good morning. bubbling over. temperatures rising over bp's inability to plug that massive oil leak in the gulf as president obama's top environment official hints it may soon be time for the government to take the lead. pay to play, the duchess of york, sarah fergusson, apologizes after being caught on tape trying to sell access to her ex-husband, andrew. >> 500,000 pounds when you can, to me, open doors. >> is that a deal? >> yeah. >> was it an isolated incident? how much did prince andrew know and how will the queen respond to this latest mess? hollywood mystery, late

actress brittany murphy's husband, found dead five months after her tragic death. police are searching for a cause after her tragic death. police are searching for a cause "today," monday may 24th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a monday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm meredith vieira. top obama administration offici officials are flying over the louisiana marshland today with the senate delegation, and they are hearing an earful from those who say bp and the government 'll talk to a top bp official about that and much more, coming up in a couple of minutes. then a shocking crime we've been following, the florida teenager accused of beating and stomping a fellow teenager

nearly to death all over some text messages. what were they saying to each other that set off the violent confrontation? those texts revealed for the very first time this morning. we'll also catch up with rocker bret michaels, who won the "celebrity apprentice" last night after he suffered a brain hemorrhage, a stroke and also learned he has a hole in his heart. >> he has been through a lot. it had to be a pretty good moment for him last night. let's begin with this gulf oil spill and whether federal officials and bp are doing enough to stop it. ann thompson is in venice, louisiana, with the latest. anne, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. federal and state officials here say bp is telling them that that attempt to cap the leaking oil well may not happen until wednesday now. and, as you can imagine, that is not making people here very happy. today, a bipartisan group of senat

senators will come to the region to get a firsthand look at this disaster and what they're going to see are plenty of oil stained marshes and beaches and what they're going to hear is plenty of anger. this is a picture of helplessness. louisiana's state bird, the brown pelican, coated in oil. governor jindal says it's clearly not enough to protect the wetlands. he wants bp to come in here and do more. >> to come in and burn the ma h marshes afterwards that's not good enough of a plan. >> reporter: the president of hard hit plaqeusmannes parish wants the president to come in. >> demand that somebody take charge. >> reporter: ken salazar on the way to the region today slammed bp's response. >> we have 33 days into this effort and deadline after deadline has been missed. >> reporter: the oil will keep coming. over the weekend, we found giant rivers of oil and dispersant 16

miles from the coast, the waves a disgusting reddish brown color. 26 miles out, the gulf is a toxic soup with a bile aroma. the oil is everywhere. even three miles from the leak site, you can see the natural gas being burned off as it comes up with some of the oil suctioned from the sea floor. in louisiana, this spill is personal. 25 years ago, dave belet has built the marina, trying to buoy the fishermen. now even he is discouraged. >> what are they going to do? two of those captains are my n sons. so that's -- i can really relate. >> reporter: and that is a question you hear more and more down here, what are we going to do? especially if bp can't cap this

well and has to rely on the relief wells that won't be completed until august, meaning this spill would drag on through the summer. matt? >> anne thompson, thank you very much. doug suttles is from bp. good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. >> we're 35 days into this, since the well started spewing into the gulf at a rate none of us can be sure of. your company has received increased criticism over missing deadlines and lacking a credible plan to stop this. on this monday morning, does bp have a plan that you, yourself, are confident in, in terms of stopping the oil flow? >> matt, we do. our next attempt at stopping this flow is going to be with the top kill procedure. the current schedule shows it happening on wednesday morning. clearly, that's a few days later than we said a few days ago.

the challenge there is doing these things in 5,000 feet. we do have alternatives if that doesn't work and those are currently be progressed because as we've seen and as we've said, actually, it's hard to guarantee these will work because they haven't been done before at these depths. >> i know, but when you say you're confident -- i hate to do the scale of one to ten thing, but ten you're sure this will work, one being anyone's guess, where is your confidence level on this? >> matt, i would probably put it somewhere around a six or a seven at this point. i wish it was a ten, but there are certain things i can't know. but i do think it has a very good chance of succeeding and if it doesn't, as i said, we have plans to both improve the containment and to attempt to kill it again. >> killing it again with what's called a junk shot. what's your level of confidence on something like that? sixes and sevens aren't going to put the fears of people in the gulf to rest. >> i realize that. but what we've tried to do, all along, is be as open as we can

on this and be as straightforward as we can on this. i want to tell people a ten. i want it to be a ten but i don't know that and what i want to do is share with you and others my best judgment on what that will be. i can tell you, we're doing everything we can, everything i know. and, in fact, even secretary salazar yesterday referred to all of the experts who are help ing us. >> secretary salazar also said if your company is found to not be doing what you're supposed to be doing, quote, we'll push them out of the way. end quote. do you feel, mr. suttles, you're reaching that point, that you've lost the confidence of federal officials and the people in the gulf of mexico? >> i think what i do know is everyone is frustrated. i think the people of the region are frustrated. i know we are. i know the government is. and i know that everyone wants this thing to come to an end. and the fact that it's taking this long is painful to everybody. most particularly to the people who live here. so, i do understand why he says that. and i can assure you, we are

doing everything we know to bring this to closure as quick as we can. >> i would like to get, in closing, your reaction to some comments made by your company's ceo, tony hayward recently in an interview. in talking about the oil spill, he said that, quote, the environmental impact of this spill would be, quote, very, very modest, end quote. when you take a look at the images we're already seeing from the gulf coast region and when you consider that the bulk of this spill has not actually hit land yet, do you agree that the environmental damage here is going to be, quote, very, very modest? >> i think what it's going to be, it's going to be quite -- it already has been and will be quite significant to the people who live here. i mean, there are people who are not doing their normal jobs here, people here who are scared about what the future is. and that is significant. it is very, very significant. >> so you would disagree with your company's ceo on that? >> i think tony is actually showing his commitment to this

by what he's doing, by what we're actually doing to fight this thing. i don't think he thinks this is insignificant. i don't. i know the 23,000 people out there don't either. so, we're not treating it as insignificant. >> i'm not trying to create an internal dispute here, but one more time, do you think that the impact is going to be very, very modest? >> you know, matt, it won't be very modest. it's not modest today. it's significant today. it's very, very real to the people who live here. it's very, very real to me and the team who is helping me fight this thing. >> mr. suttles, thanks for clearing that up. i appreciate it. thanks for your time, as always. >> all right. now here's meredith. >> matt, thank you. now to the duchess of york, sarah fergusson, caught on tape, trying to sell access to her ex-prince andrew. while the royal family is not talking, everyone else is. stephanie gosk is outside buckingham palace.

>> reporter: good morning, meredith. the reporter involved in this thing has made a career out of entrapping celebrities and royals. it's an old trick, but it seems there is always someone ready to fall for it. the trap set, sarah fergusson, duchess of york, fell right in. >> 500,000 pounds when you can, to me, open doors. >> it would be prince andrew? >> yeah. >> is that a deal? >> yeah. >> the handshake seals the deal. fergie sells access to her ex-husband, prince andrew, british business envoy and queen elizabeth's second son, for nearly three quarters of a million dollars, not knowing that the man posing as a businessman is actually a reporter for the british tabloid "news of the world." >> it's essentially saying that her ex-husband, prince andrew, who let's not forget, is fourth in line to the throwne, is up fr rent. he can be bought and sold for anyone who wants to meet him and she's going to pocket the cash. it couldn't be more damaging for

her. >> reporter: the duchess who lives beyond her means is reportedly drowning in debt. as the sting unfolds, fergusson asks for money upfront, in cash. >> $4,000. >> yes. >> which is in my safe. but how am i going to give it to you? i haven't got a bag. >> reporter: splashed across the tabloids, as were other similarly indelicate moments. this time the fallout directly implicates prince andrew and indirectly the queen, the grandmother of fergie's two daughters. >> he's going to be kind enough to want to play, then andrew will play. >> that's correct. i don't want to get into any kind of trouble, obviously.

>> but he meets the people and throws them my way. >> reporter: fergie herself in a statement, it is true that my financial situation is under stress. however, that is no excuse for a serious lapse in judgment and i am very sorry. the duke of york was not aware or involved in any of the discussions. the duchess flew to los angeles sunday night to receive an award for charity work. she also received some support. >> to be fair to her, you know, she's a trouper. she didn't need to be here tonight. she's very passionate about this kids' charity work she does. >> reporter: upon accepting her award, she made no reference to the exploding scandal other than to say i've had a heavy day. prince andrew and fergie have referred to themselves in the past as the happiest divorced couple in the world. many here think that that

amicable agreement could come to an abrupt end. meredith? >> stephanie gosk, thank you very much. front page scandal all across england. robert, you've covered sarah fergusson for the past 17 years or so. in that time you've gotten to know her. what was your first reaction to seeing this video, apparently trying to sell access to her husband? >> reporter: i have known sarah about 17 years, but my view of this, it's totally outrageous. it's brazen. and this wasn't the first time that this happened. one must remember she set up this meeting. she had had another meeting with the undercover reporter in new york and she also had a meeting with a real businessman that she set up. it's not a question of entrapment here. this is a question of proper investigative reporting to check out a story and find out it was true. clearly by the apology of sarah

ferguson this morning and the website, it is true. >> obviously she didn't know that this reporter was not a businessman. what led up to this story? scotland yard says what she did might be appalling but it is not illegal. >> reporter: well, we know the news of the world that she had a meeting with a real businessman and had her modus operandi similar to this. she met a reporter in new york in the mark hotel beforehand and she set, at that meeting, the figures she wanted for eventually turning up to this meeting, which was filmed. that's why i would say it is not entrapment. it's checking out a story, to make sure it's done properly, to dot the i's, across the t's and when they put out stories that are not true, the journalist involved here proves the voracity of the claims we were making. >> at one point on the tape she speaks about her ex-prince

andrew and she says, quote, he never does accept a penny for anything. he is, as she puts it, whiter than white. but does she affect his reputation is suggesting he can be bought? >> reporter: absolutely. prince andrew was talking very proudly about the job that he does as an envoy for trade. what this does, without his knowledge -- clearly had no knowledge of it, it jeopardizes the integrity of this job, of british trade, the monarchy and basically sarah ferguson has sold the woman she says she respects, the majesty of the queen, down the river. >> she did release a statement last night saying it is true my financial situation is under stress. however, that is no excuse for a serious lapse in judgment. she says that she is very sorry for what she did. do you believe that -- given the fact that she would jeopardize her husband's reputation the way that she did, does this suggest to you -- does this mean she must be under dire circumstances

right now? >> sarah ferguson has made millions and millions of pounds over the years trading under the name of the dutchess of york. the last duchess of york, by the way, was majesty queen elizabeth, the queen mother, who would be appalled of what's happened here. the reality is she had millions of pounds. she blew it. she came back home, moved in with prince andrew, because he was good enough to look after her, and she's betrayed him. it is as simple and as cold as that. >> i understand, i had read that her relationship with the royal family was beginning to get a little bit better. right now it's being described as permafrost. do you think she has destroyed any reconciliation with the royal family? >> reporter: i think the duke of edinborough, who is 90 pretty soon, and still the head of the family and family matters will do his very best to ensure that the ghost of sarah ferguson will not come back and haunt the house of windsor anymore.

>> what does that mean, will do his best? >> i think she's completely ostracized. one of the headlines was out cast. i would say absolutely she's an out cast. frankly if you're going to sell your family, your ex-husband -- these are, after all, the family of her children, down the river in such an appalling and money-grasping way, you deserve everything you get. >> very quickly, do you think her husband -- her ex will consider this the end of their relationship? >> reporter: prince andrew, the man that i know, is a very honorable man. he has done his best to support his ex-wife since they divorced in 1996. knowing him, he loves her as the mother of his two children. he will do his very best to make sure that she's okay. >> all right. robert jobson, thank you very much for your perspective this morning. now let's get a check of the top news stories with ann curry

at the news desk. >> good morning, everybody. hillary clinton has said north korea has created a highly precarious situation with the sinking of a warship in march. the u.s. military is on alert to prevent any further provocations and south korea proposed harsh financial sanctions on the north which could trigger a retaliation. a popular tourist spot, according to officials there, a couple was kidnapped. travel advisory for americans in jamaica. police on sunday battled a drug lord who is wanted in the united states. bruce beresford-redman has defied authorities and left that country where he is the only suspect in his wife's murder. miguel almaguer reports now. >> reporter: after monica beresford-redman's body was discovered at a resort, officials took his passport and

told him not to leave the country. but now he is back in los angeles to, quote, be with his children and tend to personal matters. i wonder if you could tell us where he might be. at the couple's home, no sign of the hollywood producer and no explanation for how he might have entered the u.s. without his passport. mexican authorities must now decide whether to charge him with murder and bring him back to cancun. >> he very well could be home free. the ball is in the mexican authorities' court. >> reporter: since he hasn't been charged with a crime, his attorney says bruce had no legal obligation to stay in mechanixi. on sunday, the attorney general in cancun told nbc news he couldn't even say for sure whether bruce had, indeed, left the country. the victim's family has feared all along that beresford-redman could give local police the slip and urge them to seek help from fbi. >> we beg that all the requests made by the family to the mexican authorities be granted immediately. we cannot wait anymore.

>> reporter: but in this high-profile case from mexico, now more than six weeks old, the prime suspect remains out of sight. miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. world markets were mostly higher overnight. melissa lee is at the new york stock exchange. did friday's showing restore investors' confidence? >> it has to some agree. may 6th, we managed to bounce higher and saw some pretty wild swings in the stock market. traders are still expecting a lot of volatility ahead. we have good news for drivers ahead of the memorial day weekend. gas prices have dropped nine cents a gallon and could fall further. this drop comes as crude oil prices have dropped by about 20% in the past two weeks. ann? >> melissa lee, thanks so much this morning. there were hugs and handsha handshakes all around on sus sunday as the crew of the space shuttle "atlantis" left the international space station for the three-day journey home.

>>. >> low clouds and scattered sprinkles and drizzle in the region. there is a live view from the radar. scanning the sky and showing a few sprinkles in the central blue ridge and in the 60s under

low clouds. 66 and highs in the low 70s. a peek of sun from time to time, but overall mostly cloudy and a passing shower. part le sunny and near 80 and warming up >> and that's your latest weather. meredith? >> thanks, al. coming up, the late actress br

coming up, the first doctor to suggest a possible link between a popular vaccine and autism speaks out about getting his medical license revoked today. plus bret michaels wins the celebrity a pre"celebrity appre after suffering a near fatal brain hemorrhage. [ female announcer ] ahh, the book of truth.

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plaid is huge this year. lean cuisine. keep life delicious. 7 tile time 26 is the time right now on the 24th of may. police are trying to figure out what led up to the gup fire south of route 198 in laurel late last night. someone in a car was shot in the shoulder. the injury is not life-threatening. they are not sure if it's random or the victim was targeted. part of the parkway was shut down as they look for evidence, but it's back open this morning. we will take a brea

>> low clouds producing scattered sprinkles on this monday morning e morning and perhaps sun and a passing shower. tomorrow near 80 and partly sunny. warmer wednesday and thursday. how is the traffic? >> it's a tough one north of town. the earlier accidents on the outer loop at connecticut avenue have cleared. both directions are slow. we will check the beltway on the west. steady. travel lanes are open. >> get the news long before sun

up. the news

7:30 on this monday morning, the 24th day of may, 2010. unofficial start of summer just a week away, but these folks seem like they got a jump-start on the party. inside studio 1a, i'm meredith vieira, alongside matt lauer. >> the beating that shocked the nation, one it teenager nearly killed another over angry text messages. what exactly did they say to each other? in just a moment for the first time you're going to find out. the man who has been at the center of a firestorm of controversy, dr. andrew wakefield, who first suggested the link between autism and the vaccine mmr lost his license today. he is in our studio and will

speak out about that in an exclusive interview. and a little later, he stared death in the face but rocker bret michaels wouldn't let a brain hemorrhage bring him down. last night he won the "celebrity apprentice" and will be here to talk about it all and talk about how he is doing, healthwise. tragic news out of los angeles, the husband of the late actress brittany murphy was found dead in his home at the age of 39, just five months after murphy's passing. our national correspondent, g t natalie morales, has the latest on this. good morning, natalie. what happened? >> good morning to you, matt. simon has been a screenwriter, photographer, but best known as a grieving husband after the tragic loss of his beloved wife last december. >> hollywood is a village and once you upset the villagers, they talk and they gossip and they rumor and they have blood on their hands, and i hope they wash them with very hot water because the way they treated

brittany miv whurphy when she w alive was terrible. >> after the tragic death of his wife, actress brittany murphy. and now tragedy has struck their hollywood hills home once again, as the lapd responsibded to a 9 call for aid, this time monjak was pronounced dead, all too similar when paramedics responded to a 911 call. >> tell me exactly what happened. >> oh, somebody's passed out! >> gone too soon, the hollywood starlet's sudden death was ultimately ruled an accident, a combination of pneumonia, iron deficiency and intoxication from legal drugs. >> you guys talk like grown-ups. >> while best known for her roles in "clueless" and "eight mile," the 32-year-old murphy was about to stage a comeback. >> i'm not going to be there long. >> shortly after his wife's

death, simon appeared on "today" with brittany's mother and spoke with matt. >> what do you think made her a star? >> made her a star? she -- >> she was born a star. >> the cause of monjak's death is unknown. an investigation is under way. and hollywood now looks to honor this couple, whose futures had once looked long and bright, just as monjak would have hoped. >> what's more important now is her legacy, the legacy of a young woman who dreamed of changing the world. >> only about a month ago, simon monjak and brittany murphy's mother, sharon, talked about getting out of hollywood hills and starting over here in manhattan. matt? >> natalie, thanks for that. let's get a check of the weather now from al. >> thanks a lot, matt. we are outside, little bit of drizzle out here. nothing too horrible. let's check your weather, see what's going on. for toda

>> good morning on this monday. we have low grade clouds from the east and they are producing a few scattered sprinkles this morning and a passing shower. mostly cloudy in the low 70s. partly sunny and milder and should make it to 80. feels like summertime on wednesday and thursday with highs into the 80s and morning lows into the second that continues into friday. >> and that's your latest weather.

meredith? >> al, thank you. now to that awful case we've been following out of florida. one teenager slowly recovering from brain damage, another behind bars, charged with trying to kill her. it was all over some text messages. now we know exactly what they said to each other. the story from nbc's michelle kosinski. >> what's your favorite class? >> probably japanese. >> reporter: at 15, wayne treacy has seen his father go to prison, his older brother commit suicide. but wayne was a good student, well liked, on the right path, until one march day. he admits he beat and kicked eighth grader josie ratley over text messages while he was trying to reach her friend. >> i remember she said something about my dead brother and that really set me off. >> reporter: now his lawyer has released those texts. josie calls wayne a rapest, repeatedly, for liking a 13-year-old girl. it escalates. i will find you. i will mess you up, wayne types. he insults josie's father, not

knowing he's actually dead. josie responds just go visit your dead brother and from wayne you're dead. i swear i'm going to kill you. josie, you make me giggle but he texts other friends claiming he will kill josie ratley, stomp her. he stomped and kicked josie nearly to death. >> usually when i get angry, it goes away but i couldn't get the feeling to subside. >> reporter: he sounds almost nonchalant but later he breaks down. his attorney says here was a traumatized boy who kept everything bottled up until that day. he has plead not guilty to attempted murder, intending to show though nearly three hours passed between those texts and that attack, that he simply snapped. while today, josie, after brain

surgery, must learn again to walk and speak. for "today," michelle kosinski, nbc news, miami. >> russell williams is wayne treacy's attorney and michael brandon is the court-appointed psychologist who evaluated him. good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> mr. brandon, if i can start with you, wayne treacy has been charged as an adult with attempted murder, been portrayed as a cold-blooded kid. you spent 20 some hours evaluating him. what's your impression of him? >> he's a very sad kid. that's the first impression you have. he's very tearful, very remorseful. he can't understand how he could possibly do something like this. so, whenever the incident is discussed, he is very, very tearful. it's hard to get him through any discussion about this actual event. it's almost like he speaks about it as if somebody else had conducted this behavior. >> yet as michelle pointed out, he seems so calm on the police video in his confession. >> only on the piece that you saw. right before that, he's crying.

and right after it, he cries. and he's especially tearful and sobbing when his mother comes into the room. there's a very emotional exchange. and that's the way i have usually seen him, as that young man who is crying and feels so badly about what happened. >> what is your diagnosis, doctor? do you think that he snapped? >> i do think he snapped in kind of a nonclinical way. in a clinical way, he has post traumatic stress disorder and he has an earlier diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. matter of fact, at the age of 4, it was recommended to his mother that he be placed on medication, stimulant medication called riddlin in order to help him with his hyperactivity. he was overwhelmed with emotions at this particular time about his brother, who he found hanging from a tree, along with his mother. he never dealt with that and one of the thing that is became triggered in this whole incident with josie, the unfortunate victim in this case, is those

exact feelings that were being suppressed and pushed down. >> if the trial were held today, mr. williams, i understand you would argue that he would not be held accountable by reason of insanity. if you look at the transcript of the text messages, it appears that he threatened her even before she brought up his dead brother, which would -- i assume would have triggered this immense anger in him. then he waited several hours before he went to the school, texted friends, say iing he was going to go get her. as we pointed out earlier in the confession, at times he seemed very calm. that doesn't sound like somebody who snapped. >> well, you have to go way back with him. first of all, she, josie, is calling him a rapist. he knew several girls that had been raped before. that was the start. then the conversation or text messaging deteriorated from that point forward and you get to the point where he just gets overwhelmed or overcome with his emotions and he actually, in what i term sending out flares, he sends out flares to three of

his friends, tells them what he's going to do. nobody says anything. nobody calls the police. nobody calls his mom. nobody calls the school. said something to josie and she text messages back, you make me giggle. she doesn't go to anybody in the school. each one of those people is like stop me, stop me, stop me. i need help, i need help, i need help and it never happens. as dr. brandon points out, the ride, three hours in between that time and the ride over to the school, three miles to the school, he was not thinking about those text messages. he was thinking about defending his brother, seeing his brother hanging from the tree. and at that point, it was -- you know, he had a script played out in his head and he just couldn't get back to where he needed to be. >> mr. williams, mr. brandon, we'll have to leave it at that. obviously your psychological evaluation will go to the judge now. thank you both for your help this morning. >> thank you. >> thank you. coming up, a true fighter. rocker bret michaels on his big win last night on the celebrity

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we're back now at 7:43 on "today's" health alert. we're talking about autism, the doctor who touched off an international controversy by first raising a possible link between the mmr vaccine and autism learned this morning that he has now lost his medical license. we'll have an exclusive interview with dr. andrew wakefield in a moment. but, first, a look back at how the controversy started. dr. andrew wakefield's 1998 study, suggesting the possibility of a link between autism and the mmr vaccine gave many parents around the world a reason to stop vaccinating. and parents of children with autism a possible answer to the devastating question of why. >> they took their children to be vaccinated and then something happened. their children fell apart. >> in the years following his

publication in "the lancet" no large-scale study could reproduce exactly what dr. wakefield's small study found and to investigative reporter, brian deere, that raised more questions than answers. >> he was not an independent researcher. >> deere learned he was working in a class-action suit planned against makers of the mmr by parents who believed their children were damaged by the vaccine. >> dr. wakefield was being paid by a firm of lawyers for two years before he ever published this report. >> no disputing that? >> no disputing that. >> deer says it was a conflict of interest that should have been disclosed in the study, but never was. in an exclusive interview last summer, dr. wakefield disagreed. he confirmed he was paid to conduct research on behalf of the plaintiffs, but said it was for a later study, one that never got published. so you'll look at me in the eye and say that at the time you were doing your research, you

were guilty of no conflict of interest whatsoever? >> no, not at all. had i been, it would have been disclosed. >> three years ago, the general medical council, which licenses physicians in the uk began investigating dr. wakefield, including looking at the unusual way he got children's blood samples for his research. >> we needed some control blood from children who were entirely normal and so i asked my children and my wife said we've got a birthday party coming up. we've got some medical friends. why not ask them if they would be prepared to let their children do it, too. seven or eight children said sure. >> i don't know why that sounds funny to me, but it does at a children's birthday party, blood samples drawn from children. were they paid for their samples? >> they were rewarded, not paid. >> how were they rewarded? >> they were given five pounds. at the time about $8. >> how is that not paying them? >> it's not saying upfront we'll

give you money. at the end of it we rewarded them. >> they found dr. wakefield's actions were unethical and acted dishonestly and irresponsibly in his research. still his supporters stand firm. dr. wakefield has written a new book called "callous disregard," details the case against him and insists that, in spite of everything, he will press on. dr. andrew wakefield is here for an exclusive interview. good morning. >> good morning. >> may sound like a strange way to start the interview but do i still call you doctor? >> yes. they can't take away the fact that i have a medical degree. >> you were not surprised by this action, the stripping of your medical license. >> not at all. it was determined by the government board on the gmc to find this ruling. >> you don't think this was an impartial panel. >> whether the panel believes they were influenced or not, they were certainly of the opinion when i read their

in february, that this decision had been made from the outset. >> is this the final blow to your credibility, doctor? i mean, if you look at the studies that have been conducted since your research was published in the lancet that have all, it seems, disproven your theories, "the lancet" said if we knew then what we know now, we wouldn't have published this study in the first place. you lost your job and now your medical license. is that it? >> replicated in five different countries in the world. this is a bump in the road. that's how it should be perceived, a bump on a very bumpy road. it does not detract from the fact that there are millions of children out there suffering and the fact that vaccines can cause autism. and that is a fact that's accepted by the american government, because they've been settling cases of vaccine-induced autism since 1991. >> you say to me that the findings have been replicated. i have seen studies, several major studies. your study involved 12 children.

i've seen studies that involve hundreds of thousands of children that do not replicate your findings. today will you sit across from me and tell me you still believe there is a possible link between that particular vaccine, the mmr vaccine, and autism in children? >> not only do i think it, but the american government has conceded that it exists, causal relationship between vaccines and autism exist and they've actually been secretly settling cases as early as 1991 out of court as well. >> as you know, we've talked to people since you've hwe've had to meet you and you were kind enough to sit down for that exclusive interview with us and people in our government say no, we no longer believe this. we went out and checked out the possibilities and we no longer believe this to be true. and every doctor i've spoken to says it's dangerous. it's dangerous to even keep talking about it, because for every time you talk about it, parents stop vaccinating their children and some children are dying from preventible

illnesses. >> matt, you're missing the point. the point is despite denying it in the public relations campaign they've waged against me and the parents, they're conceding these cases in the court. >> what's your next step? >> these parents aren't going away, the children aren't going away and i'm most certainly not going away. >> dr. andrew wakefield, thank you for joining us. i appreciate your time. >> thank you. 50 minutes after the hour. inside the most dangerous city on earth. first these messages. kly as i would like, i did what came naturally. i threatened to sue. turns out, that's not the best way to keep clients. so i went looking for answers online at openforum.com it's a place where i can talk with other small business owners like thomas and connie and learn about tools like acceptpay. it's a new way to bill online that can help me get paid much faster, without the need for any legal intimidation, which gives me a warm fuzzy feeling... sort of like these super comfortable socks made from the soft, supple wool of alpacas.

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coming up, new rules about when your kids should take swim less lessons. bret michaels on his brush with death and his victory on "celebrity apprentice." he'll join us. first your local news. extracare advantage for diabetes is a new program that helps me save money and earn double bucks on over 100 items, so we can stay a step ahead of... all: our diabetes! join extracare advantage for diabetes today and receive a free gift when you enroll. only at cvs/pharmacy. we get double miles with every purchase. so we earned a tropical vacation in half the time. we earn double miles every time we use our card. ( shouts ) double miles add up fast so we can bring the whole gang. ( grunting ) awesome! it's hard to beat double miles. everyone knows two is better than one. introducing the venture card from capital one... with double miles on every purchase every day.

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>> or time is 7:56 and a lot of clouds overhead. i'm joe krebs. this morning police are trying to figure out how a 6-month-old baby boy died. anne arundel county police said they found the baby boy dead over the weekend. an autopsy will be perform offed and investigators are conducting interviews right now. a traffic alert for those who use the chain bridge. you can only use one lane in each direction. they were hoping to have it finished, but rain prevented that from happening. they hope to have it finished by the middle of the week. we will come back to look at "know the species, know the stain." lanolin-free coat, i know it's an alpaca. walks in here, looks says "hey look, it's a llama!" cleaning the stain like he would a llama stain. time he's wasting. ♪ call 1-800-steemer

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shower and tomorrow part le sunny and near 80. how is the traffic now? >> things tough on the virginia beltway. an accident on the inner loop and near the robinson tunnel as we leave springfield. one or more lanes tied up and it's a parking lot. we will go to the map along the bw parkway. earlier issues as you make the trip towards 395. lanes are open. >> on midday at 11:00, the meals that won't p

morning, 24th of may, 2010. back to work morning. back to school morning for a lot of people. but not these people right here. they're out on the plaza, stretching out the weekend a little bit. we're happy they're joining us. we'll go out there and say hi in a little while. i'm matt lauer, alongside meredith vieira. brett mi michaels, last mone suffered a brain hemorrhage, last week a stroke, but still managed to win the "celebrity apprentice." we'll talk to him about his win, his health and whether he should slow down a little bit. i just shook his hand and he seems to be doing really well. >> he's not slowing down. i'll tell you that.

the most dangerous city, where al qaeda calls the shots with the help of some americans. we'll talk to caroline kennedy about the winners of her father's profile awards. let's get a check of the top stories of the morning from ann, standing over at the news desk. >> thanks so much. good morning once again, everybody. top obama administrators and senators are flying over the louisiana marshland today to get a look at the oil devastation as it stands now. 65 miles of louisiana shoreline is covered in oil, including its wildlife refuges and is coating the feathers and wings of brown pelicans, leaving them unable to fly and the majority of the oil has not yet arrived. after 29 coal miners' lives were taken in the worst disaster, a coalition heads to

west virginia. tom beckley joins us with more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, ann. of the two men who survived this disaster, one is still in the hospital with a serious brain injury. it is still not clear what caused this massive explosion. the families of the miners who died want answers. outside tommy davis' home, the uniform that his son, cory, wore into the coal mines still hangs next to the american flag. seven weeks after cory died in the mine, his father can't take it down. >> he was proud of that. he was proud of his orange stripes. he was proud to be a coal miner. he liked it. he enjoyed it. he loved his job. >> tommy didn't just lose his oldest son that day. his brother, timmy and his nephew, joshua, also died. 29 men in all were killed when a massive explosion ripped through the upper big branch mine in early april. nearly two months later, the mine is still shut down, the air too dangerous for investigators to go inside.

but they have zeroed in on the mine operator, massey energy, which had a pattern of safety violations in the months leading up to the accident and stands accused of putting profits before safety. >> if anyone intentionally allowed something to happen for the sake of production or profit or dollars in place of safety for a human life, the prosecution should go to the highest level and to the extent that they can go. >> 29 men are now dead, dead, dead. >> reporter: at a congressional hearing last week, government investigators accused the company of running an unsafe mine but the company's ceo insisted that despite an unusually high 53 deaths over ten years, massey's mines are safe. >> massey does not place profits over safety. we never have and we never will.

>> reporter: a central theme in this investigation is ventilation. was the mine properly ventilated? did the feds order a change in ventilation that in any way contributed to this disaster? a lot of questions before the congressional committee here in west virginia today. >> tom costello, thanks. university of virginia commencement ceremonies, yeardley love was awarded a posthum posthumous degree accepted by her cousin. iran has threatened to scrap the deal if the security council moves forward with a fourth round of sanctions which could be adopted as early as next month anchts 13-year-old boy from california has become the youngest climber to reach the highest summit. jordan romero reached the top of mt. everest, more than 29,000 feet, with his father over the

good morning. we had the low clouds producing scattered sprinkles and light showers and they continue to see the specks of blue in culpepper county and mad county. elsewhere there may be scattered drizzle and low clouds and temperatures in the 60s. 67 in washington. highs into the low 70s and there is a small chance of a passing shower and maybe a little sun as well. partly sunny and warmer and getting summer-like wednesday and thursday. >> don't forget, you can get your weather any time of day or night weather channel on cable or weather.com online. matt? >> thanks very much. rock star and champion bret michaels on his victory of "celebrity apprentice" and his recent health scares, right after this. build new homes. a truck's teaching schoolkids to try tasty veggies.

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bret, i have to tell you, you're hired. >> that is rock star brett michamik michaemik chaels winning the "celebrity apprentice" a month after suffering a brain hemorrhage. suffering a stroke just last week and learning also he has a hell in his heart. bret michaels, good morning to you. >> good morning. it is great and awesome to be here. >> it is great and congrat layings. >> thank you. >> you said you came to new york to win and you did. how important -- obviously it was important. you had a stroke last week. how important was it to be there? >> when i went in there to do the show, i was committed 100%. there's no other way to go on "celebrity apprentice." everyone there is an a type personality. everyone wants to win for their cause. i went in and had no intention to hurt anybody. my intention was to do the best job i could do and to be here, to be able to do "celebrity apprentice" when i had the member ranlg, i thought it was

over. at that point it was three days until i sort of came out of the semi coma, whatever the condition i was in, and then after -- it was a week later, to be up, moving and walking. i have to tell you, i'm so happy to have been there. i set my goal on it. last week i had that -- this little tia or mini stroke. and i have to be honest, all my life i never thought about hemorrhage or anything like that. the diabetes, obviously, i've had that a long time but -- >> that was your cause, was the american diabetes association. >> sure. >> putting money towards that. did your doctor say to you, not so smart an idea to go to new york? did they give you the green light to be here? >> the doctor said it's not very smart to be here. but i'm not a very smart guy in that capacity. i figured at this point -- i go, look, honestly dr. sabransky said i have to tell you i don't think it's a great idea you go there. it's a high risk. i was kidding. i said with the luck i've been having, it seems get iting out

a chair is a risk lately. i really wanted to be there. >> you said that essentially to donald trump, because he asked what we were all wondering. you had a little bit of difficulty walking out on stage. it was noticeable. >> yeah. >> you're not quite totally healed yet and trump said to you are you risking your life to be here? you made a joke about it. people laugh. but people are worried about you. how are you doing? >> this is the truth. i'm not back 100% yet. i'm one of those guys that i have to have a goal. i'm very driven. i say this truthfully. i love life. i feel blessedeen diabetic for 40 years, to have that disease that long and if i can survive it, and i say grace of god and having a guardian angel that whatever reason i'm in the 15 to 20% that actually survive this and have the ability -- >> survive the hemorrhage. >> survive the hemorrhage. forget about the appendectomy, mini stroke and all the other things. to survive that hemorrhage and see friends, don jr., a friend of his, had passed away from

exactly the same thing i had, not even a couple of weeks before that. >> why do you think you survived? you obviously have shown through this "celebrity apprentice" that you are a fighter for sure. >> for me, i can only say two things. one, great medical attention. that's number one. i reacted immediately. the minute i knew something exploded in my head, i knew i was in trouble. my adrenaline kicked in and i say this. my family, my daughters. and, you know, everything just hit me. >> rain and georgia. >> rain, georgia and christy were so amazing, because i knew something bad had happened. and i immediately -- my adrenaline kicked in. the first thought i had after the pain is i thought i don't want to wake up and be -- i don't want my daughters to see me unconscious on the floor. i didn't want them to wake up in the morning and i'm just laying there. that was my absolute motivation. >> doctors have said to you they don't see any connection between the accident at the emmys, and

the hemorrhage and the stroke. is it frustrating? would it be easier if they were connected? >> absolutely. here is the scary part for me. i had the emergency appendectomy and thought that's a lot of pain but it's an appendectomy. you move on. the 40 years of diabetes, wear and tear on the body, internal organs and maybe it's just a domino effect. all of a sudden it's one thing, a weak vessel in the base stem of the brain and all of a sudden the -- who knew? i went in for what i thought was a mini stroke because my mouth and my left hand went numb. when i went into the hospital again this last week, the strangest thing, the last test they did was a test for a hole in the heart or pfo. and i'll tell you what. i was joking with them. they put all this dye in you. it wasn't so funny when they're sticking all the needles in you. after that, i was sitting there

going, there's nothing wrong with my heart. i'm great. and then all of a sudden -- uh-uh know when you look at somebody and their eyes get that serious look? >> oh, sure. >> they were showing me on the ultrasound the air passing through my heart and i'm like, you've got to be kidding me. i've got to tell you that one -- i laugh about a lot of things. it's how i sort of defend myself, but that was pretty scary. >> about 20 secs left. i'm nervous about the fact that you're going on tour. >> right. >> in the summer. you're going down to mississippi this weekend for a concert. are you ready for this? >> i'll say this much. i don't know that i'm ready yet. i'll take it in baby steps. i'm going to do a show, see how it goes. i've had so many amazing fans, generations of fans for great years. the new album "custom built." i have to be honest, i'm ready to get out of the hospital and on the road. i don't want to be back in the hospital. i'm ready to rock. i'll see what happens. >> was it the sympathy vote last night? if it was, do you care? >> i told them -- when holly walked out with the hot dress on

and she was going to get the hotness vote i was going to take a vote any way i could get it. sympathy, bring it on. up next, keeping your kids safe at the pool. new advice out just this morning. never fear civilians! a postal carrier!! you guys need a priority mail flat rate box. only from the postal service. wha.. it's all over the tv. with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service, if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. thanks, mr. postal carrier! hey, fellas! shouldn't that dog be on a leash? disney pixar's toy story 3 only in theaters. priority mail flat rate boxes only from the postal service. a simpler way to ship. what if they change the terms? what if the interest rate... ...is more than i thought? what if i missed something? what if we're not getting what i think we're getting? [ male announcer ] take some of the "what if" out of dealing with your bank. bank of america's clarity commitment summaries tell you key terms for what you're getting with your home loan and credit card in plain language. interest rate... ...what we pay. that's clear... nice for a change. how about that? it's just what they said. [ male announcer ] there's only one place you can get a clarity commitment for your mortgage or credit card.

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>> announcer: this portion of "today" is brought to you by enfamil premium with triple health guard. we are back at 8:21. this morning on "today's" family, we're talking about swimming safety. before you head to the beach or pool this weekend, there is important new information that parents need to know. "today's" amy robach has more on that. amy, good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning to you. until now, the american academy of pediatrics has not recommended formal swim lessons for children under the age of 4 but that is about to change. they're announcing a big change in their policy that they hope will save lives. drowning can happen in an instant. a toddler wonders outside and there's water. it could be your pool or your

neighbor's. what would happen if your child fell in? drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths in children ages 1 to 4. >> ready? reach for the wall. good job. >> every home that i frequent has a pool. so, for my level of confidence, i wanted her to be familiar with the water. >> there you go. >> reporter: more than a million pools in the state of florida and most parent there is know how important it is to teach water skills to children. >> excellent! >> reporter: now, researchers believe formal swim lessons for children under the age of 4 may actually decrease the risk of drowning. >> for the most part, children are ready somewhere around that 2, 3, 4 age range. and that's because they're mobile. they're adventuresome. they want to try new things. >> wonderful job! >> it's all up to the parents, pediatrician and what makes the most sense for you. >> reporter: since all children

develop at different rates, the new policy strongly urges parents to talk to their pediatricians before starting swim lessons. and it specifically states there is no scientific evidence that babies under the age of 1 can learn water survival skills. but many parents have seen babies do this on the internet. >> good morning, matt. >> reporter: and on the "today" show and believe that babies should be taught these skills as soon as they can crawl. >> not that i would ever take my eyes off of her, but little things happen very quickly. >> reporter: like lindsay, who enrolled her daughter, emilia in a program. infant swimming resource is developed 40 years ago. he says children under the age of 1 can learn modern survival skills. >> the sensation of water over

your face means close your mouth, open your eyes, don't breathe until help comes. >> reporter: the academy's revised stance will save lives. >> a nation to keep them safe. >> good job, mateo. >> reporter: now even if your child has had swim lessons or water survival training, there is no better than an undistracted adult being in close contact with those children in the water. matt, back to you. >> a mom with two boys under the age of five and the american academy of pediatrics, good morning. there's no magic number. 2, 3rks 4 years old. it's developmental ability. what are some of the signs that your child is ready for swimming lessons? >> every child will develop at a different rate and show different signs. i started my own two boys at different ages. some of the things that i can look for is a child that can follow directions, enjoys being in the water, wants to swim and

play games and is very active. >> how do you feel about the difference between swimming lessons and survival lessons? they're not the same thing. >> they're not. there's really no research that shows whether the infant programs can prevent drowning. my concern that i hear every day in my office is that parents may be a little less careful in watching an infant that has some swim training. >> false sense of security? >> yes. >> real quickly, swim lessons are one layer of protection. but there are others that are strongly recommended. fences. you have to have a fence around your pool. >> four-sided fence can cut drowning risk in half and the gate can self latch and self close. >> adult supervision, have a parent in touch reach, touch range. >> we call it touch supervision, a parent who can swim and know cpr. >> no texting. you shouldn't be on a cell phone while your children are in the water. >> the time it takes to answer a phone call, a little one can slip under the water. >> do you like those floaties?

>> they're cute but not in place of a life jacket. they're not designed to keep 8:26 is the time on this monday, may 24th 2010. tom will have the forecast after the news. a traffic alert for anyone who uses the bridge. only one lane in each direction will be open. crews were hoping to have it finished up by this morning, but rain prevented it from happening. d dot hopes to have all the lanes reopened by the middle of the week. we will have weather and

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at this hour, temperatures in the 60s and clouds producing sprinkles across the region. could get a passing shower and sun breaking out and cooler. highs in the low 70s and warming up tomorrow. highs into the 80s. how is the traffic? >> so very tough in virginia, but the accident at robinson terminal is out of the roadway. new problem westbound i-70, an overturned tractor-trailer. authorities are on the scene dealing with that. westbound lanes are blocked and 270 southbound is heavy, but lanes are open. >> get your news before the sun

comes up. the news begins at

8:30 now on this monday morning, may 24th, 2010. the crowd seems to have brought the sunshine with them this morning. they also have smiles on their faces. coming up this half hour -- hi, honey. i'm so sorry. >> i brought these for you. >> i'll get to that in one second. excuse me. people here are so sweet. one of the gals from "sex and

the city," kim

good morning. low gray clouds cruise through on radar and we are picking up a few sprinkles in culpepper county into madison county. they are slowly drifting off to the west. these are in loud on county into maryland. temperatures in the 60s. 67 in washington. highs just in the low 70s. could get a passing shower from time to time. partly sunny and warmer tomorrow and feeling summer-like wednesday where are you guys from? >> san francisco. >> you're not sure, okay. san francisco, okay. we'll settle on san francisco. >> okay. >> don't forget, you can check your weather at weather channel

on cable or weather.com, no matter where you live, online. >> you ask a question that's too hard, al. you have to ask the easy questions in the morning. when we come back, she puts the sex in "sex and the what you did at this morning's meeting? that was pure poetry.

stop it. hello? you spotted a million dollar accounting error that no one else noticed. that was pretty sweet. ha ha. but you did have eight layers of sweet crunchy back up. what can i say? you're the man. or -- you know, the little dude. ha. that's me. [ female announcer ] stay on your game by stopping mid-morning hunger with kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats® cereal. an excellent source of fiber from 100% whole grain that helps you stay full, so you can stay focused. uh, he's a little focused right now. can i take a message?

now more of our countdown to "sex and the city 2." a visit with the gang would not be complete without sexy samantha. when we last saw her she was sing sbl moving back to the big apple. kim cattrall plays samantha. the premiere is tonight. >> tonight. >> in new york city. you were in london, doing a play over there, "private lives." >> exactly, yeah. >> just finished that up and realize d you needed some outfis for this thing. >> of course. it was insane. we finished on a saturday night and i was doing a film the same

time i was doing a play for channel 4, "human heart," this beautiful little piece with jim broadband. i literally got on a plane monday, arrived monday night and did not have anything to wear. >> which is scary. >> scary, scary. there's a lot of attention being paid on the four of us and what we've got to look like. it's not just for the premieres. it's for the talk shows. it's for the press conferences. so, there was a lot of shopping going on, you know. a lot of like pulling from here, pulling from there, even from the closet, you know. so, it was -- whew, it was -- we're set, though. >> good. >> that's the good news. >> you know you're going to look great tonight. is it harder to play this the second time around, the sequel? >> this is like a second skin now, you know. >> yeah. >> we were just -- even from the moment that we began the series, there was a feeling -- excuse me, i'm getting a cold. there was a feeling of chemistry between the four of us. but i never, in my wildest dreams, felt that it was going to go from the small screen to the big screen.

i think all of us were a bit nervous whether it was going to make the transition the first time around. the second time around for me, i felt very confident when we were filming. i thought we really successfully had taken it to another level. what i love about this movie, it's the girls alone again, without the boyfriends, without the husbands, without the kids, without the jobs to interfere. it's just them, doing what they do best, which is talking and being a woman in this time and space. >> and they're dealing with serious issues. we'll show a clip of samantha. at this point, you've come back to new york, broken off the relationship and are going through what all women go through at some point. that's right. >> the menopause. >> let's take a look and we'll talk on the other side of this. >> i am leading the way through the menopause maze with my vitamins, biogenetical cream. >> she's the hormone queen. >> i have tricked my body into thinking it's younger.

>> what was the reaction when they said to you that's going to be your story line? >> i thought how am i going to make this, first of all, funny, real, funny and sexy? how do you make menopause sexy? the script was so funny. that's what's so great about "sex and the city." it has its finger on taboos that people don't want to talk about. to this day people don't call it menopause. they call it -- >> the change. >> -- the change. exactly. tickling everybody's funny bone allows them to talk about it in an open way. >> and that a woman is still sexy. >> before, during and afterwards. >> and i know you know. >> i know all about it. >> you are certainly no shri shrinking violet. you talk recently about a magazine that's aimed for women over the age of 40. they wanted you on the cover but they wanted you to pose with a cougar, a symbol of older women with younger men.

you said no. why? >> i felt it was very derogatory. i feel there is nothing predatory about a woman of a certain age -- the kind of stereotype that a woman is searching for young men and she's on the prey. and i just don't think that's good enough. i think we've gone way past that. and to really marginalize this character that i play on "sex and the city" to a cougar, i don't agree with it. and i said yes, i would love to do your cover but i'm not doing it with a cougar. that is too limiting. and i felt it was derogatory. so i said no. they took the cover away, which i thought, fine. it has to be in something that i feel good about, that i feel right about, not just for me but for the character i play and representing women of a certain age. >> are you worried about the message that that sends to other women? >> it's a desperation really. i don't see -- listen, when i go out, young men are after me. i don't have to look around. they're sniffing, not me.

>> i don't get that sniffing, so i don't know about it to be honest with you. do you ever sit back and say to yourself, kim, you know what? i'm in my 50s now and i'm at the top of my game? >> it's a great feeling. first of all to be a leading lady in your 50s is not very common in hollywood, which is a very visual medium. after a certain age, i remember turning 35, 36 and half the amount of scripts that i was getting as an actress, they just -- there were no jobs. suddenly i was playing somebody's mother or crazy aunt. but i wasn't playing the leading lady anymore. i think shows like "sex and the city," and "mama mia" are making people think differently about women of a certain age. they've never thought that way in europe. it is changing, and it is gradual. >> "sex and the city 2" opens

nationwide thursday. later, hoda and kathie lee will sit down with samantha's one-time love

we are back now at 8:43 with a trip inside the most dangerous place on earth, mogadishu, somalia. richard engel traveled there to take a look for himself. good morning, richard. >> good morning, matt. it is an al qaeda sanctuary, attracting a surprising number of americans. flying into mogadishu isn't for the faint of heart. we arrived on african express, one of only two airlines still

operating in somalia. it is soon clear why there are so few flights. sitting on the runway is the wreckage of a crashed plane. it's a fitting first impression in this country, which hasn't had a functioning government in 19 years. as is baggage claim. it's anarchy. no belts, customs or x-ray machines. just getting your bags is something of a free-for-all here. finally, we meet our host, african peacekeepers. there are about 5,000 peacekeepers in somalia. their mission is to try to prop up the somali government, which is so weak, it only controls a few square miles of mogadishu and in this lone pocket of authority is somalia's version of the white house, the nicest building in town. the u.s.-backed president can't go much further than his palace

gard gardens. >> translator: what we need to do is build our institutions, he says, the basic framework of security and law and order. that's our first priority. it must be, because most of this large coastal city is controlled by the shabaz, a ruthless, local branch of al qaeda. and most people here live in fear. even at one of mogadishu's only health clinics. among hundreds lining up for treatment, fatma brought her 9-month-old daughter, m tichlt tsky but only after the girl's face had become covered with painful, infected boils. i almost never go outside, she tells me. i'm too frightened. like most somalis, she is afraid of the shabath. mi militants have made somalia their newest safe haven and impose an unusually strict form of islamic law. women are stoned from adultery

and must veil but bras are forbidden. they've ripped the fillings from people's teeth, banned music, movies and even school bells. anyone who can leave has left. there were 1.45 million people in this city a few years ago, only several hundred thousand remain. mogadishu today is the most war-torn dilapidated city i've seen, but what's happening here is far worse than the buildings, the militia men terrorizing the city are under 16 years old, teenagers empowered by the chaos to enter people's homes, lash women for dressing inappropriately and chop off the limbs of accused thieves. under a thorn tree, i meet 20-year-old and 18-year-old boys, both claim they were falsely accused of theft. their punishment was amputation

of their right hand and left foot, their parents forced to watch. i tried to call out to my mother and say please, somebody save me, he says. one woman had a miscarriage as she watched. the young men showed me how the shabath stretched their wrists and ankles before slicing them off with a butcher's knife. but for him, the punishment kinned. they returned 15 days later and sawed off more of his leg just to make him suffer. the leader put three fingers on me and said we have to cut off this much more, he remembers. the u.s. military and intelligence services are aware of al qaeda's growing presence in somalia, but there's little desire to come here to fight. in 1993, u.s. troops invaded somalia to stop clan warfare that was causing mass starvation. american helicopters were shot down.

and soldiers' bodies dragged through the streets. the events retold in the film "blackhawk down." >> we've got a blackhawk down. we've got a blackhawk down. >> today, the u.s. involvement is mostly from afar. washington backs the peacekee r peacekeepers in somalia who tiptoe around the shabath. the spokesman showed me on the map but says his troops don't go there. >> we don't leave the main road that much. this is a peacekeeping mission. you try to minimize the casualties. >> peacekeepers say they don't have the mandate to the fight the shabath or the troops to do it. but now the united states secretly is increasing its involvement in somalia, gathering intelligence under the cover of darkness. at night, we've been hearing the unmistakable sound of american drones circling in the sky over

mogadishu, seem to be flying very low and make passes every ten to 15 minutes. >> there are drones flying over mogadishu on a regular basis, really a nightly basis. i think that intelligence has its eyes pealed. >> eyes pealed because some of the top commanders of shabath are americans, including a 26-year-old from alabama. he has become one of their leading recruiters of fellow americans. using internet videos ♪ gonna knock america down to their knees ♪ >> and rap songs. ♪ establishing law >> has attracted for the first time ever american suicide bombers. 17 peacekeepers were killed when this headquarters was attacked by a suicide bomber last september. but what happened here has direct ties to the united

states. milita militants identified the bomber as a somali american who had been living in seattle. u.s. counterterror officials say americans, most of them from somali origin, have come here to fight, raising the eyebrows of the fbi and the cia. >> the reasons are simple. the number of times you get a substantial of american kids, i don't care whether they're somalis or from lincoln, nebraska, traveling overseas to train with people connected with al qaeda in these kinds of numbers, that is very rare. >> rare and dangerous because the shabath is expected to attract more. it is a large number, especially in the world of terrorism where every individual matter. >> an unsettling story, richard. thank you very much for bringing it to us. i appreciate it. it's 50 minutes after the hour. we're back on a monday morning. this is "today" on nbc

this morning, we're kicking off a new series "what do you care about today"? they wanted to help deserving groups and they've allowed matt,

al, hoda and kathie lee and me to choose charities. starting with my choice, a group in chicago making a difference to the lives of those with disabilities. at aspire, it's play time with a purpose. families and therapists cooking up new ideas together, to help people with a wide range of developmental disabilities learn, grow and aspire. >> nice sharing. >> wendy morton's triplets were 8 weeks premature and they have some delays. >> it's kind of like play time for them even though they're getting so much benefit out of it. >> aspire started 50 years ago. its goal, to provide all the therapies, counseling and nurturing needed to help everybody reach their potential. >> it's helping children and adults of all abilities to reach for their dreams. >> margie doyle's 22-month-old

son, colin, started at aspire shortly after he was born. since then, he has learned to walk and use sign language. >> he lights up when he comes in the door here. >> aspire has also partnered with a local coffee roaster, making its own brand and putting its adult clients to work. >> thank you, bruce. >> giving them on-the-job training, and important life lessons. and while we couldn't sum up in one sentence what this amazing organization is all about, the people we met could. >> what aspire means to me is building futures for everyone and helping people to grow to the best of their abilities. >> aspire means everything. >> aspire, to me, is priceless. >> bye. >> i love that it's everybody from toddlers to adults, providing skills they need, and dignity as well. >> but also what's nice, i think we all know the names of the big charities out there, the big organizations, but these are smaller organizations, grassroots organizations and the work they're doing is every bit

as important. we'll introduce you to, what, five or six more? >> that's right. >> over the course of the week, which is very important. >> and we saw so many. trying to pick those, it was so difficult because there are so many great, as you said, organizations out there doing wonderful work. coming up on a monday morning, the latest on the situation involving sarah ferguson, the duchess of york. first your local news and your local weather.

>>. >> a tim time 55 is the time and lots of clouds in the sky. tom will have the forecast after the news. police are trying to figure out what led up to a gunfire on the bp parkway. it happened in lurl. someone was shot in the shoulder. the injury is not life-threatening. they are not sure if it was random or random. investigateors search for investigateors search for evident as it is back op the gas prices are going down, they go back up again. we know saving money is important. this summer, shop with your giant card and save on shell fuel. earn one point for every dollar you spend. every 100 points earned gets you another 10 cents off per gallon.

the more you spend, the more you save. i'm saving money at the store, i'm saving money at the pump, and that works for me. more savings every time you shop, only with your giant card.

>> we have low clouds producing scattered sprinkles and light rain to cull pepper and madison coupy and a few other scattered locations getting sprinkles. we are in the 60s. now 67 at reagan national. only climbing ito the low to

mid 70s. perhaps sun breaking out and a passing shower. warmer an that. >> time to take a look. haven't had hang ups. that certainly is enough to slow you down. let's check it out making the trip on the beltway, very, very tough. inner loop and the terminal is open at the shoulder. >> get are now news before the sun comes up. the news begins at

we're back now with more of "today" on a monday morning. it's the 24th day of may, 2010. what a great crowd, kicking it off with us. actually a big crowd. stretching out the weekend. we like that. out on the plaza i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales and al roker. coming up, more about this situation involving the duchess of york, sarah ferguson caught on videotape, allegedly trying to gain access -- or sell access to her ex-husband, prince andrew. what's the impact to the royal family? we'll be talking much more about that coming up in just a little while. also ahead, hard to believe but memorial day is a week from today. >> yeah. >> i can't believe it. that went fast. >> i know.

if you're planning to have folks over -- if you can't have colin come over, the next best thing is to pay attention to what he will show us. >> wow! >> he will give us great ideas and nice drinks that will send your guests home happy. hopefully, they'll remember what they -- >> memorial day, fourth of july, then the summer is over. >> can't we at least enjoy the moment? come on, you guys. you are a total kiljoy. plus, what will you be wearing to that summer party, all the suares you'll be invited to? reaching back to tinseltown classics or pop icons for summer flare. >> did you say get fashion for popeye? >> pop icons. that would be the sailor shirt and the -- also we'll catch up with caroline kennedy and find out about her latest endeavors. first ann is standing by at the news desk. >> thanks, matt. there will be another try this week to stop that oil

that's been gushing from the well in the gulf of mexico. the british petroleum will try the so-called top kill maneuver wednesday, which is to supposedly fill the hole with cement and heavy mud. wildlife workers are trying to rescue pelicans whose feathers and eggs are covered with black oil. these birds were removed from the federal endangered species list. human error may have caused saturday's crash of an air india jetliner. weather and visibility were both good while the plane went down, trying to land, claiming 158 lives. the plane's cockpit voice recorder is being analyzed for any clues as to what went wrong. a warning from secretary of state hillary clinton who said that north korea has created a, quote, highly precarious situation with the sinking of a south korean warship in march. speaking in beijing, secretary clinton said the u.s. military is on alert to prevent further provocations.

south korea posed harsh sanctions against the north, which could trigger retaliation. patriot missiles have arrived in poland, largest deployment ever of u.s. forces to that nation. iran's intelligence minister is reiterating his position, saying that iran may be open to a prisoner swap with the united states. on sunday, he called the three american hikers, jailed for ten months, clear and obvious spies and said they could be released in exchange for detained iranians in the united states. some good news for drivers just ahead of memorial day. gas prices have dropped more than nine cents over the past two weeks to an average $2.83 a gallon for regular, according to the lundberg survey. and a humble, green ogre was king at the box office "shrek forever after" took in an estimated $71 million, "inner

>>. >> good morning. mid-western heat will be arriving here in a couple of days. right now it's cloudy and cool and in the 60s. a few scattered sprinkles across northern virginia and parts of maryland.

temperatures are in the 60s. 67 degrees in washington. we may get sun breaking out later and a chance of a passing shower and highs in the low and mid 70s. partly cloudy and into the 80s on wednesday and thursday and >> and that's your latest weather. natalie? >> al, thank you. the duchess of york, sarah ferguson, caught on tape, trying to sell access to her ex, prince andrew. the royal family is retaining their silence. while they're not talking, everyone else is. stephanie gosk is outside buckingham palace. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. this reporter has made a career out of entrapping celebrities and royals. the trap set, sarah ferguson, duchess of york, fell right in. >> 500,000 pounds when you can

to me open doors. >> it would be prince andrew? >> yeah. >> is that a deal? >> yeah. >> reporter: the handshake seals the deal. fergie sells access to her ex-husband, prince andrew, british business envoy and queen elizabeth's second son, for nearly three quarters of a million dollars, not knowing that the man posing as a businessman is actually a reporter for the british tabloid "news of the world." >> it's essentially saying that her ex-husband, prince andrew, who let's not forget is fourth in line for the throne, is up for rent. he can be bought and sold by whoever wants to meet him and she's going to pocket the cash. i mean, it couldn't be more damaging for her. >> reporter: the duchess, who famously lives beyond her means, is reportedly drowning in debt. she only receives $20,000 a year from her divorce. as the sting unfolds, ferguson asks for money upfront, in cash. >> $4,000. >> yeah. >> which is in my safe but how do i get it to you? i've not got a bag.

>> reporter: sitting in front of a pile of cash, the stress of the moment seems to take its toll. scandal is nothing new to the duchess of york. while married, a lavish tryst was splashed across the tabloids as were other seemingly indelicate moments. this fallout directly implicates prince andrew and indirectly the queen, the grandmother of fergie's two daughters. >> listen, he's going to be kind enough to want to play, then andrew will play. >> i couldn't get into any trouble. >> and he throws them my way. >> fantastic. >> but we -- i've never said that. >> the palace categorically denies prince andrew had any idea that his ex-wife was involved in the elicit deal as do does fergie herself.

in a statement she tad said it is true that my financial situation is under stress. however that is no excuse for a serious lapse in my judgment and i am very sorry. the duke of york was not aware or involved in any of the discussi discussions. she flew to new york to receive an award for charity work and she also received some support. >> to be fair to her, she's a trouper. she didn't have to be here tonight. she's very passionate about this kids' charity work she does. >> reporter: upon accepting her award, fergie made no reference to the exploding scandal other than to say i've had a heavy day. prince andrew and fergie have described themselves as the happiest divorced couple in the world. many here believe that that amicable agreement could come to an abrupt end. natalie? >> stephanie gosk outside buckingham palace. thank you, stephanie. robert jobson is from "news of the world." good morning, robert. >> reporter: good morning, robert. >> how long have you been

working on this sting and how did the meeting between sarah ferguson and your reporter come about? who initiated the sting? >> reporter: i wouldn't say it was a sting at all. we've been working on an investigation about a month after she met with a real businessman, who i can't name and did this similar modus operandi. after that, she met our reporter who it was fergie herself setting the fee, making it quite clear what the fee would be and arranged to meet our reporter in london at a restaurant of her choice. the fact, it was her leading the way, certainly not the "news of the world." we simply were trying to find out what was going on after a real businessman, we understood, had done a similar deal. >> you've known sarah ferguson for some 17 years, you've reported on her, treked the himalayan with her on a mission. when you see that tape, what do you think happened here?

>> reporter: well, i like sarah ferguson. but her behavior here is abborent. what she's done is betrayed her ex-husband, sold the royal family down the river and the queen, whom she says she respects. in the whole loop of that, she's also jeopardize the integrity of british trade. but the fact is sarah ferguson will be on the floor at the moment. she has a unique ability to ressurect herself. she's been trading on her royalty for many, many years. it seems to me that money has run out and she's in desperate times. maybe, just maybe, the royal family should look to themselves and say if they hadn't paid her such a divorce, she may not have gone down this road and come back to haunt them. but that's really no excuse for her behavior. >> and as you heard in that report, their relationship, relationship with prince andrew was described as one of the happiest divorced couples in the world. where do you see this taking

that relationship now? >> reporter: that's a very difficult question. i interviewed prince andrew this year in buckingham palace talking about, ironically, that job he does as a trade envoy. he was very passionate about it. the fact is, yes, they've put on a very good front as the happiest divorced couple in the world. he is an honorable man and i'm sure that he will try his best to care for the mother of his children, for his children's sake. but i think she may well have pushed those limits to the edge. and whether or not she can now stay at royal lodge is a big question. >> all right. meanwhile just to point out in a statement that sarah fergus nochlt released, she said it is true that my financial situation is under stress. however this is no excuse for a serious lapse in judgment and i am very sorry that this has happened. robert jobson, again, thank you very much. we appreciate your time once again this morning. >> reporter: thanks so much. "news of the world" is looking

forward to getting their $40,000 back. >> i'm wondering when that will happen. i'm sure soon. thank you very much. coming up on "today's" style, we'll boro some classic looks from some of your favorite star, help you put something together for a new hip summer look. first, celebrity party planner colin cowley's secrets to throwing the best summer bash after this. that's why aquafresh created iso-active whitening. a breakthrough gel that transforms into an active foam. it not only helps prevent cavities, it whitens 33% better between teeth. whiten beyond toothpaste. try triple protection iso-active whitening from aquafresh. amazing. 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.

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great time with your family and friends, you're in luck. we've brought in lifestyle exert colin cowie, who will help make our memorial day holiday memorable. we want people to remember this day. it's so rare we can get everybody together. >> right. >> one way to make it memorable is make a burst of color. >> celebration of color. i don't think we run short on this table. >> i noticed you did not pick red, white and blue, the normal colors. >> we've got the fourth of july for that. best thing i like on the table are these melamine plates at crate and barrel. they're great on the beach. >> because they don't break. >> kid friendly and make a great statement. >> that's great. not to spend a lot of money. fun way to have candles. >> without blowing away. they make a fun, bold statement and you're still using flowers, tropical fruits in the center of the table. >> talk about bold statement. you have a huge one here.

>> exactly. this is the granddaddy. >> we'll have a little bit of a barbecue. >> cooking on a barbecue, anything cooked in an open flame is good. this can go to the beach, picnic, carry it by hand. inside is our grill. this is good for a few amount of people. bigger the people, the bigger the grill. >> it doesn't look like it's hard to carry around either. >> these are kabobs. >> i love the way you say kabob. >> exactly. and we put a bit of olive oil on here, paint these. meat and vegetables at same time. >> you have a lot of spice in that olive oil as well. >> $6 for eight kabob sticks. very important, when you thread these, make sure that the meat, tomatoes and onions are all the same size. if they're not, they're not going to touch the grill and get that lovely brown flavor. make sure they're cut the same way. >> package them up if you're going to go to the beach. did you say why you soak them? >> soak these in the water to

make sure they don't burn on the barbecue. when you turn them, because they're flat, the whole kabob turns. >> very good point. now for the most important part of the party. >> my favorite part of the party. sangria, great summer drink. >> i've always wanted to know how to make this. do you use a cheaper wine? you're going to mix it with fruit. >> you are. these are roses. you get great roses for $10, $12, $15 a bottle. they're not expensive. you can drink it from memorial day to labor day. >> you can use a nice wine? >> exactly. now i'm going to add four ounces of tequila to 12 ounces of rum. that will spice it up a little bit. >> 2 1/2 ounces of triple sec. i know it's morning, but it's 6:00 somewhere. for color we add pomegranate juice, cranberry juice, ounce of

lemon juice to make it a bit more tart. five simple ingredients. we'll add our orange slices, apples. make this the night before. the best part is the following day. >> you can freeze part of those if you wanted to freeze the gra grapes, that would make it yummy as well. >> that's a good idea. best part of this is the tasting. >> colin cowie, thank you so > also coming up is a star g from "sex and the city." we've been talking about the stars, the women. we'll be catching up with jason lewis, one of the men, a little bit later. first, these messages. [ man ] ladies and gentlemen, the 57th president of the united states. ♪ ♪

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bank of america. the john f. kennedy profile encouragement award honors volunteers who go above and beyond duty. california legislature who showed bipartisanship over the struggling california economy. meredith spoke with carolyn kennedy earlier this morning, along with two of the winners, david cogdill, and darrell steinberg. meredith asked carol line why she chose to honor bipartisanship and these two men in particular? >> i think everybody recognizes that our country has serious problems and that we're only going to be able to solve them if we work together. and i think we saw that these california legislators set an

example for lawmakers across the country and also for all americans who really should recognize how difficult it is to forge compromises to solve these difficult problems and try to reward the legislators who had the courage to do so. >> dave, you discovered how -- actually both of you discovered how difficult it is to reach across the aisle and compromise. you're a republican. you reached across the drts. as a result, the voters rejected the compromise and your own party voted you out of your leadership position. in retrospect, was it worth it, dave? >> oh, i think so, given what we were facing. the options weren't certainly any better. and i think, in many ways, were very much worse. i think we did the right thing and we're all a little bit disappointed that the voters didn't approve the compromise that we put forward relating to the reforms that we thought were so important. but, again, i think history will prove out that what we did was the right thing to do. >> darrell, you remain leader of

the democratic majority in the senate. that deficit is at $20 million. how do you stay motivated? >> well, i'll tell you, it isn't easy. i have to go through this a second time, but more than anything else, it's actually a privilege and an honor to be fighting to make california better. we're living through historic times. and we have an opportunity to change what we know is broken. and last year, as difficult as it was and as much heat as all of us have taken, i wouldn't do it any different. we were able to cross party lines and show that you can be both partisan and fight for what you believe in and, at the same time, act in a bipartisan way to put the state or the country ahead of our own personal beliefs and etiology. that's a tough balance but it's absolutely essential in a democracy. >> congratulations to both of you on your courage.

caroline kennedy, dave cogdill and darrell steinberg, thank you for joining us this morning. >> thank you, meredith. >> congratulations to them. >> all right. coming up here on "today," how to make yourself smarter and more well informed one day at a time. plus summer styles influenced by your favorite celebrity icons. and the sciottos are here with easy recipes to serve up for your memorial day celebration. some are better than others, that's always the case. the food always tastes good. right now your local news and weather. ♪ this is onstar. i've received a signal you've been in a crash. i'll contact emergency services.

( whimsical music continues ) love to see kids' spirits shine. superstar and mom, martina mcbride and sunnyd shine on sunny taste. sunny spirit. sunny d. we asked real people to film themselves taking the activia 14-day challenge. hi. i'm emily ilic. i'm going to start the activia 14-day challenge today. problems that i have are, you know, irregularity... i do have some doubts if it works. i think it's really good. um... i like the flavors. i think from being a skeptic in the beginning i do think that activia actually works. help regulate your digestive system. take the activia challenge. it works or it's free. ♪ activia

>>. >> 9 time time 26 is the time. cloudy skies in the nation's capital. we are following braking news out of stafford county. the north high school is on lockdown while police are searching for a suspicious man with a weapon near the school. we have a crew on the way. we understand there several other schools on lockdown as well. a traffic alert for anyone who uses the bridge as well. expect only one lane in each direction. crews were hoping to have the project figured by this morning, but rain prevented it from happenings. d dot hopes to have the lanes open by the middle of the week. open by the middle of the week. stay w [ static ]

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>> tom joins us with the latest on the forecast. >> we have sprinkles on radar across parts of virginia and maryland. temperatures in the 60s. it's 67 in washington. highs today should make it into the low 70s and perhaps a passing shower. part le sunny near 80 and warmer on wednesday and thursday, feeling like summertime into the 80s. how is the traffic? >> it's been a tough commute and not getting easier. the inner loop at i-66 an accident reported. police fire and rescue headed over there. we will update you on a couple of things north of town. the inner loop and outer loop between i-95 and 355 much better than earlier. all the travel lanes are open. >> get your news before the sun

comes up. the news begins at 4:30. wake up to

i've tricked my body into thinking its younger. >> i've tricked my body into thinking it's thinner -- spanx. >> cynthia nixon, who plays miranda, looks fantastic. she'll be here on the four friends' latest "sex and the city" adventure tomorrow here on "today." soon we'll be thinking about summer. >> that's right, and summer fashions specifically. from madonna's '80s lace and bangels, grace kelly's elegance, we'll show you how to integrate some of those classic styles and not-so-classic styles into your summer wardrobe. we all know the grisly

children's rhyme about lizzie boreden. though she was acquitted of the murder of her stepmom and father and inherited a small fortune. just one fact in the new book teach you something every day. >> feel so much smarter now. >> that's right. coming up, long memorial day is a few days away. it's never long enough. if you are thinking about entertaining, guess who you need. >> scottos. >> they have easy recipes for the holiday. it's hard to believe it's memorial day we're talking about already. 100 days ago was the start of the vancouver game. >> no. >> yeah. hard to believe. now you can relive all the fun and excitement in a new documentary narrated by matt

>> we are following breaking news out of star oerd county. north stafford high school is on lockdown as police search for a man with a weapon near the school. we have billiken dee with the sheriff's office. what can you tell us? >> this morning we received a call of a suspicious individual possibly carrying a gun in the area of porter library. they saturated the area to look for the individual and the individual was spotted in the parking lot and was confronted by the sro at north stafford high school and got into a physical alterication and the suspect fled. the suspect did not have weapons or display any weapons, but we are trying to locate him. >> so the suspect has been captured? >> we are still looking for the suspect right now.

>> what about the schools in the area? one school, north stafford is on lockdown. what about the others? >> we have two. north stafford and park ridge. there is a wooded area between the schools. at this point no danger to the students and we're looking for the suspect. he has not displayed a weapon of any kind, but did get into an altercation with the officer and fled the scene and we are looking for him? >> any description in. >> a black male in a gray hoody sweatshirt. >> that's it? >> yes. >> what about residences or businesses? are they under alert? >> we set up operation to notify them and any who sees the suspect contact the authorities immediately. >> can you say why he was considered suspicious in the first place?

>> we had a couple of students and one adult at the elementary school who said they may have seen an individual possibly possession with a gun. we didn't take which are r any chances and they came into contact with him. >> billiken dee, thank you for joining us. again, breaking news out of stafford county. stafford high school on lockdown. we will bring you the latest on news 4. stay with us. we make our mayonnaise with eggs, vinegar and oil rich in omega 3. for the quality that could only be hellmann's. hellmann's. it's time for real. we asked real people to film themselves taking the activia 14-day challenge. i'm mary ellen smith. day one of the activia 14-day challenge. my digestive problems are irregularity. so i'm really excited to see if this really works.

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because every girl could use a little variety. ♪ special k®, now in 9 delicious flavors. this morning on "today's" style, creating your summer look with fashions inspired by your favorite celebrity icons. you don't need to fork over the big bucks for what the stars are wearing today. the hottest trends come from the classic looks that you love. rachel of "life and style" magazine, good morning. >> good morning. >> what makes a fashion icon? >> there are certain women in history that have had classic, timeless, incredible style and also women who just create tr d

trends. there's grace kelly and there's madonna. luckily, this summer, we are seeing influences from all of these incredible women. >> everywhere. all right. let's get to some of these looks. starting off with grace kelly, 1950s icon. tell me about her style as we look at our first model, shannon. >> grace kelly was the epitome of '50s lady-like fashion. she loved full skirts, very fitted tops. to make it a little more modern, we shortened the skirt. keep it above the knee if it's a full skirt. great style. really covers -- >> any woman can get away with this. >> any woman. it's very figure flattering. think of little twin sets but mix them up. you don't have to wear the sweater and the cardigan the exact same. from ann taylor. neutral colors but always a pop with pastel. >> make it pretty. >> the other thing that's really back in style is the kelly bag named after her. she used it to hide her baby

bump when she was pregnant. great interpretation of that bag. $65. >> the shoes i love, matching the sweater. >> absolutely. we're seeing a lot of laser cut in shoe this is summer. really ties the whole look together. pearls, of course. >> shannon, you even look like grace kelly. gorgeous. thank you very much. very nice. next classic iconic star, of course, audrey hepburn. we always think of her in the little black dress but this was another look of hers that was famous. >> her day-to-day style was a casual chic with french flare. she loved coco chanel. boat-neck top. she was very smart and knew that the skinniest part of the woman's body were ankle and wrists. she always wore sleeves that were three-quarter length, capri pants. nautical is always in style.

instead of the flats she always wore, we substituted the wedges to keep it more modern. >> get a little height there. beautiful. thank you so much. next, another classic yet iconic look is diana ross. >> supremes from the '70s disko d days. the look i love most that is in style now is all over "sex and the city" look, this is h & m, $24. great for any woman of any body type. it's easy, breezy, very floaty. throw it on. the thing i can say is belt it. otherwise it could be a little mumu-ish. not just one. different styles. mix them up. lots of fun accessories. she loved to be over the top. >> looks good on olivia. thank you. and madonna, we always think of her with the lace and signature little '80s neon. >> we love it, madonna's lace. we're seeing it in every store.

you don't have to wear lace gloves and full lace dress. we're interpreting it for the summer lace top with a blazer, throw on the shorts. top and blazer are b.b. dakota, '80s inspiration, shoes with the studded. "desperately seeking susan" wayfarer sunglasses. >> finally let's get to the jackie o. look. this was sort of the pearls and classic elegance. >> absolutely. she was the first lady of fashion. she really brought sophistication and style to the white house. michelle obama, we're seeing this look a lot. $99 from macy's. she was always wearing chic dress, the pearl neckline. she loved the pearls. so classic. of course, the jackie o. sunglasses. >> the bigger, the better. >> and just a great chic way for

women to go to work. flares a little, more a-line, more figure flattering than one that's completely straight. >> let's bring our iconic models out as well. it's amazing how they all look like the ones they were supposed to be. >> great job, ladies. well done. thank you, raichel. how to learn a little something one day at a time. we'll show you how, right after this. ♪ presenting the new toyota avalon. it's one smooth ride. it has lots of space for you... and all your things. i got mine with voice activated navigation. so we can get to the city. [ male announcer ] there's no finer way to travel. the new toyota avalon... comfort is back. ♪ bring me a dream mom, thanks for this. mom, thanks for the amazing pie. it's soo good.

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did you know that before he was president, abraham lincoln worked on a riverboat and sold liquor? >> fascinating or that queen elizabeth i was 25 when she became a queen? the intellectual devotional, latest edition features a wide range of fascinating biographies, former member of the "today" family. nice to welcome you back, noah. >> nice to be back. >> fifth volume in the series that you've done. you fashioned it so that every day a person could read and gain a little bit of knowledge. and are you trying to smarten up america? is that your idea? >> what we're trying to do is give people information that's accessible and fits into the schedules we all have nowadays that don't really allow us to read 600-page tomes. one a day, five minutes before bed or when you get up or any time of day. you learn something interesting. >> speebing of interesting, here you have 365 fascinating

biographies. how did you choose? from jesus to jerry falwell. >> we tried to reflect a diversity of personalities across all different kinds of fields. people who led military campaigns, inventors, we've got phil philosophers, villains in history. 365 of the most fascinating. >> cultural. >> yeah. >> people can use this material to kind of create their own testing games, as you apparently want to do this morning. >> well, apparently we're going to do like a little game show action here, exactly. >> let's go. >> we don't have any buzzers. >> i'll try to replicate the sound effects. >> that's okay. >> question number one after john lennon formed the beatles, what was their first song in 1962? >> can't buy me love would be my guess. >> both wrong.

love me do. lot of people don't know that. john lennon, one of the most iconic figures in modern music and culture. lot of interesting things about john lennon. the song "imagine" most closely associated with him, was not a number one song when it was first released, only hit number one when he was tragically killed. lot of interesting trivia about lennon and the beatles. >> okay. >> number two, what was mother theresa's original given first name. >> i know this one. >> i won't read the choices. >> i know her name was agnes, born in yugoslavia and she was phenomenal. >> i've got nothing to share then. yes, she was born in macedonia, former part of yugoslavia, moved to ireland when she was 15 to join a religious order and a tremendous 20th century figure. >> one of the greatest human beings who ever lived. i think we have time for one more. >> i'll make it a good one. >> okay. >> or the next one at least.

who was the only person to be queen of both france and england? that's a tough one. >> eleanor of aquitaine. >> correct, natalie. married to the king of france, divorced him, and married the king of england. walt disney, audrey hepburn and george w. bush are included in her descend enters. >> fascinating. >> i can't wait to read the 363 others we didn't get to. or 362. >> congratulations. really great to see you. >> you, too. >> we wish you so much more success. "the inspirational devotional." take the quiz on todayshow.com. scottos are here with easy memorial day recipes.

this morning in "today's" kitchen, it's a family of hot chefs. of course we're talking about the scottos, with an easy recipe for memorial day. >> here to get us into the spirit of america are anthony, john, elaina and rosanna. >> great time to think about our families. how do you mark it? >> we make it as happy as possible. we're all together and we cook together on memorial day. so, what could be better than starting with bruscetta? easy. we make our bruscetta with clams. >> lot of garlic. >> this is a thing i've never heard of, a clam bruschetta. >> clams cook in three to four minutes. we chop them up. do you want to do the mayonnaise

aioli? >> lemon zest into the mayonnaise. we whip it up. nice. >> john, move faster. >> that's right. >> okay. and then i use it as a base to keep the clams in one spot. >> right. >> and here is my -- >> you put some herbs in there. >> oh, yes, always. basil. and basil and parsley and a little lemon zest. >> a see red stuff in there. is it also red pepper maybe? >> yes. yes, it is. >> yum. that looks beautiful. john, take it away. >> i'm doing shrimp, sausage and canneloni bean on a bruschetta. until it changes color, shrimp cooks very quickly. sausage. celery. >> we have to keep time. >> sorry. >> it seems like a good idea.

it's finger food. >> they can have it -- >> it looks like this. >> that's bumpin', john. >> this is bumpin', too. you have a variation on salisbury steak. >> it's steak that's formed in an oval shape usually cooked in its own juices. we'll add bread crumbs to ground beef, egg, salt and pepper. you're going to form this together like an oval. and then we'll put it in a saute pan with a little butter in it. once we've done that, you flip it. brown it lightly and leave it just the way it is now. once you've done that, we're going to add peppers and onions we've done ahead of time. >> looks great. >> and then we're going to add gorgonzola cheese on top. that's the way it goes, fresco style. >> looks great. over here to the lovely elaina.

sweet stuff. >> fresco's version of cookies and cream. most important part is the cream. i started here with heavy cream. we're going to add some confectionery sugar and then our secret is the marscarpone in here. touch of sour cream. we make our cookies with chocolate chips and chocolate. once the cream is done, it looks like this. you don't need a fork or knife. just dip it right in. >> amazing. >> these are really easy recipes for memorial day weekend. >> great. >> get a cookie in there. >> i'm noticing a lot of this is finger food. you can just spread it out. people can serve themselves. >> exactly. >> and people -- the host can enjoy their dinner. >> that's right. and their families, which is most important. >> well done. >> marion, john, anthony and

elaina, fresco by scotto is the restaurant. >> coming up next, hoda and kathie lee cozy up to jason lewis, aka seth jared from "sex and the city 2."

per. >> 9 tim time 56 is the time.

good morning. we are following breaking news out of stash oerd county where the search for a suspicious man near north stafford high school ended with the man in custody. they arrested him a short type ago. north stafford high and park rinl elementary were on lockdown as they searched for the man. they got into an altercation near the school and he managed to take off. no word on who the man is, but he was not armed. both schools are no longer on lockdown. turning to the forecast. tom is in the studio with cloudy skies. we are wonder figure that means rain. >> sprinkles around, but for the most part dissipated temporarily. we could get a passing shower later and a little sun as well. highs into the 70s. we are still in the 60s. near 80 tomorrow and partly sunny and even warmer feeling like summer wednesday, thursday, and again on friday. morning lows in the 60s.

how is the traffic? >> it has been a challenge. the inner loop is call for example before route 50 to 66. an earlier accident should be wrapped up. elsewhere westbound i of 70 still dealing with the accident involving the tractor-trailer overturned. still closed while the investigation continues. >> get your news before the sun comes up. the news begins at

in nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hey, everybody. it's monday, may 24th, 2010. kathie lee is on the west coast, enjoying some time with her family. joining me is mr. donnie deutsche. >> hey, girlfriend. >> look at you on nbc. >> look at me on nbc, let's just leave it at that. >> how does it feel? >> it feels great. we are friends. people don't know about you -- this is the nicest woman on the planet. i have to say this -- you didn't know i was going to say this. >> no, i did not. >> i want the audience to know what you see is what you get.

this is the most delicious woman around. >> isn't that sweet? >> just telling it like it is. >> donnie has stuff going on in his life, too. you're newly single, right? >> boom, right there. yes, i am single now, dating, enjoying myself. i'm shy and i have trouble meeting ladies, so anybody out there -- i'm just single. but i have a dad and i have three girls and that's the best part. >> you've kind of started the facebook. >> once in a while i pop on there. >> no, you do. >> yes, i do. >> why do you go on facebook? >> just because i'm a technology guy and like to see the newest technology. it's very voyeuristic and very interesting. >> do you meet people on facebook? >> i member somebody. it's weird. i've met people over the years. why am i stumbling? >> i don't know. >> any new love interests for you?

>> i see -- >> no, no, i get to ask, is there anybody interesting? >> i'm meeting some interesting people. i am. there's no standout. that's all i got. >> there is an ivillage study, it talks about married women and women who are not married and who is more satisfied. according to this, it seems like married women are more satisfied. are you surprised? >> i'm not surprised, because they're in a stable situation, they're with a partner that understands them. it's secure, stable. it's not the fantasy of a single woman out there seeping around. that doesn't surprise me. i thought it was interesting that 2 out of 3 women, when they're with their husbands or boyfriends, whatever, have thought about other men, which is normal and healthy. i wonder if the husbands know that. >> but the husbands are thinking about someone else. >> that's normal. for couples out there, you can have a great sex life, but be thinking about other people, but

it's not talked about a lot. >> i think women are one of three places. you're either present with the man you're with, you're thinking about somebody else, or you're thinking about something completely different. what am i going to do when we're finished? >> the laundry? >> yeah, anything. >> good to know. you're thinking about basically picking up the kids. we're not capable that. we're either there, or maybe there's another woman there or whatnot. >> you don't think it's a bad thing to be thinking about another person. >> i think as long as you're with the person and there are fantasies -- i will never be able to be with another woman, because the first thing -- no, i'm always there present in the moment. it concerns me when i'm with a woman and they're screaming out other guys' names, but anyway, that's what happens. >> anyhoo. we're so happy for bret michaels. he was in our studios this morning, guys. he walked out, not for sure he

was going to make it. you know he a a brain aneurysm, and then a seizure, but he walked out, looked a little unstable, got a huge reception, and ended up winning the celebrity apprentice. >> very interesting. trump said, do you think i'm going to let you win out of sympathy? >> you know, he's such a good guy and been through so many things in his life, but i have to say, when he was here in our studios talking, it was nice to see him healthy, but it's weird. people kept putting the bar up, will he be able to be on the show? his life was in the balance there for a while and we're not 100% he's out of the woods. >> his doctors said don't do it. but the punctured heart and the thing in the brain, yet they would not -- but what's interesting about our culture, somebody with a scandal or comes back with a health issue,

somehow it lsts them. >> that's interesting. >> it's made him bigger, more loveable, nobody wants to go through this, but there's something in our culture that cries out for that. >> speaking of scandal, fergie, the sarah ferguson was caught sord of redhanded in what seemed like a sting. it was a guy who was posing as reporter. he was posing as swurn who was trying to allow her to get access to her ex-husband, and she basically said for three quarters of a million, i'll give you access to prince andrew. it was all caught on tape. the audio, the asking for the money, you can read the transcript -- i mean, it's actually hard for me to watch this. we've had her on the show. >> we had her on "the big idea." i sense i could tell she was mixed up. her whole idea was give me and i'll set up trade -- and i'm

sure people rationalize -- >> it's not el legal, basically? >> it's illegal. that person is bribing her to set up business with a public official. >> here's $10 i'd like to meet meredith, and i say here's meredith. >> only $10? >> would that be illegal? i don't think that's -- fergie issued an apolicy. she said -- it is true that my financial situation is under stress. however, that is nos excuse for a serious lapse in judgment. i wonder if she'll be one of those people, after a scandal, gets elevated again. >> i don't think this will end well. we have snacks for you, because that's what we bring on the set. this is a type of gum action and it's called sexlets. why are you chewing it already?

it claims to aid in endurance and stamina. it's a berry mint -- it's got ginseng -- you can do that many pushups? how many is he up to? >> i'm chewing. >> my gosh, are you for real? oh, my gosh. >> it's the gum. >> this is unbelievable. how many can you do, donnie? >> i don't know, but i'm going to have an a heart attack. >> that's good. you did it. all right for donnie deutsche. this gum is crazy. >> you're supposed to chew three pieces a day, and it's supposed to improve your stamina. not approved by the fda, but apparently we still have it in our studio. >> the cameraman is looking real good, by the way. >> speaking of looking real good, is jason here? >> do you like gladiator movies? >> stop. look over here. not that you're not sexy,

donnie, but -- >> he's way too pretty. >> jason is from "sex and the city." tonight is the big premiere. he was asking about this gum. >> you are way too handsome, my friend. >> thank you, donnie. but i'm scared to get close to you now. on mondays we do our favorite things. what did you bring in? >> i brought, as i have a heart attack -- i can't breathe. my grandfather was a cop. i really can't breathe -- and this is hfs badge. this was my great-grandfather's bible he brought over from the 1800s, so i keep these on my desk. my grandfather was a cop. we love him. >> mine seems to trivial. you want some unique stationary that captures your moments, check these out. these are some things that a

friend of mine named jane makes. she has a website caused pjcarrot.com. adorable. cute. >> i love my bridesmaids. >> look at this one, from baby ben. >> watch out for men who have their own stationary. >> all right. let's go over to miss sara. >> these kind bars. have you ever had them? when you're on the go, there's so few bars that don't taste like health bars. i love them. they come in all kinds of different flavors. donnie, you can't call her delicious and not expect the wall to blow up thinking you guys should get together. >> how about you two? sharon says i'd love to see them as a couple. enough already. really? >> it's the gum. coming up next, a family face from the streets, or should

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it is time to continue our countdown to "sex and the city 2." we not only have donnie, but the movie's hottest guys. >> today is a guy who actually survived the series and made it to the big screen. >> jason lewis, also known as as samantha's hot and hunky man. you're going to the premiere, i take it? >> yeah. >> have you seen the movie? >> i haven't. i kind of like that. i get to go and see a movie. >> is that usually how it is with you guys? >> it depends on the thing. i kind of tend to be more interested in my surfing than doing my homework. >> at the end of the last movie, samantha leaves you -- she loves you, you've stood by her as she survived cancer. >> you were the guy.

>> so you give us an entire preview? >> absolutely. i'm going to tell you nothing. >> is there any connection with you guys? like, come on, just a little -- >> we definitely are in the same movie together. >> we had the other two guys, max and noah, and how much did they give away? >> they basically said they were both love interests. with you are in morocco or abu dhabi? >> well, you know, i'm sure it's on the internet, but i don't want to give it away, but i was there. >> you were somewhere out there. aside from the movie, what was it like spending time? >> i went a couple weeks early, getting to surf and kite the coast. a friend of mine hooked me you have with one of the locals. i got to start by going to people's homes and eating. what a wonderful culture. >> what kind of food did you like? >> the tangines are amazing, and the argon oil?

man. >> it's about female empowerment, yet they can't live without the guys. so as the guy part of the plot line, do you find a weird irony? >> i never really thought about it like that. you're like the guy who saul the i killed john lennon in "catch ner the rye." tomorrow i'll probably get it. >> you're making it bad for all of us, and i'm going to say that for the record. >> you want to kick me in the head? >> no, just a pushup competition. >> how old are you, donnie? >> 36, 7. >> how would are you? >> 12. >> and the theory is i think older guys can always kick younger guys' puts. my father can still kick my butt. >> you get that man mean in it, that bull. >> i think we have to see it. >> can't we like thumb wrestle or something.

>> all right. ten pushups. >> all right. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 -- you see the ego there. >> keep going. >> i'm sorry. i didn't realize we were going the whole way. >> all right. cut. >> oh, yes. >> that's unbelievable, both of you. >> you have a power, lady. i've never done that for anybody. >> well done. i want to give you a piece of gum. try it. donnie is trying it. >> it's the groundup -- can i say groundup old balls on tv? >> you're not bringing a date tonight. >> i better not. >> you can give it out, but you can't take it. i'm sensen an energy here.

>> everyone's going to take a breath. >> i'm leaning forward. >> good luck with the premiere and everything. you're such a sweet guy. all right. again, "sex and the city 2" is opening up. and the latest buzz in the world of entertainment, but first these messages. ! donkey... finally something we can agree upon. yeah! it's like outside forces have taken control! [ female announcer ] turn the fun of dreamworks "shrek forever after"... make it stop, shrek! [ female announcer ] ...into endless delight with these cool glasses. only from mcdonald's. i got a date with a hot apple pie! [ female announcer ] they're only $1.99 each. so collect all four. ah, it's contagious! [ woman ] cheers. ♪ never speak of this to anyone. sweet & salty nut bars... they're made from whole roasted nuts and dipped in creamy peanut butter, making your craving for a sweet & salty bar irresistible,

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it's no secret women are on which in the driver's seat when it comes to their family's health care, taking a backseat when it comes to her over. >> carol is suffered a heart attack and is now a spokesperson for the american heart association. >> and we have a spokesperson for the go red for women campaign. welcome to both. carol, reading your story, you had signs that you were having a heart attack, you went to the doctor multiple times, and they basically just sent you on your

way home. >> i did. it's very common. it happens to women all of the time. i went to the provider numerous times. as i was going each time, they dismiss it as other symptoms. i had neck pain, pain in my chest, but it was an aching pain, not a sharp pain. >> and you had a numbness. >> i had numb news on the way to -- i went to the emergency room, they ran through all the tests, and they followed standard protocol. >> why don't doctors say that sounds like a heart attack. >> carol was in her 40s, a busy mom, didn't have the classic maybe symptoms, and so they weren't thinking about heart disease, because heart disease, the perception is that it usually occurs in older women and men. so i think she was persistent, but the medical community did not listen to her. >> it was amazing you had a couple codes where you were tech dale dead. why is it so many women ignore their own health in favor of the

kids, which is a mistake? and what do women need to do as far as tests? women are selfless. >> that's how we're wired. we put everything first, but women need to recognize we have to be our own advocates. we need to put ourselves on that schedule at the top of the list, and we need to take care of ourselves. if we're not around, who will take care of your kids? you had not -- >> there's a great metaphor on a plane, they say mom, do it to you first, because you can't help your kids. that's a great metaphor for life. >> so we have to schedule ourselves on that calendar. >> carol, it was really touch-and-go for you. when was it finally clear that you were having a heart attack. >> you know, i woke up in the morning, it was a friday morning. my husband is a teacher, my kids were getting ready for school. my chest was just exploding, fireworks going off, sweating, pain, aching. it was incredible. we called for 911, got me to the

hospital. before my husband could even get to the hospital, they're mrs. steele, you're having a heart attack. and they whisked me down, and unfortunately i coded. >> is this a genetic thing? >> no, i had no family history, which is probably why it was missed, because i was -- i did not have that history, and i'll tell you, i spend days on life support, and nobody should have their children standing at your bedside watching you on life support. >> doctor, real quickly, you can't leave us alone with thinks kids, what do you need to do? >> know your blood, check your blood pressure, know if you have a family history, we need that number 120 over 80, your fasting blood sugar should be 100. know your cholesterol. the total cholesterol should be less than 200, so three important tests, so know your numbers. and also know your body. carol was lucky. she knew her body. she recognized something was wrong, this was not indigestion,

to get to the hospital. >> carol, what's your takeaway for women at home who put themselves in the backseat. >> it's absolutely essential that we take care of ourselves first. if you don't you may not be here. >> it's selfish tobin selfish. i'm glad you're okay. >> and the american heart association is doing a great job. women can find the tests they can take, as well as talk to other women. >> it's a great organization, and we're figuring out that women suffer heart attacks as well. thank you both very much. still to come, how to make the outside as clean as the inside. >> plus the buzz. the right choice. i got the idea from general mills big g cereals. they put a white check on the top of every box to let people know that their cereals have healthy whole grain, and they're the right choice... just like buttercup. (announcer) general mills is the only leading cereal company to put healthy whole grain in every box. the choice has never been easier.

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♪ activia! >> police are searching for a machine whoa fired a gun and person was hit. we will have the latest on the victim. i'm barbara harrison and on midday, week two of slim down for summer. we will help you plan meals that will not pack on the pounds. we begin in a few minutes. hope you are planning to join us.

we're back on this monday with "today's buzz" and the answers to your questions. >> bonnie fuller, and rose ann coletti is host of the gossip-gram. >> it's like three monkeys over here. >> so jesse james, big deal, will be on "nightline" tomorrow night. we've seen a few clips wlaismt do we expect? >> he says he blew away his marriage, but i think he's looking for sympathy, and i don't think he's going to get it. >> i don't think he's going to get any sympathy. he says he's the most hated man in the world. a little case of overinflated ego, if you don't mind. >> i think it shows his narcissism.

>> you forget the infidelity, nazi stuff, screw you, go away forever. >> do you think it's going to hurt him or help hem him? >> he needs to get out of in front. hi 'damaged goods from here. >> see, i don't think he should be going on. the infidelity is personal. why is he dragging america's sweetheart through the mud again? >> because he's a selfish guy, feel bad for me, but you're right, if he genuinely cared for her -- bad guy. bret michaels stepped out, a little uneasy -- >> he lumped when he walked out. with you you surprised? >> i wasn't because of joan rivers. she gave the whole thing away. >> what did she do? >> emotionally, i got to go with bret. and then holly robinson peete said, mom, i love you, but -- >> how could he not win?

you can't go through what he just went through, survive, and show up and not win. >> doctors told him it wasn't a good idea to fly. >> he said, i'm going to go for it. >> it's not a good idea maybe for him to continue these tours. >> he needs to slow down. >> he does. >> it was a shocker this morning. i woke up and sought that brittany murphy's husband died. how old was he? >> 39. >> 39. >> and they're saying natural causes? who dies from natural causes at 39. apparently she was natural causes, too. >> what's the story? >> we do know that he complained to someone that he wasn't feeling well a couple months ago, but you're 39, you don't feel well all the time, and he's never recovered from her death. >> i don't think he's recovered from the bad publicity. maybe this is a terrible thing to say, but he was like a

svengali. what did he do since? >> they did find prescription drugs, but the cause at this point until toxicology reports are -- >> i'll be a "lost" fan, but everything was nuts about it. >> i'm still confused. sorry. >> what happened? it's over? >> it's over. >> and i still don't know what it means. >> it's over, and it's a big controversy, because half of the people who are fans loved the ending. the other half, me included, no. >> any great ending usually has that controversy. >> it was very "soprano." you didn't know who was still alive and who wasn't. >> don't give it away. >> why? because it was already on. don't give it away? it was yesterday. >> tivo, dvr audience is out there, acknowledging. all right. today we started off talking

about sarah ferguson caught in what looked like a sting, hidden cameras. >> vulgar, vulgar. that's what one of the queen's aides used to described her years ago when she was caught on film with one of her advisers sucking her toes on the yacht. >> let me go after the royals for a second. this is royalty, and she gets divorced and she gets like $20,000? come on. take care of this woman. >> they left the duchess relatively destitute. i have some sympathy for her. it's hard to earn a living. >> they were royalty. help her a little bit. something. you know. >> but there was a little part of the clip where she has her face in her hands, the pile of money is on the table. it makes you wonder what was she thinking at this point? because she made an apology. she clearly said she messed up. she didn't hide.

>> she's never been known for her judgment, just getting back to the toe sucking. >> i like her. >> i liked her. >> she is likable. i've met her, too. but i think she's been under tres stress. she was cut loose from the family. this family has not been so good to the daughters-in-law. >> a woman who got $3 million for weight watchers. stress is a guy trying to make his mortgage. i'm so tired of the stress word with celebrities and athletes. >> and to your point, she is -- in one of the photographs with the guy that she did the deal with, she's carrying her hermes bag. >> maybe it's because she got caught. >> bonnie, rose ann, thanks. the accident housewife explains why you have dryer sheets for your outdoor barbe e barbecue. to stay on track.

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if you haven't gotten to spring cleaning every room in your house yet, put the brakes on. we're going to head outside and clean up. >> and wear pretty red gloves. it's likely your friends will spend more time outside than inside. >> we asked julie edleman to show us how to make the outdoors even greater. love when you come. you always learn something you

did not know before. >> i hope soismt and he's learning he can wear pink gloves. >> but the ring outside the gloves. >> the grill. that's the man's favorite. all of a sudden you become emeril in the summertime. just use cooking sprain, close the top, then put it on heat for 10 to 15 minutes, voila, look, it's beautiful. obviously you let it cool, then take tin foil -- this would be a dirty grill, and scrunch it. next, the deck. here you go, donnie, i hear you like to blow -- forgive me -- all right. keep it clean. this is terrific. you start blowing the leaves away from back around the house. don't forget. >> this is to clean your deck off. >> this is a remote control.

that way. away from the house. >> anyway. love this remote control. then take a never-kink hose, you don't have to worry about kinks and mentally you can relas later, and then you hose down the deck. >> why do men always do that? >> because that's what you do. you don't clean up anything else. >> i do what you tell me to do. >> rust stains, use some lime, salt, you put the salt right on the rust stains, on the nailheads, saturate it, just covered it, then saturate it with lime, and then leave it on for a few hours, go off, make yourself a rum and coke, and then once again, good old tin foil -- >> isn't that funny? people use an s.o.s. pad, that's easier. >> healthier, clean, nontoxic things. >> how do you -- >> accidentally, of course. you can also use coca-cola to

get rid of the rust. mildew, spray it directly with good old household vinegar. away it goes. >> does it damage anything else? >> no, that's a good question. it's good to test it first. use a little detergent, a bit of bleach, and rub it in. by the way, since i'm such a slob, tide mini to go, babe. >> that's the best inventions. >> he's wearing black. he is smart. best of all, cover up all the stains with a run. plastic chairs. donnie wheel you're shaves or doing your legs, good old nontoxic -- >> what does it do? get rid of the dirt? >> take a sponge. think about it, shaving korean is condensed soap.

>> can i sponge it into a pushup? >> then you hose it off. to really keep it good during the summer months, put some ought motorive wax on it. first of all, you let it dry, buff it off, it will help keep off the debris, and look at the uv on it, by the way. much like your skin, ought motorive wax has uv protection. >> this is another cover-up. >> i always thought it was harder, they get dirty. >> mask it. >> good questions, though, donnie. >> first of all, you want to plant? i don't. i want a black thumb. this is terrific. i got it from my favorite home improvement store. these are ready fill plants. just like that. >> genius. hello. you're so good.

>> now we're sitting pretty, we have some plants, tiki lamps. a rob roy or something? >> the cocktails, of course. but to keep bugs away, two things. use these little yellow lights. bugs actually are colorblind to yellow. they don't see it. >> they don't want it? >> when they see the white, they're attracted to it, but yellow -- >> i didn't know they sold yellow. >> and handy-dandy fabric drier sheets. keep one in your back pocket. this helps keeps bugs away. be careful with older people and kids, don't rub it. >> how could we leave without that? >> to lighten up, this is an lcd wine bucket cooler, i don't think it's on, but it does seven colors. it's sort of like being at a disco or studio 54. kick back, have your single

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we are counting down to memorial day with a nutrition quiz on some of the most popular foods found in a barbecue. >> why do i feel like i'm about to get burned? >> because that's what happens when you face me. >> you're going down, girl. >> alan son is today's diet and nutrition editor. you're going to give us a quiz. >> a little quiz. and i want you to see what you know about grilling in your backyard. let's start with the basics. >> because you and i are grilling a lot in our backyard, right? >> we have a helm burger and hot

dog. >> nothing fancy form one has 500 calories, one has 300. >> which has 300 calories? >> the hot dog. >> the hamburger. >> hoda is right. >> i'm just sayin'. >> i would have thought completely the opposite. hot dogs are supposed to be the most fattening. >> it's all about -- >> just a regular hot dog? >> i don't know when they cooked that. >> condiments -- >> this is where people get calories. >> what i want you to do is arrange these from the lowest calories to the highest, tablespoon each. ketchup, mustard. >> donnie, are you happy with that? >> what are you thinking? >> donnie is right. 715, 30 and 60.

>> the ketchup? >> ketchup has 30 in a table spood and 90 for the mayo. but there's good news with the mayo. if you use light or regular in a tablespoon, how much calories do you save? 25? 50? 75? >> 50. >> donnie? >> i'm going to say 75. >> donnie is right. 2-1. >> two for the big guy. >> does this half cup of potato salad have more or less than 150 calories. >> more. >> more. >> okay. >> you're ahead by one, barely. >> here more side dishes. one of these has more than 100 calories, three bean salad, coleslaw and corn with no butter. which one has more. >> coleslaw. >> hoda is right. >> you've got to let me answer. you don't get credit for that. i promise -- i'm an honest competitor. i was say coleslaw.

>> you get dibs on the next one. >> frozen dessert. >> who doesn't love b ben & jerry's ice cream and sorbet. how many grams of fats will be saving with the sorbet? >> how many? will you be save? >> 20. >> you're right. oh! >> pulled that one out. >> you are lucky. >> for beverages, alcoholic or not. this is the last one. >> you would be losing 3-2. >> so you have to get this one right. >> or you're doing pushups. >> 12s a 12 ounds regular beer, six ounces of wide, 12 ounces of regular sugary lemonade. regular colda and my tie. which one does not have 140 calories. >> more or less? >> only one of these is different. which one is different. >> regular or beer.

>> regular beer, 6 ounces of white wine, lemonade, my tie and regular colda. >> what's in a maitai? >> rum and juice. >> right now we're doing to the three. >> i'm going to say the beer. >> i'm going to agree. >> it's the maitai. way more calories. >> we've got to go. >> who's the winner? >> donnie won. >> come here, take a look. we have a grilling set for you. all those weekend barbecues. >> i see this as a date, you know what i mean? i don't even know what that means. >> we will be back with more of "today" on nbc.

well, it's been quite a show. you gave us a youtube moment. this one will go down -- this is fun. >> i love hanging with you. >> i think you beat him. >> no competition. you're mine, i own you, lewis. >> we got to show you and your little girls. you have the tiara on. >> i love dressing up with my little girls. good-bye.