good morning. decisive victory. mitt romney wins the florida primary by a commanding 14-point margin over newt gingrich. but the former speaker vows to take the fight to 46 more states. we'll talk to governor romney. false sense of security. pfizer recalling 1 million packs of birth control pills because of a problem that could lead to unwanted preg sichlt what women need to know. and brad pitt live. he could walk away with two academy awards on oscar night. first, he's stopping by our studio live for the first time ever. we'll catch up with brad and his former "moneyball" oscar nominee

jonah hill today, wednesday, former "moneyball" oscar nominee jonah hill today, wednesday, february 1, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television touchdown! anp and welcoand welcome t wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >r >> i'm ann curry. good morning. mitt romnp mitt romney wmie nominnominee during his speech florida lap florida last fl reaready tp ready to lerea nation. > >> mitt romne>> mitt romn% of the vor of the votea is a winner take all state. romney had comments on the heated nature of the gop race to date and what it will mean for the general election. we'll talk to him about that and other things ahead. >> also ahead, what's going on

with the weather? you can see from our temperature it's 49 degrees on the plaza. about 20 degrees warmer than usual. the question is this unseasonably warm weather, why is it breaking records across much of the country? we'll fill you in on why this is happening and what you can expect today. >> we're going into the 60s today in new york. also ahead, a 14-year-old girl that has a skill that's led to more than 1.5 million hits on youtube. she has an unusual way with words. we'll put her talent to the test coming up. >> we begin with mitt romney's decisive win in the florida primary. peter alexander joins us from tampa this morning. hey, period of time, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. mitt romney's campaign advisers describe the win in florida as huge. he won among conservatives, tea partiers and among hispanics. his advisers are touting those facts today. reasserting himself as the front-runner and regaining the

momentum. he showed after the significant loss in south carolina that he can take a punch. >> my leadership will end the obama era and begin a new era of american prosperity. >> reporter: confident and in control mitt romney used his victory speech to send a clear message. he's ready for the republican nomination. >> i stand ready to lead this party and to lead our nation. >> reporter: after losing south carolina, romney and his supporters unleashed an assault on newt gingrich with more than 15 million dollars in negative ads blanketing florida's air waves. tuesday night the attacks on gingrich were gone, with romney insisting the birt campaign has only made republicans stronger. >> our opponents in the other party have been watching and they like to comfort themselves with the thought that a competitive campaign will leave us divided and weak, but i have news for them. a competitive primary doesn't divide us. it prepares us. and we will win. >> it is now clear that this

will be a two-person race between the conservative leader newt gingrich and the massachusetts moderate. >> reporter: despite losing the pivotal primary by a wide margin, gingrich isn't giving an inch. his message -- there are 46 states to go. >> the same people who said i was dead in june and july and said i was gone after iowa, i want to reassure them. we are going to contest every place and win. we will be in tampa as the nominee in august. >> reporter: setting aside attacks on one another, both men hammered at president obama. >> mr. president you were elected to lead. uh you chose to follow. now it's time for you to get out of the way. >> reporter: gingrich even took a jab at the president's singing. ♪ i'm so in love with you >> i'm not going to compete with obama in singing because i'm not running for entertainer in

chief. i'm running for president. i would say to him now, mr. president you cannot sing your way past the disaster of your presidency. >> reporter: already in nevada, the next state to vote, rick santorum who barely competed in florida told supporters the mud-slinging isn't helping. >> there is one message we got from the campaign in florida. republicans can do better. what we saw in the last few weeks in the state of florida is not something that's going to help us win this election. >> reporter: finishing fourth, ron paul rallied supporters. >> well, if enthusiasm wins election, we'd win hands down! [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: also today, two sources within the mitt romney campaign tell nbc news that mr. romney will begin getting secret service protection beginning later this week. officials say it is not due to a specific threat but the fact that his prominence has grown and so have the crowds around him. the romney campaign wasting no time celebrating the win in florida.

they make stops today in minnesota and nevada. they are already airing negative attack ads going after newt gingrich in nevada. matt? >> peter alexander, thank you very much. mitt romney is also in tampa this morning. governor, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. >> hey, congratulations. you had the kind of day in florida the pundits said you needed to have. do you feel like the nominee? >> well, i feel like we had a big night last night and the path ahead is looking very good. i'm confident that if we can keep our effort together and build a stronger team across the country i can become the nominee. >> let me ask you one trivial point here. it's reported that newt gingrich didn't call to congratulate you on the victory in florida. is that true? were you expecting a call and does it say something about the animosity that's developed between the two of you? >> newt didn't call after iowa or new hampshire. i called him after south carolina, his win there, but he didn't call last night. the other candidates all called.

i don't know. i guess speaker gingrich doesn't have our phone number. >> as i ask the next question, i want to put the cover of the new yorker magazine up for viewers to see. it shows president obama watching what they call the big game. it's you and newt gingrich wearing the same team uniform pummelling each other as the president smiles. i know you have said that a long campaign like this does not divide you. it prepares you. but if this goes on much longer and newt gingrich has said he'll go 46 more states with this, how can it not damage you? >> well, you know, i'm not enough of a political historian or a pundit to suggest how the length of the campaign will affect our ultimate success. but i can tell you at this point i think it's been helpful. i think the back and forth and even the attacks have been helpful because what's going to come from barack obama will be the same, just a heck of a lot more of it.

having people get a chance to see what the truth is, i think, is a positive thing. as to how long it will go, that's up to the other candidates to decide. if i'm the nominee, up to me to decide as well. >> whoever is going to be president come january of next year will, it seems, have to deal with iran, a situation that's boiling over. the director of national intelligence james clapper issued a warning before congress on tuesday that iran may now be willing as al qaeda wanes to carry out attacks here on american soil. as you probably saw, the new york times had an article on sunday that israel may now feel the criteria they have imposed on themselves for carrying out a preemptive strike against iran's nuclear capabilities may now have been met. would you support the israelis if they carried out a military strike against iranian nuclear sites sooner than later? >> well, if we reach a point where all the other options have been exhausted, and that hasn't happened yet, and by the way the

president's failure to put in place crippling sanctions and stand with the voices of dissent in iran is one of of the reasons we are in the position we are. but if all other options are exhausted of course we have to consider military options including options that would be taken by israel. i would stand by and make sure israel was defended in the event they were attacked. of course we simply cannot endure a concept of iran having a nuclear weapon, of them having a capacity to provide material to terrorist organizations around the year. >> you used a latin phrase in writing about this a few months ago when talking about iran's nuclear ambitions. i will use the english translation. you said if you want peace, prepare for war. do you think there is a window of opportunity, governor, that is closing fast, that within a certain number of months, not years, iran will have reached a point where a preemptive strike, a precision strike will no longer derail their ability to make a nuclear weapon?

>> oh, i think you're right. there comes a point at which they have a nuclear weapon, for instance. or they are so close they can't be persuaded to pull back. we are reaching that point. >> how far away do you think that is? >> intelligence is doing their best to guess when it is, but it's dangerous. i don't have intelligence from the various agencies of the world. when i become president, if i do, i will get that but it's approaching rapidly. that's one of the reasons why discussions of military options is being spoken by secretary panetta here and the israelis. >> there are reports you're off to minnesota looking for the endorsement of michele bachmann who has questioned your conservative credentials. do you want the endorsement? how important would it be to your campaign? >> oh, i would like all the endorsements i can possibly get. by the way, any question about the support of conservatives, i think, was cleared up last night in florida. people who call themselves conservative and very conservative overwhelmingly

supported my campaign. tea partiers supported my campaign. i hope i can convince people in minnesota, nevada, arizona, colorado. i have to get a lot of support from many in my party. >> congratulations on a big day in florida. thanks for joining us. >> thanks, matt. good to be with you. >> now here's ann. >> how does romney's win change the gop race? we have david gregory of "meet the press" joining us as well as chuck todd, nbc's political director. men, good morning. >> good morning. >> david, mitt sounds pretty darn pleased. was florida the game changer he thought it would be? >> inevitability has been restored for the romney campaign. this was a crucial victory. there was so much potential to go sideways and down in terms of his campaign prospects had he not won florida. that was the firewall. it held in a big way if you look across the board. what he was able to do was demonstrate he's got passion,

fight, that he can debate, that he can go a long way toward neutralizing the attacks in fruch. he went in for the kill on newt gingrich who's still out there with more room to run. i think the pass is difficult for gingrich. i think romney moves into a phase where he continues to nationalize the campaign and puts himself in a strong position. >> he proved he can win over conservatives. but the interesting thing is the exit polling done. you know the numbers. 41% there said romney isn't conservative enough. another 38% said they would like to see someone else run for the republican nomination. is there a danger that people will not show up on election day? >> think about the last number. republicans showed up to tell pollsters they are not satisfied with the field. that's a flashing yellow sign to the republican party and to mitt romney. to go to the conservative point and to build on what david uh was saying which is the idea

that the one thing newt gingrich can look at florida and say is i ran a florida campaign, i had no message for the week and i still held the core base, the strong tea party supporters, the southern part of the state of florida. when david is referring to a path forward, it's difficult but there is one, he can look at the results on how they came in florida. the farther north you go in florida, the farther south you go. in march he can find places to win, but february will be tough. >> as he points out with people holding signs behind him, he has 46 states to go. >> but a ballot in 45. >> thank you so much, chuck and david gregory. once again here's matt. >> now more on the report from director of national intelligence that iran could be more willing to attack the u.s. at home and abroad. nbc chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell has details. how alarming is the report from

mr. clapper? >> it is alarming. this is the newest threat facing the u.s. last summer they first unearthed what they say is a failed plot to go and bomb washington and blow up the saudi ambassador. this is the first time they believe, they concluded that top iranian officials, director clapper said, probably the ayatollah himself have been ready to attack. there have been iranian surrogates like hezbollah attacking but not here on american homeland. >> when it comes to israel watching what happens inside iran with the nuclear program they feel the criteria for a preemptive nuclear strike may have been met and they feel the window of opportunity may close quickly between six and nine months. what's the administration saying about that publically and privately? >> both publically and privately the u.s. is saying their timeline is longer.

the president has been ambiguous about things but says no options were off the table. he said it clearly in the state of the union. but they believe that the window is closing quickly. there is a lot of signalling coming. the top spy was breefg general petraeus at the cia last week and top leaders in both parties seem to believe it needs to be done this year. if the window closes they say it will be no warning and israel will act without the u.s. there's been covert activity killing five iranian nuclear scientists and other computer attacks, cyber attacks against the iranian nuclear program between israel and the u.s. but israel believes covert options are closing. >> andrea mitchell in washington. thank you very much. >> you bet. >> it's 15 after the hour. here's ann. >> now to breaking medical news that will get the attention of a lot of women across this

country. pfizer is recalling 1 million packs of birth control pills after discovering a packaging error that could lead to unintended pregnancy. dr. kerry peterson joins us now. good morning. >> good morning, ann. >> what brands made by pfizer are involved in the recall? >> there are two. one is low ovril 28. it's 14 lots of each. >> do we have to worry women using the birth control pills may suffer unintended pregnancies and also have birth control pill bs harmful to them? is there a concern about that? >> there is no concern. what happened is every pack has three weeks of active ingredient and one week of inactive ingredient. that's when women menstruate. there's been a mix-up so some of the inactive pills were mixed up and placed where the active pills are or vice versa. they are not sure.

women will not be protected against pregnancy for the entire month and so if you are someone who had these lots, stop it immediately. use a backup form of birth control instead. >> if you have been using the lots and you're concerned that you may be vulnerable to being pregnant is there an option? >> first off, see your doctor right away for a pregnancy test. you're going to want to use condoms immediately as a backup form and there are also over-the-counter termination kits available that you can take right away if you think you're pregnant. >> keri peterson, thank you very much for joining us on this breaking news. matt? >> thank you. much of the country is enjoying unseasonably warm weather and it has people asking what happened to winter? nbc chief environmental affairs correspondent anne thompson is in central park. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. it will feel more like may 1

than february 1 as the thermometer pushes 60 in new york today. this after a january in which record highs outpaced record lows by a ratio of 18 to 1. in upstate new york where lake george is only partly frozen they are trucking in ice to build the winter carnival castle. thin ice in patterson, iowa took the lives of two friends out fishing. >> you look at it and it's just you slip in judgment and it catches you. >> reporter: across the country, this is the most unusual winter. 2,890 daily records tied or broken this january. more than four times as many as last january. february will get off to a warm start. chicago and st. louis predicted to be 14 degrees above average today. new york city, 20 degrees and minot, north dakota, a dramatic 22 degrees warmer than normal. it is the polar opposite of last

february 1st. >> this is a monster of a storm. more than 2,100-mile stretch of more than a foot of snow could fall over the next 48 hours. >> reporter: damage from the groundhog day storm topped $1 billion. the difference between then and now? the location of the jet stream. last year it dips deep into the u.s. bringing frigid churs and snow from canada. this year it's hovering at the canadian border. >> the systems are coming across the country and bringing mild, sometimes gulf air allowing for incredible record highs. >> reporter: it is confusing crops in california, blooming too soon. >> a normal winter is cold and wet. but not 85 degrees for a week and a half. >> reporter: the sandhill cranes are returning to lincoln county, nebraska, a month ahead of schedule. so, yes, even nature is confused. now scientists are unwilling to

win any one weather event on climate change but they say there is no question that our warming world is shifting the odds against a traditional winter as we have known them. matt? >> anne thompson in central park where it will hit 60-something today. >> mr. roker is in washington, d.c. with more on the weather. good morning. >> hey, guys. we are looking at unusually warm weather as you noted in ann's piece. in fact, we are talking about a la nina year. that means warmer than usual winters and we are seeing nd we seeing that. as you can see the jet stream takes a little bit of a dip down to the south. but the cold air up in canada is -- really not moving. and so that means we have scattered record highs today in the mid lapt states. northeast above normal temperatures. through the south, minneapolis will be 19 degrees above normal. here in d.c., approaching 70, it will be 25 degrees above normal. albany, new york, high of 50, that's 20 degrees below

normal -- above normal, i should say. dallas-ft. worth, 75. rest of the country today as far as our weather conditions are concerned, we are looking at sunshine and in the mid atlantic states and the sun will pop out eventually here in the northeast. more rain moves into the pacific northwest. the heat and sunshine continues through the southwest. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. good to have al with us on our front lawn at news4. this morning, we are starting off with some sprint comes lingering in washington, southern and eastern suburbs are heading off through the east. and we'll have just a small chance of additional sprinkle here but another couple of hours. right now we are generally in the 40s and near 50 degrees around the metro area. and mid 50s farther south and east as well as north and west. later today into the upper 60s, little sun breaking out and and that's your latest weather. ann? thank you, al. still ahead, a "today" first.

brad pitt live in studio. first, this is "today" on nbc.

just ahead a california woman who admits to stabbing her cheating husband to death takes the stand at her murder trial. was that a good idea? >> and why more stars are turning to human growth hormone to feel and look younger. first your local news and weather. ♪ my heart skips a beat ♪ my heart skips a beat

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good morning. i'm joe krebs. 7:26 this wednesday. first of february. does not feel like that month, though. tom kierein joins us now with our springlike forecast. >> it is rather chilly now, though. we are in the 40s and low and mid 50s. we have some light rains coming through the last couple of hours. much of it pulling east of the i-95 corridor. we might have an additional sprinkle later this morning. otherwise we will have a cloudy morning. temperatures in the 40s and low and mid 50s over the next few hours. and then later today, we will climb into -- sunshine back into the 60s. 50s tomorrow through morning showers. and then chilly and dry from you into the weekend. joe. >> all right, tom. thanks very much. take a break now and come back [ male announcer ] this was how my day began.

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13 miles per hour as you make your way to new york avenue. also, seeing big delays outer loop of the beltway in montgomery county. slow as well. heading to new hampshire avenue, 11 miles per hour, joe. >> danella, thanks

7:30 now on this wednesday morning. it's the first day of february 2012 as we say a warm hello to everyone who's been gathered outside in rockefeller plaza where it is unseasonably warm. al has said it will be a good day. i do see one umbrella out there. meantime inside studio 1a i'm ann curry alongside matt lauer. we'll be talking about the human growth hormone ahead. >> don't look at me. you have heard of it. now it seems hgh is the hot new injection in hollywood with older stars who want to look and feel younger. but is it safe? more on that coming up. >> also ahead, speaking of

stars, brad pitt is making his very first live visit to our studio. of course he picked up an oscar nomination for his role in "moneyball" as well as for producing the movie. he'll be here alongside with his costar and fellow oscar nominee jonah hill. that's exciting. >> and a young, remarkable girl with an unusual talent. say any word and alyssa kramer can repeat it immediately backwards. we'll try to stump her coming up. >> supercalifragilistic- expialidocious. >> she's heard that one before. >> we have a serious turn to make as we begin with a high profile murder trial in california where a woman is accused of stabbing her navy doctor husband to death. aditi roy has the details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. jennifer trayers admits she stabbed her husband ten times in december of 2010. now a jury must decide whether it was a crime of passion or premeditated murder.

43-year-old jennifer trayer says her mind was full of rage when she plunged a knife into her husband's heart and lungs. >> when you stabbed him, what were you thinking? >> i was just so angry and mad and i didn't know what was going on. >> reporter: on the stand tuesday, trayers admitted to stabbing her husband eight more times in the back, killing 41-year-old lieutenant commander fred trayers. >> did you aim for the back of his neck or head or did that just happen? >> it was the first place i saw skin. >> reporter: trayers said she was in a suicidal frenzy after learning of her husband's affair with danielle robins who testified last week. trayers said she meant to kill herself with the butcher knife but turned her husband's own military-style knife back on him when he offered to give her something sharper. >> did it seem he was trying to stab you? >> i thought so. >> why?

>> he said, let me help you. >> reporter: prosecutors said the day before the stabbing trayers sent her husband's mistress an e-mail. trayers addressed it to dear little miss grass is not greener on my side and wrote, i got to hear him say, i love you, softly in my ear while he's hugging me. i was the last person he was with. she signed it, mrs. wonderful. prosecutors suggested that e-mail was proof that trayers was planning to kill her husband. >> you plunged the knife into his chest two and a half to three and a half inches. you intended to do that, didn't you? >> no. >> you stabbed him eight times in the back. you intended to do that, didn't you? >> no. >> but you did it, mrs. trayer, didn't you? >> yes. >> reporter: trayers attorney knew it would be a tough day on the stand but felt it was important for her client to make her case to the jury. >> she's been dreading this day for a long time. she doesn't want to relive what happened that day. >> reporter: closinging arguments begin today.

if she's found guilty she faces between 26 and a half years to life in prison. ann? >> aditi roy, thank you very much. star joans nes is a former prosecutor and savannah guthrie is the "today" legal correspondent. gorm to you. jennifer took the stand to testify in a heat of passion defense. what is that? >> when anger, fear, terror, rage just overtakes the person when met with adequate provocation that they are unable to act in a reasonable way and they basically go off the ranch. that's what this is. >> that brought her to the stand. was it effective? should she have take the stand? >> one thing about a heat of passion defense. she's not looking for an acquittal. her attorneys know she'll most likely go to jail. it reduce it is charge from murder to voluntary manslaughter. she's saying, look, i was so overcome with this intense emotion i wasn't in charge of my faculties. the classic heat of passion case

in law school is a man comes home, finds his wife in bed with another man, pulls out a gun to shoot him. we don't have a classic case here. >> did it help or hurt her to be on the stand? >> she had no choice. the only person to make out that level of fear, rage, anger, what would provoke a normal rational person to do something so horrific as stab their husband, you have to convey it to the jury. that's what they will attempt from the defense. >> the prosecution said, wait, this is not something where she was suddenly overcome. she knew about the affair for months. she waited for the prime opportunity to attack having waited until he took a sleeping pill and was asleep. they say that's evidence of premeditation. >> what about the testimony that she pulled out a knife to kill herself and he said something that turned her anger to him. >> the argument is he was basically baiting her. she pulls out a knife and he goes to her, well, i can give you something sharper if you're going to do it. in theory it's back and forth.

the argument is that the defendant was just so at a point where she could not think for herself and that he pushed her over the edge. >> it sounds like it comes down to her credibility. whether the jury believes her. >> if the jury does not want to convict a woman who has been beat up emotionally by a man, to see the beautiful other woman come in, if there was taunting going on the jury could go for the defendant, especially since she's not asking to just walk out. >> it's a complicated, one-witness case. it falls and rises on whether jurors believe her, whether or not they like her and there have been facts in the case including she herself was having an affair. >> what? i didn't know that part! >> she backed off on it. listen, this is the young and the restless. >> this is to say the jurors have a difficult task ahead. >> we better leave it there. star jones, thank you so much.

not to laugh because it's a great tragedy. that was more than i could take. let's get a check of the weather from al in washington, d.c. this morning. >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by jc penney. there's lots of february to love at jc penney. >> and as we show you what's happening for your weather on the way out the out the door, w talking about a big storm getting itself together. this is sometime tomorrow. low pressure in the -- utah mixing its way down to texas and it brings behind it a lot of snow for the rockies and rain ahead of it. so here is what we are looking for. denver, anywhere from 6 to 12 inches of snow. going down to aspen. we are looking at anywhere generally to the rockies. about 3 to 6 inches. rest of country we expect to see fairly decent day here in the east. showers moving through this morning. look for plenty of sunshine through the plains with above-normal temperatures. more rain moves into the pacific northwest. cooler but sunny day in los

angeles. high of 66 degrees. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. tom kierein in storm center 4. cloudy and cool this morning and we had showers moving through the metro area. pavement is wet. we have the eastern southern suburbs as well as down in southern maryland and northern neck and eastern shore. we have a small chance of additional shower later this morning. right now the 40s and low and mid 50s throughout most of the region. rag in an national at 48. sun back later today. climb into the 60s and maybe some more rain as -- after midnight through midday thursday. chilly and cold weather moves in after that. and that's your latest weather, guys. >> al, don't go away. michelle obama was on with jay leno last night and you were a topic of conversation. take a look. >> uh-oh. >> it looks like you got testy with al roker. show that footage. >> are jumping jacks your exercise of choice? >> i do everything. jumping jacks, squats, lungs.

>> uh-oh. >> a little boxing. >> does the president have to worry about the boxing part? >> sometimes when he sees me punching he kind of -- [ grunts ] [ applause ] >> boy, you are competitive. >> ooh! oh, man, i didn't mean to hit him that hard. >> did she leave a mark, al? >> i'm still feeling it. she went after my family after that. >> al's going from washington, d.c. to the catskills. >> thank you very much. still ahead, we want to tell people if we haven't told you enough that oscar nominee brad pitt will be live in studio for the first time ever. also coming up next, how are older stars retaining their youthful looks? the growing obsession in hollywood with the human growth hormone. that's right after this. y five. [ auctioneer calling ] sixty five! [ calling ]

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we're back at 7:42. a lot of hollywood stars feel constant pressure to look young and beautiful. what happens when famous faces start to show wear and tear? "today" correspondent amy robach is here with that. you're making a lot of friends. >> i know, matt. hgh is shorthand for human growth hormone that some stars are using to reverse the aging process. according to the march issue of vanity fair the phenomenon is very real, even if hollywood's older crowd would rather not talk about it. you can call it the taylor lautner effect. lots of guys in hollywood wish they could retain the youth and vitality of the star who turns 20 next week. >> doesn't he own a shirt?

>> reporter: the hollywood ideal, young, fit, sexy on display at barry's boot camp, one of l.a.'s hottest gyms. barry jay knows it's nearly impossible for clients over 50 to keep up. >> they feel they have to keep as young as possible, as fit as possible. >> reporter: according to vanity fair lots of stars of a certain age are turning to the liquid in these bottles, human growth hormone. it's not a steroid but a synthetic form of a substance naturally produced in the body. nick nolte touted the benefits and suzanne somers has been an advocate for years. >> this is what 60 looks like. >> reporter: and sylvester stallone once defended his use in a "today" interview. >> it' e's archaic the way peop see hgh. it's amino acids. >> reporter: but most users

won't discuss the hormone. >> getting names to discuss hgh was only slightly easier than getting names to talk about viagra. it has a stigma. >> reporter: even though hgh is legal with a prescription. dr. andre burger has lots of famous patients wanting hgh. >> they believe it is the fountain of youth and it will make them look better, retain their looks, improve muscle mass, make them look more buff. >> reporter: 67-year-old uzi rice has been injecting it for years. he's an anti-aging doctor who treats himself with the oh hormone. the fda approves hgh for children with stunted growth but dr. rice says adults can benefit, too. >> it gives me the life energy to do whatever young people are doing. >> reporter: still, drug companies warn about potentially serious risks. actress alana stewart quit hgh, concerned about a possible link to cancer.

>> if there is a slight possibility that it could contribute to cancer cell growth i wouldn't put it in my body. >> reporter: back at barry's boot camp this 29-year-old trainer says he wouldn't take chances either. his solution -- >> sweat every day. that's your hgh. just sweat. >> reporter: supporters of hgh say there are some adults who need to replenish natural levels of the hormone that decreases as we age. find more about the story in the march issue of vanity fair, matt. not that you need to look younger. >> amy, thank you very much. up next, a young girl with the remarkable talent to repeat any word backwards instantly. she'll demonstrate after this. why did you buy my husband a falcon? thanks for the falcon. i didn't buy anyone a falcon. sure, you did. you saved us a lot of money on auto insurance. i used that money to buy a falcon. ergo, you bought me a falcon. i should've got a falcon. most people who switch to state farm save on average about $480.

what they do with it, well, that's their business. oh, that explains a lot, actually. [ chuckles ] [ male announcer ] another reason people switch to state farm. aw, i could've got a falcon. [ male announcer ] get to a better state. [ falcon screeches ] my name is lacey calvert and i'm a yoga instructor. if i have any soreness, i'm not going to be able to do my job. but once i take advil, i'm able to finish out strong. it really works! [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] make the switch. take action. take advil. what? with magic. you are? see the egg. uh huh. ♪ so, look at the orange. now close your eyes. ♪ alakazaam! you're good.

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that's going to have to be done by a certain date. you always have homework, okay? i don't have homework today. it's what's right here is what is most important to me. it's beautiful. ♪ ♪ can you say kaleidoscope backwards? >> she's jumping right? >> because 14-year-old alyssa kramer can. she has the unique ability to

repeat any word instantly backwards. her friends put her in a video that has over a million hits on youtube. take a look. >> chevrolet. [ speaking backwards ]. >> fireworks. >> [ speaking backwards ]. >> savings. >> [ speaking backwards ]. >> gallon. >> [ speaking backwards ]. >> lamborghini. >> huh? [ speaking backwards ]. >> land star [ speaking backwards ]. >> corn nuts. >> [ speaking backwards ]. >> bugles. >> [ speaking backwards ]. >> combos. >> [ speaking backwards ]. >> fritos. >> [ speaking backwards ]. >> holy cow! alyssa joins us now as you saw earlier. good morning. when did you discover you had this talent? >> when i learned how to read i just did it both ways. >> it's visual for you? >> yeah. >> any word someone says to you, you immediately visualize and read it backwards? >> yeah. >> how old were you when you discovered this?

>> when i learned to read, so 6 or 7. >> has it had a broader benefit? besides being fun in a car? >> not that i know of. >> maybe being on "today" is one of those benefits. >> yeah. >> are there certain words you have more trouble with? the more syllables the harder it gets? >> no. but it takes longer. >> do the words get pictured in your head? when you hear the word is there a visual? >> yeah. >> does a picture show up in your brain? >> yeah. somebody says the brain and my brain flips it for me and i read it that way. >> do you have problems when you're trying to read in the normal way? >> no. >> you can turn it off and on. >> you don't walk backwards? >> no. >> can we give you a couple? >> yeah. >> pop. >> pop. [ laughter ] >> you didn't even humor me on that one.

super bowl. >> [ speaking backwards ]. >> this one you have probably been asked before. facebook. >> [ speaking backwards ]. >> french fries. >> [ speaking backwards ]. >> did you memorize it? or do you just do the visual thing. >> i just do the visual thing. >> you never seem to wonder if you're pronouncing it? >> well, the way it would be pronounced -- >> gibberish. >> [ speaking backwards ]. >> brad pitt? >> [ speaking backwards ]. >> i'll tell him. >> as a matter of fact why don't you do us a favor and take us to commercial break and tell people what's coming up next? >> evil pitt darb. >> that's brad pitt live. >> thank you so much. >> great to meet you. >> i'm sure some good will come of it. i don't know what it will be. maybe you can come up with names for things nobody can think o.

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good morning. i'm joe krebs. 7:56. looks like another lovely day out there. let's get the forecast with meteorologist tom kierein. storm center 4. >> that will be happening late they are afternoon. rather damp and chilly. 40s and low 50s. we have rain passing south and east of washington crossing the bay towards the eastern shore. temperatures right now in the mid and upper 40s to near 50 degrees near milder to the sout west. today mid and upper 60s and sun back. tomorrow rain tomorrow morning and sun in the afternoon. cooler. much chillier weather moves in friday, saturday, into the first part of next week. >> thanks very much. a break now and come back and look at our traffic. stay with us.

today my journey continues across the golden state, where everyone has been unbelievably nice. mornin'. i guess i'm helping them save hundreds on car insurance. it probably also doesn't hurt that i'm a world-famous advertising icon. cheers! i mean, who wouldn't want a piece of that? geico. ah... fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent oh dear... or more on car insurance.

good morning. in prince george's county, you cannot access central avenue from the inner loop of the beltway. accident takes the ramp away from you. germantown, southbound, great seneca highway shut down at dairy maid road. all lanes are blocked by the crash there. traveling on i-270, very slow out germantown to the spur. >> danella,

8:00 now on a wednesday morning. it's the 1st day of february 2012. little drizzly here in new york. these people don't mind. it's going to be a really nice day going up into the 50s today. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry out on the plaza. coming up a "today" show first. >> we have brad pitt flooif studstu -- live in studio. oscar nominated for "moneyball" as is jonah hill. we'll catch up with them straight ahead. >> nice of brad to wake up jonah at the last minute.

also ahead 2012 could be called the year of the landlord. more and more people who can't afford to buy or for another reason are opting to rent places to live. what a what do you need to know before you put your name on a lease? we have advice on that. >> and we want to mention that coming up on friday, al and i will be in indianapolis to get things started for the big super bowl day. we want to mention that we've got not only a preview of the ads we'll be seeing a lot of. i watch the game for the ads. throw your eggs at me now. also we ale talk about madonna and the halftime show which is remarkable. also, gym class heroes and adam levine will be performing live on friday. >> alet's go inside to natalie for a check of the headlines. good morning. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with an important recall and warning. perhaps some 1 million women could be at risk of unintended pregnancy. pfizer recalled 1 million birth control packs because of an

error that mixed up the active and inactive pill in the 28-day package. the world's biggest drug maker is pulling lots of the loeovril and the generic version of the pill. women should use backup contraception immediately. the next caucus state is nevada after the florida primary tuesday. romney rebounded from the south carolina loss winning the big spending florida race by a 14-point margin. gingrich has a defiant new slogan, 46 states to go. washington is poised to be the seventh state to legalize same sex marriage t. state senate is expected to pass the bill today and send it to the house where it has broader support. washington's democratic governor said she will sign it. in their final appear, attorneys for wikileaks founder

julian assange asked for his extradition to sweden to be blocked. he's wanted for questioning in a sex crimes investigation. here's brian williams with a look at what's coming up on "nightly news" tonight. >> coming up tonight it's only supposed to live in the arctic. why is the snowy owl showing up across the u.s.? the unexpected visitor from far away. it's an interesting story tonight. see you then. for now, back to you. >> thank you, brian. now for a look at what's trending today. our round-up of what has you trending online. wikileaks has what it calls the set list for the halftime show including "ray of light" and "holiday." madonna says they didn't get it right. tmz has pictures of the super bowl stage and the name of one hit "vogue" is clearly visible. the soup nazi is a top search because of his appearance

in an ad featuring jerry seinfeld going to extremes to be first in line for the new nissan nsx only to be bested at the end by a certain late night comic and kristen bell has gone viral. on ellen she revealed a home video showing her emotional meltdown when she found out she would meet her favorite animal, a sloth. [ sobbing ] >> do you want to be a part of setting up his habitat? >> yes. he's coming for the party? >> ellen couldn't resist saying she would bring out a sloth in the studio prompting a new round of joyful tears from bell. that's the reaction we all have around here as well to sloths. it's 8:04. now to al in washington, d.c. with a check of the weather. >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by kay jewelers. every kiss begins with kay. >> good morning. we're starting to see blue skies

in washington, d.c. getting up near 70 degrees toda degrees today. pick city, though, billings, montana. they are going to have a pretty nice day. partly cloudy, mild. 48 degrees. not too shabby. oot storm system coming into the pacific northwest out of dodge south. bringing snow to the rockies where the skiers will be very happy. weak frontal system through the northeast and mid atlantic states bringing showers and thunderstorms down to the south where there's warm and moisture area to run into. got a beautiful day down in southern california, 66. sunny in los angeles. fog throughout much of minnesota today. and we are looking for those snow showers to continue in extreme northern new england. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning, tom kierein in storm center 4. right now getting rain in far eastern and southern suburbs and to the northern neck of the eastern shore, pulling off to the east. elsewhere getting sunshine breaking out as the morning progresses. temperatures are on the cool

side. low to mid 50s, upper 40s around the metro area. later today, though, climbing to the 60s again with sunshine. then tomorrow morning, could get more rain, sun back in the afternoon but cooler. then chilly weather friday, saturday sunday and into the and that's your latest weather. matt? >> favorite sign of the day. we left this guy in charge at the office. coming up, would you put these guys in charge of your baseball team? oscar nominees from "moneyball," brad pitt and jonah hill join us after this. on! okay, we gotta time this just right. okay. ready... mm-hmm. happy valentine's day. [ female announcer ] the charmed memories collection at kay jewelers. each charm is hand-crafted in italy and with hundreds of charms to choose from, the possibilities are endless. and this thursday through sunday, receive this charmed memories bracelet free with any charmed memories purchase of $100 or more. at kay, the number one jewelry store in america. ready... [ camera flash ]

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back now at 8:09 with brad pitt and jonah hill, the oscar nominated stars of "moneyball" based on the true story of billy bean. it's up for six academy awards including best picture. brad could take the stage twice because he's one of the film's producers. here is a clip. >> he asked me to call you back. he's on the other line. >> tell him we want 225. >> billy says $225,000 for ricardo. >> tell him i'll pay for him

when i sell him back for twice that next year i keep the money. >> okay. so billy says he'll pay for it himself. okay. thank you very much. we'll call you back. thank you. >> come on! >> brad pitt and jonah hill, good morning. that scene stressed me out. i was watching it and i was almost schfitzing. >> any moment next to jonah is cloud 9. it's nice for the film. it's a nice feeling. this thing was an arduous undertaking. it almost didn't get made about three times. a lot of people put their jobs on the line to see it through. i'm happy it paid off. it's been really nice. >> we talked to you right after the nomination. one of the first things you said was how happy you were for jonah. how did you find out about it,

jonah? >> i was watching tv. >> oh, good. >> they said it on tv and i freaked out and started running around. then i immediately started speaking to these guys and everyone involved with the movie, my family. i don't know. we were talking about no matter what it means to you and how exciting it is, and this guy produced the film and worked with it through so many incoronations and it truly -- we would not even be close to here today without his work and care for this project. but what i said to him is no matter what it means to me it would mean so much more to my family, my parents, more than it will ever mean to me. they're so thrilled. they can't believe it. >> you're an oscar nominated actor for a serious role in a movie that almost didn't get made many times. in fact, you know, one of the things that happened went through director, screen writer shakeups, executives killed it. you kept it alive, one could

say, stubbornly for years. why couldn't you let this one go? >> there was this great idea about values. about how we value ourselves, how we determine our own self worth and the worth of others and the value system may be skewed. these guys were fighting just for fair game. they had a quarter of the payroll. they could not compete. so they started questioning everything they do. in it they found great i inefficiencies and billy bean being someone who was devalued by the sport himself found a pool of talent who was devalued and gave them a second shot. it's an amazing story. >> there is an underdog nature to the story. >> certainly so. >> billy bean, the oakland a's manager who puts a lot on the line. your character who -- it's quite an amalgamation of several different people, really doesn't

exist. convinces billy bean to rethink the game, rethink what worth is in terms of the players. i wonder to some degree why you learned that this character was willing to risk so much. i mean, really risk so much for the game he loved and maybe for everything he loved. >> i think it was a necessity. just fighting for a fair fight. we can't fight the other guy's fight. we'll lose every time. we're just outgunned. i think in the process, we start out with a film where you think we're trying to win games. i think by the end of it it's more of a character and characters who were trying to find their own value in a system that is certainly not propping them up in that way. >> so much about the movie is not predictable. just watching, it reveals itself. you're not predictable in the movie for anybody who's seen you in any other movie you have done. where did you find the honesty of your portrayal?

>> well, i mean, i don't know. i just love all the comedies i have been a part of. to me, you know, i'm just an actor. i was never a comedian or anything like that. to me, it's about trying to play all different kinds of parts. when i read this book and met ben, you know, i was like, gosh, i just saw something in that character who i thought was really a beautiful story about a guy who never had a light shined on him before. and honestly the chance to do something different was exciting and enticing to me. i just wanted to play a guy who was stumbling through responsibility for the first time. >> such a bold performance. it's such a study in reserve. you seldom see. it became the perfect counterbalance for this gregarious billy bean character.

>> he's like a bazooka. you know? >> exploding constantly. >> yeah. it's so dynamic. it was such a wonderful thing to watch on set. >> the l.a. times writes about it this way. pitt knocks it out of the park. 'tis character is glowing with love for the furniture, hurling furniture across the room. there is a deep emotion in your portrayal of the character, brad, that's hard to miss. there seems to be such a layering. >> i got such a kick out of it that he's so, so emotionally involved. he can't even watch the baseball games. >> he's working out or driving somewhere. >> he wants to know the result because it affects his decision-making. he gets emotionally involved. many chairs suffered. >> and also big containers full of yiensd water. >> anything that was in throwing -- in reach.

>> but technically you were jonah's boss. technically he was working for you. i wonder what kind of boss is brad pitt? >> he's a great boss. >> yeah? >> yeah. he's the producer of the film. like bennett, our director -- bennett miller, who's a genius and brad were really the brain trust of the film. they were working together in the bunker every day trying to figure out this really intricate book that people said was unfilmable to adapt it and make sure it came across the way they shou thought it did. he was my scene partner every day. i never thought he could actually fire me at any point. >> also it sounds like you had fun on the set. i understand there was a degree of pranking that was involved. >> we were like -- >> totally one-sided.

>> we were the underappreciated film on the lot. we were shoved way back in the corner. we had to get ready on the other side of the lot which felt like a quarter mile away. so they gave us golf carts, really fast golf carts. >> really fun. >> it was not smart on their part. we had to drive by other productions. uh i had jonah's cart rigged whenever you turned it on it would blast "wake me up before you go-go." he had to drive past all the grips and -- >> if it was just that. >> it was pretty good. >> if it was just that, that would be crazy. that would be annoying for me. but it was also he had it shrink-wrapped neon pink and super imposed a picture of me and george michael on the front that said, i'm jonah hill and i love wham. then he attached wedding things like noise makers under the car.

>> oh, no. >> i would have a meeting with someone or someone would come to meet with me and i would drive up in this insane, absurd liberace-style -- >> there is so much insanity and intensity in what you're trying to do. you've got to have a laugh. >> hence the nickname as the bobby fisher of pranks. that's what you call him. >> i call him the bobby fisher of pranks. >> thank you. >> he's three moves ahead at all times. >> how do you explain yourself when you drive that? >> he couldn't. >> what would you say? there is nothing -- you're just mortified. >> all right. we're almost out of time. i have to ask you. how would winning feel? that's a dopey question, i know. but it's a big deal. it's the first time you have been nominated. you have been nominated twice before. winning -- don't tell me the nomination is good enough. what would winning mean to you? >> it is.

but i just don't believe there is such a thing really. it's apples and oranges. there are so many good performances this year. so many good performances that aren't even being acknowledged. what it means for a film to have this kind of support means more films like this will have an easier chance of getting made. for me it's so great knowing what jonah put into it, knowing how bold it was what he did and coming onto the scene in this way is exciting. i feel the same about the writers and everyone else that helped get it over the hill. >> i think he deserves it. >> this is why i brought you. >> i genuinely think if i wasn't in the film he gave my favorite performance this year. my vote goes to him. >> oh, yeah? really? >> if i had a vote. >> thank you.

>> the lovefest continues. brad pitt and jonah hill. good luck to you both. the movie is called "moneyball." it's out on dvd and we're back after this. ♪ >> wham! [ laughter ] ew. hey, mom? what? pay you? for what? for unloading the dishwasher?! kid, you need to pay me for making this delicious -- whoa. hold on there, mom. kitchen counselor. um, mom, i think what she means is "greasy dishes." yeah. in fact, check it out.

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ohhh! it's i can't believe it's not butter! fresh butter taste with 70% less saturated fat than butter go ahead. cheat on butter. you naughty thing. this morning on "today's" real estate, the renting spike. the number of american homeowners is at a record loan as more people opt to rent instead of buy. what do you need to know before you sign a lease? barbara corcoran is here with more on that. >> good morning, matt. >> what are the advantages to renting over buying, other than a lot of people can't afford a down payment on a house? >> there are a lot of advantages. many people rent because it's short-term. easy in, easy out. it's less responsibility. somebody else fixes it. and if people can't get a house it is often the only option but you can always find a rental, even with poor credit. >> someone will drop a lease in

front of you and they can be confusing. you say there are three important clauses. the first is -- >> the security deposit. how are you going to get it back and how quickly are you going to get it back? the second is who is responsible for fixing what? it's often not clear in the lease and you can ask for clarification. >> what about subletting? >> very important. most landlords even if they have that you can't will change your mind if you give them the right to approve the tenant. >> the vacancy rate is low which means prices for rentals are high. but you have ideas on how to lower the price, take immediate home occupancy. >> that's true. every landlord wants to know he'll get his rent on time. when you say i will be there immediately you can get a discount. the other is you can offer six months in advance on the rent. that sounds like an extravagant thing to do but you can usually get a 10% discount.

you only make 3% on money in the bank. >> and you say to pay for property upgrades yourself for a lower rent. >> and you can live with a new kitchen if you're willing to do it. >> if you are moving in the landlord will vet you as, you know, someone to be living there. you should also vet the landlord. >> of course. today nothing is private. you can get all the dirt on your landlord by going on the multiple websites. the two big ones are apartmentratings.com and streetadviser.com. >> say the landlord doesn't turn out to be the greatest landlord in terms of referrals and things like that, but you love the property. should you take a risk? >> definitely not. get your best deals from a slum lord but they are always che cheapskates and you will never get bang for your buck. >> and when walking through a property you say it's not a bad idea to point out things you don't like. >> definitely. you can do it, but you have to do it delicately.

the landlord is not always intimidating. i'm a landlord and i'm a push-over. all my tenants call for rent reduction an 8:26 is the time. good morning. i'm eun yang. let's check in storm 4 meteorologist tom kierein with a look at your forecast for today. another springlike day for today. >> yes. after morning rain getting the clouds breaking up a little bit of blue showing through. looking off to the west-northwest over fair packs and loudoun county. live view from the sky watcher camera. radar, though, still showing rain pulling east-southeast of washington across the bay and eastern shore. that's going to continue to pull away to the east. temperatures are in the 40s and low and mid 50s throughout much of the region. reagan national now at 48. later today, into the 60s. with sunshine and n and out. rain tomorrow morning and now a little sun back in the afternoon into the 50s. then chilly weather friday into

the weekend. >> tom, thanks so much. we will take a quick break and check yo

good morning. crash northbound franklin avenue takes away all northbound lanes. police are on the scene

directing traffic around the accident. use caution in the area. and taking the inner loop of the beltway in virginia, still jammed approach ring braddock road. the delays continue to i-66, your travel speed,

8:30 now on a wednesday morning. it's the first day of february 2012. our friends out on the plaza are dealing with a few morning showers, but it will brighten up, we're told, from mr. al and warm up in a big way this afternoon. already 53 degrees. this is nice. i'm ann curry alongside matt lauer and natalie morales. are you guys ready to get in the

kitchen and start cooking? >> yes, we are. >> we're doing chicken breasts four ways with mark bittman who knows how to cook everything. he'll help make dinner easier for us. >> and the recipes look good. looking forward to that. also ahead, an amazing young musician combining his skills on the cello with his skills beat boxing. >> ooh. >> jenna bush hager introduces us to the young man in a little while. >> i love the combination already. super bowl fever is already gripping the nation. today it is all about the puppy bowl. that's right. we're going to meet some adorable competitors as they hit the field. they are actually up for adoption. >> maybe whoever wins might portend what happens on sunday. we'll see. >> it's always an early indicator. let's go down to washington now and get a check of the weather from mr. roker. >> all right. nothing like a little puppy bowl before the weather. let's show you what's going on.

the mind boggles at what's goin on -- for today, wet weather this morning. pacific northwest. we are looking at snow showers and northern new england, wet weather in northeast. that will clear out fairly quickly. and we have sunny, beautiful weather down through central florida. for tomorrow, rain in the mid morning and mid atlantic areas for the mid morning. we look for a slight risk of strong storms down lou texas and snow developing in the rockies. frigid conditions in the plains. and then for the super bowl, super bowl sunday, we are looking for partly cloudy skies and cool conditions and low temperature 34. a high of 43. of course, inside lucas oil field it will be perfect. that's what's going on around the country here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. some sunshine breaking out. here washington, points west and northwest but south and southeast sticking in light rain as well as on the eastern shore. and that's going to con to move off to the east. right now rather cool. we are in the upper 40s and low 50s around much of the region.

later today, warming into the 60s again. sunshine, maybe more rain tomorrow morning and some sun back in the afternoon but cooler. chilly weather moves in for friday, saturday, sunday, and into the first part of next week. morning lows near freezing don't forget any time of the day or night, get the weather forecast you need. go to weather channel on cable or weather.com online. ann? >> all right, al. thank you so much. delicious and easy. so describes what mark bit man is making in the kitchen. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

>> announcer: today's cooking school is brought to you by i can't believe it's not butter. fresh butter taste with 70% less saturated fat than butter. >> we are back at 8:35. this morning on today's cooking school, chicken breast four ways including poaching, sauteing,

roasting and broiling. our teacher is, of course, mark bittman whose recipes appear in the new york times magazine. he's the author and is fast to tell you how to cook everything. >> quite an intro. >> poaching. that's where we are starting. the other contestants will try as well. >> i have always thought poaching meant less flavor. >> if you boil something in water you don't get a lot of flavor but if you boil in flavorful liquid. let's start with the chicken breast. pretty much a blank canvas. not a lot of flavor there. all of the techniques, the idea is we are going to bring flavor to this chicken. >> how are we going to do that? >> poaching, we have shallots sauteing here. we are adding soy sauce, lemon juice, water, mostly so the soy sauce doesn't burn. we'll get it cranked up a little bit.

cayenne, sugar and lemon zest. so you have some really high flavors in here. >> you're going to poach it in there. how much liquid do you need to poach a chicken breast that thick? >> you don't have to cover the chicken breast as long as you cover the pan. now you're poaching and steaming at the same time really. >> is it hard to determine how long to cook that? is poaching harder to determine than, for example, sauteing? >> they're all about the same. the problem is you're not watching it, but you open after five or six minutes and check. when it's firm it's probably done. but one way to check for sure is an instant read thermometer in the long way so you get a good true reading at 155 degrees or so, you're in business. when you're done, you can reduce the cooking liquid to a nice little graze and put it over with lemon.

>> you have a saute dish of chicken with citrus sauce. i use a thermometer because it's easy to overcook and it's terrible when you do. what's your best advice in terms of how long? >> these are gargantuan chicken breasts and the thickness mat rs. normally, six or seven minutes total. these, more like 8 or 10. they're not done yet. >> we don't want it pink. we want to cook until it's just not pink. >> exactly. i will show natalie, i think, how to check by sight. a different way to check by sight. we're going to pretend these are done but the crew needs to know not to eat them. >> this is a citrus sauce people would like to know how to make easily. >> cut that in half. thank you, matt. we'll take out segments as if they were grapefruit segments.

then we'll have orange segments, orange juice. >> like that, okay. fresh from the orange. >> do you want that back on? >> i want it on, actually. but thank you for taking care of it. >> we had olive oil. >> and butter both. >> now we are adding more butter. >> and sugar again. >> a little? >> that looks like a tablespoon of sugar. >> it will be a sweet, buttery sauce. >> chicken and orange sauce. and the results will look like this. >> wonderful. >> we cook it until it becomes syrupy and nice. >> easy. natalie awaits. >> okay. we are making roasted devil chicken breast. that means -- >> mustard generally means devilled. mustard, shallots and cayenne. feel like getting your hands in there? mix it up and put -- >> coat the breast?

>> coat this breast with that. use your fingers. >> oh, okay. >> massage it. >> come on. >> do you often massage that? >> let me just show you you want to melt this little bit of butter in here. just so it's hot and this will get a little bit of sizzle out of that. just a little. that will go back in here. there's a towel for you. here we can show two other ways of knowing when they're done. one is -- and this takes experience. one is you poke. if it's firm, it's done. but the other is and there is nothing wrong with doing this. you peek. you want white but with a little bit of a trace of pink and you know it's done. >> a little bit of pink?

>> a tiny bit of pink is still okay. >> juices running clear is another way? >> but the breasts don't have it so much as legs. really once you have done it 20 times, you can feel when it's done. you really can. all the mushiness is gone. >> that's what you look when you garnish. >> all right. come on over. we are making parmesan crusted chicken breast. this seems easy. >> it's real easy. we'll broil this which is the fastest, straightforward, no turning method. combine olive oil, parmesan, lemon juice and zest. >> pour these into here. >> don't laugh, people. stir it up. >> you're doing well. >> baby steps. this is an intervention. pour it right on? >> half on each. save yourself some. >> should i get the other side? >> no.

you can spread it around. >> then we'll broil it. >> even with big breasts like this, six or eight minutes. >> so which approach do we use to see fit's done? poking, peeking or -- >> any one you like. for gingbeginning cooks do the thermometer or peeking. >> poking is advanced. >> fan it out with a garnish of chive and pardon me chan. >> looks great. >> chicken breast four ways. we did it so quickly. for those recipes and more head to today.com and click on food. up next, the beat boxing cellist becoming a big hit online. first, this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:44 with with the grio's 100.

african-americans making a big impact on our world. jenna bush hager caught up with one of this year's honorees, an extraordinary young musician. >> extraordinary just begins to describe kevin. he play placed second in the yo-yo ma competition and is a groundbreaking musician. on top of it he's a really nice guy. ♪ [ beat boxing ] >> music is my favorite language. there are times you feel so much emotion. >> reporter: 23-year-old kevin is an american original, an innovator, a cellist who effortlessly blends classical music with a soulful hip-hop beat. you were four years old and listened to a song and played it by ear. >> just tinkered around on it. my parents freaked out when they

saw it. >> reporter: a carnegie halladay buy with his elementary school choir and mastering the cello at 8. >> my mom wanted me to play the cello. i saw bill clinton play and i thought, saxaphone, done. if my president can do it. >> reporter: at 17, kevin soloed at carnegie hall for the pbs show "from the top." ♪ >> reporter: he debuted his vocal percussions or beat boxing on a national stage. [ beat boxing ] >> reporter: what did your parents think when you were beat boxing? >> my dad hated it. he thought it was just -- why is he making all this noise? i was in boarding school add andover in an a cappella group and he heard it and he was like, wait, that's not noise. that's talent. oh. >> reporter: kevin is the son of a nigerian doctor and a nurse from grenada.

>> my father is my inspiration for everything. >> reporter: how have your african roots influenced your mus music? >> african music is heavily rooted in the beat. that's something i try to portray in what i do. >> reporter: he headed to yale for medicine. it was this youtube video with more than 1 million hits that changed his life. ♪ >> that's me cello-boxing. it went viral. >> reporter: what is cello-boxing? >> playing this pristine instrument and hip-hop which is dirty, gritty. it has that element of edge to it. fusing them together into something that i hope really is inventive and creative. >> reporter: the composer, mark summer, thinks so, too. >> here's a guy that takes my piece and amps it up to a new

level. i was a little jealous. >> reporter: that youtube video led to network tv. >> three kids from texas called me up and said, hey, we're going to try out for "the sing-off." we got together the day before the audition. it was scary, but for some reason it worked out like magic as if we were supposed to be together. >> how has winning changed your life? >> winning "the sing-off" gave me the confidence to pursue music. now there is more of a set path in front of me i can follow. ♪ the dog days are over >> you can have all the talent in the world. if you're not humble no one will care about you. be who you are and be humble. >> kevin and the pentatonics moved to california to record an

album. kev has his eye on producing, singing, everything. his star is on the rise. h's 24 and he tried to teach me to beat-box. that footage is unused. it's hard. it's an art. >> it's rare to find someone who can start something brand new. that's what he's done. thank you so much. up next, we're throwing a puppy bowl right here in our studio. but first, this is "today" on nbc. 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.

well, the jiebt giants and patriots may be in the big game this sunday but it is not the only giem in town. jill rappaport is here to explain. good morning. >> not all the sighs in the studio are for brad pitt. today it's about shoulder pads and wee-wee pads and the special game featuring four-legd athletes i had the privilege of coaching. move over manning and brady. it's a dog eat dog line-up as these canines are cruising for a bruising p in animal planet's puppy bowl. i'm going to give you a pep talk or as we call it a pup talk. in my role as confidence builder and puppy protector i led 58 power pooches on the gridiron for an all-star show down waging a war with wagging tails.

the added bonus that all of the daring dogs come from shelters across the country and are up for adoption. it's definitely a menagerie of madness. >> you've got to take it to the end zone. >> reporter: this sunday, how about some paw to paw action. >> he could -- go all the way! >> reporter: which is the odds on favorite game to win? >> touchdown! >> all right, jill. thank you very much. dan is the officially referee for puppy bowl viii. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> it's not about football. it's about finding great homes for puppies. >> don't tell them. they have been training for weeks. it's about adoption awareness. animal planet teamed up with petfinder.com. every puppy is adoptable including these guys. >> let's introduce the starting line-up. puppy one is jet. a 10-week-old beagle mix who weighs ten pounds. puppy two is johnny.

johnny is a ten-week-old beagle mix, jet's brother but looks nothing like jet, by the way. >> they are compatible if they were to go together. >> he weighs 8 to 10 pounds. delta, a 14-week old red bone coon hound mix. laverne is a late addition, a chihuahua mix. and mini, 12-week old boston terrier mix. she's hefty. 20 pounds. what are the rules? >> first of all, these are all from the connecticut humane society, a local shelter doing great work. the rules are loose and fast. as long as the chew tie is dragged into an end zone it's a touchdown. i'm here to watch out for puppy fouls of all kinds. >> for example, if one of the puppies relieves him or herself. >> if i were to do it at every point we'd never go on with the game. >> then it's the poopy bowl. >> or it uh could be roughing the pisser. >> someone make a note for next

year. let's begin the game. >> i'm going to drop the chew toy and you can drop your dogs -- gently, please. ready? [ whistle blows ] >> go, guys! >> come on! >> come here, come here. >> they ignored the chew toy. that's fine. >> usually one picks it up. watch out for roughhousing. usually we don't have humans on the field. >> is there a penalty for the human who speaks with the most ridiculous voice to the puppy? >> go, go! >> that would be jill. >> let's take them out there. >> she didn't like the patriots jersey. >> obviously a giants fan. >> we can encourage them a little bit. >> give me another toy, dan. >> he went that way. >> that's all right. >> we may not have touchdowns scored now, once again these are puppies up for adoption. there are a lot more of these

where they came from. >> they're all mvps, most valuable pooches. >> puppy bowl viii airs sunday afternoon on animal planet. just ahead, what you need to know before spending money on at-home medical tests after your local news.

8:56 is your your time on this wednesday, february 1, 2012. good morning to you. i'm eun yang. let's check in with tom kierein in the storm center for the latest on this lovely day. still raining out there, tom? >> not locally. and the cloud cover breaking up and getting sunshine, breaking up. live view from the sky watcher camera. rain lingering in southern maryland, northern neck, eastern

shore. pulling off to the east. temperatures right now as we approach mid morning are in the low to mid 50s. later today, with that sunshine will climb into the 60s. maybe more rain tomorrow morning, then cooler weather for the rest of the day on thursday and turning quite chilly on friday, saturday, and sunday with highs around 50. >> 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. the accident northbound at franklin avenue is in the process of being cleared. right now northbound and southbound on colesville, you will she delays. metro buses out of the way but still have a fire truck at the intersection. be aware of that as you are making your commute. back to you. >> thanks so much. more news, weather and traffic

we're back now with more of "today" on a wednesday morning, the 1st day of february 2012. expecting rain here, but we are also expecting temperatures in the 60-degree range. that has a lot of people, including me and ann and savannah guthrie aing whatever happened to winter? in fact, large portions of the country now experiencing higher than normal temperatures. last year at this time it was a massive snowstorm moving through parts of the country. we're going to be talking about this unusual winter weather we're having in a couple of minutes. >> a lot of people across the country are talking about it. also coming up, we're going to be talking about at-home tests. there are hundreds of tests that

are available now to check everything from your cholesterol to thyroid or pregnancy, whether you are pregnant or not. doctors are now raising questions about the tests. we'll talk about the pros and cons of four important tests coming up this morning. >> all right. also ahead, our money 911 segment. we'll have good questions including what to do if you are about to marry someone with very bad credit. and also what's the smart way to spend your tax refund? not the fun way but the smart way. >> two very different things. >> i would rather go with the fun way. >> let's go inside. natalie morales has a check of the headlines. hi, natalie. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with an important recall and warning. perhaps some 1 million women could be at risk of unintended pregnancy. pfizer recalled 1 million birth control packs because of an error that mixed up the active and inactive pills in the 28-day package. the world's biggest drug maker

is pulling 14 lots of the low ovrol tablets and packs of the generic version of the pills. those using them should use another form of contraception immediately. mitt romney scored his second victory in the republican primaries after the triumph in new hampshire saying it's time for president obama to get out of the way. with romney's latest win comes a security detail from the u.s. secret service. newt gingrich meanwhile came in second place and vowed to return to florida with the gop nomination. in economic news, 2012 is off to a strong start. it was the best january for stocks in this country since 1997. meanwhile facebook is set to file with the s.e.c. today to sell stock on the open market. while trading wouldn't start for another three to four months the initial public offering could value the social network between 75 and 100 billion dollars.

the breast cancer awareness group susan g.komen for the cure is cutting ties to planned parenthood. komen will stop providing money for breast cancer examinations partly because of a new policy against funding organizations under investigation. a house republican launched an inquiry to see if planned parenthood uses public money to fund abortions. some say komen caved in to political pressure. a phone call to rose kennedy from lyndon johnson has been released. he called to offer condolences as he flew from dallas back to andrews air force base on november 22, 1963. >> i wish to god there was something that i could do and i wanted to tell you that we were grieving with you. >> thank you very much. i know you loved jack and he loved you.

>> the nearly 50-year-old exchange was part of a recording recently donated to the national archives discovered among the memorabilia of a senior military aide to kennedy. washington is the 7th state to legalize same sex marriage. the bill is expected to be passed today and sent to the house where it has broader support. washington's governor said she'll sign it. if you want a late night host to eat his veggies it could take the commander in chief. michelle obama offered leno a little bit of honey made by bees kept at the white house. it's an offer he can't refuse. >> this is white house honey? >> if you dip it, it helps it go down. >> white house honey? that sounds bad. you know, with a different president that means a different

thing. >> leno claims he hasn't eaten a vegetable since 1969. the first lady got him to break his dry spell on the green stuff. a little bit of honey does the trick. it's five minutes past the hour. now over to al with a check of the weather in washington, d.c. >> all right, thanks so much, natalie. natalie. let's see what we have going on for today. and this warm -- record warmth is not going to abate any time soon. the cold up in canada not moving. much move normal temperatures in the plains. scattered record highs in the northeast and mid atlantic states. cleveland, cincinnati, i should say, 22 degrees above normal. st. louis, 20 degrees above normal. newark will see a high of 25 degrees warmer than usual in and high of 62. you can look at -- at raleigh, 69. little rock, 69. 59 in st. louis. rest of the country today, we have showers moving into the pacific northwest. plenty of sunshine through the southwest into southern florida. and that's -- southern california.

we are looking at snow showers in northern new england. that's what's going on around the country. hear's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. we have sunshine breaking out. live view from sky watcher camera looking off to the west and northwest. overlooking western fairfax and southern loudoun county and bureau showing through. and as we look at the ray a we had a few lingering sprinkles to our south. and southern maryland and northern neck eastern shore. those will be dissipating over another hour or so. it is still on the cool side. we are in the low and mid 50s. later today into the 60s again. maybe some morning rain again tomorrow. then sun back in the afternoon and cooler then. chilly weather and that's your latest weather. savannah? >> okay, al. thanks. this morning on today's money 911 our team of experts helps solve your financial problems. jean chatzky is author of "money 911." david bach is the author of "debt free for life." and sharon epperson, good

morning to you all. >> good morning. >> stacy writes my fiance's credit is pretty poor. he's convinced if he can continue to avoid the creditors the debt will eventually fall off his credit record. i'm not in agreement. we have joint checking and savings accounts. before we get married i want him to get his own checking account and manage it responsibly. i'm not sure how to discuss this with him. >> there is so much that worries me about this question. i don't know where to start. yes, he's right on a technicality. eventually they will go away. i have visions of this couple at dinner. >> they won't be married long enough. >> i see them at dinner sitti sittinging there and the phone ringing. are you going to marry a guy in the habit of avoiding problems? >> she's smart enough to identify the problem. >> sit down with a financial planner. get these issues out ton table. have a serious discussion and make sure he's ready to take

responsibility for his financial life. otherwise you go to buy a house, a car, anything major together, you are going to be miserable. >> untangle the finances before you get married and keep them separate while married. >> how did this turn into a therapy segment? stacy, great question. let's go to skype for tracy from washington state. what's your question? >> good morning. my current employer has a 401(k) plan with a dollar for dollar match up to 7.5%. i cannot be vested in the program until i work there three years. i have been there 6 months and i'm not sure i'll be there for the time required. should i save the entire 7.5%? i'm contributing 3 now and invest the money somewhere else? >> good question. >> first of all it's unusually to have a vesting schedule on the 401(k) plan that takes three years. usually it's 20% a year vest. 3% for savings is not enough. if you only put away 3% in the

401(k) plan you will not have enough. you will have less than a quarter million dollars at retirement. you need 7.5%. ideally you should save 10%. i would take the 3% immediately. i know it's tough. but you won't notice after a few paychecks. take it to 7.5% and look at the match in the 401(k) plan as icing on the cake. the money you put in is the real cake. that match is simply extra money that can make a huge difference. focus on what you're going to put away. believe me, you will come back to us 10, 15, 20 years from now and you will be happier. in terms of dollar amount. instead of $250,000 you will have upwards of $700,000. >> you can take us out to lunch at that point. >> on the phone lines, linda from dallas is on the line. good morning. what's your question. >> good morning. i'm 58 years old. i'm not working. my husband is still working and is 63. at what age can i take my

husband's social security spouse benefits without him taking his? >> this is a complicated issue for many people. let me try to simplify it for you. first you can't take your retirement benefit or your spousal benefit until you're 62 years old. that's the first thing. you have four years to wait. the other thing is your husband has to apply for his social security benefits in order for you to get the spousal benefit. he can delay receiving the payment until he's 70. that's a good idea to maximize his benefits. what you need to do when you're 62 and he's 67 he'll be eligible for the full retirement benefit. at that time he can apply for his benefit. you apply for yours. he delays receiving the payment until 70. you will then be able to get your retirement benefit and the spousal benefit at a reduced amount. you're only 62, not 66 which is your full retirement age. that reduced amount will be the highest amount you can get at the age of 62 from social

security. they will take both of those. your husband should definitely try to wait until 70 if he can. every year after 66 he gets an 8% increase in the social security benefit. that's a real benefit to your overall household income. >> hold on if you can. lauren is on skype with a question from north carolina. what's your question? >> we have just received our tax return for $10,500. we owe $2,200 in student loans. we have two credit card, one for $5, 900 at 12.5% interest and one at 17.9% interest. we only have about $1,000 in our savings account. what's the best way to divide up our tax money? >> good question. a lot of people have it this time of year. >> clearly you are aware the $1,000 in savings isn't enough. pay off both credit cards. don't worry about the student loans. pay them off on the regular schedule. then every single month as

you're not paying those credit card bills take the extra money and put it in savings until you have the full six to nine months emergency cushion. you'll be good to go. adjust your withholding because you should not get a tax refund this big. >> even though it's enjoyable. >> it's great fun. but it's better to get the money along the way. >> lauren with her cutie with her. jean chats, love the matching outfits, ladies. very good. david, where's yours? and for those of you on the east coast, david will be answering your questions during a live web chat for the next hour or so head to today.com for that. up next, at-home medical tests. are they worth your time and money? later from fun gadgets to a hot air a balloon ride. great gifts for the man in your life. first, these messages. ♪ eggland's best eggs. -the best in nutrition... -just got better. even better nutrition -- high in vitamins d, e and b12. a good source of vitamin b2.

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get drano snake plus and get flowin'. [ female announcer ] s.c. johnson. this is mary... who has a million things to pick up each month on top of her prescriptions. so she was thrilled that her walgreens pharmacist recommended a 3-month supply and would always be there to answer questions about her health. now mary gets 3 refills in one and for 3 months, she's done. more or less. ask your pharmacist about a 90 day supply today. walgreens. there's a way to stay well. [ dog ] our pharmacist about a 90 day supply today. i am my coat? solid gold. my insides? pure platinum. [ female announcer ] a healthy outside starts inside. new iams simple & natural has chicken as its number one ingredient and zero fillers. it works inside for health you can see on the outside. [ dog ] i can't be a rockstar on the outside if i'm not one on the inside. [ female announcer ] new iams naturals. you'll like what's in them and love what's not. [ dog ] i am an iams dog.

[ girls ] he's so cute! [ dog ] groupies! you noticed! these clothes are too big, so i'm donating them. how'd you do it? eating right, whole grain. [ female announcer ] people who choose more whole grain tend to weigh less than those who don't. multigrain cheerios... five whole grains, 110 calories. this morning on today's health, at-home medical tests. the multi billion dollar market is booming offering skreepings for all kinds of medical conditions. they may save time and money but are they worth it? keri peterson is a contributor to women's health magazine and an internist. hundreds of over-the-counter test that is screen for anything and everything. i guess we should start with the pros. what are the advantages? >> sure. first they are private. they are confidential and maybe that will encourage people to

take the test. they save you time, money because it prevents you from going to the doctor's office, waiting for an appointment. they're convenient. you can do them at home when you want. >> you advise to do your homework when picking the test. >> absolutely. >> what are the pitfalls of doing it at home? >> the results can be affected if you don't do the test as instructed on the box. getting a false positive can be extremely upsetting. also not all conditions can be diagnosed with a home test. you may need your physician to take other factors into consideration. and you miss out on counseling from the doctor educating you about the condition and how to treat it. >> the biggest piece of advice? >> don't randomly pick one off the shelf or off the internet. you want to get one that's fda approved. go to the website fda.gov and select one from their list. once you get the kit, follow the instructions as directed

explicitly. >> to the t. >> if you're not sure ask your doctors. >> first off is the at-home test for your cholesterol. what types of tests are out there and when do you take it? >> many tests widely available typically range in price anywhere from $15 to $100. you want to make sure to get a test that has not only the total cholesterol and the breakdown of the hdl, ldl and triglycerides. typically you prick your finger. if the value of your total cholesterol is over 200, call your doctor to discuss it at length. >> you caution it can be complicated to understand the results and also you have to fast before doing a cholesterol reading. >> good points. because you're getting numerous numbers and each one has a different value that it should be, it can be confusing. that's why for this test i always recommend discussing the

results with your physician. >> next is urinary tract infections, extremely common, especially among women. if you are feeling these symptoms maybe it's a good idea. >> urgency, frequency or burning when you urinate. a foul-smelling urine and it can be discolored or ping-tin pink-tinged. they are typically over-the-counter, inexpensive. they have a little dip stick you put in the stream of urine and it turns colors if it's positive. it's looking for white blood cells, infection and nitrates. these are the products that bacteria make. >> are they accurate? >> they are very accurate. if they are positive, you do need to be treated with an antibiotic. so call your doctor. if it's not treated it can spread to the kidney and cause a very serious infection. >> not to mention discomfort and pain. >> oh, yeah. >> next is chlamydia which is a

sexually transmitted disease. there are not a lot of symptoms. why get an at-home test? >> first off it is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases women get. 75% of them have no symptoms. your gynecologist will be checking for it when he or she does your annual pap smear. however, in between if you find out that your partner tested positive, this can be a useful test. what's done is either a vaginal swab or a sample. you get your results back in a week. >> very important to check and be treated. >> you must be treated with antibiotics. if not it can cause infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease or ectopic pregnancy. >> this is interesting. an at-home test for hiv. only one is approved by the fda. what's the process? >> there is only one. it's the home access hiv test

system. it costs $44. it's also done by collecting a blood sample. it's confidential and anonymous. when you send your sample in it's only identified by a pin number. when you call for the result, you type in your pin number and get your results. >> this one is very accurate? >> extremely accurate. >> it is controversial though. >> it is. >> people say this should be tested for it in an office. >> this is a sensitive test. if it comes back positive you need a support system around you. i really recommend that when you have this test, when you're getting the result keep your family or friends nearby just in case it's positive. the service provides counseling on the phone but i don't think it's enough. you need people close to you nearby. >> dr. keri peterson, thank you so much. >> thankthanks, natalie. >> coming up, what happened to winter? are the above average temperatures here to stay? first, these messages.

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if you were here watching earlier you saw we had one of hollywood's biggest superstars in the studio, not to mention heart throbs. >> that's right. jonah hill. oh, and brad pitt was here as well talking to ann. nat and i did the only responsible thing which is come down. >> stalk him. >> and look at them. >> ann was trying to conduct a respectable interview and then nat and i snapped a picture and tweeted it out. see? right there. >> i think we got mostly ann. >> al, what do you think? do you like it? >> i don't think anybody could say brad pitt is in that picture with you. >> yes, he was! >> there's al roker. >> where? >> get out our microscope. >> he's there where i'm pointing. don't you see? behind the camera. >> i see ann. i don't see anybody else. >> oh, al. >> think we're scaring away other heart throbs that want to come to our studio?

probably. >> i have some pictures. take a look. i have a picture with wrc morning anchors. >> we love them! >> that's nice. we'll be right back a after your local news and weather. [ male announcer ] what if we could keep enough plastic waste to fill over 200 garbage trucks out of landfills each year? ♪ 6.5 million pounds of plastic, 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. ♪ it's a small change that can make a big difference. wait a second... with olay challenge that. new regenerist wrinkle revolution... relaxes the look of wrinkles instantly, and the look of deep wrinkles in 14 days. ready, set, smooth... regenerist. from olay. it's kind of a big deal.

chex has five flavors that are gluten-free. even a cinnamon one the kids love. the word "wow" comes to mind. [ male announcer ] chex cereal. five flavors. good and gluten free. 9:26 is your time now on this wednesday, february 1, 2012. let's check in with tom kierein for a look at your forecast for today. hoping the sun is back out, tom. >> yes. sun beginning to break out around the metro area and also have lingering rain on the radar. storm 4 radar we are getting lingering sprinkle, southern maryland, eastern shore. and elsewhere some sunshine breaking out. temperatures are now climbing into the mid 50s throughout much of the region and continue to climb again today into the 60s. and with sunshine in and out. getting more rain tomorrow morning but cooler weather after that. and then colder as we get into friday, saturday, sunday, first part of next week. >> thanks so much, tom. a quick break now and check your

tr

good morning. traveling in chevy chase, connecticut avenue, shut down right now at chevy chase lake drive. all lanes blocked by the accident. on the inner loop of the beltway, still pretty slow at little river turnpike. delays continue to the dulles toll road.

i will give you a travel speed under speed at 31 miles per hour. >> danella, thanks so much. more news, weather and traffic for you in just 25 minutes. for now, back to the "today" show after this short break.

♪ that, of course, is madonna. i'm sure you knew that. the ultimate superstar will be taking over the stadium for the halftime show at the super bowl. we're going to have a preview of her show and get the party started at indianapolis with a live concert by the gym class heroes this friday morning with a special edition of "today" kicking off waend of super bowl coverage. >> we are headed to indianapolis. meantime coming up in this half hour it is february. you know what that means.

time to start thinking of valentine's gifts for your sweetie. we have unique ideas. everything from a car racing lesson to shoes and even a fun gadget for the ipad. all of the gifts are under $100. >> if you plan to cook for your man, try one of three delicious soups in today's kitchen by danny meyer. they will warm your soul any time of year. >> actually, since you bring it up and speaking of weather what's the deal with the warm temperatures? >> 60 in new york. >> a lot of people are wondering what happened to winter? is this warm weather going to continue? we'll take a look at that. >> i'm complaining because i want snow, al roker. >> you do? i want sun, al roker. >> bring us snow. >> sun. >> we have sun. we have sun. and the snow, you have to head to the rockies. you'll be fine. >> do they have snow there? >> they do. >> it's been rough there, too. >> they have been getting storms

across. that made a big difference. in fact, let's show you what's happening as far as your forecast is concerned. we are looking today at concerned. we are looking today at a big area of high pressure. sunshine in denver today. morning showers and make their way into the pacific northwest. we have sunsome wet weather through the mid mississippi river valley. but that storm out west by tomorrow makes its way into the rockies bringing snow. and it will be mild through the southwest and partly sunny skies return to the northwest. and sunny and cold in new england. and we have some showers along the mid atlantic coast tomorrow morning. super bowl forecast, indianapolis, partly cloudy and cool sunday. overnight low, 34. high getting up to 43 degrees. of course, inside lucas oil stadium it will be fantastic. that's what's going on around the country. her's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. great to have al with us and is on the front lawn at news4. we see the sunshine behind him and getting sun now here in washington, around the metro area. later today we will hit the 60s

again. but these going to be the end of the unusually warm weather tomorrow, cooler and rain in the morning. little sun in the afternoon. then colder weather moves in. 7-day outlook for friday, saturday, sunday, monday, tuesday. feeling more wintry with morning lows near freezing, afternoon highs in the 40s to near 50 that's your latest weather. nat, sav? >> thank you, al. after your super bowl hopes have been fulfilled or crushed, stay put on the sofa. there is more competition in store as nbc kicks off the second season of "the voice." the new season promises more blind auditions, expanded battlegrounds and an even larger pool of talented artists. there will be new advisers including miranda lambert, kelly clarkson, robin thicke, ne-yo and all four of the celebrity coaches, christina aguilera, celo green and adam levine are

returning and we are the first to reveal they will grace the cover of rolling stone on friday. >> that's exciting. >> it is. be sure to catch the second season premier of "the voice" after the super bowl this sunday. >> no reason to leave the couch. stay on until monday night. >> exactly. we are all about show tunes. >> exactly. up next, affordable valentine's day gifts for the man who has everything after this. pay the check? no, i wouldn't use that single miles credit card. hey, aren't you... shhh. i'm researching a role. today's special... the capital one venture card. you earn double miles on every purchase. impressive. chalk is a lost medium. if you're not earning double miles... you're settling for half. was that really necessary? [ male announcer ] get the venture card at capitalone.com and earn double miles on every purchase every day. what's in your wallet? cover for me. i have an audition. what's in your wallet? wait a second...

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or skin reaction to it. if you develop these stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, tell your doctor if you have new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack. use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. it helps to have people around you... they say, you're much bigger than this. and you are. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. you bet. wow. man: do your simple return with the turbo tax federal free edition, and now get our free one-on-one expert tax advice live by phone or chat. get the federal free edition at turbotax.com. nyquil (stuffy): just reading whatyour label.ing? wait! you relieve nasal congestion? tylenol: sure. don't you? tylenol (another bottle): hmmm...no... nyquil (stuffy): dude! anncr vo: tylenol cold multi-symptom nighttime relieves nasal congestion... nyquil cold & flu doesn't.

>> announcer: today celebrates valentine's day is brought to you by silky smooth dove chocolates. share love this valentine's day with dove. ♪ >> this morning on today celebrates valentine's day, less than two weeks to go to find the perfect present for the man in your life. some men are hard to shop for, so shape magazine is here with some favorite things to spoil him rotten. good morning! >> good morning, natalie. >> we'll put a price cap on. everything here is under $100. >> fabulous finds for your man, all under $100. >> let's start with a gifting experience really. what are we talking about here? >> instead of giving your guy a traditional gift, why not give him an experience he'll remember forever? go to cloud 9 living.com to buy your man a boat tour for $49, beer tasting classes, take him sky diving or take him race car

driving for $60. a wide range of different options and they are all under -- >> points all over the country as well. >> 1,700 choices all over the country. >> this one is really unique as well. tom shoes. we know what a great job they do with giving back. this is a dpift that keeps on giving. >> these are chic. you know, you want to give your guy shoes for valentine's day, give him kicks for a cause. every time you buy a pair of tom's they donate to somebody in need. we love these because they look hip. they're lightweight and perfect for summer and spring which is just around the corner. >> and a good price as well. $45 to $89. >> exactly. >> what's valentine's day without chocolate? this is a chocolate fondue kit from godiva. >> instead of using a boring box of chocolate, stir things up with fondue. this is a perfect way for you to

come back after a romantic dinner. you have dessert and there is nothing more sexy than feeding each other dessert. >> that's dark chocolate, very good. >> dark and milk. >> wonderful. lingerie for your man? >> no man likes to shop for underwear. valentine's day is the perfect excuse to buy him something you will both love. these are from paul smith made of cotton. they come in fun patterns and colors and they start at $45. >> al roker wants them. >> i can see him in those. >> he said, don't get undies for your man! wallets next. every man doesn't like to shop for a wallet. you have great choices here. >> here is a gift that's fashionable and functional from jack spade. they are all under $100. you can get them in leather or nylon. what's great is when he uses these he'll think of you. >> when he's pulling out the credit card and thinking about how much he's spending. i love this idea. collar stays.

these are ones you can get personalscribed in them. >> we want our men sharp and dapper. these collar stays are from redenvelope.com. stainless steel so they are great. you can put in messages like, i want to see you tonight or you make me feel so good, i want to hug you. so he'll remember you whether he's traveling on a business trip or just at work. >> hopefully he won't lose these. >> they are high quality. >> next, the perfect shave. guys love to look and smell good. this is a great tip from the art of shaving. >> this is a kit to guarantee your man is smooth and soft so you can kiss him all night on valentine's day. you get a great variety of products. you have preshave cream. shaving cream. >> lemon or lavender. >> and unscented. this is sandalwood.

great way to pamper your man. >> my husband has that. i like it. >> over here, for the guy who loves to play at the arcade. this is something that goes back. it's retro. it's the icade. >> this is a blast from the past. this is going to turn your man's ipad into a mini arcade. he can play his favorite games like centipede or pac-man. he'll love it just as much as he loves you. >> make sure they have the ipad. thank you so much. great choices here. coming up next, what's up with all the warm winter weather? no complaining, but is it here to stay? we'll have more right after this. this year i have a lot more than one valentine:

one for making my perfect cup of coffee, one for being the perfect neighbor, and one for no reason at all. your moment. your dove. ♪ ...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.

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much of the country is enjoying unseasonably warm weather and i have a lot of people asking what happened to winter? nbc's chief environmental affairs correspondt anne thompson is in central park checking it all out. good morning. >> reporter: today will feel more like may 1st than february 1st. here in new york the thermometer is expected to push 60. this after a january in which the number of record highs outpaced record lows by a ratio of 18 to 1. in upstate new york where lake george is only partly frozen they are trucking in ice to build the winter carnival castle. thin ice in patterson, iowa took the lives of two friends out fishing. >> it appears thick. it does. you look at it and it's just -- you slip in judgment and it catches you. >> reporter: across the country, this is the most unusual winter.

2rks 8 2,890 daily records tied or broken this january. more than four times as many as last january. february will get off to a warm start. chicago and st. louis predicted to be 14 degrees above average today. new york city, 20 degrees and minot, north dakota, a dramatic 22 degrees warmer than normal. it is the polar opposite of last february 1st. >> this is a monster of a storm. more than 2,100-mile stretch of more than a foot of snow could fall over the next 48 hours. >> reporter: damage from the groundhog day storm topped $1 billion. the difference between then and now? the location of the jet stream. last year it dipped deep into the u.s., bringing frigid temperatures and snow from canada. this year it's hovering at the canadian border. >> the systems are coming across the country and bringing mild, pacific, sometimes gulf air allowing for incredible record highs. >> reporter: it is confusing crops in california, blooming

too soon. >> a normal winter is cold and wet. but not 85 degrees for a week and a half. >> reporter: the sandhill cranes are early birds returning to lincoln county, nebraska, a month ahead of schedule. so, yes, even nature is confused. scientists are reluctant to pin any one weather event on climate change, but they say there is no question that our warming world is shifting our odds away from a traditional winter as we have known it. i'm anne thompson in central park. back to you. >> anne thompson, thank you. up next, it may not be that cold today but we'll pretend it is. we have three soups delicious for any time of year. first, this is "today" on nbc.

>> announcer: today's kitchen is brought to you by ro-tel and

velveeta, together their queso dip makes any get-together better. >> this morning in today's kitchen, what's on the menu? hearty winter soups. >> david myers is chef and founder of a restaurant in los angeles. david, good morning. >> good morning, guys. i have a french onion soup for you today. how do you feel about it? >> it smells amazing. >> i love it. >> it's not expensive and you can make it any time of year. >> this is one of the first soups i learned to make. it's so easy. it's great any time of day. a little bit of onion i like to cut up and julienne. i have butter and olive oil mixed together. i like a mixture to keep it lighter. you want to cook the onions -- >> really caramelize them. >> these have been cooking one and a half hours. you put it in the oven, 400 degrees and stir it every 15 minutes. you want a beautiful golden color. >> that's just oil and butter?

>> and the sugars are coming out of the onions to give it a beautiful caramelization. >> smells amazing! >> i like to add a little bit of water to get up the bits of the golden caramelization on the bottom. it gives more depth and color to the soup and adds nice flavor. here's the secret. a little bit of chicken stock and beef stock together. having both really gives it a nice flavor without it being too heavy. >> if you're vegetarian could you do it with vegetarian stock? >> you could do water and focus really on the flavor of the onion. you can enhance it with sherry. i like sherry because it gives it a little bit of an acidic note the dish really needs. beautiful color there. >> how long do you let it simmer? >> for an hour. taste it. if it needs longer, go longer. >> no salt or pepper? >> i add a little bit as i'm cooking it. i also add a little bit of bay leaf, thyme. the key with seasoning for a

soup is you season from the very beginning to the end. that way it's really developed. >> you taste as you go. >> that's the beauty of being a cook. here's more of the finished beautiful product here. it's glorious, a little bit soft, the onions have been nicely cooked and caramelized. you just go into a bowl, get some of the juice right here. it's all about having the french bread that's been toasted on top. i like to add three slices of gruyere and put it under the broiler for five minutes until it's bubbling. here you go. try this. tell me what you think. >> savannah, eat your heart out. >> i know! >> the smell is beautiful on this. >> i'm stuck with lentils. you have to make them exciting. >> the beauty of soup. this is the year of the on i don't know and they are in all the soups. i kick until it's translucent, onions and garlic. >> why black lentils? >> i like the flavor.

they look fantastic. beluga lentils are one of my favorites. i coat it with the olive oil which is great. >> healthy, too. >> and filling. it could be a meal on its own. i like to take eggplant. so easy to peel. >> you broiled it? >> roasted it with the tomato as well. you can easily peel it and it's just about dicing. you have the dice that's already set up before you do your soup. >> all right. >> we have a little bit of chicken stock. the lentils right here. >> how long does that go? >> about 45 minutes. >> again, you want to taste to make sure the lentils are cooked enough. you don't want them too al dente. you finish up with the eggplant. >> that's the last step? eggplant and tomato? >> last steps after you get the lentils cooked. you fold it in. for a more substantial meal you can add chicken in with it. it's a great stew and even better the next day.

finish with basil. >> okay, david. >> what else do we have here? >> this is our finished lentil soup. let me know what you think. >> and my favorite is a little potato soup. french. they call it vicchysoise when it's cold. grilled bread and chooifives. >> fantastic. come back any time. >> up next, hoda and kathie lee after your local news.

good morning, everyone. 9:57 is the time. wednesday, february 1, 2012. let's go right to storm 4 meteorologist tom kierein with a look at our forecast. tom? >> good morning. temperatures are now beginning to warm up around the region. we are hitting the mid and upper 50s throughout much of the area. just south of washington. stanton, virginia, 61 right now on the central shenandoah valley. we are in the mid and upper 50s, montgomery, arlington, prince george's counties.

later today, into the 60s again. and then tomorrow maybe some morning rain and little sun in the afternoon. but cooler and then much cooler weather moves in for friday, saturday, sunday, into the first part of next week. danella, how is traffic? >> still seeing all of your lanes blocked on connecticut avenue at chevy chase lake drive. accident there taking way all of your lanes. traveling i-66 heading east, your delays start right around nutley and had continue as you connect to the beltway. and traveling on i-270 looks much better. no issues for you as you travel through rockville and connect to the beltway. barbara, back to you. >> thanks, danella. coming up on "news4 midday,"

hello, everybody, it's winesday wednesday, one of our favorite days of the week. it is believe it or not the 1st day of february. usually i'm delighted about that because that's the shortest month the year. usually so freezing around here. but it's like spring. >> they say it's going get up to 60 degrees in new york. >> and yesterday as well. >> that's astonishing.

>> good news and bad news. good news it's wednesday, winesday. bad news is there's bean birth control recall. and you thought you were safe. pfizer is recalling about a million packets of birth control because they may not contain enough contraceptives. dorn it so, close. usually when you get birth control pills there are seven of them that are of a different color. the sugar pills. >> how now? >> you western getting enough of the active stuff. >> you were getting the placebo. >> that's the case. i'm sure this is very shocking. we know now. so there you have it. what are they called? >> we won't tell you which ones they are. just to make you a little crazy. >> 14 lots of lo/ovral.

yet another thing i don't have to worry about. >> you're clear. okay. so here's the thing. we keep talking about super bowl commercials and all that stuff and we told you about one yesterday. who cares about super bowl commercials when there's a great commercial from j.c. penney. this is about when you buy something at full price and you go to the store and see it marked down 50%, 70% you go insane. you wonder what these ladies do in this commercial. take a look. >> no! [ screaming ] >> no! >> no! >> no! >> no, no! >> no. >> no. >> no. >> no.

>> no. >> no. >> come on. >> i love the dog. i'm with the dog. i don't know. doesn't strike me as funny. >> you know how many times i've watched that commercial. >> the birth control thing is funny. >> people are panicking. >> i'm kidding. of course. you know what else is funny. a skoob. >> it's a new fashion trend. you had one of these. it's when you wear a dress that's so tight that it squeezes the boob. it's a sboob. we have a few pictures of that. that's a sqboob. everything is oozing out. madonna did it at the golden globes. madonna did it on purpose. christina hendricks squboobs a

lot. >> unless you're 50, they say now that small breasts are in. >> for everybody who has gotten breast implants and those kinds of things, another joke on you. if you're the one out there that just got breast implants and didn't takeirth control pill -- that's funny twice. >> okay. so they are saying that all the fashion designers and stuff are liking women -- usually that's the case. models have smaller breasts. >> it's getting harder and harder for hollywood -- so many nude scenes they can't find any actresses that haven't had boob jobs. >> the girls -- >> the girls, yeah. >> let's talk to the women -- >> so many people have their teeth fixed it's hard to get a period piece when everybody had

narly teeth. >> another reason not to brush your teeth. >> think she's gorgeous. kate hudson. karen knightley. but heidi montag is sorry. >> nobody is sorier -- >> there's not a woman sorier than this woman. sheila. >> she had double js. she wanted them bigger. >> triple ks. >> she wanted them bigger and there wasn't enough silicone. >> or a doctor that would do them. how does she walk upright. i just want to know. that would take -- >> we have to see the picture again because it's astonishing. >> here's the thing. it's just not attractive. >> how do you find tops to fit.

>> you don't. that's the sad thing today. you know, we had somebody on this morning that i didn't get to meet her. she was amazing. she can say, you can say any word to her. she can pronounce it backwards. she's 14. her name is alyssia kramer from oklahoma. >> funny. they were giving her quizzes. like you'll see in this video her friend shoots her a word and she will read it backwards.she backwards. >> gallon. [ saying word backyard ] >> lamborghini [ saying word back words ] >> bugles. [ saying word backwards. >> now she's just showing off.

>> no one -- >> bank. [ saying word backwards ] >> how would you know? >> i want to have hearsay supercalifragilistic- expialidocious backwards. the way she was talking at my super bowl parties that's the way everybody talks. after an hour or two, everybody knows what everybody is saying. it's amazing. >> we have one more bad day bit of business to do. you know how sometimes you unfriend people on facebook. >> another thing i don't have to worry about. >> the good news is if you did it yesterday they won't know you unfriended them. if you do it today, you'll be busted because on their facebook page it will say minus one. minus one friend. negative friend. >> exactly. >> so you just got breast implant and took the wrong pill and today you get unfriended.

>> you're having a bad day. >> so, again, there's no -- there's no way to avoid it. if you defriend someone they will realize it. >> who wants more friends anyway. >> people get sensitive. think about kids in junior high. >> yeah. >> imagine if you saw five of your pals unfriending you. >> but, another thing i don't miss. >> facebook or twit center. >> wish i could get in on some of that's facebook stock coming up. you have to be on the inside. >> did you know there are best cities for singles over 40 unless you had -- no. >> here they are. >> according to "prevention" magazine. atlanta, georgia number five. baltimore, maryland number four. number three for singles, fairfax. two, is seattle, washington. and the best city for singles in the country according to the survey is tampa, florida.

>> i love tampa. all those towns are great. >> you know what's not one of the most favorite single cities but is a great city. new york? >> west palm beach. >> so you can show some pictures from the season big promo. >> i've been dying to show these pictures. i went to palm beach over the weekend. had a breath time at the susan g. komen run walk. 20,000 people showed up. they come out in force. nancy brinker snaps her fingers and everybody shows up. these are some friends of our executive producer. one more shot. i want to show nancy. >> nancy is susan's sister. >> exactly. >> she is a tireless worker. >> she is. >> this is jessica, a great girl who i met who was battling cancer for the second time. optimistic, sunny so, if you're having a bad day you're not having jessica's day. >> since you're doing that

something over the weekend, something i for got to do. when i was at alabama jacks there was this lovely couple from canada. we don't say enough about our wonderful canadian neighbors. henry and betty, sweetest people. the band whom i loved started to sing "i'm proud to be an american." i stand up, we all do. everybody. we say we got stand up. it's that kind of place. i look around at my new friends henry and betty. standing up. i went that's so moving. you know what he said. kathy, we wouldn't be a free country if it weren't for yours because of what we did for world war ii. i was moved by that. i want to say hello to them. >> very nice. >> we're wearing vails over our wine. it's to keep the bugs out of it.

in a classy way. >> okay. >> and you can get them yourself. >> for an outdoor party. >> i have to do this. hoda, have you seen this i've got good news and bad news. you're in "in touch" magazine. the bad news is who wore it better. first i'll let you see you want. >> i don't care. >> they think catherine heigle wore it better. i love this dress one. the dress looks lovely on you and it's nice and smooth. this is what they said. sorry hoda we rather sport wrinkled okay things sheets than being caught dead wearing the really bad prom shoes you picked out. >> those were not prom shoes.

i guess you're right. >> the good us? you look lovely. here's the thing, our cupcake lady. here's the thing. next time you want to bite my head off you can. yours fell in a million pieces. she's unbelievable. you can keep me -- you can bite my head off. >> all right. >> what's up? >> i just want to remind everyone today is the last day of our cutest engagement story. so if you think you have the most romantic, original engagement story. you can win four nights at the montague. two spa traepeatments at spa montague. submit your engagement story by 11:59 tonight. thank you.

quite delicious i hear. why a best friend isn't always enough. >> we have the list of eight friend ofry woman should have right after this. >> how do i taste? kleenex brans are america's softest... no wonder people want to share them with the ones they love. ♪ ♪ start your own chain of sharing. ♪ send a kleenex brand share package for free today at kleenex.com. kleenex. softness worth sharing.

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and locks it away. ♪ swiffer cleans better or your money back. ♪ get around are made with sweet cherries and the crisp, clean taste of our cranberries. i cannot tell a lie. 'tis tasty. okay, george washington, did you take my truck out last night? 'tis tasty. new ocean spray cherry juice drinks, like cran-cherry, made with sweet cherries and the crisp taste of cranberries. ah, sweet deal! find out how to get a free cherry juice drink at oceanspray.com or on facebook. there's nothing like having a best friend you can call in the middle of the night when your heart is broken. research shows while friendships are good to have there are certain types that can keep you healthy. >> folks at "prevention"

magazine came up with eight friend ofry woman needs. >> good to see you. eight friends we need. >> count them up and they are healthier than ice cream. >> you say we should keep up with one person from our childhood. >> your childhood friend is someone who knows your values, secrets and true essence and character. where the goldie hawn movie, she forgot how to have fun. >> they know your secrets. >> they kept them. >> always think they are not fans they are friends. true friends. they can stand the test of time. they can be around when things change, chow. >> it's important to have new friends. >> yes. >> fresh eyes because sometimes you get stuck in your own eyes. >> you do want to refresh. new friend sees you as the fully

formed adult you've become. you've become "the artist" or the parent or a success. >> no baggage. >> exactly. you can meet as equals. >> don't know your secrets but new friends can be around for all the ways to connect to. you can learn something new. >> some people are used to having their own circle so they don't really take kindly to say hey let me bring somebody else in. >> facebook is not the only place you can network. you can do it in flesh and blood. >> it work better that way. >> we have, the next one is a workout friend. that person can keep you healthy. someone to get you to the gym. >> motivation factor. everyone knows working out is great. you need social support. at "prevention" women say when they are in walking groups they love the talking part not the walking. >> leave them after the walk, never see them again.

>> but it's your accountability partner. talk about other things besides working out that you can be accountable for and that person is not just the motivator but they will kick you in the butt. >> i notice when men when you walk next to them when they are not looking right at you they open up more. >> same with a car. >> younger friends are important i guess to keep you hip. >> don't want any of them. sarah is enough. >> they admire you. they can look up to. it satisfies the need to nurture and they can teach you things maybe about twitter hash tags. >> we gravitate towards what's familiar. >> good to be friend with your partner's friends. >> yes. >> sometimes that's not great. >> you should merge your friends and a new study show couples are happier if the friends are intermingled. let the guys have basketball day

but then afterwards have all the couples come together for a casual meal. >> there's always one person. >> you got to be careful. jealousy can crop up. say you connect with your partner's best friend they may be uncomfortable. be a little cautious and have some boundaries. >> every mom. >> 85% of american women say they have a really great relationship with their mom. i'm among them. your mom is your biggest fan. no one will root for you. no one will fight for you. >> spiritual friends are important. >> i would be dead without my spir spiritual friends. >> when you need somebody you can have somebody pray with you or be there. connecting and doing thing for other people. you're connect through your spiritual house or church. >> they will speak the truth to

you. >> right. >> get you through. >> through the rough times and be your biggest cheerleader. >> good advice. >> and your dog. can't rule that out. >> now you're making her sad. >> and be friends with yourself. >> you're your own best friend. >> up next, we share images that will make you say what right after this.

we're back with our hysterical what the what? money back guarantee. sarah has spent hours entertaining herself. >> five minutes. >> while she sifted through the photos. >> our first photo was sent in by katherine who lives in washington, new jersey and was taken outside of a professor's office. this is what my daughter's tuition is paying for. please knock during nap time. >> how much do you pay for that? look how long nap time is. >> exactly. >> your kid waits outside. >> oh, my gosh. >> a scam. >> our next photo is from rod and dia from idaho. do you think they serve liquid lunches. look at the sign up there. >> oh, my gosh.

>> oh, no. >> yeah. >> i never graduated. >> charlene from oregon submitted this photo. doesn't this go without saying portable restroom unloading only. >> nasty. >> that's an exit only type of place. >> where is that? >> a little -- i don't know where it was taken. >> nothing says vacation like that picture. >> mexico. taken in mexico. just kidding. a photo from christine out of albany, new york. >> genuine fake watches. >> that may be an oxymoron. >> and from delaware, ohio, it's great they care so much about the animals. if you fall in they can eat you and you might make them sick. not okay. last thing. >> you have been duly warned. >> i made a mistake on the

engagement story. >> do we have a certain person here or did she leave the room? >> we'll get her at the end shot. >> still to come we'll play who knew about the super bowl. plus the zoo comes to our studio thanks to dave. any margin for e. one wrong turn and i could end up unloaded a puddle of water. woman's voice: turn right ahead. so i make sure i have the right guidance to get me exactly where i need to be. it's the same with taxes. turbo tax has a unique gps feature that guides me step-by-step, so i know it's done right. they even offer representation in case of an audit, and calculations are guaranteed accurate, which helps me reach my maximum refund--guaranteed. man: try turbo tax online now. you don't pay unless you're satisfied. when i think about how lucky i am that i've had a pur water filter remove 99% of lead and microbial cysts... [ sniffs ] and then i think about the water that hasn't. [ whimpers ] i ju...i don't know. it doesn't seem fair.

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we're back with more with our weekly game of who knew. with four days before kickoff in indianapolis. time to test your super bowl smarts. kathie lee is at the nbc experience store. she's ready to handout $100 out to those who get the questions right. to those who don't they get a cd. >> are you ready? let's go across the street. >> i love this young lady. she's from hawaii and turning 30 today and has 30 things you're doing what? >> 30 days for 30 days up to my

30th birthday. >> i handed out 30 rose to strangers in grand central. >> let's see if you can win a fabulous kathie lee cd. who will be performing during the super bowl halftime show this year. >> madonna. >> she didn't want my cd. take the money and run. happy birthday, sweetheart. >> ma on thea will be performing. >> we heard a lot about that. she joins a long list of performs. the who, u2. >> old songs? >> one new and rest old. >> the last time the new england patriots faced the new york giants who won >> new york giants. >> you won the money. >> what was the score? >> it was 17-14. the giants came from behind to

win. and they ruined the patriots perfect season up to that point so you know the patriots will come back and want to avenge that loss. >> beautiful lady from alabama. how many chicken wings are estimated to be eaten on super bowl sunday. 1 million, 2 million, 1 billion or 2 billion. >> 2 billion. >> how do you know that? >> watching the news. >> i cannot believe a billion chicken wings. >> apparently if you line up the chicken wings it could wraparound the world twice. how disgusting is that? >> you know you love them. dunk them in bleu cheese. >> gentleman named john from connecticut. true or false. quarterback eli manning has more super bowl rings than his brother colts quarterback peyton

manning. eli manning has more rings than peyton. true or false? >> true. false. >> let's just give the man both things. here you go. >> what's the question. giants quarterback eli manning has more super bowl rings than his brother peyton. the answer is false. >> they both have one ring each. if you remember peyton manning and the colts won, beat the bears in super bowl xxxxi. >> back across. >> lovely lady from north carolina. what is one of the largest purchases the day after the super bowl. it tvs, beer, antacid or tissues. >> antacid. >> smart woman from california. >> half the country will be popping antacids. >> if we're eating a billion chicken wings.

>> how much beer? >> gallons of beer. >> from utah, all right, on the weekend of the super bowl there are fewer of what important events than any other time the year. bar, bat mitzvahs, wedding, birthdays or funerals. >> probably weddings. >> smart. >> very bad day here. >> great one. thank you so much. >> coming up next all those animals you try to avoid in the wilderness they are here. that's what we like right after this. [ kid ] mom says there are kids in africa.

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♪ it's what we've been waiting for. today's call of the wild. all those interesting and dangerous animals you hope never to encounter alone. >> we have some interesting friends from all over the world. you always bring us great guys. >> national wildlife federation is about protect wildlife. our first critter is a bobcat. >> he's so cute. >> these guys are fairly common. they are found all across north america. sometimes they show up in people's backyards. they can live in deserts or forests or mountains. >> are these animals being killed by pythons in the everglades. >> an exotic snake has been

released and eating all sorts of different wildlife. >> he looks like a fat cat. >> very much like a house cat. i have to emphasize this is a wild animal. bobcats have a reputation for being versus pugnacious. you continue want to get too close to him. they have that bobbed tail. that beautiful coat helps keep them camouflaged out in the environment. >> let's move on. you will love this one. >> he's pugnacious. >> at that veiled chameleon. they can change colors. a lot of people think it's just for camouflage. really it's about mood. so when they are agitated or pugnacious or ready tomate they will turn different colors. >> this is a male. when it gets tomating season

he'll turn to bright red. >> how can you tell it's mating season with them. >> up see what they are doing. >> he's calm? >> pretty calm right now. check out his hands. pretty amazing. he has three toes and two on the other. adapted for life in trees and shrubs. those eyes can look independently from each other. see that. he can look totally behind him and in front all at the same time. the other really neat thing about these guys they eat insects and have this cool long sticky tongue that they flail out in a heart beat. let's go onto our next guy. >> the armadillo. >> i've seen them on the highway. >> this is an armadillo. nine banded. if you count these bands. >> is that how you know their age. >> they're species. these guys are found in north america and are moving north. unfortunately you do see them on the side of the road a lot.

>> really. you weren't kidding. >> in the deep south you see them on the road. they are moving north naturally and also because of climate change. these guys are expanding every year and predicted to get as far north as southern new england. >> they are not dangerous. >> no. again, they are kind of a native species. found in central and south america. they can be a garden pest because they like to dig. >> what's-foot of an armadillo. >> they eat insects. >> we have another one. really cute animal. >> she's a wallabe. very pugnacious. she's the size hanging outside of the pouch. this is a kangaroo species found in australia. she's a marsupial.

>> is she sweet? >> pretty sweet. >> these guys are marsupials and born almost premature. they crawl in the mom's pouch and attach to the nipple and grow into this adorable thing. >> they stay in there a long time. >> if you're born premature but they have these giant back legs that they use for hopping around. really cute. >> one last animal to get to. this animal is a relative of the raccoon. and these guys are also pretty amazing because they've wide range central and mexico up into the desert southwest. if you live in arizona or new mexico or parts of texas you would have this kind of animal in your backyard. that's one of the great things about north america, we have such diversity of wildlife and different amazing creatures. >> very unusual. for folks on the east coast

wouldn't imagine seeing this. >> very sweet. >> he's a wild animal. we're not handling him too much because he has sharp teeth and these animals are not bet. they eat all sorts of different things. pretty smart. you can see the striping like a raccoon. another great example of north american wildlife. >> thank you, david. >> if you haven't had enough, we'll tell you how to rid your roost of dust mites. our new ocean spray cran-cherry juice drinks are made with sweet cherries and the crisp, clean taste of our cranberries. i cannot tell a lie. 'tis tasty. okay, george washington, did you take my truck out last night? 'tis tasty. new ocean spray cherry juice drinks, like cran-cherry, made with sweet cherries and the crisp taste of cranberries. ah, sweet deal! find out how to get a free cherry juice drink at oceanspray.com or on facebook. achoo!

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♪ oh, yeah. time for today's home and clear your house of those microscopic bugs that can cause you to sneeze, tear, everything. >> they are called dust mites. fearing not, author of "the fearless housewife." >> what causes these allergies.

>> they are microscopic buggies. they are not going away. what it is they feed on dander, dead skin and one mite pops 20 times a "today." do the math up to 10 million in your mattress. but it's the doo that causes that stuff. >> what we want to do, whatever works. so what you want to do, their favorite spots one of them is bedding. you want to get rid of pillows. too many decorative pillows. feather pillows not a good idea. goose comforters, bed skirts all that stuff. >> everything i love. >> they love humid places. i love goose and feather pillows. come on over here. what we want to do is encase the chamber. get dust mite encasements.

i like this. hat this has is what they call a zip and click. a lot of times in the zipper the dust mite allergens could get in there and bedbugs. but these will actually seal it out. these are not yet available. next month >> you're teasing us. >> another thick vacuum and spray. you want to good hepa vac. this really traps. >> your vacuuming up here. >> you want to vacuum the bed, underneath if you have drapes. all of that. a lot of work four. another thing i love this. this is where you vacuum first then you spray. i don't like those little sprays. in here put distilled water and y eucalyptus oil. >> where do you spray. >> it on the beds and every

where else. don't make it too wet because you'll have another problem mold. >> what's the best kind of pillow to have. >> there are different kinds. if you just put these -- even when you're traveling next week take those. >> is a foam pillow better than a feather. >> anything that absorbs moisture. another thing to do. these are all ways to save. let me finish. baking soda and also lavender oil. just put some in together, and just spritz them all over like that on your bed, doesn't that smell nice. that will absorb the moisture. you want to get rid of these with cool tools. this is a uv light. put them on top of the bed. >> now we're talking. >> steam. steaming something like your upholtsery is great. and stuffed animals.

they are full, your kids are all over themg. hopefully you buy ones can you wash. if you don't, use baking powder once again, put it in, there let them sit for half an hour. shake. use a tall or freeze them overnight in the freezer. >> we got to go. >> up next if you like it hot these girls know how to spice things up. >> we'll see what they have got for us. i'm telling you delicious. >> this is "today" on nbc.

for up in "today's" kitchen and if we were going to get saucy today is the day. we're about to see why they are known as two hot tamales. >> they are chef and owner of border grill restaurant.

>> they are the sweetest things. >> i knew you had to start off with a spicy marguerita. >> cheers. >> i found a bowl. >> wow. >> oh, my gosh. >> blood orange. jalapeno march fguerita. >> that will kill dust mites in your nose. >> we use jalapeno peppers and then muddled it. now we'll use your leftovers. great week night super. first make the salsa diablo. he take these tomatillos and char them brown. them caramelized onons.

>> this is a base for any salsa. roast them. dump them in. so easy. throw in a bit of cilantro. if you're worried about chili haberno, ask your partner. this is the spiciest chili ever. >> blend it all up. >> now a little bit of chicken broth. heavy cream. and half and half. we take old stale chips. throw that in. >> you thought there were no use for them. >> dump it in. >> chicken. >> what is that >> cilantro. then we're going to add in this, is the diablo sauce we just made. we want that in there. look. >> sorry, it just does. what about the onions. >> taste this. >> onions are in the salsa.

>> you know, the sweetness from the onions. >> fabulous. >> good. >> can we stir that up. what about these onions. what's happening over here. >> onions went in the salsa. >> that's good. hot. >> you can make it in two seconds. >> all right. >> we're going to top i want with fried eggs. >> my kids ask for this every weekend morning. >> this is breakfast, lunch or dinner. or hang overfood. >> come on. take to it the end. >> this is it. it looks delicious. we added a little bit of onion. >> gang it looks delicious. we want to take a quick minute to wish our girl kate, it's her birthday. she works tirelessly. big happy birthday. >> and our technical director. don't sing it costs too much.

tomorrow meredith vieira is back with us. and how to quit your worse habit. you know what ours are. everybody has a story. thank you ladies. it looks like he wants some gas.

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