year, that your child, too, could be one more miracle, that she's out there, that she's going to come home. meredith, that's why people continue to keep their child's bedroom the same way it was when the child disappeared. they don't change their phone number. they leave both the physical as well as the emotional porch light within their heart turned on every night, just hoping upon hoping that that child will come home, but a case like this, where families thought, if it wasn't jaycee, realize that there were neighborhoodeports that there were up to five blond-haired children in that backyard. well, jaycee had two and herself. who were the other two children? so, it's logical that these families could grasp at any

straw. but when you find out there is nothing there to indicate it, that's a terrible fall, emotional fall you have to take yet one more time, meredith. >> and from what you understand, quickly, about garrido's patterns of behavior, if he were involved in the disappearance or murder of any other children, what's the likelihood that he would bury the remains on his property? >> well, and i think that's interesting. that's where i think profilers are probably helping. realize that he maintained, he kept the vehicle that he likely used to kidnapping jaycee, a vehicle that meets the description of cars that were used in these other kidnappings. he also did these kidnappings during the day. we know he hung around schools. he liked little girls. that was his preferential victims. he kept jaycee and her daughters in the backyard. so, everything seems to be centered around his home, but keeping that car, which is primary evidence against him, would also suggest that were there other victims, he might have kept them on his property,

too, meredith. >> all right. clint van zandt, thank you very much. >> thank you. and now let's get a check of the weather from mr. roker. >> all right, thanks a lot, meredith. got some friends here. who's turning 50? you are! what's your name? >> lisa. >> where are you guys from? >> phoenix, arizona. >> all right, well, happy birthday! very nice. let's check your weather, see what's going on. show you for today, we are looking at a lot of heat out we. high fire danger, red flag warnings from medford, oregon, to san diego. look at those temperatures, upper 80s to 100 degrees. as you work your way on through the southern california area. 90s through parts of west florida. 50s, though, and 40 even 30s in the rockies, as ann showed you last hour, some snow in the upper elevations. wet weather working its way into the interior parts of the northeast. and granger gals,ç#ç#ç#ç#ç#ç#ç## good morning. here we've got low clouds and patchy, dense fog around the region. as we start out this tuesday

morning, it's quite a view. on radar we have light showers out in western maryland. maybe a little bit of mist from the low clouds. temperatures around the region in the upper 60s to low 60s around the valley. later on today, mostly cloudy and highs in the 70s. a bit >> and that's your latest weather. for weather any time of the day or night, go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. meredith? >> al, thank you. now to important, new recommendations when it comes to protecting your family from both the swine flu and seasonal flu. nbc's chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman is here with what you need to know. dr. nancy, good morning to you. >> hi, meredith. >> the cdc is saying all children from the age of 6 months to young adults, age 24, need this flu shot. >> right. >> but it depends your age how ma you need.

>> yeah. >> 10 and under, you need -- >> here the clinical trials have been done and they're divided into two groups. 10 and over, those kids get one shot. children 6 months to 9 years, they're going to require two, and the reason is, their immune systems haven't shown as robust a response to the first one, so like a lot of shots, they get one and then they get a oster. so, just remember, if your child is younger than 10, two shots, older than 10, one shot. >> should parents be concerned at all about that, two doses of this vaccine? >> no, not really. this is sort of standard stuff. i know parents are always concerned about piling on vaccines, but the flu vaccine has been shown to be terribly safe over the last ten years. >> but this is a different one. >> but it's the same vaccine, just a different virus. and if this had peaked earlier and we had more warning, this might have been in the normal prescription for the flu. we just weren't able to put that together. and the data in the clinical trials has been unbelievably safe. >> and this will be ready by october 15th.

>> october 15th. >> how much time between the first and the second shot for kids? >> if you're lucky enough to require two shots, you get one, then three weeks later you get the second. and that allows your system to build up all the antibodies. >> there's the initial batch of vaccine that's coming out is the mist. can everybody handle that mist? >> there will be two things coming out. so, you have 45 million doses of the shot will be available around august 15th and about 3 -- >> october 15th. >> i'm sorry, october 15th. and about 3.5 million doses of the flumist, which is the nasal spray. that's really intended for healthy children with no immune system problems. it's a slightly different concoction of the vaccine. and one is a killed vaccine, that is the shot. one is the live vaccine, a live virus that's been altered so it can't infect you. that's the flumist. most kids have their choice. a lot of kids really want the squirt up the nose. >> especially if you have to get it twice. >> exactly. and a lot of adults like that squirt up the nose, too. your pediatrician will be able to recommend who's going to get

what. and i think for the swine flu shots, sools may be the places where a lot of kids get their injections. >> you also need the seasonal flu shot. is it the same thing? >> yes, you do, meredith. >> okay. >> so, what you want to do is get your seasonal flu shot now and get it out of the way so your immune system has a chance to rev up for regular old seasonal flu. then, mid-october, when h1n1 or swine flu becomes available, then you can get that. now, if you don't time it out quite right, you can get both at once, one in one arm, one in the other, no problems with that at all. >> and if you've never had one before, then you also need the booster for that one as well. so some kids will be getting four shots. >> some children will need four. most adults will just need one. but if you're a adult and never had it before, expect one for each and a booster for each. i know it seems confusing. cdc has a great website called flu.gov. everything is there. it's a great website. >> excellent. matt is a total wimp. i know he's getting the mist.

i belie he's getting the mist. >> you know, i'd be glad to give it to him. >> i bet you would, dr. nancy. i'm not even going to touch. it well, whatever. dr. nancy, thank you very much. >> you bet, meredith. just ahead, new details on the extortion trial tied to the death of john travolta's teenage son. will the actor be forced to relive that tragedy in court? but next, they take everything from the fixtures to the front door. the growing real estate crime you need to know about.

we're back at 7:47, and this morning on "today's money pits," a growing crime involving the struggling real estate market. brazen thieves who are stealing anything of value from a foreclosed property, and oftentimes, the suspects actually lived in the very homes they're targeting. here's nbc's miguel al meggure. >> reporter: for homeowners like

the parrishs, buying a property as is could mean going without. >> here the sliding doors need to be replaced. >> reporter: nearly every foreclosure they see requires vision. >> and this would be your kitchen island. >> reporter: what makes a house a home unceremoniously ripped out. the properties are just a shell of what they used to be. it's called foreclosure stripping, a problem so rampant in arizona, the fbi is now involved. >> reporter:. >> what we're seeing is the homeowners as they're facing foreclosure doing this, and the motivation is to recover whatever sort of investment they might have made in the property. >> reporter: and with foreclosures up 600% in phoenix since 2005, stripping has shot through the roof. >> they tell us that they're upset because -- >> reporter: the fbi says this property was flooded by the former owner. many of these crimesre carried out by angry families forced to leave their homes. >> what are you finding on craigslist? >> reporter: federal agents routinely scour the web for fixture sales. >> this is our target. >> reporter: then arrest former homeowners trying to flip

appliances and fixtures that were once theirs and are now bank-owned property. >> these are the first of these type of cases that we worked. it's across the board. we've seen it from high-end, multimillion dollar homes to the low-end homes to condos to townhouses. it runs the gamete. >> reporter: what's also surprising is what's stolen. anything bolted down has been ripped away. not just appliances and fixtures, but door hinges, light switches, even the rug underneath the suspect's feet. >> it was bought in 2006 for $280,000, but now because of the damage, this house is selling for $69,000. >> reporter: experts say the big losers here are neighbors. when a foreclosed home is stripped, property values for an entire neighborhood can plummet. phoenix is a hotbed for stripping, and it's not just a problem in arizona. california, nevada and florida have all been hit hard. >> very nice. >> reporter: but the loss can be someone else's gain. >> i guess we can put our own stuff in here, right? >> reporter: home buyers looking

for a deal as federal agents try to track down the steal. former property owners who take everything, including the kitchen sink. for "today," miguel almeguer, nbc news, phoenix. still to come on a tuesday morning, the specific steps you need to take if your health insurance company denies your claim.

still ahead, co-workers who just found out they're brothers. >> then who knocks on the door? a long-lost sister.

some fog out there this morning. 7:56 is the time. i'm barbara. let's see how long the fog is going to last. >> probably a couple hours. temperatures are mild and it's humid with a persistent southeast wind. sprinkles in western maryland and no precipitation. we have low clouds and patchy fog. afternoon highs in the 70s and showers this afternoon.

perhaps a thundershower this afternoon. barbara?

as we travel down 270, we have major accident and over the left shoulder, we have significant volume starting out of clarksburg and continuing almost solidly towards the capital beltway. we had an earlier accident on capital street eastbound. that's been cleared and delays occur at the beltway. barbara, back to you. >> thank you, ashley. it will now be easier to get

through kus stops it's twice the size as the older facility. airport officials hope it will attract more flights . expected to not strip the mayor over the school. the mayor was voted for five years of control to reform the city's school. some cities have complained about the pace of the mayor's reform plan but most council members appear ready to back him. tonight on news 4 at 5:00 prk m., kicking it with lindsey. the only player to score is going to have lunch with lindsey

8:00 now on this tuesday morning, september 22nd, 2009. a cloudy day here in the heart of midtown manhattan with showers in our forecast, but that is not stopping a great crowd from starting their morning here in rockefeller plaza. i've got to comment on lenny. i like this look. i love the look. >> the lumber jacket --

>> very nice, lenny. >> very nice. >> some audienceembers sparing no expense with their signs. >> whoa! >> that had to say hours, not minutes. >> that's okay. that's the thought that counts. >> absolutely. >> there you go. just ahead this half hour, a story almost impossible to believe. for two months, two men worked together at the same furnire store in maine and kept being asked by people if they were brothers and they sort of laughed that off. but then one of them started asking some serious questions, and guess what? they are brothers. and now they've even found their long-long half sister. >> wow. >> we're going to talk to them in just a moment. they didn't mean to dress alike, the two -- >> come on. >> no, no! >> come on. >> they didn't intend that. >> it's like "the patty duke show." ♪ they're brothers also ahead, new details on the extortion case involving t death of john travolta's 16-year-old son jett. a jury has been selected for the case, and it appears john travolta might have to testify, be called to the witness stand, whether he wants to or not. we'll tell you about that.

then later on, people in this economy trying to sell a home, there's some do's and dont's you really want to avoid, especially some stupid mistakes that people make that you might want to think about when you're selling. >> okay. first, we're going to get a check of the top stories with ann curry at the news desk. >> good morning once again, everybody. in the news this morning, so far, no letup in the flooding in the southeastern part of the u.s., where flooding caused by heavy rains has claimed at least six lives, including a toddler swept from his father's arms. as many as 20 inches of rain have fallen around atlanta since friday, and fast-moving creeks, rising creeks and rivers have forced evacuations. and today, flash flood warnings are in effect for parts of georgia and mississippi, where as much as four more inches of rain are expected in the next two days. so, do be careful there. president obama is in new york to make his first speech to world leaders at the u.n. general assembly. he is to focus on global efforts to combat climate change and later delve into middle east peace-making with talks with israeli prime minister benjamin

netanyahu and palestinian president mahmoud abbas. this morning, former president bill clinton said the troop surge in iraq under the bush administration worked but that more consideration needs to be made before sending additional troops to afghanistan. in an interview with matt, mr. clinton said the political situation there needso be stabilized first. >> i think the president is prudent in wanting to take a little time just to see how this, the political situation, levels out, because you can help someone fight a battle, but you can't fight their battles for them. in the end, they have to fight with you. and on iran, mr. clinton said president ahmadinejad is lashing out against the world with his rhetoric because of anger over the disputed election there. earlier this morning, ahmadinejad warned that his military will cut off the hand of anyone who tries to attack his country. this after israel said that all options are on the table to stop iran's nuclear program. in the murder of yale grad student annie le, police say that their investigation is far from over. nbc's jeff rossen reports now on

this. >> reporter: even with ray clark held in prison and charged with murder, investigators are back at yale. police sources now tell nbc news this case isn't over yet. they believe other people may be involved. detectives are now reinterviewing people in the yale animal lab where ray clark and annie le both worked. did policeuestion you? >> yeah. >> reporter: what did they say to you? >> they just asked what did you do that day? do you know, like the question you asked, do you know annie or do you know ray? i never seen him like laughing or talking or smiling. it's like a very serious person. >> reporter: there are reports clark looked distraught on surveillance video just after the murder. and days after the crime, he was back in the lab working. investigators are considering at least one theory that clark was angry with annie because her mouse cages were dirty. then there's another theory. >> right before her wedding, she was picking somebody else.

my guess is he was secretly admiring her, wishing she was his and she never gave him the time of day, and that infuriated him. >> reporter: annie le's funeral plans are set, a private mass in california on saturday. the reason for her death just as mysterious today as it was the moment her body was discovered. if there is such a thing as closure, how could her parents have it? >> why would you do this to our annie? it just is incomprehensible why such a thing would happen to such a lovely young woman and that is certainly a primary concern of theirs and a big question in their mind. >> reporter: a mother and father forced to bury their daughter as her accused killer sits in prison silent. jeff rossen, new haven, connecticut. massachusetts could have a new u.s. senator within days to fill the seat of the late ted kennedy. today the state senate is debating a measure to allow the governor to name an interim replacement, and that measure is expected to pass. it is now 8:05. let's go back outside to meredith and matt. >> hi, ann.

>> thank you. >> thank you very much. mr. roker is just over here. so, we've got a few more hours of summer, ght? >> yes, we do, until 5:18 tonight, and then it's fall. and what's vasculitis? >> vasculitis is a family of life-threatening diseases of unknown cause linked by blood vessel inflammation and weak inguyen system. >> vasculitis.org. >> you got it. >> thank you very much for making us aware of that. our pick city of the day, bay city, michigan, the b city rollers, nbc 25. michigan's finest. partly cloudy by the afternoon and 77 degrees. the jet stream today is still way up to the north. you've got that upper low around the rockies, and that's causing cold weather. big upper level high up over the plain states and the pacific northwest. so, we've got hot weather out west as we get into thursday. more rain showers and thunderstorms. looking for a real mess. and where are you guys from? >> charlotte!

>> from charlotte. all right. nice to see you.ç#ç#ç#ç#ç#ç#w#ç# good morning. we have moderate fog around on this tuesday morning. here's a live picture. you can see the top of the washington monument. it is gone. it's continuing to permeate the region. there's a few showers in maryland. upper 60s and 68 in shington. highs in the upper 70s. >> and that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al, thank you very much. when we come back, a family reunion you've got to hear to believe. brothers, they were co-workers, turned out they were brothers, and then they found out they had a sister they never knew. we're going to mt the whole family.

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announcer: eggs. incredible energy for body and mind. (guitar music) back at 8:10 with the incredible story of an improbable family reunion. we're going to talk to these long-lost brothers and sister in just a moment. but first, "today" national correspondent natalie morales has the details. natalie? >> and meredith, it's like something out of a movie. two men working at the same company. they discover they share more than the workplace. they also share the same parents. now, if that wasn't enough, that revelation led to another happy surprise. gary nesbitt and randy joberg worked side by side at this furniture store in maine for two months. both bore an uncanny resemblance. >> we'd keep getting people, you know, "are you guys brothers?" blow them off. it went on for a month and a

half and co-workers were starting to say it. >> reporter: they thought nothing of it until now. >> something clicked. i don't know what it was. i said, gary, nothing personal, don't want to offend you, but were you adopted? and he said, "yes, i was." >> reporter: randy was adopted as a baby. his parents also gave him up for adoption around age 4. when new legislation in maine allowed adoptees to have access to their birth records, randy decided to research his past earlier this year and found out he had a brother and his birthdate. >> i said, what's your birth date? he goes, "june 10th, 1974." and i said, i know that birth date. >> reporter: the discovery of their relationship was met with deep emotion. >> it was just incredible. knowing that i was by myself and now i've got a brother. >> reporter: upon sharing the news with their co-workers, the media picked up on the story, catching the attention of joann campbell. >> i was brought into foster care, i'm assuming, at the age of 3. >> reporter: joanne's foster

parents shared with her information about her family. she had records of her mother and knew the names of her younger siblings. >> i had a brother named randy allen and a brother named gaylord. i never knew where they were. >> reporter: joanne caught the tail end of the brothers' story in the local news. her fiance later called when he recognized their names in the paper and read the article to her. >> when he read it to me, he said, i think those are your brothers. i said, no way, it can't be. and he said, i'm pretty sure that it is. so, i grabbed my mom's birth certificate, her social security card and her medical records and headed to dow furniture. >> reporter: gary and randy say they were almost in disbelief. >> as we were driving up, we see this little woman, you know, 5 feet tall, 100 pounds with some documents in her hand and shaking, you know, and crying. >> i said, i think i'm your sister, and they're like, what? >> and shows me the documents

and she told me her name, and i had searched for her, i had gotten her name off of the obituary of our mother. >> my mom was joan pomeroy, their same mother. >> on t was just incredible. i knew i had a sister, halfster sister out there somewhere. >> reporter: after 35 years, the siblings are connecting for the first time. >> we all cried and hugged, and it was a pretty crazy moment. >> reporter: missing pieces of a family puzzle now made whole. and to top it all off, gary and randy's boss at the furniture store is also a state legislator and signed the legislation into law that lets adoptees access their birth records. it's a series of coincidences, makes you believe in faith. >> absolutely. and gary, randy and joann are with us exclusively. good morning to you all. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> joann, you said in the piece how you all cried, you laughed, hugged each other. you're still crying as you watch that piece. you're tearing up. this has to be an amazing experience for all of you.

you just confirmed this last week. you just made the connection, joa joann, on thursday. what has this been like for you? talk to me about what you're feeling. >> it's been very overwhelming. i've always kno that i had them somewhere. i just didn't know where they were. and it's amazing the way that i did discover them is through a newspaper article, because i had missed the news report, which i guess they had said my mom's name. >> well, randy, you joined this company in the summer. gary had been working there for quite a few years. people start making the connection between the two of you, but you had already begun to research your past. >> yeah. >> who your birth parents were and to find out more information. did you ever think this is what would come of it? >> no, not atall, because i knew he had been taken by the state. i found out his name. >> so, you knew you had the brother for sure. >> yeah. only in january i figured this out. i said, his name's going to be different, you know. how in the world am i going to find out his name? so, to realize i'm riding a

truck with him is, you know, bizarro world. it's crazy. >> what made you start to ask gary those questions? you know, are you adopted, do you know your birth parents, their names? >> first day working, i noticed he kind of looked like me. i told my fiancee jen, you know, he kind of looks like me, but didn't think nothing of it. then co-workers were saying it, but i thought they were trying to harass me. and then we heard it from other people, a third party. and we thought there's something to this. >> gary, at this point, you don't know he's your brother. this guy starts aing questions like are you adopted. what went through your mind? >> just blown away. and i had no clue that i had a brother. until recently. >> so, had you started to suspect as well that, boy, you know, randy -- >> a little bit. >> -- is thinking this about you, you're feeling something. >> very little. >> very little. and then it turns out that you

guys went to rival -- you didn't live that far apart from each other growing up, after you had been adopted. you went to rival schools. you could have played or been at the same sporting events or social events. >> very well could have. >> and not realized it. >> yeah. >> what does that feel like? >> i can't wrap words -- i can't get it out. you know, there's so much emotion, i can't wrap my brain around what's going on. >> to have been that close, within arms reach to each other all those years -- >> yep, yep. >> and not realize that you had the brother and the brother was there. then when you found out on the news -- thank goodness for your fiance -- >> i know. >> who saw it and said look, i think these are your brothers. were you nervous going down to that furniture store to confront them, or n really confront them, but with your birth certificate -- >> let's just say i was crying so hard and speeding, i was hoping to get stopped by a cop so he could just escort me there, because i probably shouldn't have been driving. i couldn't see. i was just

it was incredible to hear my fiance, jamie, say that randy and gaylord pomeroy, you know, sons of joan and wilford pomeroy -- i said, wait a minute, that's my mom. i think those are my brothers. he said, "what are you going to do?" i said, "i'm headed to dow." >> do you somehow feel, randy, that you're now complete where you weren't before? >> yeah. you know, i had a great childhood, but you know, when you're adopted, you always hunger for that person you might look like. you want to look like someone. and i thought that was just gone, you know. never look like anyone. and i look like this guy. >> you do. >> yeah. >> and you're the older brother. >> yep, 11 months. >> 11 months older. >> yep. >> have you started to pick up now, gary, more -- obviously there were physical similarities. yeah, this is my brother all right, because he does such and such, or -- >> yeah. i kind of knew that something

clicked there. >> something clicked. >> yeah. >> and so, the clothing -- i was right, right? you just happen to have the same taste? >> yeah. showed up in the lobby, and -- >> we all look alike. >> don't know what's going on. >> so, where's thanksgiving this year? >> i don't know. >> any of our houses, really. as long as we're together. >> as long as you're together. >> exactly. >> well, it's such a pleasure to meet you all. an incredible story. randy, gary, joanne, together finay. and you have one more sister that you're looking for, right? >> yeah, clair marie is what she was born as. she would be probably 39 or 40. >> and same mother. >> yes, same mother. >> can i say something real quick? >> sure, sure, sure. >> paula benoit is the ex-senator of maine that passed, created this bill, and there's 42 other states that currently do not have open adoption records, and 6 million adoptees waiting to get info like we got. i just wanted to throw that in there. >> how important it is. how it changed three lives

forever. >> yep. >> thank you, guys, very much. >> thank you. >> you're welcome. >> and we are back right after this. is one clear choice: all free clear 2x concentrated detergent. all free clear's powerful clean is free of the ingredients you'll find in most detergents: no perfumes... no dyes... no preservatives... free clear is specially designed for people with sensitive skin and has powerful stainlifters, so you can trust it to get the job done right. free clear is the number-one detergent recommended by dermatologists... so, for a pure clean, all free clear is all you need.

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so we can all breathe a little easier. we're back now at 8:22. john travolta and his wife, kelly preston, have kept a very low profile this year as they grieve the death of their 16-year-old son jett, who died from a seizure in january. but now, travolta could have to take the witness stand against two people accused of trying to extort $25 million from him following that tragedy. "people" magazine senior editor galina espinoza has been following the case. galina, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> give me the back story here. we know jett passed away after a seizure on january 2nd. >> right. >> and then this strange turn of events following that that has resulted in extortion charges. give me the back story. >> only two weeks or so after jett's death, travolta's attorney gets a phone call saying, oh, there are these people who want to sell you

these documents related to jett's care and they want $25 million for them. >> this document being what kind of a document? >> it's called a refusal to transport document. they're alleging that travolta signed this piece of paper which would have absolved the ambulance crew of anything that went wrong if travolta decided his son should not be taken to the hospital. whether travolta actually even signed this is one of the things that's unclear. >> which also raises a lot of questions. first of all, we don't know if there is such a document. >> very well may n be. >> or if these two people are simply trying to sell something that doesn't exist. >> and even if there is this document, so what? jett was taken to the hospital. his death did not result from any lack of care, so it's kind of curious. >> let's make sure we stay on that point for a second. is there any evidence that suggests that the travoltas in any way denied or prevented jett from receiving the proper kind of medical attention? >> there is no evidence of that whatsoever, and i think that that's why john immediately went to the authorities and said, look, these guys are trying to

extort me, and here we are today with him about to testify. >> and let's connect the dots here, because one of the reasons this would hold interest for someone is that the travoltas are scientologists, and the scientologists have a rather complicated belief system when it comes to medical care and medical conditions. >> right. >> in fact, believing some conditions don't even exist. >> right. and so, it makes you wonder that maybe these people knew that and they thought in some way they could embarrass exttravolta int just making this thing go away and pay over the money. and travolta clearly feels he needs to protect his family here and say, look, we did nothing wrong. >> the travoltas, as i mentioned in the introduction, galina, have been extremely quiet and have kept to themselves while they grieve the loss of their son. and yet, i understand that because of certain local laws in place governing this case, john travolta might be forced to testify. >> yes. under bahamian law, because he reported this to the authorities, he's the one who has to testify, and he is in the bahamas today and is expected to be the first witness called this morning. >> all right. we'll follow that as i know you

folks at "people" are following it. galina, thanks very much. >> my pleasure. just ahead, how to get your kids involved in the kitchen with the help of, wow, could you have better help than this? paula deen, after your local news and weather. good morning. a foggy morning out here. it's 07 degrees right now at 8:26. we'll get the forecast coming up this tuesday, september 22nd, the final day of summer and the first day of fall. an officer found her alone in the car with a 15 dwreer-year-o. valerie was visibly drunk. she has now been suspended from her job and is charged with

contributing to the delinquency of a minor. the eastbound right lane between bulla and trap roads will be closed between 9:30 in the morning until 3:30 in the afternoon. crew also be performing work for the metro rail project. the work should last four to five days. we'll take a break

good morning. patchy fogs around and temperatures near 07 now. highs in the upper 07s and a chance of passing showers. more the same on wednesday and thursday. a bit warmer and a smaller chance of passing showers.

how is the traffic now, ashley? >> ll, things are pretty foggy. south of route 50, it's moving at a nice rate of speed but the fog is definitely a huge issue. 395 jammed from the beltway to the 14th street bridge. back to you. >> at 5:00 p.m., kicking it with lindsey, the only

friday, the voice we thought was silenced forever. >> all my success and fame. >> michael jackson. >> i just wanted to have to be loved. >> an american tragedy, dateline. 8:30 now on a tuesday morning. it's the 22nd day of september 2009. we have stepped outside to say

hi to all the nice people gathered outside our little window on the world. kind of a mild day. not too bad here in the northeast. i'm matt lauer along with meredith vieira, al roker and ann curry. question for the group -- >> yes? >> did you guys all cook when you were kids? >> yes. >> helped out in the kitchen? >> yes. >> you liked it? >> yes, loved it. >> and it instuld a love for food in your life. >> make a mess -- >> yes. paula deen, she says this is a really good idea. oh, she is my dream lady. she says if you want your kids to like food and also earn to eat healthy -- that is not healthy right there. [ laughter ] you've got to get them in the kitchen, you've got to get them cooking with you early on. she is going to do that with us in just a couple of minutes. >> she's so shy. >> yeah, she is. that's good, though. >> i know. >> also ahead, check this out, this 14-year-old's talent. take a look at this. >> ooh, there i am. >> there you are. >> okay. >> you're on. okay, that was good.

his name is michael maloney. >> that was bad. >> he has an uncanny ability to imitate all sorts of animals. that was, as you pointed out, a goat? >> a goat or sheep, something like that. >> we'll talk to him and listen to him. >> he sounds like a youtube video all by himself. >> if that was a turkey, he's not all that good. >> i'm sure he's much better. >> he's been doing it since he was 5 and he got a gig out of it. >> cool. >> big gig. also coming up this morning, i think it's very pertinent to the discussionf health care and insurance. if you file a claim with your health insurance company and you get rejected, what should you do? we'll have specific advice this morning. >> perfect. and the seven deadly sins that homeowners make what they're trying to sell. all right, but first, this poor guy over here has been standing by patiently going, what is this show about? ladies and gentlemen, from "law & order: svu," and they start their 11th season? >> 11. >> wow!

>> you get this all the time, but why do you think this show has survived and thrived for 11 years? >> especially given the climate? >> i think a lot of it, obviously, has to do with the pedigree that we got from dick wolf and how they tell stories, but it's become more than a tv show. almost became a public service to make people feel that, you know, anything in sexually based crimes, these sorts of things, incest, it's not something to be ashamed of. if anything, it's something to vigorously prosecute, go after and get the people that are guilty of it. >> you've got a big season premiere coming up tomorrow with two big stars. >> we have christine latte coming on and -- >> miller -- >> wentworth -- i couldn't remember. wentworth. >> that's a great name. >> wentworth from "prison break" and we have christine on for about 14 episodes. >> recurring? >> yeah. >> in fact, your character and her character, what's going on between you two? >> we don't see eye to eye. i think it's sexual tension that

she won't admit to, but it's just my -- >> the guys always think that. >> yes, they do. >> okay. >> she doesn't like me, no, it's sexual tension. >> that's something that's different about your "law & order," is that there's a little more emotion in this show than the others. >> we're very lucky. we've been very lucky. our characters get to delve into the personal side of how we're feeling about things, what's going on with us internally, and as an actor, that's a lot of fun to play. >> by the way, meredith has lipstick on your face. >> oh, i'm sorry. >> i wanted to get it off -- >> it's not matt's? >> it was your color. >> and also, chris was admiring your shoes. >> wow. >> thank you so much. >> chris has lipstick on his face. >> thank you so much. >> and we want to remind people, the 11th season of "law & order: svu" begins tomorrow night on nbc at 9:00/8:00 central time. christopher, good luck. >> thank you very much. >> nice to see you. >> we love it any time we can use the "chung chung!"

>> mr. roker, how about some weather? >> we'll do that right now. sunshine up and down the west coast, high re dangers as well. sharply cooler north texas into the rockies. tomorrow, wet weather on and off into the northeast. rain moves into the lower mississippi river valley again, but the heat continues out west. that's what's going on around the country.ç#ç#ç#ç#ç#ç#ç#ç#ç#ç# good morning. here we have a wide variety of weather goingon. some locations are seeing sunshine in washington. we have fog that is cloudy and washington monument disappears. here we have rain falling out of western maryland. temperatures in the near 70s and we'll climb into the 70s with a passing showers this afternoon. warmer on wednesday and >> and don't forget, you can get

your weather any time of the day or night, weather channel on cable or weather.com online. now, let's head on down to washington, d.c., and say hello to uncle willard scott. >> how sweet it is. the autumn leaves begin to fall. september song, one of the prettiest songs ever written. walter houston, remember? he sang that. i loved old music. happy birthday from smucker's. i've always loved it. happy birthday as the jam jar spins around and if you'll look at beautiful kate lowenthal from delray beach, florida, 111 years old. secret to longevity, visits with her daughter and loves to play bingo. we used to use corn kernels and just an old board. always liked that. myria dade, like dade county. she's from floydada, texas, 103 years old. traveled on a family reunion over 500 miles this past summer. she is one tough lady. take look at verlon lovelace

of fergus falls, minnesota, 100 years old. attends community college to learn all about taxes and then helps other people who are older do their taxes. that's incredible. productivity. keeping busy, that's the secret. lorraine fitterer tarzana, california, 106. has lived in the same house for over 50 years. enjoys eating barbecue ribs and bad at all.neken beer. dr. abraham berens, and he is from sands point, new york, and he also designed one of the first cobalt machines during world war ii, which is fabulous. as i say, it's a great contribution to mankind. how about that? and we have helen schweda, and she's from parma, michigan, 100 years old today. donates quilts to families in need and also for fire departments. and that's it, that's all. that's all there is. there is no more, that's it, no other birthday we don't have. now back to new york city. >> and willard, thank you very

much. up next, paula deen explains how to get your kids excited about cooking. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on "today's kitchen," back to basics. the one and only paula deen. she says kids who participate in the food-making process enjoy their meals even more. in "paula deen's cookbook for the lunch box set" is filled with great ideas. she's here with two helpers, william and jackie. good morning, everyone. nice to see you. >> aren't these children beautiful? >> and i understand they're accomplished cooks. >> you know, this weekend at home, matt, they both prepared the recipe that they were going to do this morning because they wanted to make sure they knew exactly what they were doing. >> all right, so william's going to be doing the main course and jackie's going to be doing

dessert. >> he's doing the entree. jackie is doing a buncake and william is doing the entre, a beef casserole. >> before the recipe i want to read your tips for children in the kitchen. always have adult supervision. cut away from yourself. we don't want any accidents. wash your hands before starting. use oven mitts for ovens and pots and have the pots and ingredients lined up first. >> right. and always cut -- if mommy feels like you're old enough, kids, to do your own cutting, make sure you cut on a cutting board. otherwise, that blade could slip on a countertop and you could cut yourself. and you see right here? >> it's happened a few times. >> when auntie paula accidentally cut herself. so, you don't want to do that. >> william, you're going to make this cheeseburger casserole. you made it at home. >> yes. >> what are your tips for this? what do you like about it? >> um -- >> tastes good? yeah? and was it easy or hard to make? >> hard. >> it's hard? >> it's hard to make, though?

what are some of the things you want to tell me about making it? >> i don't know. >> you don't know. you want to try doing it with me? paula, want to help us out? >> let's go. >> we have some noodles here. >> william has already cooked off his noodles and he scrambled off his hamburger meat. >> okay. >> now we'reoing to add the onions, the bell peppers and the canned tomatoes. >> do you want me to do that or william to do it? how about we put it together, already? >> and william can put in our worcestershire, our oregano, our salt and our pper. how about that, william? and hold on, baby, i'm going to scoot you down -- >> okay, i'm going to move this around. >> -- so you can reach it. look, mr. matt's a lefty. >> i am. >> so, dump these in, darling, right there. all your ingredients. >> go ahead, put those in, william. >> there you go. >> mix it around. do that one with the salt. spread it around, okay. >> and don't do like aunt paula and drop the bowls into -- >> you know how these work here. we're going to pretend this is completely finished. what is that, oregano?

what is that? >> that's oregano. >> okay, william, put it right in there. >> there you go. >> perfect. >> perfect! >> we're going to saute that around for how long? >> you know, just a few minutes, just to take a little bit of the crispness out of the vegetables. then all we're going to do is pour this on top, matt, then add our cheese. >> okay. >> so, william -- >> why don't you do that, william, while we move over to jackie. >> i want to help you by holding the pot. >> here you go, william. dump that right in there. >> and there you go, just scoop it in. >> cool. >> perfect. >> and what happens, eventually, here, is we pop that in the offensiven and it comes out looking like this. >> we're going to break this for 15 or 20 minutes, not long at all. and we're just going to -- what did she say? i took a bite and jackie looked at me and said "i saw that, matt." >> listen, she is the food police here. >> she is. >> matt tried to get a piece before everybody popped in, and she said, no, mr. matt. >> let's move on, folks.

william, thank you very much. >> thank you, darling. >> jackie, you're making dessert for us? >> don't you go anywhere because we're going to have cake. >> what are you making, jackie? >> i'm making the chocolate chip cake. >> okay. did you try this at home? >> mm-hmm. >> is it easy or hard? >> a little hard. >> a little hard? do you have any tips for me on things i should know before we make it? >> i don't know. >> no? just be careful? can i have a bite at the end? remember? we made a deal. >> okay. >> all right. paula, how do we do this? >> all right. this is so, so simple. i'll crack your eggs for you -- >> no, i want to do it. >> oh, my gracious! and i so want you to. >> here you go. pop that open, jackie. >> all right. there you go, darling. >> great. >> oh, i found a shell. >> you found a shell? get it out. >> you know how hard it is to get that shell? you know, i'll get the piece with the shell, so don't worry about it -- oh, you already have it. let's leave it in there. >> here, baby doll, you crack this one and i'll get it, how's

that? because it can roll on you. here you go. >> jackie is determined to get every little piece of shell out of there. jackie, we're going to leave that one, all right? >> all right. >> here, crack that g. >> we've got to get our cake made, baby. and matt, i have to tell you, i so appreciate you having the guts to come back with me -- >> that's okay. >> because i think the last time we were doing goat's cheese, talking about goat's cheese -- >> yeah. >> and -- >> you almost killed me. that's okay. >> i got you upset. >> that's all right. that's all right. >> telling you the thumper story. >> i always love you. don't worry about it. all right, put those in. >> dump those in, baby. >> great. what else goes in? >> this is an instant chocolate pudding. >> go ahead, jackie, pop that in there. okay. >> then we've got sour cream. >> here. >> do we have a spatula over there? >> there we go. you want to do that, jackie? >> yep. >> i think jackie wants to. she is a woman that knows her own mind. >> okay. and what's going to happen? we're going to mix that up and put it into a cake pan like this

one here? >> oh! and she pulled a paula! >> there we go. >> this is what i did on the "oprah" show, only we had a moving mixer, y'all. >> there we go. >> all right, our chocolate chips. so, just mix that up, pudding. >> it's going to go in there. how long's it going to bake? >> and we're just going to dust this so our cake will come out pretty, and i'll be doing this, because it's a bing part. >> okay. >> and this is what it looks like when it's all done. and jackie, you said i could or couldn't have a bite? >> you could. >> oh, thank you very much. >> mm-mmm! >> well, wait, matt. >> how about me, can i have a bite? >> yes, baby. i'm coming. >> can i have a bite? >> no! yes, you can. >> thank you. >> uh-oh, i got lipstick all over you. >> the book is called "paula deen's cookbook for the lunchbox set." william, jackie, thank you both very much.

we're going to be back with much more. this is "today" on nbc. >> there you go. bye, y'all!

back now at 8:48. and this morning on "today's money," what to do with your health insurance company says no. each year, 75 million medical claims are rejected outright, so, who decides and what can you do to fight back? "smart money" magazine tackles that in its october issue in an article called "paging dr. no." matt heimer is the magazine's deputy editor. matt, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> so, who are the people who are making these decisions for the insurance companies whether to acknowledge the claim and okay it or to reject it? >> they're called medical dictors. they are all doctors by profession, but most of them at this point, they don't see patients anymore. they basically work in offices, they work around conference tables, they're reviewing these files and making these sort of

rubber-stamp decisions thumbs up or thumbs down on whether to pay for certain kinds of care. >> we have to say starting out that, i mean, health care costs are through the roof, and these people, their argument is we're trying to hold down those costs in order to help all americans. >> absolutely. i think their argument is if everyone can spend as much as they possibly want, then the system eventually goes bankrupt and nobody can get their care paid for. >> but there are areas where disputes often arise, four key areas. one is home nursing care. why is that one an issue? >> a full-time home nurse can cost anywhere from $75,000 to $100,000 a year, and obviously, that's a huge price tag. what the insurance companies will often argue is that a lot of the things that a nurse does, like changing people, bathing them, are things that parents could do or your spouse could do. but of course, a family that's in that situation knows that's an incredibly hard burden to bear. >> also, disputes over medical equipment, like a fancy wheelchair, for example. they might say you can do something that's not quite so fancy or prescription drugs that doctors prescribe for something that is not normally prescribed for. but then also rehabilitative

therapy is often rejected. >> that's right. they'll argue in some cases if you have a degenerative disease like multiple sclerosis, for example, they'll say, well, rehab can't really get you bac to 100%, so it's not really rehab and therefore, we won't pay for it. but the patients in that situation will say this is a huge quality of life issue for us and we need this therapy to get through day to day. >> so your claim is rejected. should you just throw up your hands or is there something you can do? >> there is an appeals process, and the good news is, although it's time-consuming, people who appeal have high success rates, anywhere from 30% to 50% get their cases overturned in their favor. >> but how do you even start that process? >> it starts with writing a pretty dense, detailed letr to the insurance company. a lot of times, the medical directors will miss some detail of your case that could work in your favor, you know. a lot of times, you have to get your doctor really focused and say what's our best argument. it also helps if you can bring in an expert on your disease or ailment. >> now get a second opinion? >> exactly. sort of a heavy hitter, like the most prominent diabetes doctor in your town or something.

>> can you get directly to the medical director who handles your case? >> well, eventually, that's a possibility. there's usually a second round of appeals, at which point you'll have a telephone conference with that medical director. keep in mind, you might only get 10 or 15 minutes, skeep the message concise. >> and if all else fails, appeal to the state. >> most states have a board of appeals where if the insurance company continues to say no, they can step in and their patients win about 40% of the time. >> and matt, if people need more information, they can go where? >> smartmoney.com has the article by my colleague angie merrick, and it's on the website starting this morning. >> matt heimer, thank you very much. very good information. coming up, the 14-year-old who can impersonate just about any animal shows us

some kids have a knack for sports, others video games, but our next guest has a unique skill. 14-year-old michael maloney does animal impressions. it's landed him a job on a new animated tv series. michael, good to see you. good morning. >> good morning. >> how did this happen? you just woke up one day and realized you had a knack for this or do you work at it or what? >> i've just sort of worked at it. i've always liked animals and the noises this make. whenever i watch a movie or something, i try to make that noise. >> we' going to hear some of

these animal noises, beginning with the one you were discovered doing, which is the monkey. >> which is the monkey. >> give us your best monkey. [ monkey sounds ] >> that's actuay very good. >> wow, that's a monkey. no doubt that is a monkey. >> give him a banana. how did your mom feel about this when you first started doing it? >> um,well, i mean, it was very loud, so more often than not, i was discouraged from it. >> i hear you do a squirrel. do you do a squirrel? >> yes. i can't do the loud squirrel, but like the little clicking noise they make. like -- [ squirrel clicking noise ] >> that's great. how many animals do you do? >> if you gave me long enough, i could probably do quite a few, but i only know a handful. >> but you started at age 5 imitating a dinosaur from "jariousic park," right? >> the raptor. >> go ahead. [ dinosaur noises ]

>> wow. they've got all kinds of antibiotics for that. >> before you go on the air, exactly. >> actually -- >> and now you're working on a cartoon in canada, right? >> yes. >> which is very 8: is our time and 67 degrees. a lot of clouds above the nation's capital. it's tuesday, the 22nd day of september. in the news for today, a warning from government officials that they are vulnerable to terrorist attacks. the fbi and homeland security department warn that explosive devices are used for overseas. randomweeps are being conducted at stations around the country. police are investigating a deadly wreck when an suv went

off the road in glendale and the suv there caught fire. police say that the only -- the driver was the only person inside. that driver was killed. this happened at 3:00 this morning. it tied up traffic in the area for some tim it's been a rough morning on the roads. we're going to get a check on the traffic and our weather right after this.

good morning, partly sin knee around the region. humid and partly 70s day. more of the same on wednesday and thursday. a bit warmer. ashley, how is the traffic? >> well, things are messy out there. the capital beltway, both inner and outer loop are very slow. the inner loop continues towards dlej park headed out away from us. look at that, those delays continue all the way towards 395. joe, back to you. >> ashley, tonight at 5:00, kicking it with lindsey.

back with more of "today" now on a tuesday morning, the 22nd day of september 2009. this is that day or one of two days of the year where we get 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night, making it the equinox. >> the autumn national equinox! >> yes. >> and meaning also that from this point forward in the year, the days begin to get shorter. >> shorter, yes. >> which we do not like, but these people don't seem to mind,

and they're gathered on the plaza. we thank them for stopping by. i'm matt lauer along with al roker and natalie morales. li fall? >> i do. it's my favorite time of year. >> i'm a summer guy. i'm a summer. coming up this half hour, we'll have the latest on the investigation of the couple that is accused of kidnapping jaycee dugard and then holding her for 18 years. what police found at her home. plus, we'll hear from erin runyan, who lost her daughter samantha to a kidnapping and murder. she'll share her perspective on jaycee dugard and what you need to know to protect your own children. and on a different note, for people trying to sell a home, there are certain do's and dont's and what barbara corcoran calls our seven deadly sins of things you don't want to do if you want to make sure your house gets off the market and is for sale. we'll be checking in with barbara in just a little bit. great. plus, if you needed added inspiration to stick to your diet, we have it for you this

morning. we meet up with a woman who had every reason to be mad about being kicked off latest season of "the biggest loser." well, she went home and lost 73 pounds all on her own. she's going to tell us how she looks and feels in a little bit. >> it is so hard for people to get back on track. another reminder, we're looking for "today's" kid reporter. if you know a young person between the ages of 8 and 12 who has what it takes, have them report on any story they like, then send us the tape. >> and the video submissions should be no longer than a minute. they should be mailed to today's kid reporter, 30 rockefeller plaza, new york, new york, 10112. official rules are on our website, todayshow.com. >> get those in quickly. let's go inside. ann's standing by with a look at all theeadlines of the morning. >> good morning, matt. good morning, everybody. more rain is falling in the southeastern united states where flooding has now claimed at least eight lives. officials now say that the victims were in cars swept away by floodwaters.

a 2-year-old boy died when his family's mobile home was carried away by a rising creek. flood watches are being posted from texas to georgia, so do take precautions there today. president obama's hosting a meeting in new york today between israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu and palestinian president mahmoud abbas. the talks between the middle east rivals broke off last year. friction over israeli settlements has kept the two sides apart. the fbi is urging mass transit systems nationwide to ramp up security. officials are concerned that a colorado man arrested over the weekend may have been plotting to attack new york trains with backpack bombs and that he may have accomplices still at large. the house is expected to pass an emergency extension of unemployment benefits today. it would provide an extra 13 weeks of benefits for 300,000 people whose checks would have otherwise run out at the end of this month. federal health officials now say that children younger than 10 years old will almost certainly need two swine flu shots 21 days apart.

they also say it should be okay for children -- or rather, people of any age, to get both a swine flu and seasonal flu shot at the same time as long as they are in different arms. and a school bus was up to its windows in water after sliding into a pond near dallas on monday. 18 high school athletes and their coach made it safely to shore. thank goodness they were all members of the swim team. it is now three minutes past the hour. let's go back outside to matt and natalie. >> all right, ann, thank you very much. >> let's get a check of the weather. al is that way with a guest. >> i'm so excited. in the 10:00 hour, raphael saadiq, who, if you have not heard him, he has got the smoothest sound this side of smokey robinson, marvin gaye. old-school sound with a new-school sound. >> thank you, thank you. i've been playing music for a long time. i felt like it was time for me to spread this kind of love to the world. >> well, you want to check out the raphael saadiq brand of love coming up with kathie lee -- i'm very afraid of her -- and hoda

ko kotb. >> i like the tie. >> mutual admiration society. let's check out the weather, see what's going on. a lot of wet weather in georgia. the good news is, it's lightened up, and that is great. because we are looking at over the next 24 hours about an inch or so of rain, but that will be the worst of it. then as we go out into texas, we're looking at a frontal system bringing rain down into houston, down to corpus christi. rainfall amounts there, again, just about an inch to maybe two inches of rain. the good news is, theyç#ç#ç#ç#ço good morning. the overcast is beginning to lift a bit. we couldn't see the top of the washington monument obscured by the low clouds and now it's beginning to lift a bit. the fog that we had this morning is beginning to dissipate. a few showers in western maryland. temperatures in the upper 60s to near 70s. quite a bit of cloudiness and a

chance of a passing afternoon >> and that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thanks. now to the latest on phillip and nancy garrido, the california couple accus of kidnapping and holding jaycee dugard captive for 18 years. police and fbi agents are headed back to the garrido home again today where nbc's george lewis is standing by this morning with more on this story. hey, george, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. as they begin a sixth day of searching today, police are trying to answer this question -- can phillip a nancy garrido possibly be tied in to the kidnappings, the unsolved kidnappings of two northern california girls, cases that date back two decades? that's why investigators are digging in the garridos' backyard, using high-tech equipment that found disturbances in the soil and dogs that detected a possible

scent of human remains. >> we think it's a strong lead or we wouldn't be putting the resources into it. we're going to leave here without any stone unturned. >> reporter: they're looking for possible clues that would tie the garridos to the disappearance of michaela garecht in 1988 or eileen misheloff in 1989. there are some stunning coincidences between these cases and the kidnapping of jaycee dugard in 1991. all three girls were taken away in old cars matching the description of one seized at the garrido property. in some photos, jaycee dugard and michaela garecht bear an uncanny resemblance, and the sketch of michaela's kidnapper, based on eyewitness accounts, resembles this 1976 photograph of phillip garrido. police can see they have yet to turn up any evidenc so far linking the garridos to these old cases. >> this is where we're at a really tough part of the operation here, because we

didn't find anything of significance that's helped us solve the case thus far. >> reporter: in the jaycee dugard kidnapping, the garridos have pled not guilty to all the charges. so, in questioning jaycee, have police asked her if she ever saw the other girls? >> i can tell you that the people that interviewed her had our cases in mind and that she didn't provide any specific information that assisted us with our cases. >> reporter: michaela's mother showed up at the garrido house to thank investigators but said the lack of any concrete evidence about her daughter's fate is frustrating. >> it's been very stressful. you know, today, knowing what's going on here, it -- i've had a very hard day. i haven't been feeling very well. >> reporter: ts as the digging continues. police say their excavation may be finished today unless they turn up something significant. meanwhile, the laboratory analysis of what they've gathered so far, including some bone fragments, continues. ann?

>> all right, george lewis, thanks. erin runyan knows what it's like to lose a child to an abduction. in 2002, her 5-year-old daughter samantha was taken from her apartment complex in orange county, california, and she was murdered. erin has dedicated her life to preventing other families from facing the same ordeal and has founded the joyful child foundation. erin, good morning. >> good morning, ann. >> you have been watching and following the jaycee dugard case. >> yes. >> and yet, as hd as it must bevery time you hear about these cases -- >> yes. >> -- there's a kind of hopefulness that you exude. why is that? >> well, in jaycee's case, there's hope for thousands of other families of long-term missing children. so, i think for those of us who know what it's like to have your child go missing, to know that she's home and that she's alive, it's a huge blessing. i know it's a long road, but there's a lot of hope there. >> you know, you say that with tears in your eyes because of your own loss and suffering you've endured.

>> absolutely. >> you also are a reason for hope because of the organization you founded. it's called the joyful child foundation. >> yes. >> and youav wanted to turn your suffering into helping other families. >> absolutely. >> so, you try to teach families about, what, how to protect their children? >> absolutely, yes. we partnered with the personal empowerment safety education program for children 3 1/2 up to 13, and we have the pride program for neighborhood child protection. so, it's like neighborhood watch for children. and if you go to the joyful child foundation, joyfulchild.org, you click on the "not one more child" link and it will take you to our initiative. we want to teach children, not just tell them how to be safe. we want parents to use those teachable moments in everyday life. when you're at the park, where could your child go if they're in trouble and needed help? >> you take a moment and say to your child -- >> exactly. >> -- if i wasn't here and you

were scared, what do you say? >> where could you go? who do you trust in our neighborhood? who are you safe with? >> a lot of parents are scared to scare their children. >> and yet, in the car when the child doesn't have a seatbelt on, what do you say to them? you're going to fly through the windshield if we crash! if you treat abduction and all of these issues and child sexual abuse, if you treat it in the bigger context of keeping your kid safe, it takes away some of that fear. we're really just talking about life skills for navigating in the world today. >> and you actually lead these classes yourself. >> i do. i do. it's better than therapy. >> is it? >> it is. >> talk to me about that, because here's the thing, you're saying it helps you to help other children. >> yes, absolutely. >> do you actually teach the children o the parents? >> both, both, yes. and i love to teach children. when they realize they have the skills, because we teach them, to stun and run, to get away from a bad guy and get away to safety. it's a wonderful feeling to know that we can empower children. we've had 62 children escape abductions and 150,000 children have been trained so far in the

rad kids program. so, there's a lot of hope. >> very touching what you've done. it is very touching that you have turned this great suffering to help other families. >> thank you so much. >> congratulations on doing that. >> thank you. >> and i also want to mention that you are also one of the founding members of the surviving parents coalition. >> yes. >> which, of course, was founded with people like ann smart wed of course, had to deal with the loss of his child and the return of her. we'll be right back as automatically as everything else? at bank of america, it practically does. use the bankamericard power rewards visa credit card and earn rewards like cash back with every purchase. cash you can put into savings. or even use to help pay down your credit card balance. it's one of the many ways we make saving money in tough times a whole lot easier. stains surrender to the power of all. our powerful stainlifters fight stains and leave clothes whiter and brighter.

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are common sense that we think we know, but it isn't. >> it's not common sense. a lot of people get involved in their own home. they don't look at the situation from the outside, and that's what you need to do to avoid these pitfalls. lots of people do them. >> when i was trying to buy a house, i remember this one, when i made an offer, the realtor told me the owner was insulted by my offer. should you be insulted by an offer? >> no, no. here's what happens. today, every buyer who's a half-wit out there feels obligated to put in a low offer. they feel that obligation. so, if the low offer comes in, you don't know if he's a wise guy that's never going to come up in price or if he's a normal kind of a person who's just going to move up in price. so the thing is, you want to test it by giving a good counter offer close to what you're willing to accept. four out of five people come up in price, but you don't know that if you put your ego in the way and get insulted. >> so if you dismiss it out of hand, you may miss out on a sale. >> it's crazy to dismiss it. you need one more visit to counterbid. >> and the other mistake people say is i'm going to wait for the

next guy, the next good offer. >> the next one right around the bend. the truth is, in a market we have now, a real buyer's market, the next offer is more times than not lower. if you can get someone to a point, take it seriously before you throw it away and think i'm going to get a better one tomorrow. it typically doesn'thaen. >> then, what about when you have an open house? or the buyer -- the seller, i should say, hanging around the open house? >> it's terrible. anyone who's attended the open house with a homeowner home realizes it's a creepy way to look at a house. you're not going to open up the medicine cabinet and closet doors when someone's hanging around the living room. the idea is take your dog or whatever to get out of there, but get out of the house. the goal of the open house is for the buyer to visualize themselves living in your house. they can't do that with you and your wife in the living room. >> what if you can't leave for some reason? is there something you can do to minimize your presence? >> pick the tiniest room, the least attractive room in the house, maybe the boiler room, and hang out there and let the

buyers look at your house. >> is it common for them to hack around? >> it happens all the time. i'd say one in three open houses you attend, you'll see the sellers hanging out. >> if you do get out of the way, or maybe if they do discover you, shouldn't you be open to answering questions about the house? >> yes, but you should be almost kurt and polite and defer right away to the real estate broker. you know why? they know how to position the questions, they know a little bit about the buyer and they're salespeople, and you pay salespeople to present things well and you're not the salesman for your own house. >> and before we move off of this one, limiting the hours to an open house can be a mistake. >> ha! you know two out of three people only can look on the evenings and weekends, and yet, people continue to say we won't show on evenings and certainly not on weekends. crazy. >> leaving closets a mess. i know it's a tough, but you've got to clean up the closets, right? >> can i tell you, a crazy thing happens with buyers. when they see a neat closet, they assume that things they can't see behind the walls they can see. so they think your electrical

and plumbing's neat because your closet's neat. go figure, but people do it all the time. >> people don't make needed repairs because they think i'm not going to be around much longer. let the next guy do it. >> you're trying to get money out of a home when you're selling, so you don't want to put money in. but for every dollar you don't spend fixing what's wrong with your home, believe you me, they're going to get $3 out for not making the repairs. so it's a good way to go. >> and they can see through your stuff. >> people say they can see past the stuff, and a cluttered room look small, a messy room is unattractive and is hurts the value of the home, for sure. >> don't haggle over the extra items? >> no. if you throw in a chandelier or someone wants you to buy a chandelier or a rug and you enter it into the negotiation, it will jinx every day. you have to reserve it for after the house price is settled. then you can negotiate the item. >> and posting bad photos online, because onlineshopping, or shopping for a home is really big now. >> yeah. bigger than big, al.

almost everybody starts their search online. so, think of the old curb appeal, where people used to drive up with the broker. the truth is that everybody's seeing a house for the first time online, and so, you want all the curb appeal you can. so, if you take great pictures of your home with a wide-angle lens and great lighting, your house looks best, andhat' really money well spent. >> quickly, people say don't renegotiate or try to negotiate the broker's fee down. i know that might sound self-serving, but -- >> of course, it does, but here's the truth, brokers are motivated by money. if you pay a full commission when you list that house, your house goes to the front of the line, and that's the truth. so, why would you want to nickel and dime the front end of the deal and go to the back of the line? >> and don't move the furniture out of the house until you sell it. >> no. an empty house is sad. it looks too small with nothing to reference it. don't ever do that or rent furniture, if you must. >> barbara corcoran, thanks so much for your advice. >> pleasure, al. >> as usual. >> nice to be here with you. >> thank you. still to come, you sent in your decorating problems. well, we have solutions for almost every room in the house. but first, these messages.

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while the united nations convenes a climate summit today here in new york, there are some from the next generation who are doing their part as well, and sharon lowe is the founder of the climate quilt campaign, and we've got some kids here with her as well. good morning to all of you. >> good morning. >> sharon, tell me, what is the climate quilt that the kids are holding here and what do you hope this accomplishes? >> the climate quilt is a global kids initiative created by habitat heroes and the green skull alliance. the quilt will ultimately serve as a material symbol made out of recycled fabric, as you can see here, and it's really the hopes and the dreams of the kids all around the world of what they hope for the future as well as their actual pledges and commitments to what they're going to do to help support and sustain the environment. >> and lila, you have one quick tip for people at home? >> stop wasting plastic bottles and just reuse them and fill them up, and if you turn off the lights when you leave home.

>> great, great pointers. and how can other schools, parents get involved? >> kids anywhere in any city can get involved through their pictures. send them in, get your school involved. and let your voices be heard. >> at climatequilt.org? >> climatequilt.org. yeah. >> sharon lowe, thank you. kids, thanks for coming by this morning. can we have a cheer for the climate quilt? yay! all right, thank you to all of you. you can also find out more about the climate quilt at our website, todayshow.com. announcer: trying to be good to your heart? so is campbell's healthy request soup. low in fat and cholesterol, heart healthy levels of sodium, and taste you'll love. chef: we're all kind of excited about it. guy: mmm! i can see why. announcer: campbell's healthy request. m'm! m'm! good! for your heart. my two granddaughters are my life. they always ask me, grandma, take me here, grandma, take me there.

but with my occasional irregularity i wasn't always up to it. until i discovered activia and everything started to change. announcer: activia is clinically proven to help regulate your digestive system in two weeks when eaten every day. now i enjoy every minute. my grandkids are happy, and so am i. ♪ activia still a little bit of fog out there this morning. 70 degrees is the current temperature here in the nation's capital. at 9:26, good morning, everyone. it's tuesday, september 22nd, 2009. i'm barbara harrison. in the news at this hour, we will learn if they will ban tanning beds for teenagers. it will be for ages 18 and up. it's suspected of causing a deadly type of skin cancer. they have plabed planned a publ

meeting about the proposal. we'll take a break and find out if we'll have any sunshine out t

good morning. the sunshine is coming out and the fog is beginning to dissipate. no precipitation on the radar and the cloud cover is in and out with sunshine in and out. temperatures are near 70 all around the region. 70 in washington. highs today in the upper 70s. mostly cloudy this afternoon and again tomorrow and thursday, warmer both of those days and then drying out friday into saturday. steve, how is the traffic? >> very heavy and slow right now, tom. we're seeing the fog lift and

it's ix extremely heavy from the pass to the springfield up to the 14th street bridge. there was a broken down vehicle and 395 is still going to be a very difficult one. barbara, back to you. >> thanks, steve.

♪ ♪ i could break your heart any day of the week, i could break your heart any day of the week ♪ ow! singer, actress, designer mandy moore. just when you thought there wasn't any room for another title, she's adding one more. she's going to stop by to talk all about it little bit later this morning right here on "today." she's doing some really good

things. we'll be finding out more about that a little bit later. i'm al roker along with ann curry, natalie morales. having a good time over the last half hour. >> that's right. >> you've got something going on? >> yeah, i'm taking everybody to school. believe it or not, the kids we've been following for the ongoing class of 2020 series, they're now actually in second grade. i can't believe it. where has time gone? and this morning, we're going to meet one girl who's been gearing up all summer for this year and for her future calling. it's been great to watch these kids grow up. >> the time is really flying. >> i know, can you believe it? >> also, you've got a room in your house that you wish you could redecorate and you're trying to figure out what you can do with it. we have some viewers questions that i think will really make that point, and we're going to answer them with a designing and decorating pro. and so, we'll get to those, coming up, those tips. >> all righty. and after becoming the first contestant to be kicked off "the biggest loser" ranch in the new season, alexander white took the message to heart and dropped 73

pounds on her own at home. >> without being yelled at. >> that's right. well, who knows? maybe they yelled at her at home as well. >> it worked for her, though. >> it's really inspiring to see how much weight all of these contestants lose. it's terrific. anyway, you have to give us a check of your weather. absolutely. let's see what's going on first of all for today. we are looking at more showers and thunderstorms across the southeast, but nowhere near what they've been seeing. the heat continues out west. 87 in seattle, 103 in metford, oregon, 101 in phoenix. tomorrow we get wet weather along the mid-atlantic statesç## good morning. sunshine is breaking through and otherwise a mostly cloudy sky. a live view showing the gray clouds over washington. on the radar, there are a few showers that are continuing now. temperatures near 70 all around the region and it's rather humid and we'll stay this way throughout the day warming into the upper 70s and a chance of passing showers into the evening and wednesday and thursday, warmer both days.

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although her run was short-lived, she learned enough to lose 73 pounds on her own. alexandra white, congratulations and good morning. >> thank you. good morning. >> so, you were there for a week. what was it about that week that was able to motivate you that you hadn't been able to do this before? >> i just say that that week really showed me that i could lose 13 pounds in one week, that i can definitely lose weight and i can definitely, you know, do this. >> so, you're a full-time college student. is it easier or harder n that you're back and back at school, on staying on plan? >> i definitely say that it is more challenging, because you know, you have school classes, studying, and of course, intense, long workouts. but if you really want it that bad, you will do it, and i do want it, so i look forward to doing it. >> before this, you were 303 pounds, and how did that weight hold you back from doing what you wanted to do? >> being 309 pounds was a crazy experience.

it held me back from everything -- fitting into college seats, dating, and you know, just living my life, and i really am i glad that i'm not there anymore. >> this season, bob and jillian teamed up instead of being separate. was the double the pain, did that work for you? >> i'd say it was definitely good to have both experiences. it's the best of both worlds. they have two different styles, so. >> yeah, in fact, we've got some of jillian's style in the last episode. i mean, she is screaming at you! is that -- does that motivate you? >> for me, that particularly didn't work. >> i wonder why! >> but i guess it did in a way, because you know, i've lost 73 pounds thus far, so. >> are you amazed at what you can do now physically? watching you in the earlier video, pulling down weights. i mean, you're really pumping some iron. you couldn't have done that before you started this program. >> absolutely not. i could have not done that, and i am so shocked that, you know, i've grown this far in these

short months. >> mm-hmm. what changes have you made dietwise since you've come home? >> since i've come home, i've really, truthfully, watched my calories and i really cut out a lot of the carbs. i used to eat a lot of bread, with every meal, a lot of rice and mashed potatoes, and i've really stuck to healthy proteins and vegetables. >> here's what i always find fascinating about "the biggest loser." when you first start, they have you in the least amount of clothing. >> absolutely. >> as you lose weight, they put on more clothes. i'd think it would be the other way around. >> i think they really just want you to confront your fears, so it's a good way to start. >> the other real benefit to this is that you helped your mom combat her obesity, and in a sense, trying to break those chains of obesity that have, it sounds like, afflicted your family. >> absolutely. my mother is so motivated and she's finally changing her life, and it's really touching just to see her really change her life. >> and if you had one thing that you could say to people who are watching this right now, and they're struggling with their weight and they're trying to

make a change and they, unfortunately, don't have the opportunity to go on "the biggest loser," what would you say to them that maybe could make the difference for them? what can they do? >> i would say really push yourself and really believe in yourself, because the weight loss can be done. i really never believed in myself and i never lost the weight, but it truly, truly can be done. push yourself, educate yourself and the change will come. >> well, you're obviously a confident, bright young woman. thank you so much, alexandra white -- >> thank you so much. >> -- for sharing that with us. you can catch "the biggest loser" tonight at 8:00/7:00 central here on nbc. up next, the class of 2020, hard to believe, starting second grade. some have already found their calling. we'll have the details, coming up. [ announcer ] soy has been a part of healthy diets throughout history. in ancient china, soy was such an important food...

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♪ now to our "class of 2020" series, following the path of a group of students from their first day in kindergarten to their high school graduation. and as they head now into second grade, some are already thinking about what they want to do when they grow up. one 7-year-old girl named eileen has found her inspiration in the classroom. >> you all are moving onto a great future in second grade. i can see how -- look at how mature you are. you're ready. >> reporter: it's the first day of second grade for the class of 2020, and the kids get one last chance to be with their first grade teacher before moving on to their new classroom. >> eileen. >> reporter: 7-year-old eileen

has been preparing all summer for this moment. >> three plus one -- >> equals four. >> four, okay. that's good. >> reporter: she kept her skills sharp during the summer break, playing math games on the computer with her dad. >> let's do this first, one of each letter in cursive style. >> reporter: and practicing her handwriting with her mom. >> and a big loop, then a little loop, and then out. >> reporter: for eileen, the hard work is about more than just getting good grades. she's interested in being a teacher. >> it's very honorable. i think it's great. >> and wash their face -- >> faces. >> reporter: eileen already gets a lot of practice at home. she's been teaching her 5-year-old sister jasmine how to read. >> our pants -- >> no, in other places. >> reporter: when it comes to reading, she'll sit with her, she'll go ahead and read with her, and everything is that she misses, mispronounced, right away, she corrects it. it makes her understand why.

>> very nervous. >> yeah. >> reporter: it's the big moment that eileen has been waiting for all summer, finding out who will be her new teacher. >> oh, my god. >> i'm 13. >> really exciting! >> welcome to second grade, everybody. i'm so excited to have you here. some of you i know. >> reporter: it doesn't take long for eileen to find out she has a lot in common with her new teacher. >> i started teaching when i was about 11 years old and my brother was born, and i taught him how to read when he was about 3 years old. >> reporter: so far, second grade is off to a great start for eileen. >> the teachers have had such a big impact on her. she's very happy with the fact that, you know, teaching somebody else something, it just makes her feel great and it gives her a lot of rewards. >> and then it's time to go outdoors. >> good job!

>> they're growing up so fast. and you can learn more about eileen and all of the students in the class of 2020 on special web page dedicated to the series at todayshow.com. coming up next, solutions to your decorating dilemmas.

this morning on "today's home," solutions to your decorating dilemmas. we asked the i-village community to send us photographs of rooms in desperate need of help, and i-village and "bon appetit" editor susanna sulk is here to help us with ideas that make this look like a designer showcase. that's a tall order. >> good morning, ann. >> we have tony in hopkins, south carolina, writing about his decorating dilemma. he says "my dilemma is what

color to paint my kitchen. i need to paint the kitchen, but finishing the vast number of cabinets is too much. my hope is to move the section of the kitchen to a more modern appeal." looks like a great kitchen, but a tall order. >> the space is so vast. look at all the cabinetry, a lot of green marble. so what do we do where we don't have to reinvent the wheel? i know he doesn't want to do knobs over again because he's got like 90 knobs, but since we can't take away the cabinets, i thought the easiest way was to pop in some accessories, and to get a more modern look, silver. take away outlook that wood. these are from anthropology, and i love them because they have got some character, and i think sometimes his kitchen almost oks too the same. so let's pop in some details. these knobs are not expensive. it would be an easy way. i know it would be time-consuming, but you do it once and it would wow up all the cabinets. >> less consuming than repainting your kitchen. >> exactly. >> and you thought if he changed

the seating, that would actually make it more modern. >> these are from crate and barrel -- >> actually, you can't see them if i sit on them. here we go. >> he has these wood, very '80s-looking chairs. and i thought, let's glam it up a bit with these from crate and barrel, and i love them. and again, he had a silver microwave, a silver refrigerator, and these would pull it together. and i think the one thing he was missing was a lighting fixture. >> and you found one. >> this is only $89 and i think i'm going to get this. this has so much personality from west elm. if you look at the pictures of his kitchen, he's got this teen tiny sort of thing. let's really give it some character in the space and put one of these up or something like it that really, again, your eye should enjoy all the details of a room, instead of going, swoop, everything looks the same. >> it does definitely meet the modern challenge. >> exactly. >> tina from melbourne beach, florida, has this question -- "my living room is country casual. the walls and some furnishings are neutral.

i want something to brighten up the room. i'm not sure what paint colors to use or what to do with the furnishings." go suzanna. >> okay, easy. when i looked at these photos, it's almost too light and bright. i think she could use some depth and darkening up. not dark, but i mean, again, some personality. benjamin moore aura paint. what i love about this, it's self-priming. you can do one coat and see how it looks. and i love the kind of overgime purply, and i think it would almost anchor her room a bit. >> and if she didn't like it, she could paint it over again? >> right, but it's such an inexpensive way to add a layer to your room to see. and i think that would anchor some of the elements. this pottery barn sofa is only $999. it's very substantial. and what she's done is these slip covers, which i think you tend to lose the form of your piece, and what i love -- you know, it might be wor just getting a new sofa. then she has all these different kind of pillows on it, and i think you sort o lose a feeling of a room when you have too much

going on. >> so, what you're saying is that, you know, something in the room needs to make a firm statement. >> sething needs to anchor it, and i think she should pick a sofa that has a little bit more sort of shape to it and then have fun with some pillows. these are from home goods. they're under $20. look how much personality they give to a kind of simple sofa. and what she had was only one lamp on one side, and i think balance is very important, too. and i love this one from anthropology. it has some of the whimsy of the fiesta collection that she loves to have. so it kind of echoes all her collections, but i would do one on either side of her sofa. >> the kind of balance. i think that's important. >> balance it out. don't just have random things everywhere. those simple, three things will totally transform her room. >> okay. obergine. >> check it out. one of my favorites. >> now we have a question from melanie in cherry hill, new jers jersey. >> kids room. >> she has "i have twin 8-year-old daughters who share a room approximately 12 by 12 with two windows." my daughters have two different

penalties. rene likes superheroes and rachel has barbie dolls and bratz on her side. as you can see, the room is small, tight quarters. what's your solution?" >> twin girls, power of pairs. let's not divide up and have one theme of one side -- it's a very small room -- you know, barbies versus superheroes. i love all one style, but really had fun with it and got super sophisticated and colorful. look at this from anthropology. again, it's a small space. don't try to do too much with it. do something wow, but do it the same. >> this would go with the superhero toys and with the bratz and american girl toys. >> i think they should organize their collections. like for example, put them together on something fun on the wall, get some fun curtains, but do it the same for each bed. >> how about bunk beds? >> the interesting thing -- >> just wondering. just a thought. >> but you -- >> sorry, al.

>> just bunk beds. >> the thing about bunk beds, that space is so tiny, they would be cramped. and sometimes two twin beds is a better solution. big enough bunk beds, you can really go to town on. >> but if you go up, you would have more room that way. >> she can do that, too, al. >> that's another design -- >> that would work. >> just a solution, but i'm a guy. >> the key is to have fun. >> yes! >> and stay away from the kid theme and make it super successful, sophisticated. >> are you done now?

cloudy skies and blue out there. the fog is gone and it's 70 degrees in washington at 9:56 on this tuesday, september 22nd, 2009. i'm barbara harrison. at the news at this hour, build another 45 minutes into your commute if you plan to take i-95 overnight tonight. v-dot will be closing all exits between 161 and 163 for 30 minute periods. two of the three lanes will close at 10:30 tonight and all lanes will close for up to half an hour at 10:30 tonight. they will be closed between 1:00 and 2:00 in the morning. they will be taking down the signs as part of the expansion project. with the forecast, here is tom.

>> sunshine is breaking out and quite a bit of cloudiness is around. farther east, we don't have any precipitation. the temperatures are climbing into the low 70s and we'll hit the upper 70s. a chance of passing showers. again tomorrow and thursday, a bit warmer both of those days. steve is here with the traffic now. >> we're looking into the springfield interchange now and see how that's doing on your left. still heavier on 395. a quick look over at i-270 and looking very good now near route 124. barbara, back to you. >> thank you. tonight at 5:00, kicking it with lindsey. the lunch with

captions paid for by nbc-universal television 9u is tuesday, september 22nd, 2009. i'm kotb who is filling in why kathie lee is on the west coast doing a show with her daughter called "the secret life of zach

and cody." >> may i say that is the best dress i've ever seen in my life. >> really? i wore it for you. >> just for me? >> just for you. last night we had the news emmys. they are not on television and not broadcast anywhere but they had it at a beautiful place at the time warner center and nbc did very well and brian williams' newscast won three emmys. >> did you win? >> we did not win. our group. >> give me your losing face. >> my face was, what was it? i was like this, like that. like that, that totally phony. >> i know that feeling. i lose every award ceremony. i have given up pretending. i just go, come on! >> barbara walters got a lifetime achievement award. jane pauley who used to host

"dateli "dateline" was there she was hilarious, charming. it was fun to see her back. what did you do yesterday? >> i went to see a fascinating film. george clooney "up in the air." very much a movie of the time. he plays this guy. he goes around firing people for other companies and pretty ruthless piece of work and his only dream is to rack up 10 million air miles while he does this and he learns about the reality of human values and what i like is i got fired about five years ago from the newspaper business in britain. >> why did they fire you? >> we basically published what turned out to be allegedly fake photographs involving the iraq war and a big scandal and i got turfed out into the road in my short sleeves and i remember standing there thinking, now what? am 39 years old and this is my

chosen profession and i'm gone. not a case of this ruthless guy and he also tries to tell them when he fires them the opportunity of being fired. some of them do. >> you think that is a line, though, people tell you. this isn't for you. there is something better kind of thing. >> for someone watching this who was just fired or fear they might. if i was not fired i would not be sitting here next to you, hoda. >> jack welch who used to run ge a long time ago he said he would take the bottom 5% and annually he would fire the bottom 5% saying, number one, this job is not for them because something is not clicking and they're not doing what they are supposed to do and it made sense. it is a sad thing, but maybe you're not meant for a certain type of job, but at this point, especially in this country, we're all holding on to any job

we have. >> i found out so many things i didn't know, having been an editor, i didn't know stamps were self-adhesive. you don't have to lick stamps any more. i didn't know this. >> you had to be scared the day they say, pierce, it's over. you had to be nervous. >> i went back to my apartment in london and i watched the tv news and it was all me being fired and i got more air time than the queen mother dying. but i sat there thinking, now what? what do i do? i went into television and "america's got talent" and turned out to be the best thing that happened to me. i have three young sons and i would say to them, chase a passion, don't go into a job that is just going to be drudgery every day. where you dread going to work. a lot of people get stk in jobs. >> findhat you love and get paid for it.

look how smart you are in addition to be adorable. all right, so -- >> come on, hoda. >> we were talking about the brits. there's this thing a lot of british men are doing, i'm not sure if you're doing it. it's eyebrow threading, it's called. >> what? >> it's threading. what they want to do. if you have bushy eyebrows -- >> you mean professional eyebrow grooming. ridiculous. british men are doing this? >> british men are doing it. increasingly interested in having their eyebrows groomed. >> it is pathetic. >> why is it pathetic. you don't need it. >> these are real eyebrows. >> no botox, graying hair, crooked teeth. i am happy. how do you like your men, hoda? >> i like them rough. i don't like them spit shine.

when i first met you looked met rosexual. >> what? don't you ever say that again. seriously, i'm going. can you get me a plane back to england. >> you're groomed, together. >> i think men should look after themselves and be relatively well-groomed. comb your hair and brush your teeth and go to the gym and this ridiculous. what is it, eyebrow threading, i have just been in l.a. for seven weeks doing "arica's got talent" and every man you meet is this metrosexual nonsense. >> you've seen the men with hairy ears. >> i agree with that. >> so to clean up it is okay. >> that's a no go and big problem about toes. >> sara doesn't like feet. what is your problem with feet? you don't like grimy feet. >> i agree with keeping the man on, but when your toes look grimy. that's a first thing i look at with guys with sandals on.

he could be so gorgeous and so hot but if his toes weren't groom, forget it. make me fall in love first. >> do you like a real men. >> i like a man's man. my dad's a man's man. >> one of the sexiest men alive, brian dennehy. >> more than brandy rob your trainer? >> he keeps coming up. >> i have all these people saying to me, what is going on with you two. is there anything going on you'd like to share with us. >> what are the facebook people saying? >> they're like i can feel the chemistry on my tv and i have a big tv. >> we will see if there is anything to say. >> you do all this twittering, don't you? >> yeah. >> i have a big problem with you about this. >> why?

>> i think twittering is for twits. >> that is so rude that you say that while i'm sitting here. >> i don't think anyone is interesting i'm having a banana. who cares? >> so you think it's ridiculous that anyone is doing that? everyone is doing it. >> for all these celebrities for years squealing about invasion of privacy and there they are telling me i have having my breakfast, and going to the dentist and having my eyebrows plucked. i don't care what you're doing in the morning. actually, i do. i don't want to hear it in this twittering. it's ridiculous. >> this is the stuff i twitter. hey, i heard the best song today it's called "hey, yeah." what is your wake-up song? people will write, i like x, i like y. >> i have a fake twitterer pretending to be me and i have 20,000 followers following a

random pierce morgan. >> what is he saying? >> saying i have a sausage for breakfast. i don't eat sausage for breakfast. >> do you do facebook? >> i do. but i never post anything. >> what do you do then? >> i receive rather than give. >> you're a taker. you're not a giver, you're a taker. >> but i have 200 fake facebook ones, as well. >> people always ask you on your facebook page, am i really writing to you? >> what worries me, my kids, for instance, they're obsessed with e-mailing, facebook, myspace, all these things. and their attention spans and their natural life behavior pattern. >> i agree with that. >> they just sit there demeantedly. >> there's an age bracket where the eye contact breaks off.

i noticed that when i went to starbucks to buy coffee. no one is doing this any more and no one talks any more. they send you an e-mail. >> social networking, the one thing people are losing are social skills. they're not losing the power of talk and conversation. >> an article in the paper saying kids don't know how to write cursive any more. why do they need to? a young girl was asked to sign her name. the idea of curvive which was

>> be reported to the harassment organizatis just for a joke, you know. >> so, there is this, in france, they decided to put these big warning, you guys, on pictures where models look incredibly thin because they want to protect the young girls who are looking at these pictures from believing they're real. they're actually trying to put, the politicians are fighting to get this. young girls realize those aren't real ilages. >> i'm torn on this. when i was a newspaper editor i used to think that air brushing was a crime and should be eliminated. i think airbrushing is fantastic because i don't think anyone should see the real me in a magazine. serious point, though. i know a lot of young girls, in particular, they look up and idlize fake images. >> twig thin.

you can snap people over your knee and those people are not who you want to be. i heard you say you're in airbrushing. this is you before, this is the before picture. and i was like, wow, piers put on some tonnage and we tried to see what you looked like afterwards. now, that looks good. then we actually also found this other one. it's like a joy fit, the before and after. you're so thin and beautiful. and i think -- >> oh, that's a real one. >> this one we found online. what on earth are you doing? >> that is my commercial for burger king. they identified me as their public face and you can see why. look at that. >> that's airbrushed, is it? >> airbrushed? on that they took some of the muscles down a bit. it was all a bit too well developed. >> there's a scent like that. beef perfume. >> burger king fragrance for men. raw beef.

where there's fire, there's desire. >> how did that go over, by the way? >> women chased me down the street, thinking that was my real body. >> susan wrote in, the ones that really need it are the guys who have more hair on their back and shoulders and those are the guys that feel the need to wear tank tops. >> that is a great observation. therefore they're manscaping. anything else? >> heather wrote in imy guy would get a regular pedicure he claws me in the middle of the night. that's what i'm talking about. >> not the buffing and the rest. >> just trim it up. >> we have miss mandy moore with us. hello, dear, how are you. it's great to see you. we have a lot to talk to you about. you traveled overseas that has to do with swinging and london. that's what we heard. we'll talk to you about all that stuff in just a little bit.

mandy moore has taken her voice in a new direction. she was recently named ambassador to five and alive a branch of population services international and focuses on child survival. >> the position took her to southern sud a, in, where 75% of the people are affected by malaria. mandy helped launch a campaign to prevent the spread of the disease by giving 3 million mosquito nets. >> you were there back in april. >> back in april. >> first trip to sedan? >> yes. >> yes, first as ambassador for five and alive. >> was it jarring to see what when you arrived? >> yes, it was a lot of emotional information. new emotional information to take in, but what i really loved was it wasn't, there wasn't sort of a desperate feeling from the people there p. they are such proud people in

general. >> why was it so important the mosquito net aspect? >> the mosquito net, one of the most cost effective ways to prevent malaria, especially for mothers and newborn babies. people that are sort of most auat risk for malaria. >> there are ways to stop it and yet people don't have the tools they need. >> they don't have the tools and they don't have the education and that's why i feel lucky to be working with an organization that sort of helps people help themself. >> a tent in the middle of sudan. you're a big movie star this is out of the comfort zone. >> you go into a trip like this, you'll be quote/unquote roughing it. but by comparison the people you're spending your days with and the conditions people are living in there, the tent is by far the most luxurious accommodation. >> can we get to the swinging thing. >> i want to get to the twitter. are you a twitterer and

facebooker and all that? say yes. >> i am, i am, but only if i really have something to say for work. little tangent. >> do you put what you're having for breakfast? >> no. i don't think people care. >> what do you get asked? >> not so many questions. people say very kind things. sometimes not so kind things. i don't always necessarily go on and read. >> you feel safe twittering because you don't think, who is going to see it and whatever. you do, what terry moran did what president obama said, it feels almost safe. >> someone sent me demi moore twittered the other day i'm a lovely person. that's why i love twitter. >> tell us about this movie you're doing in london. piers got all excited. >> you ever swung? >> he's sick. >> my face is red.

i'm embarrassed. >> you can't make a movie about swingers and not expect me to ask. >> it's sort of romantic comedy of sorts and i played part of a couple that decides to sort of add some oomph to their marriage. >> the british office. i love that. >> i love him. he's the best. so funny. it's been quite a laugh on the set. >> i have to ask you, too, swinging everything you ever -- >> i am a newly wed still and i don't think if i found problems in my marriage that would be a solution. >> how is life as a newly wed, are you enjoying it? >> life is wonderful, yes, yes, i'm very happy. >> is it what you thought it was going to be? >> it's really no different from just being in a relationship. it is and it isn't. but it's all the best things that i could imagine. >> how does a new husband cope with his wife doing a swinging movie, presumably being in bed

with people swinging. to me, weird. i always wondered that. >> i asked a lot of him. doing a swinging movie and then going to southern sudan it's all over the map. but he's a really good sport and he's definitely very supportive. >> we wish you good luck with your cause, career and marriage. you can find more on mandy's trip on our website and just click on viewer resources. still to come, the do it yourself network stud finder competition. >> looking forward to that. you'll find out shortly. hello, but, first, these messages.

still to come, the stud finder competition heats up ght here in our studio. we'll meet the finalists. >> something for you, hoda, and something for me. quick and easy dinners. >> we love her. that's all after your local news and weather.

terrorism concern this is morning. security problems at sports complexes and hotels. good morning, i'm barbara harrison. also coming up on news 4 midday, a surprising for the biggest loser trainer. his surprising way to stay in shape. we hope you'll joi

back with more of "today" on this tuesday and helping friends to find the next home improvement. big day on "today" show. >> the 2009 edition of stud finder has been narrowed down to five finalists. mike blasha, last year's stud finder's winner. so this is a big day for these guys, right? they're being put to the test on

national television. >> nerve racking. one thing when you know you have the technical skills and you can hammer a nail and run a saw, but, really, can you get on national tv and actually -- >> i am a professional judge. >> going to judge you. these guys are each, you're going to pick a random task from our secret tool box and you'll show us how to do the random task. >> these are tips that we show on the network on our website and we just give them to the audience and these are typical tips that they'll show the audience and see how it's done. >> let's dig in into our magic box and find out. the first one is -- >> drill and depth. >> go to your station and we're going to go with you. give us some room. all right. come here, tell us -- >> what's your name? >> andrew. >> right. >> tell us why you should be the

stud, the stud? >> he's a man. >> i'm going to get my own show on dya network because i'm passionate about home improvement and unique life experiences and things -- >> come on. get on. >> as a builder or building furniture or anything, any time you're drilling -- >> you have to do it baby. do it. >> if you have to go a specific depth and you're not sure what you're doing here. take a bit and put a piece of tape around it and just about three quarters of an inch and you go down and just stop when you get to that and now you know exactly what -- >> perfect. >> judge, judge, judge. >> one of the most ridiculous things i've seen in my life. >> okay, jalene is going to do a screw in the hardwood. >> why should you be selected? >> because i'm the studette.

>> hi. >> what are you going to do? >> okay, sometimes drilling into hardwood is difficult without any pilot hole, it would be a trisky task, but to make it easier if you cover a screw with a little bit of soap, it will go in a lot better. >> what does she get? >> we'll do a hammer and nail. >> all right, come on down. come on down. hammer and nail. >> so why should you be the stud? >> because i'm just good. >> when you buy a new hammer, you see the head right there, it's really slippery. when you're nailing with a new hammer, you're not getting a good grip. just take some sand paper and sand that down and rough it up a little bit -- >> boom, boom, boom. >> the nail will go in better

for you. >> that would have been better if it would have been exactly the same both times. >> all right, let's do paul. >> stop paint can drip. >> tell us why. >> i'm an i.t. guy and a musician. i have a unique talent and i'll bring something different to the table. if you guys discovered where you have stuff and grid around this and junk in there and there's an easy way to solve that. stretch a rubberbound across the top of the paint can. >> oh! >> come on. >> too late. >> i'm going to be paula. give you another try. >> thanks, paula. >> one side. and the other side. >> look at that. >> now you have a surface where you want to get the paint off the can.

>> broken light bulbs. >> why you? why should you be selected? >> for studfinder? it's what i do. i would love to teach other people. >> tell us what we're doing. >> we have a broken light bulb here. this happens all the time at your house. a lot of people try to turn it and get it out with pliers and you can see the glass breaks d very dangerous. just cut the potato in half and shove it down on the light bulb and unscrew it. >> let's see if it works. let's see if it works. >> good use. you are the susan boyle, the undiscovered genius. >> what happened to studette down there? >> good luck, we can't wait to see who is selected. >> thank you so much. >> november 20th.c8yg/f1 o >> the winner will be announced in a one-hour "stud finder" special. when we come back, we have

miss java in the kitchen.

we are back, we're cooking with giada. our favorite chef of "today" show. >> she is here to make dinner easy on you. >> what we love about this one. it starts with a cocktail. we normally don't do that on our show, piers.

>> that's why we're sarting out with a cocktail. >> what is it? >> this is a hubiscus tea with vodka and citrus. of course, you can do it virgin. >> why would you do that? >> that's why there's vodka in it, enjoy it. bring your drinks on down here. >> that's good. >> hubiscus flowers, you can stay there. little lime and lemon juice and over here we're doing a little lamb ragu. so, anyway, ground lamb and some shallots and garlic and i do this sometimes without any pasta and do some bread or sometimes over rice and even over baked potato. >> lovely. >> if you're going to serve it alone without a pasta element, i only add two cups of marinara. >> can you use store bought?

you make your own? >> i like my own. i have an 18-month-old, sometimes there's not time. >> this baby is the cutest baby ever. >> more importantly -- >> did you say more importantly? we're talking about the baby. >> you know what, piers, red wine. there we go. >> this is my kind of cook. >> it's really easy to do. if you use the store bought marinara, as hoda is downing her drink. >> my god. that was a big slug. >> i called you our favorite chef in the beginning, if you remember. >> i'm just impressed that you like the drink so much. some red wine in there and you let that simmer for a few minutes and then come over here and, oh, you left your drink. >> i don't want it any more. you people are making me

nervous. >> then we have some -- >> how long do you cook that sauce? >> about eight to ten minutes. >> everything i ever cook -- how do you keep the spaghetti where it's tender. i always overdo it or underdo it. >> because you're british. >> oh, you put it in here. >> you know what, taste it. taste it. >> that's how you know. >> do you feed it into my mouth like an italian movie? >> suck it in. it's pasta. >> don't you love this show? >> hey, hoda, feed me some spaghet spaghetti. >> oh, dear. >> okay. >> so, anyway, once you add it in. >> why do you do it this way? a lot of people put the pasta on the plate and pours the sauce over. >> it absorbs all the sauce and

the juice from the lamb ragu. i add cheese to make it nice and creamy and then mint. and it makes it really light so it feels like it's a lot lighter and i just kind of rip it up and add the fresh mint. >> that looks delicious. >> i just kind of put it, you can serve yourself some over there. >> do it with this. >> here's some tongs over here. that might make your life easier. you're wearing a white dress. >> and then i just sprinkle it with parmesan cheese right at the end. >> thank you, thank you. >> we have some carrots and zucchini over there. i hard boiled the carrots a little bit and put parmesan cheese over them. >> the queen of england never eats pasta because it's absolutely impossible to eat it in public without making a fool of yourself. >> long pasta. >> any type of pasta. it always dribbles down your

throat or neck. >> do you want me to show you how to do it? >> yes. >> take two, take two and then roll those around your fork. >> okay. >> there we go, piers. >> again, suck in. >> thank you so much. thank you, delicious, delicious. >> i love that. we have a special performance from rafael sadiq after this.

he has been making music for more than 20 years frontman of tony, toni tone. >> most recently rafael saadiq

one of 2008 best albums "wall street journal" and itunes. >> it is called "the way i see it." >> you must have been blown away by the reviews. you were getting gold stars from everybody. what did you think when you read those? >> i try not to read it because you don't want it to go to your head. i snuck in and read a few of them. >> i, for one, said you're a cross between marvin gaye, stevie wonder. >> hello. >> that's a lot of pressure. i bought all those records and that's what they mean. >> i like how you mix it up. it feels old school in a way and also hints of the new and the hip, right? >> well, you know, i have a lot of great people around me, musicians and friends and i try to add everything in it. the old school is you either went to school or you didn't. >> a tribute to michael jackson, just very briefly, what are your thoughts about him?

>> i love michael. feel like he's a friend of the family. we were playing a michael song before he passed away. >> what are you going to play? >> we're going to play "staying in love." >> raphael saadiq, take it away. ♪ this goes out to the jones family. ♪ i'm so good now i feel your heart ♪ ♪ i hit the floor i can't start to pray ♪ ♪ i'm so grateful i feel the sunshine ♪ ♪ girl, you changed my life made me see ♪ ♪ girl, i never felt like this ♪

♪ falling in love can be easy it's too tricky ♪ ♪ and falling in love can be easy staying in love is too tricky ♪ ♪ you know i hold you high i still love you, girl ♪ ♪ and when i'm thinking i'm sweating ♪ ♪ when you put your hand who would have thought ♪ ♪ we'd be searching how could love ♪ ♪ girl, i makes me

want to cry ♪ ♪ falling in love can be easy ♪ ♪ staying in love is too tricky ♪ ♪ falling in love can be easy ♪ ♪ staying in love staying in love can be tricky ♪ ♪ falling in love can be easy ♪ ♪ staying in love too tricky ♪ ♪ falling in love is easy ♪ ♪ staying in love is too tricky ♪ ♪ ♪ falling in love

can be easy ♪ ♪ staying in love is too tricky ♪ ♪ falling in love can be easy ♪ ♪ staying in love too tricky falling in love is easy ♪ ♪ staying in love too tricky ♪ ♪ falling in love can be easy ♪ >> perfect, perfect. raphael, congrats. the band, you were terrific.

that time of the program where we check in with miss sara haines.

>> melissa wrote in, i think hoda and piers are so cute together, they need to date. i think hoda and piers have a romantic spark. yesterday they wanted to know if heas single. you guys are now a couple. >> what is your situation? >> i'm moving on. >> she's out. >> not that our fans get distra distracted, but they're more concerned about you guys. >> they don't care about the segments we work on. >> pam wrote in the guy with the light bulb was hot. glad to know you're paying attention. >> sara, thanks. tomorrow have coming up ms. sandra burnheart. what high heels can do to your care career. >> and my friend, nick canon stops by. >> have a great day, everybody. see you tomorrow.