[ female announcer ] and best of all, it keeps getting better. no wonder more people choose xfinity over any other provider. ♪ love can be so mystical ♪ good morning. breaking news. an american soldier has been detained in afghanistan. witnesses say he walked out of a military base and opened fire on civilians. leaving some dead and wounded. could this re-ignite a new, anti-american backlash in the unstable region? a dollar and a dream? when it comes to the lottery they say you have to be in it to win it. but what happens when you try to redeem your winning ticket? some clerks may be cheating the odds and helping themselves to the jackpot. we've got the results of a "dateline" undercover investigation. and moves like jagger? this 6-year-old hockey fan and his fierce dance moves are making him an internet

sensation. he'll join us here in our studio to bust a move today, sunday, he'll join us here in our studio to bust a move today, sunday, march 11th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a sunday morning. i'm lester holt. >> and i'm jenna wolfe. five years in a row we have both made it to work on time, even though its daylight saving time. >> always that moment of panic. >> every single time. >> did i set it forwards? did i set it backwards. i love your tweet, your personal thoughts. thoughts in my head as i get ready to leave for work this morning. dear daylight saving time, i hate you, love, jenna. >> i said love, jenna just to make it a little bit easier. >> well put. all of us that got up early thinking the same thing. we've got a lot to get to including gop candidates gearing up for a showdown in the south. this week the focus turns to

upcoming primaries in alabama, and mississippi. >> and this comes as rick santorum and mitt romney score election victories on saturday. but two states contest could be make or break for newt gingrich. we're live from the campaign trail. >> then japan, one year later. we remember the horrific images from japan after it was struck by the earthquake and then the tsunami. today much of that country is reflecting on the past year. coming up we'll look at how people are trying to get their lives and businesses back to normal. plus, whatever happened to madeleine mccann? she was almost 4 years old when she disappeared five years ago. and now, investigators in portugal and scotland are taking a new look at her case file. we'll find out why. >> and there's something about harry from brazil's beaches, to slums, prince harry is a huge hit as he shows off his playful side. coming up why some royal watchers are calling his trip unprecedented. >> more smiles from him than i've seen in a long time. so we're going to start though with some breaking news out of afghanistan. a u.s. soldier has been taken into custody in southern

afghanistan. nbc's atia abawi is in kabul with the latest. good morning. >> good morning, jenna. nato is calling the incident regrettable. they're saying that a u.s. service member left his base in kandahar, province, and shot at civilians. but according to afghan officials, not only did he leave the base fully armed, he went into the homes of afghan villagers while they were sleeping, shooting at men, women and children. according to the kandahar media office right now, they're saying that at least 15 people have been killed or wounded. at least half of them, they say, could be fatalities. nato says that they've taken the wounded to nato emergency hospital facilities to help the casualties there. but this is not going to bode well for the u.s. and nato here in afghanistan. the anti-american sentiment here is boiling over, particularly after the koran burnings that we saw in bagram air base just a few weeks ago that resulted in mass protests throughout the country, willing 41 afghans, and

six americans. so obviously people here very fearful, as to what's going to happen next, what protests will come about throughout different parts of afghanistan, and how the taliban are going to use this to their advantage. jenna? >> atia abawi reporting for us from kabul. once again here's lester. >> all right, jenna, thanks. now to politics. and the focus in the deep south. former speaker newt gingrich is in search of a meback, hoping tuesday's primaries in mississippi and alabama, his native south, will be the start of a surge. nbc's ron mott is in dothan, alabama with more. >> good morning to you. rick santorum and mitt romney added to their victory totals on saturday. meantime, for newt gingrich, he is hoping for that surge, as you mentioned. mississippi and alabama apparently no longer must-win states for him with the former speaker saying once again he's in the race all the way to the republican convention. >> we're in it to win it here in kansas. >> reporter: before tuesday's big southern primaries in mississippi and alabama, rick

santorum got another run from his victory speech after winning kansas saturday. >> we're heading today to mississippi and alabama. and we're going to have a sweep this week. >> reporter: as he returns south, santorum is set to challenge newt gingrich on what the former speaker hopes is essentially home turf, as the pace of the race begins to quicken. >> this has been the wildest roller coaster. you don't know where you've been. you don't know where you're going. you're not sure where you are. but it's real exciting. >> reporter: with two primary wins in the south, gingrich called on his southern roots to lean his northern opponent. >> i got a biscuit and some cheesy grits. >> reporter: reminding of his georgia upbringing. >> i figure if you don't understand grits there's a pretty likelihood you don't understand the rest of the south either. >> look at that little guy. got him. it wasn't really a cockroach, i promise. >> reporter: and while romney is not crushing the competition as some once thought he would, his campaign touts the delegate scoreboard as the ex-massachusetts governor picked

up a few more by winning wyoming, guam, the u.s. virgin islands and the northern mariana islands. he's spending the weekend off the trail in florida. rick santorum's easy victory up in kansas is not expected to be duplicated here in the south on tuesday. late polls here in mississippi and alabama show a much closer race, with newt gingrich ahead of the field. lester? >> ron mott with a gorgeous alabama sky behind him this morning. thanks. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." david, good morning. good to see you. >> hey, lester, good morning. >> both romney and santorum walked away with a handful of delegates yesterday. let me talk about the kansas win, though, for santorum. was that a surprise or does that change the narrative in any way of this race? >> i think it was pretty el expected. he's in the middle of a sweep here that tends to favor him. certainly over romney. as he goes through the south and has some other contests like louisiana coming up. but as ron mentioned, it is the gingrich factor down in the south, mississippi and alabama, that's going to be the big factor here. >> big factor there, because a stronger conservative vote.

where does that potentially leave romney? does it bring gingrich back into the pack? >> i think it's that. i think if he can win mississippi or alabama, that gingrich can rightfully say hey, look, i'm going to stay in this thing. i'm still fighting as a southern candidate here. i'm accumulating delegates. why should i get out of the race. the difficulty, then, for santorum is that both these men would like to run one-on-one against romney, consolidate the anti-romney vote, that southern vote, more religious vote, and they can make a better run at him if that were the case. as it continues to be split, to favor romney. >> i'm looking at the numbers here. you need 1,144 delegates for the nomination. mitt romney needs just under half of all that remain. mathematically romney is still the front-runner but with santorum gaining momentum, gingrich having a shot in the south, is this thing truly up for grabs still? >> well, the map is very tough for anybody but romney. organizationally it's tough for anybody but romney. the only thing he lacks is that he's really not connecting with the heart of the republican

party. and that's a big deal. you know, back in 2008, as you think about the fact that hillary clinton and barack obama were going toe-to-toe here in the course of the primaries, the view inside the party is that both of these figures were pretty acceptable. and i don't think that's widely shared here. so romney has got to continue to make the case that math does mean momentum. and he's simply not there yet. it's going to take a longer period of time for him to really consolidate. >> and the longer these guys slug it out the more money they're spending and quietly the obama campaign, has raised $151 million. talk about a war chest. how does that change the dynamic when we march into the fall? >> boy, i mean, this entitles the president, and allows the president to carpet-bomb in terms of television advertising once there is a nominee. they are poised and they are ready. you think back to president bush when he was amassing his war chest, and it was a question about whether it would be a fair fight. you think about the fact that all of these candidates, even romney, is having some

fund-raising difficulties now. it's an enormous amount of money to be able to spend once you get into the general election, it does create a real advantage. this president has been able to sort of hang back here. yes he's engaging the candidates, but mostly hang back, spend this time raising money. it really does give you a leg up when it comes to the general election. >> all right, david, we'll see you a bit later on "meet the press." >> thanks, lester. >> now here's jenna. >> lester, thank you. in japan, a moment of silence. prayer and reflection as the country marked the first anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country. nbc's ian williams reports from japan. >> reporter: good morning from ishinomaki, one of the places hardest-hit by the tsunami, where they've been remembering the moment much of this city was swept away one year ago today. they stood in silent remembrance, marking the moment the tsunami hit. shattering lives and livelihoods

all along the northeast coast of japan. the time it was 2:46 in the afternoon. the tsunami followed a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, the strongest ever recorded in japan. almost 20,000 people died. one in five of them in this small city alone. it's a day that few here will ever forget. >> translator: it just brings back so many painful memories. >> reporter: his family chose today to return to the spot where their home once stood and from which his mother was swept away. after losing so much, how can you just move on, he said? the raging water obliterated entire towns along this coast, sweeping away just about everything in its path. and leaving fields of twisted wreckage. one year on, and most of the debris has now been cleared. and piled into these vast mountains of trash which now line the coast here. but there's still no real plan

for getting rid of it. which could take years, hampering the recovery. >> it seems like a cleanup, but nothing has changed. it's the same. >> reporter: more than 300,000 people still live in temporary housing. and the government has yet to come up with a blueprint for rebuilding. the tsunami destroyed 90% of the region's fishing fleet. the mainstay of the local economy. but there are signs of recovery. fishermen mark the anniversary weekend with a celebration. taking delivery of a fleet of ten new boats from the u.s. the u.s. charity operation blessings commissioned them from a boat builder in maine, because so many japanese builders were knocked out by the tsunami. these are resilient communities, determined to rebuild. but today was also a time to remember, and to reflect. >> such a horrible time there. one year ago. but they're making great progre progress.

let's get a check of the other top stories. cnbc's mandy drury is at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. u.n. envoy kofi annan is in syria trying to find a peaceful solution to the year-long crisis. but the diplomatic effort is running into new roadblocks. president bashar assad told annan saturday that he rejects any immediate negotiations with the opposition, and syrian activists say government forces launched a long-anticipated assault today to press the opposition in the north. family and friends are gathering on long island to remember marie colvin. the 56-year-old american journalist was killed last month in syria while working for the "times of london." colvin's friends called her a hero for trying to put a human face on the ugly face of war. a wake is being held for colvin today. her funeral will be tomorrow. canada and the action sports world have just suffered a tragedy at the ski world cup in switzerland. ski cross racer died saturday after crashing head-first into

the net on the side of the course near the final jump of a dangerous sport that's known as nascar on skis. he was 29. a man has been arrested in washington state in an attack that wounded a judge, and a sheriff's deputy. 34-year-old stephen krevitts was turned in saturday by his mother after he hid out at her home. it's not known what sparked friday's violence in which the judge was stabbed and the sheriff's deputy was shot. they've been treated and released from the hospital. and finally, a u.s. army veteran is on a 3800 mile bike ride for a very good cause. tom skinner has post-traumatic stress disorder from his years serving our country. now to bring awareness to ptsd, skinner is riding his bicycle from his home in california, all the way to vermont. skinner started his journey on saturday and is expected to make 117 days. and that's the news now, back to

lester, jenna and janice. >> all right, mandy, thanks very much. >> nice story there. janice huff is here with a check of the weather. >> are we all awake this morning? >> we have no choice. >> one day we'll get that hour of sleep back. good morning, everybody. let's check on the weather that's happening across the nation. and we'll zoom in on the southern plains. texas, parts of oklahoma, and arkansas, you're getting some much-needed rain. the only problem is, some of it will be severe. there could be a slight risk of severe thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. possibly some isolated tornadoes from shreveport up towards little rock. and into southern sections of missouri. so be on the lookout. in the meantime, sunshine across the northern plains. look at the temperatures in chicago, 65. near 60 in new york city today. and into the 70s across across southeast. that's what's going on around the nation. now here's your local forecast. and a good sunday morning to you. i'm storm4 meteorologist chuck bell. we have sun shining here in washington. it came up 58 minutes later than yesterday morning, but it's up, nonetheless. temperatures are on the cold side this morning, upper 20s and

low 30s in most of the suburbs. upper 30s in town and alongside of the bay. forecast for today, mostly sunny, warmer than yesterday, about a 10 or 12-degree improvement from yesterday. today's highs, upper 50s and low 60s. tomorrow, up near 70. now here's jenna. >> prince harry continues to win wave -- wave -- rave -- got all that -- rave reviews. so do i, on his overseas trip to brazil as he wraps off his visit the prince showed off his sporty side and his serious one. more now from nbc's chapman bell. >> reporter: his last day in rio. and prince harry showed no signs of slowing down. at one point, even appearing as two royals in one. starting a race as the third in line to the throne, looking to finish as the second. the morning was all about the olympics. and fun in the sun. london this summer, rio in 2016.

the prince showed local children a thing or two about rugby. and played volleyball on the beach with some of the country's best. >> wow, he's good. yeah, he's very good. >> reporter: under a hot rio sun, the prince impressed on the sand. >> it's kind of unprecedented for a royal to be so involved and be so athletic. that can only go down well with everyone. >> reporter: from the pristine brazilian beaches in the morning later to one of rio's roughest slums or favellas, as they are known. this particular one has been the scene of violent clashes between security forces and druglords in recent years. the prince stopped by for a game of cricket. and to open a new community center. he may be known as the party prince for liking to have a good time. but just his presence here has helped bring a corn val-like atmosphere here. from the shanty towns to the sandy beaches, rio is wild about harry. for "today," chopman bell, nbc news, rio de janeiro. and up next on "today," snakes, lizards, and turtles,

why these exotic pets were put up for adoption. yes, those. right after this. ♪ abracadabra. new hershey's milk chocolate with almonds in pieces. your favorites, in pieces. use the hand towel analyzer at kleenex.com and find out what could be on your cloth hand towel. [ ribbits ]

upgrade to kleenex hand towels for a clean, fresh towel every time. imagine going to the zoo and dropping off an animal. no questions asked. not just any animal, exotic pets like snakes, turtles or parrots. nbc's lilia luciano has details. >> reporter: at zoo miami this weekend, a strange turn of events. as people brought animals to the

zoo. from lizards to parrots to pythons, exotic animal owners turned in pets they can no longer keep. >> it's a little hard because i've had him for awhile. for my wife she couldn't even come she was so, you know, heartbreak-in about it. >> reporter: after seven years, sean wasn't ready to let go of his sugar glider named texas. >> you get attached to any animal that you have in the house. even a sugar glider, you know, that's nocturnal. even still they become a member of your family. >> reporter: from the cuddly to the not so cuddly the zoo's amnesty pet day welcomed all kinds of exotic animals owners can no longer care for. some if released could cause harm to other animals or people. >> once the novelty wears off they release them and then you have them competing with the natural environment. and they throw the balance of our natural chain out of whack. >> reporter: in the florida everglades wildlife officials say nonnative snakes are doing away with other native species. but is it really that big a problem? >> we saw a 17-foot python that had a 76-pound deer in its

belly. so, clearly they don't have a predator. >> reporter: the federal government recently banned the importation of four snake species, including burmese pythons. they love snakes, they want to get a snake, what do i have to keep in mind? >> you've got to do your research. learn the life span of snakes. many of these snakes can live over 40 years. it's a long-term commitment. >> reporter: a commitment some animal lovers are willing to take on. amnesty day is not about turning exotic pets in. it's also about finding them a new home. many new owners have already made their pick and now the time when they cross their fingers and hope for the best. >> it's cute, daddy. >> reporter: like young brody who got exactly what he came for. >> hey, little guy. >> reporter: and for texas, time 0 to saddle up to a brand-new home. for "today," lilia luciano, nbc news, miami. >> did i ever mention i hate snakes? >> a couple times. >> still to come on "today," dancing sensation. we'll meet this young hockey fan

and his fancy dance moves. fe, ever since i can remember. my name is paul fabry, and i grow oranges in florida for tropicana. my grandpa taught me that there's no orange like a florida orange. they're grown in just the right soil... with the perfect amount of sunshine. see, that's how you get that beautiful colour and ripeness. tropicana pure premium is made with 100% florida oranges. because the best oranges make the best juice. ♪ nature valley trail mix bars are made with real ingredients you can see. like whole roasted nuts, chewy granola, and real fruit. nature valley trail mix bars. 100% natural. 100% delicious. use the hand towel analyzer at kleenex.com and find out what could be on your cloth hand towel. [ ribbits ] upgrade to kleenex hand towels for a clean, fresh towel every time.

still to come on "today," five years after her disappearance, why are police in portugal taking a new look at the madeleine mccann case? we'll tell you. >> plus lotto luck or simple stealing? a "dateline" investigation reveals some dishonest clerks. isn't major medical enough? huh! no! who's gonna help cover the holes in their plans? aflac! quack! like medical bills they don't pay for? aflac! or help pay the mortgage? quack! or child care? quack! aflaaac! and everyday expenses? huh?! blurlbrlblrlbr!!! [ thlurp! ] aflac! [ male announcer ] help your family stay afloat

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at aflac.com. chase freedom is offering 5% cash back at gas stations this quarter. wow, thanks! beep. beep. activate your 5% cash back at chase.com/freedom. good morning, everyone. it is 8:26 on this sunday, march 11th. i'm erika gonzalez, and we've been following breaking news this morning.

d.c. police have confirmed a man was taken to the hospital after a fight at a northwest washington restaurant. it happened at the ihop at 14th and irving street. police are unsure if the attack was a shooting or a stabbing. right now, the restaurant is closed so that police can interview possible witnesses. we'll have a live report on this incident coming up on "news4 today" at 9:00, so stay with us for that. meanwhile, the island cafe in the petworth neighborhood is shut down until further notice following a stabbing. police say someone stabbed a man in the stomach yesterday morning inside the restaurant. he is in serious condition. d.c. police chief cathy lanier used her emergency powers to shut the restaurant down for 96 hours pending a hearing before the alcoholic beverage control board. plenty of delays this morning on the metro, on the red line. both the woodley park and the cleveland park metro stations are closed. free shuttle buses are running between the dupont circle and van ness stations to get you

around those closures and there is also single tracking on parts of the blue, orange and yellow lines. all work should be finished before tomorrow morning's commute, so good news there. meteorologist chuck bell has a look at your weekend forecast after the break. stay with us.

a cold start to your morning but things are going to be changing and they're going to be looking rather warm this week. let's check in with meteorologist chuck bell. what do you say, chuck? >> absolutely right, erika, no doubt about it. it's going to be a beautiful day outside today and a little hint of a warming trend is going to make it feel a lot more like may than march here as we head towards the middle of your work and school week. for now, your sunday morning's off to, we'll call it a delightfully cold start because we haven't had that many cold starts really. 27 manassas right now, 36 in downtown washington, 35 in bethesda and chevy chase and silver spring, 34 now in falls church, 31 in waldorf and la plata. sunny and warmer today than yesterday, highs today into the upper 50s and low 60s. near 70 tomorrow with a chance of a few showers coming in but

not until late in the day. erika? >> thanks a lot, chuck. all right, be sure to tune in at 9:00. we've got a full hour of news, weather and sports on "news4 today." but for now, it's back to the "today" show in new york. and we're back on a sunday morning, march 11th, 2012. nice day. can't complain out here in new york city. it's warming up. and we're going to start to feel like spring. actually sort of started to feel like spring the last couple weeks out on the plaza. i'm jenna wolfe along with lester holt. i have to say, do you have flat stanley? >> of course. >> well here's a flat stanley right here. flat jack. >> you have a camera? >> all the way from boston? >> want to get a shot. >> while they're talking. and this is almost like half 3-d. so if you go like this, charlie, it goes in 3-d. >> awesome. >> how old is this flat stanley? >> eight. >> how you doing? >> good.

>> that was the extent of my long interview today. how did it go for you? >> good. >> awesome. say hi, "today" show. >> hi, "today" show. >> flat stanley representing today by charlie and the girls. thanks, guys. >> nice to have you here, gang. >> will you stick around? can flat stanley much the rest of the show? beautiful. we've got a good half hour coming up. we're talking about madeleine mccann. >> it's been five years since she disappeared in portugal. but police there and in scotland yard have got some more information they're going on that may reopen this case. >> we're also going to talk about lottery ticket scams. you go to the lottery, some ticket sellers are actually being caught red-handed now as they help themselves to winning tickets purchased by their customers. our "dateline's" chris hanson will be here with the surprising results of his undercover investigation. this is surprising. >> then we've got a young guy here who's going to come on and show us some incredible moves. he already showed them to hockey fans up in canada at a vancouver canuck game.

zack millos wasn't shy about showing off those moves. we've got him in the studio. >> oh, that's great. >> shake it but don't break it my friend. >> they said in our notes he might be a little shy. i don't know what they're talking about. that is fantastic! >> at this point we might as well take the rest of the half hour off. >> seriously. what do you need us for? >> we're going to find more of his story coming up in just a moment. >> first we're going to get another check of weather with janice huff. >> i want to party with that kid. >> go for it. >> awesome. >> how are you? >> good. >> it's your birthday today? >> mm-hmm. >> what's your name? >> shai. >> and where are you from? >> new market, maryland. >> i love your hat. happy birthday. let's see what's happening. she'll be dancing and celebrating later, i'm sure. a look across the southwest and the west coast as another storm system moving in the pacific northwest, with rain and snow from seattle down to portland.

rain in san francisco and mountain snow. a series of storms expected there over the next several days. three to six inches of rain along the coast with wind gusts between 50 and 70 miles an hour. and there could be problems with avalanches in the higher elevations. so be aware. 57 for your high temperature today in san francisco. sunshine here infrancisco, sunse here in the northeast. that's what's going on around the nation. now here's your local forecast. and a good sunday morning, everybody. it is below freezing in new market, maryland, where that little girl is from, and it's below freezing in many spots this morning, especially out across parts of western fairfax county, loudoun county, virginia, up to frederick county, maryland. even frederick county, virginia, below freezing this morning at 28 degrees. not going to be there much longer, though. plenty of sunshine. we should all be above freezing before 10:00 a.m. and reach highs today up near 63 degrees. close to 70 tomorrow with a few showers late in the day, but mild all week. to get your weather any time of the day, logon to weather.com. now here's jenna. >> janice, thank you. madeleine mccann is the little

british girl who disappeared almost five years ago while on vacation with her family in portugal. but now, our investigators thinking of reopening the case? nbc's duncan gol stanley joins us from london with more. good morning, duncan. >> good morning, jenna. madeleine was only 4 years old when she went missing on vacation with her family in portugal. since then her parents have suffered years of heartache and frustration at how the investigation has been handled. but finally, they might have something to be positive about. madeleine mccann has been missing for nearly 5 years. in that time there have been suspects, there have been sightings, but still her disappearance remains a mystery. this maddie's last christmas at home. now a new police team will review the original investigation into her disappearance. >> we want to get a new team, new eyes, new hands on who will look at this evidence, perhaps in a new way, and see something

that other investigators may, just may have missed five years ago. >> reporter: the portuguese review will happen alongside one already being carried out by london's scotland yard. both are trying to shed new light on what happened during the mccann's family vacation. kate and jerri mccann had been dining in the resort restaurant while maddie slept in their nearby apartment. after she went missing a window and shutter were found open. despite a massive search and intense media coverage there were few clues as to where maddie was, or who had taken her. >> we will leave no stone unturned in the search for our daughter madeleine. >> reporter: but, the following year, portuguese police ended their investigation, which at one point involved questioning kate and gerry. they fought hard to keep their story in the public eye, determined the time since maddie's disappearance would be no obstacle.

>> if more than one person was involved, you may have had this pact of secrecy that took place at the time madeleine was kidnapped but that pact may have gone away. there may be someone out there right now who very much has a reason to come forward and to talk. that's the person law enforcement wants to identify. >> reporter: the mccanns say they welcome the case being reviewed and hope it leads to the investigation being reopened. hope is all they have had for five long years without their little girl. reports say there are no new leads that point to madeline's whereabouts, so portuguese police won't reopen the investigation. that is what kate and gerry desperately want to happen. this could at least be one step closer for them. >> duncan, thank you. and now here's lester. >> all right, jenna, thanks. investigators in california are keeping a close eye on lottery ticket sellers. it seems some of those retailers are stealing the winnings from consumers. "dateline's" chris hanson is

here with his countries gags. good morning. >> good morning, lester. three years ago we started following california lottery investigators as they pioneered their undercover sting operation to see if lottery clerks would honestly identify winning tickets to players. now we're back with them in san francisco. al is leading the team. we're on the streets of san francisco, with california lottery investigators. al is leading the team. >> today we're going to do random checks of businesses. >> reporter: though the california lottery has conducted operations all over the state, this is the first time investigators have worked the city by the bay. the undercover investigator will be taking in a $10,000 winning ticket, along with two losers. >> will you check those for me? >> reporter: this is the linken park liquor store. >> one $5. >> $5 winner? >> okay. all right the clerk says the ticket is a $5 winner and gives

him a new $5 lottery ticket. what happened to the another $9,995? a few months later the lottery investigators returned to san francisco, and we're right along with them. we're headed to the lincoln park market where lottery investigators once again presented three tickets, two losers, one $10,000 winning ticket. four days later, that clerk, who is also the owner of the store, put in a climb for the $10,000 ticket. lottery investigators have told him that he will be getting paid the $10,000 prize today. so at first, he may think we're the prize patrol. how are you? >> fine. >> nice to see you. >> good to see you. >> sounds like you're going to get $10,000 today? >> yeah, yeah. >> are you pretty excited about that? >> yeah. >> there's something you need to know. that is miami chris hansen with "dateline" nbc and we're doing an investigation into stolen lottery tickets. >> stolen? >> stolen. >> oh.

>> and there is an indication that you stole this lottery ticket. i show him the video from the investigator's camera. >> my ticket -- i -- i scan, too. >> reporter: he says he got the $10,000 winning ticket mixed up with a small winning ticket he had bought for himself. >> i -- i didn't wear the glasses before i scan tickets. tickets -- >> reporter: nguyen says he couldn't really see the tickets with his glasses. but as you can see the investigators stopped by that day, his glasses were perched on his nose. and he clearly doesn't identify the ticket as a big winner. why don't you tell me what happened. what really happened? tell me the truth. he sticks to his story. lottery investigators stick on the handcuffs. later, he pleaded no contest to a felony.

he was sentenced to 30 days in a work program and community service. the lottery also terminated his contract, he can no longer sell lottery tickets. when it comes to punishment, having his lottery contract terminated might be the stiffest of all punishments. lottery sales can be the lifeblood of a small store and he might also be in jeopardy of losing his liquor license. we also go into ohio, where we see about 10% of the time, the clerks try to steal the money. >> bottom line, we need to check our tickets. >> and sign them right away. >> yeah. >> all right. we'll see you later. i'll see you later on tonight. the story is going to air on "dateline" tonight at 7:00, 6:00 central time right here on nbc. hope you watch. up next, dancing machine. what makes 6-year-old jack milos dance his heart out? we're going to find out right after these messages. our machines help identify early stages of cancer and it's somhing that we're extremely proud of. you see someone who is saved because of this technology, you know that the things that you do in your life, matter.

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his sister all along with him. good morning. thanks everyone for being with us. hey, jack, how you doing? >> good. >> feeling all right? >> yeah. >> do you think of yourself as a dancing star at this point? >> yeah. >> no, i would, too. where did you learn how to dance like that? >> my sister taught me. >> ah, you're the one. >> mean if it wasn't for her you would have no idea how to dance? >> no. >> really? and ron we see you in the background as this is going on. what's going through your mind here? the camera stays on him? >> well, you know, at the games usually the camera focuses on the kids and you get maybe a couple of seconds. >> sure. >> and i was watching the jumbotron, it just kept going and going and going. >> you seemed like you were having as much fun as he was. >> it was a lot of fun. >> mom, the song choice, sexy and i know it seems to be jack's favorite song. it is your favorite song, right? >> yeah. >> of course. obvious choice. what do you think of that? >> well, he did want to use that for a school talent show audition and i wasn't sure about it. but, you know, they played it. he moved to it. he loves it. and now we're here.

>> and teaguen, what's your response? did you truly teach him these moves? >> i don't know. i think it comes pretty naturally to him. but i was the one that filmed it in the first place. but it's pretty spontaneous. >> it was all the moves. you don't have a name for any of those moves do you? >> oh, no. >> no. okay. do you want to be season any sort of dancer when you get older? >> yeah. >> you were a fan of the game. you got to meet one of your favorite players? >> yeah. >> can we cue the music? can we see some of those moves now? >> for it. ♪ i'm sexy and i know it >> oh, yeah. ♪ i'm sexy and i know it. >> it's your time, jack. ♪ ♪ >> he's so serious. he's so intense when he dances.

i understand there's a birthday coming up pretty soon, right? keep dancing. when's your birthday? >> march the 12th. >> and when is that? >> tomorrow. >> tomorrow. we want to wish you a very happy early birthday, jack. don't you stop dancing. don't let us get in the way in any way, shape or form. but if there's a way we can sort of hand these off to you, you keep dancing. happy birthday, jack. all right. >> and we have something for you, too. you want to stop dancing. >> what is this? >> here. >> pictures? >> oh. thank you. >> pictures. >> oh, and this. he's marketing himself quite well already. >> yak, thank you so much. >> you got us all dancing. >> and thanks so much to your family for coming in with us. >> thank you. >> you are welcome. >> keep dancing, jack. keep dancing. >> all right. just go for it. >> just ahead, is britney spears headed for the x factor?

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♪ custom spoiler, race grade pistons, ♪ ♪ gt35 turbo charger. ♪ and they'll all know that it's kevin's awesome car. ♪ bought em! ( clears throat ) sorry. when it's on your mind, it's on ebay. i heard what people were just saying about the awards going to your head and i can totally relate. now after i won my second academy award in '94, thank you. i asked my wife to sleep on the couch so that there would be enough room in my bed for my oscars to spread out. >> that was jonah hill on "snl" last night with some high octane star power from tom hanks. >> and joining us to talk about the week in buzz is alicia quarrels entertainment editor for the associated press and

comedienne carol raleigh. good morning to both of you. >> alicia, it's becoming quite common on "snl" now you bring on extra co-stars with the star. >> you've got to bring on the star power. so i actually interviewed jonah hill last week and he said the first time he did "snl," this was his second time, he was so nervous. this time he really wanted to enjoy it. he was really funny last night. >> carrie, i want to talk to you about -- >> hi. how you doing? >> thanks for being here. >> i don't like flat stanley but i'm here. >> let's talk about heidi klum she finally opened up about her split with seal. she didn't say much, though. >> no. >> but she did sort-of comment? >> she sort-of commented. listen, she can't comment. she's in the middle of a divorce and she is the bread winner. trust me, as soon as it's over, the divorce is over, she's going to be singing like a canary. she's going to have a $5 million book deal. and seal was talking a little bit. because he doesn't have any money. he doesn't care. he'll just tell everything. >> heidi said she wants to keep it quiet for her kids.

she doesn't want the kids to read the good or the bad. >> -- classy move. >> i want to talk about this new trend, it's not really a new trend, this posing naked and pregnant, jessica simpson -- >> nude trend? >> a nude trend. >> very good. >> jessica simpson on the cover of "elle" and the pose reminiscent of demi moore's pose of how many years ago. >> 21 years ago. mariah carey has done it, brooke shields done it. celebrities want to show that they're still hot even though they're pregnant. you build your image on what you look like. >> it's so not necessary. i think it's over. >> so not hot. >> no, she looked great. but i've seen myself naked as a pregnant woman. like i'm over it. as soon as that -- don't be so grossed out. >> i apologize. i wanted to see where the story went. >> do you remember that transgender man that was pregnant and he did the same pose? >> yes. >> when that came out i think it should have been over. enough with the naked ladies. >> i agree. people need to get more

creative. this has been done for decades. >> lester, don't think about doing it. >> no, no, no. >> rumor has it britney spears is going to be the new "x factor" judge? >> i give her two days and she'll be shaving her head and banging simon cowell's limo with an umbrella. she can't handle the spotlight. this is a bad idea. she's not very articulate anyways. i'm sorry but she's a -- lester, sorry, but she's a louisiana girl who just used to be a video queen. >> i think this is a great idea. >> come on! >> people always want to drop britney out. she's been doing this for more than a decade. yeah, she went a little bit off the rails but she came back. >> she cannot take the spotlight. she needs to get up there and dance and go home to her farm with her kids. >> her last album was one of her most critically successful. bring it on britney. >> maybe you two should be judges. >> back to the whole marriage thing, dennis quaid and kimberly buffington quaid filed for divorce. this is dennis quaid's third divorce now? >> he was famously married to

meg ryan. married to an actress before that. of course he and kimberly went through quite an ordeal because their twins were almost killed, given the wrong medicine at a hospital. this one is really sad. >> they're saying that she wants a lot of support financially from him. and he's saying he doesn't want to give any. this is his third divorce. he doesn't have any money left. all he can give is a divorce. >> the bank is empty. >> one final comment on dick van dyke, 86-year-old dick van dyke marrying his 40-year-old girlfriend? >> good for him. >> leap day. i'm going to take bets there's not going to be a ten-year anniversary. >> 86, good for you dick van dyke. >> right. and he was also saying that he wants a life partner. this is more of an end of life partner. >> whoa. >> i'm sorry. i love him. >> it's all good. >> somebody was going to say it. >> clearly. she did it. >> good to have you both here. thanks. up next "today's" "life illustrated" your special moments that you've shared with us after these messages. cigarette? you coming?

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time to find out what's coming up on "meet the press." david gregory joins us again from washington. hey, david. >> hey, jenna. coming up rick santorum will join me exclusively from the campaign trail this morning. then a preview of the fall campaign with two top governors, of virginia bob mcdonnell and the governor of maryland martin o'malley. plus our political roundtable featuring reverend al sharpton. we're going to talk about civility and politics and where it's all gone. >> civility and politics. it's a big deal. we made it. another year of daylight saving time. >> what do we do with our extra hour? >> i have no idea. we should hang out. want to hang out or something? want to get lunch or something? >> you got it. >> we're going to hang out. >> apparently so. we leave you this morning with

today's "life illustrated." our series that gives us a look into your lives. >> next week we'll feature your photos of spring. submit your spring pictures either to today.com, our facebook page or via twitter and you just might see them here on today. >> grab a coffee. >> that does it for "today," we'll see you next weekend. >> so lunch, right? lunch? okay. ♪ all this beauty might have to close your eyes ♪ ♪ slowly open wide all this beauty ♪ ♪ we traveled all night we drank the ocean dry ♪ ♪ and watched the sun rise ♪ you can ask about it

but nobody knows the way ♪ ♪ no trails to follow through your day ♪ ♪ it takes some acts sometimes it's better in the sunshine and bad weather ♪ ♪ it's a matter of of getting deeper any way you can ♪ ♪ oh, this beauty slowly open wide ♪ ♪ all this beauty we traveled all night ♪ ♪ we drank the ocean dry and the watched the sun rise ♪

good morning, everyone. i'm erika gonzalez. >> and i'm angie goff. welcome to "news4 today" on this sunday, march 11th, 2012. >> and we begin with breaking news in the district this morning. police are on the scene of a restaurant attack that sent one person to the hospital. >> it's happening right now at the ihop on irving street northwest in columbia heights. that's where we find news4's tracee wilkins, who's been out there all morning gathering information. good morning tracee. >> reporter: good morning. this is what we know so far. we did have one person transported to the hospital for