good morning. feeling the heat. the largest solar storm in five years striking the earth today. experts say it could disrupt electrical systems, satellite navigations and airline flight. how will it impact your day? this morning, a live report. have you seen it? it's the viral campaign that's exploded online going from 2 million hits on youtube to more than 20 million in just one day. everyone from celebrities and teens are passing on the link. what's it about and who's behind it? and all hail the queen. the duchess of cambridge helped launch the queen's diamond

jubilee tour this morning. a celebration of 60 years on the throne. we are live at buckingham palace throne. we are live at buckingham palace today, thursday, march 8, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this thursday morning. i'm ann curry. >> i'm matt lauer. the impact from that huge solar flare is being felt on the earth now but it is not a danger to people. however, it could pose problems, especially when it comes to technology. >> that's right. it all started with a massive solar flare this week captured in these nasa images. the last time the earth was hit by one it knocked out gps services. we'll have the latest on the story. it's a rare one to tell people. how often do you tell a story like this? >> not every day here. also, what happens if you lose

your smartphone? an undercover investigation tracked 50 intentionally lost. the phones included icons that included salary information and private photos. if you don't password protect your phone now, you will after you see this report. >> also later, a new jersey woman with four kids has been accused of running a high-priced prostitution ring catering to wealthy clients. a secret double life that allegedly made her millions over 15 years. coming up, we'll get the low down on that story from her attorney. >> let's start with natalie at the news desk. good morning. >> good morning, everyone. as you heard, the largest solar storm in five years is careening into earth today where it is set to zing our utility grids, airline grids, satellites and other communications. tom costello has more from washington. good morning. >> reporter: good morning.

this is a cool story. the scientists call it a coronal mass ejection. the outer atmosphere of the sun has been blown off sending a massive plasma cloud full of charged particles our way. the worst hit around 5:00 a.m. eastern time. so far no problems with gps or satellite systems or high frequency radio systems although it's possible and that's what we'll be watching all day. this is part of the sun's 11-year cycle which is supposed to reach its most active phase next year. expecrts say there is no danger on earth but some airlines that fly over the north pole rerouted flights to ensure communications aren't disrupted. there were reports of fantastic northern lights as far south as michigan. this was overnight in michigan. again, no serious disruptions so far. >> hopefully we enjoy the

beautiful images from michigan there. tom, thanks. new concerns about iran's nuclear ambitions as satellite images show trucks and earth-moving vehicle at the site of an iranian military facility. nuclear experts say the images reveal an attempt to clean up radioactive traces left by a possible nuclear weapon trigger as the vehicles appear to be hauling contaminated soil. the u.s. and european union have stood by the diplomacy-first approach. israel said it won't rule out a preemptive strike. whitney houston left her entire estate to her daughter. the last will and testament was drafted in 1993. the will leaves nothing to her ex-husband. now to wall street. mary thompson is at the new york stock exchange this morning. good morning, mary. >> good morning.

investors will be watching greece which faces a key deadline this afternoon. the country hoping enough private bond holders agree to a debt swap to avoid default in the country. it would pave the way for a second round of needed emergency funding for greece. looking to expand the dominance in the rapidly growing tablet market apple introduced the ipad yesterday. the tablet the faster than its predecessor and features a high def screen. natalie? >> we'll talk more about the new ipad coming up. mary thompson, thanks. humans lend a helping hand to some 30 dolphins who were washed up on a brazilian beach this week. don't call the folk there is beach bums. the locals dropped everything to guide the dolphins back out to sea. now back to matt, ann and al. very sweet. >> that's something you don't see every day. >> it was the solar flare. >> something wild. >> by the way, i'm going to the sun to report tomorrow, but i'm

going at night so it's okay. >> you waited five years to tell that joke. >> it was worth it! >> mr. roker has a check of the weather. >> let's see. we have a big system. it stretches from the northeast all the way into texas. it's a strong lowlow-level jet stream and ample moisture. cold upper-level low that will enanswer this. and so it is bringing rain now from lubbock all the way up toal mean a michigan with snow around kansas city where they closed the airport just to kind of get the things cleared up. we are looking at a risk of strong storms from austin up to memphis. jackson, little rock, and we are also looking at a lot of rain. anywhere from 2 to 3 inches of rain over the next 24 hours. but unfortunately that rain is going to just sit over eastern texas on into arkansas. over the next 72 hours where some areas could pick up 7 inches of rain and cause massive flooding. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. off to a mild start on this thursday morning. we have clouds coming over the region.

tom kierein in storm center 4 right now we are into the low to mid 50s. much of the area reagan national, 55. later today, up around 70 degrees. lot of clouds around and blustery wind coming in from the southwest. gusting to 30 miles an hour. then some off and on light rain showers tonight after the sunset and predawn friday. then sun back friday afternoon. that's your latest weather. matt? >> al, thank you very much. mitt romney may be on the path to the gop presidential nomination but he'll face a tough challenge in two upcoming primaries in the deep south. this as rick santorum and newt gingrich fight to be what they say is the only true conservative left in the race. peter alexander is in boston this morning. peter, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. it's proven to be a beautiful, windy day in boston. mitt romney, after a quiet day in his home in boston, heads to the south to rejoin his republican rivals newt gingrich and rick santorum. it's a place where they are hoping to find strong support

and where romney hopes to silence his critics. as the republican campaign returns to the deep south for next week's alabama and mississippi primaries, mitt romney's challengers are hoping for a little southern comfort. >> when we win this primary and the primary in mississippi, both next week, we will have once again -- i think for the ninth time -- reset this primary race. >> if we win mississippi, this will be a two-perpendicul oetwo. and if this is a two-person race we will nominate a conservative as president of the united states. >> reporter: both newt gingrich and rick santorum believe bible belt voters will be a receptive audience. ♪ ♪ game on ♪ victory is in sight ♪ we've got a man who understands that god gave a bill of rights ♪ >> reporter: but connecting with christian evangelicals and conservatives has been a harder sell for romney.

>> this campaign is not just about a name on a ballot. it's about saving the soul of america. >> reporter: in alabama in 2008 nearly 40% of republican primary voters identify themselves as very conservative and more than three-quarters as evangelical. there are fewer evangelicals in south carolina and gingrich crushed romney in that state's primary two months ago. >> thank you. god bless you. >> reporter: with santorum's strong showing, some think gingrich should drop out of the race. >> if he wants to get out, i'm all for it. i'm all for mitt romney getting out. i wish president obama would just hand me the thing, but that's not going to happen. >> we are staying in this race. i believe that it's going to be impossible for a moderate to win the general election. >> reporter: the romney campaign argues romney has the only clear path to the nomination. santorum would need to win nearly two-thirds of the

delegates going forward. one aide said it would take an act of god for anyone else to become the nominee. >> if the governor thinks he's now ordained by god to win let's have it out. >> how do we understand this president and his time in office? >> reporter: next week the obama campaign will release a 17-minute documentary about the president's first term in office. "today" was given a first look. >> the entire national security apparatus was in the room. now we had to make a decision. go or not go. >> as we walked out of the room, it dawned on me. he's alone. this is his decision. nobody is standing there with him. >> reporter: that clip is, of course, referencing the president's decision to order the killing of osama bin laden last spring. you may recognize a familiar voice.

the narrator is tom hanks. >> it did sound familiar, peter. thank you very much. another familiar person, the host of "morning joe." great to have you here. >> great to be here. >> if you were head of the republican party -- >> i'd quit. >> would you be asking any of these candidates to get out? >> i'm dead serious. i would be asking others to get into the race. i would be still asking jeb bush, chris christie, paul ryan or somebody else. the romney people did something fascinating yesterday. they said basically it would take an act of god for us not to win. but then got to the math where they said they have to take 50% of the delegates from here to tampa to go over the top. with four people in the race and with chances good romney will lose alabama, mississippi, kansas, louisiana. i wouldn't be going around showing the math. >> nevertheless you talk about people coming in, the people you

would be trying to seek. how much longer can this party go without a nominee and still beat barack obama? >> we may be able to go all the way into tampa. i speak as a republican that, again, talks to a lot of republicans who don't believe this party is in a position to beat barack obama now. three months ago, things were different. you look at the latest nbc news/wall street journal poll, the divide between men and women. the gender gap is now over 20%. that's a landslide waiting to happen. only 14% of hispanics say they would vote for these republican candidates. george w. bush in 2004 barely won by getting 44% of the hispanic vote. this is a party that's on its way to a historic defeat in the fall unless they drag in other candidates. >> sounds like you're throwing in the towel. >> no. i would say let's go to barbados for six months. if i were the head of the republican national committee, i would be on the phone with jeb

bush and chris christie every day and say, i know you're uncomfortable. i know you don't want to do this right now. i know the timing is not right. you have a responsibility to your party and your nation to get engaged. >> what you're saying sounds familiar to something george will wrote over the weekend for the washington post. he said republicans need to realize they are not going to win the white house and they should concentrate on the house and senate. he says, quote, neither romney nor santorum has an aptitude for energizing a national coalition that translates into the electoral vote if nominated. are you part of a number of republicans saying, look, change the list here. this is not going to win. >> that's how i feel. i think george will's argument and other conservatives are saying, we're going to lose the white house. focus on the house and senate. i'm not there yet. a lot of people are concerned not only with how barack obama

has been spending money but how george w. bush and republicans spent money years before that. we are now at $16 trillion. if barack obama has another term we'll be over $20 trillion. we're not that far from having the dollar get beaten around like greece, spain, italy and other parts of europe having their currency beaten up. these are dangerous times. i don't think the republican party wants to throw in the towel yet. >> great to have you here, joe. >> great to be here. >> thanks for joining us. you can watch "morning joe" weekdays at 6:00 a.m. eastern on ms nbc. now here's matt. >> if you have been on twitter or facebook recently you have probably seen kony 2012 uniting people across the world. but what is it and who's behind it? nbc's craig melvin is in los

angeles with details on this. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. at last check, more than 26.5 million people have watched the kony 2012 video on youtube. it's not the run of the mill viral video. the man behind it hopes to launch a new generation of global social activists. >> reporter: the 29-minute video starts with a little boy in uganda talking about his brother being killed. [ crying ] before turning a world away to an amateur film maker and his curious 4-year-old son talking about good guys and bad. >> he forces them to do bad things. what do you think about that? >> sad. >> reporter: in this case, the bad guy is one of the world's most wanted war criminals, joseph kony. since the late '80s he's read

the lords resistance army in uganda. he's allegedly kidnapped tens of thousands of children, boys to fight, girls to rape. kony has been indicted for murder, enslavement and crimes against humanity. >> he forces them to kill their parents. >> reporter: many celebrities are weighing in on facebook and twitter. ryan seacrest tweeted, watched in bed, was blown away. sean combs wrote, we will stop you. kim kardashian and oprah winfrey encouraged fans to watch the video. >> that's the intention of the movie. yes, for it to go viral, but we'll take it to the streets and start inspiring other people to make sure kony is captured. >> reporter: the video is inspiring young people to act. >> we have done car washes, several bake sales, dances. >> reporter: in los angeles

caroline organized students at her high school. >> i don't know what it is. there's something about their tears and their voices that i just couldn't stand. >> i think that it really shows how our generation kind of has a different perspective on the idea of a global community. >> reporter: the students have already raised $4,000 for invisible children, the charity behind the stop kony campaign. >> they are taking action and that was the intention. they're waking up to potential. that's what it's about. >> reporter: at one point last night a million people were watching the video per hour on youtube, matt. the group behind invisible children is planning a major online grassroots event april 20th. >> craig, thank you very much. >> amazing how fast this thing caught on fire. yesterday i was watching the video and at 9:30 it had 1.5 million views. by 11:00 it was almost 5 million

views. and now it's up to 20 million. >> 26, i think the latest is. >> taking off like wildfire. a lot of young people behind it. >> we'll have more tomorrow. >> we'll have an interview with jason russell who is behind the campaign. we have a lot of questions. now to a consumer alert that impacts millions of smartphone users. if your phone is stolen do you have a password to protect your personal information? a new undercover investigation reveals you may be at greater risk than you think. tom costello joins us again with exclusive details. hey, tom. good morning. >> reporter: semantek dropped phones in busy centers to track what was accessed on the phone. if you don't have a password on your phone, you will surely do so after this. what kind of personal information do you keep on your smartphone? photos, contacts, e-mails?

how about banking information or work files? what do you think would happen if you lost the phone? >> everything is in here. my life. >> i am the type to lose my phone. i'd like to have trust in people. >> i think most people are honest. >> reporter: symantec decided to find out how honest people are. they set a trap, dropping 50 smartphones in high traffic areas in five cities. new york city, washington, d.c., los angeles, san francisco and ottawa, ontario, canada. each phone loaded with fake corporate and personal information. a tempting bank account icon and files called salary information and private. each had contact information for the person who allegedly dropped the phone. >> within an hour of them being dropped someone was either moving them or accessing them. >> reporter: symantec had secret

tracking software so technicians could watch everything in real time from a command center. in only half the cases did the finder offer to return the phone. the really bad news -- >> overall, 84% of the people have access to either personal or corporate information on the phone. even those who offered to return to phone. >> reporter: 43% tried to access online banking. 53% clicked on salaries. 57% clicked on saved passwords. 60% checked out e-mail and social networking while 72% clicked on private photos. one phone dropped in new york was picked up and accessed within 37 minutes. whoever picked it up never offered to return it but spent a lot of time trying to access the bank account information, pass words and salary information. 10:39 at night he accesses the phone. >> 4:00 a.m. he's looking at hr

salaries, 6:30 we see corporate e-mail, online pancreatic cancering and passwords. >> reporter: the files were all fake. but studies suggest half of all smartphone users don't password protect phones. that's not smart, say security experts. >> smartphones have access to your life. in many cases they can access your home or work computer. it's important to keep in mind how much people can see if they steal it. it's the keys to your whole life. >> curiosity is powerful, especially on a phone. >> reporter: one woman who e-mailed after having one of the lost phones for over a week said she felt guilty and wanted to return it. she, too, had accessed the personal information on the smartphone. the moral of the story, you may not get the phone back because it's easy to remove a sim card and use the phone, but pass words are e key to protect your data. >> in which cities were most phones returned and in which cities were they not.

>> reporter: i hate to tell you this. new york city, 30% of the phones were returned. ottawa, ontario, canada, 70%. >> i'm putting in a password now. thank you. just ahead, the suburban soccer mom with four kids now behind bars for allegedly living a secret double life as a high end madam. first, this is "today" on nbc. [ male announcer ] this was how my day began.

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♪ ...all at my fingertips. ♪ there's a wireless mind inside all of us. ♪ so, where to next? ♪ coming up, a dad facing criminal charges for allegedly using a laser pointer to distract the goalie on his daughter's rival hockey team. we'll hear from him and the goalie coming up. >> and the queen kicks off her diamond jubilee with help from the duchess of cambridge after your local news. ♪ sunlight says get up and go ♪ mountain-grown aroma coming through ♪ ♪ a new challenge waits for you ♪ ♪ ♪ jumpin' into something new

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it is 7:26 on this thursday, march 8. it is shaping up to be a beautiful day in the d.c. area. here's tom kierein with what you can expect. >> good morning. yeah, we are off to a mild start for this i'm of year, this time of the day. it is in the mid 50s throughout much of the region. and later today, climbing into the 60s and maybe even low 70s in many locations. we will have quite a bit of cloud writeness, blustery wind, too. light rain tonight ending predawn friday. then sun back tomorrow with a high around 60. a cooler weekend. saturday morning near 30. saturday near 50. daylight savings time, spring ahead one hour saturday night. maybe rain first part of next

week. >> thank you, tom. a look at your morning commute a look at your morning commute right after i trained in medical school. at the time, there was very little business training. ♪ so hurry up, let's go, don't want to miss... ♪ i had my own practice, so i went looking for the knowledge to be successful running my own business. the courses were challenging. we had excellent instructors, and it was fun at the same time. i'm dr. william reha. i earned my mba from strayer university.

traveling the inner loop of the beltway, a crash blocking

the right center lane further ahead inner loop at gallows, just past route 7, right lane blocked by a disabled vehicle and you are jammed tall way to the dulles toll road. >> another update for new 25 minutes.

7:30 now on a thursday morning, march 8, 2012. picture perfect start to the day here in new york city. people outside right now, it's already 52 degrees on our plaza. if you stick around until 2:00 this afternoon, going up near 70 in new york today. >> is that the rolling spring break we're starting to see? >> it could be. we'll start to see that in the next couple of days. we'll get al's forecast in a little while. inside studio 1a i'm matt lauer along with ann curry. ahead, a high school hockey game making headlines for the wrong

reasons. a father faces charges after being tossed out of the arena for allegedly aiming a laser pointer at the eyes of the opposing team's goalie. not the best thing to do. we'll have details on that straight ahead. also, it's a big day for the queen and the duchess of cambrid cambridge. they are kicking off the celebrations of the queen's diamond jubilee at 60 years on the throne. we'll go live to buckingham palace with the latest on the story. flowers are involved. >> and tomorrow on "today," whitney houston's hairdresser speaks out for the first time since the singer's death. she was in the hotel room as efforts were made to try to resuscitate whitney houston. we'll talk to her tomorrow on "today." >> we begin with the new jersey mother of four accused of running a prostitution ring. stephanie gosk is in manhattan's upper east side with details on this. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. this less than glamorous apartment building may not look

like a high end brothel catering to wealthy and powerful men but that's what the new york district attorney says it was. at the center of the alleged prostitution ring, an unlikely madam -- a mother of four animal activist from the suburbs. new york's district attorney says anna gristina made millions of dollars over 15 years. a well known madam who sold sex to a large circle of rich, influential friends. prosecutors told the court this british citizen would run if they let her out on bail. relying on hidden money and connections in the police department. the judge set bail at a steep $2 million. but her lawyer said she didn't do it. >> what she's admitted to is being a decent, kind, loving mother of four children who she's been ripped away from. >> reporter: the 44-year-old has been married twice and has four

children. she lives in a modest home an hour outside of new york city. on wednesday her husband took their 9-year-old son to school. despite posting the occasional racy photo online, friends say she lives an average suburban life. a caring mom who spends her free time rescuing dogs and raising pot-bellied pigs. >> she's a soccer mom. it was shocking to the people in the neighborhood what happened. she's a nice person. >> reporter: hardly the image of a tawdry madam, the target of avenue five-year investigation and hundreds of hours of police surveillance. the assistant district attorney told the court the evidence against her includes witness testimony from a prostitute who said she was present for a sexual encounter in which minors were involved. the lawyers point out she was not charged with a crime involving minors. >> i would not be standing here if i thought there was any children involved in this case. >> reporter: she was arrested at

the offices of morganstanley, looking for a loan for a new online business. >> she's getting investors to do a website that was going to be different than any of the other dating websites. >> reporter: prosecutors suspect the website would have matched male clients with female prostitutes. a new venture not from an average soccer mom, they say, but from a woman who had spent years mastering the business of the world's oldest profession. she's still in jail and faces up to seven years in prison if she's convicted on the single charge of promotion of prostitution. her list of clients has yet to be made public. it could be made public over the course of the trial. if what prosecutors say is true her little black book, ann, could be very damaging. >> stephanie gosk in manhattan this morning, thank you. now a check of the weather from al. >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by robitussin.

relief made simple. >> good morning. we have two beautiful young ladies here. what's your name? >> jade from buffalo, new york! >> and -- >> i'm from buffalo, new york! [ cheers ] >> whose birthday? >> both of their birthdays. >> happy birthday, ladies. let's check your weather. a little windy in the northeast. you can see, though, look at how warm it is going to be. 60s in the northeast. 80s down through texas. 70s and 60s out west. 20s and 30s. that's cold air banked up over the great lakes. today temperatures 70, new york city, d.c., 73. 64 in albany. warm air, cold front. let's move that front through important tomorrow. bam! those temperatures drop. so that we see -- northerly wind, only 49 in new york city. tomorrow. and 45 in boston. 38 in cleveland. and 56 degrees in washington d.c. national kidney day, world kidney day.

>> leading cause of death in the united states. get your kidneys checked. >> thinks for bringing that up. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. tom kierein, storm center 4. lit feel like a day in may today. look at the high temperatures expected this afternoon. should make to it the close 70s. all of virginia, all of maryland, except near the bay. in western maryland. highlands of west virginia, 60s. farther east, panhandle should make it up to 70. later tonight, maybe some light rain as that front moves on through. bringing chillier weather in and lit drop from 60 midday friday to near 30 saturday morning. and did you know you can get your weather day or night on the weather channel on cable or weather.com online? matt? >> i knew it, al. thank you very much. now to outrage over a father's actions during his daughter's high school hockey game. he's accused of shining a handheld laser light in the eyes of the opposing goalie. nbc's michelle franzen is in massachusetts with details on

this. michelle, what happened? good morning. >> good morning, matt. it was supposed to be the game of the season for two high school hockey teams at larson rink last week, but the game was disrupted by a father who allegedly disrupted the game by shining a laser pointer in the eyes of the team's opposing goalie. the girl's hockey team at winthrop high outside boston advanced to the playoffs this week, but goalie catherine haimer of the rival high school said it wasn't right. >> do i think it's fair? no, of course not. >> reporter: they lost, in part, because a father was shining a laser pointer in her eyes from the stands. the father was kicked out by winthrop school officials but the game resumed and haimer's team lost. >> it was unfair. we lost focus and intensity after that. >> reporter: the accused father,

joseph cordis spoke out to a cbs affiliate after he was charged with disturbing the peace, a misdemeanor saying he didn't mean to hurt anyone. >> dumb moment. complete dumb moment. i feel horrible this happened. i wish i could take it back. >> reporter: but after investigating the case, police say he will face additional charges including assault and battery. one former prosecutor said it shows police they are taking the case seriously. >> she could have been harmed. he should be made an example of. he should be held liable for actions even though they were stupid and embarrassing. >> reporter: the team wanted the game replayed but winthrop school officials say the players are not to blame. >> i feel it was very hard to say to them that this was their fault when they didn't do any

wrongdoing. >> reporter: haimer's dad said it sends the wrong message. >> effectively they are saying despite what happened, regardless of what transpired during the game, it stands. >> reporter: a loss that still stings. >> it would have been nice just to play a regular game. just play hockey. but i guess that wasn't the case this time. >> reporter: we reached out to the father charged in the case. he had no comment. meanwhile he faces charges and will have to appear in court for a hearing that will decide whether prosecutors have enough evidence to move forward with the case. matt? >> all right. michelle franzen, thank you very much. up next, this morning's kickoff of the queen's diamond jubilee with help from kate middleton right after this. i'm home. [ keys clatter ]

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back now at 7:42 with the kickoff of the queen's diamond jubilee. she's launching a tour of great britain with her husband, prince philip and the duchess of cambridge by her side. michelle kosinski is at buckingham palace with details. good morning. >> reporter: hi, ann. this year belongs to the queen. she's reigned for 60 years but with newly minted royal kate in the family you can bet the spotlight in many ways will be shared. they seem to have joined forces lately and that's a good thing for this modern royal family. this is it. the queen's jubilee officially

kicks off with cheers. a trip outside london and there's kate. the queen is the focus, but the newest royal has certainly brought a year of sparkle. and what better visit for her than with eager fashion students. six chosen for the ultimate task, design a pair of shoes for the princess. like a modern cinderella, kate will see which one best fits her taste. fancy ones, clogs or maybe blue suede with lace. could be a royal theme lately with prince harry creating a fashion buzz in the tropics with his suede shoes. ♪ blue suede shoes >> reporter: catherine has set the bar for elegance and inexpensive style whether she brings back the nude pumps, pantyhose or the many dresses that have been sold out virtually instantly. this one, people tried to buy out but it turns out she bought

it at a secondhand store. >> people forget that she's in a hard position. they think, oh, she is's a princess. she must have access to unlimited funds to go shopping. the reality is quite different. she can't accept a gift over 150 pounds. she can't borrow clothes from designers. there are different royal protocols in place to stop her from borrowing or going out and buying things. so she has dressed carefully. >> reporter: understated from head to toe. speaking of which, she may now be poised to step out of her safety zone by commissioning a british hat designer who styled for none other than lady gaga. not all of his creations look like this. kate will surely guide him to the perfect hat for this jubilee. it is the queen's party though kate get it s the free footwear

this time. because everything kate touches turns magically popular a kennel club is worried they have seen such a big jump in people wanting to have a puppy like kate's, a cocker spaniel which require as lot of exercise. ann? >> which will be hard to give him wearing those shoes. michelle kosinski, thank you so much. up next, is the new ipad worth your money? that's coming up right after this. i have what science calls the "nightly stuffy nose thing": i can't breathe... so i can't sleep... and the next day i pay for it.

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and budgets better spent. here's to turning rookies - into experts, and shoppers into savers. here's to picking up. trading up. mixing it up. to well-earned muddy boots. and a lot more - spring per dollar. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. show the yard who's boss, with this cordless black and decker trimmer, just $84.97. ♪ i've got a little secret, too ♪ ♪ i've got a mad little crush on you ♪ [ female announcer ] it's always better when there's a little more to love. introducing our silky smooth dove chocolate bar. you may have heard that

apple unveiled the newest ipad wednesday loaded with new features. should you try to get one or try to get a deal on an older model? mario armstrong is a digital lifestyle expert and "today" contributor. >> good morning, everybody. >> i like the name of the new one. the ipad. >> it's so cool. i didn't know if it would be ipad 3 with 4g, ld, hd. >> they kept it simple. why will this get me to upgrade my current ipad? >> first, it's a retina display. it's a beautiful display everybody's been talking about. quadruple the resolution of the current ipad. think about that. it will make things look phenomenal. games look well. apps are beautiful. on this one you can finally create more than just consuming. >> for example, with your camera, you can do things and manipulate photos better than on the other one. >> right. >> you're creating the content,

not just looking at it. >> iphoto is here, imovie has editing features. you can shoot in 1080-p. this is advanced. >> is it hd then? >> yes. people need to know it is high definition. that's what they understand. >> why go out and get one of the older ones? >> great point. the price has dropped. the ipad 2 which is very popular and highly successful and i still recommend is now $399. one thing i'm noticing on the retailer websites is they are still charging $400 for it. wait or just buy it from apple direct and save a hundred bucks. >> there is dictation so you can dictate notes but no siri? >> s iri is on it and in japanee so konichiwa. >> so for the base model, do you

have to crank it up to start? do you have to spend $799 no matter what? >> that's the base model. you can get a hot spot and save money on the data plan if you want a bigger hard drive then, yeah, do that. >> you're coming back later to talk more about it. we're back after your local news. [ shivering ]

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. good morning. 7:56 on this thursday morning. i'm aaron gilchrist. gorgeous weather coming our way. storm 4 meteorologist tom kierein. >> it will feel more like early may than early march this afternoon. look at the high temperature expected around the region. by mid afternoon, we should be into the low 70s throughout much of the area. even with a lot of clouds around. blustery southwest wind and maybe some light rain tonight ending around dawn provide. drop to 60 later in the morning. down to the 30s by dawn saturday. saturday sunny and chilly. and we spring ahead one hour saturday night. saturday night. near 60 on su

saturday night. nthe middle class is shrinking. in this day and age you can only accomplish so much without a degree, and traditional institutions are simply not set up to accommodate people who have jobs and families. university of phoenix works for those people who have real lives and real demands. the degrees that we offer are things where people can fulfill their goals with even brighter hopes for the future. my name is katy white, i'm committed to making a difference in people's lives and i am a phoenix.

traveling southbound 295 at pennsylvania avenue, had a crash there. it is now moved to the shoulder lane. still seeing delays. you are at 11 miles per hour. jammed at eastern avenue. as you continue southbound. now on i-66 eastbound chain bridge, you are slow, travel speed from pair fax county parkway, very slow. 22 miles per hour. >> thank you, danella. another update for new 25 minutes or

8:00 now on this thursday morning. it's the 8th day of march, 2012. however, it feels a lot more like the middle of april here in rockefeller plaza. our crowd is loving it. 56 degrees. we're hoping for a carbon copy of this day on monday when the hit group one direction will be taking over our plaza for a live concert. boy, matt, that will be incredible. we have been getting people asking for a spot on the plaza already. >> getting hit on by everyone with a teenage child. >> it's a big deal. they have come from across the pond and our young people know

about them. >> the young people. >> i just heard about them. there you go. i'm ann curry along with matt lauer and al roker. >> when we give erroneous information on this program we move quickly to change it. we were talking to mario armstrong about the ipad and talking about does it or does it not have siri. mr. roker said it does not. it does not. it has dictation. >> different languages. >> mario is now tweeting that he made a mistake. >> that's right. clearing it up. >> we'll have a new gadget guy in the 8:30 half hour. >> hey! >> kidding. no, no, no. >> i threw a brother under the bus. >> i have been doing this for two years straight with a great record. one slip. >> one little slip. >> never happen again. >> back off. >> we were joking. >> security! also ahead, spring is 12 days

away but we have a whip today to tell you how to get ready for everything including your garden, house and wardrobe. >> then a decision that lasts a lifetime. naming your child. we all know celebrities have been thinking outside the box for a long time when it comes to naming their children. the trend is catching on with a lot of folks. what if you regret the name you picked or your kids end up regretting it? we'll tell you about it. >> i thought about it when i named our kids. i was scared. took us forever to pick a name as it is now for me to stop talking. >> i like pumpkin and chicken. >> meanwhile to natalie who has a beautiful name and a check of the news. >> thank you. good morning. newt gingrich is showing no signs of leaving the republican presidential race to let conservatives unite behind rick santorum. both candidates are showing strongly in the mississippi primary. the romney campaign claimed this

week's super tuesday voting where romney won six states was the last chance for rivals to surpass him in the delegates race. defense secretary leon panetta said it doesn't make sense to take unilateral military action at this time against syria. he said wednesday he's got to make sure what the mission is and what the price will be. a new youtube video claims to show syria's deputy oil minister defecting to join the opposition. new details emerging about life in osama bin laden's compound in pakistan during the months leading up to the u.s. raid that killed him last year. a retired pakistani army officer with extensive access to the country's interrogation records claims bin laden's wives divided the house with suspicions against each other and jealousy. apparently the trouble started when bin laden's oldest wife moved in after a long absence leaving the other wives to

believe she would betray their hideout to authorities. the three widows have been charged by pakistan with living in the country illegally. coca-cola is changing the ingredients that provide the drink's caramel color in response to health concerns which the company says were unwarra unwarranted. they listed one of the ingredients as a known carcinogen which would have required a warning label on each can. now a quick round-up of what has you talking online. an eye-opening documentary has become an instant global internet phenomenon. kony 2012 about the warlord who exploits kidnapped children has more than 26 million hits since it was posted this week and an estimated 1 million people are watching per hour. the goal is to raise awareness and bring kony to justice. the power of good underwear apparently helped two entrepreneurs join the forbes

list of billionaires. she's now worth over a billion dollars. and another newcomer is underarmor's kevin plank whose line now includes sports bras and athletic shoes. and a nude jessica simpson strike as demi moore-like pose on elle magazine and confirms she's expecting a girl. congratulations to them. it's 8:0 #5. now back to ann, matt and al. >> that's a sweet photograph. i never did that. that would be nice. >> you could photo shop it. >> anything's possible. >> we were thinking the same thing. let's go to mr. roker over there. >> you're a new college grad looking for a gig. >> ohio university. >> what kind of job? >> advertising, marketing or

journalism. >> let's check your weather. we'll show you. denver, colorado, 9 news, a great tv station. sunny a sunny, cold, 44 degrees. and as we show you today, this -- this winter, winter 2012, fourth warmest and you look the last 20 years we have had five of the top warmest winters ever. so it has been toast write. it is going to continue warm here in the east. we have a risk of strong storms from texas all the way into the mid mississippi river valley. could be flooding. this vein going to stick around in that region. really important the next 72 hours. unfortunately our friends who got hit with the tornadoes last week are going to see more rain. western two-thirds of the country looking sunny. we have snow showers in northern new mexico. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> just past 8:00 now. temperatures in the mid and upper 50s on this thursday morning. little sun showing through the overcast. later today, lot of clouds

around. but a mild afternoon, climb into the low 70s throughout most of the region. and we will have a wind out of the southwest gusting to 30 miles an hour. then rain is likely overnight tonight. ending around dawn provide and some sun back tomorrow. it will be a bit blustery and turning chillier back down into the 50s during the afternoon. chilly weekend to follow with and who's this who is almost 1? >> this is kirk. >> very nice. he's being bounced a lot. hope he didn't just have a bottle. >> he's a cutie. we have a birthday girl celebrating her 30th. meantime, coming up now we have a special whip. we get you ready for spring. that's coming up after these messages. [ male announcer ] this is the story of one of nature's most perfect foods... quaker oats. in every way, a super grain. ♪ super for the fiber that helps fill us up. super for the energy it gives to get us going. super for the oats that are so good for our hearts. ♪

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orencia is available in two forms, infusion and also self-injection. talk to your doctor to see if orencia is right for you. and see if you can change "i want" to "oh, yes i can!" this morning on today's whip, spring fling. the sun is shining and much of the country is enjoying above average temperatures. we're headed into the high 60s in new york city today. >> we have lined up our experts to get you ready for the warmer weather starting with your garden and george oliphant of "george to the rescue." >> nice to see you. >> warm weather. things will be blooming. you can get out and do some work. >> it will be in the 60s in this area. it's unseasonably warm. get out, get your green thumb on and start getting your yard ready. >> you like pruning at this time of year. >> pruning, shaping, getting rid

of the dead branches. it's the time to do it. cut back and let your plants bloom and grow. now is the time to do it. >> is it too early to spread fertilizer? >> no. there is fertilizer for every season. winter, fall. this is spring fertilizer. when you go to the garden store you want a spring fertilizer. get out and get the nutrients into your plants. >> if you put mulch out in the fall you can clear it out. do you put another layer of mulch for spring? >> you can clear out or because mulch decomposes you can cover it with new mulch. it keep it is water in, weeds suppressed and it's a decorative element. we have a red, brown, dark black. it finishes your beds. >> we have had a mild winter and it's starting to get warmer should we put grass seed down? we could still have a frost. >> that's not good for grass seed but you can spread it. grass seed isn't expensive. you can spread it like this and

just walk around, whoa, watch yourself. just walk around and spread seed. this is a deep shade. so you want that by the house or under the trees. then full sunlight seed. >> you don't want to put flowering plants in now. >> no. if you get a frost the flowers will die. my favorite thing, this is the perfect plant. english ivy. it's an evergreen for visual interest all year long. it climbs up the house, up lattice. >> bulbs? >> perfect time to plant them. you should plant in the fall but you can plant in the spring, too, for a later bloom. make sure the bulb is down and the plant is growing up. this one isn't hard. sometimes people grab a tulip, put it in the wrong way and you don't get flowers. make sure the tip is up. boom. you have yourself flowers. >> george, thank you very much. let's go to ann. >> thank you. who's up for freshening up the

house this spring? elizabeth mayhue is author of "the flip side for decorating." why start to think about spring cleaning now? >> you want to freshen the house. open the windows and let the fresh air in. nothing better than to start with the windows. the singer way to transform the house is to clean them. everything sparkles and lets the light in. start by vacuuming the sill. take a handheld or any vacuum and vacuum the dust around the rim, the screens, the whole thing. then i take a page out of the car wash. squeegee with a sponge on one side, scraper on the other. one squirt of dishwasher detergent in warm water. start at one corner and come down just like you would do the windshield. scrape it down and the dirt and everything. then wipe it with a towel in

between each swipe. then dry off the rest with a chamois cloth. do the molding. >> you have a small one. >> also for some people with smaller panes. see you he laxing it is. >> meditative. i want to do it every day. not. flipping the mattress. this is a good time. >> you have daylight saving coming. it's a good time to remember it's time to do these things, so flip the mattress. you can also deodorize it. sprinkle baking soda over the top, let it sit for 15 minutes or so. then come and with a vacuum with the upholstery attachment, vacuum it. >> when you get it on, there you go. >> and you're done. >> this is something we should do every week, but cleaning out the refrigerator. >> take it out, get a cooler, put your things in. if anything is expired, get rid of it.

tab a little bake soda, the wonder tool, with water. one tablespoon in a court. wipe down the inside. now also remember to change your batteries. check your detectors. >> elizabeth, thank you. now here's natalie. >> ann, thank you. the warmer weather has a lot of fashionistas thinking about spring. we have the founder of cheap chi krs krshs as.com. me the i don't know. >> hard to wear on the body but ease with accessories. these are forever 21 and these are ann today rompaylor. just one with a class sib button down to update your look. >> regular blue denim is on the way out. all about color and print. >> these are only $19 from joe fresh. under $20. these are from americaning

eagle, $44.50. if you have color jeans but want to update for spring it's all about the crazy prints. >> speaking of prints, we have wedges here and apparently flip-flops are out and wedges are in. >> exactly. all about fas and comfort. i love the wedges in floral. >> beautiful. >> these are from l eshs yshs lshs a rose for pay less. color block from kohl's. >> time for the mani and pedi. >> colors for spring. you want to do a mint. this is from effi. i love it. nude is also popular. mannequin nails. that's the term. and orange is the color of the season. this is boozy brunch from l'oréal. >> great color like a coral. and you can stock up at h & m on

marnie. >> it launches today for h & m. they have everything you see out here for under $100. this scarf is $9.95. >> these shoes are great and the little jackets and tops over here. >> the collection is true to the real designer brand. >> very exciting. it will be crowded at h & m. thanks so much. now over to you, al. >> lastly, don't forget travel. kate maxwell is the editor in chief of jet setter.com. >> good to see you. >> austin, texas, a good place to go. >> and it's blue bonnet season there. that's the state flower. head west. carpets of the flowers. stay in the resort and spa for $162 a night. >> another type of bonnet or hat in the spring, always wearing

hats at the kentucky derby. >> 4th and 5th of may. tickets start in the hundreds into the thousands. but general admission is $40. so that's a real bargain. we found some rooms remaining at the holiday inn express for $200. it can be very expensive. >> baseball fans looking for spring training in florida. >> a great time to see your favorite major league baseball stars. head to the jetblue stadium, new this year. tickets start at $5 which is amazing. we found four-star hotel rooms in ft. myers starting at $145. >> and shoulder season in ireland. >> it's a good bargain for travellers because of the european debt crisis t. hampton has a gorgeous properties.

>> and there is good skiing in the spring. >> there is. march and april are fantastic times to ski out west. loads of snow now. i was in jackson hole last weekend. amazing conditions. the terra hotel starts at $204 a night with a fantastic restaurant. don't miss the mushroom crepes for breakfast. >> good to see you. up next, what do you do if you regret your child's name? after these messages. ♪ ♪ ♪ wow... ♪ [ female announcer ] sometimes, all you need is the smooth, creamy taste of werther's original caramel to remind you that you're someone very special. ♪ werther's original caramels.

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it is the first big decision that parents have to make -- what to name your baby. but what happens when you want a do-over? >> before you give that overly creative or unusual name to the little bundle of joy, take a deep breath, set aside the long list of options and consider this -- >> reporter: breast milk or formula, cloth or disposable?

parenthood is a multiple choice ultra marathon. but the new cvery parent must take is choosing the name. samuel, sofia, noah, con stance, keisha or clarence? the options are limitless, the resources endless. even iphone apps promise the perfect pick but for some it's not enough. last month an illinois couple let their friends decide what to name their kid. they took a poll on facebook. whatever happened to naming your baby after a favorite aunt or uncle? >> choosing a name has become a bigger and bigger decision as time goes on. a name is kind of a brand for a person. it can really carry a lot of information. >> reporter: and clout, too. power couple jay-z and beyonce applied to get their baby's name blue ivy trademarked. while celebrities may be trademarking baby names, some

regular parents are wishing they could trade them in. according to a poll on the today moms blogs, 18% of parents admitted to having second thoughts about their baby's name. charlotte hilton anderson, a mother of four from minnesota and blogger for redbook magazine can relate. she recalls a recent trip to the grocery store. >> i'm yelling at my kids to stay with me. micah, rainy, jonas stay here. as soon as i say jonas i hear -- hee-hee -- and she said, you named him after the jonas brothers! my son looked at me and goes, you couldn't have named me bob? >> reporter: there are plenty of reasons to second guess your choice. >> the top reason is because it's become too common. the number two reason is that they are pressured into the name by a spouse or family member. >> i was surprised at how many

of my friends when i asked them, had regrets about what they named their kids. dozens of people e-mailed me and wrote to tell me about the problems they had. >> choosing a name bears a lot of deep discussion. it can be an opportunity for a couple to really learn a lot about each other through the choice of the name and arrive at a name they both feel good about. >> it's a lifelong decision really. >> i think even if you come up with something unusual you think the kid grows into the name. my kids are the people that the names suggest. >> that means the responsibility is heavy if you think they will grow into the name. because, that means you're predestined -- >> they can't be born -- >> be a black kid named albert and be a little heavy. [ laughter ] >> he grew into the name and grew out of it. >> your parents may have some regrets.

>> i did. >> anger issues here. first, your local news. 8:26 is your time now on this thursday, march 8, 2012. good morning to you. i'm eun yang. let's check in with tom kierein for a look at your forecast for today. another nice day, tom. >> temperature right now near 60 degrees. the winds are picking up. we had gusts now to around 25 to nearly 30 miles an hour over the last just half hour or so. temperatures right now are beginning to climb the upper 50s to 60. it will continue to climb with that blustery wind to the low 70s later today. mitt we could get a little light rain and chillier weather moves in tomorrow. and we will be in place important the weekend. >> tom, thank you. we will take a quick break and a check of traffic when we come check of traffic when we come

working in public relations is not for the faint of heart. i love what i do, i enjoy the work, but it's a very hectic pace. strayer university met my needs in terms of my family, my work-life balance. the fact that leading companies are hiring strayer graduates is impressive, but it's not surprising. these companies want us so badly. i'm felicia blow, and i earned my mba from strayer university. good morning. a truck problem on the metro is causing delays and you are going to see delays along the blue line due to single tracking. now on the row ways, on the

beltway, live look right now. new hampshire avenue, jammed, very slow travel speed to outer loop. 27 miles per hour. let's head to the beltway in virginia. inner loop is jammed at robinson terminal. delays continue to the dulles toll road. >> more news,

we're back. 8:30 on a thursday morning. it is the 8th day of march 2012. we have been beating this drum for a while now. it's beautiful here in new york city with warm temperatures and sunny skies. a lot of people in our crowd this morning are in town for the big east basketball tournament at madison square garden. good luck to the teams and

thanks for dropping by. also out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, al roker and natalie morales. what do we have coming up? >> we'll have mario armstrong back -- >> giving him another shot. >> we are. we're going to give him a lot of shots. i'm sorry, mario. >> we love mario. >> he'll save us money this morning. he has gadgets and websites to help our bottom line. >> you always hurt the ones you love. >> we do. >> coming up, we'll be talking about money in your grocery bill with high tech gadgets. and can retirement planning be sexier? there are investment options. what are they and will they work for you? we'll look at options coming up. >> also, are you eating enough seeds? we're not talking grass seeds but everything about the nutritional powerhouse foods that you should be incorporating

into your daily diet. >> including the chia. >> that's right. >> wheat germ, flaxseed. >> have you tried the drinks with chee i cania seeds in them? >> nasty. >> no! they're not! >> the weather has been so fantastic. we decided to unleash today's professionals on our crowd. they are outside, out of the cage and we have star, donny and nancy. getting back to a new study on how you feel about a man with a beard. >> let us move on to say good morning to wilmer valderamma, star of "awake." this is a show about a guy who lives in two separate realities after a car accident. what are the different realities? >> basically in one reality his

son has survived and the n the other reality his wife survived. he's living in two parallel realities, doesn't know which is real, can't tell which is which. he's forced to cope and live and evolve with his reality. and handle the situation. i'm his partner. and every episode we solve a case. the clues are in the other reality and somehow the case intertwines. >> you're in both realities. are you an ally or enemy? >> you know, that's a lot to read from one episode. but there is more than meets the eye to the car accident. and starting tonight you will see the tip of the iceberg. what's really exciting about this i play a character, his detective partner in one reality and another officer in the other reality. you don't know if i'm hired to keep an eye on him and report

what i see or just his partner. >> you're good at giving a tease. >> jason was here and he was going on about you. was there a bromance going on? >> adr is when you go in to learn your lines and do editing. we have been doing a lot of stuff together. there's a joke going around that we have a bromance together. he's arm candy. i love him very much. >> this is your first tv show in six years. it took a while for you to come back to television. why this project? >> you know, i felt trying to recreate the experience i had on "that '70s show" and come up with another sit com or comedy or something would have been -- wouldn't have been right. to be honest i was concerned and nervous about it. when i read the script i thought, if i'm coming back it has to be fresh and provocative

to the mind. this was it. it was different and the team's great. >> i love you in "that '70s show." i still watch it sometimes. >> you can't escape it. >> you can't. >> i still watch you in "han "handy manny". >> i'm still getting over you being arm candy. watch "awake" tonight on nbc at 10:00/9:00 central time. nice to see you. mr. roker? >> let's check it >> let's check it out and show you what's happening as far as your forecast is concerned. tomorrow we have rain in the pacific northwest. and heavy rain down through southern texas on into the gulf coast. and saturday, we expect that rain to continue into the southern texas area. could be heavy flooding and rain, more rain in the pacific northwest. sunshine along the northeast coast. cool weather in northeast. heavy rain continues. east texas, up into the mississippi river valley and more widespread rain into the pacific northwest. this is such a cute face.

who is this? >> hunter. >> hunter. that's a good name, too. we like that. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. tom kierein, storm center 4. sky watcher camera bouncing around and blustery southwesterly wind. we have some sunshine now. and winds are gusting to around 25, 30 miles an hour. temperatures are no the 50s. all around the region now to near 60 degrees. and it will con to climb into the 60s and maybe even the low 70s for a brief time by early to mid afternoon. late afternoon, all cloudy and maybe some rain tonight. winds will diminish. chillier weather moves in on friday. and over the hey. they're with the band. [ cheers ] >> don't forget to get your weather any time day or night on the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. ann? >> all right, al. thank you so much. coming up, the incomparable mario armstrong will be talking about money-saving tips, gadgets. first, this is "today" on nbc. okay, people, let's get started.

pete, did you forget yours? me pete, me use pen! (laughter) sorry i'm late, i was in the 16th century looking for pete's pen. (laughter) guys, guys. take it easy, ok? pete's mom is videochatting me, and she wants her pen back! ok, alright, well. i just got one. so... yeah, you've got a little... yep, i can feel the wet patch. don't look at it. when it's on your mind, it's on ebay.

back this morning with today's tech. saving money and getting organized the digital way. forget cutting coupons, pinching pennies and filing receipts. there's a tech savvy way to reach financial goals. mario armstrong is a "today" contributor. welcome back. good to see you again. wrap up the whole ipad discussion. >> okay. >> lots of innovations on the new ipad. will it keep the device in front of the other tablets? >> absolutely. i have the hp device. that's pretty much dead. the blackberry playbook is on the ropes. samsung, i like them. amazon kindle is one of the best competitors. they are still setting the bar. >> they have to up the ante. let's talk about getting people organized at home the digital way. the first one you want to talk about is neat receipts. what's it about? >> we all have our receipts and

expenses and everything in the bags or shoe boxes or envelopes. we need to digitize whether it's business cards, receipts or documents we can scan it into the computer. it shows up on screen and categorizes the receipt for you. it knows if it is for the restaurant or expense for transportation or parking and digitizes all of that for you and helps you manage your money. >> how much sit? >> it starts at $199 and up at best buy. >> what else? >> how to save money when shopping. this is shop savvy, an app you run on your mobile device. it's free. i want you to see that i have scanned this tom-tom bar code. use the phone's camera to scan it and see on the screen different stores that carry this at a cheaper rate. >> if you're scanning it in one store you have to get in the car and go to the other store. >> or find it online. the point is while shopping at that moment you can find it somewhere else. maybe cheaper. >> you have other things to show us. >> yeah.

>> you will use the telestraiter. >> going madden on you. this is an app to help when grocery shopping. lots of money spent. how do you save? you can great your list and if other people are shopping as well, they can put in different things like kraft foods or search for things you would like to have. and you can put that in. as you buy things in the grocery store and mark it off your list it synchs up to the family, friend lists so you don't duplicate. >> next is billshrink.com. >> it compares credit card rates, wireless bills, cable service. we are look at a couple of different wireless services. i'm looking at at&t, sprint, t-mobile and verizon. i can base off my usage how much text i use, how many voice minutes i use and it has an idea

of the best plan and service for me. >> does it vary state to state? >> it can. if you put in the zip code and everything it depends on other information, other services that may or may not be available. >> the next is about managing your finances in one place and this is mint.com. >> love mint.com. you can put your mortgage information, banking information. everything all in one place and track it. in this screen shot we see categories. this is the food category. i can see how much further i have to go before i exceed or hit my budget. i can put in budget limits and on the fly from my phone know where i am and what i'm spending. if i'm exceeding or below my budget. >> any time you put that kind of information on a site people worry about security. >> yes. >> safe and secure. this app has been around for a long time. it's proved itself. i have my finances on here. i trust it. >> the next one, everybody is looking for lower gas prices because gasoline is high.

this is gas buddy.com. it helps you find low prices. >> you can do it on the web or from your mobile app. the next screen shot shows us different prices for gas in your area. what you do is while you're in the area you may be visiting somewhere and not know what's a good price differential you can get. use the app in the car. boom. >> if you submit low gas prices you can get free gas. >> you can win points and get free gas. >> if you want to carpool to work there is a website called erideshare.com. >> you go to the website and you find other people. create daily car pools, do long distance travel or work with your school and events and clubs. the idea is to find other people going to the same location. and you carpool. >> and the final way to make money, you can lend your car to total strangers and they will pay you. >> this is all about renting your car to individuals.

it's called relayrides.com. it's a service that's been available for some time. they announced that it's now nationwide. just on monday they announced that. people say they make up to $3,000 a year renting their car. >> what about insurance? >> you're covered with a $1 million policy they have. only in three states do they have full coverage that you could not be potentially sued. so that's washington, oregon and the third is california. >> mario, thank you. to recap, the new ipad, siri on that or no? >> siri, not, but konichiwa is. >> a sexy new way to fund your requirement. first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on "today"

money, new ways to think about your ira. mitt romney has gotten attention for holding as much as $1 is00 million in his individual retirement account as well as alternative investments. we have financial editor jean chatzky here to help us sort it out. good morning. >> good morning. >> we are getting a window on how the wealthy use their money by looking at a candidate like mitt romney. >> and the not wealthy. one thing we have seen over the past couple of years as the stock market has fallen out of favor with people is people looking for different things to put in their retirement accounts. one of the nice things about iras is you can put almost anything in there except for life insurance and collectibles like art and antiques. >> for example? >> horses, cattle, limited partnerships, things that -- stocks that aren't even traded. and real estate. a lot of people put in real

estate. understand, if you want to go with an alternative asset ira you can't typically do it at a brokerage account. you need a provider set up to deal with the assets and it will cost more. the management fees typically start at several hundred a year, not a few dollars a year. >> do you have to have somebody to manage them? you're inferringing there has to be a person designated to manage your fund. >> you will want a company that specializes in managing them. there is an association called the retirement trust industry association of these sorts of ira custodians to point you in the right direction. >> when does it make sense to go to something as alternative as these alternative iras? >> if you have an asset that you think is going to have explosive growth. it might make sense to look at this. one of the benefits of iras is that the assets in the account grow tax-deferred until you have to pull them out at age 70 1/2 or a roth ira grows tax deferred

forever because you pay taxes up front. that can be hugely beneficial. there are hitches as well. you've got to be careful in these accounts of what we call self dealing which basically means you can derive no benefit from your ira until you pull the investments out. i think the easiest way to think about it is if you bought a vacation property and you put it in your ira, you could not live there. you could not stay there. your family can't stay there. the proceeds you get from renting the property out has to go right back to the ira and even if you were to need to fix the roof on this vacation place, you can't do it yourself because the ira -- the government might actually look and say, hey, that represents a contribution of more than $5,000 a year and in that case, the whole transaction, the whole account and the tax benefits fall apart.

>> so i'm hearing two things. the point you made made me think there is no way i will want to put a house in my ira and maybe in the olden days, house prices will go up and you felt comfortable. would you -- how would you put a house in your ira today? >> if you were looking at a distressed property. say you got an ira some place else or a 401(k) and you want to roll it over, use the money to buy one of the distressed properties, the key is finding one of these alternative ira custodians who can actually take you through the process and make sure you don't mess it up. and if you want to do this several times, if you want a vacation property, horses and cattle, separate iras so if you mess up one you don't mess them all up. >> interesting information most of us had no idea about. thank you. >> you're welcome. up next, thiseeds that can

>> you're welcome. up next, thiseeds that can change y

homicide of young people in america has an impact on all of us. >> you're welcome. up next, thiseeds that can change y how can we save these young people's lives? as a police chief i have an opportunity to affect what happens in a major city. i learned early on if you want to make a difference you have to have the right education. university of phoenix opened the door. my name is james craig, i'm committed to making a difference and i am a phoenix. >> announcer: get started today is brought to you by got milk. it's just not breakfast without milk. nourish every day. got milk? >> this morning on get started today the power of seeds. nuts are full of heart healthy ingredients but seeds are getting a lot of buzz.

packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and important essential fatty acids. they are nutritional powerhouse foods. christine avanti is author of "skinny chicks eat real food." good morning. >> good morning, matt. >> why are they getting attention now? >> people are getting into real food and want good vitamins, minerals and omega-3s from plant-based sources. >> we'll talk about six is different seeds you think we should have in the diet. you will give us tips to incorporate them as well. the first thing we'll start with is hemp. people have heard about it. they don't know much about it. why is it on the list? >> hemp is amazing. it's a complete protein. it contains all nine essential amino acids. it's the same as eating eggs which is cool because there are few plants with all nine essential acids, the building brocks of protein. great way to get it in the diet,

a shake. >> is it vile? some can be nasty. >> good question. it doesn't look beautiful here, but it doesn't taste like anything really. that's a coconut smoothie. >> you can use another flavor and incorporate the hemp in. >> or take the seeds and sprinkle them over fruit or a parfait. >> next we have wheat germ. been around a long time. people like the texture of it. why is it important? >> it's high in folate which is important for women of child-bearing age to fight off the risks of birth defects like spina bifida. we find wheat germ in cereal. here we have granola. you can sprinkle it over fruit. >> yogurt. >> smoothies and cottage cheese. >> tastewise? >> you won't notice it. it's flavorless really. >> so that's wheat germ. next we have sun flower seeds. these are the king of baseball dugouts across the country.

why are they good for us? >> the cool thing about sun flower seeds, they're high in vitamin e. it acts as an antioxidant and fights off wrinkle damage and skin damage. it's an anti-aging kind of thing with the pumpkin seeds. it helps fight off heart disease. >> these are really just snack foods. >> you can sprinkle them on salads. also added into granola and parfaits. baked items. >> next you have pumpkin seeds. how do they stand up nutritionally? >> they're amazing. they have phytosterils in them or good cholesterol. they help reduce the bad clo cholesterol and increase the good. all of the seeds, so great for your body, loaded with good fats. >> flaxseeds. >> flaxseeds. we love flaxseeds. they are very, very high in fiber which is great. reduces constipation and

bloating. so if people want to boost fiber intake. also high in omega 3. >> and the chia seed as made famous by the pets. get those in as well. thank you. >> thank you. >> it's a pleasure. we're back after your local news. 8:56 is your time now on this thursday, march 8, 2012. good morning to you. i'm eun yang. let's check in with storm 4 meteorologist tom kierein for a look at your forecast. turning out to be a beautiful day, tom. good morning. >> bit blustery now, though. winds gusting up to around 30 miles an hour. temperatures are liming. now 61 at reagan national.

should climb about another ten degrees important highs later this afternoon. the winds may be gusting to 40 miles an hour this afternoon as well. increasing clouds and then maybe some rain moving in tonight. that should end by dawn on friday. some sun back tomorrow. turning chillier. by dawn saturday near 30 and sunny over the weekend. but chilly. >> tom, thank you. we will take a quick break and check your traffic i was paying too much with cable. paying so much, you want better quality.

it just got more frustrating and frustrating. for the amount of money that i'm paying, my cable company should take care of me. [ male announcer ] stop paying for second best. switch to verizon fios tv, internet and phone with our best deal online... $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 ] go online for this great price and get $300 back with a two-year contract. don't miss this last chance. fios internet...the speed, you can't compare. i'm able to take care of things much faster now. [ male announcer ] get fios online... $89.99 a month, guaranteed for two years... plus, $300 back with a two-year contract. last chance for this great deal. or ask about our no annual contract option. is change good? in this case, change is very good. [ male announcer ] visit verizon.com/greatprice. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities that's verizon.com/greatprice. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. fios. a network ahead.

good morning. if you are traveling southbound on 295, pennsylvania avenue, we have two separate accidents. they are affecting all lanes. use caution in the area and right now you are jammed as you make your way towards the accident. 12 miles per hour right now. just be aware and drive cautiously on 295 southbound. >> thank you. more news, weather and traff

back now with more of "today" on a thursday morning. it's the 8th day of march 2012. we're happy to say it's a really nice morning in new york. we hope it's nice where you're waking up as well. just to make you jealous, we have 50-something degrees going up into the mid to upper 60s today here in new york city. so we've got some spring fling feeling in the air here. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, al roker and savannah guthrie. because the weather is so nice and because we can, we have brought today's professionals outdoors. >> we have hot topics to discuss

including one in the political world now. is it time for some republican candidates to get out of the race to make it a two-man race between rick santorum and mitt romney? we'll get word on that. and mcdonald's is doing a media makeover for happy meals. will it make a difference? and is it a good idea to get back together with an ex? >> and spring is in the air, flowers in bloom. it can't all be a bed of roses if you suffer from allergies. itchy, watery eyes, nose problems. with we'll have strategies for you if you are already suffering. could be one of the worst allergy seasons on record. >> starting already for a lot of people. >> really. that's not great news. also, we have curves in all the right places. i'm not looking at you for any particular reason. >> you're looking at my nose which is the only place to look. >> we're going to see great chic looks for spring.

>> great. lots to get to. let's go inside. natalie is at the news desk with a look at the headlines. hi, natalie. >> good morning, everyone. the largest solar storm in five years arrived here on earth today where it's set to zing the utility grids, gps services, satellite networks and other communications. solar storms pose no threat to humans but they can disrupt our technology. the emissions are part of the sun's 11-year cycle. newt gingrich is showing no signs of leaving the republican presidential race to let conservatives unite behind rick santorum. both candidates hope for strong showings in the alabama and mississippi primaries next week. in a memo to reporters wednesday the romney campaign claimed this week super tuesday voting where romney won six states was the last chance for rivals to surpass him in the delegates race. senate democrats and republicans reached a deal last night that clears the way for a vote on a massive transportation bill. it would provide $109 billion to overhaul federal highway and

mass transit projects. whitney houston has left her entire estate to her only child, daughter bobbi kristina brown. the singer's last will and testament was drafted in 1993 and a codicil was added in 2000 while she was still married to bobby brown. the will leaves him nothing. for this little guy nothing is impossible. in fact, everything is possum-ble. don't tell him spring came early. he loves to throw on a sweater and hit the slopes. while the snowboarding is impressive we're waiting for him to learn to ski. he's cute on that thing. three minutes past the hour. now back out to al with a check of the weather. hi, al. >> thank you, natalie. we have ruth and whitey edwards. married 60 years.

how did you survive? >> 30 years she was the boss and the next 30 years she was still the boss. >> he know it is anng as far as your weather is concerned. for today we have this strong upper-level low. that's going to add to the frontal system from the great lakes and lot of moisture coming up from the gulf. and so you can see around kansas we have a mix of snow, freezing rain and rain. but everywhere else it is all rain from western new york all the way back down to dallas. we have a risk of strong storms, austin up to memphis, down to jackson. back up to dallas. could see tornadoes out of this system. and a lot of rain. we are talking about three to five inches of rain from dallas to knoxville. but especially in texas and into arkansas this rain could continue right on important the next 72 hours. some areas could pick up up to 7 inches of rain which as you may imagine could cause massive flooding. 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. winds gusting to around 30 miles

an hour. and here at storm center 4 we have had our reports of temperatures now coming into near 60 degrees. later today it will feel like may. it will be the low 70s by mid afternoon. then rain likely moving in tonight after sunset and ending around dawn friday. then tomorrow, some sunshine back with highs around 60 degrees. then chillier weather moves in for the weekend. and we spring ahead one hour. saturday night. that's your latest weather. savannah? ♪ all right, al. thanks. now to today's professionals. we are doing this outside today because the weather is so fine. star jones is here, attorney and author. donny deutsch, multi billion dollar ad exec or something. i have to make it all up now. and dr. nancy snyderman. welcome. [ cheers and applause ] >> hi, everybody. >> we have a crowd and the pressure is on. we'll start with republican politics. super tuesday was tuesday night. mitt romney got the win in ohio. won the most states. rick santorum had a strong showing in the south. there have been increasing

calls, in fact, from some who are aligned with the santorum campaign that it's time for newt gingrich to get out. nancy? >> until mississippi and alabama weigh in and he get as check of the south, i have worked with him in the past. do not under estimate how smart he is, how tenacious he is and how much he wants it. he doesn't care if he's not going to get it. he wants to be sure his voice is heard. >> if santorum received gingrich's votes in ohio alone it would have put him over the edge. >> you kbgo ahead. >> no, you. >> number one, none of the guys are going away. there is no reason to. newt gingrich or rick santorum. number two, mitt romney looks so weak yesterday saying "it's over, the other candidates should bow out," what a lame thing to say. >> like he doesn't want the fight. >> number three, we're not going to let it end. the media doesn't want them to go away.

we have nothing to report for three months. >> i think newt gingrich really enjoys the attention. this is an amazing amount of attention right now. >> for all of the candidates it raises their public profile whether it's santorum or gingrich. it makes them a factor in republican politics. >> you have the chance to be the leader of the free world. they play a big song when you walk into a room. >> there is a point where if they stay too long and hurt the person perceived to be the conservative in the race -- >> they don't care. >> all i can say is remember when obama and clinton fought it out and hillary put everything behind the future president obama. you are not going to see this happen in the gop. and this bloodpath now. >> neither one will be secretary of state. >> the next topic, mcdonald's goes healthy. apparently mcdonald's will debut the first major tv push for a healthier happy meal. it revamped it already last

year. we have the ad to show you. take a look. ♪ >> the goat gobbled up everything in sight. he ate mom's chair and cad's hair, even the cushions on the couch. all the stuff he ate made the goat feel bad so there was another plan. goat, eat a better diet. fruit and dairy, let's try it. they went to mcdonald's. they had milk to drink and fruit to eat. now the goat's as strong as an ox if only we could get him to stop eating the box. >> okay, ad guy. >> i'm not giving them straight style points for something that would have been done 10, 15 years ago. that's what parents want. you look foolish not to. don't give them a victory lap and a hug for doing what there is no choice but to do. >> i was recently in the south working and there are so many

food desseerts in certain neighborhoods. this is the grocery store for a lot of family spms food deserts? >> no fresh grocery, fruits, vegetables for miles and miles. what i want to say is, no, this is not the best alternative, but it is an alternative. so if you can get healthier food appreciate it. >> a working mom can get a burger at mcdonald's less expensively than the real products to make it at home. mcdonald's, if they move to milk and apple slices instead of coke and french fries and a burger fill as child up, i have no problem with it. >> of course, it's a no-brainer. >> but the adults should eat the happy meal. you don't need the bigger meal. that's the meal from the '60s. >> if you get a happy meal for yourself, don't super size for yourself. >> do you love mcdonald's french fries? >> this should have been done 20 years ago.

>> roommate problems. this is interesting. a woman is suing her college for $150,000 because she said the college didn't do enough to leave yat a problem she had with a roommate. she said the roommate had sex in the room, made inappropriate sexual remarks in the room. the school said they offered mediation and other options. we'll ask our lawyer whether she has a case. >> everybody has a right to file a suit. but the problem is the federal lawsuit is requiring a reasonable accommodation for a disability. she didn't state a real disability. she said she was having mental problems, but what she is wanted the college to do was move her to a single of her choice. the law doesn't require that. it might be something that would be nice because the roommate is over there doing the nasty with how many guys, but that's not what the law requires. >> i feel for the young woman but once the college year starts you don't have empty rooms to

move kids into. they offered to move her off campus. and there is a socialization process. kids have to figure out how to live with a roommate. >> i spoke to a college president yesterday about just this thing. she said, look, there is a responsibility on the part of the college to make accommodations but this young woman did suffer depression. she was hospitalized. emotionally unstable which predates this. you have to understand that medical issue, but to sue for it, sorry. college is a part of adulthood. it's a time to figure out how to deal with things on your own. >> next we have a great study coming out of kansas state university about getting back with an ex. there is research about people who have cyclical relationships. they are more likely to be less satisfied with the relationship and more uncertain about their futures together. they had worse communication and lower se eer self-esteem. donny? >> i have been with wonderful women. sometimes what happens is as you get older you can really love

and care about somebody but maybe the lifestyles don't mix up at times. so you're drawn to the person but it doesn't mix. i don't think you can say people are less happy. it's a function of life. >> easy to slip into an old relationship sometimes. >> it's comfortable like your favorite pair of socks. then you realize they had holes in them and that's why you stopped wearing them the first time. >> it doesn't work. >> it doesn't work. the reason you break up -- >> help me. >> there is not enough time in my day. >> the reason you break up is because there is something that draws you apart. the reason marriages fail is people think, well -- >> if they're together also. >> but you become friends and value the things -- >> well -- >> okay. >> more science, okay? a study has found women find beards far less attractive than stubble and clean-shaven faces.

this does not shock me. >> doesn't shock me at all. i'm a clean shaven or a stubble kind of guy. >> what about brad pitt with the scruff? >> he looks terrible. >> same reason with women and coetics. it's almost a shield. >> donny, with the beard. >> oh, no. >> there we go. >> no! >> would you buy a used ad from this man? no. >> so we all agree clean-haven is more attractive. >> if you have a guy with a beard look for a chin that doesn't exist. >> wow. >> thank you so much, star jones, donny deutsch and dr. nancy snyderman. and allergy season can come early. we have solutions if you have chronic symptoms. later, stylish looks to fit your purse after these messages. ♪

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this morning on today's health an early start to allergy season. you may ben j enjoying the mild winter but it's not good news for the 40 million americans who suffer from allergies. what should you do? dr. peterson is a contributor from women's health magazine. good to see you. >> good morning. >> allergies have come early this year. >> we have had an unseasonably warm winter this year. this is the fourth warmest winter on record -- >> of course i knew that! >> unbelievable. the temperatures are usually in the 30.6 range.

this year they were six degrees higher. >> why is that a problem? >> the trees pollinate earlier and pollen counts are higher. last february the first week in february, pollen counts were in single digits. this year, pollen counts were from the 80s to as high as 250. big difference. >> if it starts early does it end early? >> no, unfortunately it doesn't. the trees are pollinating earlier to account for the early spring allergy season but the grasses sprout later so it will continue into summer. >> who's at risk for allergies? >> anybody and everybody. you can develop allergies in adulthood. allergies are predominantly based on genetics. if a child has one parent with allergies their risk is 30%. if both parents have allergies the risk is 70%. >> how do you tell this time of year when you're suffering from allergies or just a cold? >> it can be tough. the symptoms overlap. for first time allergy sufferers

with the stuffy nose and sore throat they may not know. with a cold you could get fever and aches. never with allergies. colds rarely last longer than two weeks. allergies can. if you have itchy, watery eyes that's a telltale sign of allergy. >> what are some things you can do? there are easy fixes. >> we have great tips at women's held. first off, don't garden outdoors if you are prone to allergies. and wear sunglasses to keep pollen out of your eyes. inside, the allergens are stuck on your hair, your clothes. so change your clothes before you sit on the couch or bedding because it will transfer the pollens. shower to get it off your skin and hair. >> a lot of us in the spring like to open the windows. >> we do for fresh air, but it lets the pollen in. close the windows. if you like to exercise outside, wait until later in the day. earlier the pollen counts are higher and get an air filter. >> with the hepa filter?

>> right. >> what if you have the allergies and you have tried remedies and it's not working. you should see an allergist, right? >> first try over-the-counter medications. anti-histamines or decongestants. consider taking them the night before so they kick in by morning. if they don't work consider seeing an allergist. they can give you a nasal steroid spray to reduce inflammation or determine what you are allergic to by doing skin or blood testing which gives a reaction on the skin if you have an allergy. and for a more permanent solution consider allergy shots. these take three to five years to develop a tolerance but they are long-lasting. >> all right. what about the neti pot thing? >> i love it. i'm a fan. it rinses and flushes out the allergens from your nose. >> and then you make soup. kidding. coming up, they're in hair and makeup, getting ready for the big reveal. the results of the ambush makeovers. first, these messages. ♪ all righty. oh, oh.

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coming up, fashion that fits. we've got the latest in chic and affordable styles for plus size women. >> plus, country style ribs in a chili fruit mole sauce. does that sound delicious or what? >> is that a trick question? >> and daisy martinez is here to tell us how to do it at home. >> is that a trick question? >> it is. >> first, your local news and weather. ♪

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9:26 is your time this thursday, march 8. i'm eun yang. let's check in with tom kierein for a look at your forecast. and i think we will like what you have to say, tom. >> yeah, breezy and cool. now temperatures around the region are near 60 degrees. 61 at reagan national. and it is beginning to hit the low 60s throughout much of virginia and winds are gusting to 30 miles per hour. we will have increasing clouds, highs reaching the low 70s during the afternoon. winds gusting to 40 miles an hour and could get rain mitt and chillier weather moves in provide into the weekend. >> thank you. we will take a quick break and check your traffic when we come back.

still seeing delays to the blue line in both directions as metro single tracks between addison road and stadium armory. expect delays. traveling the beltway, big delays. outer loop president of the beltway, slow as you pass new hampshire avenue and delays continue to georgia avenue. you are under speed at 35 miles per hour. take being 16 minutes to get from i-95 to i-270.

inner loop in virginia, this is where you see the bulk of the delays on the beltway. very slow to the dulles toll road. your travel speed slower at 23 miles per hour. >> thank you. more news, weather and traffic for new just 25 minu

♪ ever wonder what paula abdul's house looks like? how about renee zelwegger's home or matthew mcconaughey's texas getaway? they are not your ordinary real estate listings. with we'll get a glimpse into the lifestyles of the rich and famous. we'll check out who's buying and selling tomorrow on "today." that's nice. chic. like that one. >> beautiful. >> also coming up this half hour we have a shocker. a suburban mom, a mother of four accused of being a high end madam running a multi-million dollar prostitution ring in new york city. we'll have the latest on the story and full on fashion for

the full figured woman. we are going to take a look at new affordable styles. they're chic and there are new labels coming out. >> new designers as well. >> that's good news for the fuller figured lady. >> if you would like to become one we'll go to today's kitchen for a secret sauce that's going to kick up your barbecue. >> al! >> just saying. we'll make country style pork ribs with a spicy, fruity mole sauce. >> i don't think that's going to make you fuller figured. >> eat enough of it. worked for me. >> you have a check of the weather first. >> yes. for the weekend ahead starting with tomorrow. rain along the pacific northwest coast. texas, gulf coast, southeastern atlantic will be wet. heavy rainain in texas. arkansas. and on saturday, cold, sunny in the northeast. more heavy rain, texas into the mid mississippi river valley. look for rain also in the pacific northwest. sunday, sunday, more rain from the central great lakes and

heavy rain mid mississippi into the lower mississippi river valley. pacific northwest wet and snowy in the intear wror sections and showers down in florida. sunny and mild through the mid atlantic states. >> good morning, tom kierein. storm center 4 right now at just past 9:30. temperatures are now beginning to climb into the low 60s and look at the highs expected later this afternoon around the region. should make it up to 70. and that's going to feel more like early may than early march. and then tonight clouds roll in. we could get some rain moving through and then ending by around dawn friday, that's sun back tomorrow and turning cooler. cold saturday morning. chilly weekend to follow. highs near 50 saturday. near 60 sunday. that's your latest weather. >> thank you, al. we want to say hello to the founder and ceo of back on my feet which is aimed at helping the homeless in america, an organization i'm a proud member of. tell us about the mission, the purpose of this. >> it's to use running to

promote self-sufficiency of the homeless population to create self-esteem. >> it all starts with running. >> running. >> how do you get involved? how does it work? >> we are launching in new york city on april 10 and we are looking for volunteers, supporters. everything is available at backonmyfeet.org. >> what has the response been? what does running do for the community and the population? >> it's amazing. running is the first step to help people change the way they view themselves and make a change in their life. we use positive language, set goals. running is a beautiful metaphor for life. it's good. >> i have seen first hand running in some of the races, the homeless are back in jobs and on their feet literally. good luck with the new york city launch. you're nationwide. >> nine different markets. >> fantastic. >> thank you. >> good to have you here. >> still ahead, the suburban soccer mom charged with running

a high class house of ill repute. we'll have the details after this. [ slurp! ] [ laughs ] ♪ [ female announcer ] hey, ladies. here's a little something you'll find irresistible. cinnamon toast crunch,

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back now with the story of a mother of four accused with running a multi-million dollar prostitution ring. stephanie gosk has the story from manhattan's upper east side. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. this less than glamorous apartment building may not look like a high end brothel catering to wealthy, powerful men from around the world but that's what the new york district attorney says it was. at the center of the alleged prostitution ring, an unlikely madam. a mother of four and animal activist from the suburbs.

new york's district attorney says anna gristina made millions of dollars over 15 years. a well known madam who sold sex to a large circle of rich, influential friends. prosecutors told the court this british citizen would run if they let her out on bail. relying on hidden money and connections in the police department. the judge set bail at a steep $2 million. but her lawyer said she didn't do it. >> she's not admitting to anything. what she's admitted to is being a decent, kind, loving mother of four children who she's been ripped away from. >> reporter: the 44-year-old has been married twice and has four children. she lives in a modest home an hour outside of new york city. on wednesday her husband took their 9-year-old son to school. despite posting the occasional racy photo online, friends say

she lives an average suburban life. a caring mom who spends her free time rescuing dogs and raising pot-bellied pigs. >> she's a soccer mom. it was shocking to the people in the neighborhood what happened. she's a nice person. >> reporter: hardly the image of a tawdry madam, the target of avenue five-year investigation and hundreds of hours of police surveillance. the assistant district attorney told the court the evidence against her includes witness testimony from a prostitute who said she was present for a sexual encounter in which minors were involved. the lawyers point out she was not charged with a crime involving minors. >> i would not be standing here if i thought there was any children involved in this case. >> reporter: she was arrested at the offices of morganstanley, looking for a loan for a new online business. >> she's getting investors to do a website that was going to be different than any of the other dating websites. >> reporter: prosecutors suspect

the website would have matched male clients with female prostitutes. a new venture not from an average soccer mom, they say, but from a woman who had spent years mastering the business of the world's oldest profession. and gristina is still in jail unable to post bail. she faces up to seven years in prison if she's convicted on promotion of prostitution in the third degree. savannah? >> what a story. stephanie, thank you so much. coming up next, full figured and fabulous. we have fashions to fit your curves for less right after this. when we walk together, we are bigger than cancer. join the world's biggest fight for more birthdays, the american cancer society relay for life.

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last time i'm doing this. this morning on bobbie's style buzz, plus size fashions. stylish clothing for all kinds of curves and they're affordable. bobbie thomas is here with more. good morning. >> good morning. >> what is plus size? it seems like there is a lot of liberty when it comes to talking about a plus size figure. what sizes are we talking about usually? >> it's the most average size in this country because more than 50% of women wear a size 14 or larger. less than 50% of the stores cater to that size.

i'm excited about the four new lines. plus size is generally size 12 or 14 or up. there isn't a flat industry cut-off. that's what's tough. at this size if you're a 12 or a 14 and you might say, i'm not a plus size person or what most people say is full figured, you have a tough time. this is a personal favorite segment of mine. self-expression for every size. >> it's great to know a lot of designers are getting in. you woucouldn't find fashionabl options for plus size options but things are changing. let's look at the curvy woman starting with modern workwear. tell me about the line and this look. >> i'm excited about aloqui.com by the limited. they have fantastic modern workwear pieces, sophisticated separates and dresses. this can go from day to night. what i love about this line is

their website has a shape my style feature where you can walk through and answer questions and they will help you not only figure out your body type because it's about shape, not size. once you figure out the body type they filter the items that will flatter your figure and the shipping and return is free. you can do it at home, find great pieces. they even have an inspiring section called get the look where they will style a look for you. >> beautiful. >> the details on even the basic top. the neckline is flattering. you will see it's just such a flattering neckline. if you have girlfriends on top, the ruching on the sleeve, i love it. >> color and a little belt. >> i had a hard time picking for the show because i liked all of the looks. >> web only for now. with we'll see. next you have something more bohemian with vintage color and print. this is the line called american rags on marina.

>> this is a at macy's, exclusive to them. it's in stores across the country. everything is under $79. it's a youthful, casual bohemian feel. it's inspired by music. the whole line is about the festival feel. they have an online music magazine sponsored by the brand called ragged mag.com. >> thank you so much. next our stylish contemporary look. let's bring out chastity. look at the gorgeous dress and this color on her. fantastic. >> fantastic. a lot of people know asoph. it's uk based. we love and covet the collection of clothing. what i love so much is the curves collection. they have the same exact pieces from the main line in sizes from 14 on up.

they also have exclusives just for the full figure market. even the earrings. >> beautiful. >> one stop shopping. >> great price point as well. >> they're not conservative. most of the traditional lines that were plus sized wouldn't take the color far. it would be black stretchy everything. women were complaining. i can't find anything fashionable. this is draping and fun fashion forward elements that you will feel modern in. >> okay. finally, the cheap chic from the great grand daughters of lane bryant which, as you know, lane bryant has dedicated itself to the full figured lady. >> over a hundred years ago their grandmother established the market. now she said, we should bring fashion to the figure which i love and celebrate. fashion to figure is an online site. everything on the site is under $45. >> wow! >> you can afford to jump into the polka-dot trend.

i love that she's pulling it off with leggings. >> you can wear a longer blouse. >> they have fantastic on-trend pieces i.'s fast fashion reminding you of h & m and the places that bring you pieces, not a collection. 50% is the label. they source from over a hundred other vendors. there is style for every size out there. i want to encourage women to get out of the baggy clothes and indulge. >> fashion to figure. come on out, ladies. one last look. beautiful. great job. as always, you find great pieces for ladies. thank you. you look great. for more information on the full figured fashions head to today.com. coming up next, we're spicing up today's kitchen with latin flavor. first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning in today's

kitchen, step by step. country style ribs with a chili fruit mole sauce. daisy martinez is a tv host, chef and author. these are country style ribs. >> boneless pork ribs. delicious, big and meaty and lend themselves to braising deliciously. i have oil over there, one of my heavy guns. season the meat with that. right over it. added salt already. we had vinegar to brine it up. garlic powder. >> yep. >> then we let it sit, brown the meat. i started it here already. >> you're putting it into a baking dish and putting it together pretty snug. >> that's okay. we'll pour the sauce. we'll turn this off. we're going to pour sauce and bake it so it will braise, get tender and juicy and delicious. i have tomatoes to char. i'll put those in there. see the beautiful onions i have

been sweating and browning? >> just in a little bit of olive oil. >> i had ancho chili paste. this is the stuff that dreams are made of. honest to goodness. it doesn't get better. i have oregano and cumin. go ahead and stir that in there, baby boy. we'll add chicken stock. >> right. >> we'll cook it down so the tomatoes break up nice and easy. once that happens -- >> what do you call this sauce? >> this is is. [ speaking in a foreign language ] which means tablecloth stainer. it's so delicious. >> ooh. that's what we should call our director joe michaels. >> come on over here. then once this cooks down we'll throw it in the blender to puree it down. add crushed pineapple. >> ooh. >> and then some diced mango. >> wow. >> and chopped dried apricots. >> you have savory and sweet.

>> and sweet. then i have beautiful warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, pepper. we'll throw it in and let it cook down. it's a couple of steps but if you make a big batch, put it in the fridge and freezer, you can put it on anything -- on your girlfriend! well, you have a wife. so it ends up looking like this, right? bring me the ribs. >> all right. >> we're going to pour this over. you're not going to invite me back after this. >> this is great. my wife's on the line? hey, fantastic. >> okay. so then we pour the sauce right over this. >> mm-hmm. >> we cover it up with foil and pop it in the oven for about 90 minutes to two hours. >> what kind of oven? >> 350, 375 a. it will get nice and soft. >> are we missing anything?

>> oh, nothing, nothing. >> not interrupting? i love your laugh, daisy. >> thank you. >> over rice? >> i made coconut serano rice. >> it just falls apart. >> amazing. >> then you have delicious sauce. >> the sauce looks so good. >> it's sweet, tart, delicious. >> savory. savannah and i will share. we have some for al. >> i can always count on the girls showing up s. >> just in time. daisy martinez, thank you so much. >> she has the best laugh. >> great. >> thank you. >> coming up on hoda and kathie lee we have ambush makeovers and sexy lingerie at any age. >> first your local news and weather.

good morning. i'm eun yang. >> i'm aaron gilchrist. here is what you can expect tomorrow morning on "news4 today." tomorrow morning we will tell you how you can cash in and enjoy vacation without worrying about all the costs. as always, we will have all your weather and traffic on the 1s. >> how about that forecast? >> we are going to be feeling

like may today with temperatures into the low 70s. then a big change will be l begin to move in on friday. i will have that for you tomorrow morning. and we will take a look at the weekend as well. that will all be coming up tomorrow morning on "news4 today." >> i will be watching the roads with the help of chopper 4. plus, there are some big metro closures over the weekend. you will want to know about it and i have you covered. >> plus breaking news and anything that happens in your neighborhood overnight. >> wake up with us tomorrow morning. we start at 4:28. >> "news4 today," the best way to start your day and weekend. we will see you tomorrow. have a great day. [ clanking ]

think we should have bought pre-assembled furniture? [ telephone ringing ] wait. [ male announcer ] some business decisions are better than others. the best decision is switching to verizon. you are good to go. thanks. that was easy! [ male announcer ] speed, reliability, and now with our worry free guarantee there's no better time to switch. get your choice of terms. no activation fees. a 30-day money back guarantee. flexible scheduling. professional on-site installation. and 24/7 tech support. all for just $84.99 a month. plus you get a $200 value reward card. so switch to verizon high speed internet and phone, backed by our new worry free guarantee, all for just $84.99 a month.

contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities call 1.866.solutions. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. that's 1.866.solutions. only from verizon. captions paid for byv. nbc-universal television that's 1.866.solutions. hello, everybody. thirst day thursday, march 8th, in case you're wondering, international women's day, which has been observed since i was born in 1910. >> that's one of those holidays you don't forget. >> yeah. >> we had fun yesterday, didn't we? >> we did, we did. it's been an unusual theater season on broadway. >> yes. >> not a lot of brand-new musicals. a couple of great new plays.

but it seems like a kind of a thin season. >> "godspell" -- we went to see it. >> it's been around 40 years. >> forever. >> yeah. >> you know what song you'll know from this? ♪ day by day oh, dear lord ♪ >> that's from that. it was really fun, a very youthful, fun cast that could sing their begonias off. >> yes. >> what's weird is when you're ma in the audience watching a broadway show, they're on stage and you're in the audience -- what's it called? >> the fourth wall is the -- yeah. >> it means that they do their thing and they don't know you're sitting there. >> we get to observe. >> well, they came from the stage to the audience. that always gets you, like, oh, what's happening? then they decided we would make good props. >> they grabbed hoda woman to play pictionary. >> don't ask. i wore my hat and scarf. >> looks like shamu of the north. >> i get cold in theaters.

during the show, i was supposed to draw something. what the heck was it? an elephant, thank you, sara, and a birthday cake. >> a parable of jesus. there is no elephant in a parable of jesus. >> i draw what i want. moments later kathie lee was snatched from the crowd and was dragged out in front. you were doing -- >> when someone asks you to walk with them, you know, a certain amount of -- you walk another mile with them. >> she acted out as if it were charades. >> yeah. that is hunter parrish. i know -- i remember him. he was excellent in "spring awakening," but i kept thinking to myself where in the world do i know this great-looking kid from? >> he plays jesus by the way. >> he plays jesus. he was the son in "it's complicated." meryl streep. i went of course. we went backstage to meet with the cast. we loved the show. so adorable. >> there were so many teenagers in the audience.

. look at you. you do not mess around. >> no. >> talk about stealing the whole thing. that's what happened right there. these high school kids were like -- at intermission we were talking to baunch of them and stuff. they said what's your favorite part? they said jesus. he is so hot. which, by the way -- >> he is. >> he is adorable. >> and so talented. >> that's the whole cast. >> you wonder how a show will hold up. we saw "porgy and bess" a couple weeks ago. different, changed it, but it's beautiful. "godspell" holds up because they've changed so much of the patter and made it very contemporary. >> funny jokes. >> kids were loving it. >> donald trump has a lot of shoutouts. you've got to see it. >> they gave us wine, what frank calls halftime, the rest of us call intermission, they serve "godspell" wine. >> sweet guy. if you -- yes. jessica simpson graces the cover. her pregnancy shot. kind of one similar to demi moore's -- exactly the same,

actually. >> yeah. >> there it is. there's demi moore's. >> she even wore a ring on the same finger. they're carrying a little differently. >> they are. >> yes. but they both have -- she had girls, and jessica's expecting a girl. >> when is she due? soon. >> spring baby, anytime. i don't know. what do you think of it, hoda? we've seen it before so it's not for shock value. >> that's exactly what i was going to say. you look at something like this, the first time it happened, everybody went, oh my gosh. this you sort of feel like you've seen it and there are a couple other pictures inside. >> her belly. he's kissing her belly. i don't know about you guys, but i never felt less attractive in my entire life when i was nine months pregnant. i wouldn't let my dog kiss me. if you know what i mean. >> a lot of people deciding on names, some pick unique names like apple, moses. >> that's an old one.

>> anyway -- >> that one's been around, oh, about 4,000 years. >> she says she's going to choose a nontraditional name but not shocking. a lot of parents have regret after they name their child, and they sign the papers and go, oh, is that the right name? because that name is going to be forever. >> there are a lot of stories about parents who have regrets and try to change their kids' names afterwards. i think that can mess with a kids' head. they're already -- joanne lamarco, who shall remain nameless, her mother wanted to call her joanna, then call her that. >> who cares what it says on the birth certificate? okay. >> so sorry she ever tells us anything. it goes from the dressing room right to the show. thank you, joanne. >> speaking of babies, snooki is having one. she has some choice -- >> my head is going to explode. >> before this, we're going to show you -- they call this in the papers -- we like "the

post." great headlines. snooki's baby talk. interesting quotes about snookiism. on being pregnant, she says, it feels like i'm hongover. on breast-feeding -- what does she say? >> i want to because i'll lose weight quicker. >> quicker. okay. what labor feels like. she says -- >> can't even believe. >> she says you know when you hold a fart in and it hurts? >> no, snooki. tell us about it. >> that's what she says she believes -- >> let me tell you something, that's not how it feels. if anybody agrees with that, we'd love to hear you on facebook. >> yeah. >> she's in for a big surprise if she thinks that's how it hurts. whew. i almost killed frank. almost killed him. >> did you say terrible things in the delivery room? >> no. you go lamaze and you need your partner there. he's your coach. >> were you screaming? >> frank did a great -- who cares about me, i know, but 16 hours of labor with no

anesthetic at all and no -- because i was having a baby. nothing. and then had to have an emergency cesarean. but the point of it being, i'm doing just lamaze. just lamaze. that's it. you need the guy there going -- breathing. i don't even remember anymore. he got screwed up. >> he couldn't get it right? >> he got screwed up. he's looking at the clock. what is it. hmm. oh, i don't even know the language i used. >> were you screaming? >> screaming. because you're fine as long as you're doing it. and it is great. you know. >> yeah. >> he was over my -- with that -- for 16 hours. he had back surgery the next week. >> because of bending over? >> yep. he already had a bad back. so i feel bad outing him about this. >> my friend said she was tearing the sheets with her teeth and screaming the f-bomb at her husband, like how could you have done this to me. >> that's going to be snooki. >> a major bone to pick. there is a billionaire on the

list of the richest people and her name is sara blakeley. if it doesn't ring be a bell to you, it does to kathie lee. she is the one -- >> she alleges -- not me because i'm not wearing one today. because i'm mad at her. >> she is the inventor of spanx. she's a billionaire at age 41. as you might remember, someone else at this table, not me, said they invented spanx. >> first of all, i'm happy for her. i think anytime you take an idea like that and you run with it, good for you. i'm the idiot because i had the idea and didn't run with it. >> what was the idea? when did you have it? >> years and years ago with regis. i used to wear those body smoothers. they were tight and held you in. but i didn't want to wear nylons on the bottoms of my legs. i would caughtcut them off at the knees. and that that's what it is. here's what i'm doing. i'm calling her today. she owe ls me a little something. throe me a bone. i'll ask her to invest in my

musical. the least she can do. >> ready for fun? >> this is not going to be fun. >> if p you want to dance, i'm telling you right now, you'll want to put your dancing shoes on or get up off the couch. >> or go home. >> if you're still sitting on the couch when you hear this song, i don't even know you. cnc music factory, old school, called "going to make you sweat." go. you're going to love it. ♪ >> come on. you can't sit still. >> i am sitting still. >> no. come on. ah. >> come on, kath. throw us a bone. >> can't do it. jimmy, you are a broadway you know what. you know it. >> on the stairmaster right here. >> shake it, shake it.

>> jimmy, he's just trying to be nice. >> no. no. everyone's toe tapping. >> nobody is. nobody. >> calm down. >> does it ever do anything? does he ever rhyme? >> it's doing something. ♪ >> jump. >> you jump. how can you go from "godspell" to this? >> easy. ♪ day by di dy day ♪ >> is it okay to dress your dog in designer clothes? >> kathie lee says it's fine if the dog seems to enjoy it, too. otherwise you wear it. >> you can tell if the they're comfortable. like baby clothes. you know they hate them. hoda said no it's not okay. better to dress your dude in designer duds. >> thank you, brittheny.

>> isn't it a special day for a gay? were you going to remember? >> i was going to say it later. >> show his pictures then. >> it's "today's birthday." happy birthday to jay. >> you'll celebrate it over the weekend and we'll see pictures on monday. >> talking about dressing your dog in designer duds, there was a lot of feedback about the freeze-drying of the dogs after they passed away, put them on the couch. that dog is passed away and it's freeze-dri freeze-dried. anyway, people wrote in -- that is scary. people wrote in and were saying things -- they had different suggestions on -- >> i don't mind it with the eyes closed. >> 96% of the people thought it was creepy to do that. just letting you know. >> some people think it's creepy to cremate them and -- i have regis on my shelf in the library. not the man, but the dog. i loved that dog. >> it's thursday so we're talking about ambush makeovers.

>> and we'll see what louis and jill have done this time around. dad, why are you getting that? is there a prize in there?

oh, there's a prize, all right. [ male announcer ] inside every box of cheerios are those great-tasting little o's made from carefully selected oats that can help lower cholesterol. is it a superhero? kinda. ♪ over time, my lashes thinned. kinda. after 40, i didn't have enough lashes. my doctor said...latisse® is the only fda approved prescription treatment...for inadequate or not enough lashes.

now with latisse®...my lashes are longer...darker, with more than double the fullness in 16 weeks. if you are using or have used, prescription products for eye pressure problems, use latisse® under close doctor care. latisse® use may cause increased brown pigmentation of the colored part of the eye which is likely permanent. eyelid skin darkening may occur which may be reversible. if you experience eye problems or have eye surgery, consult your doctor. common side effects include itchy eyes and eye redness. my lashes changed as i got older. now i use latisse®. find a doctor at latisse.com today. ♪ isn't she lovely time for today's "plaza ambush makeovers," which has the moved to thursdays. once again, two lovely ladies were whisked off the plaza into the very capable hands of our makeover team. let's meet them, shall we? >> "today" contributor and stylist to the stars, louis

licari. la, la, la, la, la. >> thank you. >> and author and "today" show contributor jill martin. >> the bikini babe. >> yeah. >> hey. it was a beautiful day outside today. >> gorgeous. there was a ton of people. many women to choose from. i saw some gray hair. i saw at-home color is users. it was just easy to pick. >> okay. let's start with miss amanda, 39 years old from columbus, ohio. as a communications proef, she's been so busy teaching she doesn't even have time to see how she looks throughout the day. she and her media students were so excited for her to receive a brand-new look. let's take a listen. >> all right. a little pressure here on this broadcasting trip. jordan, you interview your teacher and ask her why she wants a makeover. >> mrs. amanda fountain, you're already so beautiful, but tell us, why do you want this makeover? >> why not? >> good answer. couldn't have had a better one. >> that's it. what do you guys think?

ready to see a whole new mrs. fountain? >> oh, yeah. >> here we are with students. raise your hands when your name is called. taylor, nicole, willy, michael, jordan, damon, and arden. keep your blindfolds on. here is amanda fountain before. all right, amanda. let's see the new you! hold on. don't go anywhere. stay right there. you guys ready? take off your blindfolds, because you're not going to believe it. >> oh! >> are you ready, miss amanda fountain? >> i'm ready. oh my gosh! oh my gosh! >> you're gorgeous. >> look at that! i may take over here. >> yeah, you are. all right. camera 12. >> look at that. >> amanda is a beautiful girl with her gray hair. you're magnificent without it. >> yes. >> we did it in 20 minutes.

her hair's a little softer, a little lighter. she got a great cut that can be worn chic like you are now or wash and wear, you know, in the real world. >> what do you have to say? you're busted. >> i'm just curious who this model is and where our teacher is. >> you guys are cute. >> and that outfit. >> whoa. >> she looks smoking. >> i mean, this is -- >> can you keep it up all spring? i'm looking for a prom date this year. >> time-out. time-out. >> okay. >> she said her students had never seen her in a skirt or a dress. we opted for this. >> you look beautiful. >> great job. >> our next lady is erica, 40 from ft. worth, texas, recently turned 40, tired of looking old and ragged. her words. she was thrilled when we approached her on the plaza. she's here with her friend jennifer.

let's listen to her story. >> well, you finally stopped jumping up and down. now you can tell me why erica deserves this. >> she works really hard. we're co-workers and we travel a lot for our jobs. sometimes she just, you know, rolls out of bed and do our thing and head on home. we have a flight this afternoon. and this is the last day in new york, and we're real hi excited to be here. >> i hope they recognize you from your license when you check in. are you ready to go? >> i'm so excited. my husband is going to get a new wife when he gets home. he has no idea this is going on. when i get off the plane, he's going to be a little surprised. >> hopefully. >> one last look at our erica before and bring the new erica out. jennifer, you keep that blindfold on, please. >> wow! nice. >> wow. >> you're going to freak. >> all right, jennifer. take it off. >> oh my gosh! you're so gorgeous! >> you really do. turn around. >> oh, my god.

>> you look great. >> oh, my gosh. it doesn't even look like me. >> yes, it does. that's the real you. >> beautiful. beautiful. >> oh, no. you're not going to -- you're going to ruin your makeup. >> oh, my gosh. look at the difference. >> okay, louis. >> thank you. >> god bless that we use waterproof makeup. >> he'll kill me. >> i've lightened her hair, added extra highlights on the bottom because he does look great, you know, with the depth around the face, provide contrast, which is the most important thing hair color can do. again, layers around the face, kept them long because her hair is fine. makes it look thicker. >> erica, give me one of those, please. >> gorgeous. >> jennifer, what do you think? >> that's a true friend, by the way. true friend. >> you look beautiful. don't cry. don't cry. >> you two really got to get a grip. >> a great investment for

spring/summer, a trench coat and a collar. andrew marx. great blue. she didn't have a great pair of jeans. >> all right. amanda. >> don't forget, if you want a chance for our makeovers, they've moved to a new day, every thursday. come on down for your chance to receive a brand-new look. >> up next, viral videos that will have people chirping. >> up next, viral videos that will have pe[ woman ]ping. dear cat, gentle cat, your hair mixes with pollen and dust in the air. i get congested. my eyes itch. i have to banish you to the garden. but now, with zyrtec-d®, i have the proven allergy relief of zyrtec®, plus a powerful decongestant. ♪ i can breath freer with zyrtec-d®. so i'll race you to our favorite chair. i might even let you win. zyrtec-d® lets me breath easier, so i can love the air. [ male announcer ] zyrtec-d®. behind the pharmacy counter. no prescription needed. [ male announcer ] zyrtec-d®. behind the pharmacy counter. love the taste.,

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it's time for our special series we call "webtastic" when our sara haines spends countless hours at the computer searching for the next biggest video. you have a video people are going to want to tweet about all day long. >> bluegrass musician josh williams was performing when he got an unlikely visitor. it's a bird, it's a plane, oh, no, wait, it's a bird. check it out. ♪

>> it has over a million hits. this was at a bluegrass festival. >> love bluegrass music. >> he's, like, i don't know what to do here. see the bird on the corner? >> he didn't want to hurt it. >> he start petting it and the bird stays. he's enjoying the music. >> okay. that's crazy. >> how adorable is that? >> that's crazy. >> he stayed until the end of the song. i thought the bird released -- you can tell a lot about that guy, how gentle he is. >> that's what viewers rr commenting on, he loved this kind reaction. >> he sang into the microphone at one point, "i don't know what to do." >> sara, thank you. that's great. >> still to come, what is keeping actor wilmer valderrama awake? >> and kathie lee and i go sabre to sabre with a "star wars" thing. ♪

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i've been meaning to thank you, sir. i've been passed over for detective twice before this assignment, so i'm pretty sure i wouldn't in uniform if you hadn't requested me. >> i didn't request anyone. if you got promoted, it wasn't me. they probably want somebody else to baby sit me. >> thank you very much. >> yeah. we're back with more of "today." that's a scene from a new drama, "awake," starring jason isaacs and vald va and wilmer valderrama. >> he wakes to find himself shuffling between two worlds, unsure of which one is real. >> is it hard to follow because

of that at first for the audience? or is it clear? >> i'd say the writers did a really phenomenal job by constructing a format that had something we could really follow. it's -- from the get-go you understand that he finds himself living two dreams, in one, his wife survived the car accident, and in the other his son has survived the car accident. he's constantly forced to deal with the question and how do you carry on your job as a detective when your cases are intertwining between two realities. >> the way you were cast, and it's quite interesting, i guess jason -- he thought they were discovering a new kid no one had heard about. >> someone saw you in an indie film. >> jason. >> tell us that story. >> it was very funny. jason was the -- he was one of the judges at the edinburgh -- >> film festival. >> in europe. he had seen me in "the dry

land," and when he came back and started developing the show and they were about to cast it, jason told howard gordon, the executive partner of "awake," hey, so i know this kid, wilmer valderrama from this movie "the dry land." i don't know if you guys had heard of him. howard goes, well, he's in america. he's been around for a while. they gave me a call and sent me the script. and it was very flattering. you know, they -- we sat down and the thing that got me was that, you know, we are trying to do something different here. >> yeah. it must be nice not to have to audition for anything anymore. right? >> yeah. it depends on a certain project you would have to -- and it's nice because you really got to get a hold of the character and see if that's something you would play right. but i like challenges and stuff. i don't mind them. but it's really nice when television, you know, people remember you and the studio and the network. >> very different, though. >> yeah. >> and you and jason are having a little love affair, the two of

you. what is going on? >> bromance. >> that's the word on the street right now. >> what is happening with you two? >> it's funny. we were talking about that earlier. you know, it's -- he's got an amazing sense of humor, and he's also -- i mean, he's one of my favorite, you know, actors, period, and to me i look up to him, too. to be able to work with him every day is really fun. but also we're just two big clowns. >> yeah. >> so when we're literally investigating a case and we're, like, he murdered two people yesterday. and -- cut! anyway, and it becomes this whole party. it's very funny. we're going to award shows together. >> you're like a couple. >> we wanted to make you aware that people are talking. >> trending topic. >> we wish you great luck with this show. >> terrific. >> thank you. i really appreciate it. >> and where can people see that show, hodie? >> tonight at 10:00, 9:00 central on nbc. >> up next, how to slip into something a little more comfortable.

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time for "today's style." feeling sexy. if you go to bed each night in an oversized t-shirt and baggy draw-string pants, and you know who you are, you might want to change things up a little bit. >> we have the founder of intimacy boutiques to help us find sexy lingerie for women of all ages. good to see you. >> hi. >> you want to get cozy when you get home. >> especially if you've been in spanx all day. >> but the truth is, you know, women should really feel pretty. you know, they want to feel attractive no matter whether they're at home -- >> yeah. >> we've got some attractive stuff that's still comfy. we can get rid of all the frumpy mismatched, sloppy looking styles. >> really love that stuff. >> a little shape. >> we'll take you through the decades, something for everybody. our 20s. this is what nikki looks like in

her 20s, her before picture. what she likes to hang out in. >> typical. >> cute. >> little short set, little top. >> come on out, nikki. >> but not that sexy. >> let's see the new you. >> hello. >> so pretty. what a gorgeous color. >> it transforms, right? fabulous stretch lace hanky-panky. it's butter lace. it feels great on. she can transition from day to night in it. >> no one can wear boy shorts. i'm say just saying. >> every woman can, i promise. >> really? >> and i don't have those shoes at home. >> you can just throw on a pair of jeans with this and go out. >> thank you, nikki. we've seen enough, sweetie. all right. now we have -- talking about women in their 30s, the comfy 30s. this is a before picture. >> here we really want to dump the sweat suit, as you said, the sweat pants, the cammi. >> come on out. come on. >> give her something a little more stylish.

>> fun little cotton, little a p.j. with a great bra. something fun, floral, makes you feel fresh even after a long day's work. >> and that's comfortable. >> easy to take it out. she looks good. >> i bet you're fun at a cocktail party. >> thanks, sweetie. >> moving to our 40s. >> getting close. >> this is billie's before picture. tell us about her before. >> a shapeless night shirt. dump those night shirts. they're not giving us any shape or look. get something a little more stylish but still looks -- >> let's see what billie's got going on. >> is that a cocktail dress? >> a little chemise. it's a beautiful, soft modal, which the fabric feels like on, drapes beautifully on her body. great little bodice. it's giving pretty good breast support. >> yeah. >> she's got on a beautiful little lace top that goes

underneath, you can see. >> yeah. >> she can wear something stylish like this. how fun is that? >> the color of spring, too, tangerine. >> also comes in a great navy and a wonderful green. whatever your color palette, we've got something for you. >> this is the 50s. >> the before picture of laura. cozy. >> she's wearing her leggings and an oversized shirt. >> i like that. >> that's a look a lot of women have at home, but can we give it more shape and style? >> maybe we can. here's laura. >> she looks great. >> silk is a fantastic fabric. every woman should have a silk nightgown. this looks beautiful. 'she's got great breast support even with a little more volume. obvious we're in the bra business so we're all about giving women uplifts. >> is all this affordable, susan? >> it really is. all of these were in the 100 or less range. every woman should clean out her

wardrobe, get rid of the t-shirts and the sweat suits that are not very flattering. >> let's bring everyone out. >> 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and more. >> so glad we stopped at the 50s. >> coming up next on the menu, avocado pesto pasta. that sounds really good. ♪ ♪ ♪ you do ♪ something to me ♪ that nobody else could do ♪

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saucy. you know what it is? >> what is it? >> "today's kitchen" getting saucy with vegan chef chloe. >> she took the tom prize on "cupcake wars," and now add author to her title, a new book, "chloe's kitchen." nice to see you. >> hello. >> steamy little thing. >> thank you. >> what are you making for us today? >> creamy delicious avocado pesto pasta. >> without any cream. >> no cream, no dairy, low fat, extra healthy. >> okay. >> let's get started.

>> okay. fresh basil. >> of course we do. >> we'll add that. and then garlic cloves. >> of course. >> a little bit of lemon juice to brighten the flavor. kathie lee, why don't you add our secret ingredient, the avocados. >> here. put the top on it. >> you're a pro. wait. just a little bit of salt. you want to add some pepper, hoda. >> okay. yes, i do. >> and a little olive oil. >> always. give it that italian touch. okay. snap that on. there we go. pulse it up. and here we go. we have avocado pesto. >> look at this. >> a little worried about that. here we go. >> we have creamy avocado pesto, so easy to make, like five minutes. we'll scrape it into our cooked l li linguine. >> is it hot or cold? >> i put it on hot.

i like hot pasta. >> you are hot. >> that's what they say. >> beautiful job. and then we're just going to toss it together. it's a very rustic dish. it doesn't take much precision. how to you like it, hoda? >> mmm. good. >> i got a little tummy thing happening. i'm nervous. >> i'm the tester. >> it smells amazing. >> you wouldn't even know it was vegan, right? >> it tastes premium. i know the taste. >> i know. >> come on back. >> let's go for dessert. i'm always ready for dessert. we're making thin crispy cinnamon espresso chocolate mousse today. we have our vegan margarine creamed with sugar. >> how different does that vegan margarine taste? >> it tastes exactly the same. we're going to add just a mix of flour, baking powder instead of eggs, so much less fattening and really simple, easy because you

have it on hand. >> okay. >> and a kick of cinnamon. >> i see that on the bottom. >> that's what makes it special and stand out from plain old chocolate chip cookies. >> is that chocolate? >> we have instant espresso mixed in, just a powder, you can buy it from any coffee bar and just mix it up. and you know what, we have it right here. >> oh! oh, no! you're okay. all right. we've got the dough right here. >> uh-huh. >> we're just going to flatten wit the palm of our hand. >> all right. i'm into this. how long do they cook? >> about 12 minutes. >> 12. >> mm-hmm. >> what do you think? >> they're delicious, really delicious. >> not soggy. >> has the ha coffee flavor. taste of cinnamon. >> that's awesome. good going. >> thank you. you guys are great. >> you are. >> thank you, honey.

>> up next, hoda or maybe yoda for this one head to head in a light sabre war. [ dog growls, barks ]

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grab your light sabe rers, "star wars" fans, bauds we are about to learn some intergalactic moves. ""star wars": the clone wars." >> his character supposedly died in the "star wars" movies, "the phantom menace," so his miraculous return has been anticipated by sci-fi fans. take a look. >> the most powerful being in the galaxy once. i was destined to become so much more. but i was flogged of that destiny by the jedi by obi-wan cano bee. >> then you must have your

revenge, my brother. >> yes. we shall start with revenge. >> and sam is with us in person today. nice to have you. >> thank you for having me. >> was that a fun phone call to get, when they told you you'd be playing the character? >> a fun phone call when they call you and you're driving down the street, hey, we want you to do this. >> felt like you won the lottery? >> sort of, yes. li a lot of fun. >> you sit in front of microphones, act it out, no makeup. >> yeah. >> this character in the first episode died by being sliced in half. >> so sad. >> we haven't explained this. >> lots of cosmetic surgery. new pants because he's got a different waistline now. >> are the "star wars" fans freebing out over this? >> yeah, they are. this is a big deal. this is a bold move. he did, in fact, die, so to bring him back we're reinventing the big bad wolf.

>> some people say don't mess with that, it's sacred history. >> i think that's why i almost had an consistent when i learned about it because i thought, now, it's on me. i'm going to do it well or screw it up. >> we've been teasing this light sabre business. you are going to teach us apparently how to duel. >> apparently. >> yes. >> the question is who wants to be good and who -- >> i'll be evil. i'm so good in person. it will be fun to play something else. why is one evil and one good? >> do we push a button? because it is. how does mine work? oh. you're red. >> so what happens? >> all right. step over here. what we're going to do, first thing is the ready position, on your right, like this. right hand on the top. you got it. there you go. the first move is just a right swing. >> i'm going to get hoda. >> she knows. >> that's right. so right swing like this, and then a left swing like this. so let's just see that.

>> right. >> one. two. and then drop it down like this for three. all right? so try it again. one, two, drop it down. >> three. >> let's try that again. >> what's the big deal? >> one, two, drop it down. >> that's when they hit? >> you got it. exactly. >> come to me. >> one, two, and drop it down to three. oh. well done, master hoda. >> that's yoda. because i'm evil. >> the final thing is we're just going to have an overhead cut, right? ready position. >> careful. >> one. one, two, drop it down for three, and then bring it up overhead. >> and done. >> thank you, sweetie. good luck with this. >> you can catch sam on "star wars" the clone wars friday night on the cartoon network.

>> and tomorrow the little sister of the olson twins, elizabeth, will be here. >> and prom fashion for your teen daughter. >> have an awesome thirst day. see you tomorrow. try day friday. >> yes, we will. i was paying too much with cable.

paying so much, you want better quality.

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