good morning. breaking news. a tense standoff going on at a home in toulouse, france, right now. at least two police officers wounded as shots were fired by a man suspected in a trick of deadly shootings there, including one at a jewish school. the suspect holed up inside a home, claiming he has al qaeda connections. we'll go live to the scene as events unfold. what did he say? new controversy in the case of trayvon martin, did the man who shot and killed an unarmed teenager use a racial slur during a call to 911. this morning you'll hear the tape and we'll talk to the 17-year-old victim's parents. and viral sensation.

what is it about this 2-year-old that has more than 3 million people logging on to youtube to watch her? we'll show you "today," watch her? we'll show you "today," wednesday, march 21st, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning, welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm ann curry. good morning, everybody. we want to get right to this breaking news this morning. you're looking at the scene in toulouse, france, where at this moment some 300 police officers have surrounded an apartment, and they're still trying to negotiate the surrender of a suspected gunman in three deadly attacks there. >> that's right. those shootings, including monday's killing of three children and a rabbi at a school set off a nationwide manhunt. the suspect is being identified as a 24-year-old. he's believed to be heavily armed. and as we mentioned, he says he

belonged to al qaeda and has spent time in afghanistan and pakistan. let's get right to nbc's jim maceda. he's on the scene in toulouse. jim, good morning to you. what can you tell us? >> hi there, matt. well, that's right. the french special police launched a raid very early this morning around 3:00 a.m. here in the northern part of toulouse. the house where they believe the main suspect for those murders was hiding. again, the four killed mostly children at that jewish school on monday, and also three french soldiers who were killed four days before that. the gunfire broke out almost immediately. two policemen were wounded, then early negotiations began. they even brought in the gunman's mother to try to help but that failed. she has no, she said, control over her son. then another policeman was wounded in another round of gunfire. but for the past six hours or so, negotiations have intensified.

there's been a lot of talking. this man's name is mohammed marei, he's 24 years old, as you say, he's from toulouse, trained, as you said, by al qaeda. been to the tribal territories between pakistan and afghanistan a number of times. returning to france to commit jihad. he has admitted to carrying out all of the recent killings here in toulouse. he said he killed a french soldier to protest western intervention in afghanistan and killed the jewish children and the one adult to avenge children, he said, killed in palestine. so matt and ann, this is a hard-core, home-grown islamist, who is saying he'll turn himself in in a few hours. we'll see if that's true or not. but a great sigh of relief among the people in toulouse, who are feeling safer for the first time in about a week. >> jim, can you tell us how police tracked this suspect to this particular home? >> right. well, he's been on the police

radar for some time because he's been traveling back and forth to pakistan. but the real breakthrough is that, after the killings of the three french soldiers, he went to a motor bike shop. and remember he fled all scenes of the crime by motor bike. asking how he could neutralize his gps system and change the color of his bike from black to white. that triggered unease, questions on the part of the salesman at the bike shop, who called the police, and then the police honed in on him and on an address they picked up on a brother's laptop and then traced the house, as well. it all unfolded like a hollywood movie. >> all right, jim maceda in toulouse, france, for us this morning. thank you very much. it's now four minutes after the hour. here's ann. >> all right, matt, thank you. here at home, mitt romney scored a sizable victory in the gop presidential contest in illinois. he won 47% of the vote to 35% for rick santorum, 9% for ron

paul, and 8% for newt gingrich. so where does the race go from here? we've got david gregory, the moderator of "meet the press," joining us this morning. hey, david, good morning. >> good morning, ann. >> so a sizable win. a decisive win for mitt romney. so the question of the morning is, was it big enough for mitt romney to finally now be called the presumptive nominee? >> well, the only asterisk here is that he's not uniting the party. he's not breaking in to the demographic that rick santorum still has, and that is the heart and soul of the party. more religious voters, working-class voters. aspects of the republican base that has continued to stay away from mitt romn. but romney, you got to give it to him, he's won everywhere that he's had to win. just in the industrial midwest here of late. in michigan, in ohio, now in illinois. rick santorum has not won some place that he actually had to win. he just continues to be a strong enough number two. so the advantage is still clearly with romney. it's just a question of time.

>> meantime the other part of this on the other hand, three fourths of those who were -- at the exit polls, the republicans, illinois republicans, said that winning november is their top priority. so that's a major factor here in romney's victory. >> you know, it has been, ann, in every contest that we've seen so far. electability. who is in the best position to beat president obama? and romney always wins that. so you have a party that doesn't love their standard-bearer but they think he's really got the best shot to win the nomination. so you do have a split within the party where there are those who are more conservative who don't think romney is the real deal, who like santorum, who want to see something of this split. but, the final leg of this has to be those voters saying, look, we don't love romney, but we think he's going to win and we're going to fall in behind him. but we haven't seen a contest yet where that's actually happened. you know, in illinois, more educated, wealthier primary voters, more moderate, that's why you see romney's total getting larger as compared to say, ohio, or, of course, in the

south like mississippi or alabama, where those numbers were lower. >> right. it should be noted that rick santorum did say after all of this it is still a two-person race. david gregory, thank you so much this morning. >> thank you. >> it is now 7:06. once again here's matt. >> all right, thanks. now to florida where a grand jury will investigate the controversial shooting of 17-year-old trayvon martin. this as the teenager's cell phone call to his girlfriend sheds some new light on the moments leading up to that deadly confrontation with a neighborhood watch volunteer. we're going to talk to trayvon martin's mother and father in a moment. but first, nbc's lilia luciano has the latest. lilia, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. as new details are emerging this morning, revealing more about the final moments of trayvon martin's short life, questions are being raised about the florida law that might protect the shooter, george zimmerman, from ever being charged with a crime. >> no justice, no peace.

>> reporter: hundreds gathered at the sanford chapel tuesday night, brought to the by trayvon martin and the way he died. >> and we as people of color are going to stand our ground. >> reporter: martin was shot by a neighborhood watch volunteer last month in this gated community, as the 17-year-old made his way back from a 7-eleven. george zimmerman called 911, reporting the teen looked suspicious. he then told police martin was approaching him. >> now he's coming towards me. >> okay. >> he's got his hand in his waistband. and he's a black male. >> reporter: but trayvon's family says there's a new witness to their son's final moments. >> trayvon, run for it. >> reporter: trayvon's family says that according to cell phone records the teen was on the phone with his girlfriend when he encountered zimmerman that night. she says it was trayvon who felt threatened. >> so she says run. he says i'm not going to run, i'm just going to walk fast and at that point she says trayvon -- she hears trayvon say why are you following me? and that's when she said she hears the other voice say, what

are you doing around here? >> reporter: moments later she said it sounds like trayvon gets pushed and then the phone call drops out. when zimmerman fired the fatal shots he told police he acted in self-defense. legal experts say that claim, backed by florida's controversial stand your ground law, could prevent zimmerman's arrest. >> the stand your ground law is a license to kill. >> reporter: the law gives people in florida the right to protect themselves with deadly force, and not just in their homes. data from the florida department of law enforcement shows the number of justifiable homicides tripled after the law went into effect in 2005. >> he's clearly claiming self-defense and relying on the stand your ground law. however, there is circumstantial evidence suggesting that he had no business gunning down somebody who was armed only with skittles and a can of iced tea. >> reporter: and now zimmerman's already controversial 911 call is fueling speculation online that zimmerman may have used a racial epithet. though some news outlets believe he muttered the word punk. >> he's down towards the other

entrance of the neighborhood. >> okay. which entrance is that that he's heading towards. >> the back entrance. [ bleep ] >> reporter: the state attorney is taking over the case from local police and now is announcing that he's called for a grand jury to weigh the evidence, and determine zimmerman's fate. for now zimmerman is having no comment. matt? >> lilia luciano. thank you very much. trayvon martin's father tracy and mother sabrina fulton are with us now exclusively, along with their attorney ben crump. good morning to all of you naup for joining us. i appreciate it. this phone call that was carried on between trayvon and this young lady, just before he was shot, the young lady says that she heard him saying why are you following me. says perhaps he then put his hoodie up on his sweatshirt and heard someone else saying what are you doing in this neighborhood, and then the phone went dead. what do you think this phone call proves? >> to me it proves that he

wasn't walking around the neighborhood, doing anything suspicious. he was on his way home. he had every right to have on his hoodie. it was raining. why not put on his hoodie to prevent getting wet? >> this is not a recorded phone call, mrs. fulton. the young lady -- the police in sanford asked anyone with information to come forward if they had that. this young lady, according to our reporting, had not come forward. and we're now getting her version of this phone call. can it be trusted? >> yes, it can. she was distraught because of the situation that happened with trayvon. and the fact that she was on the phone with him when he -- when the incident occurred right before the incident occurred. so she was very distraught. she had to go to the hospital. she was hospitalized. she also mentioned to us that she had feelings for trayvon. so it hurts her dearly to know that he has passed away.

>> mr. crump, though, as an attorney, does it worry you that really what this is is hearsay evidence? >> it really doesn't. because she is a 16-year-old teenager who just lost a person very special to her. her parents are very concerned. they did not want her to get involved. and it wasn't until mr. martin saw the phone records and saw that she called him at 7:12. the police got on the scene 7:17. he was shot and dead on the ground. five minutes -- >> just before this happened. >> she talked to him. >> briefly i want to ask you about this our controversy now with this 911 call. some people who have heard the entire tape believe that mr. zimmerman, the man who shot your son, uttered a racial slur. some people think he head blanking punks. other people think he said blanking and then a racial slur. have you heard the entire tape? and do you think you've heard the original tape? what's your opinion. >> i never heard the entire tape but the part that i did hear zimmerman did go on saying, i

think he said words that were not -- were not comforting to my ears. like these people. and who are these people? he was suspicious because he was young, black, with a hoodie. >> let me read you something that lawyers for the department of justice have said on the condition of anonymity. that while the investigation of the shooting of 17-year-old trayvon martin will go forward, it would be difficult to prosecute the case under federal law. civil rights law protects against hate crimes or actions by police officer. but martin's shooting may not have either of those elements. >> matt, it's rare to be arrested, prosecuted and convicted. now the state needs to do it. it's crazy that this family has to wait for grand juries and stuff when if it was the other way around, they would have arrested their son on the spot. >> mr. fulton, as we put the picture of trayvon up on the screen it is very easy to look at this young man and want to

support you, and to comfort you, and offer our condolences. but do we also have to remember that with all the public outcry here, that there is, perhaps, potential for a rush to judgment against mr. zimmerman, who has not been charged with a crime, and even if he had been charged with a crime, would have to be viewed as innocent in the eyes of the law. are you worried about that? would you urge people to be patient? >> i would urge people to be patient. let the courts decide. but, i strongly feel that he needs to be arrested, because a crime was committed. my son is murdered. my son is not with us no more. nothing can bring him back. >> only two people know what happened that night. and your son, unfortunately, cannot tell his side of the story. miss fulton, are you worried that in a court of law, it will be tough to convince a jury of this -- of the guilt of mr. zimmerman beyond a reasonable doubt? >> well, there are some witnesses. there are witnesses, and i just

want them to take a look at the evidence that they have. i just hurt, in my heart hurt because this guy has not been arrested. and i just feel like the sanford police department decided to decide if he -- if they decided on the scene to be the judge and jury. and i just want this guy arrested so he can be brought to justice. >> mr. and mrs. fulton thank you for your time this morning. i truly appreciate it. mr. crump, thank you very much, as well. now 15 minutes after the hour. here's ann. >> matt, thanks. millions of americans take a daily dose of aspirin to decrease the risk of heart attacks. now a series of new studies suggest a -- the dprug may also have surprising benefits in the fight against cancer. nbc's nancy synderman is nbc's chief medical editor. hey, nancy, good morning. you call this a game changer. >> i think it is. look for three pennies a pill, you can prevent cancer, decrease the spread of it, in effect, decrease your chance of dying,

ann. we've known for a long time about the decrease of heart disease and stroke. but three articles, looking at hundreds of thousands of people in the journal "lancet" really talk now about the fact that the benefits far outweigh the risks for use of low-dose daily aspirin. either baby aspirin or one single aspirin. >> what kind of cancer specifically? >> we've known about colorectal cancer for a long time. now they're also saying cancer of the esophagus, stomach, breast and lungs. so if you look at those, the chance of dying from those, is 15% less than the average population, and it nearly downsize stomach upset and some bleeding. and frankly, after three years, those risks go away. i think increasingly doctors are going to sit with their patients and do what doctors have been doing and consider a daily aspirin. >> a stunning development for a pill -- >> at least talk to your physician about it. >> dr. nancy synderman thank you so much this morning. now let's get a check of the mornings's other top stories from natalie morales at the news desk. hey, natalie. >> good morning to you, ann. good morning, everyone. new details this morning about

the u.s. soldier accused of gunning down 16 afghan civilians. a 2002 police report shows that robert bales was arrested at a tacoma, washington, casino for drunkenly assaulting a security guard. his attorney had previously said bales was arrested for an incident involving one of his ex-girlfriends. hundreds of homes in mexico have been reduced to rubble after a strong 7.4 magnitude quake struck the country on tuesday. about a dozen people were injured in the tremor but amazingly no deaths have been reported. first daughter malia obama is in the quake region on a class service trip. the first lady's office reports that she is safe. extremely dangerous flash floods this morning in louisiana, eastern texas, after widespread heavy rain and more downpours are on the way. flash flood warnings are also in effect for parts of arkansas, missouri, mississippi, and eastern oklahoma. a jeep fighting for a spot at the pump lost control at a miami gas station. the driver slammed into a pump, bursting into flames.

no one was injured, and the jeep's driver does not face criminal charges at this time. prince william returns to the uk this morning after completing his royal air force duties in the falkland islands. he's expected to take a short leave reporting back to duty. and 500 years after leonardo da vinci dreamed of man taking to the sky, take a look, a dutch engineer strapped bird-like wings to his arms and there he is. he lifted off. it took him eight months to design the contraption but it all paid off, describing his minute in the air, he said you're running, and then suddenly, you're free. i am so willing to try that. 7:18 right now. back over to matt and ann. let me do it. >> i know. don't say, ann, i don't know. >> that is cool. >> let's go, ann. >> let's get to mr. roker. he's on the road this morning in clearwater, florida, with a check of the weather. hi, al. >> hey, matt and ann. we're at the u.s. coast guard

station clearwater, air station clearwater. we'll tell you about that in a little bit. let's get right to it. we've got a lot more heavy rai where natalie just showed you at the top of her newscast. parts of louisiana, big, big upper-level low, a cold front, we've got tornado watches in effect now. stretching throughout a good portion of new orleans. all that rain coming down, we're talking basically, about anywhere from three to five more inches of rain and that's going to cause more massive flooding. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. we don't have any rain now, but we have plenty of fog. your temperature, 59 degrees, the sun is up now, so the fog is going to gradually burn off as we approach the 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. hour. wind out of the east at just 8 miles per hour. so it's not doing much to help us get rid of the fog at least. the wind. but later today, some sunshine and maybe even an isolated shower coming through. 74 to 79 degrees. 79 down to the south and west of d.c. 80 on friday.

>> and that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al, thanks very much. we'll see you in a couple of minutes. it's one of the great mysteries, what happened to amelia earhart. now 75 years after her disappearance, secretary of state hillary clinton is lending her support to a new investigation into the mystery surrounding the famed aviator. here's nbc's chris jansing. >> amelia earhart -- >> reporter: in 1937 amelia earhart was one of the most famous women alive. a daredevil aviator. about to attempt an unprecedented around the world flight. joking about leaving her husband behind. >> how about taking me along? >> 180 pounds of gasoline on the flight, that might be a little more valuable. >> reporter: now one of the most famous women of this generation, hillary clinton, has put the state department support behind a new expedition, to find out what really happened when earhart's plane disappeared over the south pacific. >> we, too, could use some of

amelia's spirit. >> reporter: the new search, touched off by a new analysis of this photo, taken just three months after earhart went missing. >> the elements in this photograph are the same shape, size, dimensions, to the landing gear of a lockheed electricra aircraft. >> reporter: earhart's plain. in july the international group for historic aircraft recovery will launch a deepwater search. the culmination is simply that the plane ran out of gas and crashed. but expedition leaders believe that earhart may have survived that crash, a castaway on an island between hawaii and australia. rick gillespie has been there before, and a 2007 search famously found a woman's compact, a button, and a zipper from a flight jacket. this time, they're looking for the plane. >> that will be the conclusive evidence everyone has been searching for. >> reporter: the long elusive answer to a cliffhanger so

tantalizing, hollywood made a movie about it starring hilary swank. while that other famous hillary, clinton, says whatever the outcome, earhart's legacy endures. >> we can be defined not by the limits that hold us down, but by the opportunities that are ahead. >> reporter: for scientists, an opportunity to solve one of our most enduring mysteries. for "today," chris jansing, nbc news, new york. and just ahead, another mystery, the search intensifies for a 15-year-old cheerleader who vanished five days ago. her cell phone has now been found, as police interview registered sex offenders. we're going to hear from her heartbroken mother. but first, this is "today" on nbc. okay, people, let's get started.

pete, did you forget yours? me pete, me use pen! (laughter) sorry i'm late, i was in the 16th century looking for pete's pen. (laughter) guys, guys. take it easy, ok? pete's mom is videochatting me, and she wants her pen back! ok, alright, well. i just got one. so... yeah, you've got a little... yep, i can feel the wet patch. don't look at it. when it's on your mind, it's on ebay. still ahead a 14-year-old girl dies after drinking two cans of energy drinks in less than 24 hours. today, we stand against the tyranny of meager travel cards.

battle speech right? may i? capital one is issuing a venture double miles challenge. show us how much you spent last year and we'll give you 2 miles for every dollar spent on your travel reward card. up to 100,000 miles! hawaii, here we come. claim your miles at capitalone.com today! what's in your wallet? can you play games on that? not on the runway. no. can you play games on that? hi. we're spreading the word about new honey bunches of oats fruit blends and their unique taste combinations. like peach/raspberry. with one flavor in the granola bunch and one on the flake. two flavors. in harmony. honey bunches of oats. make your day bunches better. a big lunch doesn't mean a big price. start with a savory soup or a fresh salad. then choose a texas toast half sandwich, like our classic turkey, served with fries, all for just 6 bucks at chili's.

[ chuckles ] isn't easter fun, red? [ grunts ] not from my perspective! ♪ 7:26 on this wednesday, the 26th day of march, i'm joe krebs and the fog is causing some problems on the roads, let's check the commute with daniella. >> foggy and lots of delays, earlier we had a crash just cleared. this was southbound bw parkway at the beltway. jammed, i'll give you a live look right now. 19 miles per hour and you are very slow as you make your commute this morning. over to 395. still seeing some fog and big delays at edsel. slow to the 14th street bridge. 18 miles per hour, joe back to you. >> how long will the fog stick around? [ male announcer ] this was how my day began.

a little bird told me about a band... ♪ an old man shared some fish stories... ♪ oooh, my turn. ♪ she was in paris, but we talked for hours... everyone else buzzed about the band. there's a wireless mind inside all of us. so, where to next? ♪ behind me, a foggy morning. kind of hard to see the potomac in the distance, we're at 59 degrees, the fog is going to stay with us through the morning. we'll get a little bit of sunshine in here. we'll head up to 74, to 79

degrees. 74, 75 right in d.c. 79 a little higher to the south and west. chance of a shower today and tomorrow, sunshine for friday, the high, 80. joe? >> thanks very much,

7:35 now on this wednesday morning. the 21st of march, 2012. spring has just been sprung here in the northeast. we're headed into the 70s today. and tomorrow, we're told we could see 80 degrees outside. our fans on the plaza are loving the warm temperatures. as you can see many aren't wearing coats. meantime i'm ann curry with matt lauer. just ahead this new concern over these energy drinks. >> they're loaded with caffeine as you know and they're very popular with teenagers and young adults. now doctors are raising questions and concerns after a 14-year-old girl died after she drank two cans in less than a day.

we're going to have details coming up. >> and also coming up, in celebrity news we're going to be talking about jennie garth. she's speaking out for the first time since announcing the end of her eleven-year marriage. we're going to hear from her. and then a little bit later are ghost writers really behind the recipes in your favorite cookbooks? we're going to tell you about "the new york times" article that has some celebrity chefs crying foul. >> let's begin with the search for a 15-year-old girl in california, who has been missing now since last friday. nbc's kristen dahlgren has details on this. kristen, good morning. >> good morning, matt. we're here at the church where sierra lamar's family and community gathered last night to pray for her return. the sheriff's department says they have found the teen's cell phone, but have no other sign of the girl. ♪ amazing grace >> reporter: at a vigil for 15-year-old sierra lamar, her mother broke down. >> i love you so much. >> reporter: it's been five days

since she last saw her daughter. >> she goes, mom, i love you, too, you have a good day at work. that was the routine every morning. >> reporter: but all the tears and pleas -- >> i want my daughter back. >> reporter: have brought few clues about where the petite sophomore could be. on friday morning before leaving for school her mother says sierra took this picture of herself, smiling. it's how her friends always knew her. >> anyone that meets her, like you can't not be friends with her. all right but lamar never showed up at school that day, never got on the bus. her phone was found saturday, less than a mile from her mom's house. >> we're doing some forensics on that cell phone, trying to get any information that we can off of that cell phone, as well as her laptop. >> reporter: there's been no activity on the teen's facebook or twitter. >> she always had her phone. she was always on her phone. twitter, facebook. >> reporter: mark clause whose daughter polly was abducted in 1939 runs a unit for victims and

their families. >> the scenario that more easily plays out is that she was put into a car, and that at some point somebody took that phone and they threw it off of the side of the road. >> reporter: police have combed nearby fields, from the ground and the air. tuesday they interviewed classmates at her current high school and the one she moved from last year. and they're talking to registered sex offenders in the area. police say sierra's father is a registered sex offender but they insist he's not a person of interest. at the vigil he cheered up as he talked to his missing daughter. >> we can't wait to hear you sing again. >> reporter: a family and friends desperate for a safe return. holding on to the only thing they can right now, hope. >> sierra, if you're out there, please hang in there. be strong. because i know you have it in you to be strong. >> reporter: now police say they're canvassing the mother's home, the neighborhood where she was last seen.

they're also following any other tips that are called in. but matt, i asked her mother last night, is there any way sierra could have just run away? her mom said no. >> all right, kristen dahlgren out in california for us on this story this morning. thank you, kristen. we appreciate it. it's 7:33. here's ann. >> all right, matt, thanks. the defense in the dui manslaughter trial of a florida millionaire appears close to resting its case. but one question remains, will the accused take the stand? nbc's kerry sanders is in west palm beach, florida, for the latest on this story. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. it's expected the accused john goodman will tell the judge this morning whether he will take the stand in his own defense. his lawyers are telling the jury that he was not drunk the night of that accident, but rather got drunk afterwards, downing shots because he was so shaken by the events of that evening. and they're explaining now why they say he left the scene of the accident. they say that he suffered a

concussion and couldn't think straight. with computer animation to help, prosecutors argued 48-year-old john goodman, in his $200,000 bentley, blew through a stop sign and t-boned 23-year-old scott wilson's hyundai. the car, they say, was pushed across the street and flipped into a canal. among the heartbreaking testimony in the case, claims from the medical examiner that wilson was still alive when his car began to sink into the water. >> would scott wilson have survived this crash? >> yes, if he hadn't drowned. >> reporter: goodman, worth several hundred million dollars, adopted his girlfriend to shield part of his fortune. she's testified in the case. >> do you remember him telling you that he had had a few drinks? >> no. >> reporter: as did the deputy who supervised goodman's blood alcohol test. the state says it was twice the legal limit. three hours after the accident. >> i did smell the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his person. >> reporter: testifying for the

defense, famed polo player ignacio seguera. he was among the celebrity bartenders where goodman was partying the night of the accident. >> you're sure that you did not serve mr. goodman a drink? >> i am sure, yes. >> reporter: goodman, with his wealth, built the international polo club in palm beach county. the night of the accident, it took goodman 54 minutes before he dialed 911. time his defense team says he used to calm his nerves by drinking, alone, in the back of a barn, a short distance from the accident scene. >> i ran down the road to the -- to a barn. >> reporter: and while goodman denied that night he ran the stop sign -- >> i stopped and pulled out in front and i didn't see a car. >> reporter: even his own defense experts say he did. but they say the car malfunctioned. accelerating on its own. the defense's accident

reconstructionist told jurors deputies made significant errors in the investigation, beginning with the calculation of how fast both cars were traveling. legal expert. >> if john goodman was merely going 10 miles an hour over the speed limit, versus 30, the state may not be able to prove their case of vehicular homicide, because recklessness is one of the factors they have to prove. >> reporter: and for jurors, this may be an all or nothing case. the judge, when he charges the jury, could tell them either find john goodman guilty, or innocent. but not -- don't come back with any lesser charges. and that would hold true not only for vehicular homicide, but also for the dui charge. ann? >> all right, kerry sanders this morning. kerry, thank you. now let's get a check of the weather from al, who is this morning is in clearwater, florida. >> "today's weather" is brought to you by the makers of zantac, a new look for heartburn relief.

>> and good morning, everybody. as you see, the sunrise here in clearwater, florida. what a beautiful morning we've got. we are here at the u.s. coast guard air station clearwater. it is the largest and busiest air station in the coast guard's system. 550 active members here. we're in front of one of their c-130s. this is a search plane. they take this thing out and it can stay out up to -- on average ten hours searching for folks. record has been 14 hours. we're here because we're going to be doing a series with the coast guard, coast guard, florida, follow-up to our successful series coast guard alaska on the weather channel. let's show you the unbelievable temperatures that are going on thble temperatures that are going on through the midwest. they're nor like florida temperatures than what we would see in the midwest this time. cleveland, a high of 80, probably break a record there. another record high for chicago, 85, st. louis, 80.

lexington looking at a high of 84 degrees. charlotte, 84. look for a high in albany, georgia, 84. birmingham, a high of 85 degrees, and the warm temperatures stretch up into new england. bangor, maine, 82 degrees. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's going on in your nec fog, especially in loudoun county now under a quarter of a mile. up around 70 and 270, the visibility at half a mile. i haven't seen this improve over the last one to two hours at all. so i do think, though, by the time we get to 8:00 and 9:00, the fog willing lifting, from 59 to a high today of 74 to 79 to our south and west. 80 at the end of the week, a >> and that's your latest weather. ann? >> all right, al, thank you so much. coming up next, the serious health concerns being raised by -- about popular health -- high energy drinks in the wake of a tragic death of a 14-year-old girl.

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[ male announcer ] snickers satisfies. [ male announcer ] you're not you when you're hungry™. better. but not for your eyes. they're still so tired-looking. with olay, challenge that with regenerist anti-aging eye roller. its hydrating formula with caffeine-conditioning complex perks up the look of eyes. it works in the blink of an eye. aflac! ha! isn't major medical enough? huh! no! who's gonna help cover the holes in their plans? aflac! quack! like medical bills they don't pay for? aflac! or help pay the mortgage? quack! or child care? quack! aflaaac! and everyday expenses? huh?! blurlbrlblrlbr!!! [ thlurp! ] aflac! [ male announcer ] help your family stay afloat at aflac.com. plegh! we're back now at 7:43 with an issue of growing concern for medical professionals and some parents. high energy drinks have become very popular among teenagers and

young adults in recent years as a quick way to get a caffeine jolt. but could they also pose a serious risk? nbc's tom costello has more on that. tom, good morning. >> hi, matt. the jolt comes from the caffeine, which, of course, is a stimulant. the fda regulates how much caffeine is allowed in soda, but it doesn't regulate the caffeine in energy drinks because they're considered a dietary supplement, rather than a food. it appears it was all too much for a 14-year-old who drank two of these in less than 24 hours. no one who knew her ever thought this is where 14-year-old anais fournier would be today. the victim of too much caffeine? >> i lost my girlfriend who i cared about with all my heart. >> reporter: at the cemetery in hagerstown, maryland, her boyfriend ethan comes nearly every day. >> she was just beautiful. in personality, in mind, in just physical features she was amazing. >> reporter: it was last september when anais suddenly

went into cardiac arrest while at home. paramedics, then doctors, worked for a week to save her as she slipped into a coma. her family at her bedside. >> we stayed up all night. i laid in bed next to her all night long and we talked to her. and stayed with her. >> reporter: six days later, anais died, leaving behind a twin brother and sister. the official cause of death, cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity. anais and her family knew she had a common heart defect known as a microvalve prolapse but her doctor felt it posed little risk to her life. in the 23 hours before she went into cardiac arrest, anais had consumed two, 24-ounce high caffeine monster energy drinks. each monster can contained 240 milligrams of caffeine. enough for three servings. and two cans is equal to 14, 12-ounce sodas. that's 480 milligrams of

caffeine. nearly five times what's recommended in a recent pediatric study for teens and younger. monster tells nbc news, we vehemently deny that drinking two cans of monster energy by itself can cause a death from caffeine toxicity. and monster insists its drinks contain less caffeine than some coffee. dr. allen taylor is the chief of cardiology at georgetown university hospital. >> between the caffeine, the sugar, its effects on blood pressure, potential adverse effects, i think it's really difficult to justify a case for children, young adults, to be using these substances right now. >> reporter: and e.r.s across the country have seen a dramatic increase in caffeine overdoses. from 1100 e.r. visits in 2005 linked to high energy drinks, to 16,000 in 2008, and more than 13,000 in 2009. high energy drinks have become big business, marketed to teens with names like monster, full throttle and rock star.

clearly this food is designed for a particular audience. >> yes. high schoolers, college students. >> reporter: university of maryland researcher amelia aria has studied the effects of the drinks on teens and young adults. >> individuals don't really know how much caffeine they're consuming because the label does not require disclosure of caffeine content. that's part of the problem. >> reporter: despite years of studies calling for the fda to regulate the drinks, that hasn't happened. the american beverage association tells nbc news it has adopted voluntary policies for change to energy drink labels and marketing to children. some offer warnings, some don't. but doctors have their own warning. >> is your child the one who has a predisposing condition where these could be truly dangerous? is this worth the call to the emergency room? >> reporter: for anais' mom there is only heartbreak. >> she never, ever regained consciousness. and we never got to tell her good-bye.

>> reporter: while the fda doesn't regulate the drinks, virginia has banned their use by high school athletes, australia already regulates them, and canada is about to implement some of the tightest restrictions in the world. meanwhile, as a result of anais' organ donation, two people regained their sight with her eyes, a man was saved with her liver and left kidney and another woman was saved with her right kidney and pancreas. so this 14-year-old girl helped a lot of people. matt, back to you. >> tom costello. thank you very much. still ahead, who really writes your favorite cookbooks? why some famous cooks like rachael ray and oscar winner gwyneth paltrow are so upset about a new claim in a "new york times" article. laces? really? slip-on's the way to go. more people do that, security would be like -- there's no charge for the bag. thanks. i know a quiet little place where we can get some work done. there's a three-prong plug. i have club passes. [ male announcer ] get the mileage card with special perks on united, like a free checked bag, united club passes, and priority boarding.

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good morning, i'm joe krebs, at 7:56, the morning rush is like the morning crawl today. let's get to danella sealock. >> good morning, you're facing fog and very low speeds. let's take a look at route 50, seeing red, very slow, delays start at landover road, you're at 17 miles per hour. i'll show you what it looks like. bumper to bumper, delays continue as you connect to new york avenue. now over to 39 5, still very slow at duke street, in fact your delays continue across the 14th street bridge. you're at 28 miles per hour. joe, over to you. >> tough, thanks very much, danella. ta

fog has started to improve north of the area. howard county and montgomery county, but still pretty bad out there as you can see. and especially in those areas, west of us, loudoun, fauquier

we're back now, 8:00 on a wednesday morning, the 21st day of march, 2012. we've got some rain in the new york area. not too bad, though. certainly hasn't kept our crowd down outside studio 1a. a lot of these people in town for some spring sightseeing. we're happy they've joined us. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry. coming up we're going to be talking about a real kind of uproar in the world of celebrity chefs. >> that's right. there was an article in "the new york times" recently that claimed that a lot of celebrity chefs actually don't come up with their own recipes and the article named gwyneth paltrow. so she was not very happy about that. we're going to find out what she's got to say.

and also, on the topic of celebrities, we're also going to talk about jennie garth because she's now talking for the first time about her breakup with her husband, peter facinelli so we're going to find out what she's got to stay about that. >> also in our studio, ayoung lady named alita. she suffers from a rare disease that requires her to be connected to external oxygen all the time. of course that oxygen is in a very heavy tank. but you're also going to meet that little guy right there, that's mr. gibbs, her new best friend. he is helping her with that problem. we'll meet alita, mr. gibbs, and her family in just a little while. >> it's a very sweet family. >> all right. >> meantime let's get a check of the news first. natalie is at the "n" this morning. >> good morning, ann and matt. good morning. >> we begin with an overnight gun battle where the suspect wanted for a deadly shooting last week. police say the 24-year-old gunman claims to have trained

with al qaeda in pakistan and afghanistan. he told negotiators he targeted jewish students to avenge the deaths of palestinian children. in the murders of the paratroopers he said were to protest western military intervention overseas. the family of an unarmed florida teen who was shot to death by a neighborhood watch volunteer says there is a new account of the confrontation. the family says 17-year-old trayvon martin was on the phone with his girlfriend when he noticed george zimmerman following him. the girlfriend reportedly said trayvon felt threatened but police in sanford, florida, say zimmerman shot trayvon in self-defense. a grand jury will now investigate. mitt romney strengthened his front-runner position in the republican presidential race, winning tuesday's illinois primary by a comfortable margin. in a post-victory e-mail he urged republicans to unite behind him. but rick santorum, who has shown strength in the south, is pushing ahead to saturday's louisiana primaries. a series of new studies suggest that aspirin may have surprising benefits in both

preventing and treating cancer. researchers found that a daily both of aspirin can reduce cancer risk along with deaths and the spread of cancer, especially in patients with colon cancer. the research is published in the medical journal "the lancet." now for a look at what is trending today. quarterback peyton manning and tim tebow and the denver broncos all topped google and yahoo! searches. manning was introduced tuesday as the broncos' newest star quarterback and fan favorite tebow who led denver to the playoffs last year for the first time since 2005 but now football fans are wondering where he may end up next. maybe the jets. a story we told you about earlier, a planned deep water search for amelia earhart's airplane is also a hot google topic. hillary clinton has put the state department's support behind this latest effort. it was spurred by new analysis of a photo taken just months after earhart vanished over the south pacific in 1937. experts say it shows parts of a

plane's landing gear. and rehab? despite reports that he has entered rehab, jersey store shore mike "the situation" sorrentino tweets don't believe everything you read or hear. tmz says he's at an undisclosed location for rest and recuperation. let's go back to al with a check of the weather from clearwater, florida. hey, al. >> hey, natalie. thanks so much. and if -- if amelia earhart was lost today the coast guard would certainly be involved in that search and probably using this plane, the c-130, it's got a range of staying in the air of ten hours, and we're really excited to be here because we're doing a new show for the weather channel "coast guard florida" following up on our hit show "coast guard: alaska." let's show you what we've got as far as our weather is concerned for today. weather today, our pick

city of the day, tampa, florida, news channel 8 hd, 30% chances of isolated afternoon thunderstorms. temperature about 86 degrees. as far as temperatures for today, you can see we got a lot of wet weather now streaming up. this is a slow-moving system already a lot of flooding in eastern texas. parts of southern louisiana. it's going to continue today. as the moisture just continues to drop anywhere from another three to eight inches of rain. record highs, the eastern third of the country. more rain moves into the pacific northwest. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> a thick, foggy morning out there right now. and the fog has been pretty slow to lift and will gradually lift as we approach the 8:00 and 9:00 hour. still hard to see in a lot of locations. 59 your temperature, the wind very light so we've got the clammy, dampness to the air. on the other of noon time, we'll see sun and start to dry out.

74-79 your temperature. on friday, >> that's your latest weather. matt, i'm thinking about hotlining this bad boy and swinging it up to new york. >> all right, al, be careful. thank you very much. when we come back, gwyneth paltrow and some famous chefs are up in arms about an article that claims they used ghost writers for their recipes. we'll talk about that and jennie garth will open up for the first time about the end of her eleven-year marriage. right after these messages. when it comes to paint... ...there's one brand that always tops the charts. so let's grab a few of those gallons- at a price that's now even lower. 'cause when we mix behr ultra paint and primer in one... ...with a few hours... ...we get more than just color... ...we get top-rated coverage. the kind wakes up walls, and reinvents rooms. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. behr ultra paint and primer in one now starts at just $29.38, it's lowest price ever.

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back now at 8:08. with new details on the celebrity breakup that caught some people by surprise. a week after jennie garth and peter facinelli announced plans of divorce, jennie garth is talking about it for the first time. >> jennie garth and peter facinelli have been married for more than a decade. they have three children together. both actors are in the middle of upswings in their careers. just weeks before her new show, garth is now talking about the end of her marriage. >> i know it's the right thing for us right now. i feel it. in my heart. >> reporter: actress jennie garth is going public about her recent split from husband peter fach themly. >> some of the things in my life have been transitioning. >> reporter: on tuesday garth told "access hollywood" she's living with her three young daughters on a farm in california, taping her new show. >> my life is a little hectic right now. and my personal life is kind of crazy. so, this is what i need, and what the girls need right now.

and so it's perfect. >> how are the girls handling this, and how are they? >> we're doing great. thank you. >> so it's just you guys up on the farm, peter won't be part of the show, will he? >> no. >> reporter: garth was spotted without her wedding ring on monday, after lunch at a los angeles restaurant. last week, facinelli showed his bare finger while riding his motorcycle. public proof that the 11-year marriage is coming to an end. >> so we make a great couple. >> reporter: garth and facinelli are teenage pop culture icons, but from two different generations. 39-year-old garth played kelly taylor in the original "beverly hills,90210" which first aired over 20 years ago. her character became one of the most beloved in the cast. >> i think you'll be just fine. >> reporter: 38-year-old peter facinelli is the father vampire in the wildly popular "twilight" saga. he cheered for his wife as she competed on "dancing with the stars" in 2007.

stunned fans took to the web saying, thought they'd stay married forever. >> it definitely makes people think, if they can't make it work in hollywood, nobody can. we don't know what was going on behind the scenes. but they do seem to be great parents and are always with their children. >> our getaway home. >> reporter: since the announcement of their split last week websites have been buzzing with gossip about infidelity. in a joint statement the couple said there are rumors out there which are completely untrue, and hurtful to our family. we just want to make it very clear, there are no third parties involved. >> being out here on my own with the girls is not going to be easy. >> reporter: the divorce comes as garth gets ready to launch a new show called "jennie garth little bit country" a reality show about the escape of the chaos of hollywood. and garth's new show premieres next month. the company tells nbc they remain dedicated to raising

their three daughters together even as the marriage comes to an end. >> and boy, what three beautiful children they have. thanks a lot, natalie. and from a celebrity breakup to the brewing controversy over celebrity cookbooks, and who is actually writing them, nbc's mara schiavocampo has this story. >> reporter: good morning, ann. this one is a case of hot meals and hot tempers, all flaring up online after a story suggesting that some celebrity chefs with cookbooks are hands-off in the kitchen. now one famous star is boiling mad, and fighting back. it's a recipe for success. celebrity cookbooks are big business. and these days famous chefs are everywhere. from jamie oliver to martha stewart to mario batali. >> olive oil, salt and pepper. >> reporter: but are the big guns hiring writers for their cookbooks? that's the claim in a "new york times" piece, i was a cookbook ghostwriter. it set off a firestorm with food reporter julia moskin writing recipes are products, and today's successful cookbook

authors are demons at providing it, usually with the assistance of an army of writer-cooks. >> most use ghost writers. they're not writers. they need someone to help them put their imagination and their creativity on the pages. >> reporter: the "times" piece doesn't hold back, saying chefs routinely employ writers and recipe developers. suggesting star cook rachael ray doesn't come up with her own recipes. and even claiming gwyneth paltrow hired a writer on her cookbook "my father's daughter." here she is wriping up fried zucchini pasta on ray's show. >> excuse me, everyone. >> reporter: and as for a ghostwriter, absolutely not, says paltrow. who tweeted, love @nytimes dining section but this weeks facts need checking. no ghost writer on my cookbook. i wrote every word myself. ray's steamed up, too. tweetding that the newspaper got it all wrong. >> for a chef to do it all themselves and then there are chefs who do all the recipe work

and have someone else help them with the writing part of it. >> reporter: all the uproar spawned a follow-up from "the new york times" explaining that ghost writing doesn't necessarily mean the recipes are somebody else's, just that there's sometimes help getting food from the plate to the page. still, not enough for ray, who fired back on twitter. @nytimes diner's journal gets it wrong again. i celebrate and value stylists, photographers, editors, i also write my recipes alone. experts say the feud has left many with a bitter taste. >> finding out that there is a person or entire team behind the process takes a little bit of the magic out of the moment. >> now, no matter what, sales are thriving with cookbooks raking in $1 billion each year. ann? >> all right. mara schiavocampo, thank you so much. coming up next, the 3-year-old with a rare condition and the dog who's giving her a new lease on life. we're going to meet them both right after this. ♪

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we're back now with the touching story of one young girl and her best friend, a dog giving her a chance to really be a kid. "today" national correspondent amy robach has more on this very special friendship. amy, good morning. >> matt, good morning to you. from the moment she was born, 3-year-old alita hasn't been able to crawl, walk or run very far due to a short cord connecting her to some very heavy oxygen tanks. but now her life line runs right beside her, giving this toddler a new lease on life. by all accounts, mr. gibbs looks like any other golden doodle puppy, loving some scrunches, and some naps. but mr. gibbs is here to work. >> good job. make sure you're turned on. all right, let's go. >> let's go. >> we're going to go play? let's go play. >> reporter: his boss, 3-year-old alita knoblauch.

>> what do you got to do with mr. gibbs? >> down. down. >> good boy. >> reporter: this special little girl suffers from neurohyperplasia in infancy. nehi is an extremely rare lung disease requiring alita to breathe with the aid of an oxygen tank. only 500 children in the united states have ever been diagnosed with it. alita was born premature and had breathing issues from the start. but as months went by, her parents, debbie and aaron, had an instinct something was ver wrong. >> debbie was able to look up what all the tests were that they were doing, you know. the first one, you know, she would have made it to four months. and so you go through two weeks of just not being able to help. >> reporter: once the nehi diagnosis was made, doctors told

the knoblauchs two things, they needed to live utah and live in a lower elevation, and alita would need an oxygen tank at all times to continue breathing. >> she was already falling behind on her milestones, and she didn't sit up until she was eight months old. as soon as she got on the oxygen she started catching up quickly. >> reporter: but catching up presented a new problem for a toddler attached to ten-pound oxygen tanks. >> you know, when she crawled it wasn't a big deal because she couldn't get that far away. when she started walking we had to come up with something different. we saw a show on tv about service dogs, and that's when it clicked. i, you know, i don't need a cart for her, i need a bottle that's going to follow her. >> grab her leash. what do you tell him? >> come let's go. >> reporter: enter mr. gibbs. the knoblauchs found dog trainer ashley kensly and proposed the idea of training a service dog to carry the oxygen tanks. >> he's trained to do everything he needs to do.

but for a service animal that he's at with a 3-year-old, that's kind of the difficult part. >> reporter: but so far mr. gibbs has passed the test and alita has a newfound freedom. what's your favorite thing to do outside? >> swing! >> reporter: you have mr. gibbs by you when you're swinging? >> he gets kicked in the head. >> he gets kicked in the head sometimes. >> reporter: but lucky for mr. gibbs he's resilient and has a whole lot of patience. what do you say to mr. gibbs? >> down. >> reporter: down. do you have other things you say to him? >> mm-hmm. >> reporter: like what? >> at ease. >> reporter: at ease? and now the knoblauchs can be at ease, knowing their daughter is in good hands because of a new friend with four paws. who is your best friend? >> he is. >> so cute. mr. gibbs and alita hope to go to kindergarten together in a new years given alita the kind of independent childhood her parents had always hoped for. matt? >> all right, amy, thank you very much.

alita and mr. gibbs are here along with her parents aaron and debbie. good morning to everyone. we don't even have to do an interview. let's just watch this. i mean this is so cute to watch them together. >> whoa! >> and it must be such a change of life for all of you. >> whoa. look. >> it really has been. he's been a great addition to the family. and just awesome help for her. >> when you first received this diagnosis, you had to immediately think, what kind of quality of life is my little girl going to have. and what were your hopes and fears? >> well, i was scared she would be limited by the length of her oxygen tube. so we immediately started looking at ways to help her get around the house. and just like it said in the episode, when she started walking we had to adjust the way we did things. >> reporter: aaron, i understand you came up with a lot of devices over the years. >> yeah. >> you were kind of a handyman and you create things she'd be able to drag around with her. >> yeah. >> but it was your idea to work with the service dog. >> well, once i realized that

the cart just wasn't going to work forever, we had to come up with something. and when we saw the service dog that was the click, that was the trigger. i was like i need a bottle that will follow her. >> and talk to me about the learning curve here. i mean, you know, mr. gibbs trained as a service dog. but this is an unusual function to perform. >> most service dog agencies won't talk to you until your child is older, 5 or 7. so it hasn't been done with a child this young. so the challenge is for him to listen to alita. he does really well with debbie and i but it's tough for him to listen to a 3-year-old. >> was it hard to train -- or to teach alita to be able to give those commands we heard? >> actually. she knows them really well. she actually gets frustrated when he doesn't listen. that's part of the process that we're working on right now is, you know, helping him understand that that is the command, and you know. she doesn't speak real clearly sometimes. >> what about when kindergarten comes, i mean, will mr. gibbs be allowed to go to kindergarten

giving her some semblance of normalcy? >> that's -- that's why we're doing all this so early is we're hoping that by the time she is in kindergarten it's all figured out and there's no more training left to be done and he just goes to school. >> alita mr. gibbs is a little goofy, isn't he? >> yeah. >> does he like -- i think he likes to tickle you like this, doesn't he? sometimes does he take naps with you? >> yeah. >> is it fun? >> yeah. >> it is? but at night, mr. gibbs gets the night off, and you hook her up to a more stable -- >> yes, a concentrator that works all night so he's down. >> i know you want to give people more information, or if they have -- first of all there's only 500 cases, as amy mentioned, of young people in this country with this particular disorder. but what should people know. how can they get more information? >> they can go to the child foundation website at

www.child-foundation.com, and there's information about all the different -- a list of doctors that specialize in that kind of treatment. >> i think we should mention you have another daughter who's 4 months old. a little baby here in the studio. >> the reality is, they don't know yet. they don't even know enough to know what causes it yet. so that's why we're trying to do the research to figure that out. >> well, alita, you seem like you're having a really good time with your friend mr. gibbs. thank you for being here. did you enjoy watching yourself on tv? >> yeah. >> you did? >> good. mr. gibbs, thank you. folks, thanks for being here. we're back right after these messages and your local news.

8:26 is your time on this wednesday, march 21, 2012. delays are piling up on 395, let's go straight to danella sealock for the latest. >> the problem across the 14th street bridge, we had an accident that momentarily shut down 395 northbound. you are still seeing delays, there's a live look at edsel, very slow. the accident is out of the roadway, but right now, you're at 17 miles per hour, taking 38 minutes to get from the beltway to the 14th street bridge. taking the beltway in montgomery county, still seeing delays at coltsville road, slow in fact, 22 miles per hour, taking 25 minutes to get from i-95 to i-270, eun, over to you. [ male announcer ] for making cupcakes

and deposits at the same time. for paying your friend back for lunch from your tablet. for 26 paydays triggered with a single tap. for checking your line, then checking your portfolio. for making atms and branches appear out of thin air. simple to use websites, tools, and apps. for making your financial life a little bit easier. simple to use websites, tools, and apps. homicide of young people in america has an impact on all of 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.

fog is still quite dense in the counties west of loudoun. fauquier and culpepper. down under a quarter-mile. fog will gradually improve by the time we get to 8:00 and 9:00

a.m. your high today, 74-79. at the end of the week, some sunshine with a high around 80 on friday. the weekend will be much cooler the w[ male announcer ]h cooler this was how my day began. got my bearings. ♪ a little bird told me about a band. ♪ an old man shared some fish stories. ♪ ooh, my turn. ♪ she was in paris, but i still got to see her. we talked for hours. ♪ everyone else buzzed about the band. music, stories, adventures, memories. ♪ ...all at my fingertips. ♪

there's a wireless mind inside all of us. ♪ so, where to next? ♪ 8:30 now on this wednesday morning. it's the 21st of march, 2012. 60 degrees out here in the heart of midtown manhattan as we give these people a chance to say hi to their families and friends back home. a huge contingency here from -- from guam. i'm ann curry along with matt

lauer and also natalie morales and also al is in clearwater, florida. what have you got coming up? >> well, we're going to be -- do you know what temple run is? >> my son plays it. my 3-year-old. >> m-83? >> i don't know that. >> you better know what these things are if you have a teenager in the house and you want to connect to that teen. coming up we have a crash course in all the hottest apps, music and pop culture that your teens may be addicted to. >> all right. plus jenna bush hager has gone broadway along with sara haines, by the way, and they've come back with some incredible costumes and some great hats from some of the best musicals of all time. what's that one from, matt? >> that is from "la cage aux folles." >> we're going to get to try some of those things, as well. >> also coming up, we've got mark bittman in the house. we want to pay attention to him. he's cooking up some really yumny things.

and also, a great recipe for pork roast. when he's here, everyone in our studio is salivating. >> eli manning -- >> yeah. >> yeah. go down to florida check in once again with mr. roker, al? >> and matt, i -- we got you this hat from the coast guard. i thought you'd really like this one. this one -- >> what does it say? >> it's really you. >> oh, that's nice of you. thank you very much. i appreciate that. i will wear that on the golf course. >> yes. >> i can see that. >> i'll trade you al, take your hat, you can have that hat. >> okay. there you go. i'm not giving up this hat. i'll tell you what, we're here at the u.s. coast guard station -- air station clearwater. and this is one of the -- the h-60s, jayhawks and i love it. it's got the slogan here, for the air station, any time, anywhere. they use this thing for search and rescue. it's -- it's pretty cool. let's show you what's going on as far as your weather is

concerned. is concerned. for today, we are looking at a picture-perfect summer day along the east coast. with temperatures in the 70s and 80s all the way back into the great lakes. but we are looking at more heavy rain and the risk of strong storms. down through the lower gulf. more rain in the pacific northwest. tomorrow we're expecting again, the record highs, up and down the eastern seaboard. the heavy rain shifts into mississippi and alabama. southern mississippi and alabama. more rain in the pacific northwest. sunny and warm through the southwest. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's going on in your neck of the woods. the fog gradually improving. here's a look on a map of the visibilities throughout the area. you can see they are the lowest. just west of loudoun county, fauquier county, culpepper, down under a quarter of a mile, winchester, petersburg, still low in a lot of locations. will graphly improve and we'll see sunshine. partly sunny, mostly cloudy at times. into the mid and upper 70s in a few locations.

if you like the warmth we're at 80 on friday, if you >> and that's your latest weather. ann? >> all right, al, great, thanks so much this morning. coming up we're going to have a chance to learn about apps and music and other types of hot trends coming up.

"today's" parenting is brought to you by quaker oatmeal. >> we're back now at 8:36 and this morning on parenting "today," what parents need to know about today's teens. we have three experts to educate us on what's hot and of course what's not when it comes to music, gossip and social media. >> that's right, matt. we begin with what teens are listening to these days. and billy is an 18-year-old high school senior from connecticut. he's joining us this morning. good morning. >> good morning, ann. >> talk music trends for teens. >> well, lately talk to a few

friends at universities and throughout high school and even my little brother, a lot of people are looking to a song you heard before called levels. that's kind of like that fast-paced dance music. then there's also songs like m-83 has a song midnight city which is a slower electrosound but still got that electronic feel. and then i saw younger giant, a rock 'n' roll band at terminal 5 earlier this week who just put out an album. if you're more into the rock 'n' roll scenes. >> i have no idea what you just said. but -- but there's something called dub step as well? >> dub step is kind of sounds like transformers are fighting. it's like you can dance to it. and a lot of parents like my parents hate it. they're kind of turned off to like a bass drop. so it's very odd music, but it comes from distorted like volkswagen stereos. >> the theme seems to be a very technokind of sound. >> a lot of people are just talking on their computers and making music.

>> meantime so the top then artists that are maybe you just listed some and i didn't understand what you were saying. what are the, who are the top artists? >> you can listen to -- and you heard nicki minaj. you can find them at itunes top ten on their home page and for newer dub step kind of things there are web sites like fresh on campus and camelback music. >> meantime justin bieber seems to have discovered a canadian pop star. saying carly ray -- >> her song is call me maybe and that's one of the catchiest songs around right now. i mean it's justin bieber endorses something then you know, call me maybe. >> that's exactly right. all right well listen you've given us a sense about what's happening with music. thanks so much. >> thank you. >> always a pleasure to meet you. and i'm going to decipher what he said a little bit later. >> all right, ann, thank you. if you want to stay on top of the latest celebrity gossip you can ask a teen. lucy is a 19-year-old sophomore

at johns hopkins university. lucy was also just dancing to some of that music. good morning. >> thanks. >> it doesn't take a lot of effort on the part of a parent to connect with a teen. and it can have a big impact. >> yes, definitely. >> let's talk about things every parent needs to know. a lot of friends and you are talking about ben and courtney. who are they and why do i need to know about them? >> the bachelor's been on tv for about ten years right now. ben was the bachelor, and courtney, stole his heart, there was a lot of courtney drama going on in the hearts of teens and parents alike. i know my parents watched "the bachelor" this season and courtney was just very scandalous. she brought ben skinny dipping in puerto rico when there were ten other -- >> lucy, stop it. >> she made snide comments to the girls. she rubbed the rose all over her face. >> so if a parent wants to connect with a teen, do ben and courtney talk. >> yeah. >> what about a magazine? if there's one magazine a parent should read, what would it be?

>> i would say teen vogue is probably the best. it has the latest styles, latest fashions and there's a bunch of celeb witty gossip in there, too. teens like to learn about younger teen celebrities like miley cyrus, taylor swift, that's definitely the magazine to look at for that. >> what should i be looking at on the internet? >> tmz, there's perezhilton for classic celebrity gossip. >> and an app that you think really would help a parent of a teenager? >> i would say e news has the best app. but tmz also has an app. i found my person favorite apps are the ones under the radar. one called pop eater which not many people know about. it's great, it's free, i can share foet voes and videos, it's very interactive. >> lucy, good information. thank you. >> thank you, matt for having me. nice to meet you. >> let's go to natalie. >> all right, thank you, matt. speaking of apps, what apps

should you be downloading if you want to impress your kids? ricky randall has a few ideas. he's a senior at loyola marymount university. >> good morning. >> this case is an app that has really caught on fire, one of the top downloaded recently called boxer. >> it's a great app that you can download with the iphone or android. go to it, scroll down, find a friend and it's like a modern-day walkie talkie. it's more fun than a phone call and less competition than a text. >> instant messaging but you hear the person's voice? >> yes, you actually see the voice message. the first one i go to, dozenle, check me out on the "today" show. get that message and can play it back. >> check me out on the "today" show. >> and he'll send me a message back and respond to it. a great app. kind of more fun than a phone call and less complicated than a text. great to have. >> also another, now speaking of games, in the gaming world, this one is free, also one of the top

downloads as well and it's temple run. i know because my 3-year-old is hooked to our crew members are hooked and i'm going to play right here, see if i can -- tell me about this game, what's so fun about it, why are people so hooked? >> people love this game because you have the main character called die danger and he's running away -- >> clearly i'm no good at it. >> it's one of those games that gets so addicted. i have a friend that got 6 million, that wasn't enough. so once you start you got to keep going. >> ricky randall, great. i need to work on this. thanks so much. coming up next, jenna bush hager lives out her broadway dream. 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. we're back now 8:44 with a treat for fans of broadway. contributing correspondent jenna bush hager recently got a tour of the original wardrobe for some of the great white way's most famous musicals. jenna, good morning. >> good morning, matt. this is very fun. marilyn witt began her costume

business with five santa suits that she made nearly 40 years ago. now she has the biggest collection of original broadway costumes worth millions. and where they retired might just surprise you. the great american musical. the lights of the great white way. the music of rodgers and hammerstein. and the elaborate wardrobes. in florida? >> we bought this incredible wardrobe in new york city. >> these costumes are kind of like many people who come to florida, in their older years. they retire here, is that right? >> they retire here. >> reporter: a collection of over half a million original broadway costumes reside in pompano beach, florida, thanks to marilyn wick, the owner of costume world. when i walked in i kind of gasped because it seems like some of these costumes really come alive. >> and they do. the music, the lines are woven

right into the clothes. >> your ticket to broadway is about to begin. ♪ >> hi! >> reporter: marilyn's daughter kimberly gives daily tours on their great white way, costume world's broadway collection. >> this unique wardrobe is truly a special part of the magic that is broadway. >> reporter: since we both dreamed of making our broadway debut, i brought my friend, aka body double, sara haines, along. >> fiddler on the roof, the most successful production ever produced. ♪ matchmaker matchmaker make me a match ♪ >> i actually performed that song in third grade. >> in third grade? wow. ♪ 76 trombones >> the music man! reversible band jacket. >> how fun is that? >> just my size! >> hold onto the sleeves.

got to be fast. >> oh. >> that's only going to cost you about $1,000. >> that's okay. oh, my gosh i just got fired. >> how fun is that? >> well, does everybody know these kids? the sound of music. >> yes! >> can we join in? >> yes, let's. ♪ when we remember our favorite things and then i don't feel ♪ >> these are the fabulous designs for the producer girls. ♪ >> sara and i were having so much fun belting out show tunes, you might say we got a little carried away. >> people tell me all the time that i look like jenna's body double. >> today i will be directing sara haines, oui, oui. >> she wanted to be the boss today. i.e. the director and she brought me to be the actress. meow meow meow. ♪ memory

all alone in the moonlight ♪ >> remember your line! >> cut! ♪ i'm in a castle >> it's there is a castle on the cloud. >> i need to show you how it's done. ♪ there is a castle on a cloud ♪ i like to go there in my sleep ♪ thank you. >> jenna -- >> i'm not used to being the man. ♪ shall we dance on a bright cloud of music ♪ ♪ shall we dance shall we dance ♪ >> with the curtain closed on our broadway debut, we're reminded that for these women, the memories of the broadway shows they know and love teach us the true meaning of the magic of broadway.

♪ >> all right. we thought you guys should join the fun, so cost assume world -- >> two things, first you can't put the humiliation aside. that's going to stay there. >> i know. but -- >> these are your hats. >> right. >> this is the hat from kiss me kate. >> yes. >> we have the hat carol channing wore in hello dolly. apparently it won a tony for design. >> it works here. >> matches perfectly. >> perfect. >> natalie? >> i don't have any straps to hold my hat. i have to balance. i think it's from guys and dolls. i'm not really sure. >> wear it for thanksgiving. >> it's a center piece. >> thanksgiving dinner. >> savannah -- >> from the king and i.

>> medusaesque. >> i was going to -- >> i didn't think -- >> you put that on -- >> no you put that -- >> to be aired later. >> all right. >> up next -- simple ways to prepare meat. ♪ [ male announcer ] from our nation's networks...

♪ ...to our city streets... ♪ ...to skies around the world... ♪ ...northrop grumman's security solutions are invisibly at work, protecting people's lives... [ soldier ] move out! [ male announcer ] ...without their even knowing it. that's the value of performance. northrop grumman. this morning on "how to cook

everything today," more basics from mark bittman. on tuesday mark bittman taught us some simple ways to cook vegetables. this morning he's focusing on meat, from his new book called "how to cook everything the basics." >> good morning, ann. >> this morning you're going to teach us to make a stir fry as well as a roast meat. so let's talk about what kind of meat you're looking at. >> well for stir fries you can really stir fry anything. it doesn't have to be beef here but it could be pork, tofu, tlimp, chicken, anything can be stir fried. and really any cut works. we have here what is a london broil or shoulder cut. a strip and a flank steak. and any of them will work, but the best thing to do is to freeze it a little bit first so that you can slice it really thinly. >> isn't that interesting? >> if it's frozen, it's firmer, obviously and you can slice it nice and thin. you need a sharp knife, clearly. and so you do that.

and -- >> that is a good tip. >> it defrosts as you're cooking it. >> often times when we're cooking stir fry we need very hot oil. >> really hot and you want the oil smoking. peanut oil is really great for stir fries. but you can use any oil you like. so you get the meat in there. preferably quickly and preferably -- >> without burning yourself. >> don't worry. >> okay. >> theoretically i know what i'm doing. >> you're doing very well. okay. and then once we get the meat in, do you need to put in some spice -- oh, talk about a fast cook. look at that. >> i mean, as soon as it's in it starts to brown. and then, we add our garlic. >> lots of garlic. >> and our chilies. >> mm-hmm. >> you can put the basil in. >> okay. all this? >> yep. >> all of it? >> all of it. >> unbelievable. >> lime juice and joy sauce and we're practically done. a minute later, and really,

literally a minute later, it will look like that. >> wonderful. >> and we've garnished it with a little bit more basil. and some chopped nuts. >> i'm going to come over this way. i think i'm having a facial. >> it seems up. >> and if you want -- >> at the last minute some vegetables. >> on top of rice. good asian flavor. >> you know what i did this once before. turned it up instead of down. >> okay. >> okay. >> let's talk about roast pork and you can also talk about roast beef or roast other types -- >> well any big piece of beef can be roasted obviously. meat, beef, chicken, pork, and you want a piece with some fat on it. shoulder or loin. and what we're going to do here is rub this with some herbs. we got sage, thyme and rosemary. >> these are fresh. can you do this with dried herbs but fresh is better. >> fresh is definitely better. some garlic. salt, and a little bit of sugar, which really helps in browng. >> hmm. >> and here i'll show you how

nicely this browns. you want a hot oven. i have to go over here for a second. >> oh, yes, because otherwise, the entire studio is going to have a facial. >> sorry. >> thank you. no, that's probably my fault. i should have turned it off. >> so here -- >> you can see how nicely brown that is. and to keep it from overbrowning, we put a little bit of wine in here. and now every few minutes, i would baste that with some of the wine. >> all right. this is fantastic. you're going to be back tomorrow with more tips. >> we're going to finish this. >> right now we're going to go downstairs to matt and natalie and savannah. >> all right, ann. mark, thanks very much. and with a little bit of smile you can find a lot of covers of adele on youtube. one particular star, a 2-year-old girl is getting a lot of attention. take a listen. take a listen. ♪

>> her name is makena from alberta, canada. >> she's two years old. they've already had more than 3.5 million hits on youtube. matt you were saying you thought she was a little pitchy? >> no, i did not. pitchy, that's good. no, anyway. lots of fun on youtube. >> i'm glad you said pitchy. 8:56 is your time now on this wednesday march, 21st, i'm eun yang. we have big delays on 395, let's go to danella sealock for the latest. >> yet another accident on 395 northbound. this time, it's on the left lane and also blocking the left shoulder lane as you make your

way past duke street and your delays continue across the 14th street bridge. very slow making your way into the city, travel speed is 12 miles per hour, taking an hour to get from the beltway to the 14th street bridge. traveling the outer loop of the beltway in college park on route 1, an accidents the in the left should

[ 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. [ laughing ] ♪ [ engine turns over ] [ male announcer ] the all-new subaru impreza®. experience love that lasts. ♪

our morning fog is showing signs of lifting and improving off to the west where it is the thickest. your temperature range from 57 degrees in gaitsberg to 63 in warrenton, 55 lower in leesburg, virginia the high today, 74-79, a mix of sun and clouds today, we'll go

we're back now with more of "today" on a wednesday morning, march 21st, 2012. not the nicest day we've had in a couple of days, but the temperature is moderate, in the 50s and 60s now. going up to about 70, as hopefully it clears off a little later in the day. we're expecting a day near 8 degrees tomorrow. as we roll into spring. i'm matt lauer out on the plaza along with ann curry and savannah guthrie. you know the expression an apple a day can keep the doctor away. >> of course. >> some people are saying perhaps an aspirin a day could keep the cancer away. series of new studies has really got people talking about the effects and benefits of aspirin.

could it prevent certain kinds of cancers? dr. nancy synderman is going to be here in just a little while to talk more about that. >> that's right. and so far she's already calling it a game changer. very significant development. and also coming up this morning we're going to get advice for financial emergencies, including when to consider reverse mortgages, and also how to talk about a deal with credit card debt and also when to call in a financial planner. eve got our money 911 straight ahead. >> and it is that time of year. all hands on deck. george oliphant is here. he did a rescue of a deck for a brooklyn homeowner and he's going to be here if you're dreaming of backyard fun with family and friends he will tell you how you can renovate your deck with some beautiful flowers and plants coming up. >> it's always good to have george here. let 's go inside right now. we should mention, al is down in clearwater, florida. we'll check in with him in a second. first the headlines of the morning from natalie over at the news desk. >> all right. good morning, everyone. we begin with an overnight gun battle and place standoff in france with a suspect wanted for

monday's deadly shootings at a jewish school and the murders last week of three french soldiers. police say the 24-year-old gunman claims to have trained with al qaeda in pakistan and afghanistan. he told negotiators he targeted jewish students to avenge the deaths of palestinian children. the murders of the paratroopers he said were to protest western military intervention overseas. the family of an unarmed florida teen who was shot to death by a neighborhood watch volunteer says there is a new account of the confrontation. the family says 17-year-old trayvon martin was on the phone with his girlfriend when he noticed george zimmerman following him. the girlfriend reportedly says trayvon felt betrayed. but police in sanford, florida, say zimmerman -- police in sanford, florida, say zimmerman shot trayvon in self-defense. a grand jury will now investigate. go >> an easy win overnight for mitt romney at the illinois republican presidential primary. romney took 47% of the vote to

rival rick santorum's 35%. now santorum is looking ahead to saturday's louisiana primary hoping to raise his delegate count by picking up some southern states. extremely dangerous flash floods this morning in louisiana, eastern texas, after widespread heavy rain and more downpours are on the way. flash flood warnings also in effect for parts of arkansas, missouri, mississippi, and eastern oklahoma. a series of new studies suggest that aspirin may have surprising benefits in both preventing and treating cancer. researchers found that a daily dose of aspirin can reduce cancer risk along with deaths and the spread of cancer especially in patients with colon cancer. the research is published in the medical journal "the lancet." prince william returns to the uk this morning after completing his royal air force duties in the falkland islands. nbc's michelle kosinski is at buckingham palace with the very latest. michelle, good morning. >> hi, natalie. he was gone for six weeks. not as prince william but as flight lieutenant william wales

a rescue helicopter pilot which is a tough job. they go out in the worst conditions to save people's lives. this was also considered a controversial posting because britain went to war with argentina over the falklands in the 1980s, argentina has not accepted the outcome and considered prince william going there provocative. back home the palace has kept william's bride kate very busy with appearances. just this week she gave her first speech in which she said she wished william could be there. the palace says william will take a little time off and return to his usual post in wales. natalie? >> hopefully catherine gets to spend a little time with her husband. thank you so much michelle cosenny outside buckingham palace. for the first time since they were born in november polar bear triplets ventured outside of their den tuesday at the moscow zoo. they enjoyed playing in the snow and exploring their surroundings. nothing seemed to please them more than snuggling with their momma. now let's go back to al with a check of your weather in clearwater. al? >> hey, thank you so much,

natalie. we are here at the u.s. coast guard air station clearwater, the largest and busiest air station in the coast guard system. i'm standing in front of one of these c-130s, their search planes, and you can hear there's another c-130 they're firing up, they're doing maintenance on that. we're here because we're very excited, we've got our series on the weather channel, coast guard alaska, we're doing a spinoff, coast guard florida. we start production in two weeks. and you'll see those episodes later on the weather channel this year. let's check your weather. bi doing a spin off, "coast guard: florida." flooding in louisiana and texas, more on the way, the strong upper-level low really isn't moving. so it's bringing up a lot of moisture, you can see tornado watches now for much of louisiana. rainfall amounts anywhere from another two to five inches of rain over the next 24 hours. and as you can see, most of the rain is in eastern louisiana on

into mississippi. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's going on in your neck of the woods. on around here, the fog is slowly lifting. the mist trying to shut off, the temperatures around 60 degrees. in baltimore, college park and d.c., around i-95, we're at 60, 58 in reston, fairfax county city and falls church, 55 degrees. we'll see a little bit of sunshine today, 74-79. the perkry still nice and mild. and way above average. right through the week. we're warm, the weekend cool an weather. natalie? >> al, thank you. now to "today's money 911" where we tackle your financial prob m problems. jean chatzky, "today's" financial editor and author of "the money blues" david bach, author of "debt free for life" and sharon epperson is cnbc's personal finance correspondent. good morning to all of you. >> good morning.

>> a lot of great questions to get to so let's get right to it. first one is an e-mail question comes from christine in pennsylvania and she writes, my now 72-year-old mother took a reverse mortgage loan out of her home, which was paid off, for frivolous reasons, without cutting family or learning more about the consequences. she now realizes that she will be losing her home after she either can't live there anymore or passes away leaving her children without an inheritance. is there any way out of this situation? okay, jean, tough one. a lot of seniors are taking reverse mortgages. is it a good thing? >> it can be a good thing. and here's the deal, christine. when your mother took out this reverse mortgage, she went to a counselor. she knew what she was doing because you are mandated to go to counseling before you go through this process. so, getting out of it is difficult. it means you have to repay the loan, and you have to come up with the money or help your mother come up with the money in order to do that. i actually have a problem with

this notion that she owes her daughter an inheritance. you know, if your mother has a place to live for the rest of her life, that is paid for, no worries, then you're not going to have to step in and pay for a place for her to live, and that in and of itself is a gift. and this notion that our parents, who put us through college and take care of us our whole lives then owe us something at the end. i have trouble with that. >> i think she should be happy that her mother is financially free, that she's able to pay her bills, that she's not a financial burden on the family. and the reverse mortgage is for the parents. it's for the person who takes it out. it's not for her child. >> the thing is -- >> last week talking about how more and more seniors are doing this now because they realize they better enjoy the money. >> absolutely. and it's their money. and frivolous reasons is really a value judgment. >> okay. i think you guys are ready for the professionals. >> okay. >> let's go to the phone lines now and we have christopher in new york joining us now with a

question. go ahead, christopher. what's your question? >> good morning. my wife and i, our two children have a couple of credit cards, both with balances of around $2,000. we do also have one major credit card that has a balance of $30,000. i wanted to know what the best way is to attack the credit card with the $30,000 debt. i have already contacted the credit card company and asked them to reduce the mortgage rate and they have from 17% to 12%. what's the best way to handle that? should we contact a debt reduction service, or is there any other options for us? >> okay, david, sounds like they're on it already. they reduced the kritd card rate. >> that's really a key thing that you just accomplished. i want to make everybody sure they heard what you said. you called the credit card company, asked them to reduce the credit card rate and they did. they took it from 17% down to 12%. now if you can make the payment, i would keep making those payments, and simply chunk that debt down. if you're having a hard time making minimum payments, then

you may qualify for what's called a debt management plan. you can go to a credit card counseling organization, go to debtadvice.org you're referred to a nonprofit credit counselor. now i just spoke to them the other day. the average person that went to a nonprofit credit counselor last year had right around $27,000 in credit card debt. because you've got $30,000 in credit card debt my guess is you're a good candidate. with a debt management plan, what can happen, not promising, but what can happen is that your rate can be taken down to zero percent and they'll give you three to five years to pay off that credit card. here's the thing you do need to know. they'll freeze the credit card, you can't use it anymore, and it may, key word is may, get reported to your credit filing credit bureau so could impact your credit score in the short-term. last tip i'll give you is other than going and doing a dmp plan what you could do is try to take a chunk of that $30,000, maybe $10,000, transfer it to a zero percent interest rate credit card and there's all kinds right now. zero percent interest rate credit card no transfer fees.

all the credit card companies right now are aggressively looking for new business. you can transfer part of that debt, get zero percent, no transfer fees, that might pave the way to start without going to a debt management plan. >> how long do they stay at zero percent? >> can be 12 to 18 months now. the key thing is you can't be late. if you're late the rate can go back up. >> it's probably a good idea to figure out how you got in the $30,000 credit card debt in the first place. >> exactly. next anna from maryland. good morning to you. anna, what's your question for our panel? >> i spent the last about six years paying college tuition and this june i am finished. >> congratulations. much applause here in the studio. >> i am several steps behind in the retirement savings area. we need to find a financial planner, and we've used one in the past, and weren't real happy with him and just need to know how we find somebody we can trust. >> all right. very important question. a lot of people looking for a

financial planners and you don't have to be rich. >> you definitely don't have to be rich to do this. and it's such a good idea to get advice. we talk about that all the time. a couple key things you need to do. first of all you need to ask some family friends, maybe a colleague. find someone you think is financially independent, on the right track and you want to follow them. find out who they're using. and then you want to look for someone who has the proper designations. try to find someone who has a cfp. that stands for certified financial planner. they have to go through a rigorous test, through the board of standards, and get that cfp. you can find them through cfp.net. the other thing you want to do is make sure you find out how they're compensated. a lot of financial advisers take commissions based on whether they're selling you certain investments, stocks, bonds, insurance products. so sometimes you may think i don't know if they're really unbiased or not if they're getting a commission. you can also get a financial adviser who is paid only by a fee, a flat fee, $1500 to help you with the initial plan. 1% of the assets. the total assets. that's one way to go.

the other way is to just find someone that you can hire by the hour. there are financial advisers who will do that. two websites, the first is napfa.org and garrett planning network. this is a network of hourly planners and you can then just sign up. the key thing is make sure you can are they experts or do they focus on retirement planning because that's your goal right now. and also make sure they're not just pushing investments on you but talking to you about how you can manage your cash flow, cut back on your spending, and crank up your retirement savings because that's going to be your ultimate goal. >> great advice as always. good luck to anna, as well. thank you again. jean chatzky, david bach, and sharon epperson. for those of you on the east coast we're going to be offering more of your questions during the next hour or so. head to today.com and our panel will get to your questions. coming up next, all decked out for spring. george oliphant shows us how to enjoy the great outdoors at home. and then a little bit later on, take years off your face with

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this morning on "today's home," the dos and don'ts of building a deck. with all this warm weather you may already think about going outside or maybe even building a deck. george oliphant and the team from "george to the rescue" decided to pay a visit to a lucky brooklyn homeowner whose old deck was beyond repair. >> anita is a 25-year employer of the nypd and her life goal is to achieve the american dream of owning her own home. >> it was such a joy to know we are on our way to achieving the american dream. but once i moved in and got organized i learned some of everything is wrong with the house. the plumbing. my drafty bedroom. the deck that i'm scared to walk down the steps. it's a struggle but it's a good struggle. >> we're here at the 90th precinct in the heart of williamsburg, brooklyn and we're going to surprise anita clark and let her know she's being rescued. >> oh!

i'm going to take care of the house here, all right? i know you got some problems. >> yes! >> the reason her deck is falling apart is because it was made with low-grade material. it's a mess. and definitely not safe. so it's got to go. after we destroyed the deck we knew we had to rebuild a great one so we had my friend lou here from deck's unique design a whole new game plan. what's going on? >> what we're using here is timber tech. it's ultralow maintenance. no screwing or nailing whatsoever. snap and go. that's it. >> all right. the deck is all framed up, just got to cover up our posts, put in our rail systems, and i'd say barbecue time. why are we going with a final

versus a wood? >> it's all a manufacturing composite material. it all has a 25 or 30-year life span. it's all no maintenance. >> what an amazing team. i had so much fun working on this project. what do you say we go get her and bring her home? >> absolutely. >> oh, stop it! oh! oh, my gosh! i'm full over the love that everybody's given me. >> george oliphant is here. that's got to make you feel good. >> every rescue makes me feel good. >> all right. let's talk decks. if you want to build your own you're starting from scratch, what's the best material? >> i think right now you want to go with something like a timber tech, something that is a pvc, because it is a lot more money up front but it's so much -- there's low maintenance. you can't say no maintenance but there's low maintenance. you'll never have to stain it. you can wash it off with a hose.

you don't have to worry about it bowing or cupping or fading. so i would say go with a manufactured product. a timber deck. trex, something like that. >> it's synthetic. some people are going to want to use real wood. if they do what's the number one consideration? >> cedar. definitely cedar. it's the greenest. >> higher quality? >> if you have a lot of knots in your wood that means it's a cheap wood. you want to stay away from cheap wood. >> we're showing bad wood. >> this is bad wood. this is not an ideal deck. also you want to make sure that you use screws. these are structural screws but you want to use screws not nails. because you can see that these nails are popping up, that it's cupping. that it's cracking. actually you want a safe deck. if you do use a cedar deck you're going to want to stain it with something good because then you know it's going to last a long time. the last thing you want to do is stain it year in, year out.

>> once you seal your deck you've got to put some furniture on it. >> we have three different styles here. this is your urban style from frontgate. this is for places like new york city, any urban place. it's light. it's easy to clean. it's stylish. you can put it on your patio. you can put it on your balcony. >> it looks good. >> where would you put this kind of stuff? >> this is cast aluminum. this is midwest basically it's just a heavier furniture. it's not going to blow around in wind storms. so you're going to -- as you can see we have a rug here, cushions here. take your indoors, move them outdoors. you don't have to worry about the rain, the weather. all this stuff is washable. mold and mildew resistant. >> and for this? >> this is teak. teak is awesome for coastal living. teak is great for sun, for salt, for humidity. >> real quick what's your favorite flower? >> me, i love tulips, i love daffodils, i love lilies. >> we want to remind everyone

the new season of "george to the recuse" premieres saturday. if you want to be out on the deck you want to look good. there's a new diet that says you can eat more and weigh less. [ 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. from the 5 signature lifestyles. with special savings on select furniture and 10% off all accessories and mattresses, your design aspirations are delightfully attainable. the drawer closes on these offers march 31st.

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still to come this morning beauty products to make you look younger. >> and in "today's kitchen," korean style. promise beauty miracles. but the chemicals that can end up on your face may not be so beautiful. ♪ that's why there's new puristics totally ageless powered by a naturally derived collagen builder, puristics measurably reduced the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in 100% of women after just 3 weeks. beautiful, younger looking skin. that's puristics, the power of pure. that's puristics, (belhi.ings) good morning. big news. we're spreading the word about new honey bunches of oats fruit blends and their unique taste combinations. like peach/raspberry... and banana/blueberry. we're telling everyone. with one flavor in the granola bunch and one on the flake. try some. mmm!

two flavors. in harmony. yummy. four nutritious grains and two big fruit flavors to make your day bunches better. 9:26 is your time now on this wednesday march, 21, good morning to you. it's been a messy morning commute. let's go straight to danella sealock for a look at the roads. >> delays still continue, taking a look at the belt way, inner loop at robinson terminal. slow to the dulles toll road, travel speed 20 miles per hour. taking 38 minutes to get from the interchange to the dulles toll road. taking the beltway in montgomery county, hitting the brakes around new hampshire avenue. the delays continue as you pass georgia avenue, traveling 22 miles per hour, back to you. >>

a damp morning with thick fog and heavy mist. temperatures rising, 55 in leesburg, 59 in portville, 63 in warrenton, we'll have some sun, some limited sunshine today. mixing with the cloud cover, the high, 74 to 79.

then tomorrow, we'll do it all over again. but squeaking maybe up to 80 degrees, topping out around 80 or better on friday with more sun and it's all about the clouds, showers and storms this

♪ >> country superstar randy travis wrapped up 22 number one singles, and taken home a boat load of awards including grammys, academy of country music awards and a star on the hollywood walk of fame. this morning one more honor, he will sit next to hoda kotb as he fills in for kathie lee on the fourth hour. we are looking forward to that. >> the week of country continues with kathie lee out. all right, also coming up, two dreaded words for every woman, swimsuit season. >> oh, please. >> right. well if you are one of those who is battling maybe want to shed a

couple of pounds, what if we told you you could weigh less by actually eating more. it probably sounds too good to be true. but guess what? it is not. it even includes dessert. we're going to tell you all about these drop tendaiates. >> and once we've got the body sorted out we'll move upwards to the face. a lot of us aren't sure how to wear o makeup, we need some tips so we've got good anti-aging makeup and skin care ideas. and then in "today's kitchen" we're going to get a lesson in korean cooking. it's braised short ribs and kimchi. >> from a former professional snowboarder now chef. >> exactly. first up let's check in with mr. roker. he's down in clearwater, florida, with your forecast. good morning, mr. roker. >> hey, guys. how are you? we're here in clearwater at the us coast guard air station clearwater. largest and busiest one in the system. having a great time.

they've been terrific to us. let's look at your weather today. terrific weather eastern third of the country. the big problem has also been because of all this warm air there's been an explosion in pollen. look at these temperatures. we're talking about afternoon highs, 80s and 70s from the northeast all the way to the mississippi river valley.70s fr all the way to the mississippi river valley. 50s and 40s back through to the rockies and on into the plain states, the western plains, as far as your weather today, more rain in the pacific northwest coast. the risk of strong storms in the lower mississippi river valley. record highs up and down the east coast. it's going to be warmer in cleveland than it is in los angeles today. chicago is going to get up to about 85. what's that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. we'll see highs in the low and mid 70s. most locations upper 70s to the south and west. and mist and fog right now, we could have a few showers later on. a mix of clouds and sunshine today.

have some clouds and sun around tomorrow, too. a high of 79, 80 with more sunshine on friday. weekend right now, saturday, sunday, hey folks, we're getting back to average here with highs and that's your latest weather. see you back in new york tomorrow, ladies. >> all right. we miss you al. >> hurry back. >> still to come. >> coming up we've got this diet that we've been talking about where you can actually eat more and weigh less. [ female announcer ] gross -- i'll tell you what's really gross:

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if nur you're trying to slim down for beach season but don't want to starve yourself, listen up. we're going to show you how to fill your plate and your stomach with foods that can actually shrink your waistline. lucy danziger is the author of "the drop 10 diet" add to your plate to lose the weight. >> thanks for having me. >> you can actually eat and lose weight at the same time. >> yes. >> sounds too good to be true. >> i know. well we found 30 superfoods that actually do the work for you. they are scientifically proven, they tap into your body's natural fat burning ability. so what's cool is you eat more, and you lose naturally. >> you lost 25 pounds. >> i did. >> five years ago. you kept it off eating this way. >> i did. >> you're a billboard for this. >> that's right. real women on this diet they've all lost weight and they are all saying oh, my god, i feel full. >> let's get to the superfoods. the first one being eggs. you say rise and dine on eggs. what is it that packs such a

bunch with eggs? >> breakfast eaters are 50% less likely to be obese because you start your engines running. that's how you start burning throughout the day. and eggs are great because they have some protein, some vitamin d that tells your body not to store fat and just don't have them fried. you can have a frittata, a sandwich, hard boiled, soft boiled. eggs are a healthy, perfect food. it keeps you full longer. >> they keep you full longer. and if you don't eat breakfast your body is in search of calories all day long. this will keep you full all day long. >> another way to fill you up is to fight fat with fiber. >> again that volume, right? >> lots of different foods here. >> i always eat blueberries and i love -- i call them nature's candy. i always carry a baggy of almonds. like 20 almonds is perfect. sweet potatoes, lentils. fiber fills you up so much. if you have enough fiber 6% of your calories don't count. they literally don't stick. that's a lot, 6% are free. so, fiber is a perfect superfood. >> and this has protein.

the lentil. >> fiber, a perfect combination. right? >> yes. okay. and playing up protein, another way to drop ten pounds. and how much protein are we talking about? we see pumpkin seeds, if you like legumes and beef. >> beef you've heard the deck of cards. even more important is lean beef. not the fatty marbleized steak. the really important thing about beef is, or any protein, is plan two it builds muscle. muscle helps you burn calories sitting in your chair, lying in bed at night you're burning more calories. so you're building a bigger engine and it burns more fuel. the other thing that's great about protein is people don't know that 100 calories of protein requires 25 calories to burn it. so you're getting 25% off. so really, you're getting 25% off of calories. >> with protein. >> protein is good food. doesn't have to all be meat. >> that's right. >> all right veggies. of course you can't get enough veggies. veggies are crucial. they're sort of like the empty calories. you can keep eating them. >> eye roll, eye roll.

eat your veggies. but, in fact, it's true. i order as -- i sit down, i actually, can you do a steamed spinach or steamed broccoli and they always say yes. >> kale. >> and since i have it with my dinner, and it fills you up right at the table. >> right. >> so while protein keeps you full longer, this fills you up as you're eating. and of course, fiber, antioxidants, you're building a better body from the inside out. >> really more the free calor calories. >> that's right. if you can grow it, you can eat it. >> now you can actually have your dessert, as well, too. what is in the drop 10 diet plan for dessert? >> the drop 10 diet requires you to have 200 happy calories a day which basically is for me -- you can actually roll them over. let's say we're going out and we're going to have margaritas tomorrow night we can roll them over. so you have to splurge. some people like fruit. i like chocolate. >> a banana. on a banana? >> right. and for me, dark chocolate is

great because it is filled with antioxidants and it satiates your body. antioxidants are really important. any 200 calories you want. you can eat gummys. same thing with fruit you're getting a better benefit. then you'll stay on it. >> we're running out of time, some real quick healthy snacks as well, as coffee. >> coffee revs you up. calcium. people say what's the magic bullet? if you drink calcium you shed your belly fat. women who had 1200 milligrams of calcium lost five pounds doing nothing different. >> fantastic. so calcium is a superfood. i was looking through the book yesterday, lots of great recipes in there, as well. >> we can drop 10 together at facebook. check it out. >> or just hold onto ten. just keep working out. >> we don't need to drop ten. >> thanks so much. coming up next we're going to turn back the clock with the right makeup and skin care. today, we stand against the tyranny of meager travel cards. battle speech right? may i? capital one is issuing a venture double miles challenge.

show us how much you spent last year and we'll give you 2 miles for every dollar spent on your travel reward card. up to 100,000 miles! hawaii, here we come. claim your miles at capitalone.com today! what's in your wallet? can you play games on that? not on the runway. no. [ laughs ] ♪ [ female announcer ] hey, ladies. here's a little something you'll find irresistible. cinnamon toast crunch, with a delicious cinnamon and sugar taste that's amazing. crave those crazy squares.™ ♪ ...action heroes... ♪ ...sing-alongs, or whatever else, then you and your family will love netflix. netflix lets you watch unlimited movies and tv episodes on your pc or tv via game console or other devices connected to the internet. search by age, or character, and get information that helps you make the right choices

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without dyes, parabens or harsh sulfates. so skin feels pure and healthy. [ female announcer ] from neutrogena® naturals. in a delicious special k protein shake. with 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, it helps satisfy your hunger longer. [ telephone rings ] satisfaction. what will you gain when you lose? this morning on "today's beauty," looking younger without surgery. a few simple skin care ingredients and makeup tips can take years off your face. linda wells is editor in cheer of "allure" magazine. >> good morning, savannah. >> you've got the magic potion secret ingredients. we'll go by them one by one. what are they? >> it's so confusing because there's so many anti-aging ingredients. we asked dermatologists to name the top four power players. so you can really figure out which ones you want. they're retinol, alpha hydroxy

acids, hydroquinn own and anti-ax doesn'ts. that will take care of what you need for your skin. >> let's start with retinol. a lot of people know it's very powerful. some people think you can only get this by prescription. >> right. there's a huge range of power in retinol products. doctors think every woman should use them but they can be very irritating. you can get a prescription or over the counter. they can be very mild if you get them over the counter. we have roc retinol protection cream and the neutrogena rapid wrinkle repair. what you want to look for is a product that comes in an aluminum pocket with a tiny opening because they degrade with the sun and with oxygen. or a pump bottle because it makes a big difference. >> okay, great. our next item are these alpha hydroxy acids. >> those actually break down the bonds between the dry skin and help the skin sweep away so skin looks less dull. so it can help with fine lines and wrinkles and dullness. you can get a peel like this avon anew peel. and the trick is you only want

to use that twice a week, not more, because it can really compromise the barrier of the skin. so even if the product says use it more often, don't do it. or you can use a lotion which is a little bit milder and that you can use every day. >> can you use all of these items in conjunction with one another? >> you can. but you want to watch out that you're not overdoing it. to me women do too many things and you can't trace back what's causing irritation. >> hydro quinone. >> that's a bleaching cream. but you actually attack the dark spots and it turns out according to one study that dark spots make skin look older than even wrinkles. we spend so much time thinking about wrinkles, all of a sudden it's like here's something else. dermatologists love the ambi fade cream which is $6.50 for a tube. >> it really works? >> yeah, and it just takes a long time you have to be patient. clinique, even better is an elegant product you can use. more expensive.

>> now what do we have here? >> these are antioxidants. these are the things that you would use in the morning. a lot of those other things you use at night. these are things you use in the morning. they protect against environmental damage from the sun, from smoke, from pollution, and you want to look for a lot -- there are a lot of different vitamins and ingredients that are antioxidants that have different powers. look for ones that have a combination of antioxidants in them. this one is from garnier. it has lieco peen and vitamin c and this is ole with vitamin e and green tea. >> let's do makeup tips. foundation. you say use one with a little bit of yellow to it. >> i know which sounds kind of awful like big bird. it's not. you want to use something that has a warmth to it. this is l'oreal paris true blend and we have one called maybeup forever. >> you say dump the black eye liner for brown eye liner. >> it's just softer. it's not perceptively different but it's a little bit softer. there's l'oreal paris and the estee lauder won the allure best beauty award.

>> for mascara, a lot of us are like our lashes aren't as thick as they once were. >> and you don't want to put on too much thickening because it's too heavy. you want a lengthening mascara. cover girl makes one as does lancome. >> and for the lips. a lot of folks say you can't wear the bright red colors as you age. >> you don't want to wear something that's too dark and too strong and too vampy and also too matte. the revlon just spitting. it's a tain. you put a balm on top and you're done. >> a little gloss can be good, too. thank you so much. coming up next a lesson in korean cooking. 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.

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this morning in "today's kitchen" we're spicing it up with some korean ribs and kimchi. executive chef at yellowtail japanese restaurant and lounge in las vegas is here to add a

twist to his mom's traditional recipe. good morning. >> hello. >> you have professional snowboarder and you gave it up for cooking? >> yeah, you know, luckily i was a professional snowboarder from aspen, colorado. then i just decided like i like cooking. >> why not? >> and then i'm just here now. >> there you go. seems to be working for you. >> the snowboarding demonstration would not work. >> exactly. >> so you are trained in japanese cuisine. we're going to make the korean style. >> absolutely. >> so i'm just going to teach you how to make this. yeah, please. >> this traditional recipe, and my mom gave me this recipe and i just tweaked it a little bit. right now it's 2012. we don't have that much time so i don't have time to braise for nine hours. >> yeah, long time. >> i want to cut it in half. you know. new school, new generation. first there's warm water. you put the beef inside. the reason why is korean people don't like blood. and when you stew something, the blood actually make a sourness

of the beef. when you eat it. so it smells really not so -- >> not great. >> not so sexy. so after that pretty much you pat it. >> dry it off. >> maybe dry it off. pepper. >> yeah. >> how long do you cook it? >> about five minutes. >> okay. >> and then salt. >> you guys can go like this. or you can do this. >> yeah. >> oh, we've done that. >> absolutely. and after that, you know, cornstarch. >> and you use white cornstarch instead of flour >> if i use a flour that means i have to use a little bit of butter and mix it together. >> right. >> otherwise it wouldn't go well. >> right. >> and again i want to make this thick as possible. and then you know, with less time. >> perfect. >> okay, so next. >> so two minutes to go. >> and then you just toss it. >> put the meat in there. >> it's very important you heard that noise, right? >> sizzle. >> sizzling. >> you want the oil to be a little bit hot. >> yeah. >> and then here's the sugar.

dump it. >> the secret, right? >> vinegar. >> okay. >> you hear the noise. the noise i realize, thank you, so much. let it brown a little bit. then you have to make sure the sugar is -- >> okay we're going to let it brown and then you're going to add the sauce. >> and then absolutely, again, it's hot right now so you've got to be very careful. >> what is that? >> this is beef stock. >> okay. but if you like chicken, you guys can put chicken. whatever you guys want. you guys are chefs. >> so it's a beef. >> right. >> soy sauce? >> and then you put ginger and garlic, everything, and i'm going to show you how to peel ginger. >> got about a minute left. >> put that. and soy always later. >> that's the last step? >> yeah. >> got it. and then, after that, close it. >> what's over here?

>> that is braising. >> then there's blanched carrots, blanched potatoes. can you guys punch this for me? >> sure. >> so it's very simple. when you boil it put it in cold water. >> i really don't know how to do this. >> you don't know me but am i doing it? >> oh, yeah, yeah. >> then ginger. this actually -- >> yes. >> so you have to use a spoon, you know, go like that. so you don't have to use a peeler. you guys don't waste a lot. >> look how gorgeous it is when it's served. >> beautiful. >> so the quail eggs. >> absolutely. >> and then if you don't have quail eggs, regular egg? >> everything goes well. so here's the finished product. >> oh, that looks beautiful. >> great. >> thank you for being here. >> thank you.

i was shocked to find out how many couples don't sleep in the same bedroom. but in the sleep number store, we hear it all the time yeah, nine out of ten couples disagree on the firmness they want in a mattress. i sleep on the couch. with our bed, the sleep number setting represents the firmness that you like on your half of the mattress. don't mess with my side because i'm comfortable. i can adjust mine to my liking and she can do the same. go ahead and switch sides so you can feel what the other side feels like. you're on his side. how does that feel? it's hard. i like my side i like my better, too. side better. this is this is too soft. too hard. why don't we switch back to where you were.

i am so glad to be back. oh, yeah. you can have comfort and you can be in the same bed. there's no debate or no squabble because you can have it your way and i'll have it mine. so we save a lot of marriages. discover the amazing sleep number bed, only at a sleep number store where during our semi-annual sleep sale, you can save $400 to $700 on our most popular bed sets. sale ends soon. there are 400 sleep number stores nationwide, where queen mattresses start at just $699. lee is next. good morning, i'm eun yang, here's what you can expect tomorrow morning on "news4 today." the cherry blossoms are in peak bloom and they never disappoint. now there's news of a plan to improve your viewing experience. and weather and traffic together on the 1's. veronica, how is the forecast? >> we moved up to 61 degrees. one whole degree. later today we expect to see

highs low to mid 70s. a few locations, maybe 79 and a little bit of sunshine, too. it could even be a few isolated showers around the area. same thing for the evening, we'll drop to the 60s. here's a snapshot of tomorrow morning. like today, we could be back with clouds, like today, we could have some dampness around the area with fog. as well as a few misty conditions and again, a lot of clouds, we'll talk about it tomorrow. danella? >> i know you don't like to start your day stuck in traffic. i'll have your commuter forecast and let you know how to avoid the back-ups on the roads and let you know about any delays on the rails. eun? >> thank you. plus all the news that happens while you sleep. "news4 today"

from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. captions paid for by nbc-universal television it is winesday, wednesday, march the 21st. we want to welcome our special guest host today on country week. it is country star randy travis. that song, can we just show a little bit more of that video and that song? crank it a little. ♪

>> that song puts you in such a great mood. "everything and all." >> we were finding songs for the 25th anniversary project and kept going back to that song and saying it's just too much fun not to do it. >> it's a kick! >> there's not a serious thing about it. but you have to do one every now and then just because it's fun. >> before there was garth brooks and all the rest of them, there was randy travis. and when i was looking at the numbers, randy, i knew you sold a ton of records. i know you had a ton of number ones. 22 -- well, 25 million records. 22 number one and 6 grammy awards. does it ever get old when you hit big with a song? >> no. i think you always enjoy seeing something go out to radio as a single and go up those charts, you know. you know, i got to -- i've said this many times. i got into this business wanting to make a living writing and singing. i never had dreams of winning

any awards. >> really? >> yeah. never thought of, say, something selling 1 million or 2 million on an album. yeah, that's why i had that deer in the headlight look quite often early on, i'm sure. i can't believe i'm here. >> what am i doing? >> yeah. >> there's a song a lot of people when we talk about it, they used it as a wedding song. it's called "forever and ever amen." this one was i think back in 1988. you won a huge award for it. >> oh, my gosh. >> let's listen for a second. look at you back in the day ♪ i'm wild and i'm free, you may wonder how i can promise you now ♪ ♪ this love that i feel for you always will be ♪ ♪ you're not just time that i'm killing ♪ >> by the way, beautiful song. a lot of people used this as a wedding song, didn't they? >> yeah. and still do. still do. i still get responses from

people in person when we're playing or getting letters from people saying they're still using it for weddings quite often. >> when you're up there on stage as i know you are still a lot, what's the song people ask you to sing? >> it will usually be "forever and ever amen," "three wooden crosses" or "digging up bones." >> what was that song? that was one of your first ones, wasn't it? >> second single or third single. third single. it went out, became a number one record. it's a serious song. john anderson and i sang it together on this 25th project. serious as far as the subject is, what it's about. but kids were loving it. kids 3, 4, 5 years old they couldn't know what it was really about. >> they just loved it. >> it just had that something about it. >> if you had to sing anything at all, i don't know, right here, right now, what would it be if you were to sing something right here, right now? >> oh, my gosh. let's see. >> what would you sing? ♪ some day when our dream world

finds us and these hard times are gone ♪ ♪ we'll laugh and count our blessings and imagine all our wrongs ♪ ♪ if we both pull together tomorrow's sure to come ♪ ♪ and some day we'll look back and say, it was fun ♪ >> beautiful! beautiful. >> thank you. >> to celebrate 25 years, randy, you're doing a lot of duets. which is kind of fun. it must be nice to mix it up a little bit, huh, with some of the others? >> it was fun. it was great fun. john anderson singing on "diggen up bones." when he came in and said he wanted to sing, we said we'd love that. we found out there was a third verse added on this recording i'd never heard before. it was just too funny not to put

it in there. >> you sang with carrie underwood. which i guess brings you a whole different audience. >> i've recorded twice with carrie in the studio. she can sing. >> isn't it funny she won "american idol." you watch this kid explode on the scene. >> so down to earth. a great, great singer. she knows what to record. just wonderful to be around. just a sweetheart. >> i was reading a little bit about your bio. honey, you were a wild child when you were young. i was like, this guy really -- you kind of had -- you had, like, a wild streak when you were a young boy, yeah? >> for about ten years, yeah. >> then every now and then the wild streak just pops back up, doesn't it? >> every now and then there's just something about this -- you know, you have that in you, every once in a while it may start to rise up. >> you try to grab it back.

>> then you get control of that. >> i know you do. i remember in february -- not to be -- i remember seeing a little photo op of you. i think it was a little drinking incident that you had. >> a photo op. i love that. >> i like to call it a photo op. i like to be nice about these things. what was going on there? what happened? >> i was waiting on someone to pick me up and the wrong person showed up. it was the wrong one. >> not the guy you were hoping for. >> no. no, not at all. >> speaking of singing, there's this young girl who we saw, randy, on youtube. you know, youtube is, like, making huge stars. there's this 2-year-old girl who i think is from canada. and we popped her on the other day. she sings this adele song at 2 years old just to a video camera that's crazy. let's take a listen and watch. ♪

>> that is great. ♪ >> okay. oh, my god! do you not love this kid? >> that is great. >> is that unbelievable? >> i love that. >> isn't it crazy what youtube does, though? >> i know it. i know it. >> you had to slog through smoky clubs. you had to work your you know what off and everything. now a lot of people can pop up on youtube. justin bieber or whomever. they're very talented. but they seem to miss the hard slog. they shoot right to stardom,

don't they? >> i wish we could back up. i truly wish we could back up to this when we could make a record and you had a promotion staff at the record label. they would call radio stations. this is the single. radio would play it. you'd tour to promote that album. you sold records and it was that simple. yeah. all the lines are pretty blurred now. >> they're getting blurry, yeah. >> they sure are. >> what do you think they're missing when they don't hit the smoky clubs and feel the disappointment? >> well, i started singing for an audience when i was 9. >> uh-huh. >> started playing in clubs about 4. >> geez. >> and was in there just about full time by 16. doing other jobs, too. i don't know. i think -- i think people miss out -- actually, i think they miss on a lot of good times, to be honest with you. i had some wonderful times playing with friends in those years in the clubs. then the early years of touring when we first started, we were driving out in a car. and then a car and van.

and believe it or not, a bread truck. >> you're kidding me. >> a bread truck converted to carry musicians and instruments. and a horse trailer that was cut down to about this high. that's the way it started. >> wow. >> you know. >> it's not about the money then. it's just about enjoying it. >> just want to go play. >> you're singing for the joy. that's terrific. there's another show that's coming out on nbc. it's called "off their rockers." it's a betty white show. i was here with lee bryce yesterday. a commercial came on. we saw how crazy it was. we thought we should show it. this is when older people are kind of punking younger people as in sort of a "candid camera" kind of way. let's check out the first one. >> would you mind taking a picture? oh, very nice of you. actually, i proposed to my wife right here on this spot 40 years ago. >> oh, wow! >> do you believe that? we thought, we're here visiting. we thought we'd get a picture. i know it's changed a little bit. i get over there and i'll tell you when and thank you so much.

>> cool. >> yeah. >> i want to be old. >> get up there. yeah. okay. >> i love it! >> could you watch that all day? do you think that's a hit? >> i believe so. >> i think that's a hit. should we show one more. we have a little more. we've got to show it. i don't know what it is. >> my tooth is killing me. i was up all last night. a terrible toothache. you know, i called my dentist. he can't get me in till next week. >> oh, damn. that's tough. >> do me a favor. would you hold this for a

second. >> yeah. >> screw it. i'm going to take care of it myself. >> no way! no, no. don't do that right here. you're kidding me! no, no. no, dude, don't do it. crazy punk. >> wow. that is so much better. should have done that a week ago. >> so there. that show premieres april 4th at 8:00/7:00 central right here on nbc. that's going to be pretty good, huh? >> i'm thinking i'll be watching that. >> "the voice" is a show that's pretty pop dwular on nbc. we're going to do a kids voice contest. if you have entries between the ages of 8 and 16 please send in

your videos and we are going to have a kids voice edition. they'll be out soon. i just want to give one quick shout out, randy, to -- in today's daily news, katie couric does this -- is a big advocate of stopping colon cancer. she had this big spin class the other day. a bunch of people went out. there's a picture in "the daily news" right down below there. a big way to go, atta girl to katie for her colon cancer spin class. we hope she raises a lot of money for her cause. >> great. >> hey, look at you. look at you just hanging with us up here. >> i'm happy to be here. >> we're so happy to have you. got a lot coming up. from "entourage," adrian grenier. 75? yeah. i'm only 45.

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i couldn't believe they did this all day. who else could we get? >> where are the binoculars?

>> where are the binoculars? >> that is "entourage" star adrian grenier in his popular documentary "teenage papparazzo." >> adrian is turning the success of this documentary into a teenage paparazzi empowerment tour. he's here to tell us more about that. >> look at you. hello. >> hello, hello. >> the documentary was successful in film festivals. you really wanted young people to get a look at this, didn't you? >> absolutely. now is the time to start a conversation with young people about media and the inundags of images that bombard them every day of their lives. right now, i mean, high school kids are the first digital natives. they're the first kids to grow up completely saturated by technology and media and images. i remember when there wasn't -- when there wasn't the internet. these kids, they have it growing up. >> how do you tell them about

that? let's face it. you see snooki on the cover of "us weekly" pregnant and celebrated. you see reality stars who don't necessarily have lots of talent but are just famous for being famous. you see where a kid would say, hey, that looks like kind of a good gig for me. >> you know, media redirects our values. >> yeah. >> you know, kids need to be empowered to navigate through all of it so that they can make, you know, strong, smart, good choices. >> let me ask you this. on this tour you're out here with these kids. what are you doing while krour doing these programs? what are you hoping to teach some of the kids? >> what we've done is we've taken the film. sort of just the beginning, the opening conversation. we put together an art exhibit from artists that you may know. shepherd ferry banksy and others. get kids out of the screening and into the three-dimensional world where they can actually interact and recognize other

ways to communicate and express themselves. >> can we talk about "entourage"? when they see you that's what people think. everyone was kind of in a funk when it was finally over. is there any talk about turning it into a movie or doing more with the show? >> we're all waiting by the phone. waiting for the call. >> is that what you've been asked about, "entourage"? >> people want it, we all want it. it's a natural. >> this was on facebook, you were talking and written something to the effect that president obama had been in touch with you about doing a guest spot on "entourage" if and when you make the movie. you said, well, i'll make the movie if you will do the cameo. >> yeah. >> how did that come to be? >> you know, casual conversation, you know, he was expressing how he wouldn't mind seeing the movie happen. i was like, well, you know, o man, if you want it. >> is that how you guys are?

>> have you started? is everybody on board and you're continuing to go forward with making the movie? >> we are all on board. we're just waiting for a script. >> real quick just about the paparazzi. i know you've had the paparazzi hound you and i know you have as celebs. often don't you hear how the paparazzi gets called by celebs because they would like to get a little more coverage and like to be out there a bit more? >> absolutely. there's a lot of working together, if you will. if you look behind the scenes at how it all works and how these stories are told, not just with the paparazzi but also the editors and just sort of the vices of how these stories are manufactured, it's important. that's what we try and teach kids, is to show how it's -- it's actually a construction. and that they actually can do it themselves and they have to take responsibility for what they put out as well. >> very cool documentary, by the way. when you see this 13-year-old kid with a camera chasing people down you can't believe it's happening. great lesson, too.

>> go to our page, teenagepapparazo.com and click on empowerment tour. teenagepapparazo.com and click on empowerment tour. c♪ get, get up and go ♪ dress up the sun ♪ ooh, 'cause it makes me feel so ♪ ♪ beautiful outside in ♪ there's no hidin' ♪ the look of love, love [ female announcer ] women who eat breakfast, like the special k breakfast, actually weigh less. a closet that feels like a candy store begins with special k. ♪ what will you gain when you lose? carol. fiber makes me sad. oh common. and how can you talk to me about fiber while you are eating a candy bar? you enjoy that. i am. [ male announcer ] fiber beyond recognition. fiber one.

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it is that time when we take a look at things that make you go "what the what?" >> i've heard about the segment. sara haines has sorted through some photos you've sent in. here to show us the favorites. >> you're going to love this, randy, i promise. our first photo is from brandy friday from richmond, virginia. this is about fresh sausage available, too. it's a joke. their official statement is they would never do that. and they wouldn't. our next photo is sent in by lori buckley from richardson, texas. she was angry when she first saw this. she did not arrange it. it's dog droppings. it's a rescue pug that has accidents in doors. if you're going to leave a mark, leave it with a smile. >> i can't believe she took a picture of it. >> it's gross. from fairmont, minnesota.

just how weak is it? would you ever cross a bridge that says it's a weak one. by the way, you can't turn around. it's a common sign. they put it up to let you know certain vehicles can't cross it. don't you think it would be more specific. >> like add a weight. >> it might go out on you. you don't know. >> allen getty from lakeworth, florida. >> ellen sent it in? >> no. it was posted -- someone else took it of a personal fence. i don't know if the wife thinks this is funny. >> i doubt it. >> finally, cam winterbehr from florida submitted this photo. i don't know if i want a live or frozen kayak when i hit the river. clearly they swapped those around. >> don't forget, send all your pictures to klgandhoda.com.

if all the weather has you humming a nice tune, we're going to test your spring songs. you get to talk to folks across the street, randy. >> i have a style on the road. i kind of know what that's like. we've got advice for you. make the loved ones love you. >> they'll love you anyway. it's your surprise party and we want this hair color to be party ready. let's get some dimensional color. now!? what if it comes out wrong? [ gigi ] nice 'n easy gets your right color every time. guaranteed. in one step get tones and highlights for a gorgeous result. now, go party! surprise! surprise! surprise! surprise! i had no idea. [ gigi ] nice 'n easy. available in original or award winning foam from the color experts at clairol. or award winning foam your mood and your makeup. makeup like you've never seen before. new revlon® photoready airbrush™ mousse make up. unique air-infused mousse formula blends easily for a smooth, poreless, airbrushed finish. this reduced sodium soup

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all right. welcome back this wines tai, wednesday. time to play our trivia game we call "who knew?" with spring in the air we're going to test your knowledge of spring songs. filling in for kathie lee is country music legend randy travis right across the street at the nbc experience store. he's ready to hand out 100 bucks to those who get the answers right. to those who don't, still good news. randy's 25th anniversary cd with collaborations from some of the hottest stars around. hey, everybody's a winner. here with me in the studio is our very good friend bill werde. editorial director of "billboard" magazine. are you ready? >> i'm so ready. >> let's go across the street to

randy. >> all right. i'm back. i'm back. you have -- you know, there's a lot of things to be handling here. okay. we're going to go to the first person on the contest. what's your name? >> kelly from moore, oklahoma. >> nice to meet you, kelly. the question, first question for you is finish the lyric to this beatles song. ♪ little darling it feels like you ♪ >> i don't know. >> that is an honest answer. that is an honest answer. as a loser, you get this. >> she came in second, randy. all right. we're going to complete the lyrics to this beatles song. let's hit it. ♪ here comes the sun, here comes the sun ♪ >> talk to us about this song, bill. >> i love this song. george harrison wrote this on

one of eric clapton's acoustic guitars. a great bit of rock history. on a downer note john lennon didn't play on this song. at this time john and george not getting along really well. they repaired the relationship and things went on. >> back across the randy. >> what's your name? >> marty clark from st. louis. >> all right. your question is who sings this 1985 spring hit? ♪ i'm walking on sunshine, whoa ♪ >> i'll read the choices that you can choose from. the indigo girls. the bengals. the pointer sisters. or katrina and the waves. >> the bengals. >> again, she came in second.

correct answer, katrina and the waves. >> this song reportedly made the band a million dollars a year for ten straight years from 2000 to 2010. it's been licensed everywhere. the shocking, shocking expose is that katrina from katrina in the bands was actually for undisclosed reasons fired from the band in 1998. >> terrible. back across to randy. >> what's your name, sir? >> steve johnson from orlando, florida. >> we just met yesterday out on the street right outside the hotel. okay. which spring song played a major role in the movie "forrest gump?" the choices are "changes" by the monkees, "turn, turn, turn" by the byrds. >> "it's a beautiful morning." >> it's a good day for randy

travis. the correct answer, bill, "turn, turn, turn" by the byrds. >> written by pete seager. even though he gets credit for being the writer, what's interesting, these birds are taken almost entirely from the bible. look it up. >> back across. time for one more, randy. >> what's your name? >> christy from knoxville, tennessee. >> christy from knoxville, tennessee. i'm not working this mike so well sometimes. the question is which u2 song is about a man who lost everything but is somehow happier than ever? your choices are "the sweetest thing," "rejoice," "a beautiful day," or "like a song." >> do you have a hint? >> do i have a hint? they told me i can't -- >> i'll say "rejoice." >> no. and because you're a loser. >> all right. it is a beautiful day for randy travis. he gave away four cds.

the correct answer, "beautiful day." >> a lot of u2 fans really, really love this song. if you were an old school u2 fan this song marked them coming out of their electronic feeling in the '90s and getting back to the classic rock sound. >> we love having you. come back and see us any time. coming up, does absence make the heart grow fonder? we're going to find out right after this. 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.

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back now with today's relationships. most married couples wouldn't mind some time away from their spouse every now and then. >> that's for sure. a long distance marriage could put a strain on the couple's relationship. so how do you make it work? >> that's a good question. here with advice are debra shigly, editor at large of the career website thegrindstone.com and author of "love in the time of colic." hello, you two. what is the deal with long distance relationships as compared to regular relationships where a couple is together? does one last longer than the other? >> actually, no. research has shown there's no higher rate of divorce for couples in commuter marriages versus couples in regular relationships. i know that's hard to believe. but this is actually huge numbers. 3.5 million people are actually in commuter marriages right now. >> it seems like it would be hard if you lived in one city, your spouse lived in the other and you saw each other on the weekends. how do you make that work? >> first of all you need to emphasize the quality time,

every day of connecting. i know the couples who do make this work. when they connect they're talking on the phone really listening to each other. they're not also checking e-mail and facebooking and being distracted. i think you really have to make an extra effort to put in that quality time to connect. >> you're saying there are people that really don't listen to you when you're talking? >> not necessarily your wife. >> in this age of crazy technology where you can text and you can tweet and you can do facebook, is that making it easier for us to communicate and a better type of communication? >> absolutely. that's one of the reasons this has risen. technology with skype. unlimited cell phone minutes. people can talk and be connected when they're apart from each other. the other thing, too, the economy. that's one of the main driving reasons. people can't find jobs where they live. one of the factors has been you find a job some place else. particularly for women there's been an uptick in the number of women in commuter marriages because they're more dedicated to their careers now than in years past. >> when you miss out, let's

pretend the wife lives with the children somewhere. the husband comes back on the weekends. you're missing the day-to-day. >> you are. that's where technology can work. when you're with someone every day technology can be a distraction. but when you're in a long distance marriage, i say, you know, make your life a digital scrapbook. have your iphone on you. take photos. take videos. send little texts. you know, the ordinary really becomes the extraordinary. >> but it can't be -- it can't be forever. that can't be the way it is. you have to have a limit. >> are there any numbers who suggest how many people have these kinds of relationships? >> again, it's about 3.5 million are in there right now. >> 3.5 million right now. >> that's risen tremendously over the past decade. again, there's no sign it's worse for your marriage. again, this is self-reported data, right? these are people identifying as saying they live apart for reasons other than marital discord. you know, hopefully they're telling the truth. >> a lot of couples, it's not their first marriage. it's their second marriage. they don't have the same needs. they've met somebody, rekindled a relationship via facebook or

online with someone who lives in a different location and it works for them because they don't have the kids and they don't have that same need. >> does it matter how far apart? if you're within driving distance you know you could be there in a few hours or however. but if you're on opposite sides of the country you have to plan it and make a point. >> right. >> i think you need to have the kind of temperament that really lends itself to that. my mother's currently in a long distance relationship with somebody in virginia. it's a ten-hour train ride. it's a big deal. >> it certainly doesn't work for everyone. we were talking about this before. i was in a commuter marriage, i guess, for all of one month when we were newlyweds. it lasted a month. exactly. we tried it. it just didn't work. it depends on the season of your life. a lot of other couples in blended relationships, it works. >> it can make it more enticing. you finally get to see them. other than there they are again. pick up the milk. >> you are vulnerable to things like flirtatious friendships,

emotional infidelities. but the flip side is there's loneliness as always. >> all right, thanks for the advice. coming up next, everything is coming up roses. we are going to throw a garden party. what do you nithink? >> all right. >> it could be fun. right after this. ers. you know who you are. you can part a crowd, without saying a word. you have yet to master the quiet sneeze. you stash tissues like a squirrel stashes nuts. well, muddlers, muddle no more. try zyrtec®. it gives you powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because zyrtec® starts working at hour 1 on the first day you take it. claritin® doesn't start working until hour 3. zyrtec®. love the air. and hello to "whoa, yum." use campbell's cream of chicken soup to make easy enchiladas, cheesy chicken & rice, and other chicken dishes that are oh...so...whoa. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do.

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if all this warm weather has you ready for a little fun in the sun, we're going to show you how to celebrate in style with a soiree of top seasons. >> contributing editor at "better homes and gardens" is here to help throw a garden party like no other. >> how are you? >> i am well. >> good. >> the winter doldrums are over at last which is cause to celebrate. >> it's kind of felt like spring for a while. >> hasn't it? >> what do we have? >> for our ultimate spring soiree we have to start with a cocktail. these are apple lime coolers. they're super easy to make.

add a splash of rum to put spring in your step. >> i love fresh mint. anything with fresh mint is delish. what is this stir you've created, miss fancy. >> dyi swizle stick. hot glue green paper on a boom boo skewer. extra credit! coasters to match. >> i like how you sing things. >> we like to start every party off with a little ice breaker. since we're spring cleaning, ask everything to bring something for a spring swap. >> after you've cleaned out your home bring something you don't use any longer. >> exactly. a waffle maker just getting dusty on your countertop. >> oh, jason mraz is coming. >> this isn't look great on me. maybe it'll work for you. what do you think? >> do not mess with randy's lid. he does not like it. >> okay. so for our table, you know, it's spring. it's time for linen. this is just linen from the fabric store. for our runner we fringed the

edges just to dress them up a bit. >> how do you do that? pull off the ends? >> pull off some threads. it does it super easily. for our silverware we bubbled them up with a little sprig from the backyard. a little springtime saying. >> that's a cute idea. you always want a splash of color on the table. that's clever. what did you do there? >> you always want a splash of color. these are super easy. >> a peony. >> a fake one? >> no. we cut off the stem with wire cutters to fit them in a stemless wine glass. >> okay. >> these are our faux terrariums. they're easy to do. a bell jar from the craft store. hurricane works just as well. >> randy's bored. i'm telling you. >> i'm amazed. i'm amazed. >> cheap moss and some ferns. easy breezy. for our snacks, add fresh baked breads to whatever you're serving. >> now randy's interested.

kind of. >> for party favors, send every guest home with a little starter seedling. >> that's cute. >> isn't that cute? >> elaine, thanks, sweetie. coming up next, every kid loves peanut butter. we're going to check out these little peanuts. they're battling it out for the title of top chef. first, this is "today" on nbc.

my good friend randy travis has a couple of cds coming out. don't you? >> they're already out. one, the greatest hits project with all the duets. then another project we had done for the cracker barrel, people. >> cool. you're a busy guy. good old-fashioned peanut butter and jelly sandwich. these are not your ordinary kids. they have made some extraordinary recipes. >> that's right. a $25,000 scholarship is at

stake for the best peanut butter creation. plus an additional $10,000 for educational projects. >> jiff peanut butter's most creative peanut butter sandwich. logan from tennessee. delvin from houston, texas. mike. mallory from hilton head, island, south carolina. and sullivan from minnesota. hey, guys, how are you? all right. show us what you're going to make with your peanut butter. what have you got there? >> right here we are making a champ burger. it's a peanut butter turkey burger. first we add the burger which is -- which since it's ground white meat turkey. now we're adding the slaw. >> an apple slice you clever guy. we're going to come down here and try it. here, randy. >> oh. >> come on, it's a peanut butter burger! show it some love. >> all right. >> while you're biting into that one, what are you making over

here. >> pb all dressed up salad. >> pb all dressed up. how is that? >> you're not having it. >> i'm trying it, too. >> that's actually pretty good. >> you rock. go ahead. tell us what you're making. making a pb all dressed up. >> how do you make it? >> in here we have two tablespoons of honey peanut butter. two tablespoons of balsalmic vinegar. one-half cup of extra virgin olive oil. a pinch of salt. >> drizzle that on there. i'm going to give randy one to chew on. >> thank you, hoda. >> randy's our taste tester. how is that. mmm. mmm. that's great. come on down, randy. talk to us. we have more eating to do. what are you making down here. >> i'm making an egg sandwich with avocado, egg, lettuce and peanut butter. >> do your thing while we eat. randy, time to eat. time to eat again. peanut butter, avocado. >> lettuce.

hot sauce. >> how did you come up with this. >> all my favorite foods. i added it together. >> how many times did you have to make a mix before you had it right. >> a couple. >> come on down here, randy. what are we making, mallory? >> a peanut barbecue chicken. >> how did you make it? >> well -- >> here, randy. tell us how you made it. >> first of all i love to eat. >> of course you do. >> so i decided to make some of my favorite foods. and it came out. >> delicious. >> what all is on here? >> tomato, green onion, corn curdles, tomato. >> good one. >> and cheese. >> good one. you like? come on, randy, we've got to eat down here. what do we have down here, honey? >> monkey breakfast pita. >> what's in this one? >> that's scary.

>> we have blueberries, bananas and blueberries. >> what else? banan bananas? >> and jam. >> is there blueberries in here? >> yeah. >> how old are you? >> 7. >> 7. you guys, the winner is going to be selected later. congratulations. all delicious. these kids were so thrilled, by the way, when randy walked in. they said, oh, my god, it's randy travis. >> who's making the selection? >> somebody else? >> randy, thank you for everything. you were a terrific host. thanks for coming to see us. >> thanks. great being with you. tomorrow john rich is going to help us out. also on friday i'm going to have kelly pick ler. you guys have a great day. thanks for coming. say bye! -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com