>> nice job, ben. >> announcer: well played, dan. well played. citibank popmoney. easier banking. standard at citibank. good morning. no more mr. nice guy. >> that's simply inexcusable. >> mitt romney pulls no punches against newt gingrich in a contentious debate in florida last night. will it stop gingrich's momentum and help him win the sunshine state next week. shocking charge. a popular tv anchor accused of sexually assaulting a woman. will the text messages between them call her credibility into question? and back from brazil. ashton kutcher returned to the u.s. and is said to be deeply concerned about his wife demi moore's health.

concerned about his wife demi moore's health. today, friday, january 27, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this friday morning. i'm ann curry. >> i'm carl quintanilla in for matt. mitt romney, long the republican front-runner knows if newt gingrich wins in florida it could be trouble for his white house dreams. >> he went on the offensive and he's not the only one. bob dole had some harsh words about the former speaker as well. we'll get perspective on this from david gregory and chuck todd ahead. >> then a look inside the dining room of the cruise ship partly submerged off the italian coast and the attorney for the captain will open up in an interview. >> and also he made national

headlines claiming he was a rockefeller and snatching his daughter off a boston street. now it turns out he's a german con man and he's going on trial for murder. we begin with the race for the republican nomination and an intense debate in florida last night. peter alexander has more from miami. hey, peter. good morning. >> reporter: ann, good morning. mitt romney's campaign is feeling very confident that the debate gives him momentum into tuesday's vote in the state of florida now four days away. the romney campaign from the start was aggressive. mitt romney going after newt gingrich, beginning on the topic of immigration here in a state where nearly 20% of the po population is foreign-born. embracing aggressiveness mitt romney chastised newt gingrich for calling him anti-imgrant. >> my father was born in mexico.

the idea that i'm anti-immigrant is repulsive. >> reporter: newt gingrich fired back. >> we're not going to grab a grandmother and kick them out. >> the problem isn't 11 million grandmothers. [ cheers and applause ] >> our problem is 11 million people getting job that legal immigrants would like to have. >> reporter: romney delivered a defense of his personal wealthiest mated to be as much as $250 million. >> it's important for people to make sure we don't castigate successful individuals. those investments lead to jobs in america. i'm proud of being successful. >> reporter: gingrich criticized romney for profiting from investments in the federal mortgage lender freddie mac. >> maybe in the spirit of openness governor romney should tell us how much money he's made off how many households foreclosed by his investments. let's be clear. >> first of all, my investments

are not made by me. my investments for ten years have been in a blind trust managed by a trustee. if you check your investments you also have investments in mutual funds that also invted in fannie mae and freddie mac. >> right. >> reporter: for his part rick santorum also went on the offensive, attacking romneycare. >> so in massachusetts -- in massachusetts, everybody is mandated as a condition of breathing in massachusetts to buy health insurance and if you don't you have to pay a fine. what's happened in massachusetts is people are now paying the fine because health insurance is so expensive and you have a pre-existing condition clause in yours just like barack obama. >> reporter: each candidate explained why his wife would make the best first lady. >> she's my hero. >> my wife is also a mom. in some respects she's a

champion and a fighter. >> she's the mother of five of our children and also the author of a very famous cookbook "the ron paul cookbook." >> she's not necessarily in any way better. these are wonderful people who would be wonderful first ladies. >> reporter: finally in a light moment ron paul mocked the plan of newt gingrich to build an american base on the moon. >> well, i don't think we should go to the moon. maybe we should send some politicians up there. the crowd liked that one. if you have debate fatigue at this point, not to worry. this was the 19th debate of the gop cycle so far a. we have to wait nearly another month for the next one. >> peter alexander, thank you so much this morning. chuck todd is nbc's political director and chief white house correspondent and david gregory is moderator of "meet the

press." good morning. >> good morning. >> david, did newt gingrich have the debate he needed now with just four days to go before the florida primary? >> i don't think he did. if you're the romney campaign you're feeling good. this was a critical moment for romney to do as well as he did last night. just a couple days before florida republicans vote in the primary. he was aggressive. he turned around attacks on him by speaker gingrich. you put it together and you have romney trying to neutralize his own weaknesses and chip away at the strengths gring gingrich brought into the primary, particularly the debates. gingrich's campaign, the sense of fight all predicated on how well he debates and romney showed up last night. >> you mentioned bob dole.

this is an elder statesman, former gop presidential nominee. bob dole didn't mince words. he said, i have not been critical of newt gingrich, but it is now time to take a stand before it's too late. hard linen who served with newt in congress endorsed him and that speaks for itself. gingrich has had a new idea every minute and most were off the wall. david, ouch. what is the party prepared to do to take down gingrich? >> it's the revenge of the establishment. elected officials, congressmen, senators, governors and those who worked with dwing rich saying, we know this guy, he shouldn't be president. this is an effort to florida to say don't do this. don't throw the campaign into disarray. we know gingrich and he can't be trusted. gingrich will say, i make them uncomfortable. but romney is making a powerful case to florida voters.

>> let's talk about the nbc news/wall street journal poll, chuck. it was taken before the debate but shows gingrich with a sizable national lead over romney. it also tells us where he's getting support. >> it goes right to mitt romney's weakness. when you look at the poll you almost look at it as this is where mitt romney is not able to consolidate conservatives. gingrich has become, like everybody before him that wasn't named mitt romney that surged to the top he's rallying the base of the party. very conservative voters, southerners, tea party members. he's got giant leads on mitt romney on this. now, some of this could shift. where does it go? what was fascinating last night is while mitt romney was aggressive and finally sent the message to some skeptical republicans that he's got the ability to fight at a debate, santorum probably had the best night because he seemed to be able to make a conservative

argument and really did box in romney on health care for the first time we have seen at any debate. romney ended up making a defense of the health care plan that sounded just like president obama. that's a victory in florida for romney. why? every santorum vote he gains comes right out of newt gingrich. >> the fat lady has not sung. who's on "meet the press" this weekend is this. >> we'll talk to senator john mccain and david aaxelrod from the obama campaign. >> it is 7:09. carl? >> here in new york the son of the city's police commissioner, a local tv anchorman has been accused of raping a woman. jonathan deanst has the latest on that. >> reporter: prosecutors in new york haven't filed criminal charges but the investigation is ongoing. they are taking a hard look at whether there is evidence to back up the claim that a night out drinking with a new york

anchorman ended in some sort of forced sex attack. he's a popular anchor, a one-time fox news channel war correspondent. >> we'll be here for a while. >> reporter: and the son of nypd commissioner ray kelly. now greg kelly is off the air, dealing with what could be the toughest story of his life -- a rape allegation. kelly denies the charges. we know the district attorney's investigation will prove mr. kelly's innocence, his lawyer says. >> a nightmare scenario. >> reporter: this week the woman went to the 13th precinct to file her rape claim against kelly. she claims in october she met him on the street and they went out drinking at a downtown bar. she said kelly went back to her empty law offices and it was there, she claims, the sex assault occurred. sources close to the investigation say there are text messages after that night between the woman and kelly. legal experts say that could raise questions about

credibility. >> there was communication after the fact. she apparently, according to her own words, blacked out, so she really doesn't know what happened that night. i can't imagine the d.a. wanting or being able to do anything with this case. >> reporter: the new york d.a. is heading up the investigation just months after handling the dominique strauss-kahn case where charges of criminal sex abuse fell apart amid questions about the woman's credibility. in the kelly case the woman's boyfriend confronted the nypd commissioner at a public event. a police spokesman said greg had, quote, ruined my girlfriend's life but never mentioned an alleged incident. commissioner kelly suggested the man write him a letter. it is not clear if it was sent. when the woman went to police the case was immediately moved to the d.a.'s office. new york mayor michael blumberg

approved the decision. >> you don't want the appearance of a conflict of interest when you would have with the son of a commissioner. >> reporter: as for kelly his lawyer is providing information to prosecutors. unclear if or when the news anchor will go in to clear up questions prosecutors may have. lots of questions still swirling about the case. back to you. >> jonathan dienst, thank you. here's ann. >> now to the latest on the doomed cruise ship off italy. the increasing allegations surfacing now against the captain. today his lawyer is speaking to nbc news in an exclusive interview and michelle kosinski has more on this. good morning. >> reporter: hi, ann. captain francesco schettino is on house arrest. his attorney said he feels awful but unjustly demonized. he says he didn't abandon ship but fell into a lifeboat. now officials describe a night of downplaying and delays.

and he tried to get a manager to to agree to a cover story blaming the accident on electrical failure. what exactly happened that night? [ screaming ] >> reporter: two weeks ago. it's been coming out in testimony before italian senators. the port authority alleging captain schettino, quote, wasted a precious hour giving contradictory hours. time, an admiral said, that terrified passengers. to board lifeboats. the cruise's manager says schettino called him after the crash wanting him to agree to an explanation that an electrical blackout was the cause. schettino under house arrest is, his lawyer says, deeply distraught. [ speaking italian ] >> translator: he's at a loss for the victims and cannot come to terms with what happened. >> reporter: but by no means is willing to take all the blame.

a scapegoat for the mega disaster >> translator: he feels bitter. the company abandoned him. he understands there are some reasons to justify that. >> reporter: why such a delayed response as the ship sharply listed? schettino needed to fully assess the situation and make a plan which took time. >> translator: captains are trained to avoid panic which is dangerous. >> reporter: now we see more pictures of what divers face deep within the so recently luxurious concordia. this was the dining room tilted entirely on its side in dark, filthy water. divers must feel their way, searching for signs of victims and finding everything else -- bottles, candles, a man's shoe. the captain's lawyer said he deeply feels these losses and won't avoid responsibility if he

made a mistake. after 30 honorable years, he says, at sea. today costa cruises announced it will compensate every passenger on board who was not injured around $14,000. on top of that will pay their travel and trip expenses. that alone will cost the company more than $46 million. ann? >> michelle kosinski keeping us up to date on the story that's still developing. thank you. >> now a check of the rest of the morning's top stories. natalie morales is at the news desk. good morning. >> good morning. the secret service is investigating a photograph posted online that shows a group of young men in arizona posing in the desert with guns while holding up what appears to be a bullet-riddled image of president obama. the photo was on the facebook page of a police officer from a phoenix suburb. a marine veteran from virginia pleaded guilty thursday and will serve a 25-year prison sentence for shooting at federal

and military buildings around the nation's capital. on thursday, prosecutors released video of the man in his car back in 2010 firing at the national museum of the marine corps saying, god is great. two teenagers arrested for allegedly planning a columbine-style attack on their high school outside salt lake city. 18-year-old dalin morgan and a 16-year-old student were planning to set off explosives during a school assembly and steal a plane to make the getaw getaway. investigators aren't sure when the two were planning their attack. a student at the school tipped off police after receiving threatening text messages. in iraq, another deadly day. at least 28 people were killed when a suicide car bomber detonated explosives near a funeral presentation in a shiite neighborhood in baghdad. new information this morning from a syrian opposition group that claims forces loyal to bashar al asad used mortar

shells to attack houses. at least 30 people have been killed including 12 children. now for a check on wall street, mary thompson is at the new york stock exchange for us this morning. greece is a focus this morning. >> that's right. eurozone officials predict a deal to avoid an unruly default in greece is near. containing the debt crisis is seen ascii to preventing economic breakdowns in other eurozone countries. at home the second largest health insurer plans to pay primary care physicians more in hopes of reducing overall health care costs. the higher pay should improve health care on the front line and reduce expensive emergency room visits and hospital stays. back to you. >> mary thompson, thank you. and frightening moments for a woman in washington state who had to be rescued after her car slid off the road into an icy creek. she told police she was up to her neck in water for 90 minutes. the woman was treated for

hypothe hypothermia. very lucky to have been rescued. back to ann, carl and al. >> now a pivot to talk to mr. al about the weekend a pivot and t to mr. roker and the weekend weather. >> a lot of rain and snow up into new england. a drape that drapes along the coast. rain into central florida. to the north, looking at snow. airport delays. if you are along the eastern seaboard have you problems. fog in new york city. rain in boston. and out west, finally getting a break. plenty of sunshine. however, we will be talking about those santa ana winds coming up in the next- hour. slight risk of strong storms along the mid atlantic coast. plenty of sunshine through the southwest. that's what's going on around the country. her's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. fairfax county, montgomery county getting heavy downpours. heading off to the east-northeast, the district of columbia and arlington. shortly. there is another one in southern prince william county, another

larger line of heavy rain with gusty winds. now coming into culpeper county out of madison and green heading off to the north and east. northern montgomery county, western howard county, farther north towards the pennsylvania border getting heavy downpours with gusty winds. it is mild now and we are in the 50s and 60s. later today getting colde that's your latest weather. carl? >> back now to the race for the white house. while newt gingrich's momentum in florida may have stalled he's leading the gop race nationally according to the latest nbc news/wall street journal poll. nbc's national investigative correspondent michael isikoff says there is a man with deep pockets who helped him. >> reporter: good morning. newt gingrich may owe much of his political resurrection to a friend. a las vegas casino mogul whose big money is causing big controversy. multi billionaire sheldon adelson and his wife are the money behind newt gingrich

giving $10 million to the super pac, bank rolling attack ads against mitt romney. >> how can we trust him? >> reporter: it's the biggest cash infusion yet in the race and it revived gingrich's candidacy when he needed it most. >> the money before south carolina enabled us to answer attack ads run against speaker gingrich. >> reporter: adelson made his fortune from a gambling empire stretching from the vegas strip to asia. he's anti-union, a supporter of of israel and wants president obama out of the white house. he was infuriated when obama criticized tourists who blow cash in vegas. >> he's the president of the united states. he shouldn't be belittling any city or part of the country. >> reporter: adelson's political consultant said his boss puts his money where his mouth is. >> i don't think it's buying a presidency more than when joe

kennedy helped his son. >> reporter: adelson blew up the home base for the rat pack. 1500 casino workers lost their jobs. >> he claimed he owned the sidewalks and could pick and choose who walked on them. >> reporter: it was his support for israel that helped forge his bond with gingrich. >> we have palestinian people. >> reporter: adelson's newspaper said the refusal to confront evil could cause a second holocaust. >> i'm not israeli. the uniform i wore in the military unfortunately wasn't israeli. it was an american uniform. >> reporter: friends say it's defending israel more than anything that explains his giant donations to gingrich. >> all we care about is being good sisz of israel. >> reporter: gingrich said the only thing he's promised adelson is to defend the country and its

allies. >> sheldon is concerned about israel and believes the iranians represent a tall threat to israel and the united states. >> reporter: thanks to the fresh cash, gingrich's super pac now has a $6 million ad buy for attack ads in florida. but a word of warning about all the super pac spending on both sides came from romney supporter john mccain. he told reporters there will be a major scandal resulting from the unprecedented cash pouring into the election. carl? >> there is a lot of it. michaels i cou s iisikoff, than much. demi moore out of the hospital as new information emerges about her health struggles. the latest coming up. first, this is "today" on nbc.

coming up, the convicted con man who claimed he was a

rockefeller facing trial on his most serious charge yet -- murder. we'll get an update. >> and we'll introduce you to an inspiring young woman staying positive after she cheated death in a terrible accident. more after your local news and weather. by a certain date. g to have to be done you always have homework, okay? i don't have homework today. it's what's right here is what is most important to me. it's beautiful. ♪ ♪ so fresh and delicious? is it the perfect blend of sunshine, rain and temperature? maybe it's the fact that our juice is always 100% florida and never imported. florida's natural. ♪ vegetables picked at their peak ♪

♪ so fresh my knees grow weak [ male announcer ] new hearty bertolli meal soup for two, with crisp vegetables and tender chicken. [ chef ] ♪ fresh tasting restaurant style ♪ ♪ bertolli soup's in the freezer aisle ♪ good morning. it is 7:26. i'm joe krebs. we have heavy rain moving through the area now. meteorologist tom kierein will join us to tell us what we are looking at. >> dark clouds producing some heavy downpours and gusty winds in southern montgomery county, northern montgomery county. those areas stretching into howard county as well in orange and red. farther to the south, another area of some moderate to heavy rain, culpeper down to charlottesville. that's advancing to the north and east. passing heavy downpours off and on through the morning. right now in the 50s and 60s as we start off this morning. 40s farther north and west. clearing out and getting cold they are afternoon and into tonight and chilly weekend to follow. joe. >> thanks very much, tom. we will check out how the rain

good morning. police are still investigating a fatal crash. on 4th street n northeast.

closures between massachusetts avenue and d street. traveling 29 in maryland. very slow commute heading southbound. delays start at cherry hill road and continue as you head to the beltway. >> thanks very much. another news

7:30 now on this friday morning. it's the 27th of january 2012. it is a wet morning here in the big apple, but it is also currently at 48 degrees right now. a warm day. looks like a lot of people in the plaza making the most of it. meantime, high and dry inside studio 1a i'm ann curry with carl quintanilla. >> looks like we'll get wet. >> we're going out there, absolutely. it will be rainy today. matt has the morning off. coming up we'll talk about demi moore. she's out of the hospital we are told, but what's next for her and what happened the night she was hospitalized? we'll have an update ahead. >> hard to believe six months away the opening ceremony for

the summer olympics in london. from the pool to the beach to the track your favorite stars will be going for the gold. we'll go live to olympic park to see how some of the preparations are coming along. >> excited about that. plus we'll check out the hottest trends from shopping to entertainment to a newfangled makeover for a very old retail giant. >> jc penney. that's right. first it made nationwide headlines four years ago when a man claiming to be a rockefeller snatched his own daughter during a supervised parental visit. turns out clark rockefeller was just a con man with multiple identities. now he's headed for trial in california charged with murder. mike taibbi has more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, carl. it took a while but now prosecutors say they do have a case against christian gerhartstrider. he's the con man who began a

long career fooling people. he could change identities in an instant and knew how to disappear. >> reporter: that chameleon described himself differently four years ago when he spoke with natalie. >> are you a mystery man? >> i would like to be known as a good man, if anything. i'd like to be known as a quiet man living a quiet life. >> reporter: ever since the man calling himself clark rockefeller snatched his daughter off a boston street in 2008 his life has been anything but quiet. the 48-year-old rockefeller might try to whisk his daughter to bermuda. >> reporter: the act of a desperate father launched an international manhunt and the publicity around his arrest and conviction on kidnapping charges. >> guilty. >> reporter: led to something more unexpected. >> if it wasn't for the unquestioned love of his daughter we may not be here today. >> it projected him into this case. >> reporter: the case, murder. this week the con man was back in court in california as

christian gerhartstrider, his real name. the murder victim a shy computer programmer named john soas who, with his wife linda, befriended the man claiming to be an english baronett. he even lived on the guest house on their property. one day in 1985, john and linda disappeared. linda's best friend went to the police. >> they were like, well, she's over 21. if she wasn't dunt want to come back, she doesn't have to. >> reporter: nine years later, john and linda were still missing when a crew digging a hole for a swimming pool unearthed a skeleton -- john's. police wanted to find the mysterious tenant who called himself cihchester. did i occur to you he may be in the sfwhind. >> he could be anywhere in the world. >> reporter: then began the hunt

for the con man who was so good at disappearing until the love of his daughter brought him into the open, into the hands of the law. in court, the outlines of a detailed circumstantial case. old traces of blood in the guest house and testimony recalling the con man's suspicious behavior. a case against a mysterious man, by whatever name, for the murder of john soas at least. linda has never been found -- dead or alive. >> he insists through his lawyers he's innocent. now he is jailed on $10 million bail. his trial to be scheduled for later this year. carl? >> thank you very much. jeffrey denner and brad bailey are the attorneys representing him. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> all the names, clark rockefeller, what name do you call him? >> we call him clark rockefeller. that's the name we identify him with and the name he responds to. >> natalie morales sat down with clark four years ago and asked

if he killed. the response was this -- my entire life i have been a pass cyst, -- pass cyst, a quaker. i have never hurt anyone. how confident are you that he didn't commit the crimes? >> again, we can't get into evidence in the case. this man has a complex psyche. the comments he made years ago we absolutely stand by, but we are aware of the fact that often what he appears to be saying is -- comes from another place in him that does not necessarily comport with the reality the rest of us see. as far as we are concerned he's maintained his innocence from the beginning. he's maintaining his innocence now. we have no reason to believe he's anything other than innocent. we have not yet presented our case in this matter. i think at the end of the day there will be alternate

explanations to what happened here. >> you say a complex psyche. do you think he's insane? >> again, without getting into it too much i think there are psychiatric issues in his life. i don't think they bear on whether he did or didn't commit a crime. we have every reason to believe when he maintains his innocence that he's innocent. >> a lot of evidence proved in court during the hearing in california over five days. you think it was circumstantial? >> definitely. when you have a circumstantial case what you do on the defense side is try to show that for every inference that the state tries to establish you can have an inference that is equally consistent with innocence. that's the focus in a case like this. >> for instance, the skull found of john soas, wrapped in this bookbag from a school that clark once attended. how can that be circumstantial? >> we're not getting into the specifics of the case, but we'll pursue other aspects of the case

that lead away from that and will give us something to work with. there is a lot for us to work with in this case. >> reporter: he's appealing the conviction of kidnapping. how do you expect it to turn out? >> my crystal ball broke a couple weeks ago, so i have no great certainty. we have raised significant issues in how the case was processed. we are confident that the appeals court in massachusetts -- supreme court in massachusetts will give it a good look. we're confident that the case will be overturned. >> he'll be on bail in california to the tune of $10 million. >> he will be. that was set, of course n a way that we are able to go in at any time and it will be reduced if it's appropriate to do so. >> thank you very much. >> thank you, carl. >> see more of the story on "dateline" tonight at 10:00/9:00 central here on nbc. let's get a check of the weather now from al. >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by turbotax.

get step-by-step guidance to the maximum refund you deserve. >> do you have somebody to say hi to? >> my wife jonelle and my kids in what's happening as far as your weather is concerned. hey, for our friends in l.a. you have a santa ana wind advisory could be winds of up to 65 miles per hour in the passes and canyons. we are getting rain here now. we have not gotten any snow. boston this winter about 8 inches. last winter, 51 inches. syracuse, 28 inches of snow. last year 113. minneapolis, 14.4. last year they had 55 inches of snow. we need snow out there. rest of the country be looking at wet weather here in the northeast. all the way down to the mid atlantic states where we have a risk of strong storms. plenty of sunshine. santa anna winds and california. sunny skies in the pacific northwest. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your

neck of the woods. >> good morning, tom kierein in storm center 4. heavy downpours but gusty winds in southern fair tax and arlington and district of columbia. now northern prince george's county. and into howard county. elsewhere farther south from warrenton to charlottesville getting heavy downpours from fauquier county into culpeper and that's advancing to the north and east and heading towards the metro area later this morning. it is balm write. look at fredericksburg. 68 degrees. while it is around the mid to upper 40s in pennsylvania border. clearing out this afternoon happy birthday to morgan. all right. [ cheers and applause ] >> now back to carl. >> al, thanks. up next, new information about the hours that led up to demi moore's hospitalization. that's right after this. m a t of a tax geek. i love taxes. people say to me, "you're so lucky. after tax season, you get to relax." we're not here for a couple of months. we're here year-round. after april 15th, we don't close down. we're working late, learning next year's tax laws to make sure turbo tax is the easy way to get your taxes done right.

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good morning. >> reporter: ann, good morning. the 911 call from demi moore's home is expected to be released today though for privacy reasons portions won't be made public. this as we learn more about the hours that led to the emergency call. with reports surfacing that demi moore has checked out of the hospital it's unclear if she's returned back to her beverly hills home. it was here on monday where friends say she had a girls' night in. >> demi moore was hosting a birthday party for a friend named heather perry. among the guest was jennifer meyer, toby mcguire's wife. >> reporter: the actress who's looked gaunt and frail was said to be tending to guests serving dinner and dessert but something may have been off. >> i'm told she was acting, quote, pretty hyper, even a little bit crazy as she left the group several times but did come back a few minutes later each time and she just wasn't acting

her normal self. >> reporter: it is believed by sock p.m. wh-- 10:00 p.m. when one of the guests moore began shaking, showing signs of a seizure. she was rushed to the hospital after a 911 call. per publicist saying because of the stresses in her life right now, demi has chosen to seek professional stance to treat exhaustion. amid reports of infidelity, moore split with ashton kutcher, star of "two and a half men." thursday night he returned home to l.a. after a business trip in brazil where video showed kutcher having a good time. he tweeted pictures from the streets of sau paulo but said nothing of moore. >> ashton is concerned but i'm told he hasn't been in contact with her. >> reporter: in the '80s moore sought treatment for substance abuse but her prescription drug use was a contributing factor to the end of her marriage to

kutcher. one of hollywood's popular stars, first uh turmoil in her personal life and now a scare in her health. >> moore's publicist said the actress is working on her health. when the 911 call is released authorities asked about the substances that were ingested the night of her accident, the incident be redacted. >> thank you for your reporting on this. up next, the countdown is on with the summer olympics exactly six months away. we'll go live to london after this. ♪ you signed up weeks ago

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good morning. >> reporter: good morning, carl. the city was given seven years. they have six months left. there's a workforce of 200,000, most of them here at olympic park, furiously putting on final touches. they have major challenges, transportation and security, but organizers say long before that final torch is lit behind me, they will be ready to go. it's the final push to the biggest sporting event in the world. the main venues are finished, on budget and on time. among the highlights of the $11 billion project, a sleek velodrome. >> this is the completion of the most wonderful velodrome in the world, isn't it? >> reporter: an aquatic center christened with a dive from one of britain's gold medal hopefuls, tom daly, and the center piece, the main stadium that will hold 80,000 cheering fans. the olympics have been held in

london twice before, over 100 years ago in 1908 and then again in 1948 as the country was still recovering from world war ii. the games have changed a lot. this summer more than 200 countries will compete with 15,000 athletes, 9 million tickets up for sale and a new sport that would have really turned heads back in the '40s -- women's boxing. there are also different challenges, including security. a massive operation is getting ready, running drills like this one on the thames. >> there is a threat from terrorism we are taking seriously. >> reporter: there will be a combination force of police, military and thousands of security guards. dogs that search for explosives are in short supply so they are being pulled from units in afghanistan to come back to help. there is also the specter of doping, but this brand new lab, the most high tech in the world

was built to stop cheating in its tracks. it will be up and running 24 hours a day during the games. all of the preparation, organizers say, to make sure this is not only a smooth olympics, but a memorable one. expectations are high after beijing. that city's opening ceremony in 2008 captivated the world. london is hoping to do even better, giving oscar award winning director danny boyle everything he needs for the performance, including lots of money. >> you know, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to showcase the united kingdom. billions of people will be watching the ceremony. i think it's an appropriate investment. >> reporter: the london games will have a secret weapon -- some very familiar and much loved royal faces acting as olympic ambassadors. william, kate, and harry -- athletes themselves -- helping

to set this olympic games and this olympic city apart. director danny boyle says the opening ceremony will begin with the ringing of a large bell engraved with a line from shakespeare's tempest "be not afeared the island is full of sound, sweet airs and gives the light and hurts not." sounds british to me. >> be not afeared. that's british. >> we're already discussing whether michael phelps will set more records. >> he has more gold medals than anybody. but will he be the person who has more gold medals in history than anybody? >> he only needs three to do it. that's not a stretch for him. he has competition though. >> and beach volleyball. every guy on the crew looks forward to that. >> much more after this. my retirement plan at work is a big deal... thanks...

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good morning. i'm joe krebs. it is 7:56. this live picture behind me is the white house. it is raining out there. you can see the rain splashing off the roof. let's get the forecast from storm 4 met meet tom kierein. >> yes. we have several areas getting moderate to heavy rains with gusty winds. those areas in red, northern prince george's county and northern anne arundel, another one stretching from warrenton to charlottesville. larger area of rain that's now moving into the northern neck of virginia and heading towards st. mary's county. and temperatures in virginia, many locations, as well as southern maryland in the 60s. it is generally in the 50s and the rest of maryland. and into west virginia. later today, we will clear off and get colder and it is gusty wind moves in this afternoon and this evening. chilly weekend after that. >> thanks very much. a break and come back and

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good morning. two medevaivacs have been requested. all your lanes are blocked at washington road due to the crash there. and very slow crawl. i-270 southbound to the spur. joe, back to you. >> w

8:00 now on a friday morning, the 27th of january 2012. 48 degrees out here in the plaza. we have a nice crowd to hang out with this morning. a lot of people decided to roll out of bed early to start their day with us. we all need umbrellas because, boy, it's coming down in rockefeller plaza. we're happy these people are willing to hang out with us. carl quintanilla is in for matt this morning. coming up in a little bit we'll help you arm yourselves for the weekend with a new series called "what's new, what's up and what's in" from fancy marsh mall

uh lo-- marsh mellows to what's not in the malls and entertainment as well. >> who knew pat sajak and van that white were having more than a couple of voouls. they were doing heavy drinking as well. what he has to say about the letters l-i-q-u-o-r. >> wow, can we buy a voulwel? also i sit down with legendary director martin scorcese talking about his new family film "hugo" taking 11 oscar nominations. >> it's a great movie. we loved it. >> i'm a huge fan. >> one of the most beautiful movies you will see. >> your girls may like it. we have a lot to get to. first the top stories from the news desk with natalie morales. >> good morning, everyone. pirates in somalia are

threatening to kill an american hostage captured saturday after the navy seal raid that freed an american aide worker and her colleague this week. meanwhile, they have arrived in italy for medical care and debriefing. the stakes were high last night as newt gingrich and mitt romney clashed in the final debate before tuesday's florida primary. romney defended his personal wealth and immigration policy as gingrich refused to back down from the accusation that romney is the candidate most hostile to immigration. an a american crew member sued carnival crew members over the italian disaster that left at least 16 people dead. some 3,000 passengers are offered about $14,000 apiece by cruise operators. this new video from inside the ship shows a dining room tipped on its side, a hint at what divers face as they search for more victims. a security camera recorded

dramatic video of people running for their lives after three buildings collapsed wednesday in downtown rio de janeiro, brazil. at least four people were killed and others still missing. more than 35 pounds of cocaine seized at the united nations recently, according to police. they say the drugs were shipped from mexico city, hidden in hollowed out books and placed in fake diplomatic pouches. now taking a look at what's trending today, our quick round-up of what has you talking online. '70s sit com "welcome back kotter" is a top search following the death of robert hegyes, who played juan epstein in the group the sweathogs. he was 60 years old. i'll solve the puzzle, pat. drunk at the wheel? pat sajak revealed he's been tipsy hosting the popular show. he told espn 2 he and vanna

white would down as many as six margaritas and had trouble recognizing the alphabet. who knew? and this troubling bollywood dance has more than a half million hits on a flight to new delhi. amazing. ♪ >> they should be happy, right? the dance is designed as a gesture of respect for india day. fun. >> i'd like to do that. we have to get on the flight. what a blast. a party in the air. >> you go first. >> we'll talk about the weather. >> let's bring pat and vanna on that flight. >> no kidding! >> that's a party flight, baby. is your husband watching? >> yes. hi, yoshi, i love you. and kids.

40 years in the government and it's my birthday, too. first time in new york. we love it. >> okay. there you go! let's check your we weather. now we -- austin, texas. sunny, breezy, mild. 71 degrees. going to be awfully nice. not so nice in the east. code front from miami all the way up into new england and bringing snow there. santa ana winds setting up in the pacific -- southern california. lots of sunshine at the pacific northwest. we have snow showers around ohio. and we are looking for sunny but windy conditions through the central plains. what's this? >> this is cincinnati, july 4 to the 14th. >> that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> tom kierein in storm center 4. red on radar areas of some moderate to affirmative heavy rain stretching from charlottesville up towards

manassas. as well as in prince george's county and northern anne arundel county moving southwest to northeast. it will be with us for another hour or so. a mild morning. farther to the west and north it is just in the 40s there. and it is in the low 60s in washington now and 50s in much of the rest of maryland. later today, we will get colder as we clear out this afternoon that's your latest weather. carl? >> thanks, al. when we come back, what's new, what's up, what's in. the hottest new trends, right after this. 's going to be a great day today. this is harvest day, the time where all the hard work is paying off. my name is ed pines, and i've been growing oranges for tropicana for 15 years. we nurture the trees all year long to harvest the fruit at the right moment. this is perfect for tropicana. at tropicana, we pick the oranges at the peak of freshness. it's all about growing the best orange to get the best juice. i love growing oranges. ♪

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this morning we're starting a new series called what's new, what's up, what's in. the hottest trends you need to know about right now. we rounded up three experts to get you up to speed. >> let's start with what's new. if you like to hit the mall we have interesting news for you. donny deutsch is head of deutsch incorporated. good morning. talking about the reinvention of jc penney going to a more simplified pricing model. smart move? >> yes. it's the only move. basically they are part of a dying breed which is the old school department store which trained consumers to wait for the sale and we'll give it to you. they can't compete with walmart and they are not upmarket like nieman marcus so they will follow the target model of everyday aspiration. one set of prices, but still give consumers something cool. that's what's going to make it

work. you see the logo, you will lose the rest of this and it will be jcp. they need a makeover. if not they will be out of business. the model is over. >> the ceo from apple worked there for a while. how hard is it to make the brand hip? >> it's hard to take a brand up market. you can take it down. once again, if you have the right -- target had a mossimo promotion. you can drive people to the store but they are not price-based. wow, you can get this brand at jc penney? must be a different store. >> aren't we trained to wait for the sale? >> in the ads they make fun of the addiction they created. everybody waits for the sale. now they are almost holding up a mirror going, isn't it stupid what we have done to uh you? almost blaming the consumer for it. it's the right move. it is. >> hard to imagine macy's and kohl's will take this standing still.

>> they will. the old department store flyer sale is over. every consumer whether you're economically here or here wants to feel aspirational when they shop. the marketers, retailers don't get it they'll be bye-bye tootsie. >> they have to change. >> it will probably change for us. >> thank you so much. ann? >> now to what's up. alicia is the associated press's global entertainment editor here to tell us what's up in entertainment. good morning. >> good morning, ann. >> i'm an old woman. i don't know what's up in music. >> please! >> tell me, what's the hottest song? let's listen first. >> okay. ♪ but i set fire to the rain >> "set fire to the rain" by adele. number one on the billboard charts, number three on itunes. adele is hot, hot, hot. this is her third single in america. she released this second

worldwide. it's a huge hit globally. everybody loves it. >> does she have a shot at the grammy with this? >> she's up for record of the year, song of the year. i think adele will be a big winner. >> moving on. what's up with movies? >> "safehouse" with with ryan reynolds, denzel washington. typically january or february you get okay releases. this one, ryan reynolds plays a cia agent. denzel is the bad guy. ryan reynolds is supposed to protect him and craziness ensues. >> what's up for concert goers including the boss? >> bruce springsteen going on tour march 18 starting in atlanta. it's been a long time since we have seen him on the road. >> finally, theatregoers. >> "porgie & bess." this is a classic beautifully done. our theater critic loved it. >> al's going this weekend. thank you very much.

now here's natalie. >> ann, thank you. finally, what's in? beauty expert jen is here with everything hot and trendy. beauty first. the new cream, b.b. creams. >> it's an asian beauty sensation. now we are seeing it pop up in the u.s. it's a hybrid moisturizer, foundation, treatment and spf in one. dr. jar is the first that came here direct from asia. now every beauty brand is launching one. men from lab series. garnier in the skin scare aisle and our favorite brands like smashbox, clinique. >> b.b. stands for? >> beauty balm or blemish balm. this is a great alternative. gives you perfect coverage and it's a multi tasker. what's not to love? >> we love it already. now guys don't like to shop. this is the trunk club. a stylist in a trunk.

tell me about it. >> men's online shopping keeps evolving. go online, fill out a profile, your sizes and they have stylists which put together a trunk of mix and match outfits that fit your needs. trite it on, keep what you want and send back the rest. there is no fee for shipping. they charge you for what you keep and refund everything else. >> comes right to your door. >> you don't have to get out of your pajamas. >> over here, another great designer collaboration for target. coming soon in may. >> right. may 20th, kids made modern, todd oldham partnered with target to create the coolest crafty kits ever. the crayons are incredible. everything under $20. duct tape which is a big trend and they have jewelry kits, comic book kits, wood design, paints. anything and everything. i want to use these gem-like crayons in my dining room. >> you say the crayons are edible. >> kids eat them.

my daughter put it in her mouth and chewed on it for 20 minutes. she's fine. this is fun for kids. great for birthday parties, favors. under $20. may 20, don't forget. get your hands on it. >> and what's really edible, these are gourmet marshmallows. you're seeing them everywhere. >> i'm a marshmallow connoisseur. i love a good one. now everyone else does, too. state fairs, fancy restaurants. chefs are upping the ante with the classic marshmallow. to upgrade your hot chocolate or a s'more there are organic marshmallows, bakery marshmallows i can eat by the dozen. >> chocolate covered m & ms. >> all the different flavors. marshmallows have gone fancy. >> all right. jenn thank you very much. still ahead, jenna bush hager catches up with one of the busiest, raunchiest women in hollywood, chelsea handler.

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back now at 8:19 with a young woman in colorado who admittedly made a bad decision with consequences that will last a lifetime. we'll talk to her in a minute. first savannah guthrie has her story. good morning. >> good morning, ann. this is a story of survival under the most dire circumstances. back in september then 17-year-old anna benonati and three friends decided to jump on a moving freight train in colorado. we must warn you, what happened next, the 911 call and anna's rescue are disturbing. >> don't move her! >> 911. what's the address of the emergency? >> oh, my god. i'm on third avenue. somebody just tried to jump on the train and severed her legs. >> reporter: anna was a carefree college freshman who didn't comprehend the danger of jumping onto a moving train. >> there is definitely a lot of romance to the notion of train-hopping. >> reporter: she'd done it before, jumping trains with

trends for a free ride to school. this time her friend before her jumped and fell from the train, not seriously hurt. >> i had one last fleeting thought of i shouldn't be doing this. but it was like by then it was too late. i was running so fast, reaching for the train. so i just went. >> reporter: she jumped. a decision that would cost anna her legs. >> i remember looking down at my leg dragging on the ground, looking at the wheel and how fast they were going. i remember looking down there and thinking, oh, my god, what have i done? >> she's awake, very, very pale. she's alert and talking. now she's crying. don't move. don't move. >> i felt my femur snap. i remember thinking clearly that i was about to die. >> reporter: that day anna's painful misfortune was met by incredible luck. >> if kathy and i had not been there she probably would have bled out. she would not have survived. >> reporter: emergency medical

technician nicole crowley and a nurse were there and got to anna within seconds. >> i'm thankful at some point in my life i got to use my skills for something miraculous like that. >> reporter: when anna woke up in the hospital she learned how the women saved her life. >> it was a blessing that they were there. >> reporter: after 11 surgeries anna is learning to live in a wheelchair. >> i'm going to pay for it for the rest of my life. i will never be able to forget this horrible mistake that i made. >> reporter: yet anna is embracing a new life with her family. she's already back to one of her favorite activities -- skiing -- just four months after the accident. >> you realize how much you have to be thankful for when you almost die. >> all right, anna! >> considering her extreme injury, anna's recovery and hopeful spirit, truly a remarkable story, ann. >> thank you so much. anna joins us this morning along with her mother deborah.

good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> so interesting to watch you two watch that tape. most of the time you were doing what you're doing now. you were smiling, laughing, pointing out how goofy you looked in the hospital bed. you said the look on your face. what's keeping you positive. i'm sorry for fixing your hair. what happened that was so devastating to your life? >> support of my family. realizing that life doesn't end with an accident like this. i remember there was a time, it was my first weekend home from the hospital. i was having a hard time. i was angry about what happened to me. i was thinking, okay, i have to make a choice. i can either stop where i am and sit here and do nothing but wallow in self-pity and shake my fist about why don't i have my legs or i can choose to get over it and just move on. i chose the latter. >> how did you get this

daughter, deborah? my lord. did you learn something about her you did not know seeing how she's dealt with it? >> i have always a known anna's a strong individual. but to see her come away from this tragedy with this incredible attitude, truthfully, i learne more from her every da than i'm sure she's learned from me. she's just an amazing individual. amazing. >> part of what makes you amazing is not only have you chosen to have a positive attitude, you have tried to help other people by speaking to other young people. one of the things you talk about is that decision you made not to follow your gut. >> right. >> i had a clear feeling for several minutes before i even ran for the train just thinking, you know, something tells me i'm not going to get on that train. something tells me this is going to go badly. this is not a good idea.

i don't feel right about it. i figured, i'm a teenager, i'm just being stupid, i can do this. i went for it anyway. i'm paying for it. >> you have a message for young people. >> yeah. follow your gut. if you get that feeling something's not right no matter what the situation is, you're walking home by yourself at night, you're about to text and drive, get behind the wheel of a car and you have had alcohol, if it doesn't feel right, don't do it. >> awesome to have a girl who wants to help others, not suffer as she has. >> absolutely. anna's always had the spirit of wanting to reach out to others. from the time she was 14 years old she's worked with children with special needs and her music therapy major in college kind of is an extension of that. she hasn't really missed a step. >> what a platform you now have. anna, good luck to you. >> thank you. >> now that people are listening and you can help others. thank you so much, deborah.

>> thank you. >> it's a pleasure to meet you both. >> we're back with much more after your local news and weather. 8:26 is your time now on this friday, january 27, 2012. good morning to you. i'm eun yang. let's go straight to storm 4 meteorologist tom kierein for a look at your forecast. rain around the region. >> getting moderate to heavy downpours with thunder and lightning in fairfax county, prince william, southern fauquier. that's heading into staff poured and spotsylvania. moving into the metro area and right into washington and arlington in another 15 minutes. other areas of heavy rain farther to the south and southern maryland and northern neck. all associated with a cold front bringing in cold weather. already in the 30s out in western maryland. that's coming our way by late tonight as we clear out with gusty winds this afternoon. >> thanks so much, tom. we are going

good morning. the rain is really tying up your commute this morning. let's take a look at the beltway. inner loop jammed at robinson terminal. your delays start around i-95. they continue to the dulles tool road at 22 miles per hour. taking the beltway in montgomery county, still very slow at this time. live look at university

boulevard. these cars are at a slow crawl as they head to georgia avenue. your travel speed in this area 18 miles per hour. >> danella, thanks so much. more news, weather and traffic for new 25 minutes. ♪ i'm feelin', feelin' a sunny day ♪ ♪ sunny day ♪ i'm feelin', feelin' the taste i crave ♪ ♪ subway ♪ i'm makin' it, makin' it how i like ♪ ♪ it's meant to be ♪ i'm feelin' subway ♪ i'm feelin' subway today [ male announcer ] hey, capital area! are you feelin' subway®? then heat up your day with the big hot pastrami melt!

it's fresh toasted and piled-high with pastrami, then topped with pickles, mustard, and cheese. head into a subway® restaurant today for this melty, mouthwatering sub! ♪ i'm feelin' subway ♪ let's go 8:30 now on a friday morning, january 27, 2012. yes, it is still raining out here on the plaza. we have a very dedicated group of people who put up with the rain to visit us. we want to give everybody a chance to say hi to their families and friends back home. we're all outside with them although i have to say it's

turning into a very bad hair day for some of us. >> not for all of us. >> why do you look at me when you say that? >> no, no. i'm talking about us. lla in for matt.t. he has the morning off. coming up, we have an interesting pairing. chelsea handler being interviewed by jenna bush hager and apparently there was a moment where jenna takes chelsea to task about something that chelsea said about her in a funny moment. so we're going to throw it down. coming up in a moment. >> don't talk smack about jenna. >> don't you dare. >> later on, i'll be sitting down with martin scorcese. his movie "hugo," 11 oscar nominations. one of the most beautiful movies you are going to see in a long time. very special. based on a book we introduced

our viewers to in the al's book club for kids. >> it's a love note for movie-making. >> who likes pot pie? >> oh, the competition. >> we'll have a pot pie cook-off. three regular chefs facing off in front of celebrity chef bobby flay. >> we get to judge, too? >> oh, mommy. >> meantime as we head to indianapolis for the super bowl we want to tell you about a very special online charity auction. over the last few months we have been bringing you special stories about nfl players who have gone the extra yard to give back to their communities. some signed a football that's now up for bidding. that's not all. if you have the highest bid you will also get, here we go, a trip to new york city this spring to attend the nfl draft. >> ooh. >> all the proceeds from the auction benefit the nfl's play 60 charity which helps kids. click on our website today.com, look for the heard it on "today"

tab and bid, bid, bid. the auction ends super bowl sunday. >> that's right. we'll be live friday as well as on sunday. >> and monday. some of us will be there monday. >> i know. they will be able to see the game. all right? okay. by the way, let's move our umbrella so the nice people standing in the rain can be seen. while we do that let's talk about the weather. an >> i thought me. >> no. >> violence. we have for saturday, sunshine and up and down the mid atlantic coast. down into the gulf coast. santa ana winds continuing. clouds in the pacific northwest. then sunday, sunday, we are expecting to see some cold weather in new england but it dries out. lake-effect snow showers around much of the great lakes and frigid conditions across the plains. rain moves back in the pacific northwest and nice and mild for texas into the southwest.

that's what's going on around the country and here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> pockets of heavy rain. good morning. tom kierein in storm center 4. red on radar is heavy rain. right now in southern montgomery county, about to come into the northwest washington and in a line from mclean across fairfax county to burke and breaks up in prince william county. heavy rain coming into stafford and spotsylvania. these other areas, too, southern maryland, st. mary's, northern neck getting heavy downpours. this morning. we have quite a contrast in temperatures now. kohler air moving in later today as we clear don't forget. check your weather any time day or night on the weather channel on cable or weather channel.com online. thank you. carl? >> al, thank you very much. when we come back, why is chelsea handler ripping on jenna bush hager? we'll ask jenna, but first, this is "today" on nbc.

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with three tv shows currently on the air, chelsea handler might be the busiest woman in hollywood. she recently found the time to visit with our "today" contributing correspondent jenna bush hager. good morning. >> good morning. that's right. talk show host chelsea handler on e! is known for biting humor. i got to see a different side of the controversial personality. >> the show gets better every

week. thanks for watching and keep [ bleep ] watching it. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: she's a sharp-tongued comedian, host of her own late night talk show on e! a new york times best selling author who stars in a new sit com based loosely on her life called "are you there, chelsea"? >> you cannot date your sister's ex-boyfriend. that's very slutty. >> reporter: love her or not she's everywhere. you're one of the only women in late night comedy. is that lonely or empowering? >> it's empowering but i want other females to be in late night. hopefully it will come. i'm up against the guys and we're all doing fine, i think. i don't look at their ratings. >> i want to get my tubes tied but not permanently. i don't know if they can do a slip knot or something. >> reporter: how important is it to you to make people laugh? >> i really like to laugh. it's important not only for me to make people laugh but for me to be laughing while that's

happening. i like to surround myself with people that are ridiculous and funny. >> reporter: some of those funny people are members of her writing team. with with her in the office and even when she goes on vacation. >> i like to call her the white oprah. i think i'm gayle. >> this is the white gayle. >> i'm steadman. we have a perfect relationship but i don't think really anything happens behind closed doors. >> you make fun of your employees but you like to nurture people. >> i do. i care about everybody here. most of them. there are a few i could do without. >> her side kick isn't one of them. >> she loves me. we started working together. >> it was love at first sight for me. >> for handler, family is most important. >> your brother lives with you. you're close with your sisters. >> my family is amazing. i never realized how so until i moved to california. i was probably trying to get away from them because i was

like, you're losers. oh, no, they're actually a good family. >> she's the youngest of six. her mother was mormon and her dad, a jewish used car salesman. >> my childhood was unconventional. my father was a used car salesman. we had a summer house in martha's vineyard. i was always asking where they were getting the money from, if i had a dowry. i wanted to make a big life for myself. >> reporter: is it crazy now that you're doing what you hoped to? >> i never really knew what kind of shape my career would take. i have three tv shows on air now. i never thought that would happen. >> reporter: her modest tone during our interview is a stark contrast to her take no prisoners persona on her show "chelsea lately". >> i'm calling out people for being morons and people i think are morons. >> speaking of calling out people for being morons i believe you called me out. >> and enjoyed the slow pace of watching wildlife at the park.

>> jenna! what a fantastic report. >> we make fun of things. if you fall down we'll show it. you fell down that day. >> i fell down. the good thing is i got back up. with your help probably. >> you know what? that's right. you did get back up. i screw up on my show all the time. i like to create families. this show, each of the shows i have is a family within itself. so it's all a bunch of misfits coming together and co-existing. >> life isn't all about sex. >> why do you smell like bourbon? >> dad's been here all afternoon. >> oh. >> making people laugh staying true to herself and taking those she loves along for the ride. >> she's looking more like me. >> that's because she's passed out and drooling. >> i always aspire not to aspire to be like someone else. i want to be chelsea. i want to be me and be an original. >> there is no doubt her family

has a major influence on her comedy. handler not only plays her sister on "are you there, chelsea" but two nights ago she tweeted something about having a sleepover with her sisters and i really like her. you know, she's made fun of me once but i have a girl crush. major. >> really? >> major. >> awesome. i loved your piece. >> she's worried about me. but i do. she's really doing great things for women and she's the type of woman that likes to empower those around her. i like those type of girls. >> so do i. i love the piece. you get a sense that she's true to herself. we love that. also coming up, we love martin scorcese. he's got a dazzling movie, of course. it's been a hit with oscar voters. it's called "hugo." first, this is "today" on nbc.

martin scorcese's "hugo" leads the academy awards with 11 nominations. among them, best picture and marty's seventh nod for best director. good morning. good to see you. >> good to see you. >> we talked a couple years ago when you got the lifetime achievement awards for the golden globes. we are talking about 3-d. >> yes. >> you weren't sure you could do a 3-d movie because it was such a different language. i guess you figured it out. >> the material, the book had all the elements of a story that could be enhanced by 3-d. not 3-d that jumps out at you and throws spears and arrows -- >> ping-pong balls. >> that was funny in "house of wax." the whole movie stops and the ping-pong ball at the camera. i thought a 3-d to enhance the story and immerse the audience brian selsnick book has that.

>> it's a cinematic book. >> it is. >> you set a world in 1930s paris. how difficult was it to create the world? you are immersed and you go back in time. >> we did. being on set, all the extras were extraordinary. they stayed in character all day. the main element there was the very beautiful set that was built. that was our place, you see. that was our world. when we walked on set we were no longer in shepherdton or new york or whatever. we were in paris of, i'd say -- it says 1931. but it's the mid '20s. the period in time where we even have a quick cut of james joyce and salvador dali, little references of the extraordinary

creative, explosive time between the wars. >> talk about explosive. the performances of these young actors. 13 years old. >> he was actually 12 at the time. ace is wonderful. ace butterfield is terrific. you know, he's the heart of the picture. when we did tests in 3-d i realized seeing him and chloe, sir ben kingsley and sasha. bring them out further with the 3-d. bring them closer to the audience so you would feel more accessible to the characters and be in their world in a way. that's one of the things we did throughout the picture. >> you know, you're known for movies that are maybe not quite so soft. >> yes. >> you've got a 12-year-old daughter. did that influence you? >> well, yeah. >> there's no blood. >> no, no. they kept looking at me on the crew. what's happening? keep going, men.

believe me. we'll have a train crash at one point. we'll do something. the thing is having a child as an older parent it's a different thing. i have two daughters from when i was in my 20s and 30s. this is different in your late 50s. >> is it better? >> i don't know. it's a totally different experience. maybe more grandfatherly in a way. but i became very, very kind of immersed in her world whether it was 6 months, 2 years and how they perceive things. her, her friends. it became natural to make a transition to a picture like this, especially my wife said to me, you know, make a film that the kid could see for once. >> what did your daughter think of it? >> she likes it. she's seen it a few times. she said, do i have to see it again? i said, yes.

what do you mean do you have to see it again? she's only seen it four, five times? go. sell it. you've got to be there. >> martin scorcese. could you say take camera one so i can say i have been directed by martin scorcese? >> all right. ready? all right. ready take camera one. camera one. >> i've done it. martin scorcese thank you very much. "hugo" in theaters now. we have more of "today" after this. first, this is "today" on nbc.

time now for "today's" first ever pot pie cook-off. we asked for your mouth watering recipes for the traditional american favorite. we narrowed the field to lindsay weiss from kansas, los angeles resident sean michael byer and kyra a hall from washington, d.c. famed chef bobby flay is here to crown the winner in a few minutes. >> good to see you. >> one of my favorite dishes from all time. when you try one what are you looking for? >> the two most important things are the filling and the crust itself. it can range from all different flavors, tex churs and of course proteins inside as well.

we have three interesting ones. >> let's start with lindsay. this is a steakhouse pot pie with mushrooms and cabernet. >> yes. >> how did you get the recipe? >> i'm born and raised midwestern. i love a great steakhouse meal and one of the best things are the side dishes. the wine, a beautiful cut of steak. so i created this pot pie to get one perfect bite of all of those in a steamy, savory, wonderful pot pie. >> you don't mind the store bought puff pastry? >> i'm a mom. i call puff a mom's best friend. i don't have time to roll out crust but i have time to buy this. i cut it to the shape of the puff pie, brush the edges with a little bit of egg wash to give it something to adhere to. i throw it right on top, seal it up nicely and 25 minutes later in a 350-degree oven it bakes into something beautiful, warm and steamy. >> bobby? >> it's really good. i love the fact that you're from kansas city and you're creating a kansas city steak pot pie.

it's important to know where you're from. i like this. it's sort of a cheat, but that's okay. >> it's a mom cheat. >> exactly right. making the right choice is the important point here. it's really good. i love the red wine and steak. really good. >> you suggest chilling the cabernet. >> i know it's crazy, but i dissolve corn starch in it but you want it to be cold. >> good flavor. >> hickory smoked country chicken pot pie. >> yes, sir. >> where did you get it? >> i made it up for the competition, to be honest with you. i grew up on b a family cattle ranch in california. i wanted to mak my own spin on a tradition. everybody's heard of chicken pot pie. >> sure. do you make your own crust? >> do i. it's got dried garlic and thyme. savory flavors. crust can be bland sometimes. >> himalayan pink salt. >> yes. >> why? >> matches my shirt. >> there is a reason for

everybody. >> i'm glad it's not paprika. >> you do egg wash, cracked himalayan, cracked black. gives a nice finish to the crust. >> more labor intensive. >> very. you have to roast a head of ga olive oil. i puree that. but the anchor to the dish is smoked chicken. hickory smoked chicken. uh i do it in advance. pull the skin, chop it into bite sized chicken. goes in with mixed vegetables, garlic puree. >> i love this. at my restaurant bar american we make a sweet potatoes crust. we don't use the himalayan sea salt. this smells great. the question is, is it the right amount of smoke? that's key. if you smoke it too much it can be too smoky. >> chicken takes the smoke well. >> kyra, the herb roasted pork pot pie. >> the pork just came about by

accident. my mom made a great pork loin. it was left over in the freezer. so i wanted to make a pot pie. rather than cooking chicken i cubed up the pork. it's all a one pot thing. it goes right into the pot here. there's fresh thyme, dried thyme, herbs de provence. >> shortening, cream cheese and butter? >> she doesn't play around with the crust. lots of fat in the crust. >> most important. >> and a little bit of sugar as well to make it caramelize. sorry about that. you can see how beautiful it is, carl. the thing i love is kyra took leftovers to create a pot pie with it. how often do you see pork pot pie? not often. >> we should see more of it. >> wow. >> look at the size of that. >> you want to crown the winner? >> i am. just like the last time i don't have to go far.

i'm giving it to kyra. [ cheers and applause ] >> amazing. >> thank you. >> lift it up! >> not only are your recipes great but you're great on television. i've got to say. i'm impressed with all of you. >> congratulations, kyra. >> we have much more coming up. stay tuned right after this. 8:56 is your time now. 62 degrees. take your umbrella if you are heading out right now. pouring rain. you can tell it is affecting traffic. good morning to you. i'm eun yang. friday, january 27, 2012. let's go to storm 4 meat meet tom kierein for a look at your forecast. >> getting flashes of lightning and booms of thunder in the district of columbia. fairfax county. there's one really heavy

downpour with thunder and lightning coming into alexandria. and that stretch essay long 95 in lieu prince william county, staff forward county. farther to the north of washington, 95, northern prince george's county into northern anne arundel and we will have this quickly moving off to the east and farther to our west, sunshine is breaking out now. we have to get sun later this afternoon with gusty wind and turning colder tonight and chilly weekend after that. >> thanks, tom. we will be right back with a check

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good morning. the rain is slowing down your friday commute. 395, delays started at edsall and continue across the 14th street bridge. travel speed is 18 miles per hour. outer loop of the beltway montgomery county, still jammed. back to you. >> thanks so much.

back now with more of "today" on this friday morning. aren't we happy it's friday? the 27th of january 2012. it's a warm day, but it's a damp day in rockefeller plaza. but these people are not letting us rain on their parade. in fact, we have lovely guests this morning including this little baby right behind me. we should stop everything and look at this little baby. hello. good morning. there we are. what do you think? >> that's your moment of zen. there you go. along with that baby i'm ann curry along with carl quintanilla who's in for matt.

al roker and savannah guthrie joining us. coming up we'll talk about demi moore. >> new details about what happened the night she was rushed to the hospital. portions of the 911 call made from her home that night will be released today. we'll get the latest on her condition so far. >> all right. >> also ahead, i can't believe we're saying this but tax season is upon us. we have probably all seen the ads of people offering to help with taxes. we have jean chatzky telling us how to make the most of deductions and how to avoid the dreaded audit. >> once you have done your taxes and you get the refund you may want to get away from it all. we have tips on how to do that. we have warm weather getaways to lift your mood and leave you a little something left over from the tax refund. >> all that and we also have a check of the morning's top stories. natalie is at the news desk. good morning once again. >> good morning to you guys and good morning, everyone. we begin with new allegations surfacing against the captain of the stricken cruise ship off the

italian coast. his lawyer is speaking out to nbc news in an exclusive interview. here's more from michelle kosinski. [ screaming ] >> reporter: what exactly happened that night two weeks ago? it's been coming out in testimony before italian senators. the port authority alleging captain schettino, quote, wasted a precious hour giving contradictory orders. time, an admiral said, that terrified passengers. to board lifeboats. the cruise's manager says schettino called him after the crash wanting him to agree to an explanation that an electrical blackout was the cause. schettino under house arrest is, his lawyer says, deeply distraught. [ speaking italian ] >> translator: he's at a loss for the victims and cannot come to terms with what happened. >> reporter: but by no means is willing to take all the blame. a scapegoat for the mega

disaster. >> translator: he feels bitter. the company abandoned him. he understands there are some reasons to justify that. >> reporter: why such a delayed response as the ship sharply listed? bruno leperoti says that schettino needed to fully assess the situation and make a plan which took time. >> translator: captains are trained to avoid making passengers panic. panic is dangerous. >> reporter: now we see more pictures of what divers face deep within the so recently luxurious concordia. this was the dining room tilted entirely on its side in dark, filthy water. divers must feel their way, searching for signs of victims and finding everything else -- bottles, candles, a man's shoe. the captain's lawyer said he deeply feels these losses and won't avoid responsibility if he made a mistake.

after 30 honorable years, he says, at sea. >> that was michelle kosinski reporting. another fiery republican debate with mitt romney not backing down against newt gingrich. the two presidential front-runners clashed over immigration in the final face-off before tuesday's florida primary. gingrich refused to back down saying romney is most hostile to immigration. romney called the allegation inexcusable and demanded an apology. president obama will detail his plan to make college more affordable during a speech today at the university of michigan. meantime the president said thursday his tarmac talk with arizona governor jan brewer a day earlier was blown out of proportion and no big deal. he said it's good publicity for a republican if they are in an argument with him. secretary of state hillary clinton said she's ready to step off what she calls the high wire of american politics. speaking to state department employees thursday secretary

clinton said she would stay on through any transition in president obama if he's re-elected but said after 20 years in politics she wants to find out just how tired she is. and this is one way to pass the time while waiting for a flight. san francisco's airport now features a yoga room to help flyers stretch and chill out a little before boarding. one passenger apparently mentioned the idea to the right airport official who happened to be a devout yogi. looks like a good place to spend some time. five minutes past the hour. now out to ann, carl and al. say om. >> i remember when i was that limber. >> what's to prevent us having a little studio on the plaza? >> well, we'd get wet for starters. >> not today. speaking of today. >> we have nice folks here. what's your name? >> katie vay. >> not a great day today. >> no. >> let's show you what's happening. we have a snow drought going on.

philadelphia has only gotten three inches of snow. last winter like three inches o snow. last winter 37 inches. 113 inches. are you polling me? >> i am following you. i want to see what it is like to be in the footsteps of al roker. >> 55 inches normally. we are looking at a slight risk of strong storms in the mid atlantic states. rain in the northeast. expect to see plenty of sunshine. finally, getting a break in the pacific northwest. see sunshine. santa ana winds continue with high surf advisories in southern california. and cute group of kids over here. you are -- moving away. are you in the witness protection program? where are you going? what's your name? >> natalie. >> natalie. >> what's your name? >> jack. >> what's your name? >> anna. >> what's your name? >> grace. >> we got them all. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning, getting thunder and lightning. heavy downpours with brief, gusty winds. line of storms coming through that area in red on the radar. now into prince george's county and southeast washington. and northeast washington.

and alexandria all the way down towards now just crossing the title potomac. charles county. that's coming to sweep off to the east. other areas of heavy downpours now moving into the lower eastern shore. after that, though, we should get cooler weather moving in. leesburg is down what's your name? >> annie! >> i know an annie. now inside to savannie. >> thanks, al. this morning on today's money, tax season. from finding the deductions to avoiding common audit red flags. it's hard to know where to start when doing your taxes but jean chatzky is here to help us. good morning. >> good morning. >> i can't believe we're talking about taxes already. >> and smiling. >> it's early. >> yes. >> we can get ahead of problems. you want to take all the deductions but not higher than average deductions which can alert the auditors. >> if your deductions are out of

whack with income you may be in trouble. let's talk about the ones people miss so you can get what you deserve. >> first is state sales tax. i didn't know you could deduct this. >> on your federal return. it's particularly important for people who live in the seven states without a sales tax. otherwise you're probably going to deduct state income tax because that's the higher deduction. the irs has tables of what's an acceptable deduction. if you bought something big like a car, a boat or home improvement materials you can tack it on. >> if you do have a state income tax. >> you have to decide. it's either/or. >> small charitable contributions. they have to be the main deduction most people take. >> it's a big one, definitely. you have to pay attention. if you make a big charitable deduction of course you will get a record, and have receipts. but if you're constantly dropping off a bag of food at the food pantry or baking for the homeless shelter, that adds up. make sure to keep records and get receipts for those also. they can be meaningful at the

end of the year. >> if charitable deductions are over $250 you have to show a receipt. >> from the charity. otherwise the cancelled check will do. >> student loans interest. students can deduct it even if the parents paid it. >> if your parents are paying off your student loans, whatever they pay in interest is considered a gift to you. you can take the deduction because it's your debt. >> but if the student took the deduction the parent can't also take the deduction. >> no. the parent can't take it at all. it's the student's debt. >> job hunting costs. people are looking for jobs. it would be great deduct. >> job hunting falls under miscellaneous deductions. they have to account for 2% or more for adjusted gross income before you can write them off. if you're out of a job and don't have a high gross income this works for you. we are talking food, lodging, transportation traveling to interview for a job. it has to be a job in the field in which you already work.

first jobs don't count. but then you can deduct moving expenses if you go across the country. >> now we know why the tax code is so thick. >> it's complicated. >> you have to have significant job hunting expenses to get above the threshold. >> on that complicated note, if you're at a loss and you pick up a software program like turbotax it takes you by that and. it's when people try to do it with pencil and paper they miss stuff. >> exactly. let's talk about audits. first of all, how does the irs determine who to audit? >> the irs is looking for things that are out of whack. they do it by computer. if your income, for example, doesn't match up with your 1099s and w-2s. if your tax form is out of whack that will kick your return out of the system and you will get a letter you don't want from the irs. >> and they also a randomly select people? >> sometimes they are random. other times it's inconsistencies. not just with income but if your

charitable donations look wildly out of whack with the amount of makeup you eamoney you earn thas a red flag. >> another red flag, the home office deduction. >> the irs has been successful in clawing back that deduction and saying, you don't qualify for that. here's the deal. you have to have a space that you use in your home exclusively for business. can't be the nursery. can't be the guest room. it has to be your principle office which means you can't have a place some place else. if you're taking the deduction because you deserve it, which you should, by the way, if you deserve it pause it's substantial, take pictures. so if the office becomes the nursery in a couple of years and you wait and get audited down the road you have the proof. >> you almost wonder if it's worth taking it today to trigger an auto. >> it's worth something. if you have the office i think

you should take it. you should document it. >> the last red flag, business expenses which is right along with the home office. >> again, document, document, document. if you get audited, the paper trail is the best defense. >> great advice. thank you so much. tax season is upon us. up next, looking to get out of the cold? we'll have sunny, warm destination travel deals plus the latest on demi moore. new information about her behavior the night she was rushed to the hospital. but first, these messages. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] what if we could keep enough plastic waste to cover all of manhattan out of landfills each year? the equivalent of 140 million trash bags, gone. by using new glad trash bags, designed with reinforcing bands to be stronger with less plastic waste, we can. ♪ it's a small change that can make a big difference. ♪

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[ woman ] sass! [ laughs ] [ woman ] passion! courage. that sounds like me! joy! [ female announcer ] special k now has all new personalized plans. you pick the food you want to eat... your goal weight... your timeline... and what you most want to gain. i'd really like to be the person i know i can be. [ female announcer ] all new personalized plans. free at specialk.com. what will you gain when you lose? this morning on today's travel warm weather getaways. a lot of folks are dealing with scenes like you see right here.

folks thinking, can i get away to some place like this? claire newell is a travel expert busy looking for deals for your family and you. >> i found some great deals. >> i know. you say this is the best time, after the peak holiday season. >> absolutely. everyone's been away over the christmas holidays and new year's. january and february you can get great deals. these deals do not let you down. >> let's start in hawaii. you have a great deal on honolulu. >> the miramar hotel has a deal of $109. the reason i like this hotel, not only is it a great price but it's a well located hotel a block and a half away from the beach. it gives you a really good central location to see all that honolulu has to offer. pearl harbor, the polynesian cultural center and, of course, a block and a half away from the gorgeous waikiki beach. >> how are airfares? >> good at this time of year.

from the west coast you can get deals under $399. >> now to jamaica, another great spot. >> another really great spot. i chose a property called the rock house hotel. as long as i have been in travel which is far longer than i care to let anybody know, this is on seven mile beach voted one of the top ten beaches since i started in the travel industry. this resort -- >> you can see why they call it the rock hotel. >> absolutely. $160 a night. >> wow. >> state of the art amenities. if you're into a spa, yoga, pilates, you can do daily classes there. it's so fancy, bob dylan and bob marley have both stayed there. they have a great program that part of the proceeds go back to local schools repairing libraries. >> let's go the u.s. virgin islands. you have st. thomas. >> i do.

st. thomas is often considered an unaffordable destination. this is a great price of $168. it's a boutique hotel, a luxury hotel and a lot less expensive than others i found on the property. >> good family hotel? >> it is. it has a microwave and refrigerator in the room. if you're traveling with kids, that's a good price. >> really cool. next, the cook islands. we don't hear about that a lot. >> you don't. it's located smack in the middle of the pacific ocean. it's on an island called rarotonga again. >> say it again. >> rarotonga. it's a private island. no one on the beach trying to sell you something and the edgewater hotel is one of the best known on the cook islands. $162. everything you want -- pools, kids club. >> hard to get to? >> it is, but it's a bit daunting when you say the middle

of the pacific ocean and south pacific. three hours past honolulu. well worth it. especially if you're looking for r & r. spectacular destination. >> good for kids? >> great. it has a fantastic kids club that's worth checking out. >> really cool. closer to home there is a place you like, a smaller property in the florida keys. >> it's the island bay row sort. it's a family run private property, really homey. each of the rooms is actually a little cottage. $169 a night. it's the most expensive of the deals but each of the cottages have a kitchen. and a grill on the back deck. so you can cook. it's not going to cost you as much money if you're going to be preparing some of the heels. >> wow. finally, you have a nice western resort and spa in mexico. >> it's in san jose del cabo which is the quieter area. it's close enough to cabo san lucas for the night life but the westin, a well known chain.

>> look at that. what interesting architecture. >> it is interesting. it's a beautiful property once you're there. seven pools. three restaurants. three bars. everything you want and $139, the cheapest i have seen in a while for the resort. >> flights to mexico, reasonable? >> very. only a two e oh hour flight from southern california. so it's easy to get toond very safe. >> great ideas. claire, thank you so much. >> thanks, al. >> coming up on today's style, another way to stay warm this winter wearing layers with style. right after these messages. [ male announcer ] it sizzles, ready for anything.

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they're cuter in clean clothes. thanks, honey. yeah. you suck at folding. [ laughs ] [ female announcer ] just one dose of tide original liquid helps remove food stains better than an entire 40 load bottle of the leading liquid bargain brand. that's my tide. what's yours? and these are the ones you'll love on a school night. pillsbury ham and cheese crescents. with just a few ingredients, you have an easy dinner. pillsbury ham and cheese crescents. school night ideas made easy. after five seasons it's time to say good-bye to chuck

bertowski. the story about the secret agent comes to a close tonight with his series finale. chuck will attempt to save his future by teaming up with friends and family to defeat villain nicholas quinn. will the series end in tragedy? will chuck and sara's romance survive? find out tonight at 8:00/7:00 central. >> that was rokeresque in the delivery. >> it was building up to the climactic end. >> much like ourselves. >> what's going to happen? >> coming up, bundle up for the cold. >> and it's all greek to me. a lesson in making spinach pie. >> all coming up after your local news. if you're one of those folks who gets heartburn

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good morning. it is 9:26 this friday, january 27. take a look at the backups out there. 60 degrees and rain throughout the region is making tough on commuters who are still on the roads. let's check to see how long the rain will last. storm 4 meteorologist tom kierein with the forecast. >> heavy rain ended in washington, fairfax, montgomery counties. where you see the red it is still raining hard in a line across prince george's county into northern anne arundel. heading off to the north and east. other pockets of moderate to heavy rain with thunder and lightning in southern charles county into stafford and spotsylvania. also on the lower eastern shore. and as the day progresses we get the temperatures balmy now and getting chillier as we get into the afternoon with a gusty wind

out of the north and west and sunshine breaking out. chilly weekend after that. here's a friendly reminder. it's your last chance to get verizon's reliable high speed internet and phone for small business for only $84.99 a month. call 1.866.solutions now or visit verizon.com/solutions. only $84.99 for high-speed internet and phone. plus your choice of either no annual contract or a two year price guarantee. call 1.866.solutions or visit verizon.com/solutions today. hurry -- this offer won't last long. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 1-800-974-6006

good morning. in the district, 4th street northeast reopened at massachusetts avenue. and also still seeing a lot of rain on our roadways. this is a live look at new york avenue and 14th street.

please use caution in the area. and the outer loop still very slow trip for you in montgomery county. your travel speed is 22 miles per hour from i-95 to i-270. that trip takes 25

♪ jennifer lopez does it all from music to acting to fashion and, of course, the judges' table on "american idol" where she's not afraid to speak her mind and disagree with randy jackson and steven tyler. we have no other reason to say it. we just wanted to say it. she's going to be here to tell us about the latest season of "american idol" and the other things that might be going on in her life coming up monday on "today." she's always great when she's here. >> she's fun. >> coming up this half hour new details on what happened the night demi moore was rushed to the hospital. she's said to have been

releaseded. we'll find out what's next for the actress. we wish her the best. >> that's right. on today's style, the layered look. you need to keep warm in the cold but don't want to look puffed up like the michelin man. we'll show you how to layer up in style as our model is doing well. >> and in the kitchen, are you afraid of phyllo? we'll teach you to make spinach pie and other greek goodies without fear. first -- >> i didn't know there was a fear of phyllo. >> i didn't know it was pronounced feel-low. >> i know. >> it's file-low. >> you say fee-low, i say file-low. >> what's coming up? >> staying healthy. five tests every woman should have this year and how making appointments for the check-ups is easier than ever.

and love the names but not the price tags? from vera wang to mossoni where to find high fashion at low prices. >> and a new reality show with a twist. two criminal profilers work with a convicted serial killer to solve murders. the show is called "dark minds." can the approach crack cases? we'll find out. and the books with titles that need to be bleeped out. go the f to sleep. stitch & -- you know what. are those expletives for impact? >> wow. >> and these are kids' books. >> or are we a nation of potty mouths. we'll do some hefty reading this weekend. >> i love how we blur it out and everyone knows what it says. >> fill in the blank. >> we're just smart people. >> al roker, how's the >>i immediate this job. let's show you what is going on for the weekend.

saturday, cold conditions up in new england. and cool in the mid atlantic states. nice and mild down to the gulf coast. and we have santa ana winds blowing hard in southern california. sunday, sunday, looking at mild conditions from the southwest on into the gulf. some rain moves back into the pacific northwest. light lake-effect snow showers movation cross the fwrat lakes with frigid conditions in the plains and stays chilly -- why are you rubbing your clothe? >> cold here in the studio. >> trying to start a fire. >> "survivor" series. >> if my leg caught on fire we would have bigger stories than your weather. >> that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning, tom kierein in storm center 4. right now on radar we see the reds and oranges getting heavy rains from fredericksburg into charles, prince george's, anne arundel counties. heavy downpours in the lower eastern shore from cambridge to salisbury. farther to the west, little sunshine breaking out.

temperatures in the 50s. and it is in the 30s out in western maryland while it is in the 60s south and east of washington. and we will have some of that colder air moving in from the west and gusty wind this afternoon as we clear out and then that's your latest weather. >> thank you, al. up next -- well, today's special for a member of our "today" family. it is savannah's mom's birthday. >> i couldn't resist saying happy birthday, mom. >> that can't be you. that's not your hair color. >> that's my natural hair color. let's keep focused on why we are here. >> more importantly, her mom. >> to wish my beautiful mother a happy 70th birthday. she's the light of our lives. she raised wonderful, wonderful children. >> i can't believe she's 70. she looks fantastic. i'm so proud of her. >> i think we should give her a call. >> how about that? >> let's get her on the phone. >> she surprised me when she came on the show. let's surprise her. >> mark victor, can you dial the

phone, see if she's on the line? >> hello? >> hi, mom. >> hi, honey. how are you? >> happy birthday! >> oh, thank you, thank you. >> are you watching us on tv? >> you're live on tv. >> contindon't wear. >> what's on tv? >> you are. >> happy birthday. >> who is this? [ laughter ] >> it's savannah and al and natalie. >> oh, hi, al! hi, natalie! >> happy birthday. what are you going to do? >> aren't you cute? i'm watching -- >> we have amy and jenna here. >> hi, amy! aren't you cute? >> do you have special plans? >> i'm going out with friends for dinner and my daughter annie and her daughter are going to cook e me dinner on sunday and my niece and nephew are coming. it will be a fun time. savannah, i wish you were here. >> we do, too. >> my sister and her husband are coming next week. it will be a busy time for us.

the weather is 75! >> everybody wants to celebrate. it's so momentous. >> i think you have to have a birthday month. >> i know! why don't you all come out and do the show in arizona. it's 75 here. >> let's do this thing. >> pretty good. before we hang up they asked if your mom would be awake because it's 7:30 in the morning in arizona. my mom wakes up at 4:00 a.m. i said, no worries. she's on east coast time. >> my son cameron called me at 5:30 and i wasn't awake. he was in salt lake getting on a plane. thanks, guys, for calling. i'll look for you! >> happy birthday. love you. >> i love you, too. >> enjoy your day. >> thank you. bye! >> coming up on the fourth hour, kathie lee and hoda -- >> where did savannah get the gift of gab? >> she's darling. >> still to come this morning as

we change subjects here, we'll show you to bundle up in style and wear the layered look. first, these messages. ♪ beth! hi! looking good. you've lost some weight. thanks. you noticed. these clothes are too big, so i'm donating them. how'd you do it? eating right -- whole grain. [ female announcer ] people who choose more whole grain tend to weigh less than those who don't. multi-grain cheerios -- 5 whole grains, 110 calories. creamy, dreamy peanut butter taste in a tempting new cereal. mmm! [ female announcer ] new multi-grain cheerios peanut butter. but not your wrinkles? neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair. its retinol formula visibly reduces wrinkles in just one week. why wait if you don't have to. neutrogena®. i love the fact that quicken loans provides va loans. quicken loans understood all the details

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stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, tell your doctor if you have new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack. use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. it helps to have people around you... they say, you're much bigger than this. and you are. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. actress demi moore is out of the hospital this morning as new information emerges about what happened the night she was rushed there. nbc's miguel almaguer has more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. a 911 call from moore's home is expected to be released today. but for privacy reasons,

portions won't be made public. this as we learn more about the hours that led to the emergency call. with reports surfacing that demi moore has checked out of the hospital it's unclear if she's returned back to her beverly hills home. it was here on monday where friends say she had a girls' night in. >> demi moore was hosting a birthday party for a friend named heather perry. among the guest was jennifer meyer, toby mcguire's wife. otherwise it was just very close friends there to celebrate a birthday. >> reporter: the actress who's looked gaunt and frail was said to be tending to guests serving dinner and dessert but something may have been off. >> i'm told she was acting, quote, pretty hyper, even a little bit crazy as she left the group several times but did come back a few minutes later each time and she just wasn't acting her normal self. >> reporter: it is believed by 10:00 p.m. when all but one of

the guests had left, moore began shaking, showing signs of a seizure. she was rushed to the hospital after a 911 call. per publicist saying because of the stresses in her life right now, demi has chosen to seek professional assistance to treat exhaustion. in november, amid reports of his infidelity, moore split with ashton kutcher, the star of "two and a half men." thursday night he returned home to l.a. after a business trip in brazil where video showed kutcher having a good time. he tweeted pictures from the streets of sau paulo but said nothing of moore. >> ashton is concerned but i'm told he hasn't been in contact with her. >> reporter: in the '80s moore sought treatment for substance abuse but people magazine now reports moore's prescription drug use was a contributing factor to the end of her marriage to kutcher. one of hollywood's popular stars, first uh turmoil in her personal life and now a scare in her health. >> moore's publicist said the

actress is working to improve her overall health. when the 911 call is released authorities asked that details about the substances that were ingested the night of her accident be redacted. >> up next, we'll show you how to layer up. first, these messages. progressive saved me so much money on car insurance, this baggage fee is on me. did you check that bag? houston? well, welcome to savingsville. did you pay $25 for that bag fee? -yeah. -you did? with all the money i saved on progressive car insurance, i'll take care of that bag fee. you're so kind! thank you! you guys just landed in savingsville. [laughs] yes, we did! you made my day. do you want to pay our college tuition, too?

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>> announcer: today's style is brought to you by l'oréal paris, celebrating 40 years of because you're worth it. ♪ baby it's cold outside >> this morning on today's style, chic ways to bundle up. keeping warm is all about layering and jamie has tips on what to wear from the inside out. good morning. >> good morning. >> now is the time for cute coats. you say what's underneath is just as important. >> it's true. people focus on the outer wear and puffy jackets but the layer close to your skin is most important. you need a lot of loose layers as well. i know it's 60 outside now. >> right. >> i'm not optimistic it will be that way for much longer. you have to be prepared and i'll show you how to do it. >> and so you don't look puffy. starting with layering for the weekend, danielle is showing us a toggle coat and layering up

with a casual feel. >> absolutely. here's what i love about this tommy hilfiger jacket. invest in a high quality designer label. g go to a flash sale site. this is normally $229. on the site it's $110. >> wow. >> it has a detachable hood and inside she has a great down vest. a goose down vest is super cute. this is slimming from land's end. the scarf is land's end, too. i love that it's nautical, cashmere/wool blend so you can wear it on cool spring nights as well. >> i love the earmuffs. they're functional, right? you can play music through them? >> right. i'm obsessed. you can get them at nordstrom. listen to your music on the weekends and the boots are airsouls. they have the exclusive comfort technology and stylish, too. over sweat pant jeans.

>> you look beautiful. we'll show you how to layer up for a cocktail party. here is our beautiful model danielle. she has a beautiful cape coat. tell me about the look. >> the cape coat is rachel zoe for kwqvc. you can see underneath you can still wear sleeveless. we got out of the holiday party season. this is a great kacapelet in angora and wool. great special occasion wear. those are fleece-lined tights. >> really? wow. >> extra warm. elegant and beautiful. >> nice gloves as well and the beret completes the going out for a party look. you look beautiful. >> keep your head warm. that's important. you can do it in style. >> you look great. hope you have a good place to go after this. next for girls' night out, speaking of places to go, how about this adore bli sporty

girl, becky. she's going out for fun with girlfriends. >> absolutely. this jacket is from kohl's. i love this look. if you're going out with your friends you can mix and match patterns and textures and have fun with lighter colors. underneath the jacket is 100% nuine leather jacket. only $99 from t.j.maxx. again, you can get designer high quality, warm pieces for less. i doubled up on the tights which is a great idea. they don't have to be black. i did a solid cream and a great detailed pair on top. extra warm, extra cute. >> i love how she matches. you have the sequinned t-shirt with the great leopard. it all works together. >> as long as it's in the same color family you can mix and match patterns and textures. of course the faux fur scarf is great. >> you look fantastic. thank you so much. now layering for the office. a lot of us wouldn't think you can pull this look off at the office. we have angie with us now.

she has a gorgeous shear ling suede coat. >> the shearling suede is a big trend. it's loose and effortless. it's only $30 at marshall's. sitses loost and nice over your layers. underneath a turtle neck, a sheer blouse over it and a great sweater vest, slacks and a half bootie. >> and tech gloves on, too. >> those are great on the way to the office. you're sending e-mails. you can keep your hands warm and send your e-mails without taking your gloves off. >> finally, the sporty look. here we have given and michael. she looks perfect whether running or doing errands around town. >> women work out in the morning and then you want to look stylish, do errands. this is the bernardoo packable

down jacket. you can pack it into a little pouch that comes inside the jacket. it's still slimming. underneath -- >> looks reversible. >> it is. it comes in all different colors. >> fabulous. >> this is from brooks running. what's cool about their line is they really designed specifically for the runner and the athlete. depending on the temperature and climate outside. >> really quickly, adorable michael. tell me what he's got on? >> a head to toe look from the children's place. this jacket is a three in one. when you take off the first layer there is a fleece jacket and he has a little hand warmer which is essentially for the little kids. then the mohawk beanie. >> looks great, everybody. come back out for a one last look. you look fantastic. great job layering it up. you look gorgeous as well. jamie, thank you. up next, a taste of the mediterranean. we'll get a lesson in greek cooking. stay tuned if you love spanikopita. stay tuned if you love spanikopita. first, this is "today" on nbc.

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>> announcer: today's kitchen is brought to you by ritz, open for fun. >> this morning in today's kitchen, fearless phyllo. easy as one, two, three. you don't have to be greek to enjoy recipes using the dough. we'll see how easy and versatile it is. diane, good morning. >> good morning. >> it's feel-low, right? >> however you want to pronounce it. >> we're using store bought. >> it's easy. unroll it. that's if first thing to do. i will show you to make the basic shape. i will make you say it. it's -- [ speaking in a foreign language ] >> we say spanakopita. >> that's the big pan. cut a strip.

>> say it again. span akopitaka. >> right. >> it's greek. >> exactly. >> this is the filling. >> take a sliver. >> take one of the strips and the idea is to get the fear out of it. you have a cracked one there. not to worry. that's good. brush it with olive oil. >> could you use butter? the point is to have fat? >> you could but the beauty of phyllo is you get to work with a good fat which is olive oil. it's a great way to get vegetables on the plate like spinach, kids your things wouldn't normally eat. >> do you oil both sides? >> not both sides but each surface. >> i see. >> it's really easy to work with. very versatile. you could fill it with anything. >> what do we have there? >> this is the classic spinach filling. spinach, scallions, cheese, dill. >> the filling is easy?

>> easy to do. >> put some filling in. >> you may want to watch me a little bit. i have more than i need in there. >> oh, me, too. >> again, not to worry if it gets messy. >> right. roll it up basically like a flag. so you do a right triangle. you can do any shape. you can docileders, a big triangle. >> you could make a hat or a broach. >> we have about 30 seconds left. then what? >> put them here and make it off and it looks like this. >> that's a good one. >> this is a great sun dried tomato, greek yogurt and feta cheese filling. >> very versatile. >> especially for the super bowl. >> wonderful. diane, thank you. and my mom had no

9:57 is your time. heavy rains throughout the area. meteorologist tom kierein in the storm center with a look at your forecast. >> good morning. rain ended here in washington. but it is still raining heavily across the chesapeake bay. just east of annapolis. and towards the northern part of the eastern shore. also southern part of eastern shore getting moderate to heavy downpours. are the areas in the far eastern

northern neck, parts of southern maryland a few pock threats and medical rat rain. it will be turning chillier as we get into the afternoon and we will have a gusty wind as well at the sunshine breaking out. chilly weekend to follow. danella, how is late morning traffic. >> we have an accident involving a school bus. this is on richie marlboro road at brooke lane. no series injuries have been reported. now still seeing delays slow as you make your way into the city. just under speed on 395 northbound right now. travel speed is 34 miles per hour. >> thank you, danella. it is officially the year of the dragon. monday was the start of the chinese lunar new year and we chinese lunar new year and we will take a look at the

captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello, everybody. yes, you made it to friday. january 27th. less than two weeks away from our big trip to the bahamas. >> can't can not wait to giddy-up and get in the sunshine. >> you love your sunshine. >> i do. >> is that the 9th, you guys? >> somewhere around there. >> somewhere. >> we are chewing gum not because we're rude but because we hear that it has benefits. these are mental benefits to chewing gum. they say let's pretend you're taking a test.

if you chew gum prior to the test and not while you're taking it -- >> right before. >> take the gum out and take the test apparently it increases the blood flow to your brain. >> mm-hmm. >> and makes you smarter. >> especially the older you get. let's see. >> okay. when i chew gum, i really chew it. >> you get in. >> i get in! >> she gets involved. ten seconds to look at these. hoda, you show me that one and i show you this one. right? okay. >> wait. >> oh, separately. all right. i'm going to go. >> one, two, three. >> wait! first of all, don't count out loud while i'm trying to see -- i take this stuff seriously. >> here's some names on a card. >> julie, celine, bella, patrice, and salina. julie, patrice, bella -- i can't remember the other. >> jane! >> oh, okay. >> good one. >> ready? >> let me see it.

okay. ben, michael, todd, don, george. ben, michael, todd, don, george. ben, michael, todd, don, george. >> but can you jug snl you know what today is? >> try day friday. >> no. also the happiest workday or something like that. what is it? national have fun at work day. >> let's talk about that. >> if you want to have fun, stay home. >> ewin.com. these are ways to celebrate having fun at work. >> fun. >> here's an idea. these are several ideas. choose any one. >> this one i love. >> lunchtime. >> do it. go and sit in your parked car with sunglasses on and point a hair dryer at passing cars, see if they slow down. hysterical. >> page yourself over the intercom and don't disguise your voice. >> every time someone asks you to do something ask if they want fries with that. >> i hate when people do that. >> that'll kill 'em.

>> put a trash can on top of your desk and label it inbox. >> and as often as possible skip rather than walk. this is my best -- best one. tell your boss it's not the voices in my head that bother me. it's the voices in your head that do. that should win friends. >> when you get home tell your children over dinner due to the economy we're going to have to let one of you go. >> i know. what? >> so cool. >> that's a joke from an old new yorker cartoon where the father -- kids, i guess you're wondering why your mother and i called you in today. so funny. due to the economy, we're going to have to let one of you go. >> when we were kids to amuse ourselves on car rides, we'd be in the back of our car with the parents and knock on the window to get the attention and look frantically at the people next to us. when they look at us, we all turn our backs and wave the other way. >> what's more fun than that?

>> it's fun day. >> see if you can remember them still. >> ben. michael. george. i don't know. mopey, dopey. who is it? >> todd and don. >> todd and don. >> i had a tough one. >> what are yours? >> salina and jane and julie and bella. >> here's the difference. i have good short-term memory and you remember later. you remember later. >> they were telling me. stella. one of my favorite movies ever. >> you have to do word association. >> yes, you do. who has time? >> also a good day to learn a new trick. since it is try day, friday, we should learn how to juggle. >> or drink a new drink to help you with your -- whatever we have to to next. this is in honor of the giants going to the super bowl, baby. >> all the way. already. let's learn to juggle. >> oh. >> lou johnson. lou is coming out. lou has been juggling since he's 6 years old. big lou i bet they call you. >> pretty much. yes.

>> is it difficult to learn how to do this? >> you can actually learn in as little as two days, sometimes people have learned in as little as two minutes. >> how about in 30, 40 seconds? >> we're going to attempt a world record for myself. everyone, come on over. come on down. >> why do we have to come over there? >> right over here. >> do we need anything? >> a lot of people get stuck behind the screen at work. so we're going to sort of like unlock them, get them a chance to do something different. instead of using those, we have something like these. tah-dah. >> okay. there you go. >> for me? >> oh, good. >> easy. >> this is simple. >> da, da, da, da. >> of course you are. >> kathie lee, we're going to face in one direction so we know exactly where the scarves are going to fly. shick them out to limber them up. this is called la hula. this is going to be good. >> 30 seconds. >> what we're going to do is try this using these words, kathie

lee, hoda, awesome. >> kathie lee, hoda, awesome. >> i know you've been doing kathie lee more than one time. don't forget hoda. okay? here we go. kathie lee, hoda. >> kathie lee, hoda. look at what hoda is doing. use each hand. kathie lee is going and hoda is taking a turn. kathie lee, watch this. right hand, left hand. >> what? >> kathie lee, hoda. you're still using kathie lee again. put hoda first. >> why do i want to put hoda first. >> she doesn't like this. >> hoda, kathie lee, and you'll be successful. try it. >> last time. >> she did it, yes! >> thank you, sweetie. >> if i only chewed some gum before i tried it. thanks, lou. >> wow. >> thanks very much. >> sure. thank you. >> i'm not sure why we had that segment but he's a nice guy.

>> all righty. you know what it's time for? >> lou is available for any event. check out loujuggler.com. is that true, lou? thank you. >> let's bring on bobbie thomas. hey, girl. >> so, it might be fun at work day but this is kind of the most depressing time of the year. it's been proven so i have some happies. really interesting company based in brooklyn called bummer baskets. after a bunch of their friends had a run of bad luck, summer romances ending, et cetera, he depsied flowers and chocolates had calories so he created these bummer baskets, funny customized cards like this heart being run over by a tire, et cetera. also, happy shots in front of you. these are the happy shots that claim to restore your neurotransmitters that actually make us feel naturally happy. it's like a boost, they say, of peopleness. try it. chocolate cherry favor. >> did you taste it?

>> no. waiting to see if you like it. >> nasty. >> i'm a big fan of beauty and how it perks you up. this formula has a bronzer blush that has a natural plan extract that mimics endorphins. >> okay. >> be happy. >> love it. >> where's yours, bobbie? >> i don't know. >> all right, dear. thanks, bobbie. time for -- >> your "friday funnies." these are hilarious. >> they need to be called friday not so funnies. thank rene robbins, our facebook fan. talk to her if you don't like this one. an elderly couple is sitting on the porch just swinging away together when all of a sudden the wife hauls off and smacks the husband. surprised, he asks, what was that for? to which she replied, 50 years of bad sex. a few minutes pass and the husband returns the smack and the wife asks, what was that for? the husband says for knowing the difference.

>> oh, god. >> more than i generally get. thank you. >> all right. if you have a messy desk at work -- >> and hoadie do. >> i do? mine's not that bad. >> hoadie do do. >> i don't think my desk is that messy. >> a shot of it. that is your desk, hoda. >> that's not a bad day. somebody cleaned it up. i want to thank kathy, my assistant, for helping. they say people with messy desks have a clearer thought process. >> how is that possible? >> because you have to think through all the glutter and you zero in on the idea, because all this stuff -- zero in. do you believe it? >> no. i don't. i done. i cannot deal with that kind of mess. i can't function at all. uh-uh- >> no. >> i don't know how kids today -- >> that's your desk. is that yours? >> yes. >> oh, my gosh. >> that's when i had just unpacked from coming back from seattle and that's my scripts and everything on there. >> that's a messy desk. >> that's not a desk i work at.

that's a desk to put stuff on. >> oh, all right. >> i can't work there. there's no place to work. and christine, i'm going to kill you. but the good news is that albert einstein apparently had a horrendously messy environment. >> yeah. and he was genius. >> genius. coming up, entertainment predictions for this year's hottest tv shows and movies. >> and how these lovely ladies look now after their ambush makeovers. [ mom ] hey guys.

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[ male announcer ] eggo® waffles. simply delicious. pop culture fans, get ready. we have your preview of everything entertainment for 2012. here with his predictions for this year's best movies, tv and music is our friend jim stack from "entertainment weekly." >> love him. >> we certainly do. >> will it be a good year? >> i think a really good year. there are some big movies coming out, exciting stuff.

>> start with the most anticipated movie of the year, "the dark night rises." >> bat man, the third bat man, huge movie and franchise, obviously. people are so excited about it. it will be the last one, we think. but christian bale is back and ha hardaway. a skir scary mask. >> something about the election? >> there is some kind of occupy wall street element to it, but, no, he wears this mask -- i don't know why. he can't breathe or something. >> because it's scary. we like scary. >> this is weird. not one but two snow-white movies coming out. >> i know the one i can't wait for. >> "mirror, mirror." >> that's the first one. that's a more comedic version, julia roberts playing the queen. more comedic, more light, more family friendly, very colorful. yes, there's also another snow-white movie, "snow-white and the huntsman" with charlize

theron and kristin stewart. a little darker, a little more action y. charlize theron again playing a horrible human being, which she does very well. snow-white, cat like. >> another one getting a lot of buzz about male strippers. >> "magic mike." i know. male strimers. >> a story about -- >> channing tatum. >> i always get it wrong. >> channing tatum in real life was a stripper for a brief period of time, so the script is based on his real life. it has him and matt mcconaughey. they're all strippers. perfect for a matinee on winesday. >> absolutely. for the kids, there's one out by pixar. >> for the kids, "brave," the first pixar movie with a lead female about a young princess who's much more into, like, archery and kind of kicking butt than she is in being a princess. >> good for her. >> kelly mcdonald on "boardwalk

empire." >> moving to tv, we've been waiting for "smash," seeing all the promos. >> i saw the pilot and i can't wait for this show. >> i bet you can relate to it a lot. >> oh, my gosh, yeah. >> "smash" premieres february 6th after "the voice." >> after the super bowl. >> "the voice" is after the super bowl and then it airs the day after the super bowl. but they're going to be promoting the bejesus out of it burg the super bowl. get ready. katherine mcphee is trying to land a lead in a marilyn monroe musical. original music. really great. >> the whole concept is to write the musical and if the show is a hit it comes to broadway. >> you loved this. >> i did. >> really good. >> a lot of truth in it. got some terrific -- i had no idea that katherine mcphee is such an excellent actress. really good in it. >> like a revelation. >> "dallas," j.r. ewing, here we go again? >> "dallas" is back, j.r. ewing is back, sue ellen, bobby ewing.

they're all back. and this "dallas" sort of focuses on j.r. and bobby's son, who similarly are now kind of at war over whether or not to go green or still do the oil thing. >> oh, please. >> all right. we know where you stand. >> yeah. that's going to be fascinating. >> it will be good. it's like a return to, like -- >> i don't want to go green. i want money. i want to go green. stop it. >> that's exactly the pilot script. you -- like verbatim. >> hbo has something out called "hbo girls," a little risque. >> it's like a new version of "sex and the city." it's about growing up young in new york. allison williams, brian williams' daughter, is a lead in it. she's phenomenal. created by li na dunham, 24 years old. she's amazing. she's sort of the tina fey of her generation. it's incredibly observant and perceptive and relatable. >> and raunchy. >> it is raunchy. >> brian williams' daughter is

raunchy? >> not as raunchy. but the show -- there's some raunchy stuff. i can't really talk about it here. >> okay. moving on to music, carrie underwood, you like. >> she has an album this spring. apparently a little darker, like she decided to write a few darker songs, kind of surprising for her. she's obviously a huge "idol" star, huge country star. >> everybody likes her. >> she's like a big, shiny golden retriever. puppy. >> yeah. >> madonna is coming back. >> yeah. >> on tour again. >> going on tour and will be performing a the super bowl. hopefully no nip flips like in previous years. >> can't beat a good nip flip. >> happy new year! yes. that is true. that's true. i think mark twain once said that.

yes, but madonna, her new album, nicki minaj on it, m.i.a., a bunch of dance producers. we're excited for her. >> have you heard the new seal album? >> i have not. >> i wonder what that's like. >> especially in light of recent news. >> yeah. we love you. >> love you, too. >> in spite of everything we've heard, we find you to be a delightful young man. >> i love you guys. thank you. >> all right. up next, you asked, we answered. sarah is drumming up some questions from our fans. [ female announcer ] when it comes to eczema, ordinary lotions aren't made to treat the itch and irritation. so it can feel like you're using nothing at all. but new neosporin® eczema essentials™ with its unique relipd™ formula is different. it stops itch, soothes irritation, and helps restore the skin barrier. it's clinically shown to restore visibly healthier skin in three days. for everyday eczema care, new clinically shown neosporin® eczema essentials™. discover the difference.

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♪ it is time for "321 live" with sarah, hanging out with the crowd across the street. hope you did a good job. screaming is is fun. >> i hope so, too. jean from connecticut has a super bowl question. >> okay, ladies. who are you rooting for for the super bowl?

>> well, obviously, i'm rooting for the giants. have to. my husband is a hall of famer. frank played for giants for 12 years. that would not go over well in the house. >> it would be a fight. >> yeah. >> i'm a new orleans saints fan, but i'm also an eli manning fan. i'm a whole manning family fan. so i am on the giants train. >> whooo! >> giants! >> we love the boston area. >> okay. next up we have teresa from memphis with an anniversary question. >> i'm going to be 50 this summer and it's our 15-year wedding anniversary. i want to know what hoda and kathie lee think my husband should get me. >> oh! >> what should he get her? >> a trip to italy. >> oh, yeah. great. >> you go to italy. you stay at the splendido hotel in porto fino. you have the best time of your life. >> wonderful. thank you. >> you've earned it, trust me. >> you know me well. you know him. thank you. >> what do you think, hoda? >> i think it's a great.

it's a great ride. >> kathy from new york with a wine question. >> hi, ladies. >> hi! >> i see every morning you guys have a glass of wine or today rose. are you actually drinking that? >> no. >> uh-uh. >> no. >> sips. >> little teeny. >> you know these sips they're just to create the illusion that we're having a party. shut up! >> you know better. >> okay. next up, eileen from new jersey. with a question about getting read d i in the morning. >> who gets ready faster in the morning, hoe di or kathie lee? >> we don't live together. >> okay. who does take longer? if i have wet hair, i take a lot longer. >> like a day or two. careful. >> that's mean! i hate that picture. but, you know, it's a regular day -- >> we get ready pretty fast. my husband cannot believe how fast i can get ready for anything. i always am ready half an hour before he is. i think being a live performer

so many years, you know, you learn to, you know, get it together. >> thanks, girs. >> thank you, sarah. >> still ahead, how to throw a super bowl party on sunday. when you need money, you shouldn't just get it fast, you should also get it for free. that's why at h&r block... you could get money that's both fast and free on an emerald card. just bring in your tax information and get a refund anticipation check... in 7-14 days, for up to $9,999. you pay nothing out of pocket. hurry. this offer ends february 4th. why pay for fast money when you can get it for free? call 1-800-hrblock to make an appointment. h&r block. never settle for less. carol. fiber makes me sad. oh common. and how can you talk to me about fiber while you are eating a candy bar? you enjoy that. i am. [ male announcer ] fiber beyond recognition. fiber one.

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♪ express yourself >> we are back on this try day friday with another installment of today's "plaza ambush makeovers," where we pluck two lucky women from the crowd and give them a new look. >> stylist to the stars, louis licari! la, la, la, la, la. and us weekly contributor and author jill martin. how were the pickings today, kids? >> i found two ladies with great looks that did not know -- they did know what to look for. so we helped them find it. >> mary is 49 years old from durham, maine, an office supplies person with her husband, jim. they're celebrating his 50th birthday. her morning routine, a wash and a blow.

listen to her story. >> happy 50th even though you're a celtics fan. but the gift is actually for your wife today. tell me why she deserves this. >> she's a wonderful wife. we'll celebrate 30 years this july. she arranged a surprise weekend for me for my 50th in new york city and we've had a wonderful time. she is very deserving of any good things that come her way. >> ready for a glam new look? i'm getting rid of that hat. >> i really am. thank you. >> mary is ready. and jim is ready. jim's go his blind fold on. keep it on until we give you the jeep light. here is mary before. all right, mary. let's see the new you! wow! oh, wow. gorgeous. >> yeah. >> are you ready, jim? take off your blindfold, honey. >> wow. you look great, mary. >> are you ready to see yourself? >> i am. >> deep breath, turn around. deep breath.

here you go. >> oh, my god. wow. >> awesome. beautiful. >> spin right around and look right at that camera. >> gorgeous hair style. tell us about the hair. >> how great is that? jim, what better birthday present could you have? a whole new wife. of course her hair color, light, warm, so flattering with her complexion. >> yeah. >> dana today gave her these soft layers and this wispy, sexy bangs, which are so great to look at. i mean, you look so beautiful. >> and that dress, jill. it's gorgeous. i love that. >> adriana. what i love is the neckline. a little embellishment so it's a little dressy to wear for cocktail as opposed to your little black dress. >> beautiful. >> round of applause! join your husband. >> right over there. >> our second lady is sherry marshall from texas. she's an elementary music teacher. she's been married for 25 years with two kids. her beauty routine consists of

washing scrunching her hair. her story. >> they're so close when i asked you to describe your relationship what did you say? >> sisters from another mother. >> from another mother. >> why do you want the this for your bestie? >> sherry is an elementary schoolteacher, music teacher, and she gives and gives to those kids tirelessly. i mean, without thought. and all the kids love her. and she's also a great mom. she lives two doors down from me. she just deserves to be pampered. >> your students are going to be shocked. are you ready to go? >> i guess so. >> no turning back now. here with her friends, heinka, sandy, and liz. one last look at the before. let's bring out sherry marshall. >> oooooo! >> oh, my goodness. all right, ladies. take 'em off. >> sherry!

>> oh, how you carry on. sherry, turn around and see what they're talking about, honey. >> oh, my gosh. >> you look beautiful. >> look how beautiful you look. >> oh, my gosh. >> okay. sherry. >> look here as well, sherry. >> sherry is stunning. she simply scrunched her hair and put on mousse. too much product. dana taught her to eliminate the product, keep the makeup soft. and then what i did, her highlights were way too strong. they almost looked like gray streaks instead of blonld streaks. so i went completely in a different direction. >> yeah. >> brunette. beautiful. >> gorgeous, gorgeous. >> girlfriends. >> sorry. so beautiful. inside and out. so much more gorgeous now. you glow. you glow. >> and friends like this, so nice. >> beautiful friend.

>> tell us about that gorgeous black dress. >> right. i love this because she was two sizes off. she told me she was one size and we went two sizes down, which i love. this is jones new york, another twist on the little black dress available at macy's. >> just darling. >> thank you both, ladies. >> big round of applause. >> thank you, jim, you guys. >> wednesday, february 1st, we're doing a special heartfelt ambush makeover to support the fight against heart disease. come down to the plaza drezed in red with your special heart story. >> up next, behind every great woman, ceo moms. [ male announcer ] what makes the weekends so memorable? ♪ maybe it's the things you do or the things you really want to do. ♪ whatever it is, kfc's new weekend bucket makes the weekend even more unforgettable. 10 freshly prepared pieces of the world's best chicken. just 11 bucks. any recipe, any way.

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we have more women climbing the corporate ranks all the way up to ceo. in order to make your life, family, work, work, you need a spouse or sometimes a trophy husband. >> these women were profiled for "bloomberg business week magazine." stacey kaiser is a psychotherapist and advice columnist for "usa today." welcome, ladies. >> did you find them willing to discuss this top snik still a little taboo, isn't it? >> a lot of people are very reticent, still, while they privately agreed to do this, there are still stigmas attached publicly. they want to keep it quiet. >> on the part of the men, women, or both? >> both. >> for what reason?

>> the women start to feel maniche, that they're the ones carrying everything in terms of making all the money, and the guys feel they're being carried. they feel a bit like they're accused of being kept. >> is there an age situation with this? because, i mean, obviously my husband is 23 years older than i am. he's got a lot of trophies himself. he's secure about it. but if they're the same age, does that tend to make a difference? >> i think it does make a difference. part of what's happening is when they get involved in social interactions -- here's the mom, off at work, and now she's not interacting with the other moms in the neighborhood, isn't planning play dates, her husband is making the arrangements. a lot of times there's that mom guilt. for the husbands, here they are, they're at super bowl party with their friends and their friends are all talking about what they did at the office and how hard work is, and guess what, they're saying, well, i have a 10% off coupon for bed, bath & beyond. a little awkward. >> how do you resolve something like that? seems to be hard to overcome. >> some of the guys who are a little older and have had a chance to have a career are more

secure doing this because they've already done it. >> yeah, yeah. >> but i think the couples who work best at it really communicate well and often they are the ones who agreed before they got into it, before they got married even, that this was the way it was going to be. >> ultimately, too, the only person who can truly emasculate a man is his wife. right? let's be honest about that. other people can put you down, but if she treats him that way, that's the deal breaker. >> i think that happens. it happens even with the mom who is stay at home. they're busy telling their husband what is to do. when they're used to being the boss at the office, they'll come home to the man with the child and say you need to do this and you need to do that. that can be emasculating. >> if you look at the top women ceos of this country, and there are still only 18, seven of them have stay at home husbands. >> really. >> it's saying that those demanding jobs are so tough still, they're global, you're traveling all the time.

if you don't want to completely outsource child care, somebody's got to be home. >> the child care. these women have the ceo salaries they're making, too. they could certainly afford to hire someone. thank you, ladies. >> thank you. >> coming you have next, how to score a touchdown with a super party for the big game right after this. when you have tough pain, do you want fast relief? try bayer advanced aspirin. it's not the bayer aspirin you know. it's different. first, it's been re-engineered with micro-particles. second, it enters the bloodstream fast, and rushes relief to the site of your tough pain. the best part? it's proven to relieve pain twice as fast as before. bayer advanced aspirin. test how fast it works for you. love it, or get your money back. crispy granola, layered with creampeanut butter or rich dark chocolate flavor. 90 calories. 100% natural.

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the super bowl is just a week away, so it's time to start planning your party. >> here with fun ideas in hometown themes is elaine griffin, contributing design editor for "better homes & gardens." >> my husband is from boston. i can't wear anything. >> what do we have? >> your super bowl party is the one time that it's never a no-no to be too themy. go crazy. >> go for it. >> true team spirit. always send out a tame invitation, whether it's the

referee -- isn't that cute? pregame party favors, something to get excited about. and then once you get -- once your guests come to your house, greet them with a game day kit. everything they need -- exactly. wait. >> uh-huh. >> there you go. >> how cute. >> they stick on. little felt name tags. we have sauce, pom-poms to cheer everyone on to victory. >> move it. >> it's about beer, but we're making it chicer so we're going to go with local breweries. right? for the ladies, cocktails. i think this one is -- >> this will make your lips blue. we tried it. we tried it. we're just going to look at it. >> but check out the drink tags. >> oh. >> how cute. i'm in. >> everyone has them. we have these on the website. >> love them. adorable. >> then you really want to make

your game day moment with your tabletop. >> are you kidding me? >> we're going with mini helmet napkin rings. stencil the numbers. how cute is this? >> yes. smart. >> it's electrical tape. >> very cute. >> snacks. >> look at that baby. >> we're going with hometown themed snacks. so we have new york -- >> what do you call those? >> pretzels. >> pretzels. >> and -- i don't know what you call them, elaine. i call them pretzels. >> for new england, chowder. >> we like our chowder. >> chow-dah. >> okay. >> keep going. >> we're going to do a french fry bar. >> oh. >> and then for dessert, super bowl sundaes. >> smart. the whole sundae bar hooked up. >> and all coordinated. so it's like, you know,

whichever team, whichever team. >> if your husband wasn't a patriots fan, who would you be cheering for? >> the atlanta falcons. i'm from georgia. >> you are? >> they lost. they're out. hate to break it to you but they lost. >> i would be a giants fan. >> elaine, thank you for coming. >> up next, can she cut the mustard?

♪ life is a highway i want to ride it all ♪ >> it's that time again. we find ourselves asking the age-old question, you get paid for that? >> sarah haines has discovered one job that is top dog. didn't you, though. >> i did. this is a job i never new existed. i spent the day with a couple of oscar mayer hot doggers. while their official title may

be oscar mayer brand ambassadors, you probably know them best by how they get around town. we all remember the icons over the years from different brands, but there is one that surpasses them all. yes, it's the oscar mayer wienermobile. today i'm hitching a ride with a cup offensively hot doggers and i'm in it for the long haul. hot doggers spend a full year traveling around the u.s. with one min task -- promoting the oscar mayer brand at different events across the country. but before becoming an official hot dogger, i had to attend mandatory training. hot dog high. >> absolutely. do you think you can cut the mustard? >> oh, my gosh. it's started. here we go. so the note-taking began. >> these are special items. whenever you get to see the wienermobile, you get a wiener. >> i do? >> other side. [ whistle ] >> that's not going to be annoying at all. putting the whistle down, it was

time to learn the rules of the road. >> can you practice your wave? that's good. >> my wienermobile smile. i'm a character. but to fully get into character, i needed my official flight suit and a couple of real-life hot doggers by my side. i'm sarah. >> i'm ketchup kyly. >> i love it. >> we're oscar mayer hot dogger, ambassadors. >> this is a job you get paid for? >> seriously. it's a one-year job. >> can i take a ride with you guys today? >> absolutely. want to come on in? >> oh, yes. this is going to be a party bus. yes. it's hard to believe kyly actually gets paid to drive around in this thing. you're driving all over. this is your mode of transportation for a year. >> yeah. so, i mean, even on my off days, if i want to go to a movie i go no-in the wienermobile. >> and the tourists eat it up. >> i say oscar, you say mayer,

oscar -- >> wiener! >> kyly is one of 12 hot doggers hired each year, and that lucky dozen was narrowed down from a pool of 1,500 applicants. but not just anyone can get behind the peel whooel. only someone with a hot dogger name. >> i had a lot of options. i could have been pickle, relish. someone suggested d-licious. i ran it past my mom. >> bounced it off mom? >> i got the call for this job, my mom cried. >> tears of joy for a proud mama. i was still a girl on a mission. we need to come up with some names for kathie lee and hoda. >> kathie lee -- >> it's hard. >> yes. >> i wasn't prepared for this. >> regal, right? >> very regal. that fits kathie. we need a rapper name for hoda. ho-d ho-digitty dog. i'm going to be --

>> sar-elish. i'm having anxiety. >> come on, t.j. >> this is dylan. we're sitting here with sara haines trying to come up with a name for her. >> sauerkraut sara. >> sauerkraut sara. "sizzling" sara haines? >> yeah. we've got a winner! >> we rolled into our main event. >> here we come. the wienermobile. >> one, two, three! >> wienermobile! whooo! >> hey, guys. i'm sara with the "today" show. but today i'm a hot dogger. believe it or not, these two get paid to this job. but today it was my job. passing out wiener whistles. loud and annoying. i know your daddy wants you to have that. sending postcards to loved ones. and of course the occasional photo-op. one, two, three! yes, this was one job i could really relish.

perfect ending to a perfect day. hot dogs. now, of course, i didn't come home empty handled. i bought some of those famous wiener whistles. >> i would rather have the hot dog. but it's hard to get the right -- >> okay. >> thank you, sara. >> next monday, jordin sparks going to fill in. >> yes. >> and how to get everything you want. >> have an awesome weekend.