good morning. federal investigation. the fbi and justice department now looking into the deadly shooting in florida of an unarmed teenager by a neighborhood watch volunteer. will it lead to charges in the case? the magic number. voters headed to the polls in illinois today, where mitt romney hopes for a decisive win to clear up his path to the gop nomination. but will a strong showing by rick santorum mean the race will go all the way to the convention? and growing pains. kirk cameron responds to the uproar caused by his recent comments that homosexuality is detrimental and ultimately destructive. and he's here to address his critics "today," tuesday, march and he's here to address his critics "today," tuesday, march 20th, 2012.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning. i'm ann curry. >> and i'm matt lauer. it was back on february 26th that 17-year-old trayvon martin was shot and killed down in florida. and after weeks of outrage and protests, the feds are now involved. >> that's right. and the justice department says it will now perform an independent review of the evidence tied to the shooting in a gated community, and also take appropriate action. that investigation was announced last night just hours after several rallies to demand the shooter's arrest. we're going to get more on this brewing controversy coming up straight ahead. >> also ahead a story we told you about a couple of months ago. a woman who was lucky to be alive. she was hit by a shopping cart that was thrown from the fourth floor of a parking garage at a mall here in new york city. now, the victim is speaking out

about the incident for the first time, and wait until you hear what she has to say about the two teens behind the prank that nearly killed her. >> that's right. and also, just how much damage was done to the kony 2012 movement when vice-creator's apparent breakdown near his san diego home. and also should a strip club be allowed to donate to a little league team? today's professionals are weighing on those topics and much more this morning. it's a lot to get to. we begin with that federal investigation into the deadly shooting of an unarmed teenager in florida. nbc's lilia luciano has details for us this morning. lilia, good morning to you. >> good morning, ann. late last night the department of justice announced their civil rights division, and the fbi, as well, have opened an investigation into the death of trayvon martin. that's sure to be welcome news to many in this community, and now across the nation. across florida they demanded justice outside the prosecutor's

office. >> we want an arrest now. we won't wait. >> reporter: they want george zimmerman arrested for the deadly shooting of 17-year-old trayvon martin, as the teen walked through this gated community near orlando three weeks ago. zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer called 911 reporting, quote, a suspicious-looking guy. >> this guy looks like he's up to no good or he's on drugs or something. he's got his hand in his waistband. and he's a black male. >> are you following him? >> yeah. >> okay, we don't need you to do that. >> reporter: the two soon got into an altercation. gunshots heard, and a neighbor called 911. >> do you think he's yelling help? >> yes. >> all right what is your -- number? >> there's gunshots. >> reporter: martin was unarmed but zimmerman told police he fired in self-defense. martin's father told msnbc's reverend al sharpton that his son was targeted for his race. >> the police department is trying to make george zimmerman

out to be the victim and the victim is clear, trayvon martin, who is dead in the grave. >> reporter: zimmerman's friends and former watch volunteer frank coffee says martin may have been profiled but zimmerman is neither trigger happy nor a racist. >> we've got eight burglaries in the majority of the cases, the perpetrators were young, black males. so based on that, there was a heightened sense of paranoia in our community. >> reporter: but coffee admits zimmerman may have gone too far. >> he did go above and beyond with the use of deadly force. i myself probably would just carry pepper spray or a taser. >> reporter: police have now released more calls from zimmerman revealing he had a history of reporting suspicious neighborhood activity. >> there was a break-in in my neighborhood recently. and two youths that match the description of the people, they're back in the neighborhood. >> are they white, black, or hispanic? >> two black males in their late

teens. >> reporter: the department of justice says in addition to the civil rights investigation, they are sending their community relations service to sanford to try and relieve tensions among this community. george zimmerman did not respond to requests from nbc news to comment. ann? >> all right, nbc's lilia luciano, thank you so much. it is now 7:05. now here's matt. >> all right, ann, thanks very much. it's primary day in illinois. as vote ert cast their ballots in the gop presidential race, will the results there make it clearer who will face president obama in the general election or send the republicans closer to a convention without a nominee? nbc's peter alexander is in chicago this morning. peter, good morning. >> matt, good morning to you from chicago. this, of course, illinois is barack obama's home state, and it voted democratic in every general election for the last 24 years. but this year, republicans in the state have the rare opportunity to play a pivotal role in presidential politics, and mitt romney is hopeful that a decisive win in this state will put him one step closer to

locking up the nomination. as voters go to the polls in illinois today, rick santorum is trying to tear apart mitt romney's central campaign argument. that romney can fix the american economy. >> i don't care what the unemployment rate is going to be. doesn't matter to me. my campaign doesn't hinge on unemployment rates. we have one nominee who says he wants to run the economy. what kind of conservative says that the president runs the economy. >> reporter: romney quickly pounced. >> one of the people who's running also for the republican nomination today said that he doesn't care about the unemployment rate, that doesn't bother him. i do care about the unemployment rate. it does bother me. >> reporter: and to drive their messages home, both candidates have increasingly been relying on their wives. >> my sweetheart ann romney. >> reporter: to reach out to a coveted constituency. women. >> women are talking about jobs. women are talking about deficit spending. thank you, women, we need you. >> he's a great guy, he's completely supportive of women, he's surrounded by a lot of very strong women.

>> reporter: santorum, seated on the left, is also fending off criticism about a louisiana pastor who introduced him sunday near baton rouge, with these combative words. >> if you don't love america, and you don't like the way we do things, i have one thing to say, get out! we don't worship voodoo, we don't worship mohammed, we don't worship allah, we worship god. we worship god's son jesus christ. >> reporter: on monday santorum pointed out that he did not applaud as he tries to distance himself from the remarks. >> i think i made that pretty clear flout my campaign that we believe very much in freedom of religion. >> reporter: and while this marathon primary season extends into its 28th state, santorum insists the chances of the nomination fight going all the way to the national convention are increasing. a claim romney advisers dismiss as just talk. but romney supporter john mccain, a veteran of two bitter

presidential campaigns, says this extended republican race, that he calls the nastiest he's ever seen, is taking its toll. >> every day it goes by with these attacks on each other is a day that president obama wins. >> reporter: and tonight mitt romney will host his primary night party not far from here outside chicago. rick santorum is leaving the land of lincoln, matt for another lincoln landmark, gettysburg, pennsylvania. santorum's home state and a place where they don't vote until late next month. >> chuck todd is nbc's political director and chief white house correspondent. hi, chuck, good morning. >> good morning, matt. >> this idea that the republicans will get to tampa later in the summer without a clear nominee is gaining traction. it's not only some candidates who are talking about it, people in the media are talking about it, as well. is it a reality? or is it just talk? >> well, it is more than just talk. because when you sit here and game out the scenario here for mitt romney. look, it is fantasy that somehow

rick santorum can get the magic number of 1144. that seems impossible, and in the words of that romney adviser, it probably would take an act of god. but the real question is, can mitt romney hit the magic number of 1144? there's a lot of new convoluted rules inside the rnc this year and how they pick their nominee, and we war gamed it out. we have him about 50 short, if santorum and romney do this back and forth. so today it's romney. next week or two weeks from now on april 3rd, santorum wins in places like wisconsin, indiana, oregon and romney keeps winning in the northeast, places like new jersey, new york, et cetera, maybe even california, but santorum wins texas. you do all of this stuff, matt, i have him -- we have him 50 short. now, could he get it in state conventions, and in other ways? he could. but that's the real challenge here for mitt romney. i say it's only a little better than 50/50. >> let me clear something up here, because there's some terminology being used here and

i think it's being used almost interchangeably, yet i understand it to be very different. a brokered convention versus a contested convention. what's the difference? >> contested convention would essentially be, involve only the four candidates we have now. and they would be the only four brought up for nomination. and by the way, a rule clarification, if newt gingrich and ron paul, if they don't win five states each, their name can't basically be on that first ballot in tampa. it would only be romney and santorum. >> all right so contested is -- brokered means we've got some new faces brought in? >> a brokered would be, if you couldn't get that majority, if nobody could get it after a couple of ballots, then you would hear new names brought in, you know, and in that respect then you would start hearing the chatter about a chris christie, or a paul ryan, or even a jeb bush. >> or a mitch daniels. and what is the likelihood that someone in a brokered convention, who comes to this game very late, and who would only have basically two months to take on president obama in a

general election could accomplish it? >> well, in this day and age, and the way that we saw how many different front-runners? you know, i've talked to some republican strategists who say, actually, they might be better off with a brand-new candidate, because of the way, how poorly right now a mitt romney, a santorum, these other guys are wearing with the public, that there is this argument that maybe a new candidate, you know, their words -- the public won't be able to focus on those warts until perhaps after the election itself. >> all right, chuck todd in washington this morning. thanks very much for your perspective. >> all right. time now to get a check of the mornings's other top stories and natalie morales is at her most at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. we begin on this first day of spring with residents in the nation's midsection bracing for floods, after heavy rain, hail, and even a tornado battered the area from southeast texas to western missouri on monday. more rain is on the way. the tornadoes touched down last night about 25 miles from san antonio.

no fatalities were reported but dozens of homes were damaged, and areas of dallas-ft. worth and oklahoma lost power. army staff sergeant robert bales remembers very little about the night he's accused of killing 16 afghan civilians. this is according to his lawyer. bales is expected to be formally charged this week. meantime, there's a new revelation. bales owes $1.5 million from a 2003 court ruling that found him guilty of securities fraud back when he was a trader before joining the service. a trick of bombings in eight cities across iraq this morning has killed more than 46 people, and wounded some 200 others. this uptick in violence comes ahead of next week's arab league summit in baghdad. and security is being tightened at jewish sites in new york city and france today, after that deadly attack on a jewish school in toulouse, france. nbc's jim maceda is there with the very latest. jim, good morning. >> good morning, natalie. well, this morning the people of toulouse, a town known more for

its good food and jazz festivals, were waking up to the cold-blooded reality that a serial killer was in their midst. french police have beefed up their presence at synagogues, and at all schools. france, now on a heightened state of terror alert. this jewish school is where, on monday, a gunman firing a pistol and a .45 caliber automatic weapon mowed down a young teacher and his two sons, as well as the daughter of the school director. today it looks more like a shrine. >> how can you aim at children from a close range and kill them? >> reporter: a massive manhunt is under way, involving hundreds of police, counterterror, and serial killer experts. and police say they believe they've established a direct link to the brutal murders of three french soldiers, all from immigrant families, and also in the toulouse region, last week. the gunman appears to have killed with the same weapon, and used the same motorbike. french police sources say they're looking closely at links through right-wing extremist

groups who target minorities. meanwhile, the shockwaves from monday's attack are being felt as far away as new york city, where police have stepped up security at synagogues and other sites fearing copycats. >> where someone might see the events unfolding in toulouse and take it upon themselves to act out. >> reporter: across schools in france this morning, a minute of silence, and high anxiety about where the gunman might strike next. and, natalie, we're now learning that the gunman may have filmed the whole attack. french authorities today say the shooter was actually wearing a kind of camera on his chest. police now reportedly combing the internet for any video. and of course, for any more clues. natalie? >> just horrific there. jim maceda in toulouse, france. thank you, jim. now to wall street, and cnbc's courtney reagan's at the new york stock exchange. good morning to you, courtney. >> hi, good morning to you natalie. well investors are watching shares of apple today to see if the company can set more records

after closing above $600 a share for the first time on monday. apple announced it will pay a dividend for the first time in 17 years. elsewhere, gas prices on the rise, up four cents a gallon, to a national average of $3.87. up 27 cents in a month to the highest levels recorded for march. natalie, back to you. >> courtney reagan at the new york stock exchange. thank you. first lady michelle obama sat down with david letterman last night to share some laughs and she talked about one of her undercover shopping trips to target. take a listen. >> no one knew that was me, because a woman actually walked up to me, right, i was in the detergent aisle, and she said -- i kid you not, she said, excuse me, i just have to ask you something, and i thought oh, cover is blown, she said, can you reach on that shelf and hand me the detergent? i kid you not. and the only thing she said, i reached up, because she was short. and i reached up, pulled it

down, she said well you didn't have to make it look so easy. >> she also talked about her late-night chats with the president, and said he's always upbeat about the notoriously deadlocked congress. 7:15 right now. you're up to date. turn it back over to matt, ann and al. >> i was grooving on her dress. >> always look at the fashion. meanwhile grooving on the weather. first day of spring. >> yes. >> felt like spring for a long time here. >> depending on where you are you're grooving on the weather. unfortunately we've got friends down in texas, as natalie showed at the beginning of her news cast, it is rough. and it's going to stay this way. we've got a cold core upper level low, this is very intense, big upper level high intense. a big upper-level high pressure, a slow-moving front. a jet stream way to the north. alet of warm air and the collision zone, this is where the rough stuff is happening. we've got flood warnings, flash flood watches and flood watches from san antonio up to kansas city. look at these storms firing up right now. we have severe thunderstorm watches from corpus christi up into houston, heavy rain

falling. these are the rainfall amounts we're expecting over the next 24 hours. from houston, just to the west of new orleans, and to the east of fort smith, we're talking about anywhere from four to seven inches of rain. some areas locally could pick up eight inches of rain in the next 48 hours. flooding is going to be a major problem. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. meanwhile, the one thunderstorm that we were watching around here, i'm happy to say has been weakening as it's made its way through d.c. popping out on the east side, alexandria, melwood seeing some moderate rain, but the lightning, much less than earlier. getting ready to cross over i-85 here, the cell around oxon hill. you've got heavier rain. clinton and around woody yard and off to the east, around 382, west of >> and that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thank you. the victim of a dangerous prank at a shopping mall here in new york city is speaking out for the first time. she was nearly killed last year

when two teenagers tossed a shopping cart off a parking garage. the incident was captured on surveillance video. we should warn you these images are graphic. nbc's jeff rossen is in harlem with the story. hey, jeff, good morning. >> hey, ann, good morning to you. by all accounts, this woman shouldn't have survived this attack. i mean, you know, it's amazing she's alive, let alone walking around, out and about, and talking, as well. you're going to hear from her in just a moment. but first i want to tell you exactly what happened. last year she was outside this target store in harlem after buying candy, halloween candy, for needy kids in the area. that's when a couple of teenagers were on the fourth floor parking deck of this shopping center and threw a shopping cart over the side, hitting marianne here on the ground and crushing her. all of it caught on tape. >> i'm going to a doctor's therapy, and i just hope that i feel better and better soon. it's been a long haul. >> reporter: you're watching a

miracle in progress. marion hedges, beating the odds. this surveillance video shows the moment of impact outside a target in harlem. two teenagers pushing that shopping cart off this parking garage, smashing into marion, 50 feet down. she collapsed in a heap, as her 13-year-old son watched. at the time, mere survival seemed unlikely, let alone this sidewalk interview taped monday. >> a little makeup and hair helps. i'm doing one day at a time. i don't have eyesight out of my left eye. no vision. so my optical nerve was damaged. so it affects my walking. i only have one eye that works. so i have to -- it's hard to see close or far. it's a work in progress. >> reporter: marion was here buying candy for needy inner city children when it happened. before the accident, she was a well-known social activist. but on this day, halloween day, 2011, these two teenagers, in the very neighborhood where she

volunteered, dumped a cart as a joke, a prank. >> what about the two young boys who did this? >> i had nothing to do with that. so i am only focusing on recovery and we're focusing on helping other young boys that need help. but i really can't help those young men. >> reporter: the boys have both pled guilty to assault, now serving time in group homes. and if you're impressed by marion's bravery, listen to what she said next about the teenagers who nearly killed her. >> i can't help them but i wish them well. i do. because i feel very sorry for them. >> reporter: marion's father-in-law, not as forgiving. >> you have words for them as all. >> they should be hung by their toenails. >> reporter: there was one teenager there who tried to stop the attack. in the minutes before the tape shows she pushes the cart back inside but something happens off camera, he runs away, and the two boys lift it over, sealing marion's fate. >> a shopping mall is not a

place for young children to be hanging out. >> what an incredible woman. we should tell you at least one of the boys who pled guilty in that attack has said he is sorry for any pain and suffering he has caused. by the way, marion hedges' family is now suing this shopping center claiming a lack of security. we contacted the shopping center late last night. they would not comment because of the pending litigation. but told us in a statement, quote, our prayers for a complete recovery remain with mrs. hedges, and her family. but just an amazing woman, ann. >> all right, jeff rossen, thank you so much. and coming up, a mistrial declare in nicollette sheridan's wrongful termination case against the creators of "desperate housewives." we're going to ask our legal team of star jones and savannah guthrie. first this is "today" on nbc. ♪

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some harsh criticism. >> and kensington palace. princess diana's former home reopened to the public and among the things you can see, some of her most iconic gowns. we're going to go their live. first your local news and weather. we know a place where tossing and turning have given way to sleeping. where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta can help you get there, like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions, such as tongue or throat swelling, occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you.

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good morning, i'm joe krebs, at 7:26, tuesday, the 20th of march. power outage at cal verton school in beltsville. the students relocated to duvall high school. and we're dealing with rain and lightning around the region. here's veronica johnson with an update. >> we have the rain, joe, but the lightning has very much diminished. you're seeing the area of rain, koettering to clinton and around southerland, still heading to the south and east. but the thunder gone, expect a high today of 73 degrees and

much higher by the end of the week, 79 to 82 thursday and friday. joe? >> thanks very much, we'll see how the weather is affecting the how the weather is affecting the commute next, stay with us. homicide of young people in america has an impact on all of us. how the weather is affecting the commute next, stay with us. 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.

good morning, traveling eastbound i-66 at nutley street, we have a crash there blocking all but the left lanes. now back to new york and "the toda

wow, how pretty. 7:30 now on a tuesday morning, the 20th of march, 2012. spring arrived officially overnight and right on cue the cherry blossoms are in full bloom in washington, d.c. for today's kickoff of the annual festival that's marking its centennial celebration. congratulations to the folks down there. and not to be outdone, we've got some stellar weather here in the northeast in new york city, a big crowd in rockefeller plaza. we're going to get out there and say hi to those people in just a couple minutes. beautiful here over the last month or so. inside studio 1a i'm matt lauer alongside ann curry. and just ahead, another famous sight. >> that's right. because the queen is reopening

kensington palace to the public after a multimillion dollar revamp. and some of princess diana's most famous dresses are on display. so we're going to give you a peek as we go there live, coming up this morning. >> all right. also ahead, today's professionals are in the house. among the topics we'll discuss, should penn state name its football stadium after late legendary coach joe paterno. and should a little league team in need of money accept a donation from a local strip club? we'll find out what the pros have to say about that. >> all right. also coming up, kirk cameron, the star of "growing pains" has found himself in the middle of a controversy after describing homosexuality as unnatural and detrimental. so what does he have to say to people who feel that his words were hurtful? does he have any regrets? we're going to talk to him coming up this morning. but we begin this half hour with a mistrial declared in nicollette sheridan's "desperate housewives" wrongful termination lawsuit. craig melvin is in los angeles with the latest on this story. >> ann, good morning to you. every single juror told the

judge on monday that even if she gave them more time, they wouldn't be able to reach a verdict. they were hopelessly deadlocked. if there's a retrial, the courtroom drama will outlive the show itself. another housewives cliffhanger. eight jurors believe nicollette sheridan was wrongfully killed off the show. but in california it takes nine to reach a verdict. sheridan's attorney. >> we got the story out. we told the truth. twelve of our fellow citizens made a judgment, we came up one short. we'll do the dance again. >> reporter: the 48-year-old actress had sued for $5.7 million. she claimed her sultry character edie britt was killed off because she claimed the shows acreator mark cherry slapped her during rehearsal. cher hi himself testified what she called a hard hit was a light tap while rehearsing a scene. >> you know someone else with a body like this? >> reporter: witnesses for the show testified the decision to write off her character was made

months before she complained. one juror who sided with sheridan said many jurors simply did not believe the defense witnesses. >> there were a lot of people that some of the jurors found not too credible. >> reporter: beverly crosby also took issue with what happened after the on-set incident. >> i'm not going to say cover-up, that's a very strong word. but i just know that it wasn't handled the way it should have been handled. >> reporter: like a classic housewives episode, a trial with two weeks of surprises, with plot twists. a mystery witness surfaced. >> i received an e-mail soon after nicollette filed suit. >> reporter: during testimony a producer slipped up and leaked fan favorite mike tell fino was being killed off, then the jaw dropper. >> obviously i'm thrilled by the judge's decision. >> reporter: last week the judge threw out the complaint against cherry saying there was not enough evidence. lawyers for abc now say that means the retrial will be

different. >> the case is going to be far more narrow than the previous case. and we're going to refocus our energies on the sole remaining claim. >> reporter: law professor laurie levenson, who's followed the case, isn't so sure there will be another chapter in the courtroom soap opera. >> i think there's a high likelihood that they will settle. it really doesn't make sense to go through this retrial again. that's going to cost a lot of money. and there are no guarantees on either side. >> reporter: but again at least publicly, both sides say they will do this thing all over again. the judge in the case says that she will set a new trial date for april 19th. "desperate housewives"' series finale will happen in may. >> craig melvin. star jones is a former prosecutor and veteran legal commentator and savannah guthrie is "today's" legal correspondent. good morning. so does this really go back now to square one? >> that's what both sides are saying right now. but you have to believe that having gone through this trial, they now have a pretty good idea what the settlement value of the

case is. so why wouldn't the two sides just get together and reach a settlement? clearly that's what the judge wants them to do. she said you guys ought to go talk. so far that hasn't produced any results. i think one of the defense attorneys said we talked, nothing's changed. >> they're digging their heels in, basically saying we're going to do this all over again. >> i'm wondering though, given that we've heard that the jury was split 8-4 in sheridan's position, favor, you know, would you not think that abc may want to decide to, you know -- >> cut their losses? >> yeah, exactly. >> but i think it would also be a precedent for in the future. the last thing that any network wants to do is not be able to creatively get rid of a character when they want to. they don't want to have to worry about coming back and having to pay out contracts. saying we want you to do this, but in reality it just doesn't make financial sense for them. 8-4 in favor of sheridan, though, came down on credibility. the jury did not believe the abc executives. and they made that very, very clear.

they thought their story was made up. >> and to some degree the fact that so many people on the jury were women may have played a part in that. >> well, it may be. you had a jury that was predominantly women. it broke down 8-4 finally in the final vote that did not budge over the course of several days. what may change is how the lawyers look at picking a jury, if we get to a second trial. because, the testimony fundamentally will be unchanged. so the only real difference you can have in the second trial is what kind of jury you get. >> because beverly crosby who is one of the jurors said she believed sheridan was fired after filing a complaint that mark cherry hit her on the set in 2008. she said it didn't matter whether it was a slap or a tap to her it was that a woman had been touched without permission. >> and that -- >> i was going to say -- >> the thing about this though is the jurors didn't even get to consider that claim because the judge threw out that battery claim before it even got to the jury. >> i think it would have ultimately come down to the same kind of split. it probably would have split 8-4 on the issue of battery had they had an opportunity to discuss it.

but it's very clear the jurors, the female jurors, did not appreciate whatever cherry was trying to do. >> so was he a pretty lucky man then? >> i think he's going to have a very nice evening being able to go home to his house and not worry about being a defendant in the next lawsuit. but the issue still will remain the same. it will not change. >> okay. and i guess we'll be here talking about it all over again. >> don't look so happy about it. >> star jones, savannah guthrie, thanks so much. now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> thank you. we have a lovely musicalible ter lewd here. and this is a group, carnegie hall, the mark -- what's the school? >> mariner high school. >> from everett, washington. very nice. ♪ all right. all right. very nice. good finish. let's show you what we've got

going on for today. look at these temperatures. temperatures, out west, anywhere from five to 20 degrees below normal from phoenix to el paso. to the east of the front, you can see look at these temperatures, marquette, michigan, almost 40 degrees above normal. 21 degrees normal in raleigh. boston will be 30 degrees above normal. chicago today, 84 degrees, while it's only going to be 48 in salt lake. 61 in las vegas. strong storms going on right now, texas, louisiana, into the mid mississippi river valley. record highs in the east. more rain and wind in the pacific northwest. including everett washington, look for sunshine through the southwest, plenty of sunshine in the plains. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> from thunder to rain moving southeast of d.c. still it's taken its time. but again the thunder is gone. so toward deal now in sunderland, some rain right around waldorf, maryland, your temperatures are from 55 degrees

in martinsburg. 54 in winchester, to 63 in d.c. your high today, 75 degrees. don't forget, get that weather any time of the day or night. go to weather channel on cable or weather.com online. ann? >> all right, al, thank you. coming up next, one mother's crusade to put an end to binge drinking after her daughter's tragic spring break death. and later kirk cameron is here to respond to criticism about his views on homosexuality. that's coming up right after this. [ male announcer ] the game of life with the prius c!

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but you add in binge drinking, and it can also have deadly consequences. nbc's janet shamlian is in panama city beach, florida, with one mother's heartbreaking story. janet, good morning to you. >> matt, good morning. this may be the first day of spring, but this is the season college students know as spring break. and here in panama city the beautiful beaches attract more u.s. students than any other destination in this country. but it can be very dangerous this time of year. just last week, here a missouri man died after a night of heavy drinking, and sadly it's not an isolated case. the bikini brigade in panama city beach. when 450 women paraded along the beach earlier this month, it shattered an old guinness world record and kicked off a new season. spring break. this year, more than a quarter million students will descend on the florida city. across the country, millions of

teens and twentysomethings will hit other hot spots. an alcohol fueled blur of sun and surf. one year ago, molly amman started her spring break. no far away destination for the university of florida freshman, just an overnight at a beach front condo not far from her parents' home. >> she left at 9:00 at night to go to the beach with friends. >> and were you concerned at that point? >> no. >> and why would her mother be? a star student, the 19-year-old was always considered the responsible one. but on this night molly's friends say she drank too much. at 2:00 in the morning they put her to bed to sleep it off. she would never wake up. molly's blood alcohol content was 0.4. the equivalent of 13 shots of alcohol, and five times the legal limit. >> i was really worried about, you know, date rape at a party. i mean that's the kind of stuff i used to preach on. never did i think she would drink so much, in such a short

period of time, that it would cost her her life. >> reporter: molly's death has shattered her family. her older sister katie transferred schools to be closer to home. her parents are emotionally broken. >> i know she's not coming home, but it's still the way she left it. >> reporter: one year after it happened angie can't bear to pack up molly's bedroom. but she is tackling something equally challenging. speaking out, and sharing molly's story on facebook. >> the message has to be, you are your brother's keeper. look out and don't be afraid to call for help. >> reporter: out-of-control drinking is on the rise. more than 90% of the alcohol consumed by youths under the age of 21 is chugged in the form of binge drinking. and a whopping 42% of full-time college students are binge drinkers. experts say the carefree culture of spring break can be a breeding ground for bingeing. liquoring up and passing out is sometimes part of the plan. it wasn't for molly. >> i may have been really mad if they had called me and said oh,

molly's drunk and she's incoherent. you would so much rather be that mad at your child than face a lifetime without her. >> reporter: a daughter's death, a mother's heartbreak. and hope that molly's story just might save a life. and with binge drinking on the rise, spring break can be a toxic environment. alcohol is easy to get. and among young people, it often becomes a game, who can drink the most. matt, back to you. >> janet shamlian in florida for us this morning with a cautionary tale. janet, thank you very much. on a lighter note, coming up next, a look inside the newly restored kensington palace and the famous dresses of princess diana that are now on displace there, right after this. as a chef we are always committed to our suppliers...

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the public and nbc's michelle kosinski is there. hey, michelle, good morning. >> hi, ann. you know, usually we're in front of buckingham palace where the queen lives. but kensington is even older and full of stories, happy and sad, that span four centuries. very soon it will open to the public. displayed as it's never been before. what is it like to live inside a beautiful old palace? a sea of opulence. vaulted, soaring ceilings with history. now we all can step inside, walk these long hallways. princess diana raised her two little princes here. a happy place for them. and here we now find her iconic gowns, living on within these walls. >> this is the dress that diana wore as a young 19-year-old for her first public engagement. >> reporter: and a dress diana reportedly fretted over, worried it was too small, too low.

it was criticized. daring, sexy. flash forward 30 years when her son's new wife, the duchess of cambridge wore an almost identical gown, but was only hailed as elegant. diana fared better with her later choices. this one by catrine walker. this one made for a trip to thailand. and of course diana was a big fan of the little black dress, simple or sparkly, she shined in them. but just around the corner is another special place. >> this is where princess victoria first met the love of her life, prince albert. >> reporter: that's right. one of the greatest royal love stories of all time. born here. and queen victoria herself was born at kensington. a lonely, tormented childhood. that is until she became queen at 18. and could do as she pleased. >> ail hail the queen. >> she loved to party. she stayed up late dancing until

4:00 in the morning. she said shocking things. >> reporter: here her most personal mementos. never before displayed. her dolls. sketches victoria and albert drew of each other. and the books she read him on his death bed. all now brought to life here, inside and out. where royalty walked and played, lived and died. happy and tragic. since the 1600s. all under this roof. some even believe it's haunted. the renovation cost $20 million. money that doesn't come from the government, but from donors. the larger apartment where william and catherine will live will not be open to the public. ann? >> all right, michelle kosinski, thank you so much. i'd like to go there. >> beautiful place. >> coming up next we've got kirk cameron on his new movie and his views on homosexuality. >> and today's professionals tackle hot topics of the day.

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good morning, i'm joe krebs, it's 7:56, we told you about a power outage at calverton elementary school in beltsville. but now the power is back on, the lights are on and the school soap. we've been keeping our eyes on an accident in virginia. here's daniella. >> still checking out the accident on i-66 at naughtily street. blocking all but your left lane and you're very slow on i-66 eastbound, just 15 miles per hour from fairfax county parkway to the beltway. outer loop of the beltway at van durn street, an accident. >> we'll take a break, come back and check the forecast. ♪

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there's no going back. ♪ welcome back. on the radar, this rain may be ending, but it's going to return late this afternoon. clinton to calvert beach headed towards or through the rest of calvert county. and even areas of southern anne arundel county. we're going to hit a high today of 75 degrees. down to the south and west of the area, 73 in d.c. close to 80 on

8:00 now on this tuesday morning, the 20th of march, 2012. a little hazy out here in new york city. but, we're going to get a check from the top of the rock. it's actually quite beautiful, even despite the haze. and we have a huge crowd down below, with a case of spring fever gathered here in rockefeller plaza, because this is, of course, the first day of spring. i'm ann curry alongside matt lauer. and also al roker, and we've got a lot to ask of "today's professionals," matt. >> a really interesting topic. for example, how much has the creator of the kony 2012 campaign, jason russell, hurt that campaign by what happened

last week, where he was caught naked on the streets of san diego? screaming obscenities. we'll talk about that. also, should penn state university name their football stadium after the late legendary coach, joe paterno? obviously in the wake of the sexual scandal that rocked that university, a lot of questions about that. we'll talk to the pros about it. >> you could even ask if you have time, questions about kirk cameron's recent comments about homosexuality. it's caused a lot of flail and people are kuwait concerned about what he has to say. this morning he'll answer his critics and also he's going to talk about a new movie that he has coming out. >> all right. and then later on celebrity homes. some on the market. we're going to take a tour, including a home that judy garland lived in when she was filming "the wizard of oz." you know what she said about it? >> no, tell me, al. >> there's no place like home! there's no place -- >> and then she clicked her heels. >> yeah. and she pitched off into the studio where natalie morales is

waiting. >> i'll save you guys. in the news this morning, mitt romney is hoping for a strong showing in illinois as voters head to the polls in that state's primary. romney is trying to ride the momentum of this weekend win in puerto rico to tighten his grip on the republican nomination. meantime, rival rick santorum will be campaigning in pennsylvania. the state he once represented as senator. federal authorities are now investigating the deadly shooting of an unarmed florida teenager by a neighborhood watch volunteer. last night the justice department announced it will perform an independent review of the evidence tied to last month's shooting of 17-year-old trayvon martin in a gated community near orlando. earlier monday, law students from across florida protested outside the prosecutor's office, demanding the arrest of the shooter. gab rele giffords' longtime aide says he will now run for a full congressional term in the november election. ron barber had previously announced he was running to fill giffords' vacated seat in a

special election. giffords resigned from congress in january to focus on her recovery after she and barber were shot and wounded in the tucson massacre that left six people dead. more shake-ups today for the oprah winfrey network, own, as the struggling cable operation lays off some 30 people. that's about 20% of its workforce. it's also restructuring operations in new york and los angeles. winfrey called the moves business decisions that were difficult and tough. and now for a look at what is trending today. our quick roundup of what has you talking online. a little jail time hasn't dampened george clooney's sense of humor. twitter is buzzing after his arrest friday during protests wrought side the sudanese embassy in washington. clooney's cell mate said he tried to pin the whole thing on his pal, telling police his name was brad pitt. well, we knew the latest ipad was a hot commodity but now tech blogs are posting reports of customers complaining that the tablet is becoming too warm to hold after prolonged use.

and other tech sites are alerting users to watch what they say since the ipad's new dictation feature sends all your information directly to apple for processing. a feature apple has been up front about. and will the real mitt romney please stand up? this video parody of eminem's famous rap is going viral and being shared across facebook. >> real romney please stand up. we're going to have a problem here. >> like you haven't seen a mormon before george i'm not concerned about -- got it wrong. sorry that's not what i want. >> every american -- >> if only political ads could be that entertaining. it is now 8:04 right now. let's go back outside to matt and ann. you've got to watch everything you say. because they dice it up. >> what you can do with a home computer. no question. natalie, thank you very much. >> let's get a check of the weather with al. he's out here somewhere. where are you, al? >> i'm over here. your first trip to new york? >> yes, it's my first trip to new york. >> where you from? >> i'm from the university of

dayton. >> very nice. you grew up there? >> no, i'm from columbus, ohio. >> all right. in the back -- the -- the -- buckeyes are not in the sweet 16, but matt is taking -- quite painfully aware of that. let's show you what's happening as far as far as your weather is concerned. fort myers, florida, nbc, isolated thundershowers, 87 degrees, it will be 84 in chicago, not so nice in the pacific northwest. where we've got more rain, more snow coming into the mountains. rain along the coast. rainfall amounts generally about an inch or so. but the mountains, the cascades, the siskus. back into the ohio river valley, the risk of strong weather making its way down through texas. in fact we're looking at airport delays, dallas on into houston. the rain and the wind continues in the pacific northwest. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods.

and back to the latest weather. ann? >> al, thank you. coming up "today's" professionals are in the house to give their take on a number of topics, including the breakdown of the man behind kony 2012. and much more after this. i've worked hard to build my family. and also to build my career. so i'm not about to always let my frequent bladder urges, or the worry my pipes might leak get in the way of my busy lifestyle. that's why i take care, with vesicare. once-daily vesicare can help control your bladder muscle and is proven to treat overactive bladder with symptoms of

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day. good morning. let's start this week with one we started with last week. kony 2012 campaign. the maker of the video that's now been seen by something like 85 million people online, jason russell, got into some problems last week. he was seen running around naked on the streets of san diego, spouting obscenities. how much has he hurt the campaign he helped to create? >> he hasn't. i mean, i think this looks like a psychiatric meltdown, and as evidenced by the fact that the police took him to a hospital for evaluation, perhaps this man who's not used to the public eye, who knows what's in his background. but i don't think you take someone like this who has -- who's seen as being in despair, and does it hurt the hunt for a master criminal? no. >> you know what? social media helped to make him and make this an issue. social media will also destroy him. because social media has turned this into the biggest joke ever. >> i don't know. >> i don't necessarily agree. the theory of oh, wow, the light's going to shine too

bright and i'm going to stay away from bringing the next important issue. i think this is just my guess, a very isolated case of a sick man. but i don't think it's going to -- >> you think on april 20th, a day this campaign hopes will be a day of action, where people go around and make sure people understand about joseph kony that those same people who will signed up will show up? >> no, not one change. >> i can't wait to have this conversation. >> i think young people are very, very smart. and i think they can delineate the difference between someone who is sick -- >> i think the hunt for evil will trump here. >> let's move on. trayvon martin a 17-year-old man in florida was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch commander. he was walking on the street of a community. he was unarmed, and some of the altercation that occurred between these two men before the fatal shot was fired was captured on a 911 call. listen. >> so you think he's helling help? >> yes. >> what is your- >> there's gunshots. >> there's someone screaming and

i just heard gunshots. >> there's a black guy down. it looks like he's been shot and he's dead. >> trayvon martin's family says he was shot because he was black. the man who did the shooting was hispanic, a man from a multiracial family. where do you see this going? the justice department is now investigating. >> i'm glad that the justice department has walked in. he was a 16-year-old who turned 17 about a month before this incident occurred. and every african-american mother i know has not had a really good night's sleep since this occurred. when you have a 17-year-old black child and you send him out to the store, you now worry, is he going to come home, and what scares me more than anything is that my colleague and friend nancy here has a 17-year-old and we both shared she doesn't have those same concerns. and i think that's fundamentally wrong in america. >> the police in that community have not brought any charges. they've turned it over to the state. but social media and local protests have now caused the justice department to get

involved. i want to ask you about that aspect. is that healthy? social media driving the justice system? >> yes and no. the good news is obviously now we are a very democratic society, vis-a-vis social media. the concerning thing, i'm not saying it applies to this case, although maybe it does, is we're reducing things to simple visuals and simple snapshots that people can get, hear me out. >> i am. >> that people can too quickly get behind and once again drive the system. i think there's an underbelly to this. whereas not everything can be reduced to -- >> but i like the fact that social media is driving the investigation because i think this would have just fallen off the face of the earth. you can hear police say okay, don't proceed any further. he did. one person's armed. one person isn't. is there race involved? probably. i think it's a very -- >> you're going to see a scenario -- >> vigilante justice is wrong. >> leading up to this we saw from mitt romney where they're putting clips together. in the ipod age where everybody

can edit and cut and tape -- >> let me wrap it up by saying it's okay if maybe social media drives the justice department to get involved as long as the investigation is fair. >> exactly right. >> it's not about a reckless or an accident. the justice department is going to look for intentional act. >> let me move on to the next topic. a new quinnipiac university poll, people were asked would it be appropriate for penn state university to name its football stadium after the school's late legendary football coach joe paterno? who, of course, was fired over the last year before he died, because of the fallout of the sexual scandal that rocked that university. before i give you the results of the poll, weigh in. >> i -- i have an issue with it. i think with this man, he died at 85, let's let his legacy live on in a wonderful way, talk wonderful about him. but to lionize him, no pun intended, and name, somehow there is an incredible sensitivity to the families affected. he made a mistake. i don't think we have to destroy his reputation. but i don't think we have to elevate it.

>> i'd like to hear the judge's investigation. i don't think you move forward in naming a stadium until the investigation -- >> and the university has said that's exactly what they're going to do, wait until the facts come out. >> i think they're going to do it. >> i don't think they will. i don't think they can. i just don't think you can put neon lights, and once again, i'll give it, he's an 85-year-old. he made a very bad judgment call but i don't think we put that in an asterisk in the corner. >> 46% were in favor, 40% against. a lot of people weren't sure. >> wow. >> there will be enough time and distance and they'll probably do it. >> let me end on this one, a little bit lighter. a little league in southern california, just outside los angeles looking for donations from the community to help, you know, with their costs of conducting business. and they got a lot of donations. one of the donations they got was a check from a local strip club for $1200. >> a lot of money for a little league. >> actually i think it came in single dollar bills. but should they keep the money? i'll tell you what they decided

later. >> matt's going to start with me. absolutely. >> keep the money? >> if they're saying come to the cheetah club on the back of the uniforms. but that aside it's money for the kids and it's not illegal and i would like the match to the donation right now i feel so strongly about it. >> i will not match the donation but i do think it should be bad news bears and they should keep the money. >> there's no reason for them not to keep the money. the kids don't know anything about it -- >> you said -- >> little league in the neighborhood. we need kids out there exercising doing physical education and playing games. >> for this segment, donny and the broads. >> i'm very surprised at you. >> what would you do? >> well you want to know what the team did? >> they sent it back. >> congratulations the bada bings are now 8-0. no, no. they gave the money back. >> yeah. >> they gave it back. >> but what's the point? i mean, these kids play on a dime, on a shoestring.

>> if they don't want the name on the back, why would they care? >> i think it seems to have a happy ending. >> no pun intended. >> the jersey can donny and the broads on the back. >> star, donny, nancy, thank you very much. up next kirk cameron on his new movie and the controversy on his views on homosexuality. kirk is going to sit down with ann curry right after this. [ male announcer ] imagine facing the day with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine

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the topic of gay marriage when you talked to cnn's piers morgan who asked you if you think homosexuality is a sin and you said, quote, i think that it's unnatural. i think that detrimental and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization. i've got to get your response. many people are suggesting that this is hate speech. are you encouraging people to feel hate towards gay people? >> absolutely not. of course not. no. i love all people. i hate no one. and, you know, when you take a subject and you reduce it to something like a four-second sound bite, and a check mark on a ballot, i think that that's inappropriate and insensitive. the truth is, these are issues that are very personal. these are things that need to be discussed in the context. i believe best in a personal friendship with someone who's asking you the question. and so when things get edited down to that i think it doesn't reflect, certainly didn't reflect my full heart on the matter.

>> do you feel any responsibility saying words like that, that might encourage people to feel that it's okay to treat -- misstreet gay people? >> nobody should mistreat anybody. homosexuals should not be mistreated. heterosexuals should not be mistreated. bisexuals should not be mistreated. so, you know, what i think this reveals is that, the interview that asked me these questions you even used the words with me, i think your views are destructive. so what that shows me is that all of us who really think deeply about social issues, like gay marriage, and abortion, and homosexuality, have convictions on issues. and we all have our convictions formed by different things, and mine are informed by my faith, they're informed by the word of god, and i found that to be an anchor for me, a compass and a guide for me. when people start bullying one another and calling each other names for those different convictions, then i think you get into problems.

i've also been on the receiving end of that. >> why do you say things like this that you know are going to cause people to push back? why do you even talk about it, then, because this is not the first time you've been asked about it. it's not the first time you've made comments that have caused people a lot of alarm. >> well, that's a good question. i was surprised, frankly, that people were surprised by the things that i said, because i have been consistent for 15 years as a christian, i'm a bible believing christian. what i would have thought was more newsworthy is if i had said something that contradicted the word of god. if i had contradicted my faith. >> meantime, all of the attention, this firestorm is occurring as you're promoting this new movie that you co-produced, i understand, yes, that's right, and star in. it's called "monumental." >> yes. >> and you're very passionate about it. tell me about the movie. >> well, i spent the last year and a half on a personal journey traveling through europe and the united states in search of what i'm calling the real national treasure of america.

i've got six kids and as a dad, i'm wanting my kids to have a great future. and i look at what's going on around, turn on the news and economically we're struggling greatly as a nation, we're 15, 16 trillion dollars in debt. families falling apart, divorce, teenage pregnancy, suicide, crime, drugs, alcohol, so many things, i'm thinking, how can you turn things around culturally? and with so many people playing the blame game, with the right blaming the left and the left blaming the right, i'm thinking maybe there's a simple solution. if only we could get in a time machine and go back and talk to the men and women who built this country, these courageous moms and dads who went against all odds and started a brand-new idea maybe they could tell us what we're doing right and wrong and what to do to get on the right track. >> people watching you this morning might want to know how you're doing since your -- how have the years -- where are you now, after playing mike seaver? how happy are you? you've got six kids, you just

mentioned that. >> yes. i -- i couldn't feel more thankful, and blessed. my wife and i have six children and they're growing up, and they're doing great and i'm table to travel around with some of my kids, able to be -- like we talked earlier before this interview that we're doing things that we love to do. and you think, how is it that some people get to do things that they love to do with their life and others just are struggling to find their way. and i feel that way. i'm able to help people with things that are important to me. do projects on marriage and family. these are the things that i kind of look back on and say, thank you. i -- i'm really blessed. >> well, thank you for giving us a little bit of your time, kirk cameron. thank you. nice to meet you. >> thank you, very nice. >> and "monumental" opens up in select theaters on march 27th. and just ahead an inside look at celebrity homes that are hitting the market. but first your local news.

8:26 is the time on this tuesday, march 20th, 2012. i'm eun yang, if you're driving into d.c., expect big delays. here's more. >> big problems on the roads, starting with i-66 eastbound at nutley. a crash blocking all but the left lane. it's cleared, but the delays remain. you're at 14 miles per hour from fairfax county parkway to the beltway. over to i-9 5, jammed from the occoquan, you're just 13 miles per hour the

welcome back. we've got a mostly cloudy sky this morning, though showers now ending east and southeast of us. around waldorf and calvert beach as the sun comes back. we'll see temperatures rise out of the low 60s to a high today, at 63 now in d.c.

70 to 75 by later today. isolated showers come back, maybe even some thunder late afternoon and evening. the end of the week, 79 to 82. eun? >> more news, weather and

8:30 on a tuesday morning. 20th of march, 2012. our plaza is filled with rolling spring breakers from all around the country. including some friends behind us here from the thundering herd of marshall up in huntington, west virginia. nice to have you people here. >> out on the plaza i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, mr. roker, and natalie morales.

and coming up we're going to take you inside the celebrity homes that have just been put up for sale. including an apartment owned by alicia keys, an apartment owned by rosie o'donnell and a home that is owned by britney spears. should be fun to look around that and see the price tag. >> we're also going to go into the kitchen. mark bittman says it's time to learn how to do some basics, including vegetables. he's going to kick off three days of lessons. the best day to pare vegetables will be today. vegetables so good your children will ask for seconds. >> really? >> exactly. that would be a great day. >> considering my won't even ask for firsts that would be great. first let's bring in 16-year-old shannon mcgreen the most recent contested voted off "american idol." good morning to you. >> good morning. >> only 16 years old. had to be a little bit of a shock to you. the judges all loved your performance. >> yeah. >> everybody was raving about you. what do you think happened?

>> i'm only 16 and it's really hard to find a song for myself that's not only going to fit myself and appeal to everybody else in the audience. you know, it was really hard with that. but i feel like i picked the right song in my heart, and it was a song that me and my grandpa had chemistry with before he passed away. so it was the whole situation and that's what i felt. >> just about the only criticism i heard was jimmy said basically when she pushes she shows her weaknesses. do you understand what he meant by that? >> yes. i mean -- yes and know. i mean it's definitely -- it's heard but as a singer people don't understand, it's actually a sport. i consider it a sport. you have to vocalize every single morning to get yourself stronger. you have to be there. so when you're onstage, it's just natural, and it comes easier to you. and i think that i overshot it when i was with jimmy and it's really hard, because -- you have to just practice every single day to make sure it's there. >> did you have trouble

breathing through the songs, right? >> yes. they give me this trick that when you lay down on the floor and you push against your stomach and use your diaphragm it helps your breathing. >> you mentioned it was like a sport. you're not afraid to say your father was a pitcher. how have the fans in sports and some of these hometowns been supportive of you. >> you know it's really kind of similar in the sports and in the music world in a way. my dad gives me the best feedback, and advice and my mom, they give me things that can intertwine both with athletics and with sports. and i have to keep both of those sides in my head, and all the fans are just as supportive, in the sports world as in the music world for me. i think that is probably one of my most favorite things about our fans. >> too bad you don't have a bubbly personality. you're going to do great. great to meet you.

>> thank you. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. it was nice to meet you. >> now for a check of the weather from you. >> all right. thank you. of the weather from you. >> thank you, and we've got heavy rain and wind in the pacific northwest. record highs in the east, we're looking at the risk of strong storms, eastern texas into louisiana and arkansas, on into missouri. for tomorrow, the system moves slowly to the east. so the mississippi river valley will continue getting heavy rain. the record highs will be banked here in the eastern seaboard. look tore more rain and mountain snows in the pacific northwest. sunny and warm through the southwest. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. right here we've got the gray sky just as we did yesterday. we expect to see the sunshine breaking through about noon time. we're at 63 in d.c., 59 mount airy, 61 to leesburg and 61 in fairfax city. the high today, 70-75. stay sky ready because we could see more showers and maybe

isolated thunder later today. the high tomorrow, 75. and close to 80 and above 80 thursday and friday. >> and don't forget you can get your weather any time of the day or night. check out the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. now let's check out uncle willie. >> hey, i got to thank the uconn cheerleading squad for their lovely birthday salute on the "today" show. and all the other people. thank you for my birthday. pretty soon i'll wish myself a happy 100th birthday. take a look. this is pearl, a real swell girl. and pearl krampe is from piqua, ohio. 105 years old. she loves fishing and loves sewing. but not at the same time. and crazy about her family. oh, take a look we've got james, a great name, newcomer, fort worth, texas, 100 years old. and he is a proud world war ii veteran, and enjoys writing poetry. that's another big thing. big poet festival for older

folks. and if you look at maggie, love maggie, maggie simmons, new orleans, louisiana, 106 years old today. a little crayfish. oh. and she's very active in her church, and has always trusted in the good lord. me, too. can't beat it. i'm still working on it. something's happening. elizabeth miller, from davidsville, pennsylvania, is 100 years old today. and she likes to play golf. or certainly plays golf in her younger days and she loves to travel. and take a look, if you will, francis smith, naples, florida, right down the road from fort myers where we are this morning. 104. a former and very avid sailor. now he likes to keep doing exercise at all times, and that's why he looks so good. and we have this morning, lillian wilson of tucson,

arizona, 103. keeps busy by baking all sorts of good things for her kid dis. i wish i was one of her kiddies. now back to the littl kiddie on the hudson. >> all right, willard, thank you so much. coming up next, a peek inside the homes of celebrities. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:39. this morning on "today's real estate," celebrity homes for sale. barbara corcoran is here with what's moving and shaking in the high end market of the rich and famous. barbara, good morning. we're going to go through i think we have five homes that are on the market right now. currently owned by celebrities. do buyers pay a premium when a home has been owned by someone who is famous? >> they always do. they just can't resist. it depends on who the celebrity is as to how much of a premium they'll pay. let's talk about alicia keys and

her husband. they've put their apartment here in new york city on the market. i'll tell you the price in a second. what are the selling points? >> they're great. number one they bought it from lenny kravitz which made it worth more already. they bought it in 2010 for $14.5 million and just two short years later are going to put it on the market for $17,950,000. your question is it worth another $3 million more? we're going to find out. it's a 6,000 square foot penthouse. it includes the top floor roof terrace that gives the home an additional 3,000 square foot of outdoor space. enough to plop another apartment. it has a glass enclosed exterior terrace that leads to the terrace. the living room has a fireplace with floor to ceiling windows and a terrace that spans the full width of the penthouse. the living room accommodates the grand piano and all this for $18 million and $11,500 a month main tennance. >> you're not done once you

plunk down the 18 million. let's go outside los angeles, this one is owned by britney spears in a gated community. >> one of the most prestigious in l.a. and people lock themselves in and lock their fans out. it's worth actually $2.995 million according to recent sales and it's a mediterranean style villa with over 7,000 square feet. >> you think this is a pretty good price. >> it's the best neighborhood in l.a. i'm actually surprised by the rice. i thought it would be at least a million dollars more. >> the next one is owned by dick clark. this is not for everyone. this is a home above malibu on a lot of acreage overlooking the pacific. but it's a home that's designed like fred flintstone's house. >> exactly. and it's only a one bedroom, two bath. who the heck can take this large property and live there? it's wacky. open dining room, high ceilings, a master bedroom that is other worldly. look at the dining room. >> let's be honest. it's on 23 acres, if you don't like the house you could tear it down and put what you want up there. >> you can't be sure about that.

it might be grandfathered. it's only one bedroom, two bath and the owners around it always like to see things stay the way they are. this one is pricey. it's a total of $3.5 million for a one bedroom home. >> yabba-dabba-doo. let's go to actress renee zellweger. a connecticut getaway on the market. this one is 3 1/2 hours from new york city but it's on 39 acres. >> with mature trees. that alone is worth a lot of money. the house was built in 1770. looking at the inside you're not going to think so because it's in meticulous condition. it has a gorgeous free form pool that feels like a lake. it's got a great kitchen with block island, glass front cabinets and all the yada yada. the master bedroom, when you see it in a second or who knows what, there it goes, you know you're in the farm house. it's the feeling carried through the other funky downtown cafes. it's the attic. the mood switches in the formal dining room and it's worth $1.5 million. so they say. we're going to see what they get.

>> time for one more quickly. rosie o'donnell's apartment just outside chicago, it's on the market, i believe for $2.5 million. a lot of people think this has all the bells and whistles. >> it's got all the bells and whistles. she never moved into it. she bought it only two months ago, priced it 2.5, exactly what she paid for it. the chicago tribune is saying she sold it in one day. 6,000 square feet. it's a townhouse. it's big enough for a brood of kids like she has and has all the bells and whistles. the kitchen is huge, custom cabinets and everyone in show business has that screen room that we saw just a moment ago. >> barbara corcoran, you sold me on knopf them. but that's okay. >> i want that checkbook out. >> up next how to make the spring's hot trends of bright colors work for your lips. but first this is "today" on nbc. look! here she comes!

♪ she'll be comin' 'round the mountain when she comes... ♪ ♪hen she comes. ♪ it'll be spinning new chrome wheels when it comes. ♪ ♪ when it comes. ♪ 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.

back now at 8:45. this morning on "today's beauty," lipstick for spring. the change in the seasons is ushering changes in style, including in your makeup, so bright, bold colors are not only dominating fashion trends, but also lips as well. mali macall is a makeup artist. it's such a pleasure to see you. >> love you. >> i love you, as well. >> so listen i can understand wearing bright colors in our clothing. but man, it's going to be hard to pull off these bright colors on our lips. yes, no? >> no, i love it. again it's a great pop of color. it's going to make you look alive, fresh and awake. really there's just four little tips that you need to know to wear a bright red lip or a bright colored lip. it's all about scrubbing. make sure your lips look nice and healthy and smooth. no crusty -- >> you mean exfoliation? >> yes, a little scrubbing. exfoliation is great for that. then prime the lips. make sure they're nice and smooth. >> like you would a car? >> exactly.

you got it. fill it with a lip liner that is close to your lip tone. instead of that bright lip so you don't look like mr. potato head where you slap it on there. nice, nude lip and fill in the color. and then grab your color, which is very important. >> okay. >> we're talking about many different colors. >> exactly. >> and one of the big colors is coral. >> yes. >> and we are going to take a look at a lot of coral, including one being worn by brady. >> gorgeous little brady. and again, guys, coral is a great color to wear if you're not sure which one. because it's a perfect balance between cool and warm. so there's like -- it's a little bit orangey but there's a tint to it. so you get that great sort of even balance, and you know it's going to look great on you no matter what. and this is a really good color, too, if you don't know exactly what your tone is. cool tone, warm tone, this one's going to work on everybody. >> really? that's a very interesting -- well i like it. do you like it? >> yes. >> not just for special occasions. >> everyday.

exactly. that's what we're saying. >> it's about doing it for every day. it's about training your eye to know that you can say, you know what? this used to be just for night time. this is for every single day as long as the rest of the face is nice and soft and balanced. >> not everybody knows whether true red is good for everybody. let's take a look at true red and our model for that is michelle. >> good morning. >> gorgeous miss michelle. this is a bright, true red but again it's very, very easy to wear. again, remember the rest of the face needs to look nice and soft. okay. really make that lip the star. and another big thing i want to say always is everyone always says redheads should definitely not wear red. no way, honey. you own it you get that beautiful, beautiful face. make sure the skin looks beautiful and fresh, that's important. because when you're looking at that beautiful mouth you want to make sure the rest of your face is beautiful. >> i can tell you from experience, always make sure you wipe your teeth when you use true red. >> we were all kind of doing

that. >> you're fine, however. >> don't you worry. >> with our next color which is fuchsia and we have as our model crystal. good morning. >> gorgeous miss crystal. and again, fuchsia is great, i've got to tell you the best thing about fuchsia, make sure your teeth are bright white. and again remember this, it's all about that beautiful soft color, make sure your lips look nice and smooth. and if your skin is a little bit cooler, obviously she's warm, go for a bit of a bluer fuchsia. not scary blue, obviously. but just a little bit more blue to it. this is a warmer fuchsia, but the really does give her a beautiful, soft color. >> you mentioned scary because fuchsia is something that's harder -- a color that's harder to wear. that's where this lip liner is very important. >> exactly. >> matches your lip tone. >> so you can pull it off. >> all right. and finally, our color is red/orange. >> yes. >> and give us a look at that we've got angela. >> yes. >> angela with a gorgeous

red/orange again. keep the rest of the face soft. when you're wearing something this sort of a pop of color, make it the star. a little bit of eye liner is fine. a little mascara, make sure you do your brows. but really look at that beautiful lip. >> gorgeous. >> thank you so much. malley you made us all feel like we can be bold. >> that's it. and again, it's about training your eye. it's about just saying you know what? i can do this. have the confidence and go out and do it. >> okay, okay. >> do it i'm ready for you. before we do that, coming up next we're going to be talking about improving your cooking skills by bringing back the basics. a lesson on veggies from mark bittman. but first this is "today" on nbc. [ man ] hmm. a lot can happen in two hundred thousand miles... are you guys okay? yeah. ♪ [ man ] i had a great time. thank you, it was really fun. ♪ [ crash ] i'm going to write down my number, but don't use it.

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this morning on "how to cook everything today" we're getting back to basics. mark bittman's best-selling cookbook has become a kitchen staple. but if you're still unsure of your culinary skills he boiled things down to the essentials for his latest book called "how to cook everything: the basics." good morning >> good morning, matt. >> it pains me to compliment you. >> i noticed that over the years. >> i was looking through this book. it's so right on because once you understand these simple lessons and you break them down to the basics, you have more confidence going forward in the kitchen. >> well, the thing is that many foods can be treated the same. and when people look at a big

book like that, they can be intimidated and here what we've tried to do is break it down to basic lessons with tons of photographs. >> so the first basic lesson we're going to get to today is how to boil greens and the kinds of greens we're talking about. >> you have tough greens, you have tender greens. we're talking about greens in general. they can -- the lesson is really they can all be treated pretty much the same, and the basic, the basic lesson, the basic technique is boiling them. >> you're using chard here? >> using chard. and if you want, you can just chop it up, and throw it in. but if you want a little bit of variation in texture you can chop the stems and put them in first. and then put the greens in afterwards, shred them or chop them, too. so that the stems go in first. a minute or two later the greens go in. and then the stems become tender and silky and the greens become soft. >> you bring the greens out, you

use a colandercolander, press t little and then you're prepared to cook with those? >> you can reheat them, toss them with butter or oil, you can do any number of things with these. >> let's move on to tender vegetables. we're going to use onions and you're going to talk about caramelizing. why is that so important to cooking? >> well, any time you brown something, you bring out flavor. so with onions, caramelizing is a big word these days. but it just means browning. so, it's not just onions, you can do this with any vegetable that is not a really hard vegetables. leaks are good, asparagus we have. anything that's pliable when it's raw you can cook in a pan like this. >> you're going to cut them up, showing off your nice skills. >> notice that they're not that good. >> people should have good knife skills. >> people should have sharp knives and they should cut things in ways that work for them. >> but nothing in the pan there? >> onions i like to cook dry

with the cover on them because all the liquid comes out. and then transfer them -- not transfer them, then add some oil to the pan and just cook them until they're brown as you like. these are really, really jammy. very sweet. >> all right. perfect. the next thing we're going to show people how to do, what could be simpler than peeling a potato and using potatoes with rosemary? >> well, this is a technique you'd use for any root vegetable. potatoes, turnips, beats and so on down the line. and it's the simplest thing in the world. it's roasting. i like to use the u-shaped peelers. you peel, as you would. and then you cut them into chunks, like this. >> of varying sizes. doesn't really matter. to your preference? >> right. you want them consistent so they cook at an even rate. some olive oil. some pepper, and then toss them -- >> you don't put the rosemary in now? >> you cook them halfway. i think we have some in the oven.

>> you going to swap out? >> i'm going to swap out. you cook them halfway, thank you. >> and then look at that. toss them with the rosemary. you know why there aren't that many potatoes? >> because you ate some this morning because you didn't realize this was actually a prop for the segment. you're going to be back tomorrow we're going to talk about cooking meat. the day after we're going to make some desserts that will impress everyone. again the basics here. that's what mark specializes in. your local news. 8:56 is your time on this tuesday, march 20th, 2012, good morning, i'm eun yang. if you're driving through d.c., expect big delays, daniella is here with more. >> let's start on i-270, earlier we had a funeral procession, stopped all traffic. then the storms came. now you're jammed from father hurley all the way to the spur.

slow trip. now over to 395. your delay started at the beltway, as you cross the 14th street bridge, very slow heading into the city. you're at just 9 miles per hour the entire way. taking over an hour to get from the beltway to the 14th street bridge. please allow yourself extra time and patience before you make your commute this morning. eun, over to you. eun, ov[ male announcer ] for the dreamers... and those well grounded. for what's around this corner... and the next. there's cash flow options from pnc. solutions to help businesses like yours accelerate receivables, manage payments, and help ensure access to credit. because we know how important cash flow is to reaching your goals. pnc bank. for the achiever in you. got my bearings. ♪

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i tell people how to look like a million bucks without spending it. fashion direct from designers. savings direct to you. t.j.maxx. let us make a maxxinista out of you. not much left of the early-morning rain from waldorf to calvert beach. shrinking in size and headed out to the bay. 63 your temperature. the wind calm today, your high, 73 to 75 degrees. could see the return of those showers. not just today, but on thursday again. every time a local business opens its doors or creates another laptop bag or hires another employee, it's not just good for business, it's good for the entire community. at bank of america, we know the impact that local businesses have on communities. that's why we extended $6.4 billion in new credit to small businesses across the country last year.

because the more we help them, the more we help make opportunity possible. we're back now with more of "today" on a tuesday morning. it's the 20th day of march, 2012. i mean, it doesn't get much prettier than that. look at the beautiful images coming out of our nation's capital, washington, d.c. as the 100th cherry blossom festival is under way. you want to just sit and take it in. warmer than normal temperatures really making things burst. by the way we've got a lot of things blooming up here in new york, as well. the daffodils are out. and it's a nice day on rockefeller plaza, as well. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry. mr. roker and savannah guthrie joining us, as well. >> that's right. coming up in this half hour we'll be talking about some very

basic age-old questions. why do onions make you cry, matt? >> i have no idea. >> right. so what causes that pins and needles feeling you get in your feet and your fingers? al? what are goose bumps? we're going to get down to that. >> savannah wants to know if you are going to deal with the asparagus thing? >> i think we'll draw the line right there. i think we should deal with this. because it causes a lot of people alarm. we're frying to give you the answers, maybe not all the answers you're curious about. that's coming up. >> and we're going to tackle your diet dilemmas. we have one right here. including the truth about the calories in your sushi. and is the white bread you find at a bakery better than the processed ones you buy at the store? >> and we're also going to have some makeup tips for women over 40. it only just takes a couple of tweaks to your routine to lighten and brighten your look. we'll talk to bobbi brown who will be here with that.

>> natalie is standing by at the news desk with a look at all the headlines. good morning again. >> good morning once again. good morning, everyone. the fbi and justice department are now getting involved looking into the deadly shooting of an unarmed teen in his gated community in florida. nbc's lilia luciano is in sanford, florida, with the latest. good morning. >> good morning to you, natalie. late last night the department of justice announced that their civil rights division and the fbi are opening a thorough and independent investigation into the death of trayvon martin that's sure to be welcome news to many in this community and across the nation. >> arrest zimmerman thank you. >> reporter: law students from across florida demanded justice outside the prosecutor's office. >> we want an arrest now. we won't wait. >> reporter: they want george zimmerman arrested for the deadly shooting of 17-year-old trayvon martin as the teen walked through this gated community near orlando three weeks ago.

zimmerman a neighborhood watch volunteer called 911, reporting quote, a suspicious looking guy. >> this guy looks like he's up to no good or on drugs or something. he's got his hand in his waistband. and he's a black male. >> are you following him? >> yeah. >> okay, we don't need you to do that. >> reporter: the two soon got into an altercation. gunshots heard, and a neighbor called 911. >> do you think he's yelling help? >> yes. >> all right what is your -- number? >> there's gunshots. >> reporter: martin was unarmed but zimmerman told police he fired in self-defense. martin's father told msnbc's reverend al sharpton that his son was targeted for his race. >> the police department is trying to make george zimmerman out to be the victim and the victim is clear, trayvon martin, who is dead in the grave. >> reporter: zimmerman's friends and former watch volunteer frann profiled but zimmerman is neither trigger happy nor a

racist. >> we've got eight burglaries in the majority of the cases, the perpetrators were young, black males. so based on that, there was a heightened sense of paranoia in our community. >> reporter: but chafee admits zimmerman may have gone too far. >> he did go above and beyond with the use of deadly force. i myself probably would just carry pepper spray or a taser. >> reporter: police have now released more calls from zimmerman revealing he had a history of reporting suspicious neighborhood activity. >> there was a break-in in my neighborhood recently. and two youths that match the description of the people, they're back in the neighborhood. >> are they white, black, or hispanic? >> two black males in their late teens. >> reporter: the department of justice says in addition to the civil rights investigation, they are sending their community relations service to sanford to try and relieve tensions among this community. george zimmerman did not respond

to requests for comments from nbc news. natalie? >> all right, lilia luciano in san ford, florida, thank you. voters in illinois head to the polls today, as mitt romney is looking to widen his lead over rick santorum in the republican presidential race. santorum has chosen to spend his day voting -- voting in gettysburg pennsylvania as he looks ahead to the primary there in the senate he represented as senator. army staff sergeant robert bales remembers very little about the night he's accused of killing 16 afghan civilians. this is according to his lawyer. bales is expected to be formally charged this week. meantime, there's a new revelation bales owes $1.5 million from a 2003 court ruling that found him guilty of securities fraud back when he was a trader before joining the service. we are learning more about the gunman who shot and killed three children and a rabbi monday at a jewish school in toulouse, france. france's interior minister says the suspect may have been wearing a video camera around his neck, possibly recording the

shooting, and says investigators are looking for any such postings online. meantime, france has heightened its terror alert level, and security is being stepped up at synagogues and other sites across new york. secretary of state hillary clinton is reopening a 75-year-old mystery by helping launch a new search for missing american aviator amelia earhart. clinton meets today with historians and scientists who will resume the search for earhart's plane off a remote pacific island. the search is privately funded. earhart vanished with her navigator on july 2nd, 1937 over the south pacific. it is now six minutes past the hour. let's go up to al for a check of your weather. >> all right. thank you very much, natalie. and we've got some rtalie. and we've got some rough weather to talk about down to the south. we've got a very intense upper-level low pressure system, a big upper-level high, the jet stream way up to the north, that's allowing a lot of gulf moisture and warm air. the collision zone with the two air masses meet causing big

problems. we have flood warnings, flash flood watches and flood watches from san antonio as far east as new orleans, as far north as kansas city. look at the rain now starting to stream in. this is an extremely slow-moving system. so it's going to dump tons and tons of moisture over this area. as you can see, from houston to new orleans, up to in central arkansas, anywhere from three to five inches of rain. some areas may pick up to eight inches of rain in the next 48 hours. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. yeah, and that southern system, texas, oklahoma, that's going it arrive here this weekend. we could see showers and storms for today. a little overcast from this morning's little thunderstorm that rolled through. 63, clouds still some fog with the calm wind. we'll see the cloud cover lift. we'll see the cloud cover lift by about noon time. getting into the low 70s today. so we will see some sunshine. and that will help to warm us up. 73 to 75 today. thursday, close to 80 and about

this morning on joy's diet s.o.s., here to discuss everything from the best vegetarian foods to the skinny on white bread, today's nutritionist joy bauer. >> hey, al. >> we're going to skype nancy in collegeville, pennsylvania, joining us. good morning, nancy. what's your question? >> good morning. i have a daughter with crohn's disease, and as a result of the inflammation she's prone to bowel obstructions. so she's limited on the foods she can digest such as fruit and vegetables. any idea how to incorporate these foods into her diet? >> so nancy, produce tends to be easier to digest when it's either cooked, pureed, juiced or peeled, if that's aplikal. so i suggest that you first start with small portions of the low fiber cooked vegetables, carrots, mushrooms, green beans, asparagus. even potatoes, mashed or baked, sweet or white potatoes. make sure you remove the fiber rich skin. you can also try canned peeled fruits, pears and peaches and also natural applesauce because

they heat that during processing so it's going to break down the fiber and make it gentler on her system. whip up a big batch of pureed soup, carrot ginger or butter nut squash and also invest in a juicer. because when you juice your produce you're going to remove a lot of that harsh fiber components, and you're going to maintain a lot of the beneficial nutrients. experiment around. and also overly ripe ban mas and avocados tend to be well tolerated during flare-ups. i hope she feels better. >> thank you. >> now doris in dallas, texas, she's joining us on the phone with her question. good morning, doris. >> hey joy. >> hey. >> for ians you've been telling us to say away from processed grains. but i was wondering if the artisan bakeries in my area and not the national chain bakeries in the big box bakers, but the real artisan ones, if those are a better alternative or we should stay away from those as well. >> oh, doris you're going to hate me the way -- you know what it is? all white bread whether it's the

smushy white sandwich bread in the grocery store or the crusty bread is made with refined white flour. the whole grain flour that's stripped of all the good stuff. ask your local bakery if they have any whole grain varieties. maybe request that they master a few loefshs. i'm betting that they'll probably do that and your neighbors will enjoy it, as well. sorry, doris. >> we've got to go to your e-mail. this one from washington, d.c. she writes not a vegetarian but i don't cook or eat meat at home to help me stay healthy. i've noticed a lot of quick, healthy options are loaded with sodium. are they truly healthy? >> she's exactly right. because a lot of these vegetarian options are loaded with sodium. so when it comes to vegetarian burgers, you want to look for brands that have less than 400 milligrams of sodium per burger and that incorporate whole soy versus soy protein? whole soy seems to be the healthier way to go. and check out

meatlessmonday.com. they've got fabulous vegetarian recipes and meal ideas and you can master the real vegetarian superstars, lentils, nuts, seeds, tofu, soy, and you don't have to rely on the frozen foods night after night. >> and cheaper probably. >> yes, absolutely. >> one more viewer e-mail from hackensack, new jersey. how many calories are there in a six-piece california roll? >> 210 calories in a california roll. that's rice, autograph caught dough, crab and cucumber. so it's fabulous. japanese feast for under 600 calories. one to two orders of california roll, some miso soup and edamame. >> and if you request brown rice? >> if you can get brown rice that is a huge bone oubs. >> joy bauer, good to see you. >> thanks, al. >> still ahead, why do you get goose bumps? sitting next to joy bauer. and why do our joints always crack. we've got the answers. plus makeup secrets for women over 40 to brighten your face and look years younger. ♪

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today's daily dose is brought to you by money nut cheerios. be happy, be healthy. this morning on "today's daily dose" your body quirks explained. ever wonder what causes that annoying eyelid twitch or why you get goose bumps? here with the answers is a preventive health physician and contributing editor at prevention magazine. dr. battia, good morning. >> good morning. >> things that make you go hmm. i think something everyone experiences at some point or other is when you have that annoying eye twitching. like that weird thing that your eyes do. >> exactly. so at prevention we get asked about these odd body symptoms all the time. eyelid twitching is a bit of a puzzle. here's what we know. it's called myochemia. it usually takes place in the lower third of the eyelid rather than the upper and it's usually

caused by fatigue, stress, too much alcohol, too much caffeine, eye strain, bad nutrition. >> uh-huh. >> the good news is that it does go away, skip the alcohol, cut down on the caffeine, get some extra rest and your eyelid twitches should go away. but if they're lasting for more than a week then you do need to call your doctor. >> okay. good to know. next thing, and this is one i always wonder about is for those of us who hate to chop onions because we end up tearing and tearing. what is the connection? >> so i've heard every old wive's tale about cutting onions, hold your breath, don't look at the onion. when you cut an onion, there's certain enzymes that are released. they produce a goes call sulfuric acid up to the eyes and it causes tears. if we stick it in the freezer, five to ten minutes before cutting it, presto no tears. another tear stopper is to cut the bottom part of the onion last because apparently most of those endeems are concentrated

in the bottom half of the onion. >> who knew. wow, brilliant to know. okay next for those of us who like to crack our knuckles every now and again, i think they make that popping noise, does it really offer any relief? i mean you've heard with your back, your neck joints. >> cracking your joints always bought you bragging rights at school. there is a reason that joints crack. usually any time you have a joint with two bones like knuckles or shoulders you've got a fluid sitting between those joints called synovial fluid. when you stretch that joint you release nitrogen the joint pops, that's the pop or the crack you're hearing. so there is temporary relief. but did you know you can't pop a joint more than every 15 minutes because it takes -- there's a limit for that nitrogen to be reabsorbed. so there is that little trick there, as well. your joint crackers won't get arthritis like maybe your mom or your teacher might have told you. but they do get decreased grip strength. it's usually a better idea to focus on your breath or breathwork rather than cracking your joints.

>> okay, good to know i will skip the nuclearing cracking. i think a lot of people husbands and wives battle it out when it comes to thermostat control. in my household i'm always cold. what's going on with your bodies? >> we have this battle all the time, there are a couple of main reasons to be cold. anemia is a big one. especially iron deficiency anemia is the most common. poor circulation is another common reason to be cold. and thyroid imbalance, usually hypothyroid is a reason to be cold. quick trick to maybe solve that and cut down on the fights and arguments. first up your iron-rich foods like red meats and green leafy vegetables. broccoli, kale, cauliflower and also beef because that will up your iron content. stay away from nicotine because it will affect your circulation. and make sure you get your thyroid checked. >> and finally goose bumps. when get them when we're cold, during emotional situations or even when we're scared. why is it that this reaction comes with all of these different things that we're feeling? >> so goose pumps happen, and by

the way i had them before i came on here, goose bumps happen -- >> it's cold up here. >> there's actually a reason. goose pumps are a hand me down from evolution. we're sort of hard wired to have a fight or flight response. so when we feel threatened or are in a new situation of any kind we will have goose bumps, which is constriction of the hair follicle. sometimes it's not only goose bumps but you'll have sweaty palms, racing heart, butterflies in your tummy or you may be trembley. >> dr. battia, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> and still ahead in "today's kitchen" a light and tasty dish in honor of the first day of spring. i remember the day my doctor told me i have an irregular heartbeat, and that it put me at 5-times greater risk of a stroke. i was worried. i worried about my wife, and my family. bill has the most common type of atrial fibrillation, or afib. it's not caused by a heart valve problem. he was taking warfarin, but i've put him on pradaxa instead.

in a clinical trial, pradaxa 150 mgs reduced stroke risk 35% more than warfarin without the need for regular blood tests. i sure was glad to hear that. pradaxa can cause serious, sometimes fatal, bleeding. don't take pradaxa if you have abnormal bleeding, and seek immediate medical care for unexpected signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. pradaxa may increase your bleeding risk if you're 75 or older, have a bleeding condition like stomach ulcers, or take aspirin, nsaids, or bloodthinners, or if you have kidney problems, especially if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all medicines you take, any planned medical or dental procedures, and don't stop taking pradaxa without your doctor's approval, as stopping may increase your stroke risk. other side effects include indigestion, stomach pain, upset, or burning. pradaxa is progress. if you have afib not caused by a heart valve problem, ask your doctor if you can reduce your risk of stroke with pradaxa. and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. [ woman ] lower cholesterol.

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we want to say a quick hello to emily joyce who is the latest contestant to have the scales tip against her on "the biggest loser." good morning, you look fabulous. >> thank you. >> you started at the ranch at 294 -- >> 264. >> okay, good. and then you really dropped. tell us what you lost on the ranch and what you've lost since. >> when i went home i lost about, i think i was at 70 pounds, 74 pounds and now i've lost 90. >> that's terrific. >> going strong. >> good for you. >> you said on the ranch it really helped you get your life back. how so? >> for sure. i mean, i was kind of a little bit negative before i went to the ranch, and got -- i was hard on myself. but now, you know, i cut myself slack and i'm more kind to myself. i just take care of my body. >> you're working out something like six hours a day, right? >> yeah. >> you're really going for that at-home prize. >> i sure am. that's what you've got to do. >> what's your favorite way to work out? >> i love to box. that's one of my new things. of course weightlifting is my most favorite thing. but right now i'm boxing and running and swimming.

>> and did i hear right you put on your facebook page a picture of the dress you want to wear if you win the at-home prize? >> oh, yeah, yeah, there's a really pretty dress i want to wear. >> is there a goal weight you're shooting for? >> i do have a goal weight but i'm leaving that for a little surprise for the finale. >> do you think your chances of the at-home prize are pretty good? >> yeah, i think they're really good. i'm working really hard. it's all about that positive outlook. >> you talked a lot about how you've increased in confidence. has it changed the way you relate to others and your friends and family, as well? >> yeah, yeah the more positive i am it makes everybody else more comfortable with me. i'm a jokester. that's what bob and i talked a lot about on the ranch. i just need to be more positive. it makes everybody happier. >> well good luck with the at-home prize. we'll be rooting for you all. >> emily, thank you so much. i wish to remind everybody they can catch "the biggest loser" tonight at 8:00, 7:00 central right here on nbc. just ahead how you can look younger just by changing up your makeup routine. bobbi brown is here with some

tricks of the trade. >> plus -- >> she always looks gorgeous. >> but first your local news and weather. ♪ ♪ 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. time to deploy the chex mix boring potato chip decoy bag.

now no one will want to steal the deliciousness. with a variety of tastes and textures, only chex mix is a bag of interesting. 9:26 is your time on this tuesday more 20th, 2012. good morning, i'm eun yang. it's been a messy morning commute. >> delays continue, if you're traveling on route 50 westbound travel speeds, 22 miles per hour at kenilworth avenue, delays tip, at landover road. delays continue to kenilworth avenue, 25 miles per hour there. slow connecting to new york avenue. now let's head to i-95, an accident right lane at backlick road, your delays out of quanti quantico, look at this, 23 miles per hour. taking an hour to get from quantico to the beltway. traveling 395, still slow at edsel. your delays as you cross over

the 14th street bridge. you're just 17 miles per hour. eun? >> thank you. we'll take a quick

the last of the rain, you have to look hard, around lexington beach. and lexington park i shouldcy. and leonardtown, that's ending.

the clouds clearing around noon time. we're getting into the 70s today, about 73 to 75. tomorrow, a little warmer, 75, maybe higher than that. maybe higher than that. getting close to 80 to 82 at never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. (woman) the goal is to bring an end to breast cancer. (woman) there's no doubt in my mind that komen's funding helped saved my life. the 3-day is my opportunity to help save others' lives. (woman) i'll never stop walking, not till we find a cure.

it is the most rewarding experience i have ever had in my entire life. (man) register today for the... because everyone deserves a lifetime. what are we going to do? >> down. down. >> tell him again. >> down. >> good boy. >> good boy. >> let daddy get your cord undone. >> that is 3-year-old alita and her furry friend mr. gibbs who is giving alita the chance to do all the things that little girls her age like to do. that's because mr. gibbs carries alita's life-saving oxygen tank. we're going to meet both of them tomorrow on "today." a very special, special story. that is really sweet. just ahead this morning we've got tips for women who want to look younger. >> that's right. you know you don't have to have that costly cosmetic surgery. all you need is some good cosmetics. bobbi brown is here with quick

tips to give you an instant face-lift. who needs botox when you've got bobbi? >> plus it's officially spring and coming up we're going to learn some recipes that pair the season's best vegetables with seafood staples. yummy. >> and we have -- and in fact, speaking of one of my favorites, harlem koben, one of the greatest mystery writers alive today who is in our studio. >> thanks, al. >> where's the new -- >> where are the ads? >> all right. we're going to chat about his new thriller about a suburban mom haunted by her past life as an exotic dancer and a murder. ooh. or is it. >> but first, off to our last -- >> very good. i'm having my neck done by bobbi brown. for the segment. thanks, bobbi, great.

>> you are a star of the new -- >> jeffrey tambor, as you all know one of the stars of the new nbc show "bent." >> that's right on channel 4. my mother always used to say -- i said mom i got a pilot. she said what channel. i said 4. she goes, good, because we don't get 2 very well here. >> tell us about your part in this. >> it's a great amanda peet and david walton and i play david walton's dad who is an out-of-work actor. and also he plays piano at macy's by day. >> it's kind of a lady's man, right? >> yes, in the script it said, there's this wonderful script by the genius tad quill, he said, walt enters movie star handsome 50s. >> it was written for you. >> absolutely. >> movie star handsome. >> go ahead. >> i was going to say. you've done so many great shows. the larry sanders show.

arrested development. got a lot of people talking about arrested development. the movie, is that going to happen? >> apparently we're going to do 9 to 10 on netflix then as a prequel to the movie. >> right. >> why is that funny? that's nothing fn funny about what i just said. >> the way you say it. >> oh. >> and i need to work because i have five kids. >> including 2-year-old twins. >> yes. we have one more kid we're going to officially go on tour with the sound of music. >> well you're well on your way. >> and what else? >> i think that's it. >> we're out of time? >> oh, really? >> you could stick around. >> bobbi, i'll be right there. just put it in some alcohol. >> jeffrey tambor. >> thursday. >> channel 4. >> don't forget. >> that's a different channel. >> check out the premiere of "bent" on c >> check out the premiere of "bent" starting at 9:00. >> i'm really good in it. >> we don't doubt that for a

second. >> we failed to mention. all right. how about a check of the weather? >> that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> right here we're at 64 degrees. the clouds trying to break, we're mostly cloudy acrossed area. clearing back around i-81. should get to us in the clouds thinning out by around lunchtime today. 70 to 75 degrees your high for today. like yesterday, and like yesterday, we'll see the return of isolated showers, maybe even a pop-up thunderstorm. a little better tomorrow, we're quiet, the high, 75. thursday, close to 80 with showers and storms. 82 on fridayt's your latest weather. >> all right. thank you, al. coming up next, looking younger without cosmetic surgery. bobbi brown shares her makeup secrets right after this. i'm here with carol, flo, and karen for a girls night out talking about activia. i tried it and my body felt so right, for a change. and then there's you...

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here with a few tricks to help brighten your look is makeup maven bobbi brown. good morning. >> good morning. >> so a lot of folks think once you get older you have to wear more makeup to look younger. what are common mistakes folks make? >> first of all it's not about looking younger it's about looking better. >> i like that. >> don't forget how you eat and take care of yourself is so much as important as the concealer. but it is really important. >> what do you think is the first area that kind of starts to go as we age? >> well, i think that skin, it's about evening out your skin tone and also about concealer corrector. i always say that. >> we have our model suzannah. she's already got the basic makeup on. >> to the we realize we're 100. i'm not telling you who is who. >> you don't look a day over 40. >> let's talk about the first thing >> which is plump. i do that with a really rich moisturizer. women forget that you get dry and you need a nice plumbing moisturizer. that's first. second, correct and conceal. which we did already. because we only have four minutes. >> yes.

>> and then next, you want to pop. >> wait, before weish- >> we lose color in our faces. >> but tell us about concealer before we get to show them the pop because i think a lot of us don't know how to use it. >> you need a concealer that's one shade lighter than your complexion. we've already applied it on susannah so when we show the before and after you'll see it. but it's got to be one that's not white. it's got to be yellow in tone. and so it blends into your skin tone. >> you use a mix like this? >> i do. i do. we could do two hours on this. but first it's like a pinky one that is a corrector and then a concealer is a little bit of yellow and that gets layered and it's huge, huge difference. >> okay. now to pop. >> to pop, now cream blush is a perfect thing as we get older. and i like to use color, because what happens is you get a little bit washed out. >> yeah. >> and you don't need a lot. and it goes on the apple of the cheek. you could use a powder blush, also. but there's something nice as we get older about having a little bit of glow. >> and is it the cream blush that gives more of that glow as

opposed to the matte look? >> definitely. isn't she beautiful? you can always use a product like this on the lip. and i'm not using beige. like a lot of women as they get older might put a beige lipstick on and wonder why they look washed out. color. >> next is to define our look we use eye liner. >> definitely we use eye liner on susannah and a little bit of shading on the lid is important, especially those of us that have a little more deep-set eyes. so susannah doesn't need it as much. so i also wanted to show you we did one eyebrow. this is defined. so doing your brows is huge. and what i'm using is a slanted hard brush and a powder and it gets applied at the inside of the eyebrow. and many of us lose definition in the eyebrows. and you just want to give a nice little arch. by giving yourself the arch you're also opening up your eyes. >> are you trying to match your hair color? >> you are absolutely trying to

match your hair color. because a lot of women will do one that's too dark and they'll also do one that is too red. and i'll just show you the big difference. tah-dah. looks beautiful. look at how pretty she looks. >> i know but she started pretty. okay our final finishing touch is a pop of gloss? >> a pop of gloss. gloss is great because it just kind of gives you a really nice -- a nice lift and a nice shine, and it makes your lips fuller. and many of us as we get older, your lips are not as full as they were. so a nice little bit of shine. >> the dewey look. we have a before picture of you susannah. let's show it again. she started out gorgeous. >> she starts out pretty but, you know. >> now let's see our after, final. >> tah-dah! >> it's about natural. >> every woman wants to look natural and you want to look like your best self. and you both do, actually. >> oh, thank you. >> bobbi brown, thank you susannah for being our model.

up next, best-selling author harlan coben fills us in on his latest thriller. who's the man? i'm the man! [ molly ] wash your paws, mr. man! [ female announcer ] think your kids are getting a dependable clean -in the bathroom? -[ gasps ] [ female announcer ] think again. try charmin ultra strong. for a clean that passes inspection with fewer pieces left behind. its diamondweave texture is soft and more durable versus the ultra rippled brand so it holds up better for a more dependable clean. fewer pieces left behind. now who's the man? you both are. [ female announcer ] we all go. why not enjoy the go with charmin ultra strong?

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by strengthening its moisture barrier, for improved texture and elasticity in 2 weeks. reveal healthy, supple skin. aveeno skin strengthening. it appears to be the perfect life. a suburban soccer mom living the american dream. but instead she's living a perfect lie with a secret past she can't escape. that's the premise of "stay close" the latest thriller from best-selling author harlan coben. good to see you. >> always great to see you. >> so in reading this book it's kind of almost like the opening

line for a joke, a cop, an ex-exotic dancer and a photographer walk into a bar. >> yeah. >> this thing is fascinating in that it's -- it's about the lives we -- we try to lead. >> right. >> and -- and maybe tried to paper over but something always comes out. >> it's a little darker. 17 years ago, three lives that are completely altered. and attempt at redemption. also our lives so many of those moments when if we had gone this way instead of that everything in our life would be changed. what if we could go back for awhile. >> you live in the suburbs. and a lot of yours in stris are set there. >> yes. >> what is it about the suburbs that you like as a setting for your mysteries? >> i think the battle ground of the american dream. the place we all go and we want to do right, get married, have two kids, have a car and the picket fences. but when these dreams come true sometimes they also can wither and die. >> in fact your heroine -- >> megan. >> she's got a couple of names.

>> that's right. i'm glad you read the books, by the way. >> it's a terrific book. not a lot of hard work. the fact is she -- she ventures back to atlantic city. >> yeah. >> and her past. and in reading this there's also a decent amount of history. >> yeah. >> you imparted there. >> first of all it was fun to explore atlantic city. that's kind of what i wanted to do. here's a person who achieved the american dream but she's still feeling a little restless. a little distracted and misses that old life that was supposedly so horrible. that kind of excitement. but all these people coming back to this horrible incident that happened 17 years ago and finally getting the answers. >> and yet there's some dark humor in there. you've got a pair of hired killers. >> yeah. >> called ken and barbie. >> kind of like if you can imagine up with people halftime shows we used to watch. imagine those two kind of psycho killers and kind of just thrown in to have a little fun and also -- because that's more fun to scare you with that than some guy with a star and a big knife.

she scares you by just talking normally. that's kind of fun thing to accomplish. >> you know, you said it's a little darker. the stories are a little darker than some of your past books. but not -- is it hard -- or walking that line because i read some mysteries and they just scare the bejesus out of you. >> i don't really like that. >> they're so gruesome. >> i never have really on-screen violence or on-screen sex or that sort of thing. >> you mean your characters. >> yeah. well -- both. but i'm always trying to find new ways to grip you. my job is to have you start, stay close, tonight at 10:00, and then figure i'll read a half hour and it's 4:00 in the morning, you're bleary eyed and you couldn't put it down. i wanted this one to move you a little bit. >> and a lot of times, we've always been asking you about the movies, about the books being made into movies. you've got some news about that. >> ben affleck is signed on to direct a remake of -- >> which has great critical acclaim.

>> a wonderful film. and lawrence kasdan the great screen writer and director of empire strikes back, indiana jones and are working on stay close right now. >> i see a weatherman cameo. >> yeah, no. i was thinking, maybe the soccer mom with a wig. i don't know. >> there you go. >> there you go. >> either way. either way. one is a little more disturbing than the other. harlan coben, terrific, terrific book. one of your best so far. >> oh, thank you. appreciate it. >> you can read an excerpt of "stay close" on our website, today.com. up next how to add a taste of spring in your kitchen on this first day of spring. never in my lifetime

did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. (woman) the goal is to bring an end to breast cancer. (woman) there's no doubt in my mind that komen's funding helped saved my life. the 3-day is my opportunity to help save others' lives. (woman) i'll never stop walking, not till we find a cure. it is the most rewarding experience i have ever had in my entire life. (man) register today for the... because everyone deserves a lifetime.

this morning on "today's kitchen," what's on the menu? we're celebrating spring with seasonal veggies and a seafood

favorite. adam is the chef and owner of cafe adam in great barrington, massachusetts or in other words al's favorite hangout. good to have you here. >> thank you. >> al loves your place, talks about it all the same. >> yeah, we're seeing more and more of him. >> and spring is on the menu right now. >> it is. first day of spring. we're starting with these great scallops. these are dry packed scallops, new bedford, massachusetts, and what dry pack means is that there's no preservatives in them. they're all natural. >> mm-hmm. right. >> so you want to really look for that when you're buying scallops. >> so you season them up a little bit? >> put a little white pepper on these. >> okay. >> and a little bit of salt. and we have a nice, hot, cast-iron pan here. >> right. >> you're going to sear them. >> right. and we can put them. >> scallops cook very quickly, right? >> they do. especially this size. the smaller they are the faster they're going to cook. just want to make sure you get them in the pan here and you your oil is hot enough, sew the

smoke coming up. >> right. you get that nice, crispy golden bottom. >> you want to leave them be. don't fiddle around with them. they're going to naturally caramelize, a lot of natural sugar in those scallops. >> how long does it take before they really cook through? >> you know, cook through you're talking, this size scallop, four to five minutes. a lot of people like them -- >> i prefer them medium. you want a little in the middle but some people do prefer them cooked all the way. >> okay. >> what we have here is, i'm going to deglaze this pan with some butter. >> turn this back on. >> crank that back up and we're going to make our sauce here. this takes a little bit of butter and wine. >> is that regular white wine? >> this is a sauvignon blanc. you can use any kind of white wine, chardonnay, rise link. >> perfect. >> and just kind of move this around a little bit. >> let that reduce a little. >> you see it's starting to change lore. you get a nice golden -- >> that smell is amazing. >> picking up the bits of

sediment off the pan. you don't waste anything when you deglaze like this. >> can i flip these here? >> those are perfect. nice golden brown you want on those. >> okay. >> ooh getting splashed. meanwhile you've got some veggies of the season, as well, right? >> yep. this is the spring part of this dish. here we have some baby spinach. some peas. depending on where you are in the country you're going to see some things coming out earlier. up in the northeast here, you know, this stuff is not quite out yet. even though the weather is beautiful. >> could you use frozen? >> yeah, i mean you could substitute some frozen. you're always going to find baby spinach. peas, we use a lot of local ingredients at the restaurant. and some of these things are availab available grown in greenhouses which is nice. then we're going to finish this off with pea tendrils. these are a specialty ingredient. this is the most tender part of the pea vine if you will. >> you get all of your stuff

locally from the berkshires, right? >> yes, we're blessed to have many farmers there who are active. >> we've got some guests behind us. you may know that man there, right? we've got parsnip puree. >> and this is parsnip puree. which is cream, garlic, parsnips, cooked down, a little bit of water. vegetarian. no chicken stock in there. >> shall we show how it's served up back here? because we also have a great salad. >> you've got a nice salad. >> going to go through -- >> okay. >> we've got it on our website. we've got a great salad recipe at today.com. thank you so much. >> kirk cameron stops by after your local news and weather.

good morning, i'm eun yang. here's what you can expect tomorrow morning on "news4 today," gas prices are skyrocketing, some of you are paying above the $4 a gallon mark. and drivers keep on asking why. well some on capitol hill are blaming those on wall street. but not everyone agrees that's who to blal. we'll take a closer look. and as always, we have weather and traffic together on the 1's. veronica, how is the forecast

shaping up? >> pretty good. we're expecting sunshine later today. the showers, the storms, gone. the showers hanging on around calvert county, st. mary's county. we're seeing thinning of the cloud cover around i-81. if you look at the top of the screen, you can see the blue. so today we'll rise into the 70s. i'll tell you what,ing tomorrow, again, we could be looking at some showers. i'll have the forecast coming up tomorrow. daniella? >> i'll be watching roads tomorrow morning to make sure your commute is painless. plus, up to date on any delays plus, up to date on any delays on the metro, the vre and the

captions paid for by nbc-universal television ♪ ♪ >> oh. oh. oh. oh. oh. okay. this guy right here is a guy named lee brice. hi, everybody. it is booze day, tuesday. first day of spring. again, it is country week and i've got lee brice sitting next

to me. hey, cowboy. >> how are you, darling? >> by the way, i should point out that when lee brice looks at you and every girl in the makeup room will attest to this -- you are like in the soul. are you in the eyes. >> come on, mama. >> that's how he does. he does it in the eyes. the way i heard about you, by the way, i was in the car and i heard a song called "love like crazy." i cranked it up. i was like what is this song and fell madly in love with it. don't look at me. don't look at me. >> that's what i did. i fell in love with that song. >> you did? i picked it and played it on our -- we do something called an ihoda play list where we just play a favorite song. not only did i fall in love with it but kathie lee started boo-hooing to it. >> well that's not like news, is it? >> no. [ don't outsmart your common sense ♪ >> that is a beautiful song.

>> that song was on the charts for -- >> 57 weeks. people are like congratulations for having the longest song on the charts, ever. i'm like, thanks, kind of. it took a lot of effort and a lot of work on everybody's part. >> since you have your guitar, would you mind playing a little bit of that one? >> you want to hear that. >> i do! you know i love it. i like to be serenaded. let's go. ♪ they called them crazy when they started out ♪ ♪ said 17's too young to know what love's about ♪ ♪ they've been together 58 years now ♪ ♪ well that's crazy. >> just keep going a little bit. just a little bit longer. ♪ just ask him how he do it ♪ he'll say pull up a seat ♪ he'll only take a minute to tell you everything ♪

♪ be a best friend tell the truth and don't forget i love you ♪ ♪ go to work do your best don't outsmart your common sense ♪ ♪ never let your pretty knees get lazy ♪ ♪ and love like crazy >> come on! >> yeah! >> that -- i could cry. i don't know what it is about that song but there's something about it. >> i swear. you tricked me. get your guitar up here. >> just a little bit. well, we got you taken care of. you got your -- what are you drinking? >> this is -- well -- >> what is it? >> my mother, apple juice. >> apple juice. cheers. >> cheers. actually, speaking of that, i have a little gift for you. >> oh, okay. >> this is called a red neck

wine glass. okay? >> okay. >> this makes me feel really comfortable and really at home. >> okay. all right. >> we might as well. woo! there we go. >> okay. >> our apple juice and our grape juice. >> here's to us in our red neck wine glasses. now we can be comfortable. >> there's another song that you're going to be playing a little bit later on, it's called "a woman like you." that's another one of those songs that i think every woman wishes to and wishes that their man would sing that to them. >> well, hopefully it is what every woman wants to hear. and i think, so far, it's kind of what every dude wants to say. it's kind of song that was written just right. guys couldn't really get away with saying it in real life, i believe, because it's written just perfectly. but i didn't write it. i was lucky to find this song. >> you know what's funny about you? i didn't know all this. i knew that you sang beautifully and i love your songs, i didn't realize how many songs you have written for other artists that have made it to the top of the charts. >> well, i've been blessed, as

my mother would say -- blessed. not a lucky man. i've had a few things that record really by a couple of my idols. i've really been blessed. worked hard for a long time and now we're just going to run. >> this song we're talking about, this one gets downloaded 40,000 times a day. can we just crank it for a second? ♪ alone and out there on the loose -- >> i like you. ♪ i'd be looking for a woman like you ♪ >> you don't want lee to look you in the eye. very scary. by the way, you did just get engaged so congratulations to the woman in your life. what's her name? >> her name is sara. and i am in love. and i have found -- >> look at her! >> -- i have finally found the one. there she is. i think that was taken the day after we got engaged in key west. >> you're kidding me. she's a beauty. >> she is a beauty. inside and out. she really is.

she's the most amazing woman i've ever met. >> how was popping the question for you? since you just did it. >> well, it was awesome. i had this big elaborate -- i'm a hopeless romantic so i had this big elaborate thing planned. long story short, it was falling through and falling through and falling through and i kept almost getting caught and everything was going wrong. so we were actually in our bed and breakfast little place there in key west. i said, you know what? i can't wait another second. and knowing her, she just wants it to be simple anyway, just me and her. so right there in the room in the bed and breakfast i just got on one knee like i always wanted to do and asked her. >> did she cry? >> she cried. of course she cried. >> of course she would. >> she better have cried! >> now what's cool about you -- a lot of interesting things. again, i just heard your song and loved you. i hadn't even heard you speak when i said can we book lee brice for the show. you're just such a pleasure. you, like a lot of people in life, you started off and wanted

to be something else. you wanted to be a football player. that wasn't going to happen, was it? >> i wanted to be a football player but music was a big, big part of me. it was. i love football and i love music. when football kind of came to an end at clemson, i felt like i had kind of reached that goal and so music was what i had left. and the only thing that i really knew that was the biggest part of my heart. so i had to go for it. >> did you have a football injury? >> yeah. i hurt my elbow. i was the kind of guy who wanted to be the best. i was a long snapper. i was snapping, snapping, snapping. i basically just wore my elbow out. >> okay. look at you back in the day! we don't miss a trick over here. so last night, i know you were -- it took you a while to get here. what time did you land, by the way? >> we landed like midnight 30. >> i like it. just like that. >> then we had to get to the room. i was still wound up from the flight. basically i was so excited about today, i don't think i literally slept a wink. so if i get a little delirious

up here -- >> here. >> we'll just have some fun. >> as kathie lee says, take a little sip of something. all right. last night, "the voice" was on. it is one of our favorite shows. sometimes when one of us can't see it we'll run a little bit of the contest here. last night blake shelton had a couple of teams. these are the sing-offs. they put two singers in the ring, literally, and they try a sing-off. i want to see if you picked the same people blake picked. start off with alex and germane. this is team blake. ♪ who's that lady coming down the road ♪ ♪ who's that lady ♪ i'm that woman baby ♪ walking through your door what's the score ♪ ♪ i'll be your non-stop love get while you can your non-is to have miracle you're my man ♪ ♪ so get out of my dreams come

on! ♪ hey and get into my car ♪ yeah yeah >> you got germane and you haval election. who would you have chosen in that one? >> just that quick. >> that quick. >> germane was really bringing it. >> you are right. >> he was really bringing it. >> yeah, germane was great. >> his control -- both of them really. it was really tough because they were both really great. germane was bringing it though. >> you know that show makes me so nervous when i'm watching it. last night a row of or yo cookies going down the hatch. i got to keep junk food out of the house especially when i get tense. ♪ ♪ now there's no looking forward now there's no turning back ♪ ♪ when we say we belong to the light we belong to the

darkness ♪ ♪ we belong to the sound of the words we've both fallen under ♪ >> all right. is it erin, the one with the curlier hair, or bwen with the shorter hair. >> i didn't get to -- i couldn't understand exactly what she was saying but i'd like to hear a little bit more of that before i can tell you. >> so who you think? >> okay. let's just say erin since she sang more. >> you are correct. erin. by the way, who's kind of like why know ma juno -- pyn. >> if mr. rogers had lived, it would be his birthday today, by the way, you guys. 84 years old. ♪ it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood ♪ ♪ a beautiful day for a

neighbor ♪ ♪ would you be mine >> it was so nice to be able to see him, walk in, do his routine -- >> i loved that routine, right? >> put his jacket in the closet. kind of -- it was good influence on you. >> we loved him. >> parents probably love that. see? put your jacket in the closet. >> but he did the exact same thing every time and you just loved, loved, loved watching him. how do you feel so far? >> i feel awesome! >> you are rockin' it. i'm so glad you're here. by the way, you guys, he's going to sing his entire song later in the show, "a woman like you." it is one of those songs you'll want to tivo and watch it again so make sure you set your tivo. coming up next, actor kurt cameron on his new movie and some controversial comments he made about homosexuality. [ sirens ] ...tv dramas... ♪ ...timeless classics, or whatever else, then you'll love netflix.

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retrace the beginnings of america in a new program called "monumental." >> look at you, mr. kirk, making the rounds today. there's been a lot of talk of the controversy that's been happening in your life. we'll get to that in a second but shall we start with the movie? >> great, love to. >> why don't we do that. so you traveled the country and parts of the world, right? kind of on this journey. tell us about what people can expect to see. >> well, what i did, as i really approached this -- this is my first solo project as a producer and it is called "monumental in search of america's real national treasure." as a dad i've got six kids and i want a great future for them. don't want them growing up in a country that's continuing to spiral downward into debt. don't want to see collapse financially, morally, spiritually. i want to know what can i do to help makes things better. instead of listening to everyone blame one another for the problems, i thought what if we go back in time and talk to the courageous men and women who built this country out of the woods with principles that

produced more blessing and freedom and security than anyone else, maybe they could tell us what we need to do. that's what the movie's all about. and take you on the journey to follow the escape route of the pilgrims from england into the dungeons and castles they were thrown into to holland where they stayed for 12 years learning these nation building principles as a community before they got on the mayflower and came to america. >> do you think a lot will surprise people? i know did you your homework. there were shots of you paging through this very, very old bible. but what sorts of things do you think people will look at and go, i had no idea? >> that actually wasn't even a bible. that was governor william bradford's journal. these are documents. these are the original source documents from which we learn everything we know about the pilgrims and thanksgiving and all of these kinds of things. i think what surprised me most, hoda, was that i thought i knew the pilgrims. they were these sort of little fuddy-duddys with tall hats and

belt buckles on their shoes and turkey guns. turns out these were the out of the box thinkers. these were the radicals of their day who laid down their lives for the sake of their children and they had courage and character and faith that is just -- i think uncommon today. and they did it for the sake of the next generation, not their own. >> now let's talk about this other topic. you've been kind of on this movie thing and you've been asked a lot about piers morgan and comments you made about homosexuality that offended a lot of people. he asked you if you thought it was a sin. y if you could unring the bell and do it again, would you say the exact same things? >> you know, that's a good question. i would have liked to have reframed the question. when i went on to the program to talk about this film and instead was asked to give a quick opinion and perspective on

homosexuality, day marriage and abortion and who's going to make the next president and the catholic church praying for contraception? everything gets reduced to a four-second sound bite and that is not the setting to have a full mind/heart discussion on the issue, not just of homosexuality and gay marriage and abortion but people that are wrestling with issues, what do i do with this child that i didn't expect, what do i do with this struggle of sexual identity -- >> we just have 30 seconds. sorry to put you back in the box. >> i would have liked to have said this -- and thank you for asking me now -- i love all people and i have hatred toward no one. i'm also a man of conviction and if you press me, i'll give you ply perspective on a social issue if you ask. >> all right, kirk. so we got to run but this is pretty cool how people can see this movie. you're saying it is a one-time only deal. march 27th in theaters. >> yes. it is a live one-night event, tuesday, march 27th. you buy your tickets at monumental movie.com and we will all watch simultaneously in 500

theaters. >> look at that! look at that, baby. >> you're doing a great job, by the way. >> see? he's been in your chair before. >> you're doing much better than i ever did. coming up next -- sara is going to tell us how she gets paid for sitting. we're talking about just sitting. kind of like we're getting paid for sitting. [ female announcer ] there's surprising news about whole grain and the cereals your kids love. ♪ now all general mills big g kid cereals have more whole grain than any other ingredient. the same great taste they love in cereals like lucky charms and cinnamon toast crunch with whole grain that they need. just look for the white check, only on general mills big g kid cereals, the delicious way to help them grow up strong. now with more whole grain than any other ingredient.

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series called "they get paid for that?" jobs you probably never knew existed and probably woenl miul mind having. >> sara haines went to the motor city. >> believe it or not general motors has a group of engineers with the very important job of making sure their vehicle seats are comfortable and bootylicious. >> are you serious? >> yep, i said that. at general motors seat performance lab outside of detroit, daniel cohen is an engineer who holds our rears dear. is it safe to say you're a seat specialist? >> yes. my specialty is comfort. >> can i say butt master or is that pushing it too far? as the seat comfort lab lead, he's responsible for what we feel when we're behind the wheel. >> the seat is actually the thing that the customer interacts with the most. you have to be sitting in the vehicle to drive it. so it's really the main interaction point that the person purchasing the vehicle has with the car. >> reporter: daniel's department

of eight people has the unique challenge of balancing safety standards, in-seat luxury features, like heating and cooling, and limited space. with a population of obese americans that has more than doubled over the past 20 years. >> really, he's kind of like a ruler for seats. >> reporter: they use tools like oscar to make sure a potential seat fits foot, hip and leg room standards. this robot punches the seats to test how they respond to force. is the robot temperamental? >> no, she's just misunderstood. >> it's a her. >> yeah. i actually named her. that's fanny. fanny, the seat comfort robot. >> so creative! then there are the rainbow colored pressure maps. >> each one of these squares on the screen is actually an individual pressure reading. the shape that you see here is the buttocks. >> nice butt. >> reporter: these 4,600 little dots help daniel understand the various ways that people rest their backs and their booties. are butts that unique? >> it is not just about the butt

that's unique. it's actually about how it interacts with the seat. a lot of that is also anatomy but some of it is choice and preference on whether you like to sit close to the steering wheel and pedals, sit far away and how that changely changes your whole pressure map. >> reporter: me and six other volunteers backed our things up to have our money makers mapped. blue is the default color and the orange shows where most of the pressure is allowing the seat specialist to know where to add extra padding and suspension. once the seat is in its final stages of being designed, then it's time for a road test to get a better feel for seat firmness, support and comfort. >> there's a railroad track that goes to nowhere. >> woo! in the end, my badonk had no complaints. we got the seal of approval. >> we got your seal of approval. >> can't believe they let me drive. >> you had a lot of words for your badonk. very creative. still to come, we'll play myth versus fact. learn a thing or two to learn

about the allergies you suffer. then, i know this is just for me -- we'll meet a mom who decided to become an nfl cheerleader despite -- >> yeah, this is also for you, lee. we're going to do some texas home cooking in "today's kitchen." they agreed. [ experimenter 1 ] relax, take some nice deep breaths. [ experimenter 2 ] at do you smell? lilac. clean. there's something that's really fresh. a little bit beach-y. like children's blankets. smells like home. [ experimenter 1 ] okay take your blindfolds off. ♪ hello? [ male announcer ] if febreze fabric refresher can freshen this couch, what can it do for yours? febreze fabric refresher -- breathe happy. [ doorbell rings ]

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♪ here's to the good old boys ♪ the guitars that made the noise ♪ ♪ and all the girls -- >> you're back on this tuesday, booze day with more of "today" and the voice behind "woman like you," country's lee brice is here helping me out while kathie lee enjoys a couple of days off. while lee's first act has really taken off, we're talking about second acts and people that decide they want to start it all over again. >> that's right. we have three of those people with us. laura was a stay-at-home mom turned nfl cheerleader. >> he's been waiting for you, by the way. >> she writes about her adventure in "it's not about the pom poms." also we have with us lisa, she was in management consulting and now she is a cheese maker, a

farmer. her store was featured on yahoo! news, second acts. then holly went from being a movie marketing executive to an interior design intern. look at you ladies! >> wow. >> you know, a lot of people want to try the second act but they are fearful. you went out for cheerleading. didn't make it the first time but you kept going. tell us about that. >> i did. you know what? i was in a place in my life where i just got out of a really terrible marriage, really lost myself and i needed to get my confidence back. went to a game. saw the girls on the field. said i want to do that. i want to be in that little outfit and have the confidence to do just that. i love dancing and that's my passion. >> honey, we don't mind. >> did you have people who said, look, honey, you're too old for this, this is for young girls. what made you say i don't care? >> i really tried to put that out of my head and said i love dancing, i have to do this for me and you just have to let the fear go and just give it a try. >> lisa, your transition was quite an interesting one. you went from consulting manager

to a marm farmer/cheesemaker. >> where did that passion come from? >> the passion gssion revolved around -- i realized i loved food. i also realized ten years ago i was concerned with healthy eating and bringing people together over food and creating something authentic with my own two hands. >> i wish i could do that. i love food, too. >> one morning i woke up and i said to my husband, honey, i think i'm going to be a farmer. it was that simple. >> finances play into these kind of things, too. have you a job that's paying. this one obviously db probably isn't paying as much. how did you work it out financially? >> those are always interesting dilemmas for individuals. i was fortunate that i had a backyard where i bought myself my first pair of goats and i just started learning. >> did your own thing. are you happy? >> i love it. wake up every day. right now it is birthing season an we're delivering baby goats every morning. >> you're happy. that's what really matters. >> holly, down to you. this is interesting. you went from a marketing

executive to an interior design intern. >> yes. >> how did that feel to be an intern at kind of our age? >> it's kind of crazy. but i knew what i was getting into because i had interns work for me in the past and i knew if i was smart about it, that i could learn so much and it's kind of learning how to check your ego at the door and just be open to any menial task being an amazing learning experience. >> did you just love interior design? was there something new that said -- >> it's funny, i felt a little lost when i was laid off from my job and i just wanted to be happy again. when you're single, like i am, it's that much more glaringly obvious when you're not getting what you want from your career. and, you know, just -- i -- interior design, i redecorated a friend's office shortly after i was laid off. i thought, oh, my gosh, this is my thing. >> you know what stops people i think from doing that kind of

stuff? it is like you're afraid. you don't know. how do you overcome sort of that fear factor to get in the game? >> a lot of fears are perceived and you just have to think about it a different way and say, you know what? i'm just going to try it anyway and let the fear go. >> i think there's always a long list of reasons not to do something. and sometimes there's only one reason to do it. you just do it. >> and life is way too short. >> life is too short. you guys are such an inspiration. i have to say. a lot of people are saying at home, i want to -- but. i have five reasons i can't do it but there's only one reason you should. ladies, thanks. coming up next, we'll talk about why you fight allergies. but your husband doesn't. i don't know. it's myth and fact. sometimes the guys have it easier -- in everything pretty much. >> true. we'll talk about it after this. and that it put me at 5-times greater risk of a stroke. i was worried. i worried about my wife, and my family. bill has the most common type of atrial fibrillation, or afib. it's not caused by a heart valve problem.

he was taking warfarin, but i've put him on pradaxa instead. in a clinical trial, pradaxa 150 mgs reduced stroke risk 35% more than warfarin without the need for regular blood tests. i sure was glad to hear that. pradaxa can cause serious, sometimes fatal, bleeding. don't take pradaxa if you have abnormal bleeding, and seek immediate medical care for unexpected signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. pradaxa may increase your bleeding risk if you're 75 or older, have a bleeding condition like stomach ulcers, or take aspirin, nsaids, or bloodthinners, or if you have kidney problems, especially if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all medicines you take, any planned medical or dental procedures, and don't stop taking pradaxa without your doctor's approval, as stopping may increase your stroke risk. other side effects include indigestion, stomach pain, upset, or burning. pradaxa is progress. if you have afib not caused by a heart valve problem, ask your doctor if you can reduce your risk of stroke with pradaxa.

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now to "today's health" and allergy myths that will surprise you. 50 million americans suffer from them every year making allergies the fifth leading chronic disease in the u.s. >> now, and i hear this is the good part -- >> what is it? >> hoda and i get to compete in a little heated competition is what i hear. and i need to hear -- i need to keep my eyes on her because i heard she's a little cheater.

>> you've been keeping your eyes on me anyway. sasha is the health and features editor of "women's health" magazine and she's going to put us to the test. are you ready? we are ready. >> let's kick it off. myth or fact. if you haven't developed allergies by your late teens, you're in the clear. >> myth. >> you guys are -- >> myth. >> you guys are both correct. anyone at any age can get allergies. we're all at risk. >> it's weird how do you develop them later in life though. >> they come on so suddenly. number two, if your parents have allergies there is a good chance you will, too. >> i'm going to say myth. >> you're both incorrect. >> i said fact. >> in fact, if both your parents have allergies you have a 70% chance of getting them. if just one has allergies, 30%. >> i thought it was the amount of stuff in the air. >> that plays into it, too, but unfortunately it runs in the family. moving on, since allergy season started early this year, it will also last longer than usual.

>> i'm going to say fact. >> hoda is correct. >> that's because she cheated. you told her the answers. >> look at the answers. 1-2. good luck to you. >> we've got tree pollen right now, then we're going to move into the grass pollen. no respite coming out. it is going to be a long one. >> i was getting a lots of tweets from people in atlanta who said the pollen count was insane. >> it's really bad this year. eating local honey can help cure seasonal allergies. >> what? yes. >> this is a myth! >> i did that just to mess you up. >> a lot of people do believe that because they think there's a connection between the honey and the bees and the pollen. and if you eat honey every day you can build up your immunity. but at "women's health" we found no studies that actually back that up. you can believe what you want. myth or fact -- hay fever is caused by hay. >> myth. >> this is a myth.

>> i knew that. i just had to go there. >> i'm sorry. this is getting boring. >> hay fever now is what we use to describe a collection of allergy symptoms. when you are sneezing and coughing you've got hay fever but it is not caused by hay. flower pollen is the leading cause of seasonal allergies. >> myth. >> yes. you're both right. flower pollen is actually stickier and heavier and is spread by insects and not by the wind. it is the tree pollen and grass pollen that's airborne that really gets you going. >> this could be the tiebreaker. let's pretend that we're tied. >> myth or fact -- allergy shots are the best way to cure allergies. >> fact. >> you're both incorrect! there's no such thing as a cure for allergies, unfortunately. you can do preventative treatment. >> can you move from your current place where you live. >> since lee is our guest, lee is going to get the gift even though i won fair and square.

that's for you. >> there is amazing because nashville's one of the worst places for allergies. and it is crazy for singers to be there. so this is awesome! >> thanks for coming to see us. next you guys, we'll go into the kitchen and have some southern style crawfish. you like that? right after this. ♪ spread a little love today ♪ ♪ spread a little love my way ♪ ♪ spread a little something to remember ♪ ♪ ♪ spread a little joy... [ female announcer ] fresh milk and real cream. that's what makes philadelphia. ♪ so spread a little... [ female announcer ] and that's what makes the moment we enjoy it, a little richer. ♪ real belgian chocolate whipped with philadelphia cream cheese. new indulgence. the moment just got a little sweeter. but sometimes i wonder... what's left behind? [ female announcer ] purifying facial cleanser from neutrogena® naturals.

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front... left, totino's. [ male announcer ] well done mom! less drama, more fun! totino's pizza rolls. it is time for "today's kitchen." we're getting saucy with some southern cooking. >> finally something i can sink my teeth into. >> yeah, baby. >> plenty of crawfish. do it, man. kitchen wizardry. mr. danny's the new orleans nati native is executive chef in houston here to share some of his texas creole. >> texas creole. >> hey, babe, how are you?

>> i'm great. having a good time. >> this is the only brennan's outside of new orleans, right? >> this is brennan's in houston. >> crawfish are a tricky thing for a lot of people. they are delicious if you're down in that area. a lot of people look at them in kind of a funny light. >> you kind of have to grow up with it. we can definitely show you what to do. we're going to make a barbecued crawfish shortcake. start out with a little grapeseed oil. we pre-sauteed our crawfish with some creole seasoning. garlic and some rosemary. you kind of want to brown that a little bit. get that good toasty flavor. >> smells great. >> it has to be very bold. >> sure. >> i love to cook. i'm a grill man. i like to learn a little bit more about this kind of stuff especially crawfish. i'm from the south so i did into

stuff from the mud. >> want me dump something in? >> yeah. we have some beer. put half of that in there. half of that lemon juice. we'll put the worcestershire, hot sauce. let that reduce. keep an eye on that. >> will do. >> we're going to make some aoili. we want to make our sauce ahead of time because if the normal viewer's going do this, that home cook, a lot of times they'll overcook their crawfish so we kind of saute it ahead of time, then fold it in. we'll add some beer. >> you and the beer. >> i know. we'll leave that cream there. we'll take a little bit of creole seasoning. we make our own blend. then some sugar cane vinegar.

we'll save that right there. to drizzle our shortcake at the end. >> what is this made out of? >> we have the buttermilk biscuits that we're going to use for our shortcake base. we'll take just a little bit of that cream and drizzle it. that's kind of the cream part to our dish. >> look at that! >> that's kind of the finished product. >> they can see what this looks like. i wish y'all could smell. >> you got to taste it. huh? springtime? crawfish. >> we have about 20 seconds, honey. >> we have crawfish remoulade. >> how stla, grill master? >> brother, i can't even talk. >> coming up next -- you guys -- i've been waiting and waiting for this. lee brice is going to sing for me "a woman like you." it is not really for me but it

is going to be for all of us.

the "toyota concert series" on "today." brought to you by toyota. >> lee brice spent the last hour helping me out and he did such a fine, fine job. but now he's about to do one of those things i've been waiting for, you guys, through the whole show. it's what he does best -- my favorite part. he is going to sing for us -- he has a new album out, it is called "hard to love." >> april 24th. >> april 24th his song comes out. there is a single on this, you guys, called "a woman like you." it gets 40,000 downloads weekly. something about it just resonates. >> sure does. we were lucky to find it. >> well, we're happy to have you sing it. lee brice, take it away. >> all right, here we go. ♪

♪ last night out of the blue drifting off to the evening news ♪ ♪ she said honey what would you do if you'd have never met me ♪ ♪ i just laughed said i don't know ♪ ♪ i could take a couple guesses though ♪ ♪ then i tried to dig real deep so honey honestly ♪ ♪ i'd do a lot more onshore fishing ♪ ♪ i'd probably eat more drive-through chicken ♪ ♪ i'd take a few strokes off my golf game if i'd have never known your name ♪ ♪ i'd still be driving that old green nova ♪ ♪ i probably never would have heard of yoga ♪ ♪ i'd be a better football fan ♪ but if i was a single man ♪ alone and out there on the loose ♪ ♪ well i'd be looking for a woman like you ♪

♪ i could tell i got her attention because i said oh, yeah, i forgot to mention ♪ ♪ i wouldn't trade a single day for 100 years the other way ♪ ♪ she just smiled and rolled her eyes because she's heard all of my lines ♪ ♪ i said come on girl seriously if i hadn't been so lucky ♪ ♪ i'd be shooting pool in my bachelor pad playing base in my cover band ♪ ♪ stocking up cold bud light for poker every tuesday night ♪ ♪ yeah i'd have a dirt bike in the shed and not one throw pillow on the bed ♪ ♪ i'd keep my cash in a coffee can but if i was a single man ♪ ♪ alone and out there on the loose well i'd be looking for a woman like you ♪

♪ well she knows what a mess i'd be if i didn't have her so to be sure ♪ ♪ i whispered in her ear ♪ you know i get sick deep sea fishin' and you make the best fried chicken notes ♪ i got a hopeless golf game ♪ i love the sound of your name ♪ ♪ i might that old green nova ♪ but i love watching you do yoga ♪ ♪ i'd take a gold band on my hand over being a single man ♪ ♪ cause honestly i don't know what i'd do ♪ ♪ if i'd never met a woman like ♪ you ♪

>> and that's the truth. >> woo! a lot of women would want you to sing that song to them but he know there's one person in particular that's for. >> that's definitely for sara. and yesterday was her birthday so i want to wish her happy birthday. >> happy birthday, sara. lee, thanks so much for joining me today. you were the best. come back tomorrow, randy travis is going to help me out and we have a fun-filled country music week. thank you for the song. i could cry, it was so beautiful. >> you're wonderful. beautiful. >> you're wonderful. >> have a great day, everybody. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com