good morning. center stage. sarah palin firing up a crowd in iowa. it i the traditional starting line in the race for present, so is palin ready to run? crossing the line after his daughter was allegedly bullied. an outraged father takes matters into his own hands, going after students on a school bus. police say he went too far. now the question, what would you do? and failing the test. just a feweeks after being released from rehab, lindsay lohan says she's failed her latest drug test. could shbe heading back to jail? a new setback for the troubled star, "today," saturday, a new setback for the troubled star, "today," saturday, september 18th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a saturday

morning. i'm lester holt. >> and i'm amy robach. we're all certainly glad to have you back in the seat this morning. >> i'm glad to be here. i went east a little bit. so i'm wide awake. >> that's good. >> it's good to be back. we've got a lot to tell you about this morning. for sarah palin the big question people have been asking, will she or won't she run for president? but when you go to iowa a couple years before the election, that starts the talk all over again. it was the important state of iowa, palin spoke at a major republican gathering last night. that only heightened speculation about a possible run in 12. we'll look at the possibilities in just a few minute >> all right. and then plenty of stormy weather, especially while you were gone. after hurricane karl swept onto the gulf coast of mexico friday we're now watching hurricane igor as it gains power in the atlantic. forecasters say it is on a track to hit bermuda hard tomorrow. we will have the latest coming up. >> plus we have an extraordinary story about a young mother who suffered a heart attack. she stopped breathing for well over an hour and then against the odds returned to life. doctors are cling her the miracle girl.

we'll speak with her live a bit later. >> and on television a new season withome old friends from william shatner to tom selleck, to the timeless betty white. we will look at why tv executives are going back to the future. >> all my old shows right there. but first, sarah palin in iowa last night. nbc's mike viqueira has more on that and all the talk it's causing. ke, good morning. >> good morning, lest. she's become her party's most powerful and influential figure. now the question is will she, can she, translate that popularity with the republican base to a successful presidential run? sarah palin in iowa. >> showing love to the home team. >> reporter: getting a raucous welcome from party faithful at the site of the first presidential battleground, palin ughed off speculaon about her plans for an oval office run. >> todd says, i don't know, i think you should go downstairs to run on that treadmill. i said why would i want to stay indoors? todd says, i guarantee you, if anybody spots you in the tennis

shoes, the headline's going to be, vanity fair, they're going to say,alin in iowa, decides to run. >> reporter: fresh off a string of primary victories for candidates she had backed,alin was disdainful of leaders in her own party who had opposed her. >> i don't really know who they are, who strategized and organized up in that hierarchy in the gop machine. >> reporter: but with just 45 days to go before midterm elections, and republicans on the verge of big gains, palin also issued a call for party unity. >> this is it, gop. this is our time. we can't below it, gop. >> reporter: but many are looking beyond november. and r decision to travel to iowa, a path well-worn by presidential hopefuls, is seen by some as a sign that she will run. >> given the enormous support she's got and the people who are winning whom she's endorsed i think there's gng to be an enormous grassroots movement clamoring for her to get in the race. a movement which would be

profoundly disappointed if she does not. >> reporter: but pan's popularity isn't universal. she has noacking on the left and many independents are lukewarm. even some republicans have doubts. experts say it all makes for a rough road for palin if she does decide to run. >> but it will be hard for her to broaden her appeal, because she seems to go back to the same kind of messages, the same kind of language, the same kind of style. it's a folksy style that really energizes some people, but frankly turns off others. >> reporter: and, amy, despite her rock star greeting last night in iowa, experts say that if she really wants to run there in those caucuses she's got to be there a lot, shaking hands, going to th fairs, eating all that fair food. and to make matters worse, or perhaps more daunting for sarah palin, a recent republican party poll h her fourth in the stakes. amy? >> mike viqueira, thanks so much. for more we're joined by chris matth matthews, host of "hardball on msnbc." >> good morning, amy. >> this was no ordinary speech by sarah palin in iowa.

this is the speech that could ors who foricallyas snalled a run for president. she's been very visible since her 2008 campaign. but not so much in iowa. is she testing the waters ang republican fors support? >> well, we presentedhat she'd make that teasing line about running as being seen as running if she went out jogging. the fact is she's teasing pretty hard and i tnk she's going to run. and the reason is, she can win in iowa. if she runs as a christian conservative woman, is the way that she's framing herself, against four or five guys, the field is set for her to win. she wins in iowa, that's 50% of the fight. then she goes on, does decently well in new hampshire, where mitt romney will get no credit, even if he wins, because he's from that media market. she goes to south carolina, wins big again with the evangelical baptists, she goes back to michigan and knocks off romney. it's very seeable if you look down the road for her to win. >> and making headlines this week, sarah palin in h endorsement ofhristine o'donnell in delaware. everyone saying she has the

midous touch. although she dn't necessarily win all of those endorsements. she didn't have such a great outcome throughout the primaries this week. but if you're a republican, getting an endorsement fm sarah palin a top priority? >> wel sure. in a state like, aural state like her home state of alaska or in south carolina, against south carolina where she picked nikki haley who is probably the next governor, joe miller is probably the next senator from alaska, she went across the country picking people like that. i think she has the midas touch in rural areas, more traditionally conservative areas. not so much in big cities. but you know what? the republican fight is going to be in thoseural areas and in the country, not in the big cities >> and in these closing days, we saw in the primary contest, we saw a growing division between republicans and tea party activists. are we going to see that divide go greater, or are they going to have to find some sort of reconciliation? >> right now people like mitt romney are trying to talk like sarah palin. pawlenty is trying to talk like

sarah palin. she is leading the party right now in what to say. at some point the pay's going to look and decide who are the real palinites and who are just pretending. as long as this protest movement in the country continues, as long as the unemployment rate stays up around 10% it's going to be about protests. and no one's better at protest than sarah palin. when it finally gets down to alteatives and who should run the government, that's when it's going to get really interesting and about 50/50 again. >> and that said, what impact will all of this have on decratic voters on liberal voters, especially as it relates to november? >> i don't think it's going to get them out to vote. i don't think they're scared of sarah palin right now. they're kind of amazed by her. they can't believe people think she's great. they're watching her. right now in this election, the democrats would love it to be about alternatives, republican versus democrats. what it's about right now is people going in to the booth and voting no. th don't like the way things are going. and nobody's better at the word no than sarah palin. >> all right. chris matthews. we'll end there.

thanks so much. >> thank you. >> and youan watch chris on msnbc's "hdball" and the "chris matthews show" on sunday morning. now here's lester. >> amy, thanks. in the atlantic and bermuda, th're bracing this morning for powerful hurricane igor. which is bearing down on the island. the weather channel's jim cantore is there for us. jim, good morning. >> lester, good morning. yeah, the national weather service here, the bermuda weather service, says it's called to prepare for a direct hit. the center expected to come within 10 miles of bermud and with 100 mile wide hurcane force winds, a direct hit is unavailable in through here. you can already see the wave action behind me crashing into the rock cliffs throu here. but they're preparing residents. that's the key, to take a major hit. something they haven't seen since fabian here. they're saying we're going to have roof damage, it's going to be widespread. we're going to have tree and power line damage. the royal navy is on standby. the big question is when are they going to b able to get in here? is it going to be monday afternoon? because it looks like conditions are going to be bad for 20, 30,

40 hours where no one will be able to leave their homes and no one will beut on the road. cruise ships plan to park here? no way. they're not even coming in. this certainly looks like it's going to be a very, very bad siation in bermuda. the people are prepared for it, though. they're battening down the hatches and getting ready for a district hit sometime sunday night throug monday. >> jim cantore, thank you. igor not the only storm we're following this morning. hurricane karl smashed onto the gulf coast of mexico friday kiing at least two people and causing lots of damage. nbc meteorologist bill karins has more on that. bill, good morning. >> good morning to you, lester. what an amazing week. at one point we wer tracking three major hurricanes at the same time. we haven't done that since the 1920s. karl was an overachiever. it wasn't supposed to become a major hurricane but it did after coming off the yucatan. made landfall yesterday only 10 miles north of veracruz. that's where a lot of the significant damage was located. this storm has now dissited in the high mountainous terrain. but it did leave its mark with wind gusting over 100 miles per hour and the flash flooding was really the big threat over the

last 24 hours. as it rained itsel out in the high terrain there in mexico. so what's next? we had julia out there. still a storm. but that one for the most pt is going to turn out in the ddle of the atlantic and miss everyone. what is next is a new strong tropical wave just coming off the coast of africa. that should be arriving somewhere towards the caribbean or into the atlantic waters off the east coast about a week from now. so that will be the next system to track. of course, that will be our "l" named storm >> i went in on vacation ten days ago, i think we were in the "ds." >> lester, thank you. almost five mons after the explosion that led to the largest oil spill i u.s. history, bp plans to seal the well for good today in the gulf of mexico. nbc's chief environmtal correspondent anne thompson is in venice, louiana, with more on that. anne, good morning. >> good morning, amy. i'm actually in houma, louisiana, where we are going to leave this morning and head out to the leak site, and we will be

on the development driller 3 when bp declares the macondo well dead once and for all. in the last 48 hours, some 3 1/2 miles beneath the surface of the water a lot has happened. the development driller 3, which is the rig that has drilled the relief well, intercepted the m condo well, it pumped cement into the bottom of that well and now it's waiting for that cement to, in effect, set up or to cure, and it will do a pressure test and that will determine whether or not this well is dead once and for all. so it is a big day here in the history this well, although this well that caused so much damage along the gulf is actually going to end much quter than it began. y? >> and, anne, certainly this is an important milestone for people in the region. but what does this mean in terms of the way forward >> well, you know, amy, oil stopped flowing out of the

macondo well on july 16th. so for people in the region, this day isn't as significant as it is for bp and the government. but those people are worried about a couple of things. one, they're wondering when federal waters will open for deep sea fishing, which is very important for the charter boat captains. the price of shrimp has plummeted because people in thi country aren't -- don't feel confident about eating shrimp that comes from these waters. an thirdly, ken feinberg, who is the claims czar, promised people that they would have their claims within 48 hours to 7 days of filing it and he's fallen far short of those goals. and so those are the things that have people along the gulf concerned. >> a right. understandably so. anne thompson, thank you. now here's lester. >> amy, thanks. overseas pope benedict xvi will preside over a mass this morning in london, aft six men were arrested friday in a suspected terror pt. nbc's nina desantos joins us now from london's hyde park. nina, good morning.

>> reporter: good morning to you, lester. well, it's day three of the pope's historic visit to britain, and so far there's been no letup in his busy agenda. today's events began at london's westminste cathedral where he met the prime minister and celebrated mass. thousands of young faces gathered in the piazza, each eager for a glimpse of their spiritual leader. today pope benedict came face-to-face with the future of catholic britain. >> i think he's incredibly brave on the one hand. and i can't wait to hear what he has to say. >> reporter: the pontiff began his four-dayisit to the nation on thursday. touching down in scotland. there to welcome him, another head of state and religion, the queen. this is the first state visit by a pontiff since ken hengry viii renounced his religion to rome nearly 500 years ago. ever since, the british monarch

shared a podium wit the highest authority in the holy see. after greeting crowds in edinburgh, the pope held a mass for 65,000 in nearby glasgow. the ceremony graced by the voice of an angel. ♪ -- life worth living >> reporr: on day two, a more complicated ip, to london, where the specter of terror reared its head. the pontiff waved aside security concerns, and blessed the youngest in his flock. among them baby lily. >> when the father was blessing her, kissing her, i bro into tears, because yeah, it was very special. >> reporter: pope benedict delivers a pointed message to leaders both past and present where centuries ago catholic markers were sentenced to death. >> -- for enomic activity has contributed to the grave difficulty now being experienced by millions of people throughout the world.

>> reporter: later,nother first. as the pope met an anglican woman priest at westminster abbey. the church of englandas been at odds with the vatican for hundreds of years, but at a time of growing religious apathy and dwindling parishes in both churches, the pope's visit has called attention to the role of faith ke never befor while security has been incredibly tight after yesterday's arrests, the challenge for london's police force will come here at e city's hyde park later today where the popes set to host a vigil for 65,000 people. >> nina desantos, thank you very much. now let's head over to the news desk where melissafrancis, co-anchor of "the call" on cnbc has more headlines. >> good morning, everyone. the u.s. hiker freed from iran is week is heading back to the u.s. later today. relatives

a beautiful start today. temperature in the 50s. 51 degrees in southern prince george county. 59 right here in washingt. 54 in fairfax and leesburg. 48 degrees in frederick, maryland. great weather today, plenty of sunshine highs in the upper 70 that's a look at your weekend forecast. amy? >> bill, thank you. it was one the proud car capital of the world. detroit. motor city. today, that is a memory. for yeaetroit has been down on its luck. but now as nbc's kevin tibbles reports, a newayor has a vision for a new detroit.

>> reporter:t's been a boisterous week in the motor city. >> i love my city. >> reporter: thousands packed town hall meetis to tell detroit mayor dave bing how to save their city. >> this is about every citizen. >> i see that things that are absolutely unbearable. i don't know how people live or are expected to live like some people are living right now. >> reporter: bing inherited detroit nine months ago. he calls it aell hole. 40,000 abandonedbuildings, unemployment and crime. just last week, dozens of structures burned in fires that engulfed entire bloc. bing wts to demolish derelict buildings, redesign neighborhoods, even create inner city farms. >> our city is still living like we lived 50ears ago. that doesn't work anymore. >> reporter: the mayor's office is vehement they're not trying to shrink this city. but detroit has been shrinking on its own in the lt 50 years, the population has dropped from 2 million to just over 700,000. today, entire neighborhoods lie abandoned.

but many fear a new detroit will mean gentrification and no place for them. >> the man said that, you know, the city will still be 139 square miles. but what does that look like? and who will own that? will it still be detroit? >> where is the money going to come from? >> reporter: so detroiters come with questions and suggestions. some even record their concerns for city officials. >> and taxes for what? you don't evenick up my garbage. >> walk through oureighborhood and vacant houses, like that, it's not safe. >> we've got to get back to our roots. we've got to get back to our foundation and make hard decisis. 've got to bui from the ground up again. >> reporter: on one desolate street, 80ear-old james key sits alone. he's lived her 51 years. his neighbors, all gone. >> hope, that's what i have. >> reporter:he new plan likely won't come i time for mr. key, but the hope is it will bring the city back to life for future generations. for "today," kevin tibbles, nbc news, detroit.

and now here's lester. >> amy, thanks. i want to tell you now about a remarkable story of survival for a little boy they thought was gone after his heart stopped for almost an hour. nbc's lee cowan tells us what happened. >> reporter: he was supposed to be a fun fourth of july vacation for the family way up in the colorado mountains. but when their 2-year-old son gore wondered away, everything changed. >> absolute panic. i wa- i was crying so hard i couldn't even run anymore. >> reporter: just a few hundred yards from the family cabin was an irrigation ditch, and inside they found little gore. >> 911, what is your emergency? >> yeah, i have a little boy -- >> reporter:ore had been under water almost half an hour. his grandfather, a retired orthopedic surgeon frantically started cpr. ten mo minutes passed, and still nothing. >> he was like play-doh, frankly like somebody who is dead. >> reporter: after nearly an hour, doctors finallyot gore's heart going again.

but that was it. that water was unrelenting. but there was one element that the colorado rockies give to almost every drop of water that rolls out of it that in this case was potentially life-saving. the water was cold. gore's temperature had dropped to just 87 degrees. in a last-ditch effort doctors decided to keep him that way, stone cold, in hopes of protecting his brain. >> they pumped ice cold fluids into him. they put him on a cling blank blanket. >> reporter: for two days they sat huddled by his chilly bedside, frozen themselves in fear. then doctors slowly started to raise his body temperature. >> all i really hopedor was to be able to hold him again. and here he is waking up. >> reporter: he was rusd in for an mri and the results shocd everne. >> it came back no abnormalities. not one single thing in his brain mri that was wrong. >> reporter: doctors aren't sure if the cold therapy is what saved him or not. no matter. for gore, it was the end of a big adventure. for his family, it was faith

renewed. lee cowan, nbc news. >> still to come a heartbreaking murder trial until connecticut. e survivor faces the man accused of killing his wife and children. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

still to come on "today," how some of the biggest stars of the '70s and '80s are with standing the test of time.

a bit of a chill this morning as we look out over the nation's capital but it's going to be a beautiful weekend. details are coming up. first good morning. it is saturday, september 18th, 2010. 7:26. i'm gil don't be alarmed if you see smoke and a lot of emergency vehicles near ronald reagan washington national airport. it's only a drill. thewashington metropolitan airports authority will start a drill. helicopters and fire. the chr should be wrapped up by 11:00 a.m. and won't affect airport travel. two bridges are closed all this weekend for repairs. the frederick douglas bridge which goes across the anacostia closed last night and rescheduled topen at 5:00 on monday morning opinion chain

bridge closed last night and reopen by 5:00 monday morning. your forecast is coming up next. stay with us.

welcome back. chuck bell is the bearer of good news this weekend. >> yes, indeed. a lot of good news for any outdoor activities you have planned for the weekend no matter what they are, how simple or complicated. a great weather weekend. 59 our current temperatre here in washington. mid-50s across much of northern virginia now and also into forges of suburban maryland. 51 degrees at andrews airorce base. 60 at the naval academy in annapolis. plenty of sunshine. delightful today. temperatures in the 7020 upper 80s. aaron? up next on "the today show" grandparents caring for their grdchildren due to

we are back on this saturday morning, the 18th day of september, 2010. it's a beautiful late summer morning on the plaza. and our thanks to everyo who came out to spend part of their morning with us. back inside studio 1a, i'm amy robach along with lester holt. and coming up, miracle girl. >> a 28-year-old woman, becky hallin, went into cardiac arrest. doctors tried to resuscitate her for over an hour, and just when they thought she was gone the wife and mother of three suddenly responded and was stabilized. coming up we'll meet her, find out how doctors were able to bring her back, and how she's doing today. >> then, here's the i factor, what lurks from kitchen to cabs to door knobs to computers, every surface apparently a breeding ground for bacteria. so we're going to take a close look to find out what's really lurking in and around your house. apparently the results are going to shock you. you're probably going to want to put your breakfast away for this one. >> i always subscribe to the

ignorance is bliss kind of thing. but we need to know about it. then what's old is newgain from jimmy smits to william shatner and tom selleck. more stars are making their way back to the small screen. way too eay's willie geist will be along to tell us why this comeback. >> but first, we begin with a horrifying trial in connecticut. in 2007, the petit family endured the unthinkable. three family members tied up, tortured and killed inside their own home. now after an emotional week of testimony, video and frantic 911 calls, the lone survivor a prominent doctor took to the stand to face the man accused of killing his wife and his children. here's nbc's jeff rossen. >> reporter: in this surveillance video, a clear picture, the final picture of jennifer hawke-petit, less than an hour before her death. prosecutors say petit was at a local bank withdrawing $15,000, and calmly td the bank teller her entire family was being held

hostage at home for the past several hours. husband william, a pminent doctor, and their two kids, 11-year-old mikayla, and 17-year-old haley. she said she needed the money for ransom and one of the suspects was waiting in the parking lot. that's when the bank manager made this chilling call to 9. >> we have a lady who is in our bank right now, who says that her husband and children are being held at their house, if the police are told they will kill the children and the husband. she say they are being very nice, they have their faces covered. she is petrified. >> reporter: with good reason. osecutors say these two men, steven hayes and joshua komisarjeski were terrorizing the family, beating him with a baseball bat and tying him to his pole in t basent. his two daughters were tied to their beds upstairs. >> they told us they wouldn't

hurt anybody if she got back there with the money. >> reporter: prosecutors say once back home, jennifer petit was sexually assaulted and strangled. then officials say the suspects set the house on fire. the mother and her two daughters were killed. doctor william petit managed to escape from the basement, hopping to a neighbor's house for help, but it was too late. >> just tried to do the best i could for my family. >> reporter: this week he took the stand, describing in gripping detail his family's final moments. they tied my hands at the wrists and my feet at the ankles, he told the jury. petit heard one of the suspects say, if he moves, put two bullets in him. petit testified he could hear his wife and childre being tortured in another section of the house. i heard them moaning, d thumps. >> how emotional was it for you to be on the stand today? >> very emotional. >> reporter: in court. an unusual strategy by steven

hayes' defense attorney. in an effort to avoid the death penalty. he admits his client committed the crime, but also points the finger at lice, saying officers could have done more to save the family. while cheshire police did respond to the pet home, they never went inside. on t stand, the police captain testified they followed protocol, telling the jury, if we had any indication of violencei would have been the first one through the door. >> a crime this vicious, and this personal, at the hands of strangers, makes many jurors think to themselves, my goodness. could this have happened to me? >> reporter: prosecutors are pushing for the death penalty, in a crime that was as brutal as william petit appeared strong. for "today," jeff rossen, nbc news, new york. >> and now for a check of the weather with bill karins. bill, good morning. >> good morning to you, amy. and now here's a look at the weather outside your window.

temperatures mostly in the 50s first thing this morning except for you folks lucky enough to live by the chesapeake bay where it's milder. 60 in annapolis. 62 in st. mary's city. 55 in la plata. 54 degrees in fairfax and falls church. 48 in frirks maryland. beautiful weather on the way for today and for tomorrow. today's high up near 79 degrees. tomorrow's high up to near 86. have you know, if you're going to go to weather.com and get your local forecast, you want it in york, pennsylvania, righ l these people from york, pennsylvania. amy? >> bill, thank you. up next, grandparent recession. did you know that one out of every ten children live with a grandparent? and that number is on the rise. you will find out why. ♪ [ female announcer ] we've got stains, down to a science. new wisk, with our breakthrough stain spectrum technology targets all the major stain oups like proteins, carbohydrates and oils.

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taking care of the grand kids. the rough economy has had a lot of ripple effects on families. a new study reveals yet another. children living with their grandparents when mom and dad can't provide for them. gene and andy baron love their 8-year-old granddaughter kayla. but what's different is that at ages 57 and 67 their kayla's primy caregivers. >> kayla's mother and father weren't able to take care of her, and provide for her, and keep her safe. and we were brought in, and we came. >> repter: today one out of every ten kids in america lives with a grandparent. and according to a recent study, the number is growing. one of the main reasons the economy. the number had been slowly rising since 2000 but that number spiked right after the recession started in 2007. >> the condition that our couny is in right now is really exacerbating the changing

dynamics in families. we are seeing more grandparents and other relatives stepping in, whether permanent or temporary basis to help raise our children. >> reporter: and it hits white family the haest. between 2007 and 2008 the number of white grandparents taking care of a grandchild rose 9% compared to 2% among blacks and no change for hispanics. >> families who had the means or traditionally thought that it wasn't as culturally appropriate for the family to live together are finding that they need to reach back and to help each other out. >> reporter: the challenge for kayla' grandparents, putting off their golden yes, and reworking their finances. >> we find ourselves really having to thinkbout the dollar in a little more special wa tighter way than we did before. and i think probably, or i know i will work longer than i had originally expected to. >> reporter: all the while, coming a parent to a little girl all over again. >> she just brings a lot of

pleasure into our lives. and it's really been a great experience for us, taking care of her. >> joining us with more on this topic is annie goye with the aarp, also "today" contributor and parenting expert michelle. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> amy, if i can start with you, we've seen this survey in the past and the reasons behind it, substance abuse issues, parents being deployed abroad, or in the military. but when you look at the timing of this spike, any question that this is related to the economy? >> i think it's pretty clear that the economy is having an effect on social issues other things may be causing a family to be teetering on the edge, and then the economy can really tip it over the edge. and grandparents step in to help out. >>ut as we're looking at unemployment, the rate still kind of hovering up there well above 9%, is this something we're going to expect to see for a long time? >> i think that the conditions causing grandparents to step in are going to continue.

so i would be very curious to see what the 2009 data shows. i do anticipate the numbers will continue to grow. >> michelle, let me turn to you, when we break these numbers down, we see the vast majority of grandparents are young, under the a of 60. so is this a young person's issue? >> well, what we're looking at is obviously that the baby boomer had their child actually younger than the majority of moms today. and as a result of it we're looking at the youngest population of grandparents, and hopefully also the hethiest. and that's good news for the kids. >> let's talk about the kids here. obviously the big difference being cared for often by grandma and grandpa versus your own parents, how is this going to affect the kids? >> you know, the most important thing is, lester, what was the reason for thehild going in to this new arrangent? because, there's a number of issues. it could be, certainly what we're looking for most important is, just that semblance of normalcy. howuch can that parent, that new grandparent bring that child into a transition that allows

them to have safety and love. and that, above all else, is what you're looking for. that grandparent is going to be able to give that child what they haven't had in that home environment andhat's good news for the child, as well. >> here grandma and grandpa are kind of a safety valve here. perhaps walking what they think is a temporary situation. but very often, they have planned for the retirement. th have made plans to be alone. what happens at this point now? >> well, you don't plan to raise another family. and so any retirement planning that they have been doing may go right down the drain. they may spend money just on raising a child. but also, grandparents may have to qui work or cut back on hours so they're able to care for the grandchild. >> you've got to walk into this eyes open, this may not be a temporary thing. >> right. get with your financial viser. do some immediate planning but look at the long-term as well. >> good conversation. thank you both for being with us. and up next, what's old is new again. we'll find out why the stars of the '70s and '80s are back on tv. we'll tell you more about that.

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practicing. practicing what? writing my name. why are you writing your name so much? because grandpa said that our name goes on everything we make. (announcer) tim and richard smucker grew knowing that putting your name on eve jar was a guarantee of quality. what are you doing, richard? i'm practicing too! that's a gooddea. (announcer) for five generations, with a name like smucker's it has to be goo

what did william shatner, betty white and cloris leachman all have in common? well "way too early's" willie geist is here to tell us. a little early for you. >> it is. i slept in on a saturday. know you're a big tom selleck fan. tv viewers continue to scatter acss the ever-growing number of channels, the networks are betting this fall that some familiar faces will bring nostalgic audiences back home. >> we hit those streets it's real and it's rough. >> reporter: if you've bee longing for the era of leg warmers and boom boxes this is your lucky tv season. >> he's t.j. hooker. >> you'll be seeing a lot of old friends from the 1980s around the dial this fall. >> lots of new tv show is an expensive and risky proposition.

bringing a big star ino your show, lessens the risk. >> reporter: l.a. law's victor is no longer practicing, but outlaw's silas will be sitting on the bench. in the '60s, he was captain kirk. in the '80s, he was t.j. hooker. now william shatner plays the grumpy dad in "[ bleep ] my dad said." >> we didn't consistently kill a hooker, we had unch. >> reporter: magnum p.i. may be long gone but the stat stays for tom selleck in blue blood. even the golden girl herself, betty white is back, for another season of "hot in cleveland." >> in your 40s you dress for success. in your 80s you dress for the bathroom. >> reporter: and while tv executives are hoping these icons will bring back some '80s-style ratings, viers may not be so quick to remember. >> the show was -- oh, i don't

know. ooh, it's right there. >> no, no, no. >> oh, man. >> reporter: does it ring a bell? >> a star will get people to tune in theirst week. the question is if you can get people to tune in the second week. and that's all about making a good cop show or a good law show. you've got to deliver the goods. >> i was hoping it's alf. >> gordon shumway, aka alf. >> reporter: with 1980s nostalgia going around, it may not be long before we say, law and order, a.l.f. >> they all knew alf. >> that was the only one everyone knew to a man. >> you know what's d, the '80s were 30 years ago, if y got anybody under the age of 30, they wouldn't know who any of these people are. >> a lot of them thought william shatner -- they knew william shatner but they thought magnum p.i. was david hasselhoff from baywatch. we're losing touch. >> it's so wrong.

>> you were almost drooling by the way when you saw tom selleck. >> i'll admit it, but i had a poster of magnum p.i. iny room when i was like 10. >> i was a justine bateman guy from family ties. >> i wanted to be justine bateman. that's our bond and we're back. this is "today" on nbc.

still to come on "today," lindsay lohan back in the news for failing her first drug test out of rehab. the story coming . >> and we'll meet t 28-year-olwife and mother of three doctors are calling the miracle girl. whatcha doing little bite™? trying to be big like you, dad. you're so good at keeping everyone full... and focused with your fiber. [ laughs ] but you already are great at doing that. really? sure. you're made with fiber, justike me. but best of all, you're the perfect size for smaller kids. [ female announr ] give your little ones

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use for themselves. words alone aren't enough. our job is to listen and find ways to help workers who lost their jobs to the spill. i'm iris cross. we'll keep restoring the jobs, tourist beaches, and businesses impacted by the spill. we've paid over $400 million in claims

and set up a $20 billion independently-run claims fund. i was born in new orleans. my family still lives here. i'm gonna be here until we make this right.

a live look outsideright now as the sun is up and things starting tore warm up just a little bit. a great day across the district. details in a second. it's 7:56 on this saturday, september 18, 2010. i'm aaron gilchrist. in the news for today the man accused of being a serial stabber will be charged with murder. prosecutors in flnt, michigan plan to announce new charges against elias abuelazam. five m flint area were killed and nine others in a series of stabs early they are year. he's suspected in two stacks and a hammer attack in northern virginia. so far he's only been charged with assault with intent to murder. don't be alarmed if you see smoke and emergency vehicles near ronald reagan washington national airrt. it's only a drill. there will be an emergency exercise at 9:00 a.m. drills will include a rescue on

the potomac river, helicopters andfire. we're told the exercise should wrap up by 11:00 a.m. and will not affect airport travel. quick traffic alert four as well for driverson 495. the draw bridge on woodrow wilson bridge will open at 8:00 a.m remain open for 20

good saturday morning. i'm news 4 meteorologist chuck bell. mperatures are mostly in the 50s but started to warm up a little bit. 60 degrees here in down washington. 55 in arlington and falls church. 55 in manassas and warrenton. forecast for today sunny and delightful. highs in the upper 70s to mid-80. upper 80s for tomorrow. littleint of a last throw two at summer time. aaron? >> another update on local news and weather in 25 minutes.

good morning. center stage. sarah palin firing up a crowd in iowa. it is the traditional starting line in the race for president, so is palin ready to run? crossing the line, after h daughter was allegedly bullried. an outraged father takes matters into his own hands, going after students on a school bus. police say he went too fa now the question, what would you do? and failing the test. just a few weeks after being released from rehab, lindsay lohan says she failed her latest drug test. could she be heading back to jail? a new setback for the troubled star "today," saturday, a new setback for the troubled star "today," saturday, september 18th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television welcome back to "today," everybody, i'm lester holt. >> and i'm amy robach. i have a feeling we're going to be talking about sarah palin for the next two years quite

eadily. >> well when you end up in iowa, people start wondering. will she or won't she in iowa. palin spoke a a major republican gathering last night. that only heightened speculation about maybe she'll run for president in 2012. what palin had to say coming up in just a minute. >> a then how far should a parent go when they're dealing with the case of bullying? one father got on a school bus andtarted screaming at the kids who allegedly bullied h daughter. the dad was arrested for this. and this morning we're going to discuss the best way for kids and parts to deal witthe bully. unfortunately it seems to be a growing problem in our schools. >> i think you raise the interesting question in the open. what would you do? a lot of people will put themselves perhapsn his shoes when we talk about this further. call it germ warfare. have you ever wondered what's real lurking in your kitchen and bathroom? even if you're diligent about washing your hands you might be surprised. we were. we'll show you what the experts warn you to watch out for. >> i really don't want to watch this. >> watc >> i need to, that's the

problem. at least 28 years old, the mother of three young children suffered cardiac arrest. she stopped breathing for well over an hour, then incredibly she came back to life. we're going to sak with her and her family in just a few minutes. >> but, first, palin for president? that is the question this morning after herppearance last night in iowa. nbc's mike viqueira has the latest for us. good morning. >> good morning, lester. she's powerful. she's influential. she has rock star status morning conservatives in the republican base. but traveling to iowa, the inevitable speculation, will she or won't she? you said itbest. now everybody asking if she's going to get in that race, get her toe in the water of the 200012 predential race. she joked about it. she had the largest crowd ever at the ronald reagan dinner in iowa. speaking to party faithful earlier in the day she told the story she was with her husband todd, getting ready to go outside for a jog. he said you better stay inside because the headline is going to read, if you go out there jogging, palin to run in iowa.

sh called for party unity. we know she had opposed many of the gop elders here in washington. backing that candidate christine o'donnell in delaware, and other candidates arounthe country. she called for party unity after a bruising primary season when the gop now is on t verge of big gains in november. here's a little bit what she said. >> this is it, gop. this is our time. we can't blow it, gop. but we won't wait for that political playbook to be handed us from on high from the elite to tell us what to do. >> and lester, we know that sarah palin's a controversial figure. obviously she's got zero following on the left. moderates are lukewarm. en some conservatives and people within her own party are not sure about her chances for 2012. and the white house is doing nothing to diourage the perception that she's a leader of the rublican party. yesterday robert gibbs saying she's obviously there to dip a toe in the presidential waters. lest ir? >> mike viqueira at the white

house. now here's amy. >> lester, thank you. in the atlantic ocean this morning, hurricane igor is closing in on bermuda. the weather channel' jim cantore is there. jim, good morning. >> good morning, amy. it's just not going to be a pretty situation by any stretch of the imagination. it's going to be a very long-lived event where this area is going to deal with at least 30 hours of tropical storm force winds. slowly but surely the hurricane storm force winds move in from sunday night not into monday where much of the bermuda government is saying look, guys, we could lose roofs. prepare for fabian like backn 2003. you can already s behind me the tremendous wave action that's coming in, as big as i've ever seen here. especially for storm that's 475 miles ay. waves right now on the beach at about ten feet. they could be three times that high by the time this storm hits on suny night. so we're expecting agai winds to gust well over 100 miles an hour. perhaps for several hours. and that is going to take a toll on this area. it's not just flat beach.

it goes up in elevation as high as 300 feet. the regiment is on standby, the reserve police, the royal navy as well. ey're going to get in here as quickly as they can on monday. but here's the deal, we're talking about things closing down here in a big hurry sunday. they're just going to keep everybody home probably for a couple of days. we're obviously hoping for the best here. >> all right, jim cantore thanks so much. from the atlantic to the gulf coas of mexico, where hurricane karlwept in on friday causing quite a bit of damage there. nbc meteorologist bill karins is following that storm for us. bill, certainly a busy hurricane season. >> it's been an amazing week, amy. at one point we were tracking three major hurricanes this week. september has been blk blockbuster. thankfully none of them have been heading to the united states. yesterday mexico did get hit. karl was a category 3. thankfully it weakened right before land fall. only ten miles from vecruz. there was significant water damage. there was some mudslides and some flash flooding. that continues to be the danger in mexico today from karl.

everyone wants to know what's next? julia, very weak system now. it's going to head harmlessly out into the open atlantic. the next system to watch, just coming off the coast of africa, that should be our "l" named storm. that's at least ten days away from any land areas. we'll get a little bit of a break filly. back to you, amy. >> all right, bill, thanks so much. now here's lester. >> amy, thanks. more trouble this morning for lindsay lohan. thectress admits she failed a court-ordered drug test. that could mean a violation of probation and more jail time. at last weekend's video music awards, lindsay lohan surprised everyone in this cameo with chelsea handler, poking fun at herself about drinking. >> have you been drinking? >> no. >> really? then why is your ankle bracelet going off, hmm? >> butlohan's real-life problems are no laughg matter. there are reports that she's failed a weekly court-ordered drug and alcohol test. violating a condition of her probation agreement imposed just last month.

>> because i really do think that i'm doing what i was supposed to do. >> reporter: an agreement tha warned of 30 days in jail for each violation. >> this is the sort of stuff that drives the judges and the courts crazy. is here are the terms, here's our deal. you violate our deal, and you're going to serve time. >> reporter: lohan had served just 13 days in jail of a 90-day sentence and spent 23 days in a treatment center because of a pair of driving under the influence cases. then, early saturday morning, lindsay hersel admitted her drug test failure and tweeted the following message, regrettably i did, in fact, fail my most recent drug test. and if i am asked, am prepared to appear before judge fox next week as a result. this was certainly a setback for me. but i am taking responsibility for my actions, and i'm prepared to face the consequences. many in the entertainment world thought the troubled starlet was poised to make a meback.

she's gracing the october cover of "vanity fair." appearing in her first movie in years, "machete" even though critics panned the role of a machine-gun toting nunn. she's said to be talking to "saturday night live" about hosting again. no comment, though, fromhe show. but now, perhaps, more trouble, and time behind bars. and on her twitt message she goes on to say, sstance abuse is a disease which unfortunately does not go away overnight. >> and that said i think we'll probly be hearing lot more about her and that story in the days ahead. let's head over to the news desk where melissa francis has some of the other headlines. good morning. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with the pope i london. taking the priest sex abuse scandal head-on during mass at westminster cathedral. nbc's nina doseantos is live in london's hyde park with more. good morning, nine sa. >> reporter: good morning to you, melissa. well, i am here in london's hyde pa as you can see.

organizers are gearing up behind me for a vigil later today,

off to a good saturday morng, everybody. i'm news 4 meteorologist chuck bell. blue sky overhead. beautiful outdoor weather day today, nice day to sit in and look out at it. beautiful weather is on your way

for saturday afternoon. temperatures are i the mid-to-upper 50s, low 60s along the bay. high temperatures this afternoon upper 70s to 23450er8 with a light south breeze. tomorrow a little bit warr we don't mind doing a lite country this morning. where are you from? >> shelby, ohio. >> that's not country. back to you, lester. >> bill karins thanks very much. earlier this morning we tol but a 2-year-old boy who was brought back toife almost an hour after he stopped breathing. well, we have another extraordinary story to share with you this morning. it's about a 28-year-old mother of three from indiana, who suffered a heart attack, stopped breathing for more than an hour, then was brought back to life. she is becky hlen who joins us this morning with her husband josh. good morning to both of you. we thank you so much for being with us. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> becky, if i c begin with you, can you tell me how you're

feeling and tell me a little bit about how your recovery is progressing? >> yes. i'm st grateful to be alive. and myecovery is going very well. i'm so blessed to have all the family and friends and support that's gotten me here and just blessed me. i'm just grateful for that. >> well, you look great. i'm so happy to hear yr recovery is going well. josh, take me back to that moment when she collapsed. describe what happened. >> yeah, it was just a night like any other night back on july 1st. we were up in our bedroom. she actually walked into the bathroom and said, i love you, and i heard her fall down. i kind of joking with her and made fun of her said, hey, did you trip over the trash can? and at that time i heard, it's called agonal breathing, something kind of layman's terms, death breath where you're not really breathing, your body is having a reaction and i knew something was wrong. i ran in there, saw that she was unconscious, her pupils were dilated, she didn't have a

pulse. at that point i think i had two moments where i freaked out, or two seconds where i freaked out. then instinct kind of kicked in and i started cpr. >> and we should know, you were in the medical field, so you have a little bit of experience here. i kn you called paramedics, and they continue with life resuscitation efforts. at what pnt did you think maybe you had lost her, or that you needed to keep pressing forward? >> i never wanted to giv up. that was the thing, i always told becky that i'd never give up on her. those were our wedding vows, and i think we stood true to them. . excuse me. it's a little emotional. >> sure. >> when we were there, you know, about 72, 73 minutes actually into the resuscitation, weere in the emergency department, and it was looking pretty dire and we thought we were going to potentially stop, but it was at that point that there's no way we're stopping. we're going to keep pushing on.

and about two minutes later she actually stabilized. >> she started breathing on her own? >> she -- she'd been -- she was breathing through a breathing tube, actually. she was on the breathing tube r about ten days. but her heart got into a rhythm where it was actually pumping on its own. before it had been in ventricular fibrillation where your heart is just beating erratically and not giving you any type of pulse. >> becky, do you have any memory of any of this? >> i do not. no. >> and you've hrd the story, and it's very emotional for us to hear it, it must be equally emotional and more so for you. what do you say with your husband when he describes the story, and the fact he did not give up on you? >> oh, i just, i'm so grateful for him. because he is my best friend -- >> well. you said it all right there. and listen, you were bot very lucky to have each other. thanks so mucfor coming on and sharing this incredible story.

becky and josh, best to both of you in the future. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. >> we're back right after these messages. 3q for the worst allergies i want a product with the best decongestant. my choice is clear. claritin-d. nothing works stronger, faster or loer for allergy congestion relief without drowsiness. t claritin-d at the pharmacy counter. live claritin clear.

it's been almost a decade since the war in afghanistan began, and while u.s. troops have been off fighting, their loved ones have been at home trying to keep their families together. in what is largely an untold story of the war. tim blake is serving his country. >> come home.

>> reporter: but this father of four's battlefield is not in afghanistan. it's he, at north carolina's ft. bragg. >> we're left to fight our battles at home silently. >> reporter: tim is an army husband. they're defitely in the minority. >> it's odd trying to do the clubs and i'm almost always the only guy there. >> reporter: despiteeing the odd man out, tim is just like any other army spouses, finding comfort and camaraderie at home. >> you can't underestimate the value of support tt spouses give one anotr. >> reporter: shiloh horton and colleen can agree and can relate to the sacrifices army spouses make. both of their husbands just returned from a year-long deployment in afghanistan. >> when my husband was deployed, i finished a year of college, and i wasust around family. i wasn't aroun any other military spouses and that was hard for me. because there weren't many people who could relate to my situation. >> it's hard to explainhat we go through to people who don't understand what weo through. the single parent.

and the worry. i think we are making strides in helping the spouses. >> reporter:aking strides for military families is something ft. bragg likes to brag about. >> the soldier is only as strong as the strength of his family, say. so we offer a variety of services and special programs to the army family covenant that quite frankly makes their life bearable in these times of stress. >> reporter: home to the airborne and special operations forces, ft. bragg is one of the most combat ready and active military installations in the country. with more than 30,000 living on post, it's a city within itself. equipped with its own prima care hospital, school system, and chd developmental center. >> we provide care for over 1,400 children at ft. bragg every day. >> reporter: and there's plenty of new kids on the way. >> the baby boom is ongoing. we're generally between 250 to 300 deliveries a month. and it has maintained that rate for a number of years. >> reporter: in addition, ft.

bragg also offers a wide range of activities on post. from rec centers to restaurants. shopping centers to golf courses. and there's even a year-round skating rink. >> we feels though we're central to the warplace because we support the soldiers from the fox hole to the living room and all points in between. >> reporter: and while the military prides itself on its support system, it' still difficult for those who are left behind, waiting and hoping for their lunched ones' safe return. your spouses have all been deployed in afghanistan. it's a hot spot. it's in the news a lot. do you shield your children from those news report? >> i shielded my kids. i mean my oldest is just about to turn 9, so i have younger children. >> i don't want it bombarding but i'm not going to hide it from him, either. i mean, he knows, you know, if we go forong periods of time without a phone call, without an e-mail, he, you know, he knows something's going on.

>> do you see it? >> reporter: how do you describe that moment when you see each other after ty've been deployed for 12 months? >> there's mommy! >> there's no way to describe the bliss and the happiness. >> i cry. i cry. >> you can't. >> for this moment i know where he is and i know he' safe. >> reporter: safe for now. but knowing that call of duty could come at any time. >> just because they've been gone for a year and now they're home and we're celebrating their homecoming and theyre adjusting back into our family, we knoin the back of our minds they'll be going again. i'll be back here doing it by myself soon. >> reporter: and we want to give our thanks to the folks the ft. bragg, including the soldiers and families of the 16th military police brigade. i mean, these are strong soldiers at home because some o them have four and five children. and anyone who is a single parent out there knows how difficult that is. also, worrying about your spouse at the same time. >> i was one of four in a military family. i remember when my father was in vietnam holding the fort.

not until you get older you realize that was tough. glad you gave them the tribute they deserve. >> we'll be ght back.

still to come on "today," germ warfare. we'll take a look at what's really lurking in and around your house. >> plus gone too far? how a father's confrontation with her daughter's alleged bullies got him into trouble. ♪ [ female announcer ] start your morning... hey. what are you doing up? i thought i'd take a drive before workwant to come? [ female announcer ] or make his day. yeah. [ female announcer ] maxwell house gives you a rich, full-flavored cup of coffee, so you can be good to the last drop.

here's a live look outside at the capitalhis morning. bright sunshine highlighting today's forecast. details coming your way in a second. first, good morning, it's 8:26 on this saturday, september 18, 2010. i'm gil i'm aaron gilchrist. topping the news, the shooting of a hyattsville teen may have been gang-related. he was shot in a park on thursday night. he died at the hospital. he lived a few blocks away. so far police have not made any arrests. if you see smoke and emergency vehicles around ronald reagan washington national rport don't be alarm it's only a drill a. the metropolitan washington airports authority will start an emergency exercise in half an hour. drills hil clued a rescue on the potomac river, helicopters and fire. we're told the exercise should

wrap up by 11:00 a.m. a will not affect airport travel. your forecast coming up next.

chuck bell is here with the details of on a fantastic firing. chuck. >> yes, indeed. looks like we'll enjoy brilliant sunshine for today and for tomorrow aswell. so a lot of good news in the weekend forecast. temperatures to get your saturday morning under way, we're still 60 degre here in town. 55 degrees in leesburg this morning. 54 now in frederick, maryland. 51 degrees up in the beautiful panhandle of west virginia. clear skies all across the area as high pressure is in charge o our weather. so plenty of sunshine for the remainder of the day today with temperatur in the up 70s. warm tomorrow with temperatures in the mid-80s. it is 8:29 now. more local news come urge way at the top of the hour. now back toew york.

a beautiful fall-like, crisp day in new york. our thanks to our great crowd out here waving to all their family and friends back home. i'm amy robach along with lester holt. still to come this half hour, talking about a father protecting his daughter. and we're talking specifically a florida man who took matters into his own hands. he confronted the two classmates whom his daughter said were bullying her on the bus. >> he climbed on t bus, approached the classmates, actually ended up getting himself in trouble. we'll show you how his approach got him int troue. >> w were saying, what do you do if you're a parent? it's a tough call to make. the emotions are high. >> yeah, if someone's bothering your kid in a big way. what's up? we're also going to be talking about an increasing trend apparently. mo and more americans are

washing their hands, that is the best defense agast germs. we all know that. so we asked a microblogist to swab a public bathroom and a kitchen to s what's lurking. the results are going to surprise you. but i think they're going to gross you out. >> but they'll also prompt you to take action. bill karins is standg by, now.

good saturday morning. i'm news 4 meteorologist chuck bell. outside of our windows around the washington area this morning a clear sky, bright sunshine out there for now. temperatures are now climbing in to the upper 50s to near 60 degrees in many spots. 55 in winchester, 57 in warrenton. 58 degrees in washington, virginia. 47 in the inner harbor. for today mostly sunny delightful tdoor weather day. mid-to-upper 80s for tomorrow. have a good weekend. you probably like the nf too. if you do, i don't even have to sell this game on sunday night, manning bowl two. the second time the brothers have met, eli and peyton. who will win this time? sunday night, lucas oil stadium. they can leave the roof open. temperatures 70 to 75 degrees. a great game sunday night on nbc. got a pick in that game, colts, giants? >> giants.

>> giants fans. wel see sunday night. back to you, amy. >> bill, thank u. when 15-year-old phoebe prince committed suicide after classmates allegedly harassed her, school bullying was thrown into the spotlight. now a florida dad took matters into hiswn hands, after his daughter told him other children were bullying her on the school bus. nbc's kerry sanders has the story. >> everybody sit down. >> reporter: on a school bus in suburban orlando a father's fury caught on a security camera. >> my daughter [ bleep ] this damn bus and [ bleep ] and now this is it. >> reporter: 42-year-old james jones arrested for disorderly conduct admits his temper got the better of him when he unloaded on some children who he claims were bullying his 13-year-old daughter, who suffers from cerebral palsy. in the deputy's report, jones alleges school boys on the bus had placed an open condom on his daughter's head, smacked her on the back of the head, twisted r ear and shouted rude comments at her. >> my daughter is not going to

be hated and -- what they done, okay? i'm very sorry. i apologize. i served -- this is not just me. reporter: in the deputy's report, said jones had called the school to complain, but nopg was done. the deputy writes, the school has two adults on the bus and attempts to control the children. but they didn't even speak english. >> this is my daughter, and -- >> reporter: students say it was his threat to killhat was most upsetting. >> you can't just kill kids. >> reporter: a quarter of all public school kids report being bullied weekly, if not daily. and thexperts say, often, parents don't hear about it until it's a crisis. and as we've seen before, the consequences can sometimes turn deadly. in massachusetts, prosecutors say classmates tormented 15-yr-old phoebe prince in school hallways and online for months. she hanged herself at home. the children's movement of

florida has been studying the problem of bullying. >> it's notoing away. frankly, it's escalating. every school ought to have a anti-bullying program. >> reporter: bullying in schools. one in three teenagers say it's happened to them. the difficulty, getting the victims to speak up before it blows up. for "today," kerry sanders, nbc news, miami. >> and for more insight we're joined by susan lipkin, psychologist and bullying expert. good morning. >> hi. >> it's such a sad thing to see because i think as a parent all of us can see ourselves in that man's position, where you're so angry. he contacted the school. nothing was being done to his satisfaction. and so he lost it. and he admitted it. he said he was sorry. but you say not only is it perhaps inappropriate to do that, but you say it's not productive. noing comes ofhis type of behavior. >> yeah, what really happens is it backfires. and it's worse for the child.

ther was a bus driver, other two people on e bus, the school system and you really have to use those formats in order to get something done. >> but if you feel le you're not getting any response from the school, what doou do then? >> well, you really have to protect your child and teach them how not to be a victim. that's the first thing. second thing is probably not even put your child on the bus if it's an unsafe place. and third is to make enough noise that it goes up the chain of command to the superintendent or whoev is in charge to say, hey, my child is being harassed or being hurt or this is violent behavior that cannot exist in a school environment. >> is it ever appropriate for a parent to approach th bully or perhaps even the bully's parents, if they don't feel like the proper authorities are doing what they should? can you take matters into your own hands, given the right approach? >> my experience is that it never works. that if you approach the parent of a bully, that they are themselves perhaps bullies, and th the parent as a victim never wins. so it doesn't work basically.

>> it's a bit confusing. because i think a lot of parents, bullying obviously has become a major story, unfortunately because of the phoebe prince case in massachusetts that kerry sanders referenced. where this girl who never told anyone she was being bullied, didn't tell her parents, took matters into her own hands and committed suicide. yet the you have this florida girl w told her dad, he went into this rant that got him arrested. obviously you want to say there's a middle approach here. that might be easy to say, but it's probably really hard to do. what do we need to be talking about with our kids? >> well, i think we need to teach them that they should not be a victim, that theyave the right and the duty to prote their own space and to defend themselves. the second thing is we have to train bystanders to support all this information. we have to give them systems and a follow-up team. like a bully prevention team that would go in and interview and be on top of this. and we have to teach parents and everybody in the comnity from school aide to the bus driver to anybody to report bullying or to intervene and learn how to do it. >> we're heang more about

bullying, do you think it's actually becoming a worse problem in our society? or are we just hearing about it, and if so what does that say abt how we're raising o children. >> i call it vulture culture. i think that we have winner, loser mentality. and i think that it is increasing. it becoming mor violent. it's becomingore sexual. it's increasing daily. more and more children don't want to go to school or are having problems with bullying. so i think it is a major problem. >> all right. parents need to know about and address. susan lipkin, thanks so much. coming up next, what germs are lurking around your bathroo and kitchen? the answers will surprise you. but first, these messages. alrgies put me in a fog.

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but when we take a closer look, what germs will we actually find? first up, what's lurking in our kitchens and bathrooms. we hate tohink about it, but science doesn't lie, germs are everywhere. >> our hands pick up bacteria and they leave those bacteria behind on the next thing we touch. >> reporter: the first line of defense, hand washing. but a study released this week showed that although the number of people washing up creased, not everyone does it. after going to a public rest room, 85% of adults wash their hands. leaving plenty of germs still lurking. th swabs and test tubes ready, microbiologist joe rubeno went on the hunt. first, the bathroom. >> every point that you touch with your hand. once someone uses the toilet, they're going to wash their hands. you would expect to find cteria out here. because it is the first thing they touch, and we'll see.

soil on here, whether or not there's bacteria on that we'll see. >> reporter: from your home to your office, there's no escape from the biggest germ hot spot, the kitchen. >> we find more dangerous bacteria in a kitchen than we do in a bathroom. food comes in, contaminated with theseacteria like e. coli or salmonella. >> reporter: wet places like the sink are a breeding ground for bacteria. >> the drain is one of the areas where you get a lotf bacteria growing because it's always wet, and you can see that some stuff came off. the sponge always the most heavily contaminated object in the kitchen because it's the one thing that is always being used to clean up. >> reporter: soor a little more about what we fund lurking here with the lab results microbiologist joie rubeno. good to see you. >> good morning, lester. >>let's start with the sponge. why is that such germ magnet? >> i like to call the sponge the condo for germs. it has plenty of food, is wet, there's a lot of nooks and

crannies and any time you use it, clean it up, you're picking up germs and they're going to grow in there. >> what did you find? >> we found a lot of bacteria. we found the kind of bacteria you might find on raw foodsike vegetables or meats. >> so maybe toss it in the microwave from time to time. >> microwave for dishwasher. antime you use the dishwasher. >> you found the same bacteri in the drain, faucet handle, refrigerator door. can you avoid it when it's being -- >> well, what it tells me is that that sponge was contaminated probably cleaning up some food material, andhen it was used maybe to wipe the refrigerator or somebody touched it and then touched the faucet handle and they transferred the bactia all around the kitchen. >> the kitchen we saw you in was an office kitchen. but you also tested a home kitchen. did you find similar types of bacteria? >> yes, idid. found very similar types of bacteria. first thing i tested was a package of chicken. that w thawing in the sink.

and i found very similar or same bacteria on the package of chicken and also in the sink and in the sink drain. >> would you expect to find these things in a kitchen that otherwise appears tidy and clean? >> oh, yeah. yeah. you can't see germs. sometimes even the cleanest kitchens are contaminated with bacter bacteria. >> so there's a lesson to be learned about the way germs spread. >> you can't see them spread. but you have to be aware of the types of material, like food, that will spread germs in a kitchen. so the juices that are associated with raw chicken and baef, are contaminated with bacteria, they get on our hands or wherever that food is placed. you can't see it. you can't smell it. >> speaking of raw chicken you did not find e. coli and salmonella in this case. but the potential is there? >> yes, the potential is there. salmonella takes a little bit more laboratory manipulation to find it. we didn't go to that point. but the kind of bacteria we found is an indication salmonella could have been

there. >> the bathroom we saw you testing was a public bathroom. >> it was quite surprising. it was quite clean. the oenlt bacteria i found were the kind that would be associated with our skin. staff dockous which is a harpless skin bacteria. >> i alwaysay you wash your hands and dry them and then you've got to open up the door handle to get out. should you touch it? >> don't touch it. i'll use paper towel that i dried my hands with and use that to open up the door. >> seems like a little overkill. >> but, yes, but you know what, all these little practices do help us stay healthy. especially now, cold and flu saens. >> you also tested home bathrooms. i found similar types of bacterian the wet areas, drain, and also in the shower area. and the shower is a great home for bacteria. it's always wet oramp or mostly. and all that bacteri on our bodies, we wash it off and it gets deposited in the shower. >> you described the story of transference. everything you touch and move and touch this. what are some general rules we

should keep in mind? >> well, first know that in the kitchen, raw meats and poultry come in to your kitchen are contamated with bacteria. be aware, wash your hands before, during, and after you're preparing a male. once that chicken goes into the oven the heat will kill any bacteria, salmonella. but any juices left behind, make sure no other foods come in co make sure you clean, sanitize, disinfect those surfaces. before you prepare a salad or cut some bread that you're not going to heat because the heat kills bacteria.fascinating. think a fist bump is perfect there. >> solutely. niceo have you on. tomorrow, at's lking i public places from elevator ttons toabs to the atm. what we found coming u tomorrow. up next, dack shepherd. ♪ [ male announcer ] new inveory. ♪ new equipment. new trucks.

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parenthood is back on nbc, with a great second season ahead. and dack shepherd, who plays crosby braverman is here with a sneak peek. good morning. >> good morning. how are you? >> we're dng great. but you must be doing really great because you got your second season. it's the big celebration. >> yeah. >> and you know,hat do y think set "parenthood" apart from the other shoes? why do you think it's been so successful? >> i think a couple things. there's an incredible amount of actors on the show. and i think that's exciting. the cast is pretty unbeatable. and i think we handled our family drama without being too precious and we have a really good sense of humor on the show. and i think that makes us somewhat unique. >> you had some interesting plot twists this year. let's see if i get this right, you found you had a child falling for his former flame. what else twists do we expect in the coming season? >> well, the mother of the 5-year-old child that i found out i had has moved to new york, and that is proving to be quite

challenging, as i live in berkeley. >> yeah. >> and in terms of the viewers, do you think there's a real relatability factor? as parents are watching this. you said there some humor. >> you know what's really funny, my brother who loves the show, he'll call me every wednesday and go, oh, my god i'm so much like pet krause's character. they're telling my story. and then the very next week, he is like, i am laurengraham, you must be telling them what to write. every week he identifies with everyone but me. >> you've been a very busy guy. you t a movie freebie which played at sundance. >> yes. it was at sundance this year. and came out this weekend in new york. it's about a couple that's been married for seven years, and they're feeling a little bit of lag in their sex life. so they decide to have a one night stand and see if that reinvigorates things. >> and do you thi the fans of "parenthood" will be fans of "the freebie"? >> you know, i don't know.

yeah, mayb >> you might be able to bring people in to the sitcom. >> yeah, yeah, yeah. well, this is a drama. make no mistake. >> yeah. >> this doesn't go well for them. >> ok. >> it's an idea -- >> as one night stands often don't. >> they're not the best medicine for a marriage, i don't think. >> well, great having you on. >> thanks a lot. >> thanks for getting up early. i know these aren't your hours. >> best of luck on the show. >> i considered just staying straight up. >> we find that doesn't work. >> it doe't work? >> you don't get used to it. emale announcer ] you use the healing power of touch every day. ♪ now the healing power of touch just g more powerful. introducing precise from the makers of tylenol. precise pain relieving cream works quickl to activate sensory receptors. it helps block pain signals fast for relief you can feel precisely where you need it most. precise. only from the makers of tylenol.

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that's going to do it for us on this saturday morning. our thanks to melissa francis and bill karins. coming up tomorrow on "today" what lurks in public places like i guess your computer, trains and cabs. >> plus we'll tell you about pop culture's most iconic items. ill see you later on tonight on "nbc nightly news."

good morning, eveone. i'm kimberly suiters. >>'m aaron gilchrist. straight ahead on "news4 today", in their own words, two of the hostages held in the discovery standoff bre their silence. the chilly 911 call from inside johns hopkins university hospitalafter a man there opened fire. a tragedy in silver spring at a home there after a common nursery room danger. a toddler tangled in a drapery cord. i'm meteorologist chuck bell. i have your forecast and the college football forecast. it's all coming right u >> that was ohio university? just kidding. all that and more when you join "news4 today" in less than two minutes. why is travel these days about what you give up

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i was standing right there and a physician went down. >> he went down where? >> next to me. >> you say he was shot? >> yes. >> is morning, new images and voices from the shooting and standoff at johns hopkins university hospital. good morning, everyone, welcome to "news4 today" i'm aaron gilchrist. >> i'm kimberly suiters. it's saturday, september 18, 2010. the news is just ahead. first a qck check on your forecast with meteorologist chk bell who joins us in the studio. if you got up early enough you saw moisture on the windshield. >> nice and cool last night. temperatures down close to the dew point. that's why the moisture condensated on the your windshield. beautiful day outside. beautiful whether. i'm optimistic that you'lllike all of your weekend weather. as you see temperatures are now in the upper 50s and low 60s. satellitepi