good morning. winner take all. mitt romney hopes to take florida's vote in the florida primary while newt gingrich criss-crosses the state to pick up last-minute votes. is it too little too late? we'll ask herman ca. as the new york giants arrive in indianapolis for the super bowl their much anticipated rematch with the patriots experts say it could be the most watched television event in history. and prince harry opens up in a new interview about his grandparents and their 64-year marriage. his touching and candid words

today, tuesday, january 31, his touching and candid words today, tuesday, january 31, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning. i'm ann curry. >> i'm matt lauer. already down in florida this morning voters are casting their ballots in the biggest contest to date in this primary season. >> with a double digit lead in the polls mitt romney is acting and sounding confident. he even broke out in song on monday. and win or lose, newt gingrich is vowing to keep on fighting. we'll talk about where this race is headed with gingrich supporter, herman cain. >> and one woman's unimaginable ordeal that started in middle school. for 19 years, tracy lundin has been stalked and harassed by the

same man. he's now been sentenced to prison. coming up, tracy will share her story in a live interview. >> we have shown people over the years, lots of emotional reunions between soldiers and children. we found one that was particularly touching. we'll show you coming up in a little bit. very dear. we begin now with today's key presidential primary in florida. nbc's peter alexander is in tampa with more. good morning to you. >> reporter: ann, good morning. this campaign has gotten so nasty lately. by some accounts more than 90% of the ads that have run in this state have been negative. the gingrich campaign says their challenge going forward is to tell the truth about romney faster than he can lie about us. mitt romney and his team say gingrich is desperate. >> i love that song. do you know b that song? ♪ o beautiful for spacious skies ♪ for amber waves of grain ♪

>> reporter: enjoying a wide lead in the polls, mitt romney seems to have found his voice. ♪ above the fruited plains >> reporter: heading into the vote, romney is riding high, speaking at a community for seniors and notably not once mentioning newt gingrich. >> i believe in american greatness. i believe in america's exceptionalism. >> reporter: on his plane, romney seems relaxed, again singing -- >> ♪ happy birthday to you >> reporter: this time to celebrate a reporter birthday and showing confidence. >> it feels good. in south carolina the crowds were good. we get the sense it wasn't going our way. here the crowds are good and it's going our way. >> reporter: gingrich's crowds have been getting smaller. 200 at this stop in orlando late monday but the house speaker isn't backing down. >> we are going all the way to the convention and we are going to win in tampa and we are going to be the nominee with your help

of the republican party. >> reporter: still, gingrich is being pummelled on the air waves. with at least $20 million already spent on largely negative ads, romney and his supporters outpaced gingrich and his super pac 4 to 1. gingrich calls the ads false, repeatedly slamming romney as dishonest and continuing to hammer away at the media. >> as your nominee, i will not accept debates in the fall in which the reporters are the moderators. you don't need a second obama person in the debate. >> reporter: following a google event with the white house monday night republicans are jumping on the president's choice of words. mr. obama offered to help an unemployed engineer get work. the president telling the man's wife shhe finds it interesting e man is out of work. >> if you send me your husband's rez may i would be interested in finding out what's happening there.

the word we are getting is somebody in that kind of high tech field, that kind of engineer should be able to find something right away. >> reporter: in a campaign that many think when the to the dogs long ago the president's re-election team is weighing in on how romney treated his former pets. he was hounded for putting his dog on the roof of his car. >> this is an airtight kennel mounted on the roof of the car. he climbed up there regularly, enjoyed himself. >> reporter: david axelrod tweeted this picture of the president with his dog inside the car. the caption, how loving owners transport their dogs. >> reporter: back to the other candidates in the race, ron paul and rick santorum are trying to campaign out west. they are in colorado and nevada. santorum said there is good news

about his daughter suffering pneumonia. she's in intensive care but he said she's improving. >> that's terrific news. thank uh you so much. herman cain who bowed out of the race in december endorsed mr. gingrich over the weekend. good to have you here. >> delighted to be here. >> earlier this month you stopped short of endorsing candidate. you said you endorse the people. >> yes. >> what made you change your mind to endorse newt gingrich now? >> when i endorsed we the people i was trying to send a message to the people, don't be distracted by the negativity and the attacks. you've got to stay engaged and inspired all the way through the process even though it's gotten ugly and bitter. then as i talked with speaker gingrich, compared where he stood on many of the issues, he believes we should replace the tax code, so do i. he believes in energy independence with a better regulatory environment. so do i.

he believes in sound money. when i saw how close his tax plan came to my 9-9-9 plan we talked and i decided to endorse it. >> he didn't promise you anything. did he lobby you. >> no. >> he offered you a job. he said he'd make you chair on jobs, economic growth and taxes. >> he offered me that. i call it a job when you get paid. he asked me to be a voice. >> would you take that? >> i would. the reason is his tax proposal. remember, my number one issue was this economy which is why i put the bold 9-9-9 plan on the table. his comes closer than any other candidate. he just doesn't have the third component. he said he would seriously consider moving more toward mine. >> endorsing one candidate, you are not endorsing another. so the question is why don't you want mitt romney to be

president? >> well, that's not completely accurate. i have said whoever gets the nomination i will support. the process is what it is. yes, there's going to be competition amongst the candidates all the way up. i am committed to support whoever gets the nomination. >> are you comfortable with mitt romney securing the nomination? >> i could be very comfortable with mitt romney. if uh you look at mitt romney and newt gingrich both, one has negatives that will be attacked. the other has negatives. the difference is what negatives will be attacked by the obama administration. >> in terms of the negatives in the gop race, you have criticized gingrich for attacking romney's bain years calling them irrelevant and poor strategy. as a former ceo, as a man who understands business, why support a candidate who has really taken on free enterprise by attacking romney in this way? >> you have to make a decision. if you take both candidates, you've got things you may not

like. i didn't get involved with speaker gingrich's tack tickets and i haven't been involved in governor romney's tactics. you have to say what do i agree with the candidate on versus how much i disagree with the tactic or political strategy. >> did you feel this was all political strategy or did gingrich betray the business world? >> i don't believe he betrayed the business world. i have known him since the 19 # 0s. i know from my own personal experience with speaker gingrich when i worked on the economic growth and tax reform commission with jack kemp, we were appointed to the commission. i know he is business friendly. i know he's pro growth and i do believe he will be bold in making the necessary tax changes in order to boost this economy. >> do you have any regrets about running for president of the united states? >> no, i do not. >> not a single one? >> here's why. one of the things that has come out of me rupnning is elevating the discourse and keeping the public's attention on the most

critical -- >> what about the personal cost to you? >> yes. there were things i i expected but there were things i didn't expect. i didn't expect the gutter politics would get as bad as it did. i made a decision -- family first. that's why i bowed out, but i will still stay involved in helping make the major changes. >> do you think you will run again? >> i don't think so. my biological clock is ticking. i don't want to spend more of my biological clock being beat up. >> maybe it is like giving birth. biological clock and all that entails. >> absolutely. >> thank you. >> my pleasure. >> here's matt. >> we are now hearing 911 calls from a deadly pile-up on a florida highway triggered by fog and smoke from a brush fire. this morning there are questions about why the road was open at all. mark potter has details. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt.

among the ten people killed in the horrible accidents were five members of a church in georgia including the pastor, his wife and one of their daughters. authorities say heavy smoke from a wildfire mixed with fog led to the horrific string of accidents in which 20 cars and trucks slammed into each other, some catching fire. the pile-ups occurred in the dark on 4:00 a.m. sunday. terrified callers to 91 11 describe one crash after the other. >> oh, my god, oh. [ crash ] >> oh, my god. what's going on? >> we are getting help out there. >> how many vehicles have been involved that you have seen so far? >> we cannot see, ma'am. this is the third one already. >> reporter: a few minutes later the same car described many more crashes as cars trucks piled up

on the highway. >> how many vehicles? was that another one? >> yes, ma'am. >> how many vehicles now? >> 16. >> okay. do you see any fire? do you see anything like that? >> no fire. we can't see. >> okay. >> you can hardly even see your hazards. >> reporter: in the mess, workers cut many victims from the wreckage. steven camp survived being hit twice and said he saw another driver get killed. >> it looked like a terrorist attack. you could see the pain, uncertainty and despair on their face. >> reporter: it's like impossible to see. the haze is, a, the smoke, it's very thick. >> reporter: as firefighters worked to extinguish hot spots from the fire, the florida highway patrol face questions about why the foggy and smoky highway was open after being closed because of poor conditions earlier that day. >> the supervisor determined the conditions were improving and continued to monitor the roadway. based on that they made the decision to open the roadway.

>> reporter: officials are also trying to determine what caused the wildfire and whether it was arson. in addition to that, rick scott, the florida governor, is calling for an investigation into why the florida highway patrol re-opened i-75 which services about 62,000 drivers per day in the area of the crash. matt? >> mark potter on the story for us. thank you very much. >> now let's get a check of the top stories from natalie morales at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with new violence in syria. a human rights group says government forces backed by tanks and armored vehicles are pushing into damascus suburbs and troops are going after civilians supporting the opposition. this as hillary clinton heads to the united nations today pressing the council to support a peace plan for syria. russia is warning that the plan

could lead to civil war. the u.n. estimates some 5,400 people have died in the opposition uprising since march. more than 200 have been killed in the past week. occupy d.c. protesters are hunkering down in the nation's capital spending the nights in tents defying an order to be gone by monday. officers are warning protesters to pack their belongings or face arrest. the senate is considering a bill to outline clearcut rules to ban insider trading by members of congress. it is expected to clear the senate as the house works on a more expansive bill. now for a check on wall street, courtney reagan is at the new york stock exchange for us this morning. what are we watching? >> with the last trading day of january shaping uh up to be a busy one for investors, a slew of reports from exxon mobile, pfizer, u.p.s. and amazon, coupled with economic reports on labor costs, housing, manufacturing and consumer

confidence to likely guide the direction of trade today. we have a day left but the dow is up 3.6% for the month. back to you. >> thanks. the bet is on between the mayors of new york and boston. if their team wins the super bowl, each wagered a trip to their respective cities complete with dinner at the finest restaurants, tickets for shows and a tour of the major attractions. it is media day in indianapolis now that both teams have arrived, the giants led by eli manning were greeted on monday looking for sharp. 154 skiers glide their way one nautical mile across the waters of australia trying to set a world record for the highest number of people to be pulled by one single boat. despite nine people falling it beat the previous record of 114. guinness will make an official determination within a few months. i say give it to them!

it's amazing. now back to matt, ann and al. that's wild. >> it would be bad to go to all that trouble and not make the record. >> imagine you're the guy who falls and knocks down people next to you. >> domino effect. >> they got a bigger boat. >> what's happening? >> thing 13 degrees above normal in jackson. high 71 degrees. 60 in indianapolis. it is not going to be quite that warm on super bowl sunday. new york city getting up into the mid 50s. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> eastern sky on fire on this final day of january. good morning. tom kierein in storm center 4. live view sky watcher camera. dawn on this tuesday morning. and temperatures are chilly.

we are near freezing. western northern suburbs but closer to washington it is in the upper 30s to near 40 in southern montgomery. for the day today, we will have highs reaching the 60s. 60s again tomorrow that's your latest weather, ann? >> now to growing anger in the wake of the arrests of four police officers. they're accused of targeting latino negligence the communi community -- latinos in the community and now the mayor is under fire for a controversial comment about tacos. craig, good morning. >> reporter: ann, good morning to you. this all started with the federal investigation into reports of corruption inside the east haven police department. prosecutors say they uncovered blatant discrimination. uh now the police chief is stepping down. the mayor announcing the latest

shake up for east haven. >> the chief notified me of his intent to retire as chief of the east haven police department. >> reporter: the news comes days after word of a major corruption investigation by the fbi. four east haven police officers are under arrest, accused of waging a campaign of terror against latino residents. >> four east haven police officers charged today were a cancerous cadre who deprived residents, particularly members of the latino community of their civil rights. >> reporter: prosecutors say the officers would use excessive force, perform illegal searches and make false reports to place latinos in custody, allegedly beating some while still in handcuffs. the officers pled not guilty. part of the investigation this video taken by a local priest who says owners and patrons of a hispanic grocery store were beg harassed by police officers. >> we don't have customers for a

long time because they are afraid to come to the store. >> reporter: investigators say more arrests could come soon. a possible target, chief gallo. he's named as a coconspirator but hasn't been charged. >> chief gallo has never engaged in or condoned racial profiling of any nature whatsoever. >> reporter: the whole scandal has drawn national interest after the mayor's comments to a reporter when the indictments were announced last week. >> what are you doing for the latino community today? >> i might have tacos when i go home. i'm not sure yet. >> reporter: i asked what you're doing for the latino community. >> i said maybe have a latino meal whether it's tacos or another meal. >> reporter: the mayor's comments went viral on the web prompting calls for him to resign. >> we all say stupid things at stupid times. i did that. i apologize.

>> reporter: in protest the group reform immigration america delivered 500 tacos to town hall. an editorial cartoon along with this, "the mayor is an idiot". >> i don't think i ever called anyone an idiot in 40 years of journalism. people in east haven have to be embarrassed by this. go home and eat tacos? good lord. >> reporter: tonight there is a town meeting here in east haven. that's where members of the police commission say they will ask the mayor to fire chief gallo instead of allowing him to retire. meanwhile as for mayor maturo, he insists he will not step down. >> craig melvin, thank you. on a very different note we are going to talk about the bt birthday present you have received. >> a 6-year-old utah girl got a gift she'll never forget on monday and natalie's back to explain. >> we love a good homecoming

story. this one takes the prize. the girl's dad is a sergeant in the army, has been serving in afghanistan. she thought he wouldn't be home for months until she got an emotional surprise at school. it was 6-year-old bailey page's birthday and she thought she was telling her class about her favorite things from chocolate sundaes to her father in the army. >> who's this? >> that's daddy! >> do you love your daddy? guess what, bailey? turn around. >> dad! >> reporter: after serving in afghanistan sergeant adam page made it back home to utah. father and daughter couldn't let go of one another. >> i missed you! >> i missed you, too, munchkin. >> reporter: sergeant page could barely hold back the tears. >> how did you ever make it, dad? how did you ever make it?

>> reporte >> i had to. >> reporter: bailey got exactly what she wanted for her birthday. >> i'm happy! >> happy birthday. >> aw. >> that's my only birthday present i wanted, that's you. >> reporter: completely adorable, bailey wiped away her tears and held onto her dad. >> i really missed you. >> i missed you, too. >> i love you, daddy. >> i love you, too, munchkin. >> oh, my goodness. that's the cutest. sergeant page served for seven years and is expected to be deployed back. i brought you tissues. >> look for that little girl in commercials. >> she's adorable. >> she's so expressive. so many kids are unable to

express all that emotion. >> just the way she was rubbing his head was so cute. >> coming uh up, a 19-year-old -- much different subject. a 19-year stalking nightmare for a woman who's been harass bid the same man since middle school. the victim speaks oh o ss

coming up, prince harry opens up about his grandmother, the queen, her official duties and why she needs prince philip. we'll have details. >> and a sneak peek at the new super bowl ad that's causing a lot of buzz. that's coming up after your local news.

good morning. i'm joe krebs. it is 7:26 this tuesday, last day of january, first day of junuary. >> there will be an outbreak of spring fever later. sunrise, live view from the sky watcher camera. sun coming up with a few high clouds. they will be with us throughout the day. but that will not stop that temperature from rising. right now a chill in the air. 30s to near 40 degrees around much of the region. then later, we will climb in the upper 60s with lots of sun and another warm afternoon tomorrow. but then cooler weather with a chance of rain on thursday. friday now looking sunny, over the weekend, chilly weather, and still uncertainty about whether

or not we will get any rain. >> thank you. >> thank you. we will take a look at the

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comes together for a single purpose -- to make the world a safer place. that's the value of performance. northrop grumman. 7:30 now on a tuesday morning, the last day of january, 2012. last day of january, al says we'll be in the mid 50s and it will be warmer tomorrow. we'll get his forecast in a little while. inside studio 1a i'm matt lauer alongside ann curry. coming up, a rare interview with prince harry as he opens up about his grandmother, the queen and her 64-year marriage to prince philip. we'll go to buckingham palace for more on that. >> and ferris beuller's day off is one of the most beloved movies of all time. now matthew brodrick is paying homage to his beloved character in a new super bowl ad.

we'll get a sneak peek coming up. >> in this era of social networking you can defriend someone with the click of a mouse. how do you do it in real life? we'll talk about it with today's professionals. how do you end a friendship? >> that's rough stuff. >> down has a lnny has experien. >> we have a quick programming note we are all excited about. brad pitt will be here tomorrow morning on "today" to make his first ever visit to studio 1a for a live interview. he'll be here along with his "moneyball" costar and oscar nominee jonah hill to talk about their plans for oscar night. brad pitt live in studio tomorrow here on "today." >> we begin with justice for a woman who was harassed and stalked by a man for 19 years. we'll talk to her in a moment. first, adidi roy has the story.

good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. the stalker was sentenced last week at the king county court. what makes the case unusual is according to the prosecutor the stalking lasted nearly two decades. he was an 8th grade misfit, awkward and troubled. # 13-year-old tracy lundeen, then student body vice president felt sorry for him. one day in the library she offered to help with his homework. >> casual conversation. nothing seemed out of the ordinary. when class was over for that period, left and went about my way. >> reporter: for mohl, the encounter was anything but casual. he followed tracy around school and kept it up the next year when they both went to high school. she asked him to stop but that led to phone calls and disturbing letters. in one he writes, my blood will stain your hands forever. tracy suffered through his harassment throughout high school, even after mowl was

expell expelled. she and police went to police for a restraining order but he found ways around it. >> he was going to my previous employer, trying to find hi sister at her employer. >> reporter: in 2001 he was sentenced to eight years in prison for stalking but even that didn't stop him. >> at first it was writing to tracy, calling the house and then it was trying to get magazine subscriptions in her name and then it was trying to get other innamates to write. >> upon getting out went back to trying to track tracy down and found her through her sister jennifer on an old -- i believe it was my life or classmates.com account. >> reporter: prosecutors say he was determined and obsessive about tracy and her family. >> he wrote me a letter saying when he got out he had nowhere else to go and he wanted to come live with us and it would be better if tracy didn't have a

boyfriend. that scared me. >> reporter: he kept after tracy even after his release. he was convicted and sentenced again, this time for 26 1/2 years. >> he absolutely tore the lundeen family's life apart. >> i would never have thought it would go on for as long as it has. just the fact that it has, it's not going to end. >> reporter: one of the unusual aspects of the case is that tracy barely knew sean before he became obsessed with her. ironically, if she had gone on a single date with him she would have had more legal ammunition with which to protect herself. matt? >> aditi, thank you. tracy is with us exclusively. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> i want to start by picking up on what aditi said. you barely knew this guy. had you gone on a date with him you would have had more legal ammuniti ammunition. why is that? >> they say it would have been around a domestic violence protection order. a stronger, tougher protection.

i could have had if i would have gone on a date. >> ironic twist. 26 1/2 years, that's what he was sentenced to. how does it feel to know that? >> it feels really good. unfortunately i don't think it's over. he still writes letters from prison. >> even now during this time in prison he continues to try to contact you and your family. >> correct. >> it seems it's mostly been through letters that he's harassed you over the 19 years. did he ever do anything toward you or toward your family members that you would say was violent? >> the only the things he did, there was two instances, one where he let my sister know he was on his way to her employer and then there was another instance where he said he was on his way to her house. >> can you describe what it was like to live all those years knowing you had this man who was clearly obsessed with you and not fully understanding how far he would be willing to go? >> very frustrating.

i never knew and i still don't know. >> how did you change your life? how did you change your daily routine because of this? >> my address is confidential. so that's hidden and private. my employer as well, any contact, any social media networks out there, everything is very private. >> you spent your time looking over your shoulder basically. >> yes. >> the amazing thing to me about the story. he went to prison the first time for more than eight years, got out. you said he was okay for about six months. and then knowing the consequence and the price he had already paid, he went back and did it again. >> he went toward my sister. he thought it was a different avenue a he could take without it being against the order i have against him. >> how has this affected your family? you talk about him contacting your sister. how do they react to this? >> horrible. she has young ones. the kids have to know about it. they have to be aware as well. just a sense of we can't really

be open. everything for me is hidden. >> according to the prosecutors -- and this is frustrating -- you and your family for 19 years have done everything right. yet you still weren't able to stop this man from doing what he did to your family. how does that make you feel? >> frustrated. he just won't stop. >> there are probably people watching who are in a situation where they are uncomfortable with a relationship with someone. not sure how that person will react whether there is a borderline case of stalking occurring. what advice would you give to those people? >> don't give up. just stick to your guns. say no. keep saying no. keep going to any support you can -- family. in my case it was advocates through the city of -- through our cities. therefore, i just kept at it. i kept pushing and didn't stop. >> tracy lundeen, thanks for

sharing your story. 36 after the hour. now a check of the weather from al. >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by turbotax. get step by step guidance to the maximum refund you deserve. >> good morning, everybody. i like this. what's your name? >> giuseppe. >> where are you from? >> from virginia. >> this is a hat, right? >> yeah. >> just wanted to make sure. i like it. very nice. let's see what's happening for what's happening for you. for today look at the temperatures for february. much above normal southeast, mid atlantic states, below normal in the pacific northwest. above normal throughout much of the country. precipitationwise, snow around the great lakes and drier than normal southwest, gulf coast, into the southeast. for today, we are expecting plenty of sunshine up and down the east coast, snow, northern new england and interior new york. rain in the pacific northwest with messy snow mixed in and wet weather in the lower and mid

mississippi river valley. that's what's going on around the country. here is whas happening in your neck of the woods. >> winter continues to take a vacation. this final day of january there is the sunrise. good morning. tom kierein in storm center 4. temperatures are under a partly cloudy sky. below freezing few locations in virginia and maryland. mid and upper 30s to 40 degrees in much of the area. climbing into the ikts later today. and we will have quite a bit of sunshine tomorrow. small chance of a morning sprinkle and sun in and out during the rest of the day. into the 60s. showers on thursday. latest weather. matt? >> thank you very much. coming up, catching up with the royals. what prince harry is saying about his grandparents in a candid interview. and the duke and duchess of cambridge enjoying the pitter patter of tiny feet in their home. we'll explain right after this.

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back now with a new interview with prince harry and news of a new addition to kate and william's family. we have stephanie gosk with details on both developments from buckingham palace. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. we know the queen is 86 years old. she's the second longest ruling monarch in britain's history behind queen victoria. she keeps a blistering pace of engagements in the uk and around the world. many wonder how she can do it. in an interview with the bbc prince harry reveals what he thinks is his grandmother's secret. her husband of 64 years, prince philip. harry says, regardless of whether my grandfather seems to be doing his own thing, the fact that he's there, personally, i don't think she could do it without him. especially when they are both at this age.

>> having prince philip by her side has been key to her reign. she's acknowledged it her sense that it's her strength all these years. >> prince philip is 90 and considered to be in wonderful shape for his age. but two days before christmas he was rushed to the hospital with chest pains. doctors treated him for a clogged artery and the duke was released four days later. harry's interview was given before the health scare but it shows a recognition of his grandparents' years and an awareness that they are doing much more than most. he says these are the things that at the queen's age she shouldn't be doing. yet she's carrying on and doing them. philip is always there, dutifully a few steps behind, but always there. >> the duke of edinborough made an invaluable contribution to my life. >> reporter: in the last year the royal couple made an historic trip to ireland. the first time the british monarch has visited the country

in over 100 years. they also went on a ten-day junket halfway around the world to australia. back home there was a ceremonial welcome for the obamas at buckingham palace. and the weddings of two of their grandchildren, prince william and zara phillips. this year will be busier with the summer olympics and the queen's diamond jubilee, a celebration of her 60-year reign. should philip not be there, is prince harry really suggesting the queen could not go on? >> i don't think prince harry is literally suggesting the queen can't go on without the duke of edinborough. i think she would find it difficult. she's a woman that would always do her duty, come what may. >> reporter: the palace said harry's words were not a comment on how the queen would fare should the duke die before her but rather the level of support he's provided over the years. we have breaking news today.

they confirmed the duke and duchess of cambridge have adopted a dog. not a labrador like some suspected but instead a cocker spaniel which is a middleton family favorite. ann? >> thus the patter of little feet. stephanie, thank you so much this morning. up next, ferris beuller's new day off. the super bowl ad that's already generating a lot of buzz online. . ♪ so, look at the orange. now close your eyes. ♪ alakazaam! you're good. and now i'm going to make this flower bloom. presto. "love you lots." do you want to see it again? yes, i want to see it again! [ female announcer ] hallmark blooming expressions delivers your love again and again.

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millions of americans watch the super bowl for the commercials and one ad is already getting a lot of buzz. nbc's savannah guthrie is here to explain it. which one? >> the ferris beuller commercial. remember the '80s? hair was big, shoulder pads were bigger and kwo"fers beuller's d off was a big hit." >> how could i possibly be expected to handle school on a

day like this? ♪ >> reporter: it may have been the most famous day of hooky ever conceived. ♪ danke schein >> ferris! get off the float! >> reporter: the hit had all of america fantasizing about what they do with just one day off. >> hey, batter, batter, swing, batter. >> reporter: the instant classic. we have hungered for more. >> i'm abe froeman. >> the sausage king of chicago? >> reporter: and you the sequel as arrived. >> just get some rest. >> he bought it! how could i handle work on a day like today? one of the worst performances of my career, and he never doubted it for a second. >> reporter: a car company brought us ferris beuller, 2.0. still played by matthew brodrick. now a father of three. there are tributes to the

original. >> beuller? beuller? >> brodrick? brodrick? >> reporter: but 25 years later our hero has matured. instead of dodging dad -- he's avoiding the boss. gone are famous pals cameron -- >> i'll go, i'll go, i'll go. >> reporter: and girlfriend sloan. >> what are we going to do? >> the question isn't what are we going to do. the question is what aren't we going to do. >> reporter: brodrick manages to make new buddies. >> calm yourself, woman. >> reporter: and still ends up the life of the party. ♪ [ singing in chinese ] >> reporter: there is even an homage to cameron's museum trip reimagined with a walrus. and just like the original.

>> my father spent three years restoring this car. it is his love. it is his passion. >> it is his fault he didn't lock the garage. >> reporter: the car is a star, but that priceless vintage ferrari was replaced by the commercial's somewhat less glamorous sponsor. unlike the original -- [ crashing ] >> reporter: with honda paying the bill, this vehicle gets a happy ending. >> announcer: get going in the all new crv from honda. >> what do we think? >> huge hit! >> can i just out matt lauer. >> what? >> you have never seen "ferris beuller's day off". >> it's on my to-do list. >> and "star wars." >> he hasn't seen "star wars." i think you're more machine than man. >> i'm more of a "fresh air" guy. nice long walk on the beach. just ahead, today's professionals. >> he's reading tolstoy.

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good morning. i'm joe krebs. 7:56. our weather roller coaster ride continues. here's storm 4 meteorologist tom kierein. >> yesterday was quite chilly in the 40s. today we should climb into the 60s. right now, though, there is a chill in the air. in the 30s to near 40 degrees throughout much of the region. 43 at reagan national. later today, we will climb into the upper 60s and some clouds in and out. partly sunny tomorrow. morning sprinkle, afternoon highs, upper 60s. rain likely and cooler thursday. friday, some sunshine and then chilly for the weekend. joe? >> thanks very much. we will take

good morning. you are facing a slow crawl as you make your way on the outer loop of the beltway. passing new hampshire avenue. these delays continue to georgia avenue and your travel speed pretty slow at 25 miles per hour. also seeing delays i-66 heading east at suddenly road. your delays continue as you head to nutley. travel speed in this area is 28 miles per hour. and on 395, very slow. jammed all the way from the beltway as you make your way to the 14th street bridge. >> thanks very much. another news update in 25

8:00 now on a tuesday morning. it's the 31st of january 2012. a lot of nice people out on the plaza with their signs at the ready. they have been with their families and friends back home. we're happy to give them all a little bit of camera time. meantime also on the plaza i'm ann curry along with matt lauer and al roker. coming up we'll hear from today's professionals. >> we have interesting topics for them this morning. for example, should all of the 911 calls placed after demi moore collapsed in her home be released to the public? portions have been redacted. also what's the best way to end a friendship? i'm not talking about

defriending someone on facebook. real life, face to face, person to person. >> i don't know how to do it. it's off the thing. >> that's harsh. >> sometimes you have to do it. >> before you defriend these people, have a moment in your house for the big super bowl game. maybe you want a new tv for the big game. well, we have hints for you. there are great bargains out there. we'll make sure you find the tv of your dreams for the right price. >> coming up we'll help if you're a parent of a teenager and you're worried about your teenager texting and driving. it's a big issue. serious, serious issue. we have great advice. how to help your kids get the message to not do that. >> all right. let's go inside. natalie is standing by at the news desk with a look at the headlines. >> good morning, matt, ann and al. good morning, everyone. newt gingrich isn't giving up on florida despite the poll numbers. voters are headed to the polls throughout the sunshine state

this hour as gingrich makes a last-minute push with a full slate of campaign stops and interviews. mitt romney appears so confident he didn't even mention gingrich in a speech last night before 1,000 florida seniors. next time you head to the doctor's office you may want to have them take your blood pressure in both arms. a new study found having a different reading in each arm could signal a greater risk of heart disease or death. researchers say it is an existing guideline that's widely ignored. federal regulators approved the first drug to treat advanced cases of skin cancer. the pill is taken once a day but the label warns of serious possible side effects including birth defects in pregnant women. and watch what you tweet. two british tourists were denied entry into the u.s. when they arrived at l.a.x. for a california vacation. one of their twitter accounts

was flagged by homeland security after one said he was coming to, quote, destroy america. he said he meant he was coming to party. another brush fire burning in florida. this one in miami-dade county, but no homes are threatened now. however, witnesses say the flames are burning close to dozens of homes sh businesses and a church. now for a look at what's trending today, our quick round-up of what has you talking online. paula abdul on "the x factor" is the talk of the twitter sphere. steve jones tweeted he was leaving. then fox said nicole sherzinger also got the ax and now paula abdul despite her friendship with simon cowell. and mick jagger's daughter georgia is on the cover. her mom says one of the best things about her is the gap in

her front teeth. this video is taken off youtube with more than 6,000 hits now. human-shaped remote controlled airplanes were flown over new york city landmarks as part of the viral campaign for chronicles, the movie about teenagers who developed super powers. 8:04. now back to matt, ann and al. >> hopefully they got a permit. that would have given me heart failure. >> uh you would have thought it was real? >> yeah. you know, you wonder. >> you do wonder sometimes. let's go to mr. roker. >> i'm invisible. you can't see me. really, i am. you want to blow a kiss to your grandparents. go ahead. big kiss. what about you? aren't you blowing a kiss? >> i'm okay. >> come on! there you go. grandpa and grandma appreciate it. let's check it out. show you what's going on.

pick city today, bay city, michigan. nbc 25. t partly sunny, mild, 49 degrees. our director, joe michaels, old enough to remember that. looking at wet weather through the gulf coast. clouds in the pacific northwest although not a bad day. plenty of sunshine up and down the eastern seaboard. 57 degrees in cleveland today. it is going to be 60 in indianapolis. that's just nuts. we are looking at rain in the pacific northwest. and we have showers down through the lower gulf coast. that's what's going on around the country. here is what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. over northwest washington, off in the distance, fairfax county, some high clouds, gracefully through. blue skew this morning. right now chill in the air, though. we are in the 30s and low 40s and much of the region. manassas now is at 28. that's the cool spot. so is frederick. throughout the day today we will have a southwesterly wind warming us into the 60s.

and into the 60s, again, tomorrow. maybe rain on thursday. and then that's your latest weather. now you can't see me. >> okay, al. thank you for that information. we are going to see today's professionals. they are inside, standing by to tell us what they think. of course they will. that's coming up right after this. the wait is over. stock up for less during the petsmart stock up and save sale.

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professionals. star jones, donny deutsch and dr. nancy snyderman are here to tackle the headlines and trends that have you talking. >> good morning, matt. >> mitt romney has a new negative campaign ad against newt gingrich. it features none other than our own tom brokaw from a broadcast in 1997 talking about then speaker gingrich's ethics problems in the house. is it a fair ad? is it a good ad? >> it's very unfair. political advertising isn't vetted the way real advertising is. say brokaw said, walmart is breaking sales records. you could never run it in an ad. this is an implied endorsement by using his likeness. it's wrong. if i'm brokaw i have a problem. >> nbc news asked the romney campaign to withdraw the ad. >> multiple times. >> is that smart on romney's part? what's his name? gingrich has been saying he's a liar about the issues that were brought up.

to tie yourself to one of the most respected broadcasters in the world that's exactly why they did it. >> representing, i guess, from the three of us nbc news and the news standards and what we try to do every night on "nightly news" and this program to tie it makes us all as journalists uncomfortable. i have to support tom on this. >> he released a statement, i'm extremely uncomfortable with the extended use of my personal image in this political ad. i do not want my role as a journalist compromised for political gain by any campaign. >> like donny said when it comes to political advertising there is wiggle room. >> there are no rules. >> in new york city a prominent local news anchor man and also the son of the police commissioner in new york city has been accused of rape by a woman he met several months ago. her identity has been protected because she's either the victim of rape or the victim of an alleged rape. but his identity, he's been put

on the newspapers, his picture, his name with the word "rape" next to it. is this a fair way to handle it? >> when i was a prosecutor that was a big issue for me. we would do the normal perp walk and walk those accused of crimes past the media. what did donovan say all those years ago? where do i go to get my reputation back? that's what we have with this guy. he's the accused but in this country you are innocent until proven guilty. i don't think we should pierce the rape shield laws. >> it's time for some strong woman to pierce the rape shield laws. we have an issue where a public figure has been accused. he's now becoming almost a societal victim. i don't know who the woman is. it sounds like she did approach him. there was sexual activity. >> there were text messages. >> and they were texting. it comes down to he said, she said. i say this with great respect for the women who need to be

protected. i was attacked in 1970 as a college girl. i did everything wrong. i didn't come forward. i waited too long. by the time i would have come forward a prosecutor could have skewered me with questions. so i have great sensitive if i for young women who are raped. if you are an adult and you want to take the shame off of rape one of the bravest things you can do as a woman is to come forward and say, i accuse you and i'm going to do it publically. he's not working now. it bothers me to some extent. >> he has been victimized here if it was a consensual relationship between adults. >> if what appears to be happening in the court is that it was consensual, it's a bizarre statement but he'll be elevated. people will feel bad for him and he'll be a bigger star. >> you're never going to be elevated. >> all of the sudden people feel

empathy. >> i wish he would come back to work. i don't know if he was asked to step -- >> no matter what occurred, the intimate act or the violent act is unseamly. >> it's not unseemly if it was consensual -- >> no, no, donny. if it's sex in her boss's office, he's tarnished. >> it's inappropriate but not against the law. it's different. >> as we move on, thank you for putting your personal perspective on that. i appreciate that, nancy. ending a friendship. in this day and age with social media, you click on a mouse to defriend someone on facebook and it's done. in reality, what's the best way to end a friendship? how hard is it? >> you phase it out. >> neglect? >> you don't say, i don't want to be your friend anymore. they want to make plans, don't make the plans. phase it out.

>> i think occasionally you meet someone who is so truly toxic that you have to say to them, you know what, i think you're behavior is egregious. >> what about if you have outgrown the friendship? >> that's when i become a wimp and i don't do conflict resolution well and i phase it out. >> you don't return phone calls. that's a chicken way out. we all do it. >> the bigger way to do it is say, my needs have changed and our relationship has changed. >> that's almost bizarre to say to a friend. >> friendships are intimate. sometimes people cross the line. >> let's move on to the last one i have here. actress demi moore recently rushed to the hospital after collapsing in her home. a 911 call made by a friend from her home. portions of the recording of the 911 call have been released to the public. portions have been redacted. is that the right move? >> i don't know why any of this

has been released to the public. as far as i'm concerned this is almost a doctor-patient issue. remember the paramedic who took a photo on his phone of michael jackson's vital signs? i would have fired that guy the next day. >> it's no one's business. >> this is also someone who chose pregnant, nude on the cover of "vanity fair." you have celebrities who exploit the press. >> but this is medical -- >> it doesn't matter. my point is when you take advantage of the press it comes back to bite you. >> public information does not mean you are allowed to know every aspect of a person's life. the law has been enacted to say your private medical information belongs to you. it doesn't belong to the public. >> nude and pregnant on the cover of "vanity fair". >> donny, it's different. it came back to bite her but the reality is there is no reason the public needs to know more. >> the group is suing to have

the information released under freedom of information. >> i wish the information was not out there. >> do you think it should be? >> i think it's hard to draw the line. >> do you think what she smoked or took should be part of the public the domain? >> in a strange way, unfortunately that's the world we live in. >> do you think it's right? >> i think it's okay if you're a celebrity. you have sign add a contract. >> donny, i will say i don't want to be your friend anymore. >> happy birthday to my dad. 83. >> star jones, donny deutsch and dr. snyderman. up next, dangers of texting and driving right after this. what's this? [ male announcer ] quaker oatmeal squares

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back now at 8:20. this morning on parenting today, preventing your teen from texting and driving. janice lieberman is here with what some are doing to save lives. good morning. >> good morning. this is really important information. eight teenage drives are killed each day because they are not focusing on the road. some advocates are sending the message to teens and parents that texting and driving don't mix. just moments before this car accident driver jamie nash was doing what she commonly did while driving. she was texting. >> i don't know who or what i was texting but we know that was the cause. >> reporter: although much of the accident is blurry, jamie

now recalls what happened a split second later after looking up from her phone. >> i know i lost control of the vehicle and it flipped a couple of times and landed against a small tree. i was pinned inside. >> reporter: over the course of 17 months, jamie sustained 29 operations at parkland hospital in dallas, texas, and continues to recover from burns that covered 80% of her body. >> reporter: i was burned everywhere, pretty much. third and fourth degree. >> reporter: learning a very hard lesson. jamie's mission is to warn teens not to make the same mistake. >> this is a reminder on your thumb that says "text later." if you're distracted it will happen. it's not worth your life or somebody else's. >> reporter: like jamie other advocates like michelin tires are trying to drive the message home. >> this is a way to reach out to young drivers and teach them about what it means to drive

safe and not text and drive. >> reporter: i attended a street survival program for teens sponsored by michelin at their tire testing track. >> lol can kill a person. nobody is laughing when you get into a wreck because you were texting while you were driving or you were distracted. >> reporter: professional test driver and instructor sarah robinson invited three teens to take me along. >> tell me the truth. do you ever text and drive? >> sometimes. i try not to as much as possible. but it happens. >> i try not to. every once in a while it will happen though. >> reporter: they breezed through the course without distractions. >> this one's tight, don't you think? >> reporter: then the students were instructed to text while maneuvering the car. >> text your mom and tell her you love her. >> oh! >> boo. >> how far are we in the text

message? >> not at all. >> what's going on? okay. i think we have a cone with us. >> reporter: it was an eye-opening experience for the teens. >> you're not focusing on the road like you should be. if you're looking down and texting. >> definitely less control of the car, for sure. >> reporter: a lesson every parent hopes their teen will hear loud and clear. >> it's the difference between graduating high school and not. it's that dramatic. >> the cones represent the teen going off the road, hitting a structure or running over a pedestrian. tragically one of the student's friends in the class actually died very soon after that class in a texting accident. >> what can parents do? it bears repeating what you said earlier. 18 kids a day die. >> first of all talk to your children and tell them there will be consequences if they have been texting. but there are actual devices and aids that a parent can engage to

make sure this doesn't happen to their child. >> tell us. because there are apps that can work. >> you program the app and if the car is in motion you cannot receive a text and you cannot receive a phone call. it will say, i am driving. i cannot return your text at this time. >> does it stop you from texting? >> stops you. if a child tries to disable it a parent gets an e-mail saying that. izup is one of the big ones. textblocker and phoneguard. you pay $t20 per year and you'r done. for hardware under the steering wheel, you can get cell control. $25 hardware fee. $8 a month. it's peace of mind for you, but you have to tell them, i'm not doing it, you don't do it. and you have to not do it. >> don't set a bad example. janice, thank you. good information this morning. coming up, we're talking about the super bowl after this.

8:26 is your time on this tuesday, january 31, 2012. good morning to you. i'm eun yang. let's check in with storm 4 meet me tom kierein with a look at your forecast. i think that we are going to like what you have to say, tom. >> yeah. outbreak of spring fever later today. temperatures warm up. right now, though, still a chill in the air. as we approach 8:30 we are still in the 30s and low 40s most of the region. but some much warmer air now coming into the mountains and that will be arriving here later today into the 60s this afternoon. and 66 tomorrow. mall chance after morning sprinkle. partly sunny. then greater chance, likelihood of rain on thursday. then chilly weather friday into the weekend. >> thanks, tom. a quick break

good morning. traveling 395, very tough come ute for you. jammed from the beltway as you cross over to the 14th street bridge. i will give you a live look now.

cars are bumper to bumper. your travel speed, very slow. 9 miles per hour. it will take you over an hour to get from the beltway to the 14th street bridge. and traveling on

8:30 now on a tuesday morning, the 31st day of january 2012. 40 degrees already in new york city. going up into the mid 50s for the last day of january. what's up with that? >> we like it. >> dogs and cats living together. >> i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, al roker and natalie morales. coming up, big game sunday.

>> oh, yeah. >> really? >> a lot of people, you know, several hundred million people watching at home. if you didn't pull the trigger and buy a tv set at christmas, great deals to be found now. we'll tell you which ones are the best deals for your money. >> you mentioned that al and i will be in indianapolis. we want to mention we'll preview madonna doing the halftime show. also we got a glimpse this morning at one of the super bowl commercials. well, there are a lot of them. i watch the game for the commercials. we'll get a major preview on friday. >> and friday we've got a special concert live downtown indianapolis from gym class heroes and maroon 5 frontman adam levine. we'll be there all weekend long leading up to a special edition of "today" right before the super bowl. we'll do nine hours. >> really?

>> we start at 7:00 a.m. and go right up to kickoff. >> cool. >> i don't think that's right. >> all right. also coming up in this half hour we have some great italian classics with a little bit of a twist in our kitchen now. your family will love these recipes. >> courtesy of coleman anders. >> welcome back, coleman. >> welcome back, kotter, tos. >> welcome back kotter. let's check your weather. for today we have sunshine here in the east and snow in new england. rain in the pacific northwest with mountain snows. wet weather down to the lower mississippi river valley. for tomorrow, we are looking at heavier rain through the gulf coast and showers into the mid atlantic states and wet weather, pacific northwest, northern california, snow in new england. and super bowl sunday, cloudy, cold, morning low, 34. afternoon high, 43. roof on the stadium. has its own environment. it could actually rain in the -- inside lucas oil stadium. it can't but i just made that

up. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. feeling wintry cold now in the 30s and 40s. but later today, it will be climbing. all the way into the 60s by later this afternoon. and we will have clouds in and out. and tomorrow partly sunny. might have a morning sprinkle and partly sunny 37 again, into the 60s during the afternoon. rain likely on thursday. and turning much cooler with highs around 50. and then chilly weather returns for friday and into saturday, don't forget. you can check your weather any time of the day or night, 24/7. weather channel on cable, weather.com online. >> coming up next, we'll be talking about buying your tv monitors for the big super bowl game. a lot of people are doing it last minute and there are deals to be had. >> especially ones with ann curry on them. >> my goodness. look at that. we have much more. first, this is "today" on nbc. [ cherie ] i always had a job, ever since i was fourteen.

i could not make working and going to school work. it was not until the university of phoenix that i was able to work full-time, be a mom, and go to school. the opportunities that i had at the university of phoenix, dealing with professionals teaching things that they were doing every day, got me to where i am today. i'm mayor cherie wood, i'm responsible for the largest urban renewal project in utah, and i am a phoenix. [ male announcer ] find your program at phoenix.edu.

back now at 8:35. on today's tech, big tvs for the big game. if you're in the market for a television, no better time to treat the family than before sunday's super bowl. if you shop smart you can find great deals. mario armstrong is the "today" digital contributor. welcome. >> good to see you, matt. >> before we get to the individual sets you have tips for all shoppers. >> people will be seeing a lot of ads. i want to make sure they have basic tips to think about before shopping at all. number one, we need to not look just at price alone. you will see deals, different prices but make sure you have the right features. >> sound is critical. shop around. do your homework. pick one that can handle your needs. >> make sure it has all the ports for the devices in your house and the refresh rate. for fast action games you want

120 hertz at least to reduce motion blur on screen. >> this is a 47-inch smart tv by lg. why do you like it? >> it's a great special. number one, 3-d with web connectivity. also ten pair of 3-d glasses comes with it. it's a great deal if you want to invest in a future television. >> on sale now? >> it's a great price. $600 or $800 off now. >> this one's bigger. made by sony. 55 inches. what's special about it? >> you will notice the screen's different. it has a matte finish on the screen. that's important if you're home and you have a tv in a bright room or an area where you can't control the light you want a matte finish, not a gloss. >> you like that it's energy efficient. >> they can consume a lot and you want to make sure you're buying tvs that won't break the electricity bank and also won't burn out over time. >> about $1600 p by the way.

another 55-inch set. the thing that strikes me most is how thin it is. >> yes, very thin. only one and one-quarter inch thick. if you notice from the angle you can see the screen relatively well from back at that angle. >> a weird blurring angle can make it blurry. >> that's important for sports. if you have a lot of people around the television you want to make sure you see it dead center and from the wide angle. >> internet capability? >> absolutely and 3-d glasses as well. >> we're stepping it up a notch. this is a 70-inch set by sharpe. other than the size why do you like it? >> it's a movie theater. it's huge. lots of great reviews. 4.7 out of 55 by best buy buyers on this. it's around $2,000 for this unit. >> this also features a music player? >> it has a usb port on the back

of the televisiotelevision. you can do photos, video or music. >> let's move on. this one is 42 inches. also by lg. you like the price on it? >> i like it. >> you told us don't buy on price alone. >> the picture is quality on this unit. look. 47 inches is a great screen size for just about any room. $529 is a great price for a lot of budgets. >> a lot of families have kids and they are gamers. how do you know if a set is good for gamers? >> there are a couple of things you can look for. this goes back to making sure you have enough ports. you want the best quality connection. hdmi from the game system to the tv. number two, making sure you have the higher refresh rate. >> one of the early tips is sound is critical. how expensive are they and how much do the sound bars improve the quality?

>> z-vox audio is a wood cabinet. many are plastic. this is great quality sound. they go up to larger systems as well. i will play a track for you so you can hear the difference. ♪ >> that should strike you. >> much bigger sound. >> i'll play something with a heavier bass to it. you will see the difference here. ♪ >> i'm always trying to get him to dance. >> we'll pause there. let's go to remote controls before you get me in trouble. what's the most important thing to know? >> controlling multiple devices. uh you don't want to be scrambling like tom brady will be all over the field. >> you saved it for the end. >> i had to hold it for the end. this logitech can control up to six devices and the clicker can do up to eight with a special feature. you can pop the beer.

>> bottle opener. >> i will have a beer with you, but i won't dance. and budget for cables. >> great cables like audio quest. $29 and up. if you're on a budget go to monoprice.com. >> mario armstrong, everybody. up next, we'll meet the sports illustrated guru compared to mcguire. he's back after this. first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪

back now at 8:43 with a 17-year-old making a big impression on the sports world but he's not an athlete. nbc "today" national correspondent jenna wolf is here to explain. >> his name is alex klein. he's a new jersey high school senior who, believe it or not, is also a college basketball

recruiter. i spent time with alex to see what a typical day is like for him and i soon found out it's far from typical. it's friday afternoon at the pennington school in new jersey. senior alex klein is in irish literature class reading a poem he wrote. >> only the strong survive. you've got to be slick. >> reporter: it's praised by his teacher which, for most of us, would mean job well done. so why is alex still anxious? he hasn't checked his blackberry since class started which means alex hasn't tweeted. >> most of you guys tweet. how many of you have 500 followers? 5,000? 15,000? more than 15,000 followers? >> i have more followers than you. [ laughter ] >> reporter: that's not important. why, you ask, does a 17-year-old high school student have so many followers? you see, alex is a college basketball recruiter. but not just any recruiter. a recent sports illustrated

profiler called alex the world's first teenage recruiting guru. >> reporter: you're a conduit between the high school players and the college coaches? >> i'm the third wheel. it's a triangle. you have the players, the coaches and i connect them. >> reporter: school's out. the weekend is here. while his classmates are ready to start relaxing, alex can't. his work never stops. not at night. not over the weekend. >> basically i tweet new scholarship offers, new interests. >> reporter: where do you get the information? >> college coaches, high school coaches, sources, high school players. >> reporter: they're e-mailing you. >> e-mailing, texting. >> reporter: they trust you. >> they trust me with the information whether they want it out there or they want it out but don't want their name attached to it. >> reporter: he tweets up to 100 times a day in contact with players, coaches and other recruiters across the country. he's not just online. with notebook in hand alex off hits the pavement scouting

talents. >> what are your strengths? what colleges are you hearing from? >> i'll give you the scoop. what do you want to know? >> reporter: and getting the attention of college coaches. >> he's everywhere. any event, he's out there. >> reporter: alex grew up an only child. his parents encouraged him to pursue anything he wanted. you were an athlete. >> i was. 6th grade basketball team. >> reporter: 6th grade basketball team? >> yeah, i hit a three in my career. >> reporter: that's fantastic! knowing playing professional sports wasn't in his future alex turned to life behind the proverbial scene. by age 14 he was managing the men's basketball team at his school. by 15 he had started his own website, the recruit scoop.com. by 16 he started a basketball tournament. the mary kline classic, in honor of his mother who died from a brain tumor when alex was just 10. >> i think she'd be proud. she's one of the reasons i have

gone so far. she's pushed me in the right direction. she's up there now, but she'd be really proud. >> make sure you study for exams. >> i know. >> we can put the tweeting on hold. >> i know, dad. >> reporter: now at age 17, alex is looking to the future. in the fall he'll attend syracuse university. though he hasn't figured out exactly what career he wants to pursue yet. >> college coach, on-air reporter, maybe even an agent. >> reporter: what about all the comparisons to jerry mcguire? have you asked someone to show you the money? >> show me the money! >> i have only seen half the movie. i need to see it. >> reporter: how could you only see half? >> i'm a busy guy. >> alex doesn't get paid for his recruiting work, at least not yet. and if you wonder how he does in school? he's basically a straight a student. his only knock against him, he has more twitter followers than i do. if that's the only knock, he's

going to be okay. >> he's a great kid. his mom is definitely proud. what a great career he has ahead of him. >> great a head on his shoulders. it was great to hang out with him. >> up next, a twist on classic italian comfort foods. first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning in today's

kitchen we're going back to basics with a twist on classic italian dishes. from a warm and hearty potatoless gnocchi, we are enriching their flavors. coleman andrews is author of the country cooking of italy. great to see you. >> good to be here. >> your parents were french-canadian, scottish and. how do you write an italian book cook? >> my mother was a terrible cook. i was 15 before i knew beef wasn't gray inside. >> i don't want to get in trouble. >> don't stand too close. it took me 40 years to research the book, i like to say. 40 years of going back and forth to italy and eating great italian food. >> we'll do the twist. no potatoes in the gnocchi. it's made with squash? >> winter squash.

this is butter nut squash, banana squash. any winter squash. potatoes are a fairly recent addition to gnocchi. you can make it with all kinds of stuff. bake it, scoop it out. add flour. >> that holds it together. >> add plenty of salt, two eggs and a cup of flour. you can do it with a fork or a potato masher. we have to work in the flour. >> you end up with -- >> something that looks like this. then take a spoon. these aren't neat little rounded gnocchi. they are supposeded to be rustic. >> you're going to pop them in boiling water? >> boiling, salted water. we have nice ones made up here. they are supposed to be irregular like this. >> do they cook quickly? >> one to two minutes. as soon as they rise to the top, they are cooked. >> if you overcook them, do they

dry out? >> they'll fall apart. when they bob to the top, take them out. meantime you start with the sauce. >> this is sausage? >> ground veal and ground pork with onion. the secret ingredient for italian meat sauces. >> what is it? >> chicken liver. >> if i hadn't told uh you, you wouldn't know and you would love it. we have home made tomato sauce if possible. cook it down until it looks like this. >> you won't taste the chicken liver in there, right? >> don't worry. you're safe. >> don't toss it or the gnocchi will fall apart. spoon it on top. cheese if you like. >> perfect. >> this is orechiette with broccoli rabe and it is not broccoli. >> it's a relative of the tu

turnip. it means little eerars and they look like ears if you have weird, round little ears. cook them right in the same pot. it's very efficient, environmentally correct. >> what's simmering here? >> olive oil and anchovies. >> i can smell it. >> you don't like them? >> i'm not crazy about it but they get lost in there. >> you want plenty of nice oil. instead of grated cheese, bread crumbs. the people of the part of italy where this comes from were so poor they often couldn't afford cheese. they would have dried out bread. they would grate it, use it instead of cheese. >> for dessert, olive oil cake. >> beautiful. every part of italy that grows olives makes olive oil cake. >> good to have you here. the book is "the country cooking

of italy." here's ann. >> thank you. in honor of black history month thegrio.com has a list of 100 african-americans making a difference around the country. david wilson is the executive editor of the website. you were up all night putting together the list and publishing it. >> 4:00 in the morning, the team was making sure it works. yes. >> you have a great list of artists, teachers, athletes. they push bound ris and they are about the future including a man we profiled here on "today" show named tyrone curry. >> if i had won $3 million i wouldn't be here. i would be in hawaii. this is a janitor who won the lottery and decided to donate some of the money, $40,000 to the high school's track field. stayed on the job. just an amazing story. >> as a janitor. he became a symbol of altruism

to the students. >> these are the stories americans need to hear. we decided we needed to put them on a list. >> the list includes a lot of woman including ibta muhammed. >> she's a black muslim. she decided she wanted to wear her hijab and play sports. she had to find a sport that was accommodating so she chose fencing. she excelled so well at it that she ended up and is now being considered for the 2012 olympics. >> she could be a contender. it was by happenstance in adherence to her faith and beliefs that got her there. >> she would be the first muslim-american to represent us in fencing. >> how do people access the list? >> go to thegrio.com and look in the black history section. we'll profile them all month on website and on nbc and msnbc.

pretty exciting. >> a lot of great stories. david wilson, thank you for joining us. go get some sleep. coming up tomorrow on "today" we'll meet another member of the grio 100. a musician who combined his love for the cello and also beat boxing. we'll be right back after your local news. 8:56 is your time this tuesday, january 31, 2012. good morning to you. let's check in with storm met meet tom kierein for a look at your forecast today. >> right now it is still feeling wintry. still quite a chill in the air. 30s to mid 40s.

as the day progresses it will continue to climb. here is how things are looking over the next search days, into the 60s this afternoon. again, tomorrow. then chilly weather around thursday with rain likely. looks like it is going to stay chilly on friday, saturday, sunday, and into monday as well. >> tom, thanks so much. i just had it with cable. it just got more frustrating and frustrating. a lot of times, the picture would break up.

for the amount of money that i am paying, my cable company should take care of me. [ male announcer ] stop paying for second best. move up to verizon fios tv, internet and phone for our best price online -- just $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years. first time we saw tv on fios was amazing! i was just in a trance watching it. i'm discovering new channels every day. [ male announcer ] and here's a special bonus: sign up now and get $300 back with a two-year contract. fios internet -- the speed, you can't compare. i'm able to take care of things much faster now. [ male announcer ] start saving now. move up to fios for our best price online -- $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years and get $300 back with a two-year contract. or ask us about the option of no annual contract. is change good? in this case, change is very good. [ male announcer ] visit verizon.com/greatprice. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's verizon.com/greatprice. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. fios. a network ahead.

good morning. traveling in the district, suspicious package taken away. all of your lanes in the 1,200 block of wylie in northeast. shut down 800 block of 13th street. avoid the area. if you are traveling on 395 you are still jammed. delays start at the beltway and continue across the 14th street bridge and your travel speed is 8 miles per hour. very, very slow. >> danella, thank you. more news, weather and traffic for new just 25 minutes. but for now, back

we're back with more of "today" on a tuesday morning, 31st day of january 2012. you know what? mark that on your calendars. this is one of the prettiest days we have had on a winter day in a long time. going up to 55 degrees. not a cloud in the sky in new pretty nice stuff, mr. roker. we'll give you credit. >> thank you. >> and plblame you when the weather goes bad. >> that's correct. >> coming up, will the real estate market recover some of the lost ground this year? >> we'll have an action plan for you. it might be time to rethink your real estate strategy because there are some encouraging signs

about what has happened to home prices for owners. we'll tell you what you should be thinking about coming up. >> and a rare interview with prince harry as he opens up about his grandmother and who are 64-year marriage to prince philip. we'll go live to buckingham palace. >> also ahead, another exciting installment of jills steals & deals, deals up to 75% off for "today" viewers. is that candy? >> yes. >> and it's a bargain. jill has more coming up. >> we have necklaces, too. >> candy necklaces. do you remember those? >> i do. >> they made your neck sticky. >> you're not supposed to eat it and put it on. >> no, i did. i would snack on it. >> we won't talk about the candy cigarett cigarettes. >> we have no more time for news now. natalie's inside with the

headlines. >> we have important news. a developing story from italy this morning. officials ended the search for the bodies in the submerged portion of the costa concordia which ran aground more than two weeks ago saying the search poses too much danger to rescue workers. 17 boilds have been recovered from the wreck with 16 passengers and crew still missing. new violence in syria. a human rights group says government forces are pushing into damascus suburbs and going after civilians supporting the opposition. hillary clinton heads to press the security council to support an arab league peace plan for syria. the u.n. estimates some 5,400 people died in the opposition uprising there since march. voters are headed to the polls in the all important state of florida. mitt romney is riding high headed into today's vote telling several hundred supporters monday he felt like he would win. the latest polls show him with a

15-point lead over newt gingrich who has several campaign stops planned today. an s.a.t. scandal is rocking one of the top liberal arts schools. claremont mckenna college says for years scores were inflated to publications like u.s. news & world reports. the school is ranked as the ninth best liberal arts college in the country. now to london where some candid comments from prince harry about his grandmother, the queen, are making news. nbc's stephanie gosk is at buckingham palace with the details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. we know the queen is 86 years old, the second longest ruling monarch in britain's history and still she keeps a blistering pace of engagements, not just in the uk but around the world. many people wonder how she can possibly do it.

in an interview with the bbc, prince harry reveals what he thinks is his grand mother's secret. >> having him by her side she says is her strength and stay all these years. >> prince philip is 90 and considered to be in wonderful shape for his age, but two days before christmas he was rushed to the hospital with chest pains. doctors treated him for a clogged artery and the duke was released four days later. harry's interview shows a recognition of his grandparents years and an awareness that they are doing more than most. he says, these are the things that at the queen's age she shouldn't be doing, yet she's carrying on and doing them.

philip is always there. dutifully a few steps behind but always there. >> the duke has made an invaluable contribution to my life. >> they made an historic trip to ireland, the first time the british monarch visited in over a hundred years. they went halfway around the world to australia. back home there was a ceremonial welcome for the obamas at buckingham palace. and the weddings of two of their grandchildren, prince william and zara phillips. this year will be busier with the summer olympics and the queen's diamond jubilee, a celebration of her 60-year reign. should philip not be there, is prince harry really suggesting the queen could not go on? >> i don't think prince harry is literally suggesting the queen can't go on without the duke of edinborough. i think he's saying she would find it difficult. we know she would always do her

duty, come what may. >> reporter: the palace says harry's words were, quote, not a comment on how the queen would fare should prince philip die before her but a comment on the level of support he's bipartisan giving her over the years. we have news out of here today. the palace confirm it is duke and duchess of cam brin did adopt a dog. not a labrador but a cocker spaniel which is a middleton family favorite. >> any nanaimes yet? >> no names. but a cute cocker spaniel. >> looking forward to the pictures. thanks so much. large waves on oahu's north shore made for dangerous conditions monday and forced the cancellation of one of the world's top surfing competitions. too rough to hang ten there. swells reached 35 feet but the waves are expected to begin subsiding later today. and bitter doesn't describe how cold it is in fair banks, alaska. after dipping to 49 below over

the weekend, it will be a toasty 23 below zero today. students at that time university of alaska braved the cold in their skivvies as part of the 40 below club which is a tradition. a crazy tradition. good for them. seven minutes past the hour. now back to ann and matt. >> think about the size of the goose bumps. >> you got me nervous for a second there. i didn't know -- there are often times i didn't know where you were going. i didn't know you were going there. okay? al, over to you. >> you know, we need these jobs, ann. some of us have small children to get through college. how are you boys doing? where are you from? >> arkansas. >> what's your name? >> coleman. >> and? >> john. >> that's mom? >> lisa. who's this nice lady behind you? >> grandma. >> grandma doesn't have a name. just grandma. we have a name.

just grandma. that's the way it is. let's check your weather and we will show you for today. hey, this cold air is staying up in canada. and alaska. possible record high temperatures and above nofrmal temperatures making their way through the ohio river valley. indianapolis, 25 degrees above normal. denver, 11 degrees above normal. dallas, 16 degrees above normal. high of 71. 60 in indianapolis. for our friends in the twin cities, it is awfully toasty. that's what's going on around the country. here is what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. still chilly and high clouds coming over. tom kierein in storm center 4. climbing into the 40s. near 50, fredericksburg to charlottesville and stanton, virginia. that area could hit near70 later today. we will repeat this again tomorrow. more clouds around and perhaps morning sprinkle. then rain on thursday and

turning cooler. chilly weather after that. and that's your latest weather. savannah? >> al, thank you. this morning on today's real estate. buying, selling and staying in the new market. no one is predicting a complete recovery but there have been some encouraging signs that will change people's strategies. donna rizato from money magazine has an action plan. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> finally, some rays of hope in the housing market which has been a basket case and prices have gone down since 2008. experts predict this year they will start going up again. >> we have finally hit a bottom in the market for real estate. 98% of markets are expecting an increase in home prices this year. we expect 2% this year, maybe 3% next year. it's finally going in the right direction. >> it's probably not going to see maybe ever again some of the 10%, 20% increase in property

values we were seeing during the housing boom, right? >> that's right. that's a good thing. historically home prices increase only a moderate amount. we won't go back to bubble times eier. >> we have tips for buyers, sellers and owners which are people who want to stay in their homes. act quickly before rates go up. >> rates have been under 4% for months now. those are historic lows. but as the economy continues to improve, mortgage rates are expected to average 4.5% by the middle of the year. still a great rate. but if you want to lock in the lower rate, this is the time to make a move. >> for buyers who think maybe the rates will keep going down, your advice is -- >> no. rates are expected to stay at this level and then move up. keep your eye on the economy. it's tied to the economy. the economy keeps improving, expectorates to tick up. >> to take advantage of the best rates you want to have a credit score that's as high as possible

which gets us to your second piece of advice. >> not everybody qualifies for the lowest rate. you need good credit and a good score is 760 or higher. check your score at annualcreditreport.com for your credit report. another $8 you can get your score to see where you stand. >> you say buyers should focus on smaller homes. why if you can afford a bigger home. >> it does seem counterintuitive, but when you are buying a home don't always think of price. it's about resale value. if you are staying in the home five years or less you need to think of how hard it will be to sell your home down the road. smaller homes are in demand now, not mcmansions. people are more frugal. they don't want to maintain a large home and baby boomers will be retiring and downsizing. so the demand will be for smaller homes. >> good-bye, mcmansion. say it isn't so. for sellers, the first one is hard to take. you say price it right. >> the market will be better but

it's been tough more anybody who wants to sell their home. they can feel confident that home prices aren't supposed to drop more. you have to price your home right. 75% of homeowners still think their home is worth more than it is by at least 10%. >> they believe or hope it's worth more because they want to sell it for a higher price. >> right. >> if you're not sure you say to get a second opinion. >> you're best off looking at comparable home sales from the past 90 days. to get a second opinion is a good idea. not a lot of homes have been sold in your area. hire an appraiser. it will cost you $300 or clz 400. it could be worth it. >> take advantage of better opportunities to negotiate. what do you mean by that? >> in recent years to get someone to buy your home you have had to throw in flat screen tvs, cover the closing costs. >> the family dog. it's terrible. >> we see more demand particularly from investors. 30% of home purchases are from

investors. you probably won't have to throw in all the perks to get your home sold. >> all right. for owners, folks who want to stay in the home you say to invest in the home. what do you mean? >> if you want to refinance uh you have to have at least 20% equity in the home. a lot of people don't have it today. you can do a cash-in refinancing. that's where at closing you bring money to the table and then you can put cash in and invest in the home to bring up your equity. >> so many people in the housing market are under water in mortgages. they owe more than the home is worth. you say look into whether government help is available to you. >> if you are under water in your home you haven't been able to refinance. but the government revamped the home affordable refinance program. new regulations will take place in the spring. even if you are under water, you may be able to get assistance. >> and see if you can shave years off your loan. >> it's great to qualify for a

lower loan but 30 years is a long time. if you can reset to 15 or 20 years you pay less interest over time. you may pay more than your regular payment though. >> great advice. >> thanks. >> coming up, ferris beuller is back. we'll find out what he does on his new day off in a super bowl ad. up next, we have up to 77% off everything from cosmetics to jewelry. jill martin is here with great steals & deals. don't eat it all! first, these messages. so who ordered the cereal that can help lower cholesterol

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it before. go to today.com. log on and we will link you to the retailer's website. i'm serious. up to 90% off these five products. there is a limited supply. so get on now. >> you have to get on it. let's get to it. some body shapers. these claim to be the workout you wear. >> they're great. they are shapers and you see the control panels. i will start with the one by me. looks like i'm wearing them. offering four styles. the one in beige is the waist to knee. it comes in high waist which is great for jeeps or under pants. and over to you. this is the shaping tights. these are high wasted. also in low wasted. it depends on if you want to cover your belly a little bit. >> the control panel goes all the way down to the thigh. >> great under dresses and

skirts. free shipping on these. the retail is $36 to $58. the deal, $16. u up to 72% off. >> very good. now you can wear these after you eat this. >> exactly. >> this is the sweet treat bucket from the sugar factory. it's just packed with a ton of goodies including old classics. >> i hate to age us, but look at our old favorites. the bucket situation is $160. look at the things here. fun dip, pop rocks and huge lollipops. this is so much fun to send and the good news is it arrives in time for valentine's day. the celeb fans include britney spears, nick cannon and nicole scherzinger. th $48. that's 70% off. >> look at the size of the lollipops. >> it comes wrapped.

>> okay. now over here, jewelry is always a huge deal for us. you have beautiful necklaces. diamond necklaces from charlotte lu and i know celebs love them. >> the retail is $295. four styles in black or white diamonds. sterling silver, 14 are carat gold over silver or yellow gold over silver. you see the variety here. the star heart open circle and dime shape. there is an adjustable chain to layer. i'm wearing some of them. >> gorgeous. >> some of them on my neck. you see how to layer them. celeb fans include katie holmes and jennifer aniston. the retail is $295. the deal is $68. that's 77% off. >> that's great. fantastic. that will be a hot seller. over here, if you have been struggling to get the smoky eye, look no more. we have the perfect trio set from noir cosmetics to guarantee you can make it at home. >> the retail is $61.

i feel like women struggle with this, how to do the smoky eye. this is dumby proof. i even did it. three items in the kit. jewel box eye shadow pallet which you see here. it shows you which to put where. smooth blend eye liner and on the other end you can blend and the mascara. the deal is $19 for the three. that's 69% off. >> okay. here's one even our guys on the crew are lusting after. the allen lyle watch set comes with four band options. look how great this watch is. it's such a classic but you get fun bands to go with it. >> the retail is $225. it's a unisex watch with an interchangeable crystal face. battery operated. comes in a genuine leather case with four options. you can go from casual to dressy. >> from a black metallic, to stainless, black leather and

casual. >> without missing a beat. $225 is the retail. the deal is $60. 73% off. i love this for women as well. >> it's very cool. i love all the options you have there. jill martin, thank you once again. again, the products are the body shapers, sugar factory sweet treat bucket, necklaces by charlotte lu, the noir cosmetics trio and al & lyallen lyle watc. jill will take your questions on twitter. use the hash tag on twitter # steals and deals. still to come, the latest contestant to be booted off the ranch on "the biggest loser." find out how she's lost more than 70 pounds so far. is to keep it whole for better nutrition. and that's what they do with great grains cereal. see the seam on the wheat grain? same as on the flake. because great grains steams and bakes the actual whole grain. now check out the other guy's flake. hello, no seam.

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coming up, beuller traded in his ferriero. >> and time in the kitchen. start with either unlimited homemade soup or our fresh crisp salad, and all the warm breadsticks you want. then, enjoy one of five new specially created entrees, like our smoked mozzarella chicken or five cheese marinara with shrimp. finish up with one of five desserts. like our chocolate mousse. our new three course italian dinner, just $12.95. try it tonight at your olive garden when you're here, you're family. vaga had no tolerance for such dastardly deeds. finally... [ male announcer ] when you combine creamy velveeta with zesty rotel tomatoes and green chilies, you get a bowl of queso that makes even this get-together better. have 46 grams of whole grains... mmmm. ...and a touch of sweetness. you'll be delighted to discover how good they taste.

get your free sample of quaker oatmeal squares on facebook. 9:26 is your time on this tuesday, january 31, 2012. good morning to you. i'm eun yang. let's check in with tom kierein with a look at your forecast. chilly start. we are going to like the way this day is shaping up. tom, good morning. >> good morning. it is going to be warming up quickly now. right now around the region, we have a few high clouds passing over. temperatures are in the 40s to near 50 degrees throughout much of virginia and maryland now and later today, into the 60s. and it will be the same tomorrow except we may have a few more clouds around. morning sprinkle. then getting colder on thursday and we could get rain. then on friday, into the weekend, the winter chill

returns. highs in the fourth to near 50 on friday, saturday, and sunday. and small chance of rain over the weekend. >> tom, thanks so much. a quick break now and

good morning. traveling on 270 southbound a roadblocking the left lane. debris in the roadway. use caution in the area.

southbound, eastern avenue, as you approach the road you are at 11 miles per hour. pretty slow. traveling i-95, slow as well. >> danella, thank you. more news, weather, and traffic in 25 minutes. but for now,

billy needs $225,000 for ricardo. please. yes, i added the please at the end. okay. let me -- hold on one second, please. >> tell him i'll pay for one. when i sell him back for twice that amount next year i get the money. >> oscar nominee brad pitt and jonah hill. oscar nominee brad up for his third time at for the best actor oscar. he may just hit it out of the park this time. >> get it? >> we'll have that and more when we joins us live for the first

time ever live tomorrow here on "today." >> wow! natalie and i are already planning our outfits. just kidding. jonah hill will be here. >> we'll do a drive-by during the interview. >> is there any coffee in this studio? >> brad may be watching and will change his mind. meanwhile, coming up this half hour -- beuller. >> beuller, beuller. >> one of the most quoted and loved movies of the 1980s matthew brodrick reprises his role in a super bowl ad. >> he looks the same. just a little grayer. that's it. >> he does! >> not everyone agrees. >> also ahead, on the class of 2020 we meet a 4th grader who's learning the lesson of commitment between friends from the day she was born. we'll visit with her and her family ahead. >> this is a great story. >> also ahead, a fool-proof

gourmet meal featuring fish and all the trimmings. we'll make you a gourmet chef with the help of a dpour may. first a check of the weather from al. >> looking ahead to the weekend, first of all, today we have plenty of blue sky in the east. we have rain in the lower mississippi valley. and the pacific northwest. tomorrow you can expect snow in northern new england. wet weather and heavier rain makes it to the gulf and the mid ohio river valley. rain in the pacific northwest. looking at super sunday, mostly cloudy, cold, morning lows in indianapolis. 34. afternoon high of 43 degrees. the country. >> good morning.

around our region, we had sunshine this morning. temperatures right now are in the 40s to near 50 degrees. later today we will be climbing into the 60s hitting the 60s again tomorrow. small chance of a morning sprinkle. rain likely on thursday. and as we get into the weekend, friday, thanks. now we say hello to gail, the latest contestant to have the scales tip against her on "the biggest loser." good morning. >> good morning to you. >> how much have you lost? >> i lost almost 65 pounds. >> terrific. >> you lost, i guess it was a little over 20 pounds on the ranch? >> i lost 25 pounds on the ranch. >> and your daughter lauren was booted off last week. so you're both home now. >> we are. >> what's it like to be the first team to go? >> it worked out beautifully. we believe god has us where we are supposed to be. so we're working hard. she's running marathons and i'm swimming and walking new york city. >> terrific. >> encouraging each other.

>> we are. >> bob harper seemed like he was really on your case. what was that about? >> bob's an amazing man and he helped save my life. i'm grateful to him. he and i both didn't understand how my polio from my childhood affected what i was able to do physically. through this journey, i have learned a lot about myself. it's all been good. so i'm just hitting the pool and walking. it's making a difference. >> and you have tendinitis. >> both my hips were really bad. so the pool is my new best friend. >> it's a great workout. >> i can't run anymore, but i can walk. i hit the pavement in new york city this week. it's been fun. >> gail lee, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> "the biggest loser" airs tonight at 8:00/7:00 central on nbc. still to come, fers ferris beuller is playing hooky again

and also some of the 4th graders learning some of life's most important lessons 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. ♪ might seem...impossible. unless you have eggo® waffles. they're quick and easy to make, and there's something about them... that just makes people move. [ male announcer ] eggo® waffles. simply delicious. i took some steep risks in my teens. i'd never ride without one now. and since my doctor prescribed lipitor, i won't go without it for my high cholesterol and my risk of heart attack. why kid myself?

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nothing calls them to the table faster. hi jamie. here's lisamy activia video. love this stuff. i'm starting to feel a change no longer feeling slow. i can't believe i thought irregularity was my normal. now i don't miss a beat. activia helps with occasional irregularity, when eaten 3 times a day. i knew lisa would love her new normal. ♪ activia love your new normal and discover the deliciously fruity taste and silky smooth texture of new activia harvest picks. the morning on education nation we continue our class of 2020 series following a group of students from their first day in kindergarten to high school graduation. we have been with them every step of the way. >> hard to believe they are in 4th grade. now they are studying commitment, a lesson one 4th

grader names caroline has already witnessed first hand thanks to the unique relationship of her parents. >> so dr. martin luther king set out a challenge. he asked his people to make a strong commitment. >> reporter: she's using a holiday to inspire her 4th graders to make a commitment. her challenge, for the students to sacrifice their time to help others on a daily basis for a week. >> i'm going to wash the dishs and make dinner for a week. >> reporter: for caroline the choice is easy. she wants to help her mom and dad. >> i'm doing this because i want to be a leader at home and at school. >> reporter: caroline's commitment echoes a promise her parents made to each other more than ten years ago. in 1999 amy and gary were best friends who would do anything for each other. >> it was one of the things where you meet somebody and -- >> you know right away.

>> i will know that person for life. >> when amy was diagnosed with breast cancer doctors said the chemotherapy may affect her ability to have children. >> they made it clear if it was something i was going to do i needed to do it within a certain amount of time. >> gary offered to be a sperm donor and amy accepted. but she wanted gary to be more than just the biological father. >> we knew the things we were committing to but we had no idea. with new parents you don't know. >> they don't have a coparenting book. what does that mean? >> reporter: in 2002 caroline arrived. ♪ itsy bits eye spider ♪ went up the water spout ♪ down came the rain and washed the spider out ♪ >> reporter: were you worried that it would add pressure on your friendship? >> definitely. >> it did. >> yeah. >> initially, we tried to live together and almost killed each

other. >> reporter: amy and gary tried to live together in the traditional image of a nuclear family, but it was tearing them apart. >> we decided we weren't going to try to fit into the mold of what it was supposed to be. i don't think we had the rules. there were no rules. >> no. >> reporter: eventually amy and gary got their own places and decided to share their time with caroline equally. >> this is one of my bedrooms. >> reporter: today, caroline splits her time spending half the week with her mom. >> this is my other bedroom. >> reporter: and the other half with her dad. >> do you feel special having two rooms? pretty lucky? >> sometimes i'm like if i want a pair of shoes to wear to school i'm like, oh, they're at -- >> reporter: the other house. do you want me to peel the carrots maybe? >> can you cut the carrots? >> reporter: okay. i caught up with caroline on day five of her week-long commitment

to cook dinner for her parents. >> look at that. perfection on a plate. >> reporter: amy and gary try to have dinner together with caroline two or three times a week. >> how do you explain how her situation is compared to what her friends have at home? >> i say you have a mother and a father. and it doesn't matter what the traditional family setting is. as long as you know you have the love from both parents, everything else doesn't matter. >> reporter: what do you think about your situation? >> i feel really lucky that i have two bedrooms and two parents that really love me. >> we are so happy to report that caroline completed her assignment with flying colors. best lasagna i have ever had. i see a "today" show cooking segment in her future. follow caroline and her class of 2020 websites on a special page dedicated to the series at today.com. what a special family situation she has. she's so lucky. >> she's a darling little girl.

she couldn't find her shoes. >> one at each house. >> we'll look forward to the next installment. thanks. up next, we take a turn. ferris beuller takes another day off. this time on super bowl sunday. we'll get a glimpse of his latest adventure and walk down our 1980s high school netminder memory lane. get the popcorn. >> and the big hair. ♪ i am you ♪ you are me i'm jennifer hudson, and i believe. i was strong before weight watchers, but i'm stronger with it. i believe weight watchers can do the same for you. i believe you have more power than you think you do. i believe because it works. ♪ if you want it, you got it your turn. your time. your year. join for free. weight watchers points plus 2012. because it works. tell me we'll grow old together. tell me that i'm still the one. that you need me.

that i'm your superhero. tell me you'll never let me go. tell me you miss me. tell me you love me. it's all i want to hear. [ female announcer ] everyone has something they need to hear. vow to tell them this valentine's day. ♪ have 46 grams of whole grains... mmmm. ...and a touch of sweetness. you'll be delighted to discover how good they taste. get your free sample of quaker oatmeal squares on facebook. come for a smoke? yeah. no. you telling me you quit? yeah, i'm on my way. i'm trying nicoderm cq. [ male announcer ] every time you say no to a cigarette, celebrate a little win with nicoderm cq, the patch with smart control technology that gives you a burst of nicotine in the morning then continues working for up to 24 hours so you can go from one little win to another.

until you reach your goal. nicoderm cq. quit one day at a time. but don't just listen to me. listen to these happy progressive customers. i plugged in snapshot, and 30 days later, i was saving big on car insurance. i was worried it would be hard to install. but it's really easy. the better i drive, the more i save. i wish our company had something this cool. yeah. you're not... filming this, are you? aw! camera shy. snapshot from progressive. plug into the savings you deserve with snapshot from progressive. might seem...impossible. unless you have eggo® waffles. they're quick and easy to make, and there's something about them... that just makes people move. [ male announcer ] eggo® waffles. simply delicious. ♪ ...you make a change with hellmann's.

♪ make parmesan-crusted chicken. ♪ surprisingly crispier... juicier... mmm. yummier. made with real simple ingredients. find this and other recipes at hellmanns.com. hellmann's. make it real. make it different. you could get money that's both fast and free on an emerald card.'s. just bring in your tax information... and get a refund anticipation check in 7-14 days, for up to $9,999. call 1-800-hrblock to make an appointment. the super bowl is days away but one commercial could be awarded the commercial for best buzz. savannah has more. >> guthrie, guthrie. anyone? >> that's your hint, everyone. it's the '80s. the hair was big and the shoulder pads bigger, but nothing was so big at the box

office "ferris beuller's day off." for those of us pondering what happened to ferris, a new honda super bowl ad attempts to answer the question. >> how could i be possibly expected to handle school on a day like this? >> it may have been the most famous day of hooky ever conceived. "ferris beuller's day off" had america fantasizing about what they do with just one day off. >> hey, batter, batter. >> reporter: an instant classic for 25 years we have hungered for more. >> i'm abe froman. >> the sausage king of chicago. >> reporter: now the sequel has arriv arrived. >> get some rest. diva. >> he bought it! how can i handle work on a day like today? one of the worst performances of my career and he never doubted

it for a second. >> reporter: not hollywood but honda has brought us ferris beuller 2.0 still played by matthew brodrick, now a father of three. there are a treasure trove of tributes to the original. >> beuller? beuller? >> brodrick? brodrick? >> reporter: but 25 years later, our hero has matured. instead of dodging dad, he's avoiding the boss. gone are famous pals cameron -- >> i'll go, i'll go, i'll go -- i'll go. >> reporter: and girlfriend sloan. >> what are we going to do? >> the question isn't what are we going to do. the question is what aren't we going to do oh. >> reporter: but brodrick makes new buddies. >> calm yourself, woman. >> reporter: and ends up the life of the party. ♪ >> reporter: there is even an

homage to cameron's melancholy museum trip, reimagined with a walrus. and just like the original. >> my father spent three years restoring this car. it is his love. it is his passion. >> it is his fault he didn't lock the garage. >> reporter: the car is a star. but that priceless vintage ferrari has been replaced by the commercial's somewhat less glamorous sponsor. and unlike the original -- with honda paying the bills, this vehicle gets a happy ending. >> announcer: get going in the all new cr-v from honda. >> it's good! >> it's a huge hit already. >> the years have been good to ferris. >> they have. >> we want a sequel. >> you forget the scenes you love so much. >> i wish there could be a sequel. we're hungry for more. >> maybe hollywood's listening. >> i hope so.

>> we were in a commercial. >> anyone? anyone? all right. coming up next in today's kitchen, how to make simple gourmet meals at home. first, this is "today" on nbc.

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this morning in today's kitchen, how to cook like a professional chef in your own kitchen. jeremy macmillan is the executive chef of the farmhouse and the barn in bedford new york. he's here with simple gourmet meals. good to see you. >> thanks for having me here. >> fish is as simple as you can get. >> absolutely. >> a lot of people are intimidated by it. >> it's funny because it's the easiest thing to cook. we'll show you today we really like to cook things whole to keep it simple. >> whole fish, i think people would be nervous about that.

>> we'll give you a fool-proof way to cook it where you can't go wrong. we'll cook it in a salt crust. >> what kind of salt? >> we use sea salt but any salt you have at home. we are using branzino, a widely available fish. but anything you like. if you want to use snapper, bass. >> salmon? >> salmon would be great. absolutely. we actually take the cavity and stuff some herbs, thyme. >> you slice it open? >> have the fish monger do it. ready to go. we have the lemon zest, salt, egg white to help bind the salt up. mix it together. it's like wet sand. >> so it's a salt plaster of paris. >> exactly. it keeps the moisture inside so the fish stays really moist. you keep the aromatics from the lem

lemon, thyme, garlic if you like. >> it doesn't make it too salty? >> it perfumes it, but it doesn't get overly salty. once it's mixed you just pour it over the top, mount it over like covering somebody in the sand. >> pat it on? is. >> yeah, just pack it down. form it around. you want to cover it as much as you can. if you need more, pack it around. bake it in the oven depending on how big the fish is. these are a pound and a half. probably takes 25 minutes. this is what it will look like after a. you can see it's really hard. you can break it, take your aggression out. there you go. it comes off in big chunks. >> after you do it you have to filet it? >> you do or you don't. you can serve it just as is. >> let other people worry about getting the bones out. you're on your own! >> you can use scissors, a

spatula, a knife, whatever you want. it comes right off the bone. >> let's take it back there. we have potatoes to get through before we finish up here. and here are the ladies. >> helping you finish up. >> instead of cooking under salt we roast the potatoes on salt. after they're roasted, smash them up, roast them in olive oil. finish it with whatever you want. we use anchovy sauce. >> pardon mesanparmesan. that looks great. >> salt, olive oil and lemon juice. >> very nice. >> you plate it like that? >> you can finish it with chopped herbs, lemon juice. >> i have to give it a try. >> thank you so much. >> thanks for having me. >> coming up, kathie lee and hoda have the secret of getting what you want. >> they always get what

good morning. tom kierein in storm center 4. we have a milky white sky, high clouds passing over. weak sun getting through. as we approach 10:00, temperatures now are approaching, 50 degrees throughout much of the region. reagan national now is at 51. it is going to rapidly climb throughout the rest of the day. for this afternoon mostly sunny and mild. light breezes. highs reaching the mid and upper 60s. record high is 71 set on this

date in 1916. then this evening, mostly clear and chilly. light wind. sunset at 5:28. fall from the upper 50s early evening down to the upper 40s by midnight. and then by dawn tomorrow, we will be down near 40 degrees and then another warmup tomorrow. clouds in the morning, though, wednesday. might produce a sprinkle. then sun coming back. highs again into the 60s. then near 40 on thursday morning and cloudy thursday with rain likely. and then on friday, we will dry out and it is going to be chilly. afternoon highs in the 40s for morning lows near freezing. chilly weekend to follow. chilly weekend to follow. and still uncertainty

captions paid for by nbc-universal television hey, everybody. great to have yu with us today for blues day tuesday. january 31st, very hard to believe. we're already one-twelfth of the way into the new year. >> indeed we are. >> hi. >> hi. >> back you in the saddle. >> which means i am approaching 60 -- i know. somebody said that after i was in arizona recently. they were trying to be nice on the news out there, basically. >> what did they say?

>> for somebody approaching 60 -- and it hit me, crap, i am approaching 60. >> you're not. >> i am. i'm going to be 59 this august. >> yeah, you are. >> i know. the verb. approaching. and you can't slow down the approach. >> no. >> it's one day at a time, baby. >> a friend of mine always says this. everybody's in line and you're marching. that's life. some try to get to the back of the line but it doesn't matter because we're all headed in the same direction. >> if you're lucky, you'll get to approach 100. >> how was your time in florida? >> very weird. frank and i realized when we got to our place in the keys that we don't go anywhere together very often, just the two of us, even without snoosh. the weather was gorgeous. >> just the two of you. >> our friends came down from miami one night and we have other great friends down there we see. of course we had to go to alabama jack's. >> alabama jack's.

what happened there? >> i don't know, as i'm approaching 60, i just appreciate these things more. it is so much fun. now, there i am in the back with -- >> you. >> frank and i in the background. >> i see you. >> with your hat on. >> with the hat on. i think we have a little audio -- video. >> do we? >> we were clogging. >> are you singing? >> yep. >> of course you are. ♪ >> listen to how respectful that audience is of me. they can't get enough. >> "crazy"? >> ♪ crazy for being yeah. you know who i enjoyed very much yesterday? >> who? >> i loved jordin sparks. i was on the treadmill watching you guys and i just thought you were so cute together. >> by the way, she can sing. that girl. >> can she. >> what a voice. >> and what a sweet girl. >> yeah. she's the real deal. >> had a lovely time.

i read a book that a friend of mine -- it's always a little funny when somebody goes, would you read my book? >> yeah. >> you know because it's like going to one of my friend's shows on broadway. what do you say if you don't like the show? >> so you read it. >> i'm happy to announce katherine kay has a book coming out called "the guilder." about the process of guilding in florence, italy. it's her debut novel. i guess it been coming out -- i loved it. >> you did? >> i did. i was happy and proud for her. my friend ed dickson, been in any show i've ever been in, can't do a show without him, he sent me a 400-page -- you know, in galley form of a book called "life on the stage and off." i'm going -- >> like his life story, memoirs? >> yeah i adore him. well, i could not put the thing down. >> you're kidding. >> what a life. i was happy to say both my friends have written terrific books. >> i'm a little curious about

the love affair you have going with tina fey. >> oh. no. >> there's a little bit of a love affair that's happening. i'm noticing. >> i don't know. >> first of all at the s.a.g. awards she had -- she spoke of you. lovingly. >> well -- >> lovingly. >> debatable. >> and then on the page of the bell magazine, there she goes again. >> really. i guess what happened is pregnant for the second time and i guess she had -- finally she had time during the day to watch our show and i guess she was entertained by us. >> i hope so. we have a tina fey clip. one more time. >> trying to avoid it. >> d-- sound advice to actors - know thyself. knowledge is important to an artist in endless ways. >> i believe it was the "today show's fourth-hour co-host kathie lee gifford who said if drag queens love you, you'll have the longest career in the world. they know phony, and they know

real. >> okay. >> you have to laugh. i don't know. well, you know, pretty darn good director. >> juxtaposing. >> got a good little laugh. absolutely fine. >> so we never get tired of seeing these pieces of videotape. this is when a little 6-year-old girl was in her classroom and her father has been overseas in afghanistan and iraq. she's in utah and she's going about her business talking about her favorite things in her classroom. and she gets a big surprise when her dad walks in the door. take a look. >> who's this, dbailey? >> that's daddy. >> do you love your daddy? guess what, bailey? turn around! >> dad! how did you make it? how did you make it? how did you ever make it, dad?

>> how did you ever make it? is that what you're saying? >> happy birthday. >> rubbing his bald head. >> this is my birthday present. i miss you. >> sweet. >> i could watch that again and again. >> very, very sweet. you know what a lot of people want to watch over and over again? >> yes. >> for me, it's like who cares but apparently everybody is all excited about ferris bueller is back. >> there's a big super bowl ad. they don't wait till the super bowl to unveil the ads. they're unveiling them early. they released the whole thing on youtube. if you're a ferris bueller fan, you'll love it. >> how can i handle work on a day like today? one of the worst performances of my career and never doubted it for a second. hi. can i get my crv brought up, please? i've got a lot to do today. >> rodrick. rodrick. >> you have excellent taste in

automobiles. ♪ life is packed with things you have to do. sometimes you've got to live a little. calm yourself, woman. >> why is this creating such an uproar? is it just me? it's apparently just me. personally, if you're going to do it, let's see ben stein. >> we do need to see ben stein somewhere. >> i can't do everything for everybody. >> i love the people -- >> i love matthew broderick. probably a lovely guy, too, that guy, but i don't get it. >> one of those things. >> it's viral. >> it is viral and crazy. we'll watch it again and again. >> but it's not a great thing. >> tape wide of cosmo passing out. you get something. all right. here's a question. what would you miss for the super bowl? there's this website called coupon cabin dotcom. 15% of men said they would miss

the birth of their child to go to the super bowl. >> they should be stopped from breathing in the first place. lit. snippy. >> also on the list, many said they would miss the wedding of a close friend or relative or loved one to go -- or funeral, for that matter, to go to the super bowl. >> yeah. yeah. here's the misuse of the word -- close friend. yes. >> that's not a close friend. most say they would give up a vacation. and many say they would not go to work. >> you know what, it all is affected by if you are a wild, wild fan of a team that's playing in the super bowl. >> yes. >> i forgot who played last year, and i remember we had our usual super bowl bash, but i didn't watch -- i watched the star-spangled banner and then i sat in the other room with a friend and we gabbed the whole time. >> i want to apologize to patriots fans for yesterday. >> you need to. >> i feel terrible. we were upstairs doing a cooking segment and all the different helmets were out, not all, the

patriots and giants. >> doesn't matter at this point. >> jordin sparks and i removed all the patriots helmets from the -- >> incredibly rude. >> i apologize. >> don't you think there are people in that area that love yair patriots? >> yes. >> what were you thinking? >> i was worried about jordin. >> her dad used to play for them. i understand you. you're -- you know, your behavior was poor. >> here's the deal. over here on the corner you're going to see joy bowers jumping rope. this is another form of joy begging you to go on the website and record the pounds you've lost because we're trying to get to 25,000 pounds. >> that is by tonight. >> we're still 22 -- no. 22,000. >> we need, like, about 3,000 more. >> i'm begging! >> she's begging! here's the deal. if we hit it, and i know we can, joy will jump rope through the entire show coming up.

>> may i make a suggestion? >> what? >> because she is tiniest. she would melt if she did that. let's get some of our crew to join her. >> we should do that. >> and they know who they are. >> i'm begging. >> joy is begging. please go on our website and record your pounds lost for joy. let's reach it today. >> the first of the month starting tomorrow and that means the first thursday of every month we do our "everyone" story. >> another great singer. >> shall remain nameless. me. >> this young lady is named caitlin from fairview, pennsylvania, and she wrote a beautiful letter. basically when she was in seventh grade she hit her head on a garage door, playing hide-and-seek, i believe, if i remember, and just hit her head so badly that she developed epilepsy from it. so she suffered what doctors call absence -- her brain would be unresponsive for eight hours at a time. she's battled that ever since

the seventh grade. you cannot believe what she's accomplished. she's graduated from college and works for the epilepsy foundation. her life mission is to spread the word about the stigmas attached to epilepsy. she's on the phone i hope right now. are you there? >> caller: yes, hi. >> hey, how are you? >> caller: great. how are you? >> good. david and i and our producers were touched by your letter. an incredible story, and we have the amazing greg edelman is going to be here on thursday to sing your song. four-time tony nominee. >> caller: oh, my gosh. wonderful. >> pack your bags, girl. >> who's coming with you? looks like girls' night out. >> caller: my mom is coming with me. yeah. >> we'll see you then, thank you. >> caller: see you then. >> we have these on our desk. look at these. >> one of our favorite people in the world, the cupcake lady. look at those. >> they're edible. >> the little fence. >> high-heeled shoes. >> unbelievable. >> she's going to do the whole

deal. >> she's a superstar to me, this woman. >> she's the best. real quick, come down to the plaza tomorrow. we're going to pick out our ambush makeover lucky lady. here's the deal, though. there has to be a heart health connection. if you have a story, come down to the plaza. you might get picked. wear red and bring a sign so we know who you are. >> okay. and miss sara? >> we're actually having another contest. whenever you hear people get married you want to talk to them about their story. if you think that your engagement story is the cutest and most romantic story ever, you have to go to our website for a chance to win four nights at montage laguna beach, roundtrip air fare for two, two spa treatments and dinner for two at studio restaurants. the contest ends thursday, february 2nd. all accommodations are provided by montage laguna beach. >> all right. coming up -- >> what you want.

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have you ever wondered why getting that raise or asking out that cute guy seems to come so easily to some women? well, how would you like to be that woman? >> here with a few tricks on how to boost your confidence and get what you want are kate white, editor in chief of "cosmopolitan" and psychiatrist dr. janet taylor. love having you here.

confidence seems much easier to men when you look at it in broad strokes. >> in their dna. they have an extra chromosome for that. >> guys the tend to think of things as a stretch where we tend to some things as i'm in over my head. they see themselves a certain way, but i think we can learn from that. >> and women are concerned about how we're going to feel so we're putting people first instead of understanding that it's not arrogant, it's confidence that says i can do that and let me tell you why. >> women multitask all the time. they know they're up for the job. where does that come from other than what people are going to think? do we think we're not valuable enough? >> i mean it probably goes back, you know, in fourth grade, teachers -- little girls stop raising their hands so often. i think you get used to not being called on. that's what we need to do in terms of this confidence is just step up and say look at me and understand it's okay to say that. >> go to an all-girls school. >> right. >> it's about feeling confident inside. do you either have that or you don't have that or can you get it? >> can it be learned?

>> certainly we know women who seem to be born that way, but there are tricks for boosting yourself up and realizing that it's not necessarily anything bad that's going to happen if you go for it. and a lot bad is going to happen if you don't. >> right. >> it's important to just do the cost-benefit analysis. if i go in and ask for the raise, what's the worst that can happen? he's probably not going to fire you. and the worst that may happen is him saying i hear you but i think you're not quite ready yet. then at least you have the tools to say, okay, what do i need to do here. >> what's the right way to go in and ask for a raise? i think people don't know. they know it's a bad economy so they go in saying i know it's not yada-yada-yada. >> do your homework. also have a mantra, i deserve it, i deserve it. but the main thing is to say i have to seize every opportunity. whether you're a woman or a man, say it's up to me. >> and make sure you dedo

deserve it. sometimes you go in with an attitude of entitlement and you haven't done the work. >> think of your boss and what he's looking for right now. what can you do for him. that's how you should -- >> i'd love to come back another time with you and ask you the times that you hired somebody at "cosmopolitan" because of what they did to get your attention. >> there are definite things. >> i think it's important not to come from the point of being a negative. if you were in a position you probably did deserve it, it's a matter of realizing strengths and values. sometimes you need to talk to people like kate and say help me with what i need to do. >> ladies,ing thank you. >> nice seeing you. if you've never been to punxsutawney, pennsylvania, sara will take us there. nyquil: you know i relieve coughs, sneezing, fevers?

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♪ takinging it to the streets >> time for "sara in the city." hard to believe but february allows tomorrow. >> thursday is the 2nd of february, also known as groundhog day. here to report on the legend of punxsutawney phil is our own sara. >> say that five times fast. for 126 years, the world has relied on a robust rodent to e predict the forecast. if he sees his shadow, he gets scared and retreats for six more weeks of winter. if he doesn't, spring is around the corner. >> please, lord. ♪ >> that famous alarm clock. and quite possibly the world's most infectious song.

♪ i got you babe there's no mistaking it's groundhog day. the movie, that is. >> what day is it? >> it's february 2nd. >> this 1993 romantic comedy starring bill murray &ie mcdowell put pungs sawn knee, pennsylvania, on the map. where? that's right. punxsutawney. it's a town of roughly 6,000 residents and one celebrity rodent. and with groundhog day approaching, i decided to head out there to meet the world's most famous ground hog and see if i could make a little prediction of my own. first stop, meeting with the inner circle. you guys are part of the inner circle. what is that? >> we're the board of directors of the punxsutawney ground hog club. we are assigned to, number one, take care of phil, and number two, put on groundhog day. >> how did it come about that a

ground hog decides when winter or spring starts? why is it not a chihuahua? [ barking ] >> the legend of groundhog day is rooted in german folklore and actually catholic folklore. they used hedge hogs to make the prediction. when they came to the united states, they found hedge hogs in short supply but ground hogs were plentiful. we think it was a convenient excuse to have a party in the middle of winter. >> i mean, for the fourth hour of the "today" show we don't need an excuse. it's just called showing up for work. sometimes our work feels a little like groundhog day. >> we're so happy you're with us. it's blues day tuesday. booze day tuesday. booze day tuesday. >> booze day tuesday, everybody. >> i decided i needed to accessorize a little bit because when in rome, or punxsutawney. just how famous is punxsutawney phil? i asked around. do you know who kathie lee gifford is?

do you know who hoda kotb is? >> no. >> so you don't know kathie lee or hoda but you know punxsutawney phil? >> yeah. >> and before i left, one last order of business. rehearsal. i understand that there has yet to be a woman in the inner circle, although they're welcome. but i would love it if you could show me what it would be like to be a part of your inner circle today. >> just wear the top hat. >> no. i've got more. i am coming dressed. so i guess the big question is, come groundhog day, will phil see his shadow? >> love it with the uggs. >> that's a fashion statement. i didn't know all that stuff. >> i didn't either. a very educational segment for me. >> looked good in your little tux and tails. >> i felt it was like a modern-day prom. >> usually i care what happens

to punxsutawney phil, but you know what, it's been such a mild winter the -- >> you're right. >> still to come, clothes built for comfort look sexy. >> and jump for joy! she stopped? what happened? ven participate. boom! here it comes! bring it back! bring it home! [ male announcer ] when you combine creamy velveeta with zesty rotel tomatoes and green chilies, you get a bowl of queso that makes even this get-together better. [ british accent ] i host a book club. so sexy... vaga had no tolerance for such dastardly deeds. finally... [ male announcer ] when you combine creamy velveeta with zesty rotel tomatoes and green chilies, you get a bowl of queso that makes even this get-together better. to fill over 200 garbage trucks out of landfills each year? we can, with new glad trash bags, designed to be stronger with less plastic waste. it's a small change that can make a big difference. how to solve a brother-sister standoff.

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back on this booze day tuesday with "today's style," how to look not like a couch potato. >> not exactly. if you think you need to compromise comfort for sexy, think again. jill martin has some looks that achieve both. hey, girl. >> hi. >> good morning. >> look adorable. ? thank you. i'm modeling. this is dl collection. feel my skirt. >> i know. it's like leather -- >> isn't this great? this is just one way. i paired it with a white t-shirt to go out at night while still feeling comfortable. >> you and your white t-shirts. >> i know. let's move on to workout wear, which we all to work out. you can't always find comfort and style.

that's when this company came about. what i suggest is if you have great legs and want to highlight them, wear a pattern or something on your legs and a solid on the top. >> hoda. >> so this is a great combination of style and comfort. >> like a knockout body, can you wear that on top too? >> a knockout body? yeah. if you have a knockout body, wear patterns. this is a great combination and very comfortable. >> and affordable? >> yeah. starting under $100. most everything here except for two splurges under $100. >> okay. >> now we're on to lululemon. >> love it. >> i know. what else do i have to say? >> so comfortable. >> so this is great. starting under $100. and you can just wear this. a lot of us go from day to night from the gym out shopping all day. you can just wear this all day long. >> you really should shower after. >> yeah. i don't know. sometimes you're not allowed. you have to go straight to work. these are great. they have all different combinations and the pants again

are great. just wear around. we're all big fans if you could afford and splurge a little bit. >> okay. >> market, $34 and up. feel this. just to bum around in. >> oh, my god. the fabric. >> and a dress just to throw on. and it doesn't wrinkle. this is great to bum around in. you know how i love white. just other fun nighties and tank tops. >> not what i'm used to. you know what i mean? >> the personal. >> a little support. >> from the gym to the bedroom, let's start with these. this is -- oh. >> i didn't -- i'm sorry. i didn't mean for it to fall. >> sorry. >> r-rated. so this is mary green down here. you can wear it in the house and also these cammis can be worn under a blazer. they're two for one. this is great if you have -- >> comfortable.

>> so $44. you can wear outside and so big you can wear it as a sarong. feel these. $44. >> tactile feel. >> and this is great to bum around in in a bathing suit or going outdoors. you can wrap it around your neck. tom. i love this. >> they give back so much. >> when you buy a pair they give a pair. i just that. and feel how comfortable they are. >> they done look it but -- oh, they are. >> and suede insoles. i would walk around in these. >> with jeans. >> even a cute little dress. i wear more of these. i think these are more useful. clogs, just another great option. >> you're approaching 30. >> i was called a cougar on the air the other day. 35. yeah. anyway, now these are swag steps. these are really fun and you put your initials. h.k. on the front. >> for all you narcissists out there. perfect. >> a great gift. comfortable with jeans and a t-shirt. i'm going on to my splurge items. these are the nike air shoes.

>> i love these. >> these are all the new styles. these are great. i mean, they start just under $200, but if you need a great pair of pumps -- >> and comfort is the whole thing there. >> right. and uggs australia. move them into your night outfit. new clogs but same comfort. >> would love those. >> okay. so a great schlep bag if you're running around and have everything in it. great ballet flats. also great as a gift. and then i just love this. kate spade. great way to stay warm in comfort. >> oh, you're kidding. cute! >> and then i need a vacation, which i do. and over here -- you have high five. >> this is cute. >> over here. and then they have headphones that plug into your ipod or iphone. >> that's for hugging. jill, thank you so much. >> here's the question. did we reach our goal? joy is jumping up and down.

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man, switch to progressive, dog. they doing a lot of good out here, man. tell him the messenger sent you. joy's 25,000-pound weight-loss challenge, and final weigh-in in the last 30 days you've embraced joy's tips and lost almost seven car, automobiles, worth of weight. >> ew. today we focus on how to maintain the weight loss, but first a prize for breaking the cams, joy is here to announce the new total, which is? >> about -- >> here we go. >> keeps changing. >> we are right now at 23,000 pounds. 2,000 pounds away. i'm so optimistic that we're going to hit it, but i also want to say even if we don't hit it, which we will -- >> we will. >> we've won, because -- >> originally it was 10,000 pounds. >> in ten days. >> i know. we don't want to be greedy. >> and really everybody has

rallied together and committed themselves to making health a priority. so i'm so proud of them. thank you from me to you. >> yeah. now let's stay on it. >> to thank everybody, we are creating a really fun, exciting contest. for people that have submitted their pounds -- please submit your pounds -- yoin you're now entitled to submit an essay about what this challenge means to you. how has it transformed you both physically and spiritually and emotionally. why this time is it going to stick for good? the prize pack ablg is unbelievable. >> let's hear it. >> two people are going to win. we're going to fly them into new york. they're going to be live on the show. >> they are? >> with the most amazing hosts ever. >> they may not want that part. >> they'll have a one-on-one personal session with me over fancy-schmancy lunch in manhattan, and from head to though they'll get an ambush makeover from jill martin and louis licari. >> la, la, la, la. >> awesome. >> very cool. >> you have to remind people

about tips, too, sometimes when you slip up on a diet or something you think it's game over. remind people it's not the end game. >> one of the keys to maintaining the loss or keep the momentum going is to forgive your slip-ups. nobody gains weight from a chocolate chip cookie or a slice of pizza or one decadent pasta meal. you get into trouble when you let one thing turn into a whole-hog binge. so shake it off and get right back on your plan the next meal or the next day. that's the key to successful maintenance. >> eating out is sometimes a problem because sometimes you're so good, then you go out with friends or on a date or whatever and you end up eating a lot. >> even if you are good, you say i'm going to have salmon and spinach, please, it's what other people order for the table. they order the calamari. >> yes. >> say no to calamari. >> very difficult. and the pornographies are gigant gigantic. >> you conditian't just have on. >> when it comes to eating out,

limit your excursions to no more than three dining excursions per week. >> that's a lot. >> you have control what goes into your food and comes out of your food. >> you said walking is important. every day you should get going, get moving. >> i feel like i'm become agbor with this. >> a little. >> walking accomplishes two things. first, it burns calories when you're doing it, but it also boosts your mood and your energy, so it puts you in that can-do mind-set so that you don't want to mucky it up with bad food choices. it keeps you on the straight and narrow with the food. >> one day at a time. today i'm going to take the steps wherever i am. don't make it for the rest of my life. today i can do it. >> and ultimately 30 minutes a day. >> should you weigh yourself daily, weekly? how often? >> i think that's a personal decision and you have to know what your personality is. but i do think the scale is very important because it keeps you accountable. you don't want to make yourself nuts. when you do weigh yourself, at least once a week, you at least

can see if a couple pounds start to creep up and you can rein it back in before it gets out of control. we can do this! >> wear the same pair of jeans every day. they never lie to you. scales do but your jeans don't. >> sometimes the shower, the dryer can thigten them up a little bit but you're exactly right. >> you have to argue with me. >> i love you. >> put your essays in, you guys, at today.com. joy wants to hear your stories. >> big prize. >> up next, guess who's here? >> bobbie! new and improved swiffer dusters with dust lock adhesive can clean virtually every surface in your home. ♪ its thousands of fluffy fibers pick up dust here, there, pretty much everywhere. and swiffer dusters traps 3 times more dust than a feather duster. and locks it away. ♪

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to fight your worst flu symptoms. introducing olive garden's new three course italian dinner for $12.95. start with either unlimited homemade soup or our fresh crisp salad, and all the warm breadsticks you want. then, enjoy one of five new specially created entrees, like our smoked mozzarella chicken or five cheese marinara with shrimp. finish up with one of five desserts. like our chocolate mousse. our new three course italian dinner, just $12.95. try it tonight at your olive garden when you're here, you're family.

okay... is this where we're at now, we just eat whatever tastes good? like these sweet honey clusters... actually there's a half a day's worth of fiber in every ... why stop at cereal? bring on the pork chops and the hot fudge. fantastic. are you done sweetie? yea [ male announcer ] fiber beyond recognition. fiber one. hey, i love your cereal there-- it's got that sweet honey taste. but no way it's 80 calories, right? no way. lady, i just drive the truck. right, there's no way right, right? have a nice day. [ male announcer ] 80 delicious calories. fiber one. on "tuesday's trend," we often get stuck with the same old makeup and colors. >> today we' learn how to make our puffers pop. bobbie thomas is here to show us. >> we love our bobbie. hi. >> hi.

this spring it is all about bright colors i know kathie already walked over and -- >> i'm going bobbie is drop dead gorgeous. >> it's just about adjusting other things to make it work and not spending time figuring that out. on the runway we saw colors. jason wu had a beautiful runway. they used a scarlet red lip color with neon orange powder on top. we have photos of the runway. and then you'll see that that lip looks really powerful. it's a very -- >> she's 12 years old. >> i know. i can't help that. >> but it's the one thing that pops. >> fresh eyes, no heavy, smoky eye. we have a picture of a purple that was on another runway. two colors of purpose toll make it look like the mouth was open when it was closed. >> ew. vampire diaries. >> last but not least, a powder pink, very valley of the dolls. >> oh. >> okay.

>> okay. >> cringing. tangerine, one of the hottest colors of the year. >> i love tangerine. great color. >> bobby brown has a new neon collection. i love it. and tom ford is the splurge. he has some great signature colors. >> we're seeing you in this? is this your before and after? >> before and after me, where i usually like kathie like a new lip and you'll see me trying the tangerine color, and you can -- >> show it. >> so it's a little bit more orange than tangerine. you can decide on facebook whether you like it or not. >> where do we vote? >> on bobbie's it's beautiful. >> you're starting to get on our nerves. what's next? >> i thought this would be perfect for you, hoda, because anyone who likes a brown-based lip color would look really pretty in a purple. >> let's do the before and after for hoda. >> see, not a lot of difference. >> i like the purple because for spring it's brighter.

what i did, i made them more pink. if you don't switch the other makeup you wear you're going to have a hard time. >> really pretty. >> this is a great opacity. they're all online. >> for bobbie it's going to be -- >> i think you can wear this powder pink trend. it's a little retro. it's a little flirty. i think you would be adorable in it. here is the more glammy nude but the powdered pink is pretty for spring. i lightened the eye shadow up to be a little lighter because you don't want such a heavy brown eye. you want the pink -- >> i don't do my eyes. >> all right. >> some of these you can work your way up. any of these colors with more of a gloss. so, you know -- >> perfect. >> every range. all the colors are listed

online. >> what about the skirt. >> turn around. >> it's a little sloppy. >> cute. >> victoria's secret catalog. >> love it. >> who's better than bobbie? >> nobody. >> thank you, baby. up next, now that we've got the lips covered, we have some desserts.

between valentine's day coming up and schools about to release your kids for spring break, we've got a fun edible project everybody can do. almost everybody. >> one of our favorites, author of "cupcakes, cookies, and pie, oh my!" desserts so beautiful you won't want to eat them but so delicious you can't help yourself. >> no dessert is safe. >> expanding. >> same technique, same kind of fun ewing candies and cookies to

decorate. we used taffy last time but we came up with this recipe for candy clay. i have a setup for you over here, kathie. >> okay. >> it's basically just -- you can use melted chocolate chips. you can use candy wafers. we mix it with corn syrup. feel this. this is just candy clay. >> oh. >> oh, yeah. >> you can tint it, roll it. some inlay here. >> okay. >> and you can just press down on here. >> wait a minute. where is it? >> it's over here. >> oh, okay. >> inlays already. we also made some clothes because i have so much to show you. take a little bit of vanilla frosting. >> decorate it up. >> little candies. >> we're not mashing anything. just having fun. >> is this supposed to be like glue? >> yes. candy glue. >> all right. then i messed up as usual. >> no. that's adorable. you can see, we've made little cookies. >> how cute! adorable. >> all right. very friendly.

>> that is glue. >> oh! okay. >> i wasn't listening, obviously. >> we've got the shoes here. we love our cupcakes. this is basically just a cupcake frosted, dipped -- we look a little notch out. a graham cracker, little pirouette. >> so happy. >> cupcakes make me so happy. >> this is crazy. >> two no-bake desserts. this is your frozen pound cake that we've take an little notch out underneath. use that for the graph. >> okay. >> a little fence. and then just frost the outsides. cookies we dip in the frosting. >> so cute. >> like little brown faces. >> i love you. >> how cute. >> these are no bake, too. >> these are no bake. and we like a piece of cake so, we took that same pound cake and just put it on a fork and dipped it in melted frosting.

they're delicious. >> let's see about that. >> oh, my gosh. >> like a glazed piece of cake. it's so fun. talking about making footballs for, you know, super bowl this weekend. >> how long did this take you? >> not long. we have two color frostings and a freezer weight bag, assemble it and then just pipe, pipe, pipe. it's a lot faster. >> in your book the directions are actually -- they make it -- it doesn't end up looking exactly the same as yours but -- >> it's creative. >> these are crazy. >> my dad loved jell-o. you have your jell-o with cake. got little cupcakes we took for -- >> the petals. >> we just dipped the back of the spoon in white chocolate. >> of course you did. >> popped it in the refrigerator, take it apart. >> look at this. >> bobbie couldn't resist. >> one bite. get in there. >> this is a coconut cream pie. a little whipped topping, some

candies -- >> look at this. >> unbelievable. >> miracle worker. >> unbelievable. >> all right, you guys. we have to give alice, her cook, some respect. >> couldn't do it without her. >> tomorrow, photo books and furry friends. going to be a fun day. >> see you. >> tomorrow, wines day! [ female announcer ] what would you call an ordinary breakfast pastry

that's been wrapped in a flaky crust stuffewith a gooey center toasted up all golden brown then given a delicious design? a toaster strudel. pillsbury toaster strudel. so delicious...so fun. mom, we're dying. no you're not, you're just hungry. make some totino's pizza rolls. we don't have any! front... left, totino's. [ male announcer ] well done mom! less drama, more fun! totino's pizza rolls.