good morning. breaking news. nbc news has learned the alleged gunman in a series of shootings in france is dead. after a tense stand off that lasted more than 30 hours. we are there, live. on the stand, the tycoon of dui manslaughter testifies at his high-profile trial. here is what he had to say -- >> i took my foot off the brake and that's the last thing i remember. >> was testifying a risky move as the case nears a close? terrifying crash. a military helicopter nearly clipped a building before plummeting to the ground before

a crowd of spectators in afghanistan. the pilot survived. their actions are under investigation this thursday, their actions are under investigation this thursday, march 22, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television announcer: from nbc news this is "today" with matt lauer and ann curry. live from studio 1 a. >> i'm ann curry. >> i'm matt lawyer. we are covering breaking news noo toulouse x france. the 24-year-old suspect bragged of killing people in a shooting after he told negotiators he wanted to die with weapons in his hands. >> we want to get to jim in toulouse this morning. jim, what can you tell us? >> reporter: good morning, matt. well, it seems like this 30-hour

siege is over. we are hearing from a number of police sources that the police assaulted the house minutes ago, that the gunman, mohammed merah fired at them. they fired back. merah is dead. there have been a number of wounded police. no word on police fatalities at this time. we have been here now, obviously, all through it. we are about 300 yards from the house. but, we have heard no ambulances yet arriving on the scene. we did hear two bursts of machine gunfire about ten or 15 rounds each. very small space between the two. earlier this morning, there were three more explosions, possibly blowing off a door or window. our sense was it announced the imminent assault.

police we saw earlier scaling nearby balconies. we heard earlier that a number of policemanaged to penetrate from the roof of the five-story house to see whether mohammed merah was dead or alive. it appears he was very much alive and came out guns a blazing. there was no sign of contact with the individual since yesterday evening. we heard that policemanaged to get inside. it was quiet since the two bursts of automatic gunfire. remember, merah, himself, told police he wanted to go out with guns in his hands. it looks like he had his wish. the police were determined to capture him and bring him to justice. >> jim, let me clarify. police officers have been wounded. there had been police officers wounded yesterday about this time. are we talking about additional officers being wounded this morning? >> reporter: yes, that's

absolutely correct. there were three wounded yesterday in the initial assault. the final assault, after the 30 hours of negotiations, there were reports now on local television quoting police sources that there are a number of police who have been wounded. no word on the degree of their wounds. the seriousness of their wounds. again, we have heard no sirens of ambulances in the proximity. >> the gunman in toulouse france apparently has been killed in a raid this morning. thank you very much. let's get a check of the other top stories. natalie morales is standing by. good morning. >> good morning, matt and ann. an outrage from the shooting death of a florida teen. the million hoody march in new york city on wednesday night to call for the arrest of george zimmerman. the neighborhood watch captain who killed 17-year-old trayvon

martin in self-defense. the city commissioners voted no confidence in the police chief for his handling of the shooting. we'll have more on this in a live report. israel and the united states disagree on when to intervene on iran's nuclear weapons. they told israel radio his country can't afford to wait to strike. the strong rhetoric did stop short of a unilateral strike on iran saying sanctions and negotiations can be given several months. a helicopter pass in afghanistan. according to military.com where the video was posted, the pilot was attempted a maneuver called return to target on february 8 when he lost control. amazingly, no one on the ground was killed. both pilots survived. the incident is under military investigation. the new orleans saints are

heading into their upcoming season without a head coach. he's been suspended for the full 2012 season for his role in a system where players were financially reward ed for hurtig opponents on the field. the team's general manager and head coach were suspended for parts of the season. stunning never before seen pictures of the "titanic." the april issue marks 100 years since it sank with images of the ocean graphic institution. it's mosaic composites of thousands of detailed images. it gives the most comprehensive wreckage to date. national geographic's website has a feature to zoom in for hi-definition detail as you can see there. it is stunning. 7:06 now. let's turn it over to matt, ann and al. >> it is amazing. >> 100 years later, it still

captivat captivates. >> thank you. >> 100 years later. >> in 100 years you'll be on a smuckers jar wondering who was this man. we have a risk of severe weather continuing in the south from mobile up to huntsville, isolated tornadoes, damaging winds and hail. you can see it spinning around the upper level low around oklahoma city. all the rain continues to move in. we are talking two to three , although locally some areas may pick up another four to five inches of rain, along the florida, mobile, alabama, mississippi border. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's going on in your neck of the woods. dense fog across the area, but nothing reported on radar. as far as our forecast, the fog will burn off around 9:00 a.m., your sky, partly sunny later this afternoon. and that will help take temperatures into the 70s. 75 to 80 degrees, like yesterday, we can't rule out an

isolated shower, maybe even a thundershower to our south and west. for and that's your latest weather. ann. >> al, thanks. natalie mentioned new fallout in the deadly shooting of trayvon martin including the police chief to resign over the handling of the investigation. we are in florida with more on this story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. state and federal authorities continue to probe the shooting death of trayvon martin. a complete picture is emerging about the watchman across the country. >> we want answers! >> reporter: 1,000 miles from sanford, 1,000 hooded protesters marched the streets of new york in memory of trayvon martin. >> our son is your son. i want you to say that for

justice and stand-up for what's right. this is not about a black and white thing. this is about a right and wrong thing. >> reporter: the teen gunned down last month as he walked through this gated community wearing a hoody. >> he looks like he's up to no good. he looks black. >> did you see what he was wearing? >> yeah, a dark hoody. >> reporter: in sanford, angry residents called for police chief to step down. >> there's no trust. there's no faith in this department. the only way we gonna be able to change that here, in the city of sanford is to start from the top all the way down to the bottom. >> reporter: at a city council meeting, they passed a no confidence vote, 3-2 on chief lee. >> i don't care to bring up anything he's done wrong. i believe at this point, he really should tender his resignation. >> reporter: zimmerman said he fired the fatal shot in self-defense. they said it was supported by

physical evidence and testimony. zimmerman told police he lost sight of trayvon and was returning to his truck when he was attacked by trayvon. >> are you following him? >> yeah. >> we don't need you to do that. >> reporter: in response to the 911 call, chief lee clarified the call takers suggestion is not a lawful order mr. zimmerman is required to follow. zimmerman was involved in a domestic violence dispute in 2005. injunctions issued to both. those who know zimmerman say they don't think he can shoot someone in cold blood. >> he's a positive guy in my eyes. i'm shocked. >> reporter: they combed the gated grounds for evidence. trayv trayvon's parents told matt they hope justice is served.

>> he has not been arrested. i feel they decided on the scene to be the judge and jury. >> reporter: an online petition to bring george zimmerman to justice is close to reaching the 1 million signature march as he prepares for a rally today. george zimmerman has yet to comment on the case. >> thank you very much. savannah guthrie is today's legal correspondent. star jones is a legal commentator. good morning to both of you. justice is supposed to be blind but not deaf. how much do you think public pressure and outcry are driving the system now? >> public pressure has driven the investigation. i don't think the federal government would be involved without the public pressure, without the outcry and social media driven it. when it comes to court, when it comes to bringing the case, it will rely on evidence and law. they have to find a federal

question for them to investigate. >> i was going to pick up on that. the pressure led to this federal investigation. now there's an expectation or hope there will be federal charges. this is a hard road to hoe. it's hard to make a case here. >> going to court in the first place, i'm trying to imagine a prosecutor dealing with an incident that involved two people, one person can't tell his side of the story because he's dead. the other, george zimmerman says he acted in self-defense. how is a prosecutor going to prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt? >> the issue is how you investigate right when the incident occurred. some of the reason you don't have more evidence is because local law enforcement fell down on their job. the ability to collect evidence around the incident, to talk to witnesses, to get on the phone, to can the neighborhood. >> you can stand-up in court and raise all kind of possible

scenarios to raise that doubt. >> there's no question about it. i don't think anybody looks and says this is a slam dunk for rrs. i think the criticism is we didn't get to that point. the police did a poor investigation, didn't do the bare minimum. didn't test the shooter for drugs or alcohol or press the witnesses. we haven't gotten to the point of charges. >> we are learning about george zimmerman that he called 911 46 times since 2004. this is a law enforcement wanna be looking for trouble around every corner. 46 calls to 911 and never before did he take out his weapon and injure someone and harm someone he called to report. >> i don't bring a judgment on mr. zimmerman and his motivation. i don't have evidence. the problem is his approach in demanding this young man

produced evidence of who he is. you don't get to come up to an american citizen and say identify yourself and why are you here? the constitution does not allow for that. >> you point out why it's a difficult case. the 46 calls to law enforcement can be argued either way. it's proof beyond a reasonable doubt. there are lots of questions. there should be more of a process. >> we are going to get that process, no question about it. maybe not an arrest but we are going to get up to a full investigation. >> which is what they have asked for. >> savannah and star, thank you. it's 14 after the hour. here is ann. >> thanks. now to a race in the white house. a mixed day for gop front-runner mitt romney. he picked up a key endorsement but a gaffe from a top aid he's having a tough time shaking. peter alexander joins us with more on this. good morning. >> good morning. this is the distraction

campaigns hate. they hounded him as a flip-fl flip-flopper, changing his opinions depending on the audience. this morning, romney is on the defensive once again. romney will reintroduce himself to voters ahead of the general election comparing it to the unforgettable red toy, the etch-a-sketch. who knew that classic toy could cause a presidential candidate so much trouble. >> 100 times on an etch-a-sketch. i'm sorry. >> i think it's a great idea piers. we'll have them do that tomorrow. >> reporter: the latest stumble sparked by his veteran senior adviser responding to questions about whether romney could change to appeal to more moderate general election voters. >> he hit a reset button. it's like an etch-a-sketch, shake it up and start over

again. >> reporter: if only those words could disappear. gingrich and santorum picked up on that. >> if we are dumb enough to nominate him, by the time of his acceptance speech, he'll move back to the left. >> this isn't a joke or game. we are talking important things in our society. >> reporter: santorum wasn't finished tweeting this photo of santorum studying on romney's position. handing out etch-a-sketches at romneys outing for the day. he took heat from all sides. >> i was a severely conservative republican governor. >> reporter: the democratic national committee mocked the comment with this web video. on twitter, critics had a field day. others suggesting made up romney toys, hungry, hungry

corporations one wrote. romney tries to erase the damage during a news conference. >> organizationally, the general election campaign takes on a different profile. the issues i'm running on will be exactly the same. >> reporter: so much for romney riding the wave of his big illinois win touting his endorsement of jeb bush. it was mitt's 43rd wedding anniversary. tweeting this photo before images of etch-a-sketches dominating the day. the only clear winner, the makers of etch-a-sketch. they weighed in as well. it's hard to tell if it will be a spike in sales. the iconic toy is now, shaking up the national debate. ann? >> all right. i don't think that's going to be the end. peter alexander. thank you. it is 7:17. here is matt. >> thank you. there's a strong warning from

the people who run the g.e.d. test for students who didn't finish high school but want a diploma. there's an online scam. tom costello has details on this. good morning to you. >> the testing service went to court to get this temporary restraining order shutting down websites that allegedly use the g. g.e.d. brand. they think they are taking the test, but they are getting taken. >> are you ready for school? >> reporter: with a night job and three kids, denise richardson knew going back to high school or getting her g.e.d. would take more time than she had. she wept online for the perfect solution. for a few hundred dollars she could take it online and get her diploma. >> it was a perfect opportunity.

it's where they got me. >> reporter: after $500 and a five-hour test, she got her diploma. a local technical college was suspicious. >> we lookeded at it. we called the 800 number and it didn't work. >> reporter: the test and diploma are fake. she's not alone. the g.e.d. testing service have reported getting taken the same way. >> if you are not coming in person to our testing center, it's not the real g.e.d. test and not going to be recognized by colleges. >> reporter: a network of 13 websites, some already shut down that used the g.e.d. trademark for tests and diplomas. one in five adult americans, 40 million people don't have a high school diploma. the unemployment rate for that group is more than 13%. each year, 800,000 people take

the g.e.d. hoping to get a better job or go to college. the better business bureau has their warning. >> if you need a g.e.d., you can't get it online with a few test questions and a couple hundred bucks. >> i tried to go back and better my education and it gets thrown in my face. >> reporter: back in wisconsin, she took and passed the real g.e.d. test. >> you can see the whole picture. >> reporter: today, she's in college hoping to become a pharmacy technician. the defendant is in pakistan now. the website and 800 number have been redirected to another diploma website that doesn't have any u.s. accreditation. the moral of the story, go to the real g.e.d. website to get information about how to take a real g.e.d. test in your state. it will have to be in person. ma matt?

>> tom, thanks for that information. we appreciate it. still to come, wealthy polo club founder takes a stand in the dui trial. did he help or hurt his case? coming up, a dramatic day in court. first, this is " ♪ ♪ [ multiple sounds making melodic tune ] ♪

[ male announcer ] at northrop grumman, every innovation, every solution, comes together for a single purpose -- to make the world a safer place. that's the value of performance. northrop grumman.

coming up, violent cell phone robberies on the rise. is your wireless company putting their product ahead of your safety? queal, engine revs ] ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] not everything powerful has to guzzle fuel. the 2012 e-class bluetec from mercedes-benz. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial services. for exceptional offers 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.

whoa! what is that? it burns! it's singeing me! it's the sun. get of the office more often with chili's $6 lunch break combos, featuring our classic turkey sandwich. chili's lunch break combos.

good morning, i'm joe krebs, it's 7:26 on this thursday, the 22nd day of march, a foggy start to the morning. let's get a check of our forecast from veronica johnson in storm center 4. veronica? >> we have fog and it will take a while for the fog to burn off. probably not until about 9:00 a.m. and the visibilities this morning were under a quarter of a mile. radar is not showing any precipitation, but with the moisture that's been hanging in the air, it's a misty morning. a clammy morning. 59 degrees your temperature as we look past out over the roof. wind light, out of the south, it's the southerly wind that will take our temperatures into the upper 70s today. back to you. >> we'll see how the fog is

affecting the morning commute

your delays are from lockwood drive, slow to university boulevard. in virginia, still seeing delays on i-95 under speed with fog, you're at about 23 miles per hour. hour. joe, back over to you. homicide of young people in america has an impact on all of us. hour. joe, back over to you. 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. you are looking at disturbing scenes. these are violent attacks carried out by criminals across the country. the target, victim's cell phones. we'll investigate the dangerous trend and why authorities say there's an easy solution being blocked by wireless companies. it's 7:30 on a thursday morning the 22nd day of march, 2012. i'm matt lauer alongside ann curry. a millionaire socialite testified against a man in a home invasion. the victim was tied up and injected with what she was told was a deadly virus. detail ons that story.

the discovery of a heroic mom who used her body to protect her children from a powerful tornado. we told you her story. she lost parts of both of her legs. she's now moved to a rehabilitation facility. we'll see how she's doing in a little while. >> it will be nice to catch up with her. we begin in florida where a millionaire accused of a dui manslaughter took his own defense. kerry sanders is live with this story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. john goodman took the stand because no one but him was witness of what he claims happened. lawyers consider it risky to put them on the stand because it opens them up to harsh examination. the first question in this case, however, came from the defense attorney, roy black. >> john, are you nervous today?

>> yes, sir. >> reporter: 48-year-old john goodman took the stand wednesday. at times, his hands visibly shaking. he's accused of being drunk two years ago behind the wheel of his $200,000 bentley, speeding through a stop sign and t-boning scott wilson in his car. wilson's car was pushed across the street and into a canal where the car sank. wilson survived the impact, but drown. >> john, you are aware that a young man lost his life because of this accident, aren't you? >> yes. >> you know his name? >> scott patrick wilson. >> is there anything you would like to say to scott wilson's family? >> objection. >> reporter: his father and jurors never heard remorse. >> did you ever have a drink called an irish car bomb? >> absolutely not.

>> reporter: they did hear him deny he was drunk. >> when you got into that car, were you either drunk, impaired or intoxicated? >> absolutely not. >> reporter: his bar tab shows ten shots of tequila, a shot of silver, a tumbler with johnny walker, gray goose vodka and five more silvers. why? he treated friends but had few drinks himself. i had two tequila shots and the gray goose single. >> 911 emergency. >> reporter: they replayed the 911 call. he phoned 54 minutes after the accident. >> i feel horrible. >> i feel horrible and they think i'm crazy. what were you referring to there? >> i don't remember. >> reporter: goodman stammered.

and stumbled on the stand, which legal experts say may be why he chose to testify. >> he sounded exactly the same as he did on the 911 call the night of the crash. >> reporter: prosecutors say three hours after the accident, goodm goodman's blood taken here at the hospital shows he was twice the legal alcohol limit. goodman testified he walked from the crash scene to a barn, found a bottle and began to drink. the prosecutor said that would have given him just 20 minutes to reach the.17 level. >> that's 11 to 14 one ounce shots. is that how much you drank? >> must have been. >> reporter: repeatedly, he failed to answer questions. >> i don't know. i don't remember. i don't recall. >> reporter: why doesn't he remember? goodman claims he suffered a concussion in the crash.

>> you have amnesia from the concussion? >> i don't know why i'm not remembering. that's my guess. >> reporter: jurors usually listen but say nothing in court. not in this case. one of the jurors complained to the judge that as the defense is presenting its case, the state prosecutor has been making faces. the judge scolded the state prosecutor but some legal experts say it may be a sign of trouble for the state's case. ann? >> kerry sanders, to be continued. thanks so much. here is matt. dramatic testimony of a man accused of carrying out a home invasion of a millionaire. we have in connecticut with details on this. good morning. >> reporter: matt, good morning. the testimony in this case has

been chilling and is about to be in the hands of the jury. three men broke into the house of ann bass, tied her up and demanded money. she's reliving the nightmare again, telling her story from the witness stand. she's a philanthropist and patron of the arts. she's well known in exclusive social circles. the 70-year-old socialite is speaking in open court about the night she says she was tied up and held hostage for hours. on trial, emanuel. he one worked for bass as a butler but was fired in 2006 after he crashed one of her cars. bass testified about the night of april 15, 2007. she was inside her country home on a sprawling estate in kent, connecticut. bass said, i heard war cries, very terrifying sounds and saw

three men wearing black clothes storming up the steps. i was sure i was going to die. bass says the men had knives. she was blindfolded and tied up, so was her long time companion who was sleeping in another room. bass recounted how she heard the suspects put on latex gloves. one of them wiped their hands with alcohol and gave them painful injections. unless bass turned over $8.5 million, they would die within 24 hours. six hours later, bass was able to break free. the injections had been harmless. the intruders got people who know bass can't believe she would be the victim of something so violent. >> she's just in control. this particular incident that happened to her is contrary to everything she represents. she was completely out of control and somebody else was in control. >> reporter: police arrested

this man but his accomplices haven't been found. prosecutors say his dna was found in a jeep stolen from bass' property. his attorney says he had nothing to do with the crime and pointed the finger at a friend. legal experts say bass' testimony was powerful. >> this is a crime that hits you right in the heart. it hits most people in the heart. her house was invaded that evening. this hits to the heart of any jury on any home invasion case. >> reporter: the defense did not call witnesses and he didn't take the stand in his own defense. he's charged with extortion and in possession of a stolen vehicle. the jury is expected to begin deliberations today. >> mara, thank you very much. let's get a check of the weather now from al. today's weather is brought to you by chico's.

another day of record breaking temperatures on tap. look at these high highs. we're not talking breaking, smashing records, 15 degrees above the record in green bay, 26 degrees above in gaylord. chicago, ten degrees above the record in 87. and today, more records, tieing it in albany. coming close to breaking it in boston, burlington and new york city. we'll come close to tying the record and in the great lakes, more heat with temperatures in the upper 70s, low 80s, with more forecast record highs predicted. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's going on in your neck of the woods. and here we are, past 7:30, the fog as thick as it's been, it's slowly lifting across the area. we've got two-mile visibility now in leesburg. everywhere else, still down under a quarter and a half-mile. later today by 9:00, 10:00, we expect to see clearing taking place, temperatures rising to 75-80 degrees. can't rule out a little bit of a shower coming our way.

or tomorrow, but tomorrow is going to be extremely warm. 83 for a high. and then back to cool for t you can get your weather time you need it on weather.com. matt? >> al, thanks so much. the rise in violence. smartphone robberies. is there a way to put an end to the crimes wireless companies are reporting? [ boys screaming ] hi, i just switched jobs, and i want to roll over my old 401(k) into a fidelity ira. man: okay, no problem. it's easy to get started; i can help you with the paperwork. um...this green line just appeared on my floor. yeah, that's fidelity helping you reach your financial goals. could you hold on a second? it's your money. roll over your old 401(k) into a fidelity ira and take control of your personal economy. this is going to be helpful. call or come in today. fidelity investments. turn here.

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.

back now at 7:42. this morning on rossen reports, violent robberies of iphones and other cell phones. authorities claim there is a solution but wireless xeants won't do their part to help. jeff rossen is here to tell us what he found. good morning. >> good morning. this is an epidemic. tens of thousands of high-tech phones are stolen every year. yes, it gets violent. many victims are beaten, bruised and hospitalized. there's an easy fix here. a way to stop criminals in their tracks. but the wireless companies are blocking it to protect their own profits. san francisco, this unsuspecting woman is about to get robbed. her iphone ripped from her hands. ft. lauderdale, a thief sucker punches this man, beating him to a pulp. the victim tries to get up, but the robber kicks him down and

makes off with his iphone. in los angeles, one of the most brutal robberies caught on camera. a man follows this teenage girl into a lobby to get her phone, punching her over and over again. she fights back. >> i really wanted my phone. i worked hard for it. i was in a mode where i was going to hit him until i got my phone back. >> reporter: but, he got the phone and is still on the loose. washington d.c. police chief sees it every day. this is a big business for thieves? >> it's a huge business, huge business. the after sale market is huge. >> reporter: the wireless industry is putting their profit over your safety allowing stolen phones to be reactivated later with a different phone number. yes, that's right. in most cases black market buyers or the thieves themselves

can buy service on that phone which means it wireless companies keep making money. what is your message for the wireless companies? >> shame on you. it's fixable. it's not all about profit. >> reporter: cities are banning together sending this letter to officials. there's an easy solution, a fix that would cut the violent robberies. here is how it would work. every cell phone has a unique id or fingerprint. once it's reported stolen, it's blacklisted in the u.s. wireless companies from verizon to at&t would share information banning service for that phone for all carriers. >> it's a brick. there's no profit. when you take the profit away, there's no motivation to stick a gun in somebody's face and take the phone. >> reporter: wireless companies

won't do it. >> it's crazy. >> it's a problem. why are we helping them out. >> reporter: sprint said they are open for discussion. that's where we went, a spokesman. >> the police said it's about money. >> well, it's a money loser in a lot of respects. >> nearly 70 major police department chiefs say this is the solution, this would cut crime. i, as a consumer say why not try it? >> we want to make sure whatever we put in place works and it's effective and comprehensive. >> reporter: the technology already exists. they have been doing it in the uk for a decade and traaustrali too. it's working. smartphone robberies are down. the industry's response. let's wait, it's not worth trying until every country joins in. >> let's get mexican service providers, central american, south american, african, chinese. >> why not start with the u.s.?

why not start here? >> the larger problem, the bigger problem is overseas. >> reporter: police say americans will keep getting beaten and robbed as long as the wireless industry continues to drag its feet. >> there are lives at stake. this is a deadly situation. it needs to be rectified immediately. >> reporter: the fcc is investigating this issue just in the nick of time. cell phone thefts continue to grow at an alarming rate. to give you an idea, on the streets, a stolen cell phone goes for more than a vile of pcp. this keeps getting worse. it needs to be fixed. we are going to stay on top of it for you. >> sounds like you will. thanks for reporting on this. next, what's behind the boom that is are keeping people in one wisconsin town up all night? the mystery, right after this. [ male announcer ] the game of life with the prius c!

♪ oh, my maltipoo's depressed.

but my affordable prius c means i can pay for his acupuncture. whew. i love my pooch. oh no! my homemade sushi... turned p-ushi! use estimated 53 mpg to find a gluten-free alternative. look, this means i'm a chef. [ male announcer ] be a winner with the all-new prius c from toyota. ♪ that's 50% off lenses, including bifocals, no-lines, even sunglasses made with your prescription. so hurry in. sale ends april 1st. lenscrafters. so hurry in. sale ends april 1st. ♪ abracadabra. new hershey's milk chocolate with almonds in pieces. your favorites, in pieces.

s apparently, there's a lot of shaking going on in a small wisconsin town where strange booms have been heard and felt for three straight nights. stephanie gosk is in clintonville where residents are baffled. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. they felt the booms again last night,ers specially here in this neighborhood. people are trying to keep a sense of humor about this but they are spooked. there's not many things that are inexplainable let alone shaking

beds in the middle of the night and booms. scientists have no idea what this is. it's an unsolved mystery that has left people here in clintonville, wisconsin literally rattled. >> it was like a ground shaking kind of push off the chest kind of feeling. >> we heard a boom, boom, boom. >> we heard weird banging going on and our whole house was shaking. >> reporter: all week, noises and tremors turned this community of 4600 into a boom town shaking people awake in the middle of the night. >> it's definitely something underground. it could be something big. >> reporter: wednesday night, residents gathered at a community meeting. >> it's a strong possibility a natural phenomenon is occurring under the ground. >> reporter: all the dots represent 400 reports of noises

to police so far. >> did you hear a boom? >> yeah, right now. it felt like it was under my chair. >> reporter: city officials are checking gas lines and sewers. anything to sniff out possible explanations. they have ruled out an earthqua earthquake, under ground blasting and electrical problems. it's a head scratcher. >> it's the $64,000 question. why is clintonville being subjected to it? >> reporter: some wonder if it's extra tresial. >> maybe it's the astronauts coming to get us. i don't know. >> reporter: someone tweeted, i had no idea they were filming the "tremors" remake in clintonville, wisconsin. it's the sci-fi flick where aliens shake up a small nevada town from deep down underground. while there is concern in clintonville, many in town are

taking it lightly. >> it is not giant groundhogs. >> reporter: others see it as a blessing in disguise. a team of engineers is coming in to gauge seismic activity. one theory is it may have to do with the very warm weather. ma matt? >> stephanie, thank you very much. the astronauts coming to get us. >> hollywood baby bumps after your local news. i'm a marathon runner, in absolute perfect physical condition and i had a heart attack right out of the clear blue...

i'm on an aspirin regimen... and i take bayer chewables. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. he's my success story. [ laughs ] just need to refill my walgreens prescription. [ speaking native language ] i don't know what he's saying right now. he says you're gonna get frostbite in under 30 seconds. won't take me that long. honey, is this really necessary? it'll bug me if i wait. [ female announcer ] walgreens free mobile app. refill by scan. receive a text when it's ready. we're good.

wanna call anyone or anything? your mom? a little more altitude... a little less attitude. [ female announcer ] download the free walgreens mobile app to refill prescriptions, print photos and see the new weekly ad anywhere. walgreens. there's a way to keep life moving. ocean spray cranberry juice versus vegetable juice. first the cranberry. mm! tasty. now, the vegetable juice, with more than 10 times the sodium of cranberry juice. we have a winner! protect the land. economically, it seems like a good choice now. we need environmental protection. we've got more than 100 years worth of energy, right here. [announcer:] who's right? they all are. visit powerincooperation.com.

good morning, i'm joe krebs, it's 7:56, we have a foggy start to the day. let's go to meteorologist veronica johnson. >> we do, the fog is thick out there. with visibilities way under a quarter-mile. in fact, some locations down to zero. so the fog is going to slowly lift. our wind light out there and our temperatures will climb, 75-80 degrees today. we'll do much better than yesterday and i think we're going to see the sun. yesterday we didn't hit our high until 5:30. so 75-80 today. how about 80-plus tomorrow? then big, cool weekend and a soggy one as well. we'll take a break and come

how about that -- jammed on the outer loop of the beltway in montgomery county, your delays, pretty serious right now. 25 miles per hour and it's foggy. traveling on i-66, this time eastbound, jammed at suddenly road, your delays. i-66, travel lanes are open, slow the entire way, from fairfax county parkway to the beltway, at 24 miles per hour. taking 24 minutes to make the trip. no accidents on i-66 inside the beltway, either. joe, over to you.

8:00 now on a thursday morning, the 22nd of march, 2012. another spectacular spring day here in new york city. it is 58 degrees. it's hard to read the numbers look so similar on the monitor. al says we are heading into the mid-70s today. isn't that exciting? >> it's freezing right now. >> a little windy. we have a sea breeze going on. here i am with matt lauer and al roker. wore going to talk about things

that always make people happy. that's babies. a lot of babies are about to happen -- >> about to have a baby? >> in hollywood because jessica simpson and uma thurman and now reese wither spoon. we are going to talk about this. also a story we brought you a few weeks ago, a mom trying to protect her children from a tornado as the storm destroyed their house. she wrapped them in a blanket and laid on top of them. she lost porarts of both her le in that storm. stephanie decker is on the mend and in a rehab center. we are going to catch up with her. >> that is great. >> she's an inspiring, inspiring lady. >> later on in the spirit of spring, we are going to show you the styles the stars are wearing and how you can get the same styles for less. >> i think those pants would look great on you, al.

let's go inside. >> natalie has a check of the headlines. hi. good morning, matt, ann and al. is gunman accused of killing seven people in southwestern france is dead following a tense 32 hour stand off with french special forces. the french interior says he came out with guns blazing. he leaped from a window while still firing. at least two officers were injured in the raid. the suspect identified as 24-year-old mohammed merah claimed he was trained in afghanistan by al qaeda. he wanted to die with guns in his hands. trayvon martin gunned down by a neighborhood watch volunteer. they passed a no confidence vote against police chief bill lee. he's been under pressure to step down saying he fired in

self-defense. martin's parents led a protest in a rally for justice. mitt romney is in damage control mode after one of his top advisers compared his campaign to an etch-a-sketch saying you can shake it up. rivals pounced on the gaffe as evidence romney easily changes his position. romney explained the profile of a campaign changes but the issues he's running on do not. a marine corps sergeant who has been critical of president obama faces dismisal. he started a facebook page to encourage other service members to exercise their free speech rights. now, for a look at what is trending. film maker jason russell whose video "kony 2012" has people searching the term reactive

psycho kis online. russell's wife says he was diagnosed with reactive psychosis. he's been hospitalized since last week after running through san diego's streets. he's never had a drinking or substance abuse problem. the mysterious loud noises plaguing a small wisconsin town has internet conspiracy theorists running wild. they liken the booms to thunder, fireworks and somebody slamming doors. they have ruled out human causes. tim sanity, the trade from the broncos to the new york jets on wednesday has the kneeling quarterback trending across the internet. it sets up a possible showdown between tebow and current jets

starter, sanchez. it's 8:04 now. let's go back to al with a check of your weather. announcer: today's weather is brought to you by jc penny. good morning. we have friends and family here. let's show you your pick city of the day. green bay, wisconsin. cloudy, isolated showers. 67 degrees. it's pretty wat the upper-level spinning over oklahoma. you can see all the moisture ahead of it. bringing heavy rain down to the south. the gulf coast, that's where we're got the risk of strong storms, more rain up into the western great lakes. record highs in the central plains, more showers along the pacific northwest coast. started off as snow this morning. has changed to rain. lots of sunshine, texas into the southwest. a lot of fog in the northeast today. from washington into new york.

probably some airport delays, that's what's going on around the country, here's what's going on in your neck of the woods. out your window, it's foggy, but take a look at the current visibilities throughout the area. they're still low in montgomery county. over in fairfax, prince william, as well as culpepper and south to savard and even east. the fog is lifting, but with all the moisture in the air, it's damp. a lot of things covered with moisture. so damp conditions and misty. some sunshine later today, 75-80 degrees, a little warmer than yesterday. and then it will hit the 80s tomorrow. it will be a nice day. kind of and that's your latest weather. matt? >> thank you so much. hollywood's baby bumps are coming up. reese witherspoon joins the list of stars expecting babies. we'll have that after these messages. [ magician ] here we go. ready?

ok, which one? ♪ ♪ ♪ i've got a little secret, too ♪ ♪ i've got a mad little crush on you ♪ [ female announcer ] it's always better when there's a little more to love. introducing our silky smooth dove chocolate bar. two. three. one. two. and, three. [ male announcer ] with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card,

earn more cash back for the things you buy most. 1% cash back everywhere, every time. 2% cash back on groceries. 3% back on gas. automatically. no hoops to jump through. it's as easy as one. -two. -three. [ male announcer ] the bankamericard cash rewards card. apply online or at a bank of america near you. [ mom ] we didn't know where to go next with eric's adhd. his stimulant medicine was helping, but some symptoms were still in his way.

so the doctor kept eric on his current medicine and added nonstimulant intuniv to his treatment plan. [ male announcer ] for some children like eric, adding once-daily nonstimulant intuniv to their stimulant has been shown to provide additional adhd symptom improvement. don't take if allergic to intuniv, its ingredients, or taking other medicines with guanfacine like tenex®. intuniv may cause serious side effects such as low blood pressure, low heart rate, fainting, and sleepiness. intuniv may affect the ability to drive or use machinery. other side effects include nausea, tiredness, trouble sleeping, stomach pain, and dizziness. tell the doctor about your child's medicines and medical conditions, including heart, liver, or kidney problems. [ mom ] adding intuniv helped eric. [ male announcer ] ask the doctor about once-daily nonstimulant intuniv. ready or not, here i come! ♪

found ya! you always find me. you always hide here. [ male announcer ] tim and richard smucker have always loved the taste of just-picked fruit. so it's no wonder why today smucker's makes the world's best jam. for five generations, with a name like smucker's, it has to be good. back now at 8:10 with hollywood baby boom. we are not talking young actors but celebrities expecting. we are talking to natalie with more. >> good morning. jessica simpson, uma thurman sporting bellies this spring. now an oscar winner joined the list. hollywood is in the midst of a baby boom. beyonce and jay-z welcomed newborns into their homes. >> there are a ton of pregnant

celebrities now. the list goes on. it sort of everywhere from your a-list actresses to reality stars. everyone in hollywood is pregnant. >> reporter: friends are confirming reese witherspoon is pregnant. it will be her third child and first with her new husband. >> they talk about everything on the social media and you have reese witherspoon who chooses not to release statements. >> some keep it quiet and others are an open book. jessica simpson flaunted her pregnancy since last halloween. she's kept little quiet. she posed nude for elle. >> i'm definitely feeling intimate. i'm unstoppable at the moment. the big "o" is the biggest "o"

ever. i feel like i have a bowling ball sitting on my hoo ha. >> she does not take things seriously. it's a fun ride for fans. >> simpson is not the only one who is talking about it. >> i'm 24. >> snooki confirmed her pregnancy to us weekly telling the magazine it was a happy accident. mtv news announced the pint sized pregnant starlet will return to the shore for the sixth season set to film this summer. ensuring fans will get an intimate glimpse of her experience. >> pregnancy sickens is like you are hungover. you are always nauseous and want to throw up. >> snooki is 17 weeks pregnant. she hasn't announced her official due date but late summer arrival.

>> thank you so much. >> we have people magazine senior editor with the details of jessica simpson's shower. good morning. >> good morning. >> why are people so excited about this? >> it's so exciting to share in their journey. they announce they are expecting and we are all going on the journey. they are sharing what it's like to crave different things. it's fun. >> it's basically stuff we can experience with them. >> exactly. >> jessica simpson had a baby shower. >> 75 family and friends. it was a charlotte's web source. >> every food was fried. corn dogs and fried chicken. >> she's a southern girl at heart. a lot of good comfort food. corn dogs, you name it. it was decadent and indulgent.

>> you don't have to feel bad about eating things. what about the names? do we know the sex of the baby? >> one of the things she is not vocal about is the name. she is trying to keep it under wraps. she said it's cute and has a sentimental value to her and eric. >> meantime, reese witherspoon, today is her birthday and she announces she's pregnant. >> she's celebrating her first anniversary this weekend and it's her 36th birthday. this is something they wanted to do to expand their family. >> what do we know about when she's due any of that stuff? >> it's early on for her pregnancy. jim has taken to caring for ava and deacon. they are all excited about the new edition. >> is this an unusual boom? >> hollywood seems to be expanding but at the same time,

you know, again, everybody seems to be getting pregnant or having babies. it's fun to go on the journey. >> it's been fun to talk to you. you have the 911 on all this stuff. it's been fun to sit here with you. coming up next, an exclusive look at the road to recovery of the indiana mom who lost parts of her legs protecting her kids from a tornado as it was destroying their home. itis coming up after this. doers. here's to more saturdays in the sun. and budgets better spent. here's to turning rookies into experts, and shoppers into savers. here's to picking up. trading up. mixing it up. to well-earned muddy boots and a lot more spring per dollar. more saving. more doing. that the power of the home depot. break out the gardening gloves. miracle-gro garden soil is now 3 bags for 10 bucks. livi ng w ith the pain livi of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis... ...could mean living with joint damage.

help stop the damage before it stops you... ...with humira. for many adults with moderate to severe ra,... ...humira's proven to help relieve pain and stop joint damage. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events can occur, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, blood, liver, and nervous system problems,... ...serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. ask your rheumatologist how you can defend against... ...and help stop further joint damage with humira.

♪

♪ you do ♪ something to me ♪ that nobody else could do ♪ back now at 8:18. this morning on "today" update the indiana mom who lost part of her legs as she used her body to protect her children from a tornado. >> she amazed and inspired us. she risked her life to save her kids that day. it's like a momma bear who instinctively grabs her cubs. any mom would have done the same

thing. se were given exclusive coverage of her recovery. >> how about that? >> reporter: building up her strength for her physical challenges. she says her fierce determination comes from a great gift, a second chance. >> i have another shot at life. and -- and, i don't want to blow that. i'm going make the best of it whether i have legs or not. it's not important to me. a lot of worse things could have happened to me in that storm that day and they didn't. i'm thankful for that. >> reporter: that storm reached 175-mile-per-hour winds. as it neared her home, she fled to the basement with her kids, 8-year-old dominic and 5-year-old reese. she wrapped them in a blanket and laid on top of them. the kids survived. stephanie was badly injured.

days later, from her hospital bed, she told matt she was no hero. >> it was instinct and protecting my children. it is, you know, there's -- you have three children and you understand. there's nothing you won't do for them. you will -- a momma bear out there and they are vicious. they are going to do what they have to do. so, i honestly feel like it is just me protecting them. >> reporter: stephanie had seven broken ribs and both legs partially amputated. her left leg just above her knee. >> it's not a negative part of my life, it isn't. it is now part of my life and how i choose to make it a positive. how i choose to live my life is all up to me. >> reporter: last week, she moved into the southern indiana

rehab hospital where she spends three hours in intense physical and occupational therapy. >> she's very motivated and she was in great shape before. so, she's way ahead of the curve i would say to what you would typically see. >> i'm gonna go 30. >> you're going 30? i was only going to make you do 20. >> reporter: the greatest motivation is to get home to enjoy the simple things in life. >> i want to be the one to help pack lunches and read stories at night. it's the little things we did that we never thought about when we sat down at the table and had dinner together and talked about what happened that day at school. you know, you know, did you enjoy music class and art class? i don't get to do those things. >> reporter: joe recognizes his wife's strengths. he has a plan of his own. >> she likes being at the

baseball park. get her home, then as soon as she can get to a game and get out and see dominic play and reese play, the better off we'll be. >> reporter: she's thankful for support from family and friends and humbled by the kindness of strangers. she shares her recovery writing i smell everything, i feel everything and look at everything. birds are chirping, lizards running across the sidewalk, leaves blowing in the wind. i know my therapists are thinking of my therapy. all i can think of is how the warm air feels on my skin and i never want to take that feel in for granted. >> i woke up from sleeping or napping and woke up going, is okay, is this real? has this happened? i look down. that's usually the trigger. i look down and say okay, it has. it's okay. i wake up from this and i'm still alive. it may not be what i wanted. i have my life back. that's all that matters.

>> well, her doctors say she's making such excellent progress, she may be able to go home as early as monday. she needs a skin graft to close the wound above her knee, then she can get fitted for her prott thesis. >> thank you very much. a lot of people in new york are talking about tim tebow. tebow mania is going to strike this city. he signed up as a back-up quarterback to mark sanchez from the new york jets. how do you think he's going to fit in? >> he's so clean cut and earnest. this is a tough town. >> the new york press is so forgiving -- not! they are saying thank you god. >> by the way, fan reaction? >> very mixed. >> a lot of negative comments and negative tweets. joe nameth, the legendary coach

says he thinks it's a baddy. >> why? why is it negative? >> a lot of people think it's purely for publicity. they think it's going to impact the confidence of mark sanchez. if he comes out -- >> sanchez's contract was extended. >> they want peyton manning, we're not going to get him, we'll extend sanchez, now we're interested in tebow. it's sending a lot of mixed signals. >> an embarrassment. what's wrong with having a great quarterback as your back up? >> a lot for the ladies to look at. >> natalie, bringing it back home. >> it's all about that. >> but, is mark sanchez going to hear it if he has a couple bad games? >> absolutely. >> these people will be chanting for tebow. >> he heart it last season.

>> inspiring and motivating his teammates. maybe he'll be a positive force on the team. >> i think we say welcome. much more straight ahead.

8:26 is your time on this thursday march 22nd, 2012, i'm eun yang, let's check with veronica johnson for the forecast. >> the fog is burning off, and burning off slowly. we're up now at least to a mile visibility in a couple of locations, leesburg and manassas and getting close to that in gaithersburg and montgomery county. we're counting by the fog to be out by lunch time and counting on some sun. with all the moisture hanging in the air, it is misty right now. later today, your high 75-80.

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. the middle class is shrinking.

in this day and age you can only accomplish so much without a degree, and traditional institutions are simply not set up to accommodate people who have jobs and families. university of phoenix works for those people who have real lives and real demands. the degrees that we offer are things where people can fulfill their goals with even brighter hopes for the future. my name is katy white, i'm committed to making a difference in people's lives and i am a phoenix. good morning, if your travel in colesville road at university boulevard, we have a situation that the traffic light is out and wires are down and we're seeing delays, so use you're battling not only that but you have fog. you can see here at lockwood drive. these cars are at a light right

now. but they are slow as they make their way towards university boulevard. 395, slow from edsel and over the 14th street bridge. jammed, eun, back to you. >> more

we're back now. 8:30 on a thursday morning, 22nd day of march, 2012. got a big crowd of people grabbing, physically manhandling ann curry on the plaza this morning. looking around the plaza, we have a lot of college basketball fans here. get ready to root for their team tonight and tomorrow night

including the ohio university. >> we have a whole contingent of ohio fans. >> there you go. they are getting ready to take on north carolina in the sweet 16. i love north carolina. great basketball prediction but go bobcats. that's all i have to say. out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, natalie morales and al roker. coming up, the latest in celebrity style. >> we are talking spring fashion trends. a lot of celebrities are sporting these trends. nude as a color is beautiful. also, bright, bold colors and stripes. we are going get to the bottom of that. we are told you can buy them at what we call all price points. >> good. all right. >> it's time for basics with bitman. that's right. he's back in our kitchen. mark has the secret to whipping

up the ultimate decadent dessert. chocolate mice. no, that's chocolate mousse. >> there was something that was not good. a quick track record. >> i loved everything. >> coming up, "today" professionals are back with the hot topics of the day including a crackdown on underweight models and tim tebow's new home. >> how do you crack down on underweight models? they need help, right? >> also, the latest installment of jill rappaport looking for homes for dogs from the shelters. before we get to that, let's congratulate some colleagues of ours. >> right. we want to talk about twitter.

>> time magazine honored@today show one of the best twitter feeds. they think we have perfected the relationship between twitter and tv. if you are not one of our followers check us out @todayshow. >> we are not doing it ourselves. this is a big compliment to those doing it. >> all right. let's get a check of the weather. >> jim, come over here. these folks are trying to find somebody missing. >> this is claudia murphy. she's been missing in coral springs florida since friday afternoon. please, if you have seen that face, call the coral springs police department. claudia, we love you, we miss you. we are decs. let's check your weather, see what we've got going on. for tomorrow, we're looking at slight risk of strong storms from the gulf coast all the way

into the mississippi river valley. record highs continue along the east coast. also in the central plains, warm texas into the southwest. on saturday, the risk moves to the southeastern atlantic coast. sunny and cool in the south and new england area. record highs in the plains, sunday -- sunday, rain along the northeast coast. showers, southern california right into the pacific northwest, record highs continue in the plains. warm down to texas and the gulf coast. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's going on in your neck of the woods. and a gray morning here, we're wrapped in fog. take a look at the radar, some sprinkles down around woodbridge, i-95, north of quantico right now. the fog lifts late morning, we get some sunshine. still a slight chance of an isolated shower, but i like the fact that it will be higher temperatures than yesterday. 75-80 and 80-plus for friday. warm, but then it will be cool and wet this weekend. could get one to two inches of rain. that's the latest weather.

you can get your latest weather anytime you need it on the weather channel or weather.com online. when you need a birthday for a 100-year-old, you turn to willard scott. >> hey, i love ohio. home of smuckers, but i like ft. myers. if it was good enough for edison, ford and firestone, it's good enough for me. flora hutchinson of maine is 108 years old today with a positive attitude and sees the jar as half full. here is eldora miller, louisville, mississippi 100 years old today. hard work and healthy eating. i like part of that. otto frangenberg is 102. we love him. and irving weinstein is 100

years old today. a world war ii veteran. josephine sorenson is 105. she loves to read novels. that's it. back to new york. >> thank you very much. we have ohio university here. where is this? i haven't heard of this place. i'm kidding, kidding. good luck to the ohio teams in the tournament. when we come back, celebrity looks for spring at prices you can afford. firs

♪ i know that you like my style ♪ back at 8:38. what celebrities are wearing. stars are sporting the season's hottest trends. we have style and beauty expert mary alice to show us how to get these looks for less. hi.

welcome. >> hi. great to see you. >> great to see you as well. they are all price points? >> most of them are under $150 today. so, i wanted to prove that these celebrities are all wearing clothe that is look great, but most of us can't afford them. i want to prove you can create those looks for less. >> the first trend we are going to look at is color. >> color. >> prove it. >> jessica alba wore this fantastic kate spade look recently. here we have it on max. now, this whole look is from h & m. the shirt is $39. the pants $49. the jacket $59 and that great yellow bag, 24 bucks. >> that's good. in terms of how to mix color, that's something a lot of us have to figure out. >> my suggestion is take all the black in your closet. give your color more of a sophisticated edge by adding

black whether it's a heel, whether it's a jacket. so, that's what we did here. >> it's beautiful. thanks for being our model. she's one of your friends. >> all the girls, there's no too skinny supper models here. they are all my friends who volunteered to do this. >> the next trend, this is hard to wear, sheer. >> sarah jessica parker wore a sheer dress to the louie baton. this is a sheer top. my suggestion is if you want to wear sheer, focus on one piece of clothing that is sheer. typically, the top. >> you don't want a sheer bottom. seems like a problem. >> exactly. another insider stylist tip, if you are going to wear sheer, match that bra with the color of the blouse.

so i picked a body wrap that is pink like the color of the blouse. this is a $59 top. the whole look is from zara. >> i love the lacy skirt, too. >> lace and pastels are a big trend in fashion. the look is a couple hundred dollars versus a thousand dollar dress. >> lace and sheer together is a smart idea. thank you so much for that. now the next trend is stripes. this is old again, new again trend. >> i think women get nervous with all the stripes they see out there. they go to what is easy, the navy blue and white stripe. nicki minaj wore this outfit. it was fantastic. most real women can't pull that off. my suggestion is focus on the stripe on one-half of the body. this is from bcbg. it's paired with a solid orange

motorcycle jacket and priced right. a couple hundred dollars. bcbg is always colorful and gorgeous. you can wear colorful stripes, just not head-to-toe. >> you are wearing it so well. thank you so much. >> you are color blocking today, ann. >> i'm trying to give it a try. >> she's got nude in that dress which is a trend. >> nude is a trend. jennifer lopez was wearing this dress. it was stunning. most women get nervous with nude. especially nude skin like jennifer lopez did. this is my friend patricia, a grandmother, 68 years old. i had permission beforehand. she said i want to retire. i said not in this dress, you are grandma to glamour today.

this is a great way to wear nude. if you are wearing nude, whether it's lace, chiffon, you don't need to show a lot of skin like the j.lo dress. this is elegant and i love the calvin klein. if you love calvin klein, you can afford the clutch, the shoes. they have a great commercial collection at macy's. >> you look beautiful. thank you for being our model today. finally, we are going to talk about prints. >> prints, prints, prints. hard to wear. we saw jennifer aniston wearing a gorgeous print dress. most women can't wear head-to-toe prints. indulge in the fancy pants. fun pants out there in print. mix with the classics, basic things like a button down blouse or jacket which we have on barbara. this is from zara.

very inexpensive. the pants are $79. >> also cute is beatrice. >> she's our number one supermodel today. >> you are going to bring all the models out. beatrice is wearing h & m. >> i love her hello kitty purse. thank you so much for being our models today. mary alice, thank you. >> my pleasure. the basics of making a perfect chocolate mousse. first, this is "today" on nbc. [ 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.

how to cook everything "today" is brought to you by oreo. celebrate the kid inside. back now at 8:46. this morning on how to cook everything "today," we are wrapping up a three-day lesson on the basics. we tackled vegetables and meats,

now we are moving on to desserts. how to cook everything the basics. welcome back. people can make broiled chicken soup but shutter with fear when it comes to desserts, why? >> the techniques are different. you are beating and mixing and measuring carefully. >> we are going make chocolate mousse. how difficult is this? >> four. >> not bat. >> not bad at all. >> it's going to carry over to other recipes. let's separate eggs. >> you tell people to separate eggs and they go like this. >> that's chef humor. mark will be in the catskills this weekend. >> that's why we have books with pictures in them. >> how hard is this? >> not hard at all. you need a hard surface.

crack the egg. really, almost nothing matters here but you don't want yolk in the white. if that happens, you have to start again. this is so easy. this old maneuver of shifting the yolk from one-half to the other until you have whites in one bowl. >> now you take the egg whites and put them in a blender and whisk them and you are looking for what? >> stiff peaks that look like that. >> it holds form. you put a little sugar in there as well. >> right. >> we are going to use a double boiler and melt chocolate and butter. not cook it, but melt it. >> you are so good at this. this is water that's hot. barely simmering. >> did it escape you for a second? >> i had to look at it to see what it is. put a bowl over it. things are going well, don't you

think? >> just warm it until it melts. turn that off. >> i think it is off. now, you are going to take the chocolate and fold it in, is that the process? >> we are going fold in -- we are going to fold -- stir back in, i'm sorry, our yolks from before and vanilla. >> okay. >> that's going to get beaten in. then, we are going to fold in. folding is a technique that you use all the time in pastry making, dessert making. fold in the whites to lighten the mixture, just to sort of -- the whites have all the air in it that we beat into them. we fold in a third of the white. >> be a little gentle with it, right? >> folding means not stirring, but just turning the mixture into -- are we in a hurry? >> 30 seconds left. we have whipped cream here. >> that all goes in. >> okay. >> along with the rest of the whites. this is folded.

>> eventually, you are going to take this mixture and it goes in a baking dish like that? >> you can serve it straight, turn it into a this piling it with cookies, a pie, a pastry bag to make a nice piped thing. you may get there. >> a couple simple procedures creates chocolate mousse and you use it to make several dishes. say after me -- >> water. >> water. >> thank you, mark. the latest edition of bow to wow with jill rappaport. this is "today" on nbc.

back now with our special bow wow series where we find homes for pooches in need. we have a new purchase. jill rappaport is here to tell us about it. hi, jill. >> great to see you. we are still at 100%. >> amazing. >> now spring is here. it's the perfect time to open your heart and home and adopt an animal. this is a 10 month old pointer mix. he'll have a lot of energy. >> he will have. he's only 10 months old.

they have to give him long walks and play with him in the backyard. >> he's sweet and not scared. look how we are able to handle him. considering he was a stray, he's very, very afollowing the accident -- >> he's an angel. >> 8-month-old daschund. >> just a beautiful boy. his story is so sad. he is an owner surrender. >> they were moving to a place that didn't allow dogs. >> you aredowning saying i'm bored with that story. on to my next life. this angel with a face to die for is petey. he's a parson's terrier. >> he's 1 1/2 years old. >> he's missing a limb. >> he came in with a severe injured right hind leg. the best course of action was removing the leg.

>> he's in perfect shape and he can live a long, beautiful life on three legs. doesn't stand in the way of him getting around at all. finally, we have a two-fer. jack and jill. of course i have jill. she's so well adjusted. >> 2 1/2 years old. they are playful. in your arms they mellow out. >> they came in together and they are bonded so they should stay together. >> now joining us is richard from the animal care and control of new york city. good morning and welcome. >> thank you. >> let's get to it. first of all, we have a 10-month-old pointer mix brought out by john. how big is he going to get? >> he'll stay about this size. he's not going to get much bigger. he's nervous. he warms up quickly. he's great on the leash. he's going to have a lot of

energy. take a short jog with him. he loves to jump up and give you a hug. >> good dog for kids? yeah? >> they bond very, very quickly. he's got a great dane and bulldog. this is small for him. >> thanks for walking our dog this morning. also coming up, we have oscar the daschund puppy. this is walked out by nancy snyderman. >> they had to move to a place that didn't allow dogs. he's here looking for a good home. he's doing well with his house training. very smart and playful. >> fun to be with. he's a good puppy. >> nancy, thank you so much. petey. he's a year and a half old terrier mix and donny deutsche is bringing him out. he's a rambunctious dog.

>> he's on three legs. >> that's right. >> he's in perfect shape. he can outrun anybody. you have a three-legged dog and they don't know the difference. >> they don't know the difference. he plays with the best of them and rough houses. >> thanks, donny. here is jack and jill. they have to be adopted together? >> they have bonded and been together the entire time. we would like to keep them together. >> thank y you for being here, i'm sorry, we're out of time. much more ahead, coming up after the break. 8:56 is your time now on this thursday morning, march 22nd, 2012. some downed wires are causing problems in silver spring. let's go to danella sealock with more. >> eun, this is going to be a big issue for you at the intersection of colesville road and university boulevard, four corners jammed.

traffic lights are out, police are on the scene, directing traffic. i want to show you coalsville road, as you make your way past lockwood drive, you're slow. delays continue as you pass university boulevard. let's head over to i-66, slow from waples mill road to the belt

still pretty foggy out there. especially in the low-lying areas. our temperatures, up ir50s to around 60 degrees. 59 in clinton, maryland, 60 in falls church, chantilly and damascus, this weekend, much cooler and wet. one to two inches of rain. more news, weather

we are back now on a thursday morning. it's the 22nd day of march, 2012. the temperature is great in new york city. we are probably going up to the 70s today. a kind of a strange start. we have fog and a breeze. you know, when is this going to burn off? >> by noon, then a lovely day. >> how does the weekend look? >> not so good. >> farmers almanac, al roker is here. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry and savannah guthrie. >> we have a lot to talk about, too. the country of israel tried to

ban underweight models saying they have to hit a certain body mass index or they can't model. it should be on their health, not their weight. we'll look at that. there's the issue of doctors asking out their patients online. is this okay, ever, in any scenario? we'll see what our experts think about it. dr. nancy, have you done that? >> no. >> no, she hasn't. >> it's not going to end well, i can tell. >> okay, then. how many people have debit cards? they have made shopping and going online convenient. there are risks. there are cases where it could be better to use a credit card. we have pros and cons to make the right choice. we are going to try to put a smile on your face. jill martin has great signs from

personalized flip-flops to necklaces for your social media fans. she's going to show us what it's about. >> a lot to get to. let's get a check of the headlines from gnatty. good morning to you. >> good morning, the gunman accused of killing seven people in southwestern france is dead this morning following a tense 32-hour stand off with french special forces. the french interior minister said he came out with guns blazing. he leaped from a window while firing and was found dead on the ground. at least two officers were injured in the raid. the suspect, 24-year-old mohammed merah bragged he was trained by al qaeda in afghanistan. he said he wanted to die with a gun in his hands. a shooting death of unarmed florida teen is on the rise. the so-called million hoody

march in new york city wednesday night to call for the arrest of george zimmerman, the neighborhood watch captain who killed 17-year-old trayvon martin in self-defense. in florida where martin was shot, the city commissioners voted no confidence in the police chief for his handling of the shooting. mitt romney is in damage control mode after a top adviser compared his campaign to an etch a sketch. rivals bounced on the gaffe as evidence that romney easily changes his position. romney later explained that the profile of a campaign changes but the issues he's running on will not. police say a missing california teen's cell phone and computer have not provided clues to her disappearance. the 15-year-old had not been seen since last friday morning. her phone was found saturday night along the road about a mile from her home. police say sierra's father, who

is a registered sex offender is not a suspect in the case. australian mountaineer lincoln hall died of cancer. he captured headlines with his amazing story in 2006. he was left for dead at the top of mt. everest. he beat the odds to survive and was rescued the next day. he is survived business hi wife and two children. all the celebrations are going to the queen's head are could they be the largest chia pet? they unveil the 11 foot tall flower pots in the likeness of the queen and her husband prince phillip. they are not good looking, i tell you that. they weigh more than 1,000 pounds each. they took a team of potters more than two months to construct. bizarre. there was a quauk at the

white house as a mother duck walked her chics across pennsylvania avenue. mother duck waddled ahead leaving the chicks behind. there were several members of the secrete service there to scoop them up and send them on their way safely. let's go back to al with a check of your weather. good thing secret service is there. >> they did not get wrestled to the ground. that's nice. le you, more severe weather to talk about down south from mobile to huntsville. basically, wind gusts possibility of isolated tornadoes. a lot of rain. we're talking some areas as you can see the heavy rain now streaming in around the low pressure spinning around oklahoma. it's going to bring anywhere from two to three inches of rain. some areas locally, up to five inches of rain. record-setting heat continuing in the northeast. record highs in the northeast. rain in the pacific northwest with mountain snows. plenty of sunshine through the southwest, record highs in the central and northern plains as well. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's going

on in your neck of the woods. it's a foggy morning here and up into the northeast, so some airport delays around the area, temperatures are in the 60s right now, we're at 60 degrees cleveland park and foggy bottom. we've got great falls and hearn don coming in at 60 degrees. today, a little bit of sunshine, 77 your high, and on the other side of 80 degrees, a lot of locations tomorrow. not a bad day at all. but very soggy weekend, we could get one to two inches of rain and much cooler in the and that's your latest weather. savannah? ♪ i'll be taking care of business ♪ >> hot topics of the day, star jones is an attorney and author. donny deutsche and dr. nancy snyderman. good morning all of you. >> good morning. >> nice to see you. >> i love the way you say power players. that's all i'm saying.

>> i'm glad. >> anything will make him feel good. >> let's start in israel. i want to start with donny. israel banned underweight models from modelling. they are asking for the models to supply a report that they are not being malnourished. >> bmi index or something. >> yeah, certain bmi. as an ad guy does that make you bristle? >> number one, the government gets involved and puts warnings on cigarette labels because we know it's physically harmful to kids. we have to stop blaming the media. i'm raising daughters. at the end of the day, i have the ability to teach her, as far as her own self-image versus what's in a magazine. we are pointing a finger at the media. we have more control. >> wait, the media is incredibly powerful. >> not more than parents. >> let me say, one of the real

issues is that we do so much photo shopping that even the models themselves don't look like what we present. when a young girl sees that look, you think you are going to imlate it. no human does. it's fake. >> i didn't see a lot of fat israelis. they walk. they have a mediterranean diet. i was stunned at how healthy this population is. >> the critics say don't focus on weight or bmi, focus on the model's health. some are naturally very thin. >> they are. it goes hand in hand. >> i can tell you, they listed naomi campbell as a woman that would be under the correct bmi. i have seen her. there's nothing rail thin about her. she is beautiful. >> as a man and father, men

don't like skeiny. i don't know why they are doing that. >> why? because fabric braps a certain way. it's for the runway. >> would you like to see something like this come to the u.s.? a regulation like this? >> i wouldn't have a problem. >> i don't want more laws and regulation, i want more focus on health. let's move on. the situation a star of "jersey shore" is dealing with substance abuse problems. i want to set the record straight, i have voluntarily taken steps to get treatment for this problem. i have been recooperating. i appreciate my fan support and love you guys. >> is that popular to go prescription medication? it sounds easier than saying i'm a crack head or i shoot heroin. not to suggest they are doing it but the drugs have the same effect on your body. >> does reality tv does this?

he became famous through reality tv. >> i snicker when you say celebrity. they are driven to overnight celebrity. we recognize it and adore it. they have the train wreck then they get through and say i'm going through rehab and we applaud them. i'm tired of the whole cycle. >> today's reality stars are going to be last generations child stars. we inject them with heroin, they go from nobody to the world around them. the real tragedy is going to be when the parade passes. this is the beginning of it. they will have to go back to work. >> do you think it self-selects for people who are troubled? >> very much so. you look for the car that already has the problems. then you really just want to exploit them. >> the reason we like it, we like to watch the train wreck because it makes us feel better

about our own lives. >> doctors dating patients. nancy, we are looking at you. researchers suggest it's not that uncommon for doctors to try to date patients online. 69% have been involved in inappropriate communications with patients. nancy, as our doctor, is there any scenario where it is okay for a doctor to date a patient? >> no. it crosses every line. if you want to date someone or you meet them online, you must discontinue your doctor/patient relationship. it crosses every ethical and moral boundary. it's like a therapist sleeping with a patient. no, no, no, no, no. stop being the doctor. >> there's a difference between a psychologist. >> what if i went to a back doctor, a nice, single woman and we hit it off. i said to her, hey, i would love to take you out to dinner. >> she can meet you for dinner

as soon as she says i will no long longer be your doctor. >> that's ridiculous. >> the doctor/patient relationship is where you have me in a vulnerable position. you are talking to me about my health. listen to me. understand that when you sit down in that relationship, this person is authority. this doctor, male or female, you are the one who will give me advice on what happens. >> let's stop having a complex. it's like saying i can't make my own decision when a doctor tells me a type of prescription. the workplace is the most natural -- i'm not talking a psychotherapist. it's a difference situation. >> why? no! >> there's a mental thing at play. i go to a podiatrist and they are taking a bunion off my foot and i can't ask her out? when you sent me a text and called me big daddy, what's that about? >> you shouldn't have fired me.

>> we don't work for you. >> let me ask you this, nancy. in a large majority of cases, the punishment was serious, including revoking medical license. >> it's a state-by-state funding. there's a strong connection and strong base for the doctor/patient relationship. once that power tips and becomes romantic in any way, you can continue the relationship. you have to find another doctor. >> stop putting them up here. it's part of the problem of doctors in general. >> it's creepy, creepy, creepy. >> let's make sure everyone understands what your position is. if they meet in a medical office and there's a spark and the doctor tries to reach out, is it okay if they get rid of the doctor/patient relationship? >> doctors are sending things to

patients. you know when it turns. when it does, you stop it or you acknowledge it and move forward. i have seen these things before. they are creepy. >> a dermatologist is removing a mole and it's inappropriate? >> if you are looking for a dollar or a million dollars -- whether it's a bunion or skin or a therapist. the doctor/patient relationship trumps. >> if you are my doctor, i should not be dating you. >> just a story, i happen to know a woman who had major brain surgery. they got married and it's a wonderful story. he's an amazing surgery. >> he couldn't operate on her, again. >> let's go to sports. tim tebow trade. what do we think. tebow coming to new york city. is it a culture clash? >> i hope he can leave the

locker room. i'm a new york sports fan. the man is god centered. >> to leave the locker room leaves the problem. they have a franchise quarterback. they signed him for five years for $60 million. you are setting up an immediate situation. >> if you look at peyton manning moving, there's a ripple effect of who is getting screwed. the colts never had a back-up plan. the jets now have two good people. the question is, should peyton manning be playing football and is he putting himself at risk. >> it's nice to see you talking sports. i didn't know you had that. thanks so much. coming up next, think before you swipe. we're going to have the bottom line on debit cards. then from ray-bans to other things we have the sign for

spring coming up. end the struggle with weak, damaged hair with new aveeno nourish+ strengthen. it nurtures hair back to strong, healthy life. our exclusive active naturals wheat protein formula works with your hair, targeting damage, restoring strength and resilience for up to 90% less breakage in just three washes. find peace with your hair. [ female announcer ] and discover strong, healthy hair with life. new nourish+ strengthen, from the nourish+ hair care collection. only from aveeno. from the nourish+ hair carhi.ollection. 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.

my name is lacey calvert and i'm a yoga instructor. if i have any soreness, i'm not going to be able to do my job. but once i take advil, i'm able to finish out strong. it really works! [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] make the switch. take action. take advil. just need to refill my walgreens prescription. [ speaking native language ] i don't know what he's saying right now. he says you're gonna get frostbite in under 30 seconds. won't take me that long. honey, is this really necessary? it'll bug me if i wait. [ female announcer ] walgreens free mobile app. refill by scan. receive a text when it's ready. we're good. wanna call anyone or anything? your mom? a little more altitude... a little less attitude. [ female announcer ] download the free walgreens mobile app to refill prescriptions, print photos and see the new weekly ad anywhere. walgreens. there's a way to keep life moving.

newtons fruit thins. real blueberries in blueberry brown sugar. crispy whole grain. newtons fruit thins, one unique cookie. and the cravings begin... again. for nights like these there's special k chocolatey delight cereal. an unguilty pleasure. what will you gain when you lose? this morning on "today" consumer, debit cards. there are more than half a billion in the u.s. there are risks and advantages you need to know about. lisa lee freeman is here. >> good morning, al. >> lots of debit cards out there. what are the advantages?

>> if you are trying to stay on budget, they are a great tool. they are good for groceries and gas. when you use the debit card, you can control your budget. if you have a credit card, you can spend all kinds of money. with a debit card, you control how much you spend. >> some ideas why to use. online may not be the best. >> it's not a great all purpose card. if you are making a big purchase and want a warranty, many credit cards give you an extension for a whole year. that's a bonus. debit card won't do that. if you are unhappy with the purchase you buy online, it's damaged or you are unhappy, credit cards will intervene. >> the debit card, they are taken the money out. >> they are not going to help you out. >> not good for traveling? >> a lot of credit cards give you free auto rental insurance. >> when traveling or in your hometown, the sketchy looking

atms on the street? >> no, stay away from them. you can get skimmed. you could get ripped off. >> another potential when you talk liability issues, as far as your credit score, if you are trying to build your credit score. >> if you don't have a credit card, you do not have a score. only a credit card can help you build your score. if you are look iing to get a ln for a house or car, use it regularly, pay it off. it's a great way to build a credit history. >> a lot of them have rewards programs. >> debit cards are removing their bonus programs. debit cards are not going to give you benefits. >> we have to remind folks about fraud. up from 2008, $788 million lost due to fraud. what are some of the ways you

can protect yourself? >> one of the things you need to know, by federal law, you are only responsible for $50. more protects with a credit card than a debit card. itis important to keep in mind. >> keep your receipts. >> keep your receipts to protect yourself. make sure you are checking. stay on top of it to see if there are fraud rent charges. >> don't use an obvious pin. >> no, one, two, three, four, your birthday, that leaves you open to fraud. >> still a4ed, two women get the surprise of their lives. they are ambushed on the plaza. it has nothing to do with the makeover. we are going to look at their fabulous new look after these messages. you are a little biscu. i'm carol. uh, we should skedaddle 'cause it's girls' night. so...okay. oh, wow. you got a skinny-dipping scene after the duel, right?

well, i -- shh, shh, shh. show. don't tell. [ male announcer ] your favorite movies right when you want them. just a little -- okay. oh, wow. [ male announcer ] watch unlimited tv episodes and movies instantly through your game console or other devices, all for only 8 bucks a month from netflix. [ carol ] this could turn me into a history buff. that's been wrapped in a flaky crust stuffed with a gooey center toasted up all golden brown then given a delicious design? a toaster strudel. pillsbury toaster strudel. so delicious...so fun. newtons fruit thins. real blueberries in blueberry brown sugar. crispy whole grain. newtons fruit thins, one unique cookie.

newtons fruit thins, the dryer goes, then the washer breaks. so tomorrow we're gonna check out some deals at the warehouse stores. (phone ring) hello? warehouse stores? consider this your wakeup call! only sears has all top ten brands. so they're the only experts on all ten. and only sears can guarantee the best price on all ten. it's called the top ten advantage. you can call me the bus driver because i'm taking everybody to school. thinking about buying appliances somewhere else? think again. sears. i ain't eating that! pop in the drum of any machine... ♪ ...to wash any size load.

♪ it dissolves in any temperature, even cold. tide pods. a powerful three-in-one detergent that cleans, brightens, and fights stains. so all your looks pop. ♪ pop in. stand out. 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. look who's here. >> hello. >> just in the nick of time.

we have fun finds for spring. a book club for kids in session. plus, all the fresh flavors of spring in the kitchen. after your local news. i'm here with carol, flo, and karen for a girls night out talking about activia. i tried it and my body felt so right, for a change. and then there's you... why should i try it? my system gets out of sorts but that comes with age, right? wouldn't you like to feel great? just because we're in that over 50... what does that mean? are we done? activia helps regulate your digestive system

when eaten daily. these could be our best years yet. activia 9:26 is your time on this thursday, march 22nd, 2012, good morning, i'm eun yang. let's check in with veronica johnson with a look at the forecast. >> looking nice, i'm seeing the sun right now trying to get through the cloud cover out there. 60 degrees in college park, 61 in washington, d.c. and you folks in herndon coming in with a temperature of 60 degrees. today's high, 77 degrees. i do expect our sky to turn over to be partly sunny. then, partly sunny to mostly sunny day tomorrow and way warmer in the 80s. the weekend looks like a washout. eun? >> thank you. we'll take a quick

good morning, traveling this time, southbound i-95 at route 23, have a tractor-trailer on its side here. passing single file to the right. to the right of the trakt and right now, your back-up, looking at about a mile. traffic lights are still out at the university road and

colesville road at four corners, that intersection causing big delays, very slow passing lockwood drive. >> coming up on midday, all the

the country duo had a blockbuster career on the celebrity apprentice winning over the donald. but, can we win over a tougher critic? hoda kotb? that's right, the hoda. we'll find out when he sits in as her co-host later on here on "today." saw him taking pictures with all the kathie lee and hoda fans. >> he's never leaving. >> she's good. >> meantime, coming up as the

days get longer and the nights get warmer we have everything you need to entertain yourself from a chair that plays music wild you lounge because you need that. stick on ties, jill martin has great fun finds. >> a cute look. >> that was a bra. what better way to celebrate the season than making a light meal using the freshest fruits and vegetables of spring. we'll get that. >> that looks great. >> we are celebrating another thing around here. it is the fifth anniversary of our book club for kids. we have a brand-new group joining us. they are so excited to talk to the author of "bird in a box." >> happy anniversary to the book club. weather. >> let's show you what we've got for you for the weekend. starting with tomorrow, risk of strong storms in the ohio valley, down into the lower mississippi valley. record highs along the east coast and the northern plains. the snowshowers in the northern

plains as well. saturday we've got rain and a risk of strong storms along the southeastern atlantic coast. showers moving into the upper ohio river valley. and sunday look for rain in the northeast. record highs in the ohio river valley, rain spreading to los angeles, up along the pacific northwest coast and sunny and warm along the gulf coast. our main issue the last couple of days, like this morning, has been the fog. the bigger issue this weekend is going to be all the rain coming in. we're at 60 degrees right now. trinidad and columbia heights, vienna and springfield in fairfax at 60 degrees and 59 in landover, maryland. your high today, mid and up ever 70s, your high temperature tomorrow, low and mid 80s. nice and warm the weekend could see one to two inches of rain in very stormy on saturday. and that's your lathest weather. >> thank you. >> jill martin has unique fun

spring finds. we'll show them to you after this. three, four... [ guy 1 ] oh man. eight hours building swedish furniture! yes! use available entune with bing to find ready-made media cabinets! yeah, it's good. yeah. my dolphin tattoo isn't even cool in an ironic way! what? use available nav to get to a laser clinic. ooh! nice! yeah! [ male announcer ] be a winner with the all-new prius c from toyota. ♪ causing dark marks to become visible. dove has the effective solution. new dove clear tone antiperspirant. the result? underarms with visibly reduced dark marks... and an even tone. new dove clear tone. you're probably muddling through allergies. try zyrtec® for powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. zyrtec®. love the air.

on the first day you take it. 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.

it's bring your happiness to work day. campbell's microwavable soups. in three minutes -- the deliciousness that brings a smile to any monday. campbell's -- it's amazing what soup can do. to fill over 200 garbage trucks out of landfills each year? we can, with new glad trash bags, designed to be stronger with less plastic waste. it's a small change that can make a big difference. but there are foods that i had no idea had so much acid in them. my dentist said that the acid in fruit, or fruit juice or fruit teas softens the enamel so that then it can potentially erode. once that enamel is gone, it's gone. my dentist recommended that i use pronamel to help harden that enamel so that it's not brushed away. pronamel protects your teeth from the effects of acid erosion. i don't have to cut out the things that i love in my diet. i can have the best of both worlds with pronamel.

-three. -one. two. three. one. -two. -three. -one. -two. -three. [ male announcer ] with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card, earn 1% cash back everywhere, every time. 2% back on groceries. and 3% back on gas. automatically. no hoops to jump through. -it's as easy as...1. -two. -three. [ male announcer ] 1, 2, 3 percent cash back for the things you buy most. the bankamericard cash rewards card. apply online or at a bank of america near you. ♪ this morning on jill's fun finds, everything you need to access rise and entertain from flip-flops to disposable play sets. jill has something for all ages and tastes. good morning. >> good morning. >> we have the gamut here. let's start with the place mats.

it's cute. >> if you entertain a lot, this is cakevintage.com. it comes in a pad of 50, $22. it's fun. you can color on them for kids. if you don't want to make a mess, keep the kids busy. sitting next to a handsome guy on the plane, he's drinking coffee and has a cookie. a face mug. put the cookie here and it heats the cookie. >> we'll move on. >> okay. go plates. this is reusable. you can put it in the dish casher. it's a walking table. >> you never know what to do with the plate and the beer. now it's all in the same hand. >> come to a dinner party at my house. >> there you go. i love this. >> it's easy. if you want to know where to find jill martin on twitter it's

on your neck. >> $88, put your twitter handle at whomever. >> there's something for everyone's taste. >> i love this. >> it's very cute. personalized flip-flops. >> these are great gifts. they are interchangeable. i showed the flip-flops, now they are ballet flats. it pops out. then you can put all the different ones in. it's great. peace signs, all the different initials. swagstamp.com. >> cute idea. now sunglasses that fold. this is great. won't take a lot of room in your purse. >> it's a splurge item, $155. they fold up. if you never put it in the case. >> there you go. >> here is how it goes.

>> it goes right in this case. it's great. >> charm bracelets. these are beautiful. >> you can put your own charms on. buy the basic bracelet and pick all the different charms. there are 50 of them. >> how pretty. >> this is mine. i like things busy. put it on. it starts at $15. what a great gift. you can personalize it and do it online. >> seewonder.com. i wanted to show the clutches under $100. >> great for the beach. now the make-up bags. >> give your make-up bag a lift. $7 and up, westelm.com. >> you can wash them easily as well. >> these are expeensive, $56. i could not -- it's a built-in tie and vest. >> if you want more conservative. >> keep it conserve tiff. with the music notes.

i love that. >> adorable. >> the sticky ties here. >> container store, $1.99. your son does not like to wear a tie, stick it on the shirt and they never know. >> this is the i chair. >> tell me about it. >> i'm going to play a song. >> set your groove. >> isn't this great? ♪ >> i could get her the beer thing and the food. >> we have a party in a chair. >> cool. excellent. thank you. great stuff as alwayses. for more, pick up this week's issue of us weekly. next, young minds are captivated in al's book club for kids. they need these chairs downstairs. later on, seasonal eats and treats is coming upright after this. i remember the day my doctor told me i have an irregular heartbeat, and that it put me at 5-times greater risk of a stroke. i was worried.

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

if you have afib not caused by a heart valve problem, ask your doctor if you can reduce your risk of stroke with pradaxa. [ female announcer ] women who eat breakfast, like the special k breakfast actually weigh less. ♪ ...makes me feel so beautiful ♪ a closet that feels like a candy store. ♪ beautiful what will you gain when you lose? this reduced sodium soup says it may help lower cholesterol, how does it work? you just have to eat it as part of your heart healthy diet. step 1. eat the soup. all those veggies and beans, that's what may help lower your cholesterol and -- well that's easy [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. you should know that just one dose of children's advil® gives up to eight hours of fever relief.

allowing your little one to get back to building a better afternoon. children's advil.® relief you can trust. [ female announcer ] new aveeno skin strengthening body cream helps transform dry, thinning skin, by strengthening its moisture barrier, for improved texture and elasticity in 2 weeks. reveal healthy, supple skin. aveeno skin strengthening. 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! ♪ this morning on al's book club for kids, "bird in a box." it weaves together the stories of three kids during the great depression and their stories. not only does joe bring together the 12-year-olds but inspires an entire nation to never give up hope. as we celebrate the fifth anniversary of al's book club,

we have a brand-new set of kids. also, joining us over skype, a special guest, jack from o-h-i-o. all right. this book is interesting. it's a historical novel that gives kids inspiration and teaches them about history. >> this book began at a family reunion of all things. my grandmother and aunt told me the story of my great grandfather, a kid who was a boxer and wanted to be just like joe lewis. he became my character and it takes place in the great depression. it's how the story began. it's historical. >> we have 11-year-old sara. what is your question? >> good morning. >> good morning. >> of the three main characters in the book, which do you think played the biggest role?

>> i think otis played the biggest role. i say that because otis keeps laughing with his riddles. he keeps it light. why does the cookie go to the hospital? because it's so crumby. he keeps it light. i love otis. >> hold on, let me rite that one down. >> it's a good one. >> i like that one. >> jack, ten years old. what is your question? >> i loved your book. >> thank you, jack. >> joe lewis was an important role model to the kids. did you have an important role model growing up? >> i think it was cyclone williams who inspired the the story. joe was a great role model. it was such a dark time in america. he was a mighty, powerful guy. people chanted, let's go mighty joe. he inspired a lot of people. >> we have 12-year-old sydney.

what is your question? >> librarians family members provided you the resources to write the book. was the research the best part of writing the book? if not, what was? >> definitely the research. i thought if i was going to write about a boxer, i had to become a boxer. i wanted a pair of gloves owned by joe lewis. check these out. these are my gloves. i could not afford joe's. i got into the ring and learned what it felt like to feel the sting in your knuckles and to have your face pushed to the mat. that was the best research i ever did. i have bruises to prove it. >> i have been polite so far. >> yeah. >> let's join our skype guest.

he's coming in from ohio. jack, how you doing? >> hi. >> what's your question? >> my favorite character was willie. i was wondering why you decided to split up the characters using the three main characters point of view? >> well, jack, here is a secret. writers often say they hear the voices of their characters. i heard three voices. first, i heard "for crying out loud, there you go again" then otis and willie. i knew i had to write it from three points of views. their lives are so different but come together in this inexpected event. they have the same dream. >> i think it's a terrific book. what did you think? >> loved it. >> you recommend it? >> definitely. >> let's get the official ra rating. on a one through five, "bird in a box" gets 4.5.

>> thank you. if you are between the ages of nine and 12 and would like to be a guest kid, head to today.com. we want to reveal the next book. it is "peter and the sr catchers" by dave berry and rid lee pearson. it's a fantastic series. it's going to be a broadway show. ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much. coming up next in "today's" kitchen, we have a light meal for spring. first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning in "today's" kitchen, what's on the menu, a taste of spring. we are using the freshest ingredients for a surprise take on an old recipe. it's good to see you. >> hi. >> with this warm weather, you want to use these springy vegetables. >> exactly. i brought my favorite spring ingredients.

this is a twist on pesto. this is arugula. i like to use baby arugula. it's not aggressive. >> what's the first step? >> we have the arugula in here. i'm going to hand you these. this the baby spinach. i like to use it to mellow it out. >> dump it in here? >> yeah. >> the whole thing? >> yeah. this is dump and cook. >> what is that, lemon juice? >> lemon juice, toasted pine nuts, garlic. >> two cloves there. >> now, we are going to -- if you want to grab that peber for me. >> pepper. >> a little fresh ground in there. >> put the oil in there. >> we are. we are going do that as we pulse this. actually, i'll do that. you want a nice even stream until it starts to incorporate. like that. it's chopped up like that, then

take it out of the bowl. we have it done here. stir in cheese and lemon zest to give it zing. this is parmesan. use your favorite. now, we are making meat balls. >> these are nice minimeat balls. garlic, parsley, the usual suspects but we have three types of meat. here, this is my secret weapon to make sure everything is nice and even. so, scoop it out. they will cook consistently, they are nice and even. roll them out. who doesn't like to play with food, right? >> roll them in flour. >> a little bit of flour and pop it in a pan. >> great. >> let them saute up eight to ten minutes until they have a nice crust and they are cooked through inside. >> you have roasted tomatoes. >> yes.

roast them in the oven. a little bit of salt, olive oil. they are great. they add a nice sweetness and pop of color. >> can you use any kind of tomato? >> you could. i like the cherry they have a nice sweetness. if you want to pass the pes toe, we'll get that going. >> if you want to dump this in, help me out here. >> sure. >> we'll get this going. i feel like it matches my outfit. >> dump some tomatoes in, too. >> that would be great. perfect. >> great. awesome. >> and now we are going to move to the back. i'll show you how to make a nice, easy dessert. >> start making the strawberry rhubarb compote. >> it's a fancy jam. >> all right. >> you are going to have this -- >> hey guys. >> what do we do? >> dump all the ingredients in. cook it. that's what it's going to look

like. then we have the pound cake. >> it's a fancy jam. delicious. >> exactly. >> yum. >> use a little lemon zest? >> yeah and rhubarb. again, dump it in and let it go. >> let her go for ten minutes. >> oh. >> thank you so much. >> super star john rich co-hosting the next hour. >> that's right. we're back after the local news.

9:57 is your time now. good morning to you, i'm eun yang. tomorrow morning on "news4 today," we'll get you ready for the weekend, starting with weather and traffic. veronica johnson, how is the forecast? >> you'll want to stay tuned to the forecast for this weekend. right now, still socked in with fog, temperature at 60 degrees and rising, we should get into the 70s today. a little bit of sunshine, more than yesterday and should hit the high before 5:00 as we did yesterday. here's a snapshot of your

saturday. it's looking wet. i've got the details on it coming up at midday. danella? >> i'll be watching the roads and rails for you. there are also a number of metro delays scheduled for this weekend and you'll want to know about it i've got you covered. eun? >> thank you. plus d.c. mayor gray talks publicly for the first time about his proposal to build a new redskins training facility in the district and the earl will i reviews for the year's most-anticipated movie "hunger games" plus the news that happens while you sleep. "news4 today" starts at 4:28, we're on until 7:00, wake up with us and let us help you get with us and let us help you get your day started right never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. (woman) the goal is to bring an end to breast cancer. (woman) there's no doubt in my mind that komen's funding helped saved my life. the 3-day is my opportunity to help save others' lives. (woman) i'll never stop walking, not till we find a cure. it is the most rewarding experience i have ever had in my entire life.

(man) register today for the... because everyone deserves a lifetime. 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 the final days of our semi-annual sleep sale, save $400 to $700 on our most popular bed sets.

sale ends march 31st. there are 400 sleep number stores nationwide, where queen mattresses start at just $699. ♪ i'm just a country boy ♪ captions paid for by nbc-universal television ♪ ♪ put your gucci shoes up it is thirst-day, thursday. march 22nd, 2012. it is not kathie lee singing, it is country star john rich. he's here to help me out while kathie lee enjoys some time off. look at you, cowboy.

>> look at you! >> you came with your hat on. >> i dressed up for you. >> you did. that song we just played put you in the best mood. it looked like shooting the video was a blast. >> it was. we shot that in my house in nashville. pretty crazy. ted nugent and sebastian bach and cowboy troy and all the crazies up in my house all at the same time. it was fun. >> i love it. a lot of people when they look at you, they know you john rich as part of a duo, big and rich. there's one song that everybody thinks of, too. >> which one is that? >> i think it's "save a horse." ♪ save a horse ride a cowboy you got to say sit-tay. new york sit-tay. >> and you aren't part after duo, we know you from kicking it all around on "celebrity apprentice." you ended up winning the whole thing last year. >> i know.

i got to tell you, it was one of the craziest things i ever did. really tough. at the end of the day we raised $1.4 million for the kids at st. jude's children's hospital. huge deal. >> when you hit on a show like this, you have obviously your country base and a lot of fans. then go on celebrity"celebrity apprentice" and you get a whole nother audience. if you like music shows, this sounds like a winner. >> there are so many muse sick shows out there, some great ones. this show kind of came across my desk and i went, i would watch that show. it is basically the 180 of like an "american idol" or something like that where on "american idol," "the voice," they all come to the judges. this is the opposite of that. i'll actually walk up to somebody's door, knock on the door. there will be all these cameras about me. i'll go, hoda, john rich, nice to meet you. you're a really great singer. i've been checking you out for about the last month and it just seems like we got to connect a

few more dots with you. i'm here to help you with the performance of your life which is going to happen in three days which you have in idea but it is going to happen. i have my suitcase, my guitar case, where's your couch, i'm moving in. i move into their house, go to work with them. queen latifah, gloria esteban. they got to work, pay the bills and they can't stand in line to audition. >> i can't stop thinking about the last time zblsh you're hitting on me with your eyes. you seeing this? i love it. it makes me want to sing actually -- you just set me up perfect because i've been working on this for a while. >> okay. >> just anticipating this moment. >> i've been waiting -- >> look at your face! >> i'm excited. >> okay. it goes like this. ♪ hoda ♪ when i think about you sflo♪ s

♪ i think about love ♪ hoda when i put my arms around you ♪ ♪ i think about love i feel like make hoda love ♪ ♪ hoda love ♪ hoda love ♪ i feel like making hoda love ♪ sing it hoda love sfloe♪ ♪ hoda love ♪ i feel like making hoda love ♪ who doesn't feel like making hoda love across the usa? can i get a hell yeah! >> you're the best. >> now we're ready to rock. >> clears. by the way, we poured you a little drink for daddy as we call it. >> thank you so much. >> i'm not sure what it is. >> star jones calls me that, by the way. >> she calls you daddy? >> yes. >> that is very good. >> i call her my chocolate

cupcake. >> we don't want to talk about that on the air. >> careful! so in all the papers -- what did you think? you came to town, you see tim tebow's coming to the new york jets. the headline on the "post," "god him." >> i like tim tebow, number one. he took denver to the playoffs. and i like him. i mean i like anybody that stands up for what they believe in. even if i don't agree with him, i actually happen to agree with limb. but even people that don't agree with when they're really strong about their convictions, i go, see, that's american for me. you stand for what you believe in, whether you're into that or not, you got to respect this guy. >> i think the jets just want someone who's going to win. >> yeah. i mean the jets, they've just gotten so close so many times. one of my best friends charlie from actually here in new york sit-tay has been a jet fan all his life. i don't know what he thinks about this. but i think tim will come up

here and sling it. >> we're excited about that. we were combing through the newspapers. came up with a couple of things. number one, there was this 50-year-old little boy from england. adorable kid who had really long locks. he didn't want to cut his hair and everything was fine, his mom, everyone said look at this kid -- he's got beautiful hair, blah, blah, blah. he goes to school and get teased relentlessly. feels -- comes home crying, says cut my hair. cut my hair. so they go to the barber shot and here's the after picture. he's all clipped up. still looks happy. now sometimes in this particular case, i think the mom did it because the bullying. sometimes the kids want to keep their hair the way they want to keep their hair. what do you think about that? >> i think parenting is a personal thing. some parents like to keep it military in their house. they go buzz haircuts. you know? then some say, grow your hair long, do whatever you want do. i think that's a personal choice the parents make.

i do think parents should run the house, not kids. but he looks like a happy kid in either position and if he was getting teased, i mean you can see how -- >> i noticed a kid in the restaurant crying and screaming, the kid's like what do you want to eat. the kid's like i don't know. chicken or shrimp. >> you should have seen me in kindergarten with a full mustache and cowboy hat. you want to talk about getting teased? that's getting teased. they went this guy? i don't know. granted, it was a sharpie, but it was still there. you should see my kindergarten graduation picture. like that, cowboy lat and sharpie stash. >> you got two kids. are they out of control? cute kids, by the way. >> one of them is one of them is really chill. i got both things going on. >> last time you were here you had one. since then you've had another, 6-month-old now. >> yeah. his name's colt. h his pappy is a pistol, he's a son of a gun.

>> what did your wife think of that? >> sam colt was a great american. he helped us win some wars. cash is after johnny cash. some day i think cash will think his dad's the coolest guy in the world. some day he'll thank me, how you doing, darling, cash rich. you're in right off the bat. doesn't matter where you go in this world, son, you're in. say whatever you want to say about the old man, i gave you a pretty cool name. >> we do this thing on our show -- we do a version "the voice" with little kids. we bring little kids on and we let them sing and we judge them -- >> crush their dreams! crush little children's dreams. >> i want you to watch some kids. close your eyes because we don't have blind folds. close your eyes. go ahead with the first one. ♪ ♪

>> okay. wow. doesn't sound like a little kid. >> they can be from 8 to 16. >> you like? >> yeah. i like that choice control. >> do it? >> that's not easy to do. >> what are you talking about? >> the little vichlt rbato thin. that was nice. it wasn't pitchy. >> okay, we have another one? ♪ ♪ >> okay. what do you think of that? >> clear. clear voice. clear. i think -- i would say you got to keep practicing and get better and better but what a clear tone. it amazes me how young people --

how many talented people there are. >> i know! >> they're just everywhere. it is unbelievable. >> because of youtube, now people can find them. have you ever done jury duty? >> no. >> what? you've never been called? >> no. but i've been on the other side of that. google me. you'll see what i'm talking about. >> okay. there was this woman -- >> thanks for bringing that up. great. there went all my endorsements out window. >> a 57-year-old lady from denver, susan cole. she didn't want to be on jury duty. she had stuff to do, business, work. she decided she was going to dress up like a crazy person. she put curlers in her hair, smudged her makeup all up. she appeared disheveled, disoriented and she went there and told the judge, her quote, "she had post traumatic stress disorder and the judge dismissed her. people go to extremes to get out of jury duty. >> doesn't seem like something you'd want to do. anybody that wants to do jury duty, i probably want them trying me. i just want to nail somebody!

like i don't want to be on the other side of that guy. but i don't think you're supposed to lie to judges. you get in trouble for that. >> she got on the radio and laughing about it with one of the radio deejays, the judge heard. >> who does that? >> i love your music so much but every thursday i do a different kind of music so this is not one of your songs. >> i have heard about this. you just play something. something you love. >> this is something i love. it is old school, a little funk but i thought i would mix it up a little bit. we're ready. >> get ready! get ready! ♪ fire >> come on now! this is great. >> fire! >> i wish kathie lee would react like this. ♪ fire woo woo woo woo woo ♪ fire

♪ we want the funk is not gotta have that funk ♪ ♪ we want the funk they go together, man. match it up, jay-z style. >> you are eyes are like a fireworks show. >> coming up next -- >> twinkle twinkle twinkle. like twinkling lights. louis and jill fought the fog -- >> and lord, you smell good. just like wine. fine as wine, you are. >> we'll be right back after this. mom, mr. and mrs. bradley got netflix! netflix? it's this cool service that lets you watch unlimited movies and tv episodes instantly. yeah, you can watch netflix on your pc or on your tv through a game console or other devices connected to the internet. whoa, that's speedy! and netflix is only eight bucks a month! pretty cool. let's tell dad. dad! we're getting netflix! dad! we're getting netflix! super... man, i got to lay off the chestnuts. [ mom ] start your free trial today. [ female announcer ] women who eat breakfast, like the special k breakfast

actually weigh less. ♪ ...makes me feel so beautiful ♪ a closet that feels like a candy store. ♪ beautiful what will you gain when you lose? not financially. so we switched to the bargain detergent and i found myself using three times more than they say to and the clothes still weren't as clean as with tide. so we're back to tide. they're cuter in clean clothes. that's my tide. what's yours? new extended moisture body lotion.

extremely dry skin can hold you back. uncover more touchable skin with a nivea breakthrough. the first 48-hour moisturizing relief formula with hydraiq and provitamin b5 in a light, non-greasy lotion. love your skin. show it. share it. new extended moisture from nivea. touch and be touched. now bring the world a touch closer. join our million moments of touch movement and be entered in nivea's daily date night sweepstakes. [ female announcer ] introducing new nature valley protein bars. 100% natural ingredients like roasted peanuts... ♪ ...creamy peanut butter, and a rich dark chocolate flavor. plus, 10 grams of great tasting protein in every bar. so it's energy straight from nature to you. new nature valley protein bars. find them in the granola bar aisle.

it is time for another installment of today's "plaza ambush makeovers." while john begged us for a new look -- we're sticking to our plan. >> what? >> this is you. >> well, it is when two lovely ladies are plucked from the plaza for a total transformation! pentecostal style! >> "today" contributor and stylist to the stars louis licari la-la-la-la-la. >> and jill martin, "us weekly" contributor and author have come to work their magic. >> spring. what a better time to get a makeover than spring. >> it was a little foggy, hazy, not a good hair day. that's good for you guys. >> we love that. >> bonnie daily is our first lucky lady. her daily beauty routine consists of pufting h inputting

a ponytail. >> tons of signs in this family. we did pick mom. >> she does for everyone else but she doesn't do anything for herself. >> i know you really want this, too, for your mom. >> yeah. she just works so hard and she hasn't had her hair cut like for a year. >> all right. well you deserve a haircut, you deserve to be pampered. are you ready? >> i am very ready. >> all right. we're all ready. over here to our left is her husband, terry, her daughters andrea and cassie. you guys, please keep your blindfolds on until i give you the green light. here is bonnie daily before. all right, bonnie, let's see the new you. >> wow! wow wow wow! all right, kids. you guys all ready? take off your blindfolds, check mom out. >> mom, are you ready? all right, bonnie, spin right around here? >> oh, my gosh. >> you look hot. >> wow.

>> you should go give her a kiss right now on the mouth. >> right on the mouth. >> look at his eyes all teared up. lord. >> he doesn't want to mess up the makeup. >> oh, sweet! tell us about the hair. >> bonnie, you're beautiful before and you're even more beautiful after. for example, she had great hair. vanessa just gave her layers for movement. again, the swept-away bangs made her hair richer to emphasize the facial features, it gives the facial features definition. >> kids, family, what do you think? >> you look beautiful. >> amazing. >> the whole family looks weepy. jill, that outfit is hot. >> the jeans are white house black market. the top is simply vera, vera wang at kohl's. >> you need to buy her a bottle of champagne and go celebrate. she looks gorgeous. >> who's next? >> next up we got rita robel,

from eau claire, wisconsin. just celebrated her 50th birthday by losing 30 sounds so she was thrilled to get a brand-new look to go along with this brand-new chapter in her life. let's listen to her story. >> well, surprise. you're getting an "ambush makeover." are you like, yes, she's doing it. tell me why she deserves it. >> because she just turned 50 and she's my mom and she's never done anything before like this. >> you ready for a change? because you are going to look totally different. >> i am so ready for a change. i really am. >> oh, she is ready. >> so she's here with her daughter rachel. i think we should take one more look at rita before. >> okay. i'm ready! >> you ready? >> yes! >> bring her out! rita, where you at, girl? >> wow! >> wow. all right. rachel, take off the blindfold.

>> mom! >> gorgeous. >> want to go see yourself? >> i do. >> are you sure? >> yes. >> spin right around. >> oh, my god! oh, my god! >> you look adorable. >> i have -- oh, my god! 50's going to be good. >> 50s are going to be great. >> louis, you changed the hair completely. >> totally. you look like an uptown girl now. what we did is vanessa again cropped off her hair. it was way too long for the texture. the bangs now work. i lightened it and even gave her a pop to her lip color to make the whole thing come together. >> looks great. what do you think, hon? >> i love it. i've never seen her like this before. >> that dress, that is form-fitting, girl. you got her into something sexy. >> i actually picked it. i gave her something, she's like, no, i'm going to have that one. you can dress it up and dress it down so i loved this dress. >> let's bring bonnie out.

bonnie, come join. big round of applause for both of our girls. guys, makeovers are now on thursdays so if you want to get ambushed come to the plaza and we will try to do our number on you. we have a lot coming up. >> up next, if you like dogs -- sara's "webtastic." >> you're so smart. >> is that a word? >> i don't know. progressive saved me so much money on car insurance, this baggage fee is on me. did you check that bag? houston? well, welcome to savingsville. did you pay $25 for that bag fee? -yeah. -you did? with all the money i saved on progressive car insurance, i'll take care of that bag fee. you're so kind! thank you! you guys just landed in savingsville. [laughs] yes, we did! you made my day. do you want to pay our college tuition, too? you don't disappear at midnight. and now, you've met your match. new revlon® colorstay™ 16 hour eyeshadow. 64 colors that will take you from night to day

without smudging, creasing or fading away. [ male announcer ] nyquil cold and flu relieves your cough 50% longer than tylenol cold multi-symptom nighttime. [ snoring continues ] [ male announcer ] because snoring sounds better than coughing. [ female announcer ] encourage your child to read and there's no telling where it will take him. [ tommy ] wow. [ female announcer ] cheerios is helping you share a story with your child. six books. one free in each specially marked box of cheerios. [ doorbell rings ] ♪ you're a pizza delivery guy? ♪ well come on in man, what you waitin' on? ♪ [ male announcer ] for fresh delivery taste without the delivery price. it's digiorno. that's how it is with alzheimer's disease. she needs help from me. and her medication. the exelon patch -- it releases medication continuously for twenty-four hours.

she uses one exelon patch daily for the treatment of mild to moderate alzheimer's symptoms. [ female announcer ] it cannot change the course of the disease. hospitalization and rarely death have been reported in patients who wore more than one patch at a time. the most common side effects of exelon patch are nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. the likelihood and severity of these side effects may increase as the dose increases. patients may experience loss of appetite or weight. patients who weigh less than 110 pounds may experience more side effects. people at risk for stomach ulcers who take certain other medicines should talk to their doctor because serious stomach problems such as bleeding may worsen. people with certain heart conditions may experience slow heart rate. [ woman ] whenever i needed her, she was there for me. now i'm here for her. [ female announcer ] ask the doctor about your loved one trying the exelon patch. visit exelonpatch.com to learn more.

we are back with our special series called "webtastic" where sara haines picks a video. >> much like small children around the world, tommy, a golden retriever, loves to go to the playground. his favorite part -- the slide. check it out. >> tom, would you like to go down the slide? yes? come on now. come here. one go. tom? wait there.

tommy, go on then. go on then. go on then. down you come. >> it has over 120,000 hits and he followed them up once and they turned around and he was coming down and now he loves the slide. >> he just keeps doing it. >> he keeps doing it. he's 6 years old. >> love that. get my dog to do that. >> my chihuahuas walk on their hands. >> really? >> yeah. >> you have another one or just one? >> two! hoda -- >> i mean another video. still to come, when your child wants what the other kids have. what should you do? we're going to have that answer coming up. then how to give your guard an spring clean-up. and what's wrong with sandwiches for dinner? >> nothing. you've also a fellow country singer. >> casey james getting ready to rock the joint.

>> we'll be right back after this. [ sound fades ] at a moment like this, i don't care if my tampons come in a little black box. tampax pearl protects better than u by kotex. [ cheers and applause ] [ angie ] outsmart mother nature only with tampax. call on me brother when you need a hand, we all need somebody to lean on. brawny holds up to even your toughest messes. brawny. for a job done right,

time to deploy the chex mix boring potato chip decoy bag. now no one will want to steal the deliciousness. with a variety of tastes and textures, only chex mix is a bag of interesting.

bring your dog to work day... not our best idea. [ barking ] george! stop it! stop. oh. it was a nice thought. [ male announcer ] some business decisions are better than others. the best decision is switching to verizon. you're good to go. that was fast! thank you. [ male announcer ] speed, reliability, and now with our worry free guarantee, there's no better time to switch. get your choice of terms. no activation fees. a 30-day money back guarantee. flexible scheduling. professional on-site installation. and 24/7 tech support. all for just $84.99 a month. plus you get a $200 value reward card. so switch to verizon high-speed internet and phone, backed by our new worry free guarantee, all for just $84.99 a month.

call 1-888-610-8090. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v. that's 1-888-610-8090. only from verizon. we are back on this thirst-day thursday. we are back with more from country music star john rich. >> speaking of awkward situations, i was looking around kathie lee's dressing room, i thought i wonder if that shoe would fit me. by the way, this is just really -- this speaks for itself, i think. >> it is teeny. >> i like your blue cowboy boots. >> something like that? you think i'd get any attention? if i went to times square later on tonight? >> actually, no, probably not.

>> this is an awesome shoe. there you go. >> we're going to talk about awkward situations. hey, kids. let's get to our first one, shall we? >> go, go. >> my brother-in-law has been having a hard time financially. he works construction in the summer and plows snow in the winter. there hasn't been much of either this year. we've been a lot luckier. is there a way to offer him money even though he hasn't asked for it. i know he's a proud person. from sue. >> wow. sister-in-law of the year. absolutely. absolutely. you just tell her the truth. tell him the truth. you get him in private and you say, listen, we all hit bumps in the road. that's life. and we would really like to help you out if you'd feel comfortable with that. >> you do it that straightforward? >> yeah. and i would say, listen, i know this is something you would do for me. and if you feel uncomfortable offering money, then maybe offer a perk. listen, do you want a vacation? a week vacation at my country house? so that feels a little -- it's not saying, hey, you're

destitute and i feel like sorry you. >> i'd give the man an opportunity to earn it. i'd come one a situation if i needed something done or a job or something like that, short term i'd say, i know you don't want some give-away. do this for me and i'll give you a little bit. >> if he says no? >> that's a great idea. >> what's question number two here? >> i don't know. >> why don't you do this one. >> oh, lord. my 7-year-old son will frequently say things like, "jim i had has an ipad. why can't i?" is it too soon to tell him we want afford things like that? >> what do you guys think of that? >> you know something, you don't want to have a little kid worrying too much about money. so i'd frame it more in terms of that's not what your daddy and i think is important. we'd rather save for your sports camp or your summer school or bhafr t whatever the kid and parents think is important. >> you can say, this is a big gift, this is not something we plan on getting right now, or

it's not nuggin the budget righ now. i think that's certainly okay to say to a child without getting them too worried. >> i grew up in a pretty lean environment as a kid. i remember going to school and some kids had brand-new reboebr. some kids kind of looked at my shoes, i said i'm going to go mow yards or wash a window. i think it is going for kids to go without something for a minute and say, if you want that, go earn it. that's the american way. >> i have a major crush on a guy who works in a different department in my company. i don't know him very well. i was thinking of hosting a basketball watching party -- >> is this your question and is it about me? >> a basketball watching party at my apartment this weekend and inviting him to come. >> that's not a secret crush. >> or should i be more direct? should you have a big party and invite the guy down the hall? is. >> i'd say, like, i like this big group idea because dating in the office pool -- the office is

not a meat market. you got to go back to the office tomorrow whether the date is a bust or terrific. so go for group activities until you really get to know him. >> i think it is really clever. again, because it can be awkward when you are dating somebody at work. this is an opportunity to get to know somebody better, it may not be clear to this guy after a party that you want to date him, but it gives you an opportunity to talk, chat, and feel more comfortable. >> if i'm that guy? i want that girl to walk up to me and smack me so hard or not butt that her hang stings. i go, hey, i guess you like me. she goes, i sure do, you want to go have a drink. >> what about the chase though? >> i'm just saying that's what i would do. >> but then she's got to walk by your stung hiney every single day. >> love is worth the jump. >> love is all about vulnerability. jump, baby, jump. >> coming up, how the grass can really be greener in your own backyard. tbeat,

and that it put me at 5-times greater risk of a stroke. i was worried. i worried about my wife, and my family. bill has the most common type of atrial fibrillation, or afib. it's not caused by a heart valve problem. he was taking warfarin, but i've put him on pradaxa instead. in a clinical trial, pradaxa 150 mgs reduced stroke risk 35% more than warfarin without the need for regular blood tests. i sure was glad to hear that. pradaxa can cause serious, sometimes fatal, bleeding. don't take pradaxa if you have abnormal bleeding, and seek immediate medical care for unexpected signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. pradaxa may increase your bleeding risk if you're 75 or older, have a bleeding condition like stomach ulcers, or take aspirin, nsaids, or bloodthinners, or if you have kidney problems, especially if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all medicines you take, any planned medical or dental procedures, and don't stop taking pradaxa without your doctor's approval, as stopping may increase your stroke risk. other side effects include indigestion, stomach pain, upset, or burning.

pradaxa is progress. if you have afib not caused by a heart valve problem, ask your doctor if you can reduce your risk of stroke with pradaxa. i've dealt with all types of tax problems. people want to know their taxes have been done right. to help, you can use our free, one-on-one, expert tax advice. man: go to turbotax.com. only hertz gives you a carfirmation. hey, this is challenger. i'll be waiting for you in stall 5. it confirms your reservation and the location your car is in, the moment you land. it's just another way you'll be traveling at the speed of hertz. over time, my lashes thinned. after 40, i didn't have enough lashes. my doctor said...latisse® is the only fda approved prescription treatment...for inadequate or not enough lashes. now with latisse®...my lashes are longer...darker, with more than double the fullness in 16 weeks.

if you are using or have used, prescription products for eye pressure problems, use latisse® under close doctor care. latisse® use may cause increased brown pigmentation of the colored part of the eye which is likely permanent. eyelid skin darkening may occur which may be reversible. if you experience eye problems or have eye surgery, consult your doctor. common side effects include itchy eyes and eye redness. my lashes changed as i got older. now i use latisse®. find a doctor at latisse.com today. a cup of johan is a gorgeous perennial garden, blooming with ox-eye daisies where every petal says... he loves me. meet me in the coffee aisle. ♪ [ male announcer ] what if we could keep enough plastic waste

to fill over 200 garbage trucks out of landfills each year? ♪ 6.5 million pounds of plastic, gone. by using new glad trash bags, designed with reinforcing bands to be stronger with less plastic waste, we can. ♪ it's a small change that can make a big difference. ♪ time for "today's garden." a special spring cleaning treat. if you ever wished the guy known for gardening would ambush your garden -- >> right here, he's going to show you how to make your grass green, how to trim them shrubs. >> i look like the backyard samurai right now. >> back off! >> yeah. here are some tools, john, check

that out. it is kind of like a buck knife style. but it is called a quick saw. it is called a quick saw because in a matter of a couple of seconds, talk about the largest limbs you have -- >> don't worry, this is all for a demonstration. >> can i shave with this? >> the design -- it's got like three angles on it. quick saw. beautiful because springtime is a time for regrowth. >> i just want to see you hold that. >> can you basically go outside and hack all your plants. you can be a hack this time of year, because everything's going to come back. all the plants are pushing up all their new growth. >> you cut the dead stuff off. >> get rid of what you have to. corona makes a beautiful one. >> these are your big girl shears. >> john, take this down to like 14 inches. lower. lower. lower. cut on an angle. all the time. >> prune that thing!

>> john, while she's doing that -- >> it doesn't cut. >> you got to go at an angle. >> cut right in there. come on, hoda. get it like you really want to do it. really? really? come on, john, get it done. you guys got like five more seconds. >> this is all bad. >> hoda. hoda. >> it was hard. >> here's the thing. if you take some loppers like this, you should be able to get in here but you got to go to the gym more. you just make a cut. you just make a cut and you can get rid of this. you can do size reduction in your plants, then john comes in right behind and he can shave this. >> get this thing just right down just like that. chopping broccoli. >> this is the time of year when you can take all your trees, all your shrubs -- >> smoke is coming on. >> you can get back in control of all your plants.

springtime is a for folks to do pruning. >> let's talk about flowers. >> if you don't want do that, instead, hoda, are these cute or what? i think every woman should have one of these in her purse. prune your little flowers. >> but how do you know what you're supposed -- >> you're cutting the stems down to the point of origin where the stem comes from. these are nice, narrow tip pruning scissors. >> how far down? down here? >> you can cut them wherever you want, really. if you remove the stems, that's beautiful. see how this has a nice narrow edge? someone like john, big guy like you, you would need these. >> 30 seconds. >> can i cut one? >> you can cut all the flowers you want. you were flirting with hoda earlier, singing some songs. cut her a flower. >> your ornamental grasses outside, we've cut the shrubs. ornamental grasses look like this? cut these all down to nothing. >> very destructive. >> no. this is about coming back.

new growth. lastly, if you have your lawn outside and your lawn looks like crud basically, you can overseed your lawn. this is the time to get good quality grass seed out there. oversees your existing lawn, you get a bunch of new growth for the spring season. >> we got it. thanks for all the help. it was fun. we have worked up an appetite so it is going to be time to make some dinner right after this.

time for "today's kitchen what's cooking." today we have sandwiches on the menu for supper. >> gail simmons is a judge on bravo's "top chef" as well as author of "talking with my mouthful." >> i just love that people are reading it, getting inspired by it. >> just write stuff down on a notebook and it turned into this book.

>> it really turned into my career. i had some really good advice when i was young. i decided to follow my passion and here i am today with you guys. >> look at you, girl. we're making sandwiches for supper. we don't call it dinner, john. we call it supper. >> i don't know if i've ever cooked with anyone in a xwo hot. >> what else have you never done with someone in a sboi hacowboy. >> it begs the question. >> sandwiches are great for lurch but if you add some good protein, kick them up a little bit -- i like a hot supper, they are great for dinner, too. instead of bread i'm going to use puff pastry which you can fine in the frozen section of your grocery store. it is really easy to work with. i'll make a classic monty cristo. grilled cheese and some good meat as well. i'm rolling it out with a little bit of flour so it is about a foot square. i'm just going to take a pizza cutter and cut it into four like

that. now are you going to help me out, john. >> john is the chef in this group. >> good. >> i don't know about that. >> let's watch what you got. >> you're going to take some ham. first actually you're also going to brush -- just take this brush -- >> what is this? >> this is an egg wash. egg and water. brush the sides along the border. >> it is like glue. >> that's exactly right. it acts as glue and anything with an egg is good with me. then you take a little ham, a little cheese, put it down of kind to one side. >> it is almost like we're making a burrito a little bit. >> that's exactly right. fold it over and seal those edges that you put the egg wash on. just like that. >> good, john! nice. >> seal those edges. >> bake in the oven, 350. >> let's go down to the eating portion of the program. >> they come out looking like

this -- >> you bake at 350 or 20 to 30 minutes. they come out golden and beautiful. this is a sweet version i'm serving with maple syrup on the side. or some mustard on the side as well. other great dinner sandwiches -- a crispy chicken sandwich with a big heepg arugula sand watch. that's a greek yogurt based spread. a blt with avocado and beautiful fried egg. >> you rock. good luck again with your book. >> guess what's going on downstairs? guess who's sanging? casey from "american idol," guys. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

>> announcer: the "toyota concert series" on "today" -- brought to you by toyota. casey james broke on to the music scene in the ninth season of "american idol." he made it to the top three,

while his "idoey"idol" stint en there, his career certainly did not. >> casey spent the last two years and has actually made a great album just called "casey james." >> so did "american idol" change your whole life? >> yeah, it changed everything from top to bottom. wake up in the morning and do something different than you've been doing every day before that. >> did you write the songs on the cd? >> i wrote nine -- should say co-wrote 9 out of the 11 that are often there. >> that's not easy. >> that's what takes the time is really writing great songs. >> we're excited you're here. what are you going to play for us? >> we're going to do the very first single offer the album called "let's don't call it a night." >> all right, play it boy -- thanks! ♪ ♪ love the way you look in that

dress ♪ you got me thinking thoughts in my head ♪ ♪ the way your body's moving slowly to the music only leaves me wanting more ♪ ♪ so baby let's don't call it a night ♪ ♪ well i love the way you're holding me tight ♪ ♪ when you're next to me there's no place i'd rather be ♪ everything is feeling so right ♪ ♪ so baby let's don't call it a night ♪ ♪ just let that clock tick away ♪ ♪ cause in the morning we can sleep in late ♪ ♪ right now let's spend our time

on what we've got in mind ♪ ♪ i'll get up and close the door ♪ ♪ and baby let's don't call it a night ♪ ♪ well i love the way you're holding me tight ♪ ♪ when you're next to me there's no place i'd rather be ♪ everything is feeling so right so baby let's don't call it a night ♪ ♪ ♪ yeah baby let's don't call it a night ♪ ♪ well i love the way you're holding me holding me tight ♪

♪ when you're next to me there's no place i'd rather be ♪ ♪ everything is feeling so right so baby let's don't call it ♪ ♪ no let's don't call it a ni t night ♪ ♪ no no no no no no ♪ woo ♪ no no no no

♪ >> casey! great job! terrific. thank you, thank you. and a big, big thank you to this man right here, you guys. john rich for helping out today. a trivg co-host. >> thank you for having me. >> guess who's coming tomorrow? >> who? >> kelly pickler's in the house. >> she's one of the best personalities you ever met in your life. have a great day. see you tomorrow, everybody. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com