good morning. fierce storms. as many as 50 tornadoes rip through the texas panhandle area, including this twister near amarillo. this morning the storms that spawned them threaten to bring more dangerous weather to a much larger section of the country. disaster at sea. hope fades for finding those 11 workers who disappeared when that oil rig exploded and sank off the coast of louisiana. now fears that crude oil could be leaking into the gulf. and good dog. a german shepherd guides a lost trooper through confusing back roads to the scene of a fire at his owner's home. it was all caught on tape "today," friday, april 23rd, 2010.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a friday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm ann curry in for meredith this morning. boy, this is really shaping up to be a rough day for people in the central part of the united states because there have been dozens of tornadoes, they're moving east. >> the good news is we're only getting reports of minor damage but the threat of more severe weather is far, far from over. we'll get the latest from al on that in a couple of minutes. also ahead, are police any closer to learning the fate of baby gabriel, the arizona infant who disappeared the day after christmas. his mother is charged with kidnapping. she first gave conflicting accounts of what happened to him and is now no longer cooperating with police. coming up, we'll get the latest thon investigation and an

exclusive live interview with gabriel's father. also ahead, over a little more than three months into office, massachusetts senator scott brown has become one of the biggest stars in the republican party. some are already talking about a possible run for the presidency. are they getting ahead of themselves? is that something he's actually considering? we're going to find out in an exclusive interview and see what a day in scott brown's life is actually like. let's begin this morning with those storms, the tornadoes in the plain states and the threat of real severe weather today from texas all the way to kentucky. al roker is monitoring it all. al, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt and ann. this is a big storm system back through the rockies and there is a trailing frontal system along with that, producing heavy thunderstorms ahead of it, heavy snow behind it. here's what we look for today. there was a point where an occluded front, a warm front and a cold front come together. we call that a triple point. we have a slight risk from

houston all the way to omaha. unusual but tonight we still have the risk of strong storms. that starts to move a little further to the east and overnight tonight we're looking at a risk of tornadoes from alexandria, louisiana, on into eldorado and memphis is included in this area. but the slight risk extends all the way up into st. louis and parts of illinois. then as we move on into the day tomorrow, we had hoped this was going to die down but it doesn't look like it is. again, a very wide area of risk of strong storms, hail, damaging winds and tornadoes from jackson, birmingham, memphis, on into nashville. but the risk of storms extends all the way up into cincinnati, as far north as des moines, iowa. so we expect this energy coming up out of the gulf to continue to fuel this system, and that's why we're going to have this 48 hours of the risk of very, very strong storms. ann? >> al, thank you. now to the gulf of mexico where emergency crews are racing to find out whether the collapse of that burning oil rig is causing crude oil to leak into the sea.

meanwhile, hope of finding the 11 workers since that rig exploded into flames seems to be fading. we've got nbc's ron mott in belle chasse, louisiana with the latest. >> reporter: ann, good morning. we're at the naval air station just outside newrleans headquarters for coast guard helicopters aiding in this search and rescue mission for these 11 missing rig workers. officials are consulting survivability charts to determine when to call off the search, this as fear grows about the possible environmental disaster that might be in the making as well. after a day and a half swallowed by intense flames, smoke and heat, the weak and deepwater horizon oil rig collapsed beneath the surface friday raising environmental concerns. >> it certainly has the potential to be a major spill. >> reporter: officials aren't sure what triggered this second blast or whether there is an oil leak below the surface but say a tank holding 700,000 gallons of diesel fuel was on-board.

they hope to get a vessel underwater to check things out. >> right now we don't have any evidence there is crude emanating from the soft surface well head. what we have on the surface is residual from the explosion fire. >> reporter: despite the dire sinking of the rig, coast guard officials continue to conduct a search and rescue mission while acknowledging the prospects of a miraculous ending for the 11 missing crew members are dimming. >> let me extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the families of the missing. >> reporter: helicopters picked up their part of the earth at first light joining a team of cutters that have search around the clock for the missing workers, a search now covering some 3,000 square miles. first coast guard crew to arrive over the scene tuesday night recorded these spectacular images of the drilling platform completely consumed by a raging fire described the scene. >> this is my 20th year in the coast guard. never seen anything like it. >> the rig was fully engulfed,

flames about 300 feet in the air. couple of life boats by it. it was surreal. >> reporter: of the 126 crew on the rig, 115 escaped with their lives, something a company official credits to emergency training drills and rescue assistance that showed up quickly. >> they evacuated mainly from the forward life boats into the sea. that seemed to go quite well. there are a number of uncorroborated stories, a lot of them of really quite heroic stories of how people looked after each other. there was very little panic. >> reporter: a number of oil rough nexts i poke to across the country say it is remarkable so many people survived this. they, too, are holding out hope for the missing 11. matt? >> ron mott, thank you very much. rear admiral mary landry of the u.s. coast guard is heading up the rescue and recovery efforts. admiral landry, good morning. admiral, when you look at the explosion that eventually

engulfed this platform, the heat of this, the force of it, and the fact that the rig is now completely underwater, how much hope still remains that you'll find more survivors from this accident? >> matt, based on the debriefing of the survivors, you know, we do have a concern that these 11 missing people may have been on the rig at the time of the incident. however, we are actively continuing a search and rescue effort and holding out hope that we may find one of these 11 missing people. >> any idea how long you'll stay in that mode before switching over simply to a recovery mode? >> yes. we're planning to search throughout the day today, through daylight hours today. we'll work with the points of contacts with these families to prepare them should we decide that we're going to secure from the search and rescue effort. >> let me turn from the personal story now to the more environmental story. all you have to do is look at this scene from a helicopter, you see the sheen of the oil on

the surface, the water is there in the gulf. how much information do you have or not have that would tell you if shthat sheen is simply residl from the explosion and fire or if it is a larger problem, perhaps a leak in the well itself? >> at this point in time we're confident that sheen that we're working with is from the explosion. residual from the explosion. we have air assets, surface assets and subsurface assets. a remotely operated vehicle with both visual and sonar capability that is tracking any oil that might be coming from the well itself beneath the surface. we have not seen any visible signs of crude emanating from the wells. we'll continue to monitor this situation. >> that would be an extraordinarily difficult situation if oil does come from that well with now the entire rig collapsed on top of that well. that would be an almost impossible task.

>> matt, we understand from our visuals that the rig is not on top of the well head. the well head is at the surface -- or at the subsurface and we have a camera on that and we can see that the rig is in the vicinity somewhere but not on top of that well head. >> i guess if there is good news to come out of this, then that would be a small piece of good news right there. rear admiral mary landry, admiral, thank you so much for your time. good luck in your efforts. >> thank you. now here's ann. matt, thanks. closed-door negotiations over a financial reform package are still being held now in washington today following president obama's trip to new york to make what essentially was his closing argument for tightening regulations on banks. we've got nbc's david gregory, the moderator of "meet the press," who's got more on this. david, good morning. bipartisan negotiations are still going on, yet the senate majority leader harry reid has scheduled a vote for 5:00 p.m. on monday. are the democrats trying to push the republicans on this one? trying to push them to make a

decision? >> no doubt about it. they don't want to have any more of what they see as delays from republicans to try to build opposition to this bill. they want to force the issue. democrats i poke to sspoke to s learned a lesson from health care, "we are not going to let the party of no continue to block this." the president on wall street made a closing arguments and now democrats want to force the issue because they think frankly they're close on this and they may have republicans who come across the aisle. >> if they're close on this, then what happened? if i'm not mistaken, a week ago republicans were saying this is the bill of endless bailouts. now it seems they've moved closer, what's happened behind the scenes, or is this perhaps the s.e.c. case against goldman sachs, did that make this a game-changer? >> i think you throw all of that into the mix. certainly from the public's point of view, you see these fraud charges against goldman sachs and it is a reminder to a lot of people about what they don't like about wall street, even if they don't understand the particulars here. i think there is a few things

going on. first of all, there is an anti-establishment mood in the country right now. the president tapped in to that by going to wall street yesterday. republicans feel that as well. the republican officials and party members are trying to court those tea party activist whose are anti-government in some cases, anti-establishment in a lot of cases. so they don't want to be on wrong side of putting new rules and regulations for wall street given its role in the financial collapse. at the same time, there is still a lot of republican opposition because new regulations, new powers for the federal government, there is a prospect in their mind of additional bailouts, that's a big bit of responsibility for the government, the republicans think goes way too far. that anti-establishment mood is what i think is creating pressure for republicans. >> i think what the public wants to know, is there in this bill that would have prevented the financial meltdown of 2008? >> i think that's a largely unanswerable question, even though secretary geithner and others have said, clearly, there are elements here that would have prevented the collapse.

a couple of big things here. how much risk is acceptable in our financial system. that's really what this bill is designed to address. you'll have a lot more regulation, a lot more people minding the store, watching to see whether big banks, other investment firms have enough money in case their bets go bad, some of the more complicated trading that goes on does so in the light of day. those are the arguments that proponents make to say we'll have a better eye on when things start to go bad, and we'll make the banks pay for their own mistakes leaving the taxpayer to not be as exposed as we once were. >> david, who do you have coming up this sunday on "meet the press"? >> we want to get to the bottom of whether there is going to be a deal on this. we've got senators dodd and shelby, those are the two senators at the heart of all the deal making to see if new rules of the road will actually be passed. >> david gregory, thanks. appreciate it. let us head over to natalie who's filling in at the news desk while ann is here with the top headlines of the morning. natalie, good morning. good morning, everyone.

today arizona's governor is considering whether to sign what will become the nation's toughest law on illegal immigration. the bill would give police authority to question people about their immigration status and would make it a state crime for them to not have papers to be in the country legally. meantime, governor jan brewer is calling for more troops along her state's border with mexico saying the federal government has failed to secure the border. today pope benedict accepted the resignation of a belgium bishop who admitted when he was a priest he sexually abused a boy. a government watchdog says senior staffers at the securities and exchange commission sent hours in recent years surfing pornographic websites on their government computers while being paid to police the financial system. the s.e.c.'s inspector general says one senior attorney spent up to eight hours a day looking at and downloading porn. cnbc's melissa lee is at the new york stock exchange. melissa, what's the focus there

today? >> it is all about greece. investors this morning getting relief and clarity over the financial situation in that country. greece's prime minister this morning saying the time has come for the country to request aid from the euro zone and the imf. aid could come in the form of a loan that's about $40 billion u.s. at a 5% rate. the request comes days after greece's borrowing costs on its bonds have risen over growing fear over the country's financial situation. from britain this morning, the young elizabeth. officials today released previously unseen footage from 1931. it shows the then-future queen elizabeth at the age of 4. she's a cutie! and a missouri man with $29 in his bank account has come forward to claim a $258 million powerball jackpot. chris shaw said he had been just a regular guy working paycheck to paycheck until now. he said, among other things, he wants to get his teeth fixed.

it is now 7:14. back to matt, ann and al. going to have a lot of money to do that. >> this is the kind of person who should win the lottery. that's what it's designed for. good for good morning, i'm tom kierin, it's cool, temperatures in the 50s. 55 in washington. upper 40s in prince gorges county. right now in fairfax counties in the 40s to low and mid 50s.

highs today should soar to near 07 with clouds and sun and cloudy and cooler saturday. light rain during the morning and afternoon on saturday. perhaps a shower sunday morning, >> that's your latest weather. >> al, thank you. the family of a woman brutally murdered in cancun, mexico, has now given investigators e-mails that the victim exchanged with her husband. a man considered the only suspect in the case. nbc's miguel almaguer is in cancun with more on that. miguel, good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning. the victim's family thought it was important to meet face to it face with investigators but they could not accomplish everything they set out to. for the second time this week, monica beresford-redman's family met with the state attorney general's office in cancun. for nearly three hours they sat privately with investigators discussing details of a murder investigation now more than two

weeks old and also lobbied to take monica's body home. >> translator: they've made a formal request but must wait until the authorities finish tests they're doing on the body before it can be released. >> reporter: the family has shared documents with prosecutors, including e-mails between monica and her husband, bruce. but after someone leaked e-mails reportedly between bruce and an alleged mistress to an online publication, monica's family begged the information be kept confidential. in part, the statement reads, "we plead with the person who has obtained them to stop leaking information to the media that may be critical to the pursuit of justice for monica." a former producer for cbs's prime time show "survivor," bruce beresford-redman, who's made no public statement, remains the only suspect in his wife's murder. investigators are still waiting for lab results, forensic tests from monica's body and the couple's hotel room before making an arrest.

>> translator: i'd like to tell you exactly when we'll have the forensic results back but we don't know for sure. >> reporter: as they pressed investigators for a time line this week -- >> it will just add more evidence -- >> reporter: monica's family hoped her two young children could say final good-byes to their mother in los angeles. but thursday they left cancun withoutmonica's body and without an arrest in her murder. the attorney general's office says monica's body could be released any day back to her family as they decide whether or not to charge bruce beresford-redman with murder. >> miguel almaguer in cancun this morning for us, thank you very much. 18 after the hour. here's ann. sarah palin is set to make an appearance today at the trial of a former college student who is accused of illegally accessing palin's private e-mail account. we've got nbc's kerry sanders in knoxville, tennessee this morning with details. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. sarah palin is expected to testify in federal court here

today to explain how her personal e-mail account was hacked, the password changed, and then private photographs and personal information were posted on facebook. 22-year-old david cornell allegedly used generally known information about sarah palin to guess her e-mail password. once in, he allegedly found photos, like these, one snapshot was of sarah palin's infant son trig eating his first bite of solid food. bristol palin testified her cell number was included in the string of e-mails and once it was posted online she was overwhelmed by countless phone calls and hundreds of text messages. in testimony, bristol told the jury, only one call really scared her. it was from a bunch of boys claiming they were outside her door. "we live in the middle of nowhere alaska, in the middle of

the woods," bristol told the jury. david cornell said posting e-mails on facebook was nothing more than a prank. outside the serious courtroom, he is quick to joke. david kernell faces up to 50 years in prison. the charges, identity theft, wire fraud, accessing palin's account without authorization and obstructing an fbi investigation. kendall coffey is a former federal prosecutor. >> plenty of prosecutors would see this as a misdemeanor case. instead you have four serious felony charges and a huge exposure to prison time if the defendant is convicted. >> reporter: usual prison sentences in a case like this -- about a year. >> the star power that sarah palin creates huge message power so that the feds can say that hacking isn't just a computer prank. it's a computer crime. where sarah palin is expected to enter the federal courthouse here using an underground garage the same way her daughter did

which means, at least in this setting, she doesn't want to be seen on camera. ann? >> kerry sanders, thanks. coming up next, new details in the search for baby gabriel who has not been seen in more than four months. his father speaks out in an exclusive live interview coming

just ahead, an exclusive look at a day in the life of one of d.c.'s biggest stars, massachusetts senator scott brown. man's best friend is caught on tape. the pooch led police to a home on fire after your local news. y begins with a balanced breakfast. country crock has 70% less saturated fat than butter, and 30% fewer calories. add multigrain toast, fresh fruit and low fat milk, and they're off to a good start.

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this is a news 4 news break. >> our time right now is 7:26 on this friday, the 23rd of april, 2010. i'm joe krebs. two more men are in custody after last month's shooting in washington. police arrested the suspects yesterday and are now looking for another man in the case. two other men have already been charged in the drive-by shooting that left four people dead and five others wounded. prosecutors also dropped charges against a 14-year-old originally thought to be behind the wheel during the shooting. we'll take a break and come back and look at our weather and traffic right after

good morning, i'm tom kierein. temperatures in the 40s and 250s. partly cloudy. later today, highs near 70. saturday and sunday, rain and temperatures in the 60s. that may linger into monday, as well. perhaps a few passing thundershowers. jerry, how is the traffic? >> a live look at the rush hour in gear. 395 northbound all the way. southbound moving along nicely, if that's your destination. and one more south. we'll see how things are progressing along 270, even for a friday, kind of strange, heavy and slow, just sunshine toward

the split. the lanes are open. joe? >> thank you, jerry. we want to be part of your morning routine. news 4 today now begins at 4:30 every weekday

morning, 23rd of april, 2010. it will warm up into the upper 50s. we've got a great crowd of people out on the plaza. we'll go outside and say hi to them in just a little while. inside studio 1a, i'm matt lauer, alongside ann curry who's in for meredith this morning. just ahead, just an incredible piece of dash cam video. you're going to love this. >> that's right. it is a dog who actually ran away from his owner's burning workshop, found a lost state trooper who was looking for that

fire. the dog leads the trooper right to the scene. we've got the videotape to show it and prove that this dog is man's best friend. >> we aren't just talking about the dog running 50 yards. this dog runs for a long time, making turns down these country roads. it is really compelling stuff. also ahead, scott brown came out of nowhere to win the late ted kennedy's senate seat in massachusetts. four months later he's become a shining star in washington. coming up, we'll spend an exclusive day in the senator's life and get his take on his newfound celebrity and ask him if he'd ever consider running for president. plus a heartbreaking struggle for a 15-year-old girl. her family is using this tragedy to tell us what every parent and teen needs to hear just ahead. first we begin with the search for baby gabriel. an arizona infant who has not been seen since december. his 23-year-old mother is charged in connection with her son's disappearance but so far

she is refusing to cooperate with investigators. we'll talk exclusively to gabriel's father in just a moment. but first, here's nbc's lee cowan. >> reporter: baby gabriel's first birthday is now less than two weeks away and no one knows whether he is alive to celebrate it or not. his mother, elizabeth johnson, is behind bars, charged with gabriel's kidnapping. his father, logan, has been looking for gabriel for four long months but hasn't found a trace. >> i want to believe that he is alive. i just want her to tell the truth. >> reporter: police say it all started last december when johnson allegedly took gabriel from his home in tempe, arizona and drove all the way to san antonio, texas. it was there she offered bone-chilling news to gabriel's father. police say she told him that she had smothered gabriel and had thrown his body in a san antonio dumpster. investigators, along with a team of volunteers, sorted through more than 4,000 tons of trash looking for clues.

>> we don't want to leave any of it uncovered. >> reporter: but after more than two weeks, found nothing that hinted of a homicide. that may have backed up gabriel's mom's other story. investigators say she toll them that she had actually given gabriel away for adoption. transaction one investigators thinks may have happened at this park. >> this looks like the parking lot where she said she parked. >> reporter: initially it was this couple that was under the microscope after admitting they had taken care of baby gabriel, at least for several days. tammy smith insists she has no idea what happened to gabriel. >> i am innocent. >> reporter: police believed her on that count. but arrested her anyway, accusing her of custodial interference. now the only person who knows for sure where gabriel has been these last four months is elizabeth johnson. >> i invoke my right to remain silent.

>> reporter: she's pleaded not guilty to all the charges and has refused to talk to investigators leaving baby gabriel's trail growing colder by the day. for "today," lee cowan, nbc news, los angeles. >> gabriel's father logan know joins us exclusively along with his attorney, timothy maloney. good morning. logan, we're now as we just heard from lee cowan, less than two weeks away from gabriel's first birthday. what do you want to say about your boy and what you've been going through? >> i just been going through a lot. this whole thing's just been up and downs for me an for my whole family. everybody around me that's been helping me try to find him. again, we just want to say to whoever may have him to just please, rerewe really want him . >> you just said to whoever may have him. so do you believe that gabriel is alive?

>> yes, i do. >> and what can you tell us about elizabeth? and what would motivate her to tell you that she had killed your son? >> i just really don't know. kind of out of spite maybe? she really didn't like it that we had broken up and that she thought that i was trying to take him away from her. but actually i wasn't. we were both fine with shared custody. i don't understand why she had left like she did. >> in jail, authorities say that she's been becoming a management problem and she's been transferred to a psychiatric unit for a period of time. can you shed any light on whether she has emotional problems, logan? >> yes. it's kind of been an emotional roller coaster, the whole relationship while we had been going out. been a lot of ups and downs.

this is pretty normal for her. >> normal for her. so how long were you two together and what can you tell us about her character, her personality? >> we were together for about 2 1/2, 3 years. there was a lot of ups and downs. to tell you the truth, she was just -- you know, we had a lot of good times, but at the same time we had a lot of bad times. there was a lot -- i don't really know how to explain it. when she would get really mad, just for no reason, just something would set her off just really little and she wouldn't stop until she was ready to stop. sometimes it was kind of scary. >> i'm going to ask your attorney a question, mr. maloney, i'm going to ask you about what you've been able to piece together so far. i guess the question is, what do you think has happened? we just heard logan say that he believes somebody has this baby. but i understand that you might believe that the baby may actually have been taken out of

the country? >> well, there are a number of moving parts. really that's one of the reasons i was asked to assist. we've got a number of investigations that have taken place in tempe, phoenix, san antonio, other locations. what we've been trying to do is just piece together all of the information from those various investigations. you know sometimes it is difficult for police agencies to coordinate as efficiently as they can, especially with something like this. we've been fortunate to kind of look at it from a bird's-eye view and perhaps have some suggestions that haven't been followed upping a diligently as we believe they should have. we are adamant that we believe that gabriel is alive. we are adamant that there was a conspiracy that was formulated here in phoenix to assist elizabeth johnson in taking him from this jurisdiction. we believe that the police are correct that the custodial interference charges against miss smith are correct and accurate.

and there's just a lot more to this story that leads us to believe that gabriel's out there and the purpose of doing the show and shows like this is to bring him home. >> well, if that's true, if gabriel is alive, logan, then somebody's got him. if that somebody is listening, what is your message to him or her? >> same thing as always. i want my son more than anything and we've been looking for four months now and, you know, i just want them -- same thing. they can drop him off at a church, a hospital, a firestation, anywhere. just i want my son back. >> logan mcqueary and mr. maloney, thank you so much. we're out of time. we'll tell people now, if you have any information about baby gabriel or you want to learn more about the baby gabriel foundation, visit our website at todayshow.com.

good morning, i'm tom kierein. and in storm center 4, we have a partly cloudy sky on this friday morning. temperatures around the region are into the mid 50s right near washington. 40s in the suburbs, and rural areas in many locations. and we'll have lots of sun today, highs by mid afternoon should climb to near 70 degrees.

then overnight tonight, partly cloudy to cloudy by dawn. saturday will be in the upper 40s tomorrow morning. and cloudy tomorrow and light rain possible. mid to late morning and into the afternoon maybe some showers >> that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thanks. coming up next, a "today" exclusive. a day in the life of a rising political star, massachusetts senator scott brown. that's coming up right after senator scott brown. that's coming up right after this. on tough pain than tylenol rapid release gels. and not only faster. stronger too. relief doesn't get any better than this. advil.

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we are back now at 7:42 with an exclusive look at a day in the life of massachusetts republican senator scott brown. d.c.'s newest star became an instant celebrity back in january when he won the seat vacated by the late ted kennedy. and "today" national correspondent jamie gangel spent time with him recently. jamie, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. from his cosmo centerfold to being spoofed on saturday night live, we asked him about what he really thinks of the tea party, sarah palin, and if he might run for the white house in 2012. mr. brown has come to washington but insists nothing has changed. >> i'm scott brown. i still drive a truck. >> reporter: and a triathlete, he still gets up early and runs,

still picks up his own laundry. and, yes, he still drives that famous green pickup truck. was there any special meaning in bringing the pickup truck to washington? >> that's the only vehicle i have. this isn't a joke. i mean i have 205,000 miles. i've had it for five years. this is my vehicle. i live in it, i sleep in it, i eat in it. it's trashed. >> reporter: it's all part of the "regular guy" image. >> bagel toasted. >> reporter: -- that helped the 50-year-old lawyer win a shocking upset victory. >> this is the people's seat! >> reporter: a victory he still can't quite believe. >> i got out of the car, i'm like, whoa. okay. is there a bathroom i can go throw up? >> reporter: i don't think it took 24 hours for someone to ask you would you ever consider running for the white house. and so? >> i've been here what? three months actually today.

i am very focused on doing my job. >> reporter: are you ruling it out completely for 2012 but maybe -- >> yes, absolutely 2012 i'm ruling it out. >> reporter: but maybe some day. >> i'm not even going to jump at that. nice try. >> reporter: your claim to fame at 41 was because you were going to vote against health care. in the end, obama won, you lost. were you angry about that vote? >> first of all, i think that's an improper characterization, obama won and i lost. i think bottom line is, there is some very serious problems with the bill. no, i wasn't angry. i'm concerned for businesses in my state and throughout this country. i'm concerned about getting a good product if we're going to do it. we did it in massachusetts. let's do it right and not just ram it through. >> reporter: and the new star of the republican party is enjoying his celebrity status. from jay leno -- >> scott, how you doing? >> reporter: -- to a boston musical. >> it's the people's seat.

>> reporter: -- to being spoofed on saturday night live. >> wait a second. are you -- >> senator scott brown. but you can call me scott. >> i will, scott. >> reporter: have you run in to nancy pelosi or barbara boxer -- >> i did run into barbara. i said have you seen the saturday night live thing? she said, no, i don't see it. i said to myself, i bet she did. i haven't run into the speaker. barney frank. i saw him, i didn't really want to ask him. >> reporter: you didn't wink at him? >> i think about it all the time, i think about going up to everybody and going -- >> reporter: it helps to have a self-deprecating sense of humor especially when you worked your way through law school as a male model, and who can forget his "cosmo" center fold. it also helps to have a family used to being in the spotlight. his wife gail is a television

reporter, their daughter ala an "american idol" finalist. and for the record, all is forgiven for this election night gaffe. >> and just in case anybody who's watching throughout the country, yes, they're both available. no, no, no. >> reporter: there's a picture over there. your daughter with her hand -- >> probably before she was about to put them around my next. she's like, dad, what? are you kidding me? >> reporter: did you get in trouble at home over that? >> no. no. they just -- we still kid about it. like they'll say something, and say, hey, i'll get on national tv and say you're available again so you better watch it. >> reporter: but it hasn't all been so easy. >> you crossed party lines. you voted on the jobs bill with the democrats, on unemployment insurance. >> whether i'm out of step with the republican party, whatever. you know? i don't really care. i'm going to be the independent person and voter i've always

been. >> reporter: but brown was recently criticized for not attending a tea party rally with sarah palin. >> massachusetts, do you love your freedom? >> reporter: he says the senate was in session and it was not a snub. that said, brown reveals he's supporting another republican in 2012. do you think sarah palin is qualified to be president? >> yeah, i think she's qualified, sure. >> reporter: would you support her? >> i'm going to support governor romney and i'm going to see who's out there in the field and then make my decision. >> reporter: as for the current white house occupant, so far, scott brown hasn't met him. just a phone call on election night. he made fun of your truck. >> he did, by golly. he can make fun of my votes and my policy. but when he makes fun of my truck, that's where i draw the line. so i asked him if he wanted me to bring the truck by the white house, take a spin. i also said, i know you play a lot of basketball. my daughter and i love to play. >> reporter: so far, no invitation?

>> i made a couple of inquiries. i think i need to step back and not make it competitive. >> reporter: maybe when he needs a vote. >> maybe when he needs somebody who can shoot. >> that basketball game could come sooner rather than later, matt. president obama called senator brown from air force one this week to lobby on immigration and the financial reform bill. the white house sees him as a crucial vote. matt? >> let's talk about the not-so-distant future for a second, jamie. he's up for re-election in just two years and there is talk, i understand, about him perhaps facing off against a familiar face. >> that's true. it's the first person he called election night, was vicki kennedy, ted kennedy's wife. vicki is not ruling out running against him in 2012. we'll see. >> stay tuned. jamie, thanks very much. >> thank you. up next, the hero dog that led authorities to a fire at his owner's home. it's great video. check it out right after this. ♪ [ man ] blue one!

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the trooper to follow him. not just follow him for 100 yards, but buddy began to run and make turns through these back country roads. >> we're talking about alaska here. it is pitch dark, as you can see, except for the headlights on the car. there are lefts, and rights -- >> the officer's gps froze up. dispatchers couldn't help him. >> and look, as you can see, he leads him right to this massive fire. >> when he got there, he said, ooh, it was my bad, too. i was playing with matches. but he's in the doghouse right now. >> what's really cool is he saved his -- i can't play my sax with allergy congestion.

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this is a news 4 news break. >> 7: 56 is our time right now. 55 degrees at ronald reagan washington airport where the sun is shining. good morning to you. i'm joe krebs. police in montgomery county are looking for information about a vehicle seen near the home of brian betts around the time he was murdered. the d.c. school principal was shot and killed inside his silver spring home last thursday. detectives say a vehicle was seen leaving an alley next to betts' house around the time of his death. trent williams is the newest washington red skin. the team selected him with the fourth pick of the 2010 nfl draft. williams was an offensive lineman at oklahoma. rounds two and three of the draft continue today. and the redskins have just one pick in the third round. we'll take a break and come back and look at our weather and traffic. stay with us.

mome good morning, temperatures in the 50s right around the metro area, and will climb to

near 70 this afternoon with just a few clouds in and out. tomorrow, cloudy and much cooler. and passing light showers throughout the day. maybe passing thunderstorms. >> we're doing well on a friday morning, no major incidents, just volume. there's one broken down vehicle reported inbound south capital street on the douglas bridge. authorities are headed with a tow truck to get it out of there. and a chick check elsewhere. near the gw park. >> thanks, jerry. you're getting up earlier, and we are, as well. news 4 today now starts at 4:30 for the latest news, weather and traffic.

8:00 now on a friday morning. the 23rd day of april, 2010. actually a little chilly out here on the plaza. we have a huge crowd. >> an extended version of the rolling spring break. >> i think we're beyond that. >> i think we are. >> we're happy to see all these nice people. out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry. meredith is off today and mr. roker joins us as well. coming up, a kind of unusual conclusion to that story we've been covering, that missing ohio

mom. >> that's right. the mother of a 1-year-old. it turns out she wasn't missing at all. in fact, now she's been found. turns out she left her husband, 1-year-old daughter, apparently to start a new life with another man. we'll be talking about this. this is not the first time we've heard of something like this. we'll talk to some experts about what can drive this kind of thing. also ahead, the dangers of eating disorders. one family is sharing a tragic story of their personal loss, their daughter died because of an eating disorder. she was only 19 years old. they decided to share her story in a moving documentary to try to help other families. we're going to talk about that coming up in just a little while. on a lighter note, it's been 31 years since king tut visited us. that's right. the boy king. there is a new exhibit surrounding him. it opens today in times square. more than 130 of the egyptian pharaoh's rare artifacts, including his mp3 player.

matt got a sneak peek. we'll check it out just ahead. >> he was a huge gamer. the exhibit is really cool. > let's go inside to natalie at the news desk. good morning, everyone. with slim hopes of finding 11 missing oil workers alive, the attention turns to prevent iing damage. this morning the coast guard said so far there is no evidence that oil has leaked from the well. today president obama hosts a naturalization ceremony for active duty members of the military with homeland security secretary janet napolitano delivering the oath of allegiance. the debate over illegal immigration has intensified in arizona where lawmakers passed a bill giving local police the power to stop and arrest people suspected of being in the u.s. illegally, even if they're not suspected of any other crime.

our sister network telemundo is in phoenix this morning. >> reporter: good morning. the governor is yet to sign this into law but last night she blasted the federal government for what she called its inability to secure the u.s.-mexico border. >> they have simply turned a blind eye to the issues that arizona is being overrun by illegal immigration terrorizing the citizens of the state of arizona. >> we're a nation of laws. no longer could we sit on the sidelines and be a expect tatar to the destruction of this nation. >> reporter: opponents of the new bill say that it encourages racial profiling. >> i think that it basically will give the green light for police officers to harass people simply because they look or sound foreign. >> reporter: this family, who asked not to be identified, has been here illegally for more than ten years. >> i'm more sad than angry. but i am angry. >> reporter: down here on the

border, the view looks different as fences and human traffic have disrupted the lives of ranchers like john ladd. >> i've had over half a million people get caught on this ranch in the last 18 years. that's a lot of people. and i'm tired of it. >> reporter: support has grown for tougher immigration laws since the killing last month of a rancher by suspected traffickers. but ladd doesn't believe the new measure will do anything to change the harsh reality of life on the border. >> they need to step up, control the dope, control the people, work together to solve the problem. >> reporter: the governor may sign the bill into law as early as this morning. if she does and it becomes law, many groups here say they will challenge it in court. >> jose diaz-balart this morning in phoenix, thank you. here's brian williams with a look at what's coming up tonight. >> our popular "making a

difference" series continues with a young woman with autism. she can barely speak until she finds her gift and voice singing thanks to a very special teacher. for now, back to you. >> thanks, brian. 8:05 right now. let's go back outside once again to matt and ann. >> there is a young man back here. his father is a guy named chalmers croi. i went to college with him. say hi to

good morning, a very pleasant friday morning under way. we have sunshine and temperatures now climbing into the 50s throughout most of the region. now 57 in washington, and it will continue to climb to near 70 by mid afternoon and lots of sun. tonight, partly cloudy and

cloudy by dawn saturday and in the upper 40s. tomorrow afternoon, we should make it in the low 60s and cloudy. of and we may have a few sprinkles in the morning, but maybe some showers in the afternoon on saturday. and sunday, partly sunny, near 70. could get a morning shower or an afternoon thundershower. >> that's your latest weather. >> people here, remember nola. new orleans, louisiana, five years almost coming up since that hurricane hit that city. they still need a lot of help down there. nice to have you here. when we come back, she wasn't missing. she actually ran away. that ohio mother and her unusual disappearance. we'll talk about it right after this.

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♪ friskies ♪ feed the senses back at 8:10 with the end of the search for ohio mom tiffany tehan. she vanished on saturday and has now been found safe in miami, florida. turns out she wasn't missing, she had traveled there with another man. nbc's kevin tibbles reporting. >> reporter: 31-year-old tiffany tehan vanished saturday after telling her husband she was headed to a local rummage sale. the mother of a 1-year-old girl named lexie, tiffany from xenia, ohio became the subject of a nationwide search after her suv was found abandoned in a local park. >> for the car to be abandoned over there, we're very concerned. >> reporter: worried family and friends distributed more than 4,000 flyers and attended a vigil to help raise public awareness. the authorities released these

surveillance photos, showing tiffany with a mysterious man, unknown to her family. he was later identified as 42-year-old tre hutcherson. these images were taken prior to the disappearance. and on wednesday's "today" show, tiffany's family begged for answer pz. >> we're shocked and hoping to find her very soon. >> reporter: late wednesday night she was found. >> she was found in miami beach, florida. she is safe. >> reporter: police say tiffany and hutcherson, who is also married to someone else, traveled from xenia to florida and had been staying in this modest miami beach hotel. she reportedly told police the pair left together and wanted to start a new life. the missing mom apparently a run-away mom. after almost a week of worry, her family is relieved and her husband says he just wants tiffany home. >> she may have made some mistakes, but everyone does.

and i can't blame her for any of this. >> we've got confusion and all those things. but quite frankly, our hearts are just filled with joy that she's safe. >> reporter: tiffany's disappearance was not the first case of a married mom whose disappearance was not what it first seemed. just last year, bonnie sweeten turned up at disney world with her 9-year-old daughter after reporting they had been kidnapped. she pleaded guilty to identity theft and filing false reports. and quinn gray, a married mother of two, is awaiting trial on extortion after allegedly faking her own kidnapping in florida. tiffany's family says her disappearance is out of character and are grateful she's been found. >> she's a person like everyone else. you know, getting through life. it's not always easy. >> reporter: tiffany's family says they have spoken with her

by phone and that she expects to be back in ohio in the next couple of days. police have not said whether she is facing any charges. for "today," kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. >> psychiatrist gail saltz is a "today" contributor and nbc legal analyst dan abrams. the family says this is out of character. what causes someone to want to run away from their family? >> a lot of people think about this. a lot of women think about when they're very stressed with a 1-year-old, maybe in a marriage where they don't know how to fix the problems, maybe they're financially stressed. they think about escape. it is a fantasy. that is very normal. i don't want women out there to think, does this mean i'm a monsterfy think about it. but acting on it is a very different story. >> what causes someone to act on it versus just sort of living in the fantasy? >> i would say one option is if someone is really very depressed, very anxious and

there is some psychiatric or psychological things going on that causes them essentially to bust. but, in this case this person left with a lover and that's not the same as i'm so overwhelmed i'm just running. this person ran to someone with someone, and as we've seen in other past stories, love can make you do some pretty crazy things. >> toxic and wonderful soup of love. >> high dopamine, stress and negative things going on. but to cross the line and actually abandon your child? you know, i would be concerned about psychologically what is going on. >> so you think you might be deeper than just falling in love. >> i think it is quite unusual to advocate that maternal instinct and actually abandon your 1-year-old. >> okay. now, dan, the question now is, this set off a nationwide search. are there legal repercussions? >> maybe not. i think that some people are going to be really surprised to hear that. because you hear about these other cases with the balloon boy

hoax or the runaway bride and all these people were charged with crimes. but remember in all those cases, there were false police reports that were filed by that person. in this case, if she didn't file a false police report, if she just left, it's not a crime to run away for four days. >> that seems to be the case. from everything we've been hearing so far. there were no filing of any kind of reports. but nevertheless, there was the cost. >> that's right. and i think this is one of these cases where the authorities are going to kind of dig in to local ordinances, the abandoned car, et cetera. they're going to look, i think, for something, if not to charge her with, in a way to figure out how to get the costs back for their search. are they going to get it? i don't know. it is going to depend on the facts. but this is a different kind of case than some of the others. >> whether she's made or the family's made to pay any costs, the family, the child, the father, and her parents certainly have paid a price.

and so the question i think people might be asking, david, her husband, seems incredibly forgiving. and so help us maybe help him understand some of this. >> first of all, i think he's still in the shock and awe phase of this tragedy. you know, he's probably numb and stunned and doesn't understand what happened. so whether he will continue to feel that way is one thing. but let me also say that he's right, people are human, they make mistakes, as we've been seeing many infidelity cases. it is not unusual for the spouse to still love that person even if they cheated and want them back, because they still love them. >> and his support as a legal matter is helpful to her, meaning if they're going to figure out something to charge her with, if she's going to get sued, whatever it would be, he would be a crucial factor in that because he was the reason -- he was the one who said, hey, my wife is missing, we need to go out and find her. >> but if he doesn't support her? >> if he didn't support her, i'm

just saying could have been more trouble for her legally. the fact that he's supporting her is just another reason i think this may just come and go and people will say, you know, a mistake was made. the problem is it just wasn't a mistake. i think people are going to say, wait, this wasn't just an error. she did this to deceive. she left the car there so people would think maybe something happened. >> certainly there was one tire that was flat. >> we would want some precedent. you don't want women deciding this is a way out of their difficulties. this is a way out of i'm sleep deprived, i'm stressed. >> i think the shame here may be punishment enough. this is -- she's going to be talked about. >> the punishment is that little baby when she grows up. gail saltz and dan abrams, thank you. up next, we come face to face with king tut. our dollars a little stronger. and our thinking a little greener. let's grab all the bags and all the plants

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exhibit started a mummy craze in new york. the king has met our king. >> please. that's right. starting today, the boy king's glittering gold will be on display in times square. i was given a sneak peek at a timeless exhibit. it's being called the return of the king. a new exhibit showcasing new revelations about the life and death of ancient egypt's most famous pharaoh. known simply as the boy king, king tut lived over 3,000 years ago, and his priceless treasures continue to captivate. >> these are one of a kind. when people go through this exhibition, they're excited to turn the corner and see what's next. >> reporter: here to give me a personal tour through the 130 artifacts on display, dr. zahir hawaz, egypt's passionate head of antiquities. >> it could be used in the

aftermath. >> reporter: tut's tomb designed to take him to eternal life was discovered in 1922 in the valley of the kings. it contain over 5,000 objects, many remarkably preserved. >> there were six chairs found in the tomb with king tut. and this one in particular. first, look what amazing condition it's in. >> it shows that he used it as a child. that is really a chair of a boy. and down that area is to put his legs down. >> reporter: throughout the exhibit, reminders of a king who began his reign at the tender age of 9. the objects in here tell you so much about the life of the king. i was fascinated by this game here. tell me about that. >> that's really they call it the place to go to the afterlife. >> reporter: each room a glimpse into an ancient world, a minicoffin that once held king tut's liver. this next item is one of the cornerstones of the exhibit. >> look at the craftsmanship.

>> it is an iconic piece, an iconic image. >> this is something i ask everyone, stay here at least 15 minutes and look at the beauty of the coffin. >> reporter: the king's treasures last came to the states in the late '70s. record crowds flocked and turned tut into a pop culture phenom. ♪ king tut ♪ how did you get so funky >> reporter: since then, hawaz has been able to shed new light on age-old mysteries. in 2005, he led a team that emumed temu exhumed tut's body. >> when i met him face to face, it was one of the best moments in my life. i sent the golden boy deep into my heart. >> reporter: and the answer to what actually killed king tut. hawaz believes tut suffered from malaria and may have died of

complications from a broken leg. the golden boy was buried with his golden crown on his head, and this dagger by his side. >> this is my favorite piece. >> why? >> look. look how long it takes to make the handle of the dagger. look the way it's made, sharp, gold. how long it would take an artist to do that. >> reporter: priceless pieces for the afterlife, now brought back to life in a breathtaking exhibit. >> so now you're going to walk like an egyptian? >> let me tell you, it is very cool. but, you take a tour with zahir hawaz, he could make a tour of cotton balls seem -- >> what was more exciting? >> he's the guy to see if you want to check out anything. >> i was in washington, d.c., when that came through, i was one of the people standing in line. i think it will be just as

exciting. >> we were talking about taking our kids to that. that's a fantastic exhibit. >> by the way, the exhibit runs through january 2nd of this is a news 4 news break. >> 8:26 is your time now. live look at reagan international airport. changes in the forecast. good morning, everyone, i'm eun yang. in the news for today, two more men are now in custody for last month's mass shooting in southeast washington. police arrested the suspects yesterday, and are looking for another man. two other men have already been charged in this the drive-by shooting that left four people dead and five others wounded 679 prosecutors also dropped charges against the 14-year-old originally thought to be involved. we're going to take a break now and we'll have your weather and traffic when we come back. stay with us.

good morning, we have some sunshine. temperatures in the 50s. here is your four-day forecast. highs near 70, but then cloudy and cooler tomorrow with a high near 60. a morning shower or perhaps a passing afternoon shower in the evening. sunday, partly sunny to mostly cloudy. highs upper 60s. might have a morning shower or passing afternoon thundershower. and more of the same on monday. how is the traffic, jerry? >> taking a live look and see how the commute is going for us. on a friday, not too bad. everyone seems to be at that having a fairly decent trip. lanes open to the capital bell and roosevelt bridge. the inner loop and outer loop

approaching the pike okay. and a little slow into the sunshine. >> we're waking up even earlier now. news 4 today starts at

8:30 now on a friday morning, the 23rd day of april, 2010. a beautiful spring morning here in midtown manhattan. as we mentioned earlier, we just have an enormous crowd for this friday. not exactly sure the reason for it, but we will take it. we're loving it. >> i think they're huddling for warmth. >> it will warm up. i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry.

meredith is off today. natalie morales and al roker are here as well. coming up in this half-hour, an adorable little girl. man, is she talented. this is 6-year-old clara. she is a piano prodigy who has already shared her talents at the world famous carnegie hall. >> she practiced, practiced, practiced. >> she's going to be talking to us in just a couple of minutes and playing some more. >> wow! >> 6 years old! also this morning, a youtube sensati sensation. have you heard of tillman, the skateboarding bulldog? you have now. look at him! >> he ran out of plaza. >> tillman has done the rose parade two years in a row. last year, this past year he was actually snowboarding. >> he's also a fan of matt's. we'll get to the bottom of that

this morning. speaking of animals, we're going to go inside a sanctuary of some exotic animals. we'll meet two of michael jackson's tigers. also coming up, what your natural hair color says about your health. al's got really good health. >> how about a check of the weather? >> let's see what's happening as good morning, it is a cool friday morning. we have some sunshine.

temperatures in the 50s. now 57 in washington, high today climbing to near 70 with quite a bit of sun. tomorrow, cloudy and cooler, highs only near 60. might have a morning shower or passing afternoon shower on saturday into saturday night. then sunday, mostly cloudy, highs upper 60s. might have a morning shower or passing afternoon thundershower. and more of the same on monday. highs, mid 60s. >> don't forget, check your weather any time of the day or night on weather channel on cable or weather.com online. we've got a very serious topic coming up. a family sharing the pain of losing their daughter to open the eyes of other parents and teens to the dangers of eating disorders. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

we are back at 8:35 with

important information for both parents and teens on just how deadly eating disorders can be. 19-year-old melissa avrin lost her lengthy battle with bulimia last may. during her struggle, melissa kept a journal writing not only about her pain and suffering, but also her hopes and dreams. one of them -- to make a movie that would change lives. we're going to talk to melissa's mother in a moment who's now made her daughter's dream come true with a deeply personal documentary. >> i was sitting on the couch. she went through the fridge looking for something to eat. i knew that there was nothing there. i made sure of it. i thought she went to bed. then i hear something and i look outside and the bitter freezing cold, she's going through the garbage out on the curb looking for something to eat. i went outside, and i yelled her name. just the way she looked back at me. it was so empty.

vacant. she was a deer in the headlights doesn't even explain it. >> i was thinking my daughter was dead. that's not supposed to happen. i couldn't believe it. i didn't -- didn't know what to think. i was in shock. >> i always believed that she really would be somebody who could recover, even though looking back, i realize the odds were stacked against her because of the level of her illness. but i never lost hope. and, you know, i still believe that she could have beaten it.

>> someday, i'll love someone, i'll travel a lot, i'll make my family proud, i will make a movie. i will change lives. >> judy avrin is melissa's mother, here with the therapist who encouraged judy to make the film. it is in the "new york times" an article about this documentary. shortly after melissa died, you decided this tragedy has got to help other people. you even made a very difficult decision i think in her obituary. you wrote, "my daughter died of an eating disorder." a lot of parents wouldn't have done that. why did you do that? >> i felt it was so important to speak out on the problem with eating disorders. they're hidden. they're shameful. people don't want to talk about them. so they don't get treatment. people don't know early signs. they're not aware of them because they're not taught. >> you also had a history here.

you'd suffered from an eating order for a long time. >> a long time. >> and worked yourself through it. but when melissa first started to show signs, were you in denial or did you immediately recognize there was a severe problem? >> the signs were subtle at first. so i didn't recognize that they were leading to something more significant. but i did close my eyes at times when she started losing a little bit of weight. the weight that she gained that is necessary for going through puberty. >> dana, what was the severity of her condition? i mean you kind of dealt with her in middle school from what i remember. was it later than that? >> no, it was high school. >> high school. what was the severity of her condition at that time? >> by the time melissa came to me, she had just gotten out of her first hospitalization. so she was pretty entrenched in her eating disorder behavior already. it was pretty severe already at that point.

>> you realized she needed extensive therapy. >> she did. >> after melissa died, judy, you read her journal and what struck you about it? >> there was such depth of sadness and despair and darkness. but interspersed were these shots of hope and that she wanted a future. and she, more than anything, wanted to be a filmmaker and when i saw the page about some day i will make a film that will change lives, it set chills down my spine. but more importantly, i felt that i needed to share the journal with dana so that if she could read anything below the surface to help the next kid, the next family, i had to do it. >> dana, was it your idea to actually make that dream of changing lives through a film come true? >> it was. judy called me right after melissa died and said would you mind if i just come an chat with you for a few minutes? i said of course not.

she brought the journal with her and we shared it together. we had a cry and it was a really tough moment for us. but in reading the journal, i saw kind of beneath the surface, a peek into melissa's soul way greater than i was able to see in therapy. i said, judy, i think you have a movie here. >> robin, as a reporter we all want something good to come out of stories like this. i think you have a daughter who's 11? >> 11. >> so body image is a real issue for young girls in this country. what do you think the coverage of this and the release of this documentary might do to shed light on this subject? >> well, i think that melissa's story is a parable of its own about a certain level of pathology that's severe and more prevalent than we realize. this disease has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. that's not a statistic i was aware of before i started this. there would probably, i would argue, is not a woman in america who doesn't on some level wrestle with issues of food and body self-image so everyone can kind of relate to this story

somehow, think about it in terms of our daughters and the message we're sending and there are boys who suffer from this as well. >> i know you're still working on the editing process. you'd like this documentary to be entered in some film festivals. while hopefully in the long term this does a lot of good, has it been very difficult to go through this process and relive the pain? >> it's been a very up-and-down emotional journey. i found that at times i was so skilled at channeled my emotions into the work of the film that i was almost physically pushing off the grief. but at the same time, it was such a powerful way to honor melissa and to speak out and the e-mails and messages that continue to pour in from people, truly around the world, thanking me for speaking out is the best validation i could ask for. it's also very important that i

share that there are incredible resources available. the national eating disorders association, which i've become very involved in, is an extraordinary organization and they're providing tons of resources. >> we'll put some of those resources on our website as well. >> there's also an 800 help line number that people can call. >> it strikes me that this is a mother who could have been hiding under the covers. we would that forgiven her for that. instead, on monday she's going to washington to lobby congress. >> we wish you luck with that and our condolences to you also in your loss. thank you very much for being here, ladies. back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:45. this morning on "today's pets,"

something a little more exotic. tippie hedron is known for her role in the 1963 thriller "the birds." but that's only part of her story. our resident animal lover jill rappaport is here to explain all of this. >> there is no doubt about it, this woman is a true original, a hollywood star who has gone into the wild and is loving every minute of it. the year was 1963. it was the movie that forever changed the way we looked at those ravens. and for tippi hedren, it was the break outrole of her car. >> i loved those ravens. i absolutely loved them. >> reporter: it was alfred hitchcock who discovered the self--assured beauty, often compared to grace kelly. it wasn't until 1981 that hedren really found her calling, when she produced and starred in a film called "roar" with her

then-19-year-old daughter melanie griffith and dozens of ann african lions, thus began her mission to rescue the wildlife. >> i love these animals more than my next breath. >> reporter: because of that love and devotion, she established a wildlife preserve in 1983. nestled in the canyons of the mo have desert is home to 61 desert animals from ten different species. >> many of the animals that come in, whether from a psychological problem from being in a bad place. our black leopard was living in a closet in newport beach because she was scratching the lady's sofas and chewing her jimmy choo shoes. >> reporter: now boo can called this wildlife refuge home.

>> they are not pets. no wild animal is. in a split second they could hurt you very badly or kill you. because that's their job. >> well, it's very interesting what i'm hearing you say. because even when i was here 11 years ago, i have photographs where i was actually walking with one of your lions. my hand is on its head. i'm leaning on my knees right next to the tiger. you know, a foot away from his mouth. >> oh, totally. and now i think about what we did. the foolishness. >> reporter: well, today things are quite different. there's no more direct contact with these creatures for tippi or her guests. not even with her half lion/half tiger breed that's lived here for 12 years. >> i love you, you handsome devil. >> here you are with patrick. literally five feet away, there's your house. >> isn't it incredible to have a front lawn like this?

this is where my heart is, my life is. i could be living in beverly hills somewhere. you know? that would be cool. i suppose. but every time gi in to l.a., i think, what am i doing here? >> now also included here are two of michael jackson's tigers. thriller and shaboo. >> his animals were absolutely beautifully taken care of. >> keeping all of these animals in great shape is no easy task. they can consume up to 500 pounds of meat a day. and vet costs, astronomical. when you consider the refuge totally relies on donations, it is a daunting job for anyone. you are amazing. you're 80 years old. >> i am. i am. i've got people say, gee, is she still alive? i go, yeah. >> last i checked. >> she is.

still got a pulse. >> reporter: and daughter melanie is also in awe of her mom. >> she's my hero. i thought she was crazy. it all worked out. she's not. >> reporter: there's no question, she's always marched to the beat of her own drum. even taking on congress to make sure these animals do not end up in the wrong hands. >> i feel like i have accomplished a lot. it has been an incredible journey. just incredible to really get to know these animals. of course, the more we know about them, the more respect i have for them. >> now animals aside, you'll be happy to know tippi was actually discovered because of this very show. in 1961 she was starring in a diet soda commercial that aired during a break. alfred hitchcock saw her, and the rest, as they say, is hollywood history. she also, ann, just received the lifetime achievement award from the genesis awards. a very wonderful honor. >> perhaps it is because she's found what she really loves and that's why she's been able to

stay so long. >> it is unbelievable the way she looks at 80 years old? >> she seems so happy. >> i should also mention you won a genesis award from the "bow to wow" series. >> i was in great comfort with her. when people call her a cougar, she takes it as a real compliment. she loves it. >> you can watch the entire ceremony tomorrow night on the animal planet, the genesis ceremony. coming up next, a special performance from a 6-year-old piano prodigy. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

we're back now at 8:53 with a 6-year-old piano prodigy from connecticut. clara began playing just before her 4th birthday. she's already wowing audiences at places like new york's famed carnegie hall. clara is here along with her mom and piano teacher. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> hi, clara. how are you? >> good. >> i would have been so nervous at carnegie hall. were you nervous at all? >> just a little. >> just a little. what about all those people? is that the most people you've ever played for? >> i think. >> how did you think you did? >> really good. >> really good? i'm glad to hear that. do you like all kinds of music,

clara, or mostly just classical music? >> all kinds of music. >> yeah? what are your favorite other -- what are your favorite bands? do you like like miley cyrus and people like that? >> yeah. >> yeah? good! you are motivating her, you're teaching her. is there a line though between motivating and pushing too hard? >> yeah. i think motivating is more important than pushing. it is very important to, you know, be healthy and in a happy environment for the children so they can enjoy more relax more, so enjoy what they're doing. >> we've been watching her rehearse. she seems to really be enjoying it. will you play a little something for us and i'll get out of the way? >> okay. >> okay, clara. go ahead. ♪ ♪

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this is a news 4 news break. >> 8:56 is your time now. 57 degrees. a lovely look at the nation's capitol, what's expected to be a nice day. tom will have your forecast after the news. good morning, i'm eun yang. police in montgomery county are looking for information about a vehicle seen near the home of brian betts, around the time he was murdered. the d.c. school principal was shot and killed inside his silver spring home last thursday. detectives say a vehicle was seen leaving an alley next to betts' house around the time of his death. trent williams is the newest washington redskin. the team selected him as the fourth pick in the nfl draft. he was an offensive lineman in oklahoma. >> the skins hope he will provide much-needed protection for quarterback donovan mcnabb. we'll take a quick break and have your weather and traffic

hello, i'm tom cure reason in storm center 4. we have sunshine with temperatures in the 50s. and later on today, we should make it to near 70 and it should be partly cloudy to manufactures at times. and then tonight clouding up and by dawn tomorrow, upper 40s, cloudy and cooler, saturday a chance of a morning shower or

passing afternoon shower, as well as saturday night. sunday, partly sunny to the upper 60s near 70 and could get an afternoon thundershower. how is the traffic? >> for the most part doing well on this friday morning. the trip north along 395, just a story of volume. landmark and scheurlington and north of the 14th street bridge. right now, all lanes open. and toward the american legion bridge at i-270, nothing to worry about. southbound, all cleared out for the morning commute. >> all right, jerry, thank you. we are waking up earlier these days. news 4 today now starts at 4:30 a.m. just join us every morning for yo

we're back now with more of "today" on a friday morning, april 23rd, 2010. a sunny day in new york city. sunny crowd of people outside. as always, we thank them for sticking around. some of these people got here in the wee hours of the morning. back inside studio 1a, i'm matt lauer along with al roker and natalie morales. in this half-hour, a real estate reality check. the 30-year mortgage rate, just over 5%. home sales rose more than expected last month so if you're planning to jump in to the market, you're looking to find out how much house can you afford, we'll tour some houses on the market right now in

different parts of the country, see what deals are out there. then as most women know -- certainly not you guys -- it is all about your hair. but maybe not in the way you're thinking about. did you know that your natural color of your hair can be a barometer of your health and well being? we'll tell you why blondes need to protect their eyes and what you're at risk for if you're a redhead or brunette. and we'll introduce to you tillman, a 4-year-old english bulldog who has a way with a skateboard. he's a dare devil on four legs. he'll show us his x-games style a little bit later on. the flying tomato in the dog skateboarding world. >> he likes to eat the wheels though. i don't know that's that good thing. >> by the way, the dog loves to do this. >> he barks when he sees the skateboard. >> he also snowboards as well. he does. i'm serious. we'll also announce the winner of the third round -- >> look at him go! >> we're going to announce the winner of the third round of our semi-finalist for our very own

"top dog" finalist. you have a check of the headlines? i do. in the news this morning, the coast guard says it has not detected any oil leaks after thursday's collapse of a drilling platform off the coast of louisiana. officials are concerned that oil from the platform and the well that it was drilling could pollute the gulf of mexico. meanwhile, hope has faded for 11 workers still missing. police in iraq said a wave of bombings today in baghdad's shiite neighborhoods killed more than 50 people and wounded more than 100. targets included mosques, homes and a clothing shop. forecasters say there is a risk of severe weather today from texas to tennessee. on thursday there were as many as 50 reports of tornadoes in texas, kansas and colorado. fortunately, no reports of any serious damage or injuries. the senate majority leader is scheduling a key heft vote monday on a financial reform package. on thursday, not far from wall street, president obama called for banking regulations to head off any new financial crisis. an unmanned air force rocket

is off the ground carrying a small military version of a space shuttle. thursday's launch was the maiden voyage for the x-37b orbital test vehicle. a missouri man with just $29 in his bank account has come forward to claim a $258 million powerball jackpot. chris shaw said he had been just a regular guy, working paycheck to paycheck. that is, until now. and postal workers in virginia were handling packages recently when one of the boxes started moving. well, inside they found that little guy. a live ferret apparently being mailed to puerto rico. >> that's not right. >> totally not right! unable to find the observer or the intended recipient, stamp, as they call him now, has a new home in virginia. >> tried to mail a live animal? >> i know. don't even -- can't even imagine. he's good, he's got a home. he's happy and being fed and has lots of friends. >> happy that that turned out

okay. how about a check of the weather? all right. as we've been talking about, we've got this risk of strong storms. low pres good morning. at this hour, temperatures are now climbing into the upper 50s. it's now 58 in washington and all around the region we're in the 50s now. and later on today, we should hit near 70 degrees by mid afternoon. we'll have quite a bit of sunshine, clouds in and out. tomorrow cloudy ask cooler, highs near 60.

we might have a morning shower, greater chance of afternoon showers into saturday evening. sunday, mostly cloudy, highs upper 60s. and a morning shower is possible, as well as an afternoon thundershower. >> that's your latest weather. a rare appearance on a friday from uncle willie scott who's in kissimmee, florida. i understand you got a pie there, willard. >> i certainly do. i got a piece right here. and we are live from kissimmee. how about that? and that's the american pie council. fabulous pie cooking. american tradition. nobody loves pies any better than i do. linda hunt. from -- >> michigan. >> just like i said. michigan. my favorite state, michigan. >> yes. >> have you been making pies since you were just a little fella? >> a little girl. easy bake oven. >> i had one of those! >> did you?

>> i bake apple pies. do you have a big shop or little shop? >> i have the cutest little pie shop in the whole wide world. >> you were last year's champion winner of the american pie council contest. it's -- let's see, cheery cherry cherry berry pie tom's. named after your brother-in-law. >> it is. >> this is the pie. this would be the first time i ever done this show that i actually got to eat a piece of pie. you ready? >> i'm ready. here we go. >> willard! that's awesome though, isn't it? the best pie you've ever had. >> best pie i've ever had. now i'm going to have the best shower i ever had. here, congratulations for last year. it really is a great american traditi tradition. happy birthday to our birthday buddies from coast to coast.

no time to lose your glasses, uncle willie. you see them anywhere over there? they're in my pocket. put them on my head. this is carrie ada berrien from brunswick, georgia. 115 years old. secret to longevity is her faith in the good lord and a cheery cherry cherry berry pie. happy birthday to you. how sweet it is. okay, here's thea fortney from viroqua, wisconsin. has only been to the hospital once. maybe twice when she was born, but maybe not. >> 108. >> 108 years old. god bless her. and william sullivan of jefferson, south carolina. 100. want to read that. >> he lives independently, still drives to church weekly, loves planting vegetables. >> we've got another one here. mary aguiar of fall river, mass.

some of the nicest people in the world up there. told at 99 that she had three days to live. happy birthday. edna silva, detroit, michigan, 100 years old. retired telephone operator. worked for henry ford. and preston from morristown, nj. 104 years old. retired from metlife. my dad worked for them. that's all from kissimmee, florida. thank you so much. how sweet it is. now back to new york and mr. matt. thank you. how sweet willard is. thank you, willard. this morning on "today's health," what to watch for if you're a blonde, brunette or redhead. women spend thousands of dollars on their hair but your natural hair color could actually tell you a lot about your health. dr. carrie peterson is a

contributor to "women's health" magazine. good morning, dr. peterson. so your hair color can really determine something about your health? >> it absolutely can. there are genetic influences, it can determine how much pigment you have. those can all help determine your health. >> start off with the blondes. they always say blondes have a little more fun, but apparently when it comes to the sun, we all know that's not necessarily the case. why? >> that's correct. well, first off, we need to talk about what they can be prone to. they can be prone to macular degeneration which is an eye condition that causes blindness. the reason for this is that the pigment in lighter eyes is lacking. that protects your eyes from ultraviolet rays. when it's lacking, you're more susceptible. >> also their skin, of course. that's more susceptible as well to -- >> skin cancer. fair-haired women tend to have fair skin which lacks melanin and again is more susceptible to ultraviolet light. because of that, they're more susceptible to skin cancers like melanoma.

it is very important if you're fair-skinned, that you use a full spectrum sunscreen with both uva and uvb protection. don't forget your scalp. wear a hat as well. >> what about protecting the eyes? obviously sunglasses, but when you talk about the can of demacular degeneration, what else do they think about? >> have a diet that's rich no antioxidants, green leafy vegetables like spinach or kale. make sure your sunglasses have uv protection. it shouldn't just be plain sunglasses. make sure they have that uv protection. >> on the topic of hair, the biggest concern for a lot of women is hair loss. but who tends to be more prone to having that problem with hair loss? i know brunettes, right? >> yes. more than half of the 30 million women in this country that lose their hair more visibly are brunettes. the reason is that women like me, our strands are thicker and coarser so when the follicles die, the patch this they leave behind creates a more noticeable

area. it is not necessarily that we have less hair, it's that it is more visible. >> so there -- is there something that we can do to protect against hair loss or prevent hair loss? >> the most important thing women can do is get enough iron in their diet. when you're iron deficient, you're more prone to hair loss. get 18 milligrams a day. can you get that from a cup of oatmeal. >> we also have more melanin in our skin so that makes us also a little bit more susceptible to other health risks as well. >> this is really interesting. if you have dark hair and have more pigment in your skin, you are more likely to become dependent on cigarettes. it is actually more difficult to quit as well. >> that's interesting. >> the reason for this is that the melanin that's in the skin binds the nicotine very tightly so it stays in your system a little bit longer making you more likely to become dependent and harder for you to quit. >> okay. interesting. now redheads, quickly, what are some health hazards they have to watch out for? >> two very interesting things. first, redheads are more

resistant to anesthesia. they need up to 20% more. a lot of women may avoid things like the dentist because they think it may have been more painful from an experience in the past. be aware of that. the other thing that they are more susceptible to is the development of parkinson's disease. redheads are 90% more likely to have parkinson's than brunettes. >> is that because of the gene that's carried? >> possibly. one theory is that the genetic influence that creates red hair also influences the gene that causes parkinsoparkinson's. and another comes back to the melanin. the area of the brain that's impacted by parkinson's may actually be protected by melanin. it may scavenge up toxins and its absence can leave the brain more susceptible. >> one thing you can do to guard against, or at least to help prolong the onset of parkinson's is take a multi-vitamin? >> that's right. folic acid deficiency can lead to more of a progression of parkinson's. you want to take 400 micrograms a day.

you can get that from a multi-vitamin. >> who knew our hair says so much about our health. thank you. making room for baby, from safety to decor. and also what you can get starting at $200,000 in a real estate market from coast to coast right after this. foundation from maybelline.ur the breakthrough? our patented applicator and concentrated formula with collagen goes beyond covering, actually micro-corrects, micro-erases. it's genius. [ female announcer ] age spots. erase them. [ female announcer ] crow's feet, fine lines. erase them more completely. [ female announcer ] for ultimate flawless perfection, the eraser foundation, only from maybelline new york. i'm ready. that, on the list of things kids love, our party pizzas have just passed toy robots. awkward. kids love totino's party pizzas.

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today barbara corcoran is here to talk us through a few great homes in the market right now from colorado to cape cod. >> we have low prices today. >> good news about one of the houses we looked at last week -- >> the good news is it sold that day. they had so many inquiries they had competitive bids. so it's good news for the homeowner. >> let's see if we can do that for a few more houses. starting with the biggest bargain in south haven, mississippi, a four-bedroom home prices at $179,000. >> in south haven, mississippi, you get a lot of house for the money and a lot of home for your family. it's a suburb of memphis. looks like a miniestate. yet it is $179,000. property taxes there is this town are very low and the schools are great which doesn't often come together. this stately brick home has upgraded light fixtures and pergo floors throughout the home. has a tv niche that's separate, formal dining room that leads into a great eat-in kitchen.

what's wrong with that kitchen? looks like a $1 million home to my eye. it has ceramic tile floors and a walk-in pantry. also on top of that pantry it has another pantry in a washer-dryer room that you don't even see there. the master bedroom has double sinks with a makeup counter, jacuzzi tub and separate shower. like a luxury yacht. big backyard is private and green. the big master bath. that's just a little backyard with flowering gardens and raised fence and beautiful brick walls. >> nothing wrong with that. now in vermont, brandum, vermont. five-bedroom home. $374,000. >> it is smack in the middle of 40,000-acre green mountain national park. you don't have acres here. this looksics a icexactly like would expect. maple syrup is a big business in this town. gleaming wood floors, detailed

woodwork throughout. there is your entrance there. all of the woodworking has been refinished. even the wallpaper which people usually don't like is charming. >> i want to get all these houses in. >> okay, move me along. >> cape cod, massachusetts, three-bedroom house, $389,000. for cape cod, that's pretty reasonable. >> the best thing about this is it is near the beaches. it is next door to one of the best beaches. it's got new roofs, new furnaces, new windows, new doors. there's nothing to be done in this house. the kitchen has brazilian cherry floors throughout the living room and the kitchen. it is meticulous. french doors from the living room that go into a handcrafted teak and holly bar. looks like it belongs on a luxury yacht. now you're slowing me up. go outside to a pretty deck. >> faster! faster! >> in the shady backyard, new

garden shed to boot in the back! >> boise, idaho. three-bedroom home at $369,900. >> we have to decide who's leading this here. a lot of people don't think of boise has a place that has 2,700 acres of parks. connected by 25 miles of paved path alongside the boise river. this is a modern house. look at that stairwell going up there. very different. but if you take away that stairwell, everything about this house feels traditional and it is a great home for a family. it has a kitchen with a tile backsplash, granite counter. master bath. everybody about this house says "welcome home." >> good to see you, barbara. >> i'm losing my breath! >> you take our breath away. for more information on these homes, check out our website at todayshow.com. up next, the english bulldog, tillman, the fastest skateboarding dog around. he'll show us his stuff right after these messages. [ katie ] should i get a perm? oh, that's an interesting question...

[ katie ] she's always talking over me in meetings. i mean it's just so rude. mm-hmm. when did you video me dancing? [ katie ] posting it. do not post this! i'm not gonna grow a beard because then i'll look ridicu-- ah! where am i? by the way, katie. tillamook is beautiful this time of year. [ katie ] oh, really? we should go camping out there. [ male announcer ] at&t 3g -- talk and surf at the same time. this mother's day, get 50% off all messaging phones after mail-in rebate like the pantech reveal. only from at&t. so kate you were stressed, a lot of junk food on the go and you were... a little irregular, sluggish. my daughter needed activia! so i gave it a try and wow. it works. now she has a spring on her step. i'm loving it, every morning. mmmm. avo: help get your system back on track. activia with bifidus regularis helps regulate your digestive system would you recommend activia? i already have. she recommends it. what are you waiting for? singer: activia. to finish what you started today. for the aches and sleeplessness in between,

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>> announcer: "today's top dog" is brought to you by the makers of zyrtec. love the air. and you can hear him, now we want you to meet him. tillman, the world's fastest skateboarding dog, here with his owner and trainer ron davis to show us his stuff. >> he's crazy about this skateboard. he cannot look at a skateboard without wanting to get on it and go. >> how did you discover that he had this talent? >> i had a rottweiler that

skateboarded. my son skateboards in california. the day he came home he was just obsessed with it. it is really weird. >> he immediately just got on the board and ran with it? >> it was -- we put a lot of training into it once we saw the drive that he has. but he just loves it. >> i know he's also pretty much a shaun white when it comes to snowboarding, too. huh? >> yeah. >> look at this. look at him go! he's nuts! wow! i could not do that. >> i hope we have enough room in our plaza here. >> he'll figure out the cobble stones. >> he also snowboards? >> yeah. an unreal surfer, unreal snowboarder. i take him to my local skate park. >> he seems to like the wheels, too. >> yeah. >> how many skateboards do you have? >> there he is -- yeah!

>> look at the guy go. >> and now let's check out our top dog, "today's top dog," which semi-finalist is moving on to the final round? earlier in the week we introduced you to the contenders. first, brandee from texas, a 9-year-old labrador, a swimming sensation. she took fetch for a whole new level. then picasso, a 3 1/2-year-old tibetan terrier from new york who loves to sing "amazing grace." finally, 9-year-old emma, a shepherd-rottweiler mix from pennsylvania. drum roll, please! this week -- >> the winner. >> -- semi-finalist is -- >> emma! emma likes to turn on and off the lights, gets the glablanket all that good stuff. but she's no skateboarder though. next week we'll announce the final round of semi-finalists vying to move on to the final round next to jami and now emma.

>> jillian michaels will be along coming up. >> after your local news and weather. kids grow these days? and since 90% of bone strength is developed before adulthood... it's so important that they get enough calcium every day. that's why there's new danonino. danonino! unlike leading kids yogurts, danonino has twice the calcium of milk, ounce per ounce, with vitamin d. so it's power packed for healthy growth. and its rich creamy taste is... yummy! so they can start building strong bones today... for stronger bodies tomorrow. new danonino from dannon. power packed to help kids grow. you need listerine® whitening® vibrant white™ rinse. the mouthwash that gets teeth four times whiter than the leading toothpaste. and kills bad breath germs. listerine® whitening vibrant white™. and kills bad breath germs. ♪ [ female announcer ] discover black silk from folgers... ♪ with bold rich flavor

that's exceptionally smooth. wake up to black silk. this is a news 4 news break. >> 9:26 is your time. bright sunshine over the nation's capitol. good morning, everyone, i'm eun yang. police just identified a man whose body was pulled from a lake in prince william county. officers discovered the body of 24-year-old marcus hill around 8:00 last night. it's right across the street from prince william hospital. an autopsy will now be performed to determine the exact cause of death. funeral arrangements have been set for civil rights icon dorothy height. her body will lie in pose in northwest washington. her funeral will be then held next thursday at the national cathedral. it will be open to the public.

we'll take a quick break now and have your weather and traffic when we come back. stay with us.

good morning, tom kierein with your weather forecast. temperatures in the mid and upper 50s. 58 in washington. montgomery and fairfax counties. later today we climb to 70 degrees and we'll have clouds in and out. overnight tonight, clouding up and by dawn tomorrow, the upper 40s. saturday looks like a cloudy day, and it will be cooler with highs just near 60 with a chance maybe of a morning shower. greater chance of afternoon showers. and that may linger into saturday night. sunday, mostly cloudy, upper 60s. we might have a morning shower, but a greater chance of thundershowers, as well on monday. that looks like that will

continue. eun? >> thank you, tom. wake up with us earlier, get your news weather and traffic at

oh, yes, ladies and gentlemen, the one, the only -- richard simmons. scaring the children. no, we love him. >> hugs and kisses! >> he'll be on hoda and kathie lee. >> he just never seems to change. >> he's been wearing that same pair of shorts for the last ten

years. >> well that, too. he just looks the same. >> meanwhile, lester holt, jenna wolfe are here to fill us in on what's coming up on "weekend." >> you guys showed the video of a hero dog who helped a trooper find a raging fire in alaska. they'll join us. also the controversy over so-called choice moms, single women who decide to have a child without a man in their life, and we're going to check out the newest attraction on the vegas strip. it is called the skyjump. i took the more than 865-foot plunge three times. >> i never thought i would see your mouth open any bigger. >> okay! i got it, guys. i'm loud and annoying. i pick up on that. it is called skyjump, the first time it is debuting in the united states. the "today" show tries to kill me -- i mean they sent me out to

cover the story. i had a blast. >> what else we got coming up? coming up in this half-hour, we'll show you good morning. here we do have some clouds coming through on this friday morning. we've had some sunshine earlier, but around the region, temperatures are warming up. now we're into the upper 50s to near 60 degrees.

and we ought to peak near 70 with clouds in and out throughout the rest of the day. and then cloudy tonight. we'll be in the upper 40s tomorrow morning. saturday, cloudy and highs only near 60. tomorrow we might have a morning shower, but a greater chance of afternoon and evening showers. and maybe a shower or thundershower as well on sunday. >> and that's your latest weather. >> al, thank you. coming up next, how to go green with a few clicks of your mouse. right after this. that grows healthy, green grass...naturally. trunatural's going gang busters! green families love it. hey man. families with dogs love it... know who else loves trunatural? bobby. second quarter's gonna be a monster. [ adding machine whirring ] [ male announcer ] call 888-trugreen and get a customized plan for a healthy, green lawn, guaranteed. they grow it. i mow it. [ male announcer ] trugreen. go greener. bye-bye. you be careful on your way home. -happy mother's day. -okay. bye-bye.

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>> announcer: "today goes green" is brought to you by walmart. save money. live better. walmart. this morning on "today goes green," using the web to go green. technology makes it easy to be more earth-friendly. yahoo! web editor is here to help you go green and keep more green in your wallet. heather, you guys say instead of searching recycling, big surge in these kind of searches? >> what we've seen on yahoo! in recent years is that people are shifting from the concept of being earth friendly to actually taking action. for example, with recycling, we've actually seen searches for recycling going down by searches for recycling bins going up. searches for specifics like reusable paper towels, reusable water bottles and very specific

actual items like rain barrels, solar house plans. >> first thing you say you ought to do is do an energy audit in your home. >> there is a really easy wra to assess which appliances and which electronics in your home are draining the energy, especially when you aren't using them. people don't realize it. you can go to a site called simplesteps.org, a website run by the national resources defense council. you can hone in on the energy vampires in this interactive house. you can take an inventory. it asks you questions, how many tvs do you have, how many computers do you have. you can find out how much energy they're using when they're not turned on. and when you're not using them, rather. and how much money you can save on your utility bills. just by turning off your computer, can you save $90 a year on your utility bill. >> you say there is a website -- >> gazelle.com. none of us should throw away our

gadgets because they can be recycled. they'll pay you for those gadgets. you go on there, they ask you some questions about the condition, what accessories you still have, and then they give you a bid. for example, we looked at an old ipod and they said they'd give us $16 for it. they send you the box, they pay for the shipping. once they get the item, they cut you a check. >> now mom's day around the corner. but e-cards and invites and e-vites are very popular. >> two sites that i think are much more chic and much more stylish, sort of the new generation. one is cocoa.com. it is just a beautiful site. i think actually the site itself has terrific cards for mother's day but it also might and great mother's day gift to buy your mom a subscription to this for a year. 6,000 different variations. aga very sophisticateded. another site i like in terms of children's birthday parties, called echoage.

what it is, it is not only an electronic e-vite but it allows your child to choose a charitable cause so your guests can donate to that cause instead of buying them an actual present. the child gets one present in the end, the adult who's supervising the party gets to pick out that present and the rest of the money goes to the charitable cause. >> organic cooking. big rage right now. >> not just organically but just cooking at home. and this idea of being very conscience of family time together, not ordering in. this is a great site called notakeout.com. two dads started it who wanted to focus more on cooking at home with their families and also be aware of seasonal ingredients. they give you recipes, a game plan and a shopping list. another great site if you're very health conscience is called ecomi. . d they're a partner with yahoo!. this site puts together information on organic foods, natural foods, great recipes.

there is a real vibrant community with it as well. >> heather cabbott, thanks so much. still up next, new ideas for transforming any room into your baby's room. transforming any room into your baby's room. right after these messages. gathering dust thet while i, sneezing, itching eyes kept you from our favorite stream. the one that runs through a field where pollen floats through the air. but now, with the strength of 24-hour zyrtec® to relieve my worst allergy symptoms, indoors and outdoors... let's go before the fish stop biting. they won't wait for us. but that's okay. zyrtec® is the fastest 24-hour allergy medicine. today, we battle wits with the trout. with zyrtec® i can love the air®. ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] when is it okay to lose the cover-up? ♪ when you can. take the special k challenge... and lose an inch from your waist in two weeks. so lose your cover-up, and show off your confidence.

design your plan at specialk.com. to start losing essential nutrients? not long. in fact, green beans lose half their vitamin c in a week. that's why green giant freezes them within 8 hours to lock in nutrients. ho ho ho green giant can you believe how fast kids grow these days? that's why there's new danonino. new danonino has twice the calcium of milk, ounce per ounce, with vitamin d. so it's power packed for healthy growth. yummy! new danonino from dannon. power packed to help kids grow.

♪ [ female announcer ] these cookies aren't magic, but they make magic happen. that's because glad has partnered with cookies for kids' cancer. it's small bake sales like these that help raise big money for pediatric cancer research. together, we can make a difference... one container at a time. because with glad, the care that goes in is the care that comes out. ♪ this morning on "today's home," make room for baby. if the stork is on the way and space is tight, you can actually transform a room you're currently using for one person to something else, and that

something else, of course, is a nursery. lxtv rescued one expectant couple just in time. >> hi, i'm stephanie. >> i'm stephen. >> our problem is we have a baby on the way but no baby room. >> we got married in may and shortly thereafter found out that stephanie got pregnant during the honeymoon. >> i don't want a nursery that has silly baby things hanging from the ceiling and little words and goofy bunnies hanging around. i want something elegant that goes with the rest of the place. >> hey! how we doing? >> welcome. >> stephanie, how are you? >> good. how are you? >> congratulations! i got the e-mail. i see that the bun is in the oven. >> yes, it is. >> you are in luck. we're not just going to give you a nursery, a nursery panoply. we have a gym, we'll turn it into a playroom. any ideas? >> we're keeping the black

rubber floor because it is perfect for a playroom. you can add bold color. >> where do we start. >> we start by going shopping. >> let's do some shopping. >> okay. >> all right. we got the goods. let's get this place decorated. >> let's do it. >> the final piece to the puzzle. >> absolutely. >> our cradle and nursery are done. rescued. >> all right, check it out. >> wow! >> oh, my god! it looks completely different. >> this is your nursery. >> oh, wow! >> looks great. >> i think we'll enjoy this. >> thank you so much! >> my pleasure. i'm just glad we got it done

before the baby arrives. >> george, good morning. good job! >> thank you. >> nicely done. they did have their baby, right? >> yes. we got it done just in time. they had the baby like a week or two afterwards. >> you didn't have to spend a lot of money transforming a nursery. what are some necessities? >> obviously you need the crib and a changing table. the idea is to really invest in those in the beginning and get something that will grow with the baby. this is a dresser and changing table right now, but then can you just remove the changing top and you have a dresser. you don't want this sliding. as the baby gets older, at first it just sits there. when they become toddlers, they're all over the place. >> this is another good safety thing. >> keep the drawers locked if possible because babies will pull them out, use them as steps. >> too many times fingers get in there. >> or they can even pull it over. babies are strong. >> wall shop. a lot of people don't think about putting a wall shop

necessarily over a changing table. >> you want it really high. you got to think what is the worst case scenarios, then let's void it entirely. >> then make your your sockets are covered. >> anything that -- babies are going to try to get into anything. you're a mother, i'm a father. they try to get into everything. >> they put things into the holes. baby monitors -- they are key. peace of mind. hering the cooing or gurgling -- >> or the screaming. my case. over here rather than painting a mural, something that's easy. you put these decals on the wall. >> they're fantastic. it is better than a stencil. you can just put them up. they go up in a matter of minutes. they protect the paint, they won't pull the paint off and they add such character to the room. i used these in my kid's room. i'll use them in my next kid's room. >> which is coming soon. >> two weeks away! number two. >> george, thank you so much. by the way, congratulations. your local news emmy win this week. >> yes, i got an emmy.

>> fabulous! you deserve it. there you go. next, "biggest loser" trainer jillian michaels will be here on mastering your metabolism. she'll show you some recipes.

this morning on "eat smart today," firing up your metabolism. health coach and trainer on nbc's the "biggest loser," jillian michaels is running straight from the gym into the kitchen and she's all cleaned up. >> i am! >> wow. look at you, you are so girly. >> look at that. give the little twirl. >> i did! >> yeah, nothing wrong about www.that. back over here. >> get out of here! >> jillian has a new book out called "the master your metabolism cookbook." so you decided to make it the full package. >> exactly. the whole idea is this allows

people to be healthy in a hurry. it does all the thinking for them. it's quick, simple, cost effective, easy. >> three "rs." >> yes. first thing with overall health, remove garbage food. there's no processed crap in any of the recipes. >> thanks for saying that. >> processed bad stuff? you can't say the "c" word? >> that's better. then restore. >> we're restoring foods that essentially help your body have their medicinal properties. overall health. exactly. for reversing aging, maetabolis. >> rebalance. >> rebalance. calorie control. timing out your meals and balancing out healthy proteins, healthy fats, healthy carbs. >> sample day in the life of eating on the mastered diet. breakfast of champions. >> steel cut oats, pecans, cinnamon-spiced apples. great for heart health, great for fighting diabetes. lowers bad cholesterol. >> the great thing is you can

either have this hot or cold. >> cold? >> no? >> yuck. >> yuck? okay. >> no, it doesn't say cold. >> i'm telling you, i think you should try it. okay, now, lunch. >> sorry. >> that's okay. >> i just said yuck about one of my own recipes. no, but it has to be warm. it's wonderful warm! okay. here we go. yes, i'm good. >> lunch. >> lunch, a spinach salad with avocado, a little bit of -- i think i'm supposed to sprinkle. little bit of pomegranate, great for fighting breast cancer. sunflower seeds, great for thyroid support. avocado, overall wonder food. chicken pate with almond sauce. >> they're better than peanuts? >> yes, flat-out. great for heart health. chicken has tons of vitamin a for energy, boosting mood. >> dinner. you got red meat in here. >> but, it's organic. organic red meat, very

important. big difference. i know it is expensive so there are many meals in the cookbook that don't have meat. this happens to be one recipe that does. chimichurri sauce. garlic to boost testosterone, red pepper, black pepper great for die gepgestidigestion. olive oil, great for heart health. >> you have dessert in here. >> yes. right now we have a pear sorbet. >> you love pear sorbet. >> you do? you can only have this one cold, you'll be happy to know. >> actually i like it hot. it's called pear sorbet soup. >> i'm not going to sell one book. >> jillian michaels. >> people are going to want this book! >> can you help me? >> yes, i'm saving you. >> i'm going down in flames. >> this is cold. i'm here to tell you -- >> don't make a face. >> it's good. >> there you go.

>> the book, "master your metabolism cookbook." "losing it with jillian" premiers may 1st. hoda and kathie lee are working out with richard simmons. look out, everybody.

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this is a news 4 news break. >> 9:56 is your time now. look at that gorgeous sky. we're in for a treat weather-wise. good morning, everyone, i'm eun yang. police in montgomery county are looking for information about a vehicle seized by brian betts around the time he was murdered. the d.c. school principal was shot and killed thursday night. detectives say a vehicle was seen leaving an alley next to betts' house around the time of his death. offensive tackle trent williams is the newest washington redskin, picked as the fourth pick of the nfl draft. he played college ball in oklahoma. rounds two and three of the draft continue today. the redskins have just one pick that's in the third round. of course, they traded their second round to get donovan mcnabb. and meteorologist tom kierein is here with the forecast. >> more like football weather today. beautiful sunshine, and temperatures climbing this afternoon to around 70 degrees with a few clouds coming through

from time to time. at this hour, our temperatures are approaching 60, around the region. and the high today near 70, but then clouds roll in tonight and winds shift into the southeast on saturday. a large area of low pressure will be controlling our weather here for the next several days, beginning tomorrow all the way into tuesday. each day, a chance of rain, much cooler tomorrow with highs only around 60. might have a morning shower, greater chance of afternoon showers, maybe some passing showers and thundershowers sunday, and monday. eun? >> all right, tom, thank you. you can get your news 30 minutes earlier.

from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hey, everybody. tg -- >> i.f. >> as we call it dry day, april 23rd. it's not actually fry day -- for research purposes, we are going to have four new wines later on in this show. >> we didn't want it. >> this is the dry minute. >> had a nice time last night. >> tell us about it. we have pictures. >> went to a gala. it is for this organization.

it supports the marfan syndrome, it's called. it's a connective tissue disorder, and the kids and grownups end up having longer limbs, and there's an issue with their aordero. mayor bloomberg, karen, who is a force of nature. >> and you emceed it. >> you are so good at it. >> it was a terrific event. tommy tune was there. he got really busy. it was a fun event. >> only he has longer legs than you. >> he has long legs. >> you guys would be a beautiful come. that's not going to work out. >> no, it isn't. you were busy yesterday on martha stewart. >> no, it actually airs today. >> what i meant was today, because it's already on tape. >> yes. and you know what? i went on to promote "party animals" my little kids' book, and only she comes up with these incredible ideas. they have an amazing art

department over there. this is from lucy goosy. >> that's cute. you know, with the hat. >> you know what? it's very interesting to go on with martha. she's all business. >> really? >> yes, all business, the woman knows what she wants to accomplish. >> i want to see. we have a little clip. >> oh, we do? >> this is the way we decided to do the -- >> this is when i get so nervous. do you have any idea how hard it is to stand next to her and not look like a complete idiot? >> oh, well. >> see? no need to be nasty, martha, really. >> she didn't even hear you. >> boy, she's just so used to doing all this stuff. when you're not used to it, you do feel like a complete idiot. tune in today to see me act like an idiot. these hats are adorable. i thought i owned them, apparently they're available on

martha stewart.com. i smell a lawsuit, but that's another story. >> now, we love "entertainment weekly" and we love our jeff. >> we love our jeff. >> managing editor. >> he's a big deal. >> very big deal. i have a thing. >> have you ever read his magazine. if you go to the first page, it has the ten coolest, hottest things going on. >> every week we do the ten things we love. the movies, the tv shows, songs, books. yeah. >> the hot stuff, what's hot. >> now you're modern. >> now we've gone ipad. >> that's a very cool thing. >> they're very, very cool. anyway, we thought it was really cool, so we put the must list on the ipad. you have to unlock it. this week, you guys are on the "must list." >> what? >> yes, finally. >> let me touch it. >> tap it, and then tap it

again. then it goes to this big main details page. there we go. >> i love it. >> and so from here we can't play the video right now because of the wireless connection in the studio, but you can see -- >> what are the choices. >> it all involves alcohol and eating, drinking. >> basically it's a double down from kfc, drinking wine out of the binoculars. >> and bras, umbrellas, all kinds of ways. >> consuming things you shouldn't consume. >> so it's an ipad app. >> thank you for letting me show you my thing. >> you guys have been important in our show. >> we watch it every day. we don't get any work done. >> as we love tim who never shows up for his 10:00 hour. i just had my way with him in the greenroom. by the way, do you know our picture is not up in the greenroom? >> yes. >> all these years. i'm willard scott is up there.

>> willard scott has been here the longest, he should be here. we should tape our ours up. >> we should. if you don't have plans tonight and you want to watch something you may have missed "glee" is running a repeat episode of the madonna thing. i came late to the table on this one, but i absolutely loved it. this show, the "glee" show actually beat "dancing with the stars." hi. >> listen to this. ♪ it's like a little prayer ♪ i'm down on my knees ♪ i want to take you there >> i'm not doing that. anyway, it's a really fun show. >> brian murphy created it, he also did "nip & tuck." i was so impressed -- i've lost her. i can see that.

nice, good. >> i was just looking at bob. >> this guy won the $258 million powerball thing, but look at him. now he can get a dentist. >> he won $258 million. >> he's missing his two front teeth. >> can i tell you? that's the guy who should win the lottery. aren't -- he had $28 in his bank account. that's probably would you he didn't go to the dentist. >> god bless him. and thing spongebob of all things was responsible for saving a little girl's life. >> she was chewing gum, started choking on it, and the little girl remembered watching spongebob give the heimlich to somebody else -- my mother calls it the heineken -- and the teacher looked up just in time to see the gum go across the room. >> it's bobbi thomas.

>> oh, i love that outfit. >> it's zara. >> i love zara. how is cici? >> adorable. >> we have a minute. what do we have? >> earth week. i wanted to be green but glamorous. i love a swap party, so i was really excited -- >> you're quite the swinger. >> refashioner.com. it's an online clothing exchange. this weekend get in your closet, all those things with price tags on them that you haven't worn. >> it has to be brand new? >> no, anything you just didn't wear. good condition. you don't have to wait for the other half. some other web sites exboyfriendjewelry.com. the name says it all. hilarious. you can get a kick out of the stories. last but "new york post" least,

they pure heat curling irons are cordless, gives back to earthshare. go to todayshow.com or bobbie.com. >> she did it again. >> i love you, ladies. >> i love that outfit. >> that's so cute. >> i don't usually love everything you wear, but today home run. >> why do you do that? >> i love to tease her. i love her. >> we are talking about our magical mother's day contest. >> go to klgandhoda.com for details. >> they go to camelback in scottsdale. it's just a great gift. travel is through obritz. it's due next wednesday, so chop-chop. >> miss sara? >> that officially means you're a gleek.

do you not watch it? >> i watched it the first season and loved it, but it just started the other night, it's on at 9:00. it's so up your alley. >> i walked in the other day, and my daughter who had been studying for four hours, i said, are you going to bed? she said, no, mom, it's "agree." >> the kids love it. >> i love to see music celebrated on tv. they say variety is dead. they just don't want to see it the old way. >> if you like music and dancing, like at richard simmons. >> we love our richard. >> he's in good shape. >> going to shake it, shake it.

[ female announcer ] swiffer dust & shine is the only furniture polish with febreze freshness. so your furniture is "swiffer clean"... and your home is "febreze fresh." [ doorbell rings ] you may never go back to your old furniture polish. ♪ swiffer gives cleaning a fresh new meaning. would we eat better? [ rewinding ] at hellmann's, we search for the best sources to make our mayonnaise. we use eggs, vinegar and oil rich in omega 3. ♪ for the quality that could only be hellmann's. hellmann's. it's time for real. and, now introducing hellmann's light. it's made with 100% cage free eggs.

nutri-grain -- one good decision... can lead to another. ♪ made with real fruit and now with more... of the whole grains your body needs. nutri-grain can help you eat better all day. to start losing essential nutrients? not long. in fact, green beans lose half their vitamin c in a week. that's why green giant freezes them within 8 hours to lock in nutrients. ho ho ho green giant let's go to last night's highlights. there's mom and dad cleaning up. and there's the meatloaf. yuck. look what sometimes happens with the ordinary bag. it slips, oh, bingo, it falls in. mom was mad. mom should have used glad forceflex with the new stretchable drawstring that grips the can and stays in place.

plus, it has the stretchable strength of forceflex. that's all today for glad tv. both: don't get mad-- get glad! richard simmons is here, ready to get your kids rockin' and rollin'. >> for more than three decades he's been helping people go from flab to fab, and starting at the core with kids across the

country. >> we love you. i thought it was tic tac toe, but it was. >> xs and os, hugs and kisses for you. i've been do "today" for a long time. 3 1/2 years i had a dream to do a bill called the fit kids bill. 100 television and radio shows, and had people go to my website and send an e-mail to all their congressmen. on wednesday the fit kids bill was passed unanimously by the house. >> and goes on to the senate. >> now we go to the senate, and then i'll be there when the president signs it. he's going to give me one of those cute little pens. there i am with senator george miller. >> we've never seen you in big-boy clothes. >> in what? well, ii rented that. as a matter of fact, after that i had a bit of rash. i'm not used to that. a bunch of chicks were hitting on me. wait a minute, it's dick simmons here. >> okay.

>> but i want to thank all of the people who have watched the "today" show and kathie lee and hoda, who helped with this. i'm going to need your help again to get it the senate to pass is, to the kids have p.e. in schools. >> is it a money issue? >> it's a money issue, red tape. >> but it's got to help. mrs. obama is working with this as well. >> i'm happy to share with the president and the first lady everything i've learned the last 38 years about moving, and self-confidence. when you're overweight as a child, it's not happy. people make fun of you, put you down, think you're stupid or slow or there's something wrong with you. the truth is we all have our own disorders, and my happened to be

eating 700 oyster poboys. >> you have a cruise? >> i take them on a cruise ship, so there's every tempt ace in the world. they have to exercise an hour and a half every day, eat healthy and meet people. it's really all about motivation, and we never get enough of motivation. we all need to be told we're worth it, we have good self-esteem and respect, and you request do it. no matter how many times you've tried before. i tried thousands of times to lose weight before i finally did, and kept it off for 41 years. it's called the cruise to lose. kathie lee and i did a commercial for carnival. >> many years ago. >> but it went on for three years. ♪ what a great life ♪ >> they'll never believe it ♪ ♪ if my friends could see me now ♪ >> we'll be purchases this christmas.

we're doing the nutcracker suite. i'm the nut, she's the cracker. >> let's go over and dance. >> we have kids here. >> and i have a new dvd, and the song is "soul man." >> let's go, kids. >> say hello to kathie lee, say hello to my friends. give me the music. ready? inhale out. and side. >> yay baby! eight, nine, ten, 11, now scoop it. here we go ♪ i'm a soul man ♪ i'm a soul man >> 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. do it again, kids. keep it exercising, do it at home. now we're going to walk. 1, 2, 3. look at those smiles. you're exercising.

do it at home. >> richard, thank you. >> go around. >> thank you, kathie lee. thank you, hoda. everything you know about dating can help you land a job, right after this. thank you, richard. through a straw.g so i went back to my doctor again. we talked about choices in controller medicines. we chose symbicort to help control my asthma. [ man ] while it's not a rescue inhaler, symbicort improves my lung function, starting within 15 minutes. it helps give me the control to... [ inhales, exhales ] symbicort is a combination of two medicines. it will not replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms and should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort contains formoterol. medicines like formoterol may increase the chance of asthma-related death, so it is not for people whose asthma is well controlled on other asthma medicines. see your doctor if your asthma does not improve or gets worse. with symbicort, my lung function starts to improve within 15 minutes, helping me... all day. symbicort is a good choice to help control my asthma. [ inhales ] [ exhales ]

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in this economy you have to be creative to get ahead. >> nicole williams, best-selling author of "girl on top" says you may want to apply the rules of roman to land the job of your dreams. she's partnered with monster.com. you have adorable. i love that whole look. >> thank you. >> this is an interesting philosophy. you use your dating techniques to get a job. >> yes, hoda. it comes down to human nature. we want what looks desirable to other people. same way on a first date you don't want to exude or admit the fact that nobody's interested. when you're out there looking for work, you want to convey an

image of confidence. >> not desperation. >> play a little hard to get. >> how do we start? >> play hard to get. >> make sure your lip gloss is on. >> it's kind of literal and figure tiff. you want to look like you put a little energy and effort into this. honestly you would be surprised how many resumes i see without periods, with spelling or grammatical errors. >> sloppiness. >> the same way you want to show up on a first date, looking your best, your resume is the first impact, so be very precise. you want to make it easy, either on the guy or the employer, to see the precise match. >> there usually isn't a picture attached to a resume. >> no. >> is it a good idea to put it on there? no, even if you look like you, unless you're in this industry. by and large, no. >> your second is keep it brief. everyone's been on the date, and sometimes the guy is the one

that's on and on and on. >> he's trying to wear you down, hoda, you know what i'm sayin'? >> but that's not the good way to go? >> no, a little mystery, you want to present your very cap investigating self. this resume is not supposed to be ten pages long. i need to know in a page. >> i think someone is explaining why no one is asking. >> too much information. >> that's exactly what happens. honestly -- >> which has a desperation quality to it, doesn't it? >> and you have to have done your research. the same way you google the guy next to you, you need to google the company, use precise words to describe what's done in the past so they can instantly see, hey, i like this girl. >> do you customize your date? should your resume be tailored basically to the type of job? >> absolutely. yes. i think that's the number one

mistake. they're sending out a hundred resumes, same one, not being precise, not doing the research. >> not thinking it through. >> this is a really strategic undertaking. i would way rather you send ten resumes really well researched, very pry size, versus the 100 resumes that are just one -- >> and probably looked at and thrown in the trash can. >> don't tell them you want a kid on the first date. >> a kid or kiss? >> a kid. or you talk about a breakup. that's all this information that's completely unnecessary. >> inappropriate. way too much information. you know. yet you would be surprised how many people on a first date are asking immediately for accommodation. i'm all about the fact that as working moms we need some support, but if you're on the first interview or the first day, before they've even had a chance to get to know you you, are already putting it out there you want concessions to be made,

they have other applicants, you're high maintenance all right, exactly. >> but you say follow your heart. >> exactly. let's have standards for ourselves, and let's really research and know what kind of companies we want to apply to. what is going to fit it relative to our career. in an economy like this, we get the feeling there's no opportunity out there, and there is, as long as you're making that kind of connection that is going to make the difference. >> i like the parallels. you wouldn't have thought it. >> she's adorable. >> thank you. still to come, the results of our plaza ambush makeovers. >> and you're going to want to pour a glass for yourself after local news. how many cups is it? six. oh, that's not six yet. whoa. where's the pan? both: over there. ( laughter ) push it down. push it down.

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♪ beautiful girl today's ambush makeover is brought to you by -- we're back on this friday with the results of today's am burg makeover. >> louis licari and "u.s. weekly" contributor jill martin found two more women walking the sidewalk in need of a head-to-toe makeover. >> we had two of our biggest fans. >> today is really special. >> really special story.

these ladies were jumping at the seams. >> let's going to it. these are a mother-and-daughter team. mckay is 28 years old from west palm beach, florida. for more than ten years she's been serving in the united states military, and recently became a captain in the air force. she just got back from deployment in early april, will be leaving again for the middle east, where she will be in uniform the entire time. let's take a listen to her story. >> well, i'm here with the mckays, both every their first names, i should say. i know this is an emotional time for you. your daughter is being deployed in a couple weeks. why is it so important to you? >> she's been away from home since she was 17. she's beautiful, and she lives in camouflage, and we want to go out tonight and really knock 'em dead. >> you told me you're single. >> yes. >> are you ready for a whole new look? >> absolutely. make me over.

do whatever you want. >> all right. so daughter mckay will come out and her mother next. this is daughter mckay before. >> standing at attention. >> let's see how you look. >> wow! >> beautiful. >> wait, do you want to see yourself? >> yes. >> are you sure? >> oh, my gosh! >> you look gorgeous. >> absolutely. >> louis, she looks gorgeous. >> i wanted to make her different, but something she could wear when she's in baghdad. what we did is we gave her highlights, which grow out very gracefully, but jennifer gave her this great stylish haircut, choppy around the front. >> i love it on the nape of her neck. >> look at you.

>> in uniform or out. i don't know. >> is it supposed to be a secret? >> well, i'll be all over the place. >> stay healthy and stay safe. >> thank you. >> jill, this dress is crazy. >> i know where they're going tonight. a girls' night out. this is jones new york. we wanted to give her something different, fun and flirty. she's single. >> not for long. >> wow, you are beautiful. >> you're going to stand over here. and you're going to turn away. >> this is her mom. her name is also mckay best, 54, married to husband ronny for 12 years, has two daughters, one of which is daughter mckay. hasn't changed her beauty routine in almost 20 years. and begged us to give her a hot new look. let's hear her story. >> all right. now it is mom's turn. i know you want this for your mother. tell us why.

>> well, she absolutely loves the "today" show and has wanted this makeover together. i left her when i was young, so i think it's her turn to have something that's for her. >> such a good daughter. i know your other daughter had an interesting first word. >> "today show." >> are you ready to look hot? >> i am. way, way ready. >> well, we saw the magical results with the younger version. let's take one last look at mckay best, and bring out mommy dearest. >> wow! >> oh, my gosh! >> all right. now, you two will get a look at each other for the first time. >> hold on. mckay, turn around. >> you look so pretty. >> now you can look at yourself.

>> oh! it's like, i'm done with that mckay. >> go over and stand together. >> you look so great. >> what did you do with the hair? >> they come from florida. she was what she called a florida blonde, and jennifer cut off about four inches, and added all this fullness. the big tip, as many women at this age, she started to have a bit of wrinkles around the lips, and she put some highlighter around the lips, which lifted the whole mouth. >> long hair does age you in some ways, unless it's mine. >> there's some exception to the rule. >> this is so sassy and flirty. >> it's my dream come true. i e-mailed her a month ago.

i said, if louis licari does my hair, i will die. >> from t.j. maxx, originally 4 million, i just don't it for under $100. they're out for a night out. >> we asked the girls in the room when we were doing our makeup and stuff. >> did they say chippen dale's. >> we're going to take her to the nfl draft. >> stay safe. we're going to make over a sandwich. >> with salad, apparently. there's wine, don't worry. coming up. [ female announcer ] you know what stilettos do for your legs. va va voom. now do it for your lashes. with maybelline new york's lash stilettos. the #1 lengthening mascaras. our longest lashes ever... choose original stiletto black... for staggering length... sleek and tapered. and now stiletto voluptuous red... for length with volume... lush and full each with that trademark black patent shine.

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general mills big g is the only leading line of kid cereals with at least 8 grams of whole grain and a good source of calcium. help your kids get more of what they need, with general mills kid cereals. all right. remember the days when eating a sandwich was as harmless and healthy as riding your bike on a spring day? >> regina is a registered dietitian and food director for

"family circle." she says sandwiches can be as healthy as your salad. she says bring back the bread, just when i gave it up. >> i know there are a lot of hidden calories in salads. >> i always want to take somebody's salad and calculate it, and it's probably like 800 calories. they put in nuts and cheese, and once it's in the bowl, it's healthy. >> olives are good for you, and nuts. >> but it all adds up. and there's just so much you can put on a sandwich. what i want you to build what you would like to eat. >> is there a difference in this once? >> that's a tomato. >> what is that one? >> whole wheat. >> are they both healthy? >> just what you're hungry for. >> i'm hungry for, um -- >> you don't know what you're

talking about. >> imclams and linguini. that's what i want. >> you never put on lettuce. >> avocado is good. you don't want to be -- >> i thought you said do what you like. you're confusing me. >> i know i should have -- >> don't do should, do what you want. >> tuz grey poupon. >> is this creole? >> just a regular dijon mustard. >> i'm ready. >> good girl. >> what are you going to teach us? >> you guys did a good job. the whole wheat wrap, that's good, a little vegetables, mayo, mustard, do you ever any toppings? >> turkey, pickles avocado. >> all very good.

>> that does look like you. >> very good options. >> what you want to do is have a healthy base. the healthy base is a whole-grain bread. some can be very caloric, because they're big. you want to aim to 400 to 500 calorieness your sandwich. >> what about the pita? >> that's a good thing for a sandwich. some of these other wraps can be like 300 calories. there are 100-calorie wraps out there, and they're great. >> bring us to the back here. >> the protein we have, the first thing is tofu, baked tofu. it tastes very good. >> i'm sorry, regina. >> you can't have the bread anyway. >> we have some vegetables to bulk it up. >> and all the recipes are on the website as well, right? >> and you have a sweet topping. >> you taste the condiments, not

the toffeeu. >> this is turkey, whole wheat wrap, with avocado and tomato. the last one is chicken breast, with lots of veggies, because that bulks it up. >> is that mozzarella cheese? >> that's low-fat feta cheese. you want flavorable cheese in there. >> these are great ideas. >> and they're on your website and our website at familycircle.com. >> thank you so much, and you can find all of these on the website. up next, a little vino to finish off the sandwich. these are terrific. orange wines, after this. their bodies are 60% water. their brains are 75% water. their muscles are 73% water. their lungs are 80% water. want to grow a healthier, happier family? water daily.

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of the whole grains your body needs. my daughter--obsessed with fashion. she never met a label she didn't love. then, my best friend took me to t.j.maxx. i thought it was knock offs, but i came home with all the brands we both love. t.j.maxx has buyers that deal directly with designers. so i save big! two diehard fashionistas are now proud maxxinistas!

t.j.maxx. let us make a maxxinista out of you! aren't you glad you stuck around? >> yeah, exactly. >> it's that time of day. with a lesson in lengthening the shelf life of your wine. >> once the cork comes out, wine

starts to spoil, and we don't want that to happen. >> you mean there's wine left in people's bottles? never heard of such a thing. >> we have ray here with some tips. >> he's our party animal, ray. >> this is all about wines that will last longer when they're open. orange wine is this weird category of wine that started coming around. it's white wine that's been kept on the skins of the grapes when they make it, so it gets some color, but more resistance to oxygen. this is a sparkling orange wine. it's pretty darn tasty. i'm biassed. >> is it a chardonnay or -- >> it was a montezia. i know, you were about to say that. >> oh, no. >> do you like that? >> that would be tough for me anytime. >> it's a bit of the bitter. but some vodka in it, maybe. >> so then other wines, then

there's wines that will last a bit longer once they're open. one is off-dry whites that are a bit sweet. chenin blanc. >> i don't like chenin blanc. >> just drink it anyway. >> i brought wine you like, i think. >> that's not bad. >> sugar is a bit of a preservative. it's not very high in alcohol, and it survives better. >> is that the case for most sweet wines? >> the sweeter you get, the longer they'll last. then big powerful. >> full-bodies. >> luscious -- >> the lane bryant of wine. >> careful, careful. >> well, it is, it's full-bodied. what is your problem, hoda? >> i'm just try to go protect you from yourself. >> good luck. >> syrahs are a massive tannic

grape, it also actually resists oxygen a bit better. this is like a $12 red that i think is really great. >> okay. >> yes, it doesn't have an aftertaste. nice. >> what about the box wines? >> they actually last great. what you have inside the box is a plastic bag that basically -- sounds so good, doesn't it? you have wine in a box with a plastic bag and it sinks, but it's really great. the deal is no oxygen ever touches the wine. so box wines last three weeks or so once you've tapped them. this is one from chile. i picked chile. they have wonderful wines, terrible earthquake, and i'm pro-buying chile wines to help the industry out. this is about $20 for three liters, the equivalent for four bottles. >> that's really nice. >> and that's from the box. >> here's the test of the day.

one of these -- this is the same wine, all chardonnay. this is a $30 chardonnay. so one of these glasses was kept over for about five days on a counter. >> is that a mistake to do that? >> yeah, generally even in a fridge you wouldn't want to keep it for way long. if you drink half the bottle and you're going away for the weekend, what do you do with it? >> take it with you. >> our drink the whole thing. >> one of them has frozen, poured out and frozen. >> and one of them is fresh? >> oh, dear. i'll tell you what's hard that we tried all those other things. it screws with your palate. >> no, that's helping your palate. which do you like best? or which do you like least for that matter? >> ooh, that one is old.

>> silence. we need a drumroll. >> i say b is the old one, c is the frozen and a is the good one. >> a is the good one to me. >> i like this one, too. i can't really tell. they both tasted like they weren't the best. >> a is the frozen wine. >> you're kidding me. from now on i'm freezing everything. i wish i had some embryos left. i don't. >> i don't even know where to go with that. >> why does this taste good? >> it tastes good. when you freeze it -- i wouldn't do this with a $500 bottle of wine. >> that's tastes so much fresher. >> you don't put it in the. >> i put it in a tupperware container with a screw-top lid. >> this is old. >> and it tastes old. c is brand-new opened this

morning. >> we've got to rock and roll, ray. >> we love him. back with more on "today."

we have some great friends from connecticut, west hartford. emily is 14 years old, and her brother. next week is venus williams and brooke shields. plus the cast of the "real housewives of new jersey." >> get some rest, it will be an awesome week. have a great weekend. >> don't forget about us. bye-bye. it's your smell, should be renamed hoda. >> i'll take one for the team. they were at a "vanity fair" party and started making out. >> i hate this. >> donny deutsche. >> don't get upset if they do.

every man watches. >> it's got to be sexy and everybody's happy. >> ♪ like a song >> it's the five-second rule. >> it doesn't happen, but i like it. >> you have to pump it. >> get crazy. >> it's going to be hot. >> thought about it, but i haven't done it. haven't you ever thought about it? >> she looked at you for many years above your bed. >> no, when i shut the door it was there. >> practically importanto, and that's just fine. >> if you get the kids exercising, do this at home.