good morning. promising sign. a new jobs report out this morning. expectations are high. what will the numbers mean for the recovery, and the presidential race? bounty bombshell. new audio tapes emerge of the former new orleans saints football coach accused in a scandal to pay players for potentially injuring their opponents. >> early, affect the head. continue, touch and hit the head. >> he's already been suspended. will these new tapes end his coaching career? and so much to talk about, so little time. kim kardashian on dealing with the backlash of her 72-day marriage. if she'll press charges against

the woman who flour bombered her. and these new pictures getting a lot of buzz online. are things heating up between her and kanye west? we'll ask her about it all when she joins us live "today," we'll ask her about it all when she joins us live "today," friday, april 6th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, welcome to "today" on a friday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm ann curry. the latest on this morning's new jobs figure. what we're going to talk about, the scope and the pace of the economic recovery and how will they impact the already hostile race for the white house. meantime it's a big morning ahead for us here. we've got three of the most talked about women on the planet. >> that's right. here we go, first samantha brick is with us exclusively. she's that woman who wrote an article on beauty. we told you about on thursday,

that's generated a lot of response. she says other women hate her because she is beautiful. does she regret what she wrote? is she surprised by all the reaction? this morning she's giving us her first american television interview. >> that's right. and also ahead this morning, we kim kardashian here. enough said. and then we also have the hottest pop star around right now that's nicki minaj. she's going to be here for a special live performance in our studio. something to celebrate. >> a little later on, imagine sitting in jail for seven months for crimes you did not commit. a woman was the victim of a horrible setup by her ex-boyfriend. after she accused him of rape, he framed her for three armed robberies, as we said, she spent time in jail before investigators uncovered the truth. we're going to be talking to her, as well. >> but we begin with our news this morning, the new jobs report, and dillon rat igen is the host of msnbc's the dylan

ratigen show. it's been already three months of job growth, will we see four? >> very likely. the trend has been moderately encouraging across the board. >> and we're able to determine where the jobs are growing? >> yes. >> or where they're lagging? >> yeah, here's the problem with our recovery right now is a challenge, i should say, with our recovery, is that you have growth for, for instance white americans. much better. black, hispanic, teens, veterans, two, three times the unemployment that white americans are experiencing. you are looking at growth in health care. you're looking at growth in financial services. you're still seeing a lot of problems with manufacturing. and the other thing, because of the mild weather this winter, it creates a distortive strength in the employment market in the northeast, as there's simply more work to be done when the weather is better. so there's a little -- that's why people are kind of cautious on this momentum right now. because the warm weather, it

creates that much more of the look of strength when sometimes it's not really -- >> meantime, these numbers, the future of the economy, the recovery which is obviously very slow is what's happening with gas prices. so far americans seem fairly resilient. but is there a tipping point? >> there definitely is a tipping point. i'm actually really more encouraged on this one than i've been in a long time. simply because you look at the amount of gasoline or fuel that we are berning, it's continuing to go down. so, the last time in '07, '08 it was $4. the amount of fuel that we burn in our cars now has simply gone down a lot. mrs. more prius and fewer hummers than four or five years ago. still an issue but i'm encour e encouraged by the change in our own behavior as individuals. >> prediction about the jobs numbers, and the presidential race? >> the jobs numbers will become relevant to the presidential race in september. gas prices will become relevant to the presidential race on

memorial day. >> dylan ratigen. i also want to know, you are concerned that these numbers do not tell the full story. that there's still 30 million americans who are unemployed and a lot of them have given up working -- given up looking for work. and so, how optimistic should we really be, even if there is a solid jobs growth numbers? >> i think we should always be remarkably optimistic, no matter what, because it is all we have to engage ourselves in solving these problems. we don't want to let our optimism, however, cloud our ability to see reality, which in this case is we have a significant challenge as a nation to create 30 million jobs, and we right now do not have the tax or bank policy to encourage that. however being optimistic about finding these solutions is the way that you're going to create 30 million jobs. so you got to be positive like yourself, but at the same time a realist like yourself. >> well, we're both of those hopefully in one person in all of us but we vbously have to look at these numbers as they

come out this morning. thanks so much for giving us a heads up. you can catch the dylan ratigen show weekdays on msnbc. >> catch savannah guthrie over at the news desk right now. she's got all the headlines of the morning. natalie is off. savannah, good morning to you. >> we're going to begin with the stunning audio tape released of former saints coordinator gregg williams. in that tape recorded by a documentary filmmaker, williams can be heard urging his players before a game to use rough tactics on specific opponents to knock them to the sidelines. >> we've got a lot of guys up at the top. kill the head and the body will die. kill the head and the body will die. we've got to do everything in the world to make sure we kill frank gore's head. we want him running sideways. we want his head sideways. >> williams has been suspended indefinitely by the nfl. saints coach sean payton was also suspended for the entire

season for his role in the bounty program that paid players who injured opponents. we're learning more about george zimmerman, the man who shot trayvon martin but is claiming self-defense. police tell nbc news zimmerman called police on a non-emergency line seven times on prior separate occasions to report suspicious-looking men in the sanford neighborhood he was patrolling. however, they say he never mentioned race until asked. a ship that was set adrift one year ago after the tsunami in japan is now at the bottom of the sea off the alaskan coast. on thursday the coast guard unleashed a barrage of cannon fire to sink the ship before it could pose a danger to the coastline, and that busy shipping channel. one week after being fired from his hosting job at current tv, keith olbermann is taking his former employer to court. he is suing the network for more than $50 million in a breach of contract lawsuit, and blasting the company for what he calls shoddy production values.

well, current fired back, saying that olbermann was let go for missing work, quote, sabotaging the network, and disparaging his bosses. kids in california will be happy about this next story. a judge in san francisco has dismissed a proposed class action suit to stop mcdonald's from putting toys in its happy meals. the suit claims mcdonald's was using toys to lure kids into eating nutritionally unbalanced meals. this evening, president obama and the first lady will host a seder dinner at the white house to mark the start of passover. it is also good friday and thousands of pilgrims marked the day today in jerusalem visiting the church of the holy sepulchre, believed to be the site of christ's cries fiction, burial and resurrection. and finally an illustrious designer of the luxury car world and household name has died. ferdinand alexander porsha died on thursday in austria. he was 76 years old. he was the grandson of the designer of the original

volkswagen beetle and went on to develop the first 9/11 porsche sports car which became an icon of the porsche brand. middle aged men everywhere experiencing a mid-life crisis deserve a moment of silence. it is now 7:08. back to ann now because i know matt and al are observing that moment of silence. >> oh! my gosh. okay, savannah, thank you so much. maybe that's a nice segue. the truth is we have a story, there is a huge set of great news this morning that i'm excited, and that is that you're going to be sticking with us. we're stuck with you for a long time. >> truth be told i was developing an idea for a new show where viewers could tune in every morning and see someone they know lose a little more of his hair every single day right in front of their eyes. so i thought i don't have to do that i can just stay here and do that. this is my family. i love this job. i love working with guys and all the people behind the scenes. i'm excited let's keep going. >> okay, guys. >> let use get a check of the weather. mr. roker.

>> either you or keith olbermann. >> you made out all right, didn't you? >> thank goodness! you're the worst person in the world! an you're the worst person in the world. anyway, let's show you what's going on right now. we've got some spring storm to talk b blizzard watches and winter storm warnings for parts of the northern rockies, much of montana. 6 to 10 inches of snow, 50-mile-per-hour winds. it's going to be a real mess from salt lake up to great falls. we're looking for 4 to 6 inches of snow. some areas up to a foot before it's all over. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. tom cure i knkuierein in stormc. you need your winter coat. it is down into the 30s. near freezing temperatures west and north of washington. 42 at reagan national. later today we'll climb into the 50s to near 60 for a high by mid-afternoon with winds gusting

around 30 miles an hour throughout the day. winds diminish tonight under a clear sky. a cold start to saturday. >> and that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al, thank you very much. the state of connecticut is one step closer this morning to abolishing the death penalty. a move that is not sitting well with the sole survivor of a deadly home invasion that made national headlines. nbc's craig melvin is in hartford with the latest on that. craig, good morning. >> matt, good morning to you. the debate comes just months after that deadly home invasion that you mentioned in nearby cheshire. the two men who are on death row for killing the wife and two daughters of dr. william pettit pettitte, if this becomes law, warns that those two men will file endless appeals to avoid paying the ultimate price. he's the sole survivor of a crime that sent shockwaves through connecticut and beyond. dr. william p eechlt tit's wife and daughters were murdered in a

brutal home invasion. two men were convicted of breaking into the home, tying up his two daughters, sexually assaulting his wife, then burning down the house. dr. petit escaped after being bound and beaten. this week he went to the state house to support the death penalty which he believes is justice for his familiar lip >> the people who died and can't speak for themselves. the people who were tortured. the people who were raped, delay do not seem to have a voice. and they seem to have less and less of a voice. >> reporter: on thursday the bill to ban the death penalty after nearly eleven hours of debate. >> does a moral society execute people? i've come to the conclusion that both the realities of the death penalty, as it is applied, and the moral issues that it raises, dictate that it be abolished. >> reporter: if the bill passes the house the death penalty would be abolished for all future cases, replaced by tougher prison time for heinous crimes. the eleven men on death row

right now including the petit killers, would still face execution. some family members of murder victims want to do away with the death penalty. >> the death penalty as so many flaws and as a victim family member i came to realize it hurts us more than it helps us, in so many ways with the endless appeals. >> reporter: the state has executed only one in the past 50 years. convicted killer michael walsh in 2005, after he gave up his appeals. if the bill becomes law, connecticut would become the 17th state in the nation to repeal the death penalty. >> this is that going to be an avalanche of everyone getting rid of the death penalty. but i do think state by state we will see more. there may be a critical mass of states saying, this is no longer our standard of decency as a country. >> reporter: no matter what happens in the state house, dr. william petit says he firmly believes execution is the right

punishment for the man who killed his family. now, again, the bill has passed the senate, the next step, the house. they are expected to take it up sometime next week. the governor says if it gets to his desk he will sign it. matt? >> all right, craig melvin in hartford, connecticut on this story for us this morning. thank you very much. it's 14 minutes after the hour. once again here is ann. >> matt, thank you. now to an emotional letter of apology from the 9-year-old washington state boy who nearly killed a classmate when a gun accidentally went off in his back pack. but it doesn't appear to be bringing closure to this case as nbc mike taibbi joining us from bremerton, washington, with more on this story. hey, mike, good morning. >> good morning, ann. this is the continuing story of two elementary school kids whose lives were changed forever. one, a completely innocent victim who nearly perished along with her dreams, and the other a boy grappling with a never easy life that's now harder than ever, but who is now apologizing, not just to say i'm sorry, but to say what he's sorry for. amina bowlen left for home to

the applause of the hospital staff who saved her life. a great day for the 9-year-old, when she traded in her feeding tubes for a little soup and would later walk a few steps. >> this is a photo taken in the operating room. >> reporter: after five separate surgeries totalling 16 hours on the operating table and a bullet casing still lodged in her spine. and when she got home, this was waiting for her. a child's handwriting on lined school paper. the first line, dear amina, i'm sorry i hurt you because i brought a gun to school. the 9-year-old boy's own words, says his uncle and legal guardian patrick cochran. >> absolutely, he wrote every word. >> and did he mean what he wrote? >> absolutely. >> was he writing it for effect? >> no, not at all. >> the rest of what he wrote. he did not mean for anyone to get hurt. i wish you were out of the hospital playing basketball and going back to school. i wish everyone was okay. i made a bad choice. for amina's parents, her father an iraq war vet, it had been a terrible vigil as she fought through the devastation of of a

bullet that shattered her elbow and tore through her bodry requiring the replacement of her entire blood supply. the boy pled guilty in juvenile court, admitting that he dropped his back bag where he'd hidden the gun and it went off. he said he'd taken it in a visit to his mother's house. she's an excon and has now been charged with assault and firearm charges because of the school shooting. they both pled not guilty. along with counseling and a year's probation, writing a letter of apology was part of the boy's sentence. amina's family lawyer says it counts for little. >> it's not going to help her walk. she's barely walking. it's not going to help her go back to school. it's not going to help her get the physical rehabilitation for her shattered arm. or the infections and problems she'll have in her abdomen from the bullet wound. >> but the boy's reaction, seeing amina on tv, leaving the hospital -- >> he was happy. he also cried because of what

happened to her. >> and guilt, too, his uncle says, because he'll have to testify against his own mother if she doesn't take a plea and go to trial. and because the lives of two children are now on pause because, as he put it in his letter, i made a bad choice. ann? >> a tragedy on so many levels. mike taibbi, thank you so much. once again here's matt. >> all right, ann, thank you. now the remarkable story of a grandmother who found courage amid the most difficult circumstances. her husband died at the controls of their small plane, which forced her to land that plane safely. nbc kevin tibbles has the dramatic cockpit voice recordings. kevin, good morning to you. >> matt, what an incredible story of perseverance, teamwork and courage. today we listen as 80-year-old helen carlin, her husband slumped over the controls beside her, lands the family plane just before it runs out of fuel. it was a hard landing, but it was a landing.

and the town of sturgeon falls, wisconsin, breathed a sigh of relief. helen and john collins were returning to wisconsin from florida in their cessna when 81-year-old john slumped over the controls and died. leaving helen, who is 80, and not a pilot, alone in the air. >> it's a hell of a place to be. >> reporter: now, a first listen to cockpit voice recordings made as family friend scrambled to fly alongside helen's aircraft and help guide her in to safety. >> somebody better get here in a hurry. >> this is going to be a little bit of a flight lesson but you'll enjoy it. >> reporter: in spite of the grave situation, helen collins rarely raised her voice or gave even a hint of panic. in fact, when helen hears roads are being closed, as a safety precaution, she asks -- >> don't you have any faith in me? >> reporter: her main concern, she's out of fuel. >> i got to land pretty quick, my gas gauge shows nothing. >> you're just perfect. looking good. it looks good from the outside here.

you're doing fantastic. >> reporter: a first attempt has to be aborted. >> okay, you're too high. go around. power up, power up, power up. power up. get your just a little -- no no don't pull back. power up. keep your wings level. that's it. full power. full power. full power. go up, up, up, pull, pull, pull. >> i felt very comfortable that i had a confident person flying that airplane. >> reporter: then she came in, bounced about 30 feet and skidded to a halt. >> power back. power back. power back. off, off, leave the power off. power off, power off. power off. power off. nose up. okay. you're down. >> great job, helen. great job. >> sadly, john was a good buddy. yeah, we're holding it together, and i'm really happy for helen that she survived. because a difficult time but we all have to move on, i suppose. >> helen collins is being treated for spinal injuries and

a cracked rib. although her family says her condition is improving. her husband john's funeral is scheduled for tuesday. a happy, and yet sad time, in sturgeon bay. matt? >> kevin tibbles with the story. that's unbelievable. the audio tapes of that man trying to help her out, and how calm she stayed under the worst circumstances. >> it's amazing what she was able to do. but now she's going to have to deal with the sadness of what has happened to her husband. it's really dramatic story. >> kevin as i mentioned, thank you very much. just ahead, we have an exclusive interview with kim kardashian. she's here to talk about lots of things, right, kim, including those photos that show her out on the town with one kanye west. we'll have lots with kim. but first, this is "today" on nbc. [ male announcer ] at green giant we know nature

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good morning. it's 7:26. a chilly start to your friday. here's storm 4 meteorologist tom kierein. >> yeah, you need your winter coat. we've got the first sunlight streaming through the urban forest. a live view from our city camera and from the sky watcher camera showing a beautiful blue sky. and we have temperatures near freezing, just west and north of washington, into the shenandoah valley, western maryland and west virginia. and later today up near 60 with a blustery wind and sunshine. a dry and cool weekend to follow, aaron. >> thank you,

good morning. there's a crash on eastbound route 32 as you approach 198 blocking the left lane.

a live look right now at 29 making your way from lockwood drive and also north on 29, you are in the clear, no accidents and no major delays. over to the beltway in prince george's county, a live look and, aaron, no

♪ 7:30 now on this good friday morning. the 6th day of april, 2012. check out the line that's already forming across the street for "snl," because guess what? the boy band one direction, the same boy band that caused all kind of mayhem on our plaza, is going to be headlining the show on "snl." people are lined up for looks like more than a block. inside state of the union, i'm ann curry alongside matt lauer. >> i hear these people are lined up, since tuesday, sleeping out, a lot of young girls and they're parents, and they're on line for standby tickets. the audience is already filled and they're just waiting for the few standby tickets that might become available. >> i will say though that i

discovered because i did like to go to "snl" myself, a lot of times those standby tickets do come up but only at the last minute so you don't even know after waiting all this time. anyway, that's how much love there is out there. also coming up in this half hour on our broadcast, on thursday we told you about this online firestorm that was created by a woman's article on how other women hate her for being beautiful. well, coming up, she's going to be joining us to answer her critics h her first exclusive live interview for an american broadcast. >> also ahead kim kardashian is here. what is it about kim that keeps her in the headlines? and has people reacting to her every move? we'll be talking to her exclusively in a couple of minutes. >> all right. and also coming up, we've got nicki minaj, one of the most popular pop stars in the world right now with a brand-new album that's already number one on itunes. she's going to be here with us to talk about her success, what makes her stand out, and she's also going to be performing for us live, and i bet she's going to wear a pretty fun outfit. >> look forward to that. let's begin with what appeared

to be a dream relationship that ended in an unexpected nightmare for one woman. we'll talk to her in a moment. but first, nbc's lester holt has her story. >> reporter: simona was living a successful life in new york city. she worked on wall street and owned a restaurant. she also lived with her boyfriend jerry rammertan. but on march 9th, 2009, that relationship took a dark and violent turn. >> he just grabbed me with one arm and just pulled like right down the stairs. >> he dragged you down to the basement? >> all the way down. he didn't utter a word. just took all his clothes off. >> he raped you? >> yes. >> jerry rammertan was arrested and charged with rape. he emphatically denied it. she said she had been bound, dragged downstairs, raped. >> i never touched simone. >> you did have sex that night? consensual sex? >> sure. it was never rape. >> reporter: then on the night of may 21st, 2010, simona

suddenly found herself on the wrong side of the law. she was arrested and charged with committing three armed robberies. when you heard robbery and simona what was your first thought? >> i thought, wow, i can't believe it. i didn't think she was like that. >> reporter: simona languished in jail for seven long months. then an informant came forward, with proof that all the evidence had been faked to frame her. >> there was no doubt that at that time that this has to do with jerry. >> reporter: simona's hunch was right. the man accused of being behind the plot was her ex-boyfriend. >> i can't believe that someone would sit there and create a story like this. i guarantee the truth will come out. >> reporter: prosecutors said jerry had coerced three people to join him in a devious and elaborate plot against simona. >> he was all to do whatever he could to discredit her. and in jerry's world, that was bringing false charges against her. and he did it in a very, very

clever, and really masterful way. to pin his crimes on her. >> reporter: injury i was tried and convicted of rape, and conspiracy. he was sentenced to 33 years in prison. >> the evidence showed him to be a violent rapist, an evil and vindictive schemer. a sinister manipulator. a diabolical conniver. >> i was shocked. >> you're the only one telling the truth here? >> well, it doesn't matter what i say, because i'm the fall guy right now. >> i still think that he believes in half of the lies that he told. and he looks at me as the person that did this to him. and not that he did this to himself. >> and simona is with us now exclusively. welcome back. it's good to see you. >> good to see you. >> we sat in this studio back, i think, it was june of last year, this was before jerry rammertan's trial and you said you did not have any faith in

the justice system. you have more faith now? >> yes. i can't tell you how pleased i am with the outcome. and the fact that, you know, the sentencing. he did get the maximum, and, yes, i couldn't be happier. >> during the trial, a mountain of evidence came out showing that jerry conspired to have you framed for armed robbery. the judge as we just heard said that the evidence clearly showed jerry to be a violent rapist, and a vindictive schemer. i would imagine you had to have been sitting there saying why didn't anyone realize this before i spent seven months in jail. >> well, i actually say to this day, i don't. i don't understand it. i really don't understand it up to this day. >> was it just the frame job was so good, or that officials and law enforcement officials didn't do their job? >> to be blunt, they didn't do their job. there was sufficient evidence

from day one of my incarceration to prove that i can't have done it. one of them being that i wasn't even in the state of new york on one of the robberies at the exact same time. surveillance records picked me up, cell tower records, cell phone records, all picked me on the may 19th robbery to be in mohegan sun. at the same time that the robbery was being done in new york. >> nassau county prosecutors had to admit that they were wrong about you. but did you ever get a formal apology? an apology that you find sufficient? >> no. there was never an explanation. i asked for one, and i was told that at the time, when i was released, that they weren't able to give an explanation of exactly what happened. i was told that the reason they released me was due to an

informant coming forward with sufficient information to back up what i was saying. >> i think you also were released from jail after a woman who dated jerry came forward and said, look, she recognized some of the same behaviors when she was dating him that you were claiming happened. have you ever met that woman? >> i know she testified against him in the trial. i know of her. but i've never met her. >> what would you like to say to her if you could meet her? >> i would -- i'm thankful to her that she finally did come forward. but to my understanding, she knew of the whole plot from day one. she was even physically there at one of the meetings to plot against me. i just wanted to know, what took her so long. >> why she didn't speak up sooner? >> yes. >> you're not going to get an apology from the man at the center of this as we heard in lester's piece. in a taped interview he said he is an innocent man. he calls you a liar and says the truth will come out. and he insists that you're

making all of this up. how do you respond to that? >> i think that the mountain of evidence that came out in the trial, and i think the truth speaks for itself. i couldn't possibly make up that he framed me. >> that he was able to do this pretty convincingly, are you afraid at all that even in jail he'll be able to in some way impact your life in the future? >> i'm trying not to think of that at all. i mean, anything is possible. i know there's -- i should be concerned with things like that, but i try not to think about it. >> seemonna, thanks. welcome back, nice to see you. >> and you can see more of this story tonight on "dateline" at 10:00, 9:00 central time right here on nbc. let's get a check of the weather now from al. >> hey, matt, thanks so much. we are here just below the nbc marquee, and these folks, what's your name?

>> marcy. >> and you -- when did you guys get here for this one direction appearance at "snl"? >> tuesday at 4:00 in the morning. >> from boston. >> from boston. yeah, you see one direction before? >> yeah. >> when? >> "today" show. >> oh, you came in to the "today" show concert. wow, so obviously you're hoping for tickets. >> yes. >> well good luck. my gosh you guys are real one direction fans. look at this line, folks. i mean, this is amazing. this is -- these folks have been here most of them since tuesday. the line is just getting bigger and bigger. and by and large you're only talking about maybe, maybe, if you're lucky, five or six standby tickets, and they just keep coming, and what do you do? what do you do for bathroom breaks? >> sneak into nbc. >> sneak into nbc. that's what i always recommend. what i always recommend. >> all right. let's check your weather. and it's cold here too. that's the big deal. we have frost and freeze advisories and warnings from

friday into saturday morning. look at these temperatures we've got right now. pittsburgh 35, 32 in albany, it's 38 here in new york city. as far as the temperatures are concerned, it's going to stay cold. we've got an omega block, trough in the west, trough in the east. below normal in the east and out west. temperatures up in the 70s and 80s, even 90s down in southern texas. 50s out to the pacific northwest. 40s and 50s around the great lakes and the northeast. that's what's geg on around the country. here's what's happening in one direction's neck of the woods. >> good morning. clear and cold around our region on this friday morning. temperatures are in the 30s much of the area, and even a little below freezing west and north of washington. we will stay chilly throughout the morning hours. by noon time it ought to hit the 50s and then up around 60 by mid to late afternoon. wind also gusting to 30 miles an hour. still a bit of a wind tomorrow, lots of sun, a cold start. warmer

>> and that's your latest weather. how many of you have to go to the bathroom? okay. we're all going to go to matt's dressing room. come on, let's go. we're going to matt's dressing room! >> al, thank you very much. appreciate it. still ahead, kim kardashian is in our studio. kim, anything new in your life? >> a couple things. >> all right. we're going to talk to her about the backlash over her divorce, a recent outing with kanye west, and much more. but up next, a "today" exclusive, the writer who says other women hate her for being beautiful defends her article in her first american television interview. do you have anything for a headache...like excedrin...

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no artificial ingredients. no preservatives. and no added hormones. ♪ better with a dollop here ♪ fresher with a dollop there ♪ ♪ wholesome in every way ♪ daisy, do a dollop ♪ daisy, do-do a dollop back now at 7:44 with new fallout off a woman's article on how other women hate her for being beautiful. she's faced a lot of criticism online. in a moment we will hear from that writer in her first american television interview. but first, nbc's stephanie gosk has the latest on this story. hey, stephanie, good morning. >> good morning, ann. well brick said she knew she was going to hit a raw nerve but had no idea it would be like this. in a follow-up hour she wrote, quote, the past 24 hours have been, to be blunt, among the most horrendous of my life.

♪ i'm sexy and i know it >> reporter: ah to suffer the slings and arrows of being too beautiful. the less than attractive masses have no idea how truly lucky they are. or at least that is what samantha brick would have you believe. >> it's really difficult when -- when you're -- when you're perceived as being attractive. other women do not like you. >> reporter: so difficult the 41-year-old freelance columnist decided to write about it in britain's "daily mail." >> until the age of about 14 or 15 i was really the ugly duckling or sure and it was really only when i grew in height and lost weight and started to, of course, i noticed an instantaneous change in attitudes towards me. it was phenomenal. almost overnight. >> reporter: free bottles of champagne, men paying for her taxis, bartenders buying her drinks which only leads to jealous female bosses, friends who wouldn't let her near their husbands and neighbors who won't wave at her. the article and the photos that accompanied it triggered an

immediate, emotional response. thousands of comments on twitter and facebook. >> 50% of the comments this morning, what are you on. a little bit, women saying you have just written the story of my life, thank you. >> reporter: much of the conversation has focused somewhat cruelly on whether or not brick has the right to make the claim that she's beautiful in the first place. barbara walters on "the view." >> at the risk of being really not so nice, i thought -- put the picture of that woman up again, please. >> what woman? >> the one -- she's got a problem. she's not that beautiful. >> again, opinion. >> yes, she is beautiful. >> she is attractive. >> i think she's beautiful. >> reporter: others have criticized brick for her arrogance. like this british tv editor. >> it's one thing to think you're attractive but to actually come out and say it and put it in print and say, i am a beautiful woman, does have a sense of arrogance about it. >> reporter: that kind of response that only proves her point, says brick.

>> women do not like attractive women, and that has been proved to me by the thousands of vile messages i have on twitter. >> reporter: brick has not shied away from publicly defending her original article. both the argument it makes, and the decision she made to write it in the first place. ann? >> all right, stephanie gosk. thank you so much. samantha brick is now joining us exclusively. good morning, samantha. >> hello, good morning. thank you. >> yes, it's great to have you here. when i first read your article, i've got to be honest, i thought you wrote it tongue in cheek. starting with this line that you wrote, other women hate me for no other reason than my lovely looks. now in writing this, are you serious? >> obviously part of the work is tongue in cheek and parts that have been massivelyly misconstrued. i didn't write the headline. when i first pitched the idea to the "daily mail" the pitch headline was, why does the sisterhood hate attractive

women. i'm not saying i am attractive, that i'm talking about the perception of someone who is considered to be attractive by other men and women, and what that does to our society. and i've drawn on my experience of 41 years, and had -- that's been put together in a 1200 word document, and i know that people have just think that that's my life every day, and that's how i live my life and that's just not true. now i live in a little bit of nowhere in france, i'm a part-time writer. i certainly haven't expected to, you know, the kind of negative onslaught i've received worldwide over the last -- it's been pretty phenomenal. >> you certainly have gotten more of a backlash than you bargained for. exactly what has made the 24 hours after your piece was published, as you put it, among life? >> well, i think, i, again, because i live in france, and in the countryside, i don't really engage with social media, with

twitter, you know, i'm more doing chores at the home. i've got four dogs, i'm walking my dogs. i'm not the one who's online the whole time. and so, when people started e-mailing me and contacting me and saying, this is getting really big and this is getting really -- the mail got in touch with me and said there's unprecedented story for them, i realized then that things were kind of getting out of control, really. >> right, right. well the question is whether you accomplished your goal in trying to sort of send the message that -- that there is a disparity in how women look at -- at -- at lovely women. one writer put it this way. said the issue, ms. brick, is not that there isn't an issue with the way beautiful women are treated by other women and men, but that your articles came across as vain and arrogant. now i counted, samantha, that you used the word "i" at least 60 times in your article. and -- and -- and so i think the

question has to be posed, are you aware of how narcissistic your piece sounded? and upon review, do you think that perhaps you should have writ it -- written it maybe a little differently if you really wanted to make your point? >> well, the piece is the first person piece. it's about my experience and my life. so, drawing on other people's experiences i wouldn't be qualified to do that. if i was writing a much more generic piece, then of course i could have done that. really, it was just to trigger a debate. it wouldn't to have a kind of global vitriolic attack on me as an individual, which is what's happened. you know, i have got fantastic circle of friends -- girlfriends. you know, i'm a girl's girl. i'm not this overconfident, bubbly woman who -- who is a man magnet 24/7. you know, i'm a sensitive individual and i've been absolutely mortified by these -- these attacks, obviously. >> well, i can -- i can see that that's very honestly said that you are -- have been hurt by

this. well samantha brick, i don't know where this is going to take you in terms of the discussion ahead but certainly you touched a nerve, and thank you so much for speaking to us about it this morning. >> i thank you. >> all right. and still ahead, one of the hottest and most controversial pop stars on the planet. we're going to catch up with nicki minaj and she will perform for us in our studio live. but first, these messages. ♪ [ female announcer ] irresistibly touchable skin hour after hour.

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7:55 is your time now on this friday morning. good morning to you. let's check the forecast now from meteorologist tom kierein. tom, when did winter get back in the picture? >> i know, here we are, another cold start this morning. there's a beautiful blue sky over the region. that's a live view from the sky watcher camera, but we are in the 30s throughout much of the area. reagan national is at 43. near the bay, it's in the mid-40s. and throughout the day today, we'll climb to near 60. a blustery wind and lots of sunshine. another clear and cold night tonight, near freezing on saturday morning. milder sunday afternoon.

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good morning. eastbound lanes are blocked. this is route 7 at idlewood road. police are on the scene directing traffic. now, heading over to maryland, eastbound 32 as you approach 198, you have a crash blocking your left lane, stick to the right to get by. and a live look at i-95, southbound lanes are open, northbound clear as well. >> thank you. another news update

we're back now, 8:00 on a friday morning. the 6th of april, 2012. this is one of our biggest crowds we've had in a long time. a lot of these people probably excited to see that young lady right there. that's kim kardashian. always someone worth talking about. and she's posing with her fans. in just a couple of minutes we'll be talking about some of the things, the many things going on in her life. >> the pouty lip thing. >> not to be confused with that other pout story we did not long ago. i'm matt lauer along with ann

curry and al roker and coming up, another young lady who is talked about an awful lot, as well. >> nicki minaj is here, ladies and gentlemen. she's such a great performing boom. behind the scenes you can hear matt giving his rendition. we'll be talking about her success and also her name, her alter egos and also her quest to dominate the music industry. she's doing pretty well. anyway she's also going to be performing for us live. >> and then a little bit later on we're going to meet some of those scary stars of a great show, "river monsters," talk to the man who's made it his mission to catch these underwater predators. >> you almost wonder if they're real. but they are. that's crazy. looks like -- >> i think it's a red tail catfish right there. >> you know your fish. >> i know my red tail catfish. also ahead monday we're going to spend a little quality time at breakfast with the dugger family. all 19 children, savannah

guthrie is going to fly out to arkansas. she's going to actually be there and see what it's like as they try and get those kids ready for the day and get them fed and i think that would be controlled chaos. >> wow. >> at best. >> i mean, she may not even get to eat any breakfast. >> monday morning right here on the "today" show. let's go inside, savannah is at the news desk right now. good morning, again. >> good morning. in the news today, wall street is closed for good friday, so no market reaction as the march unemployment numbers are released this morning. on thursday president obama signed legislation at the white house intended to help small businesses and make it easier for start-ups to raise money. that measure had bipartisan support with both republicans and democrats, saying it would create jobs. meantime, as americans take to the roads for the holiday weekend gas prices are still taking their toll on this economic recovery. a gallon of regular is up about 18 cents from just last month to a national average of $3.94. we are learning more information about george zimmerman, the florida

neighborhood watchman who claims he shot and killed trayvon martin in self-defense. police tell nbc news that zimmerman called them on a nonemergency line seven times in prior separate occasions. each time zimmerman reported suspicious looking men in the sanford neighborhood he patrolled. however they say until he was asked, zimmerman never mentioned anything about their race. there is a new development in the case of the missing utah mother susan cox powell. a witness now says powell's father-in-law went camping with his son and two grandsons the night susan powell disappeared in 2009. josh powell has been the only person of interest in his wife's disappearance, but susan powell's father says he has always believed that steve powell, the father-in-law, was involved in his daughter's disappearance. now for a look at what is trending today. our quick roundup of what has you talking online. google and yahoo! are hot with speculation of a possible budding romance between kim kardashian and kanye west.

they've been friends for years but have recently been spotted spending time together in public and kanye mentions kim in lyrics to a new song. so, kim is here, she's going to address all these rumors and a lot more coming up in a few minutes. new jets quarterback tim tebow is already getting his hands and feet in shape for the new season. tmz has been good enough to release an exclusive picture that's raising some eyebrows. that's tebow getting a mani-pedi at a nail salon. and this video is going viral. simple in concept. that dog stares as it's trying to unlock the secrets of the soul, with south park's cash for gold music playing underneath. the moral of the story, do not get in a staring contest with that dog. he rarely blinks. it is now 8:04. back to al. >> ooh. freaking me out. >> yeah. thank you very much. the young guy over there said to me is nicki minaj coming out? i said she's performing inside. he went, oh.

anyway. >> he headed back to the hotel? >> where are you folks from? >> pittsburgh, pennsylvania. >> all right. good for you guys. all right. let's find out what's going on for your weekend.oing on for your weekend. starting off today, our pick city of the day, kansas city, mo. action news kshb. sunny, mild temperatures, in the mid-60s. we'll show you we've got some rain moving off the coast. hopefully not going to cause any problems for the masters. look for snow in parts of central and western montana. showers in the pacific northwest. look for morning showers along the southeastern atlantic coast. sunny but on the cool side in the northeast and the great lakes. mild and sunny, gulf coast on into texas. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. we've been near the freezing mark just north and west of washington over the last couple

of hours but just past 8:00 getting involve freezing just about everywhere but a chill in the air. upper 30s to low 40s much of the region. we have a wind that's gusting to around 20 miles per hour. may have gusts to near 30 miles an hour later today. highs reaching near 60. clear, cold again tonight near freezing by dawn tomorrow. sunny saturday, breezy, mid-60s in the afternoon. a bit >> and that's the latest weather. now let's head back over to mr. lauer and ms. kardashian. >> all right. thank you very much, al. kim is here on the plaza. it's nice of you to say hi to your fans. we're going to be talking to kim about all the things going on in her life in just a moment. right after these messages. [ fabric flapping in wind ] ♪ ♪ ♪

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you could not look more beautiful. >> it's spring, write? we're wearing the bright colors. >> but looking at you, no one would guess that it's not been easy bundle of months for you. >> it hasn't. you know, it really hasn't. but i feel really, in a positive place. i kind of take whatever happens in life, i always try and be positive and learn a lesson from it. and i'm so ready just for this chapter to be over and to move on, you know, spring, new beginnings. >> mm-hmm. it's, i think you said something to matt earl remember about how you know after all the things that have can go wrong at one time you know how britney spears might have felt? >> you know how other -- how other people that have gone through hard times you look at them and now after going something through, you know, my civil, i can really feel like i can relate and understand other people that have gone through things that have been tough. and i just -- i thank god for my family. for getting me through it. and just, you really don't have

a choice but to hold your head up and be positive and move on. >> all right. well let's talk about something, because there's been a lot of buzz about you overnight the twitterverse exploded. but you were one of -- you were three trending topics on twitter last night. so, did you -- >> i haven't looked on the internet in awhile. >> well let me ask you this, then -- >> a new rule of mine. >> oh, really? >> i tweet and i instaygram but i don't really look online anymore. i don't read the magazines. >> let me put the question this way, did you enjoy going to "the hunger games" with kanye west? >> the movie was really interesting. and i'm glad matt's not doing the interview for this part. you know, with the kanye questions. >> oh, okay. all right. well let me ask you one more kanye question because the lyrics of his new song says i admit i fell in love with kim around the same time she fell in love with him. well that's cool baby girl, do your thing. i mean, on twitter they're even

calling you kimye. you want to clarify this in any way? >> i completely respect and understand. you have to ask these questions. but i said before, i mean kanye and i have been friends for years. and, you know, you never know what the future holds or where my life will take me. so, i like the song. >> it's probably fun to be the sut of a song, as well. a lot of what's been tough for you is -- is this divorce that you're going through. your husband has asked for an annulment. why not just give it to him, let it be over? >> i'm sure i would love one myself. but, you know, the -- there's certain guidelines on how you can get one, and -- and i'm not sure that we fall under that. so, you know, also, regarding the whole divorce thing, we are still going through a divorce. so there's not really much that i'm allowed to talk about. but i really, i just, you know, out of respect for him, i try not to really talk about stuff, you know, involving him, and

regarding that situation. but, you know, it's all just about i'm just really ready to close -- i have closed that chapter. so i'm just really ready to move on. >> i can tell just sitting with you that this subject -- i do want to give you a chance to respond to those who still think that your marriage was a sham. still think that. what -- what do you want to say to them? >> that's something that's really ridiculous to me. because why would i marry someone, what for ratings? i didn't need that. and so, you know, does amazing with or without the wedding. why, you know, to me it's just hurtful when people say that because anyone that knows me knows that i love really hard. i fall hard. and i followed my heart. >> you walked down the aisle expecting to spend the rest of your life with him? >> absolutely. and so when things don't work out that's sometimes just how life is. you don't go in to it expecting

that. but when you realize it, for me, when i realized it fast, what's the point in dragging something out for waiting when you know that it's just not it for you. so, but, to me, i learned a lesson from everything that i go through, and i really believe this whole experience has changed me for the better. and i have no regrets. >> all right. okay. let's move on and talk about this woman from peta who threw this flour at you, people started dubbing it a flour bomb. what do you think her punishment should be? >> you know what? i don't think -- it's just a little odd to me that their whole message is nonviolence towards animals, yet they are being violent towards humans. i don't think that assaulting someone is appropriate at all. >> has it changed your mind about whether you want to wear fur? >> you know, we -- we cautiously do not carry fur in our stores

anymore. i don't carry real fur in our clothing lines or my qvc line and my sears line. my personal opinion and my personal choice, i believe everyone has the choice of what they want. and that's my personal opinion. it's not illegal to buy fur. i have vintage furs that were my great grandmother's that mean the world to me with her initials inscribed in them and i, you know, i don't get rid of that memory of my great grand parents so i think it's a personal choice but i don't think it's okay to assault anybody. >> with all this drama, and i know that you've got your keeping up with the kardashians is coming back for a new season coming up but with all this drama and all of this intensity do you ever wish you were not so famous? >> you know what? it's -- i think it's like self-ish to say or act like, you know, life is so tough. i mean we have a really good time filming and being a part of this tv show and it's brought my family so much closer.

>> but do you wish you were not so famous ever? >> there definitely are times when we just wish you can, you know, chill out a little bit and not be -- when you just don't really get what's going on. but we made this decision as a family that we're going to be an open book and for me to try and change my life, i mean, people get married. they get divorced, they, you know, go through arguments with their families. they make up. this is what happens in other people's lives, as well. but the fact that we show it and we're so open, i'm proud of my family for that. so there are times but, also i think that the good outweighs the bad and i feel blessed to have my show, and the family that i have. >> well, that's a good thing always to come back to your family. stick around, will you? because we'd like to invite you to join us -- >> i don't know. i always get stuck with these animal segments. >> there's an animal segment we're going to have you, in fact, that we also want to mention that you can catch the season premiere of "keeping up with the kardashians" sunday, may 20th on our sister network

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[ chuckles ] isn't easter fun, red? [ grunts ] not from my perspective! ♪ we're back now at 8:21 with the stars of animal planet's hit show "river monsters." first nbc's janet shamlian is in bointon beach, florida. good morning to you. >> matt, good morning. if you've never heard of jeremy wade or his hit "river monsters"

ask your kids. this show is part mystery. it's got some biography thrown in. but the rest is pure adventure. >> that's a fish! >> reporter: his name is jeremy wade. >> what i'm looking at her is the ultimate piranha. >> reporter: the swashbuckling biologist who crisscrosses the globe. >> just a murderer. >> oh, those teeth! >> reporter: in an endless search for elusive underwater predators. >> i might have to actually go for a swim. >> reporter: in just three seasons his show "river monsters" has become irresistible. >> too easy. >> reporter: the biggest lure on the cable channel animal planet. >> here comes another one. oh, this thing is a river monster. >> reporter: but how is the elite angler with a new, even greater risk? out of his element, the salty

florida keys with an eager but inexperienced trainee. >> i've got a feeling this could be my biggest challenge yet, taking janet finish. >> come on. >> it's biology. you've got to imagine, you've got to put your mind into the -- >> i am the bait. >> you are the bait and you are also simultaneously the predator. that's the way it works. >> okay. >> you sort of send your mind in two different places. >> the waters of islamorada are filled with fish. most of what you would not call a monster. >> there's something there. you want to see what it is. the curiosity. >> the usual play grounds are the world's jungles. from the congo to south america and beyond. >> look at that. look at that, look at that! if i say let go, just let go, all right? >> an adventure in every exso theic locale. don't call it a fishing show. >> it's almost in a genre all of its own. there's a little bit of mystery. little bit of detective. i think there's almost a little bit of fairy tale, as well.

>> reporter: always mindful of conservation, the predator does quickly catch and release. on this day out in the keys it's slow going. until suddenly, it isn't. >> the real is now alive. there's something down there. i haven't seen it yet. >> we've hooked something big. >> see that tension in the rod. you can see the fish is gradually tiring. >> not a predator but the six foot nurse shark does put up a fight. we get a quick look. then send the bottom dweller back home. yeah, that's great. we got a river monster. not sure a nurse shark down in the keys counts as a river monster. but, matt, if nothing else we've convinced jeremy that he's going to be much better off as a solo act. >> he's actually with us now, janet. thank you very much.

jeremy wade the host of animal planet's "river monsters" is in the studio along with some friends we're going to see in our next half hour. did you ever think when you got your first fishing rod at 7 years old you could turn it into this kind of career? >> i thought nothing at all. >> don't -- >> the first one i caught was about like that. and then from then on i just wanted bigger and different. and that's led to where i am now. >> you've brought some friends and kim is going to join us here. this one here is, we're not going to -- this is an electric eel. >> oh. >> don't put your hand in there. certainly don't because i'd have to give you cpr. on second thought -- anyway. the new season, the fourth season, kicks off. what can we expect? >> it started off here in the u.s. but, we're getting into more quirky stories. it's not just the obvious fish. we went to mongolia, the far east of russia. different places. quirkier stories. >> he'll introduce us to some of his friends in our next half hour. first your local news.

good morning. it's 8:26 on this friday, april 6th. let's get to storm 4 meteorologist tom kierein with your good friday forecast. >> good morning. after a freezing cold start, temperatures are getting above freezing. now 43 at reagan national, but we did have near or below freezing temperatures west and north just an hour or so ago. now it's into the mid and upper 30s there. later today up around 60 with sunshine and a blustery wind gusting to around 30 miles an hour. tonight clear and cold, down near freezing tomorrow morning. tomorrow still a bit blustery, warmer sunday. warmer sunday. wethanks.e

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good morning. still seeing your eastbound lanes shut on route 7. this is at idlewood road. police will direct you onto idlewood road. here's a look at route 50 westbound at landover road. nice and clear.

eastbound as well. you're clear as you make your way onto new york avenue. a live look at the american legion bridge, no issues on the outer loop or the inner loop. absolutely clear at this time. aaron, back over t

♪ 8:30 now on this friday morning. it's a good friday for a lot of reasons. it's the 6th day of april, 2012. we have a rather large crowd this morning starting off their holiday weekend with us here in rockefeller plaza. and coming up in this half hour we're going to be hearing from the one and only nicki minaj.

>> she relesioned her sophomore album this week, it quickly shot to number one on itunes. she's got an incredible look. alter egos. people love her music. we're going to talk to nicki inside in just a couple of minutes and she'll perform a little later. >> we just talked a little about those river monsters a few minutes ago. now kim ardishian is going to be getting up and close, she's already doing it, getting close up with those, and personal with these animals, you know she's a braver girl than i think i am. >> no way. >> good on you, kim. >> oh! >> wow. >> and by the way, we've got lidia bastianich up in our kitchen. she's going to help us make a great easter dinner with, of course, a little italian flair. >> already, are you paying too

much for your cable and internet service? we will tell you what you can do to lower your bill. apparently just ask nicely. i'm sure our parent company comcast appreciates me telling everybody that. >> how about a check of the weather? >> let's show you what we've got for your weekend. tomorrow the day before eastero easter sunday, we've got nice, mild conditions through the southeast. we've also got a slight risk of strong storms in texas, some clouds along the pacific northwest coast. easter sunday, sunday we are looking for lots of sunshine, especially along the mid-atlantic coast back on into the southeast. rain through texas again. more rain moves into the northern california coast into the pacific northwest coast with plenty of sunshine. right over here we've got the easter family. your name is easter. >> we're the easters from california. >> we've got the passover family over there. just kidding. that's what's going on around country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. good morning. tom kierein, stormcenter 4. this is a live from from our sky watcher camera. beautiful blue sky over

washington on this friday morning. plenty of sunshine and still quite a chill in the air. it's only 40 degrees throughout much of the region. later today we'll climb to the upper 50s to near 60 and have a gusty wind too. right now winds are gusting around 20 miles per hour. winds diminish under a clear sky. another cold start tomorrow morning as well as sunday >> and that's the latest weather. >> all right, al you're missing all the fun. we're back with jeremy wade the host of animal planet's "river monsters." this is the moment i've been waiting for. kim is going to put the glove on and put her hand in the tank with the lick eel. how dangerous is this? >> are you sure peta is not going to come after me for this? >> we're not harming the animals. animals may harm you. >> feel better? >> you know, i think possibly it's better not to. >> really? >> these things are seriously dangerous. about 500 volts. you could end up on your back on the floor. i'm just looking at this, these are little holes here. >> let's move on, okay.

>> i think we should move on. >> there you go, matt lauer risked the life of kim kardashian this morning. >> tell me about this little one here? >> this is a red tailed catfish from the amazon. they grow to about my size. there are stories of these ones swallowing babies. >> your size? >> yes. >> so this is a small one. but do you want to -- >> can i touch this one? >> you can touch this one. >> you can just tickle his head if you like. >> ooh! >> you have to feel this. >> it's not slimy at all. >> it's more sandpaper. >> it's more like leather. and the tentacles. they live normally in muddy wat water. they don't see very much so they're living by feeling their way around. >> they're not in danger or anything? >> this one is not. >> he's not going to be mad at me if i say, are they good eating? >> these aren't particularly good eating. the amazon people tend to eat anything just about. but i have eaten these. >> yeah?

>> they're all right. >> these are -- >> talk about this tarpon. >> these are baby ones. these grow bigger than me. when i was down in florida with janet the skipper we were with, the boat captain, he was driving one day and a big one of these jumped out of the water, hit the guy he was fishing with in the chest. had to be hospitalized. theyhood to take him to the emergency room. these are tarpon and they are a lovely silvery color. they're probably a little bit half moving. >> oh, well. this one is amazing. >> this is a stingray from the amazon. these also grow very big. this particular species grows maybe a couple of foot across. but you get some, i'm caught stingrays in rivers that weighed twice as much as i do. and they have on here, if you look closely you can see on the tail, you can see the spine, he gets his name from. it can be up to ten inches long on some fish. and normally, they can cause you

a nasty injury. normally if you stand on them that's understandable. >> i like the leopard. >> are you thinking shoes? >> come on! >> just remember, you practice catch and release on this show. >> yes. everything goes back. everything goes back. >> jeremy, congratulations on the fourth season. great to have you here. >> yeah, thanks for teaching us something this morning. >> and you can catch "river monsters" sunday night 10:00 p.m. eastern, 10:00 pacific on animal planet. >> that's right. coming up we've got music and fashion sensation nicki minaj. but first, this is "today" on nbc. picking a wireless network

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we're back now at 8:38. "the new york times" calls nicki minaj the techly color barbie with the big voice and an elastic smile. in three short years she's carved out her spot in the world of music and pop culture. her new album "pick friday roman

reloaded" is already number one on itunes. congratulations about that. nicki, nice to have you here. >> it's a pleasure to be here. >> who do i have with me today? is there an alter ego present? >> it's just nicki. >> how did you decide? looking at your outfit and i'm sorry it's hard not to look at your outfit, how do you decide how to costume yourself on a daily basis? >> i just -- it's all very impromptu. i hate planning stuff. i don't know. yesterday actually, i told my stylist, i was like you know what, i've been doing some color -- just get me black. black, black, black everything. and she's like, really? i said, yeah, i mean i don't know why sometimes that, you know, it changes but today is a black day. >> see i look at you and i think this is someone who must have an enormous team of people making all these decisions. are you involved in every decision? >> every decision. every decision. i'm -- i've always been like that sin i was a little girl. i need to be involved. i need to have everything written out for me. i can't just have people make

decisions for me. >> you have credited people like madonna, laid today gaga, with being inspirations for you. and obviously these are people, as we've gotten to know them over the years, who like to reinvent themselves. is that the part of them that you admire most? well, i don't really know gaga, but madonna, i had the pleasure of working with her, obviously, and i feel like she's really changed and reinvented not only herself but pop culture. so what inspired me about madonna is that she's able to balance all of this with her family and her personal life. and i told her life. i was like, how do you do this, you know, with your children are there and she's a great mom. you know, she's just everything. >> was that wild, super bowl? i mean, as you were performing did you stop to think, how many people were watching that? >> that's what made me so nervous before i went on because i kept hearing the number 100 million in my head over and over and over. and i just, at one point i was literally about to just freeze

up when i was waiting to come up on the lift. i was like oh, my goodness, get me out of here. >> knees shaking? >> knees shaking, hands freezing cold, everything. >> i was reading an article you did with ryan seacrest and you talked about something that surprised me. you said there was something about marilyn monroe. >> yeah. >> that when you saw pictures of her, you saw something in your eyes. >> yeah. >> that affected you. >> it was just like a longing for something. like a longing for approval. and i feel like a lot of women in power, or successful women, as successful as they are, they have that desire to still be loved. to still be always, you know, great, to still be approved. and it's like no matter how many times you tell them they're great they don't believe it. >> so are you the type of person who worries with each venture? you've got a sophomore album. >> yes. >> in other words it's your second album. >> yeah. >> with so much success from the first one do you get the jitters, do you think, will people still love this as much? >> i don't get the jitters because this one is such a --

honestly it's a better album. it's so much more well-rounded. it's way more songs. it's -- it's everything is just way more exciting on this album. so i don't have the jitters. i'm really just excited to go on tour. i'm about to start my world tour this year and my fans have been going crazy. and like i'm just excited more than anything, more than the album, i mean, eventually people are going to buy the album, you know. but more than anything for me, it's like the fact that this album is now done, out of the way and you can go -- >> take a deep breath? >> no, i can go and see my fans because i haven't been able to really touch them and feel them one-on-one in a long time because i was doing the tour with wayne and britney and then you know it kind of took me outside of that intimate thing with my fans. >> you're going to do some performing for us in the studio in just a couple of minutes. it's nice to see you nicki. it's a pleasure to have you here. >> it's great to be here. >> thank you. appreciate it. 8:42. up next, the tips to the ultimate easter brunch. and then nicki minaj performs right after that.

"today" celebrates easter is brought to you by m&ms. bring m&ms home this easter. ♪ i'm putting all my eggs in one basket ♪ >> back now at 8:45. and this morning on "today" celebrates easter, holiday brunch with italian flair. restaurateur lidia bastianich is here with some great dishes for your easter buffet. always a pleasure to have you here. and you're going to make something easy for us. >> a simple something you can make. it's something great for brunch. but before the easter, the big meal, that's what we used to eat. >> now you're starting with tomatoes and onions. >> here the onions, i get the onions sweated and all that and put a little bit of tomatoes and get those caramelized. once they're caramelized i'll take them out and i will continue to make this. >> what do we have there? >> a little basil.

>> dry basil and now we have -- >> a little bit of cheese. >> pecorino cheese? >> grano padanno is whole cow's milk. you can pour that all in. >> on top of the sweated onions. >> okay. good. we'll get that. and you let this slightly set. and once you let it set, it comes to just like that. and this is the tomatoes that we sort of pulled out. >> i wondered where they went. >> oh, you see. and you put them just on top. you kind of spread them around, and gives a beautiful look. and it gives a great flavor. and a little bit ricotta. as italians we like our ricotta. and just kind of, you know, usually the ricotta is mixed in. no, i like it just like that in lumps. it cooks beautifully and then when you eat it and you taste it, it will shape into a nice, nice cake. now this goes into the oven. >> like this?

>> just like that you put it in the oven and give it about five minutes or so, it's finished. >> so while that's cooking a nice salad. cooked and raw salad. some roasted onions, boiled potatoes, string beans. let's put a little bit of olives. you like that? capers. so you can see the flavors like they're building here. now the raw elements, some more tomatoes, some nice big lettuce. >> yeah, just make it rough like that. i agree with you. >> right. okay, you mix. >> yes, ma'am. >> a dressing. a good, good, good, just oil and vinegar. >> that's it? >> you see this is a great salad. it has a lot of flavor. and a lot of nourishment. and you can make that in to a full meal. you can put some tuna, you know, you can put some grilled chicken. >> that looks lovely. that is beautiful. that was -- we're taking it out of the oven. >> this is how television works.

you move on. >> boom. i'm starting to get the picture of how television works. >> here is the frittata. i'll give you a nice look at how beautiful this is. so when you bring it to the table -- i give you a whole tomato. because i didn't want to ruin. now we're talking about tomatoes for easter. i want you to take this. >> the thing is ilways wonder tomatoes when they cook they kind of get all mushy. what do you stuff them with? >> this is rice. you cook the rice, whatever you want to flavor in the rice. this tomato if you try it a little bit underripe tomatoes. everything is cook how you want it to colorize itself. and of course the easter bread. >> really good. >> isn't it good? >> the easter bread that's a traditional thing. >> absolutely. used to make that when i was a little girl with grandma. >> this one here is the egg? >> and i used to nibble at it. >> we've got lots of wonderful

desserts. but i want to get to this story. because this is a great one. this is from your mother? >> my grandmother. we used to go to church every, you know, christmas and easter and so on but easter morning early with us she would take a towel like that and she would put scallions and salt and eggs, whole legs and some bread, and she would tie it just like that, like a beggar's purse and we would go to church. >> carrying it like that? >> yes. >> and then when we came home -- and then at the end of the mass, the ladies would go up to the altar, put it on the steps, open it up and have the priest bless it and then we would take it back home. and this would be our first snack, this with a little prosciutto, the italians zip it in egg, a piece of the bread, i piece of prosciutto that would be our snack. before the easter meal. so you know, it's kind of -- >> what a story. >> it's being grateful for the

earth that gives us the scallion and the bread, basic salt, the eggs, which mean for fertilization and new life. it's the meaning of life right here. >> lidia bastianich bringing an italian easter to our homes. happy easter. thank you so much, lidia. coming up next, a live performance from nicki minaj, uh-huh. that's coming up. but first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪ okay, so who ordered the cereal that can help lower cholesterol

and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. that's yours. lower cholesterol. lower cholesterol. i'm yummy. lower cholesterol. i got that wrong didn't i? [ male announcer ] want great taste? honey nut cheerios. want whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. it's a win win. good? [ crunching, sipping ] be happy. be healthy. can i try yours?

the toyota concert series on "today," brought to you by toyota. we're back now 8:51. more with nicki minaj, she's got a bland h brand-new album, "pink friday roman reloaded." her new video is premiering today on her website. we're thrilled she's performing for us. you ready? >> yes. >> ladies and gentlemen, nicki minaj. ♪ ♪ ♪ let's go i'm on the floor i love to dance ♪ ♪ more more on the floor floor

if you want more more then here i am ♪ ♪ ♪ because we're so hot one more time ♪ ♪ and touch the sky ♪ let's do this one last time ♪ ♪ i own that i owe that ♪

♪ that's what you like there's no end in sight ♪ ♪ ♪ get on the floor like you go like this ♪ ♪ if you want more then i am ♪ ♪ and touch the sky can't stop because we're too high ♪ ♪ one more time can't stop hands up and touch the sky ♪ ♪ let's do this one more time ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ hands up and touch the sky ♪ ♪ let's do this one more time ♪ ♪ hands up and touch the sky ♪ let's do this one more time ♪ ♪ >> nicki minaj.

she'll be back with more music. but first your local news and weather. 8:56 is your time now on this friday, april 6th, 2012. good morning to you, i'm -- tom, what happened to our warm weather? >> we'll be getting to 60 this afternoon. right now it's in the low to mid-40s. we'll have a bit of a blustery

wind gusting to around 30 miles an hour. clear tonight and cold again. by dawn on saturday near freezing, but afternoon highs should make it into the mid-60s tomorrow. winds a bit blustery too gusting to 30 miles an hour on saturday. mid-30s in the morning. sunday afternoon in the upper 60s of the might get a shower monday afternoon but another cool pattern next week. >> we'll

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with eggs, bacon and your choice of veggies on toasty flatbread! this april only, it joins our many $5 footlongs™! subway. eat fresh. good morning. the roadways look really good, especially on i-270. travel lanes are open southbound at shady grove, northbound clear as well. in fact as you make your way on to the beltway, not seeing any issues for you. here's a live look. inner loop speeds from i-27058 miles per hour. just taking 10 minutes to get from i-270 to i-95.

we're back now with more of "today" on a friday. what a week it's been. a friday morning, the 6th day of april, 2012. spectacular pre-easter weather here. we've got 39 degrees, which sounds cold but a beautiful blue sky. it will warm up a little bit this afternoon. out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer along with ann curry. al roker, and ms. tamron hall. coming up in this half hour we're going to have more on this story of this 80-year-old woman flying with her husband in a small plane, he collapsed at the

controls, and then she had to land that plane safely with the help of a friend who was flying in a plane alongside of her. he gave her directions. she survived. her husband did not survive. it's a dramatic story. you'll hear the recordings between the two cockpits coming up. >> pretty sobering. we're also going to be talking about a question that we posed on our facebook page. we asked you which service you pay too much for, and the overwhelming response was cable. and so we're going to give you some advice this morning, jean chatzky is in the house, going to help us out with that. >> all right. april 15th marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the "titanic." isn't that something? and a new documentary endeavors to answer the question once and for all what sunk the unsinkable ship and we'll have some rare artifacts in studio that have been brought back from the wreckage. there are so many theories over the years of james cameron of

course we know for beyond the movie. >> you mean beyond the iceberg? >> absolutely. >> okay. >> and then barbara corcoran will be along to give you a tour of homes, showing you what you can get for your bucks today. or if you are looking and seeing what's out there. >> al, thanks very much. natalie is spending some time off this week. we've got savannah over at the news desk with all the headlines. hi, savannah. >> good morning. in the news today, the new job numbers out and they are not as good as had been expected. they show an economy that is improving but at a very slow pace. the unemployment rate for march is 8.2%. that's down from 8.3% in february. but the economy added only 120,000 jobs. that's the smallest amount since october and much fewer than analysts had expected. now to that newly released audio tape of former new orleans saints defensive coordinator gregg williams. in the tape recorded by a documentary filmmaker and then posted online, williams can be heard urging his players before

a game to use rough tactics on specific opponents to knock them to the sidelines. >> we've got a lot of guys up at the top. kill the head and the body will die. kill the head and the body will die. we've got to do everything in the world to make sure we kill frank gore's head. we want him running sideways. we want his head sideways. >> williams has been suspended indefinitely by the nfl. saints coach sean payton was also suspended for the entire season for his role in the bounty program that paid players who injured opponents. one week after being fired from his hosting job at current tv keith olbermann is taking his former employer to court. he's suing the network for more than $50 million in a breach of contract lawsuit, and blasting current tv for what he claims were shoddy production values. current fired back, saying olbermann was let go for missing work, quote, sabotaging the network, and disparaging his bosses.

now to the remarkable story of an 80-year-old grandmother who found courage under the most difficult of circumstances. her husband died at the controls of their small plane, forcing her to land it safely as it was running out of fuel. we get more now from nbc's kevin tibbles. >> reporter: it was a hard landing, but it was a landing. and the town of sturgeon falls, wisconsin, breathed a sigh of relief. helen and john collins were returning to wisconsin from florida in their cessna when 81-year-old john slumped over the controls and died. leaving helen, who is 80, and not a pilot, alone in the air. >> it's a hell of a place to be. >> reporter: now, a first listen to cockpit voice recordings made as family friend scrambled to fly alongside helen's aircraft and help guide her in to safety. >> somebody better get here in a hurry. >> this is going to be a little bit of a flight lesson but you'll enjoy it.

>> reporter: in spite of the grave situation, helen collins rarely raised her voice or gave even a hint of panic. in fact, when helen hears roads are being closed, as a safety precaution, she asks -- >> don't you have any faith in me? >> reporter: her main concern, she's out of fuel. >> i got to land pretty quick, my gas gauge shows nothing. >> you're just perfect. looking good. it looks good from the outside here. you're doing fantastic. >> reporter: a first attempt has to be aborted. >> okay, you're too high. go around. power up, power up, power up. power up. get your just a little -- no no don't pull back. power up. keep your wings level. that's it. full power. full power. full power. go up, up, up, pull, pull, pull. >> i felt very comfortable that i had a confident person flying that airplane. >> reporter: then she came in, bounced about 30 feet and skidded to a halt. >> power back. power back. power back. off, off, leave the power off. power off, power off. power off. power off. nose up. okay. you're down. >> great job, helen.

great job. >> sadly, john was a good buddy. yeah, we're holding it together, and i'm really happy for helen that she survived. because a difficult time but we all have to move on, i suppose. >> that was nbc's kevin tibbles reporting. helen collins is being treated for spinal injuries and a cracked rib. although her family says her condition is improving. her husband john's funeral is to be held on tuesday. a ship that was set adrift one year ago after the tsunami in japan is now at the bottom of the sea, off the alaskan coast. on thursday, the coast guard unleashed a barrage of cannon fire to sink the ship before it could pose a danger to other ships in that busy channel. you may be seeing bunnies on easter sunday but it is doubtful you will see one like this. this little bundle of fur was born without any ears in a small east german town. its owners had given the bunny a

german name that roughly translates to without ears. but then they decided to call him pinocchio because of his cute, pointy nose. focusing on the positive. it is now 9:07. let's get a check of the weather from al. >> "today's weather" is brought to you by soma intimates. your new bra destinny. >> and as we know you what we've got going on for today, not a bad one throughout much of the country. although, we are -- we do have blizzard warnings in effect for although we do have blizzard warnings in effect for parts of the northeast. i should say for montana. we're talking about anywhere from 6 to 12 inches of snow. 30-mile-per-hour winds. showers in the pacific northwest, gorgeous day here in the northeast. a little on the cool side but plenty of sunshine through the great lakes. some morning showers along the southeastern atlantic coast, should not cause any problems for the masters. look for plenty of sunshine through texas on into the southwest. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods.

good morning, bright sunshine, a chilly breeze. right now we are into the mid-40s much of the region to upper 40s near the bay and farther south. 46 at reagan national. later today only up around 60 for a high. lots of sun, though, and winds gusting 25 to 30 miles an hour. winds diminish under a clear sky and temperatures plummet back down near freezing. saturday should be sunny, blustery, highs mid-60s. a bit milder sunday afternoon after a cold start. maybe a shower monday afternoon. >> time now for "today's real estate." and what you can get for less than $400,000. "today" real estate contributor barbara corcoran is here to show off some stunning homes. showing us the market right now from california to south carolina. good to see you. >> nice houses today, al. >> let's get started. we're going to start off in leander, texas, an impressive five bedroom, three bath home. >> and this house is on buffalo gap street. a perfect name for a good street

in texas. and it's almost 4,000 square feet big and it sure looks impressive. it sits on an interior lot with a gated community with golf, pool, a play ground, and lots of tennis courts. the gourmet kitchen has a cook top island, granite counters and fancy tile back flash splash. the formal dining room has white chairs you'd be crazy to let your kids sit on. the living room has eye catching stone fireplace, i like the arched niches and doors and the soaring ceiling and i think that wide stair case is more elegant and usable than a spiral stair case. the big master bath comes with a garden tub and separate shower and the master bedroom is definitely texas style with an entire wall of windows and crown molding and it's big enough for that four poster king size bed that almost looks like a twin bed in that big room. >> wow. >> in texas. >> they make them big in texas. let's head to columbia, south carolina. we've got a nice house here. beautiful classic four bedroom, four bath, and if you like golf, you'll love this place.

>> this is a great one right on the 11th fairway in this golf community. it's a nice, brick home with black shutters. probably one of the best selling type houses in america. the kitchen has white cabinets, granite counters and a sun filled breakfast area. the dining room has wainscoting, elegant floors and a big picture window. not such a big room but boy does it look big with that nice light coming in. the great room is spectacular with blonde floors and a two story ceiling and cleverly they put that big black rug which makes it look bigger. there are sliding glass doors into a private patio in the master bedroom that overlooks the rolling green golf courses. and the back of the house, a covered patio and a deck, an oversized lot and it's just beautifully landscaped. >> that is gorgeous. fun on the golf course. now we're going to go to glen ellen, illinois, for a four bedroom, 2 1/2 bath house. >> if you say you live in glen

ellyn in illinois, everybody knows you're absolutely smart and have two perfect kids. this house is a funky modern exterior that makes it a status symbol in town. it's cool, inside the open floor plan flows from one room to the next. much like you kind of expect in a new york city loft. i love the sexy, curved accent wall. it would be a great spot for giving kids big time-outs. the super modern kitchen has been renovated with granite counters and stainless steel appliances. the family room has gleaming wood floors, a fireplace, windows that look out on a big backyard. the master bedroom has a ceiling with a dramatic sky light that overlooks the living room below. not much privacy but great effect. the covered patio is completely unconventional but really puts you out in the greenery while you watch your neighbors run in from the rain. the wraparound built-in seating makes the living room a perfect place for hanging out and entertaining. $367,500. >> and now let's head to new

mexico, the land of enchantment. a nice tuscan three bedroom, two bath home. >> and you might find out that the front yard in this one redefines the land of enchantment. it's not a graveyard out front, it's a backlit rock garden. i wonder what the neighbors think. you'd love to do some cooking to merit this kitchen inside, it's an open kitchen with an industrial size refrigerator, double oven with granite counters, and custom cabinets. the dining room has travertine floors, there are beautiful timber tresses high above the great room that extend way out to the outdoor living space, and is accessible through the sliding glass doors. the outdoor living room is half in, half out, partially enclosed by a vaulted timber ceiling. and out back there's a seating area circling a wood burning pit and with spectacular sunset views over those gorgeous mountains. >> our director joe michaels said we should go there and do our show. >> definitely, why not? >> and then finally, palm springs, california.

kind of a pricey address, but not a bad price. >> but this is what you get in palm springs. people think you get nothing. but this is what you get for $399,000. a classic modern home with a butterfly roof. both ends are higher than the middle. it's got a detached car port, not a garage and a breezeway all under the same roof line. the island kitchen is not that big but it's efficient with glass cabinets and a posted beam ceiling. the hall interior has an open floor plan, kath he'dial ceilings and dark wood floors. the bedrooms are decorated in post-modern style and the owner is even willing to sell his furnishings at a price. the master bedroom is stark. you'd have to be married to someone really super neat to live here. the sparkling blue pool that has palm trees around it. >> you've been on your best behavior, i think because your daughter is here. >> of course she is. i'm trying to set a good example for a change.

>> new policy, barbara. very nice. happy easter. and up next, are you paying too much for your internet and cable? we'll tell you how to save. and her bffs ith n and we are talking about activia. i've been eating activia and i feel great! i'm used to having irregularity. i feel like that's normal. if you are not feeling like trying this on, that's not normal. activia helps with occasional irregularity when eaten 3 times a day. feeling regular to me was a new feeling... i came to find my 'new normal' and i love it! ♪ activia and try new silky, fruity activia harvest picks. another way to enjoy activia. you get a 50% annual bonus. and everyone likes 50% more cash -- well, except her.

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no, you. ahhhhh. [ female announcer ] this easter... bring a tradition... out of its shell. rice krispies®. i did it! you did! this morning on "today's consumer," how to save money on your cable bills. if you think you're paying too much to watch those 500 plus channels and use the internet, you are not alone. "today's" financial editor jean chatzky helps three viewers save some big bucks. >> hi, savannah. >> start at the beginning how this segment came about. you asked folks what is the thing you think you pay too much for. >> we got a lot of answers. but this is the most popular, cable bills, internet, the whole bundle package. >> we should mention that our

parent company is comcast. a big cable company. so as we go forward we just wanted to mention that. how much do cable bills typically increase every year? >> they've been going up at about 4% or 5% a year which is more than the rate of inflation and it's no wonder people think they're expensive because it's very easy to keep adding boxes and keep adding services and all of a sudden you're paying hundreds of dollars a month and thinking, how did i get there? >> generally the concept is if you bunding, if you buy more you do get a better rate. is that right? >> generally. but not always. and you have to know what you're paying for each component of your package in order to cut the best deal. >> people feel kind of helpless, that there's nothing you can do, the cable bill is the cable bill. >> i think people understand that when it comes to the cell phone bill they should pick up the phone and ask for a better deal. the same is true of your cable company, and we've got three examples to prove it. >> so let's get to those example. these are real viewers. you actually helped them get a better deal. the first one, it really exemplifies the strategy of negotiate by using competition.

>> right. so, ron got in touch with us. he has a bill of $270 a month for his entire package and he's getting a lot for that. he's got high speed internet, a couple of dvr boxes, he's got people yaum channels. but a satellite company is coming in to his area and offering $70 a month for a lot of those cable channels. so we picked up the phone, we called, we got to the retention department, which is where you want to be. because they're in charge of keeping customers, and they immediately said yes, we understand there's competition in the area, they offered to cut the bill by 35%. so they saved $70 a month, close to $700 a year. >> that begs the question, where and how do you do research to really compare the deals? sometimes it's confusing in the cable world. are you comparing apples to apples. >> first, start to pay attention to the advertisements on television. because they're advertising like crazy when it comes to a market. but also watch your mail. often they'll send you flyers that tell you specifically what

they're offering for what. >> all right. let's talk about viewer number two. real-life viewer, re-evaluate your bill every six months. >> right. so this is ron. and i just want to make sure i got all the details right. we noticed immediately he had the most expensive package going. and so we asked him, are you actually watching all of those channels? and he said, in fact, he wasn't. he could drop down two different packages and save himself a lot of money there. but we didn't start there. because we want the company to negotiate first. and so we just said, what kind of discount can you offer us. they came off $40 a month, which was again, great, but then we said, all right, now we'll go down two different packages. that saved us another $34 a month. the discounts only last for a set amount of time. sometimes it's 12 months, sometimes it's 6 months. you want to call back at the end of that period, and just ask if they'll repeat it. because if the competition is still there, they generally will. but again, saved him a lot of

money. >> real quickly the third strategy ask for a one-time credit. really? this works? >> yes, it worked in two out of the three cases. maureen we got her a one-time credit of $60 which is $5 a month off of her bill. her bill was only $70 a month plus a $10 a month discount. >> ask nicely, right? >> be very nice. these people work hard. >> they do, indeed. we get a lot of calls from grumpy people. jean chatzky, thanks so much. still to come, what really happened the night the "titanic" went down. coming up, the documentary that sheds new light on the disaster nearly 100 years later. plus a look at some fascinating artifacts that were retrieved from the deep. we'll have them right here in our studio. mommy's got a surprise for you. [ rattling ]

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coming up, fashion's bright colors are trendy for your home too. how to decorate with a splash of tangerine. >> plus another song from mickey minaj. >> all of that after your local news and weather. ♪ sunlight says get up and go ♪ mountain-grown aroma coming through ♪ ♪ a new challenge waits for you ♪ ♪ ♪ jumpin' into something new ♪ you really see all you can do ♪ ♪ ♪ the best part of wakin' up ♪ is folgers in your cup yeah lunch announcements are primetime. [ male announcer ] lunchables peanut butter and jelly with a crispy rice treat. feed your great ideas. [ feedback ] ♪ it's peanut butter jelly time ♪ ♪ peanut butter jelly time

♪ peanut butter jelly time ♪ peanut butter jelly ♪ peanut butter jelly [ cheers and applause ] peanut butter paul. a legend is born. ♪ peanut butter jelly with a baseball bat ♪ good morning. it's 9:26 on this friday, april 6th. i'm aaron gilchrist. >> good morning, still chilly. we're in the mid and upper 40s. later today climbing to 60 degrees, lots of sunshine. we'll have that wind a bit blustery gusting over 25 miles an hour from time to time this afternoon. this evening we'll have that wind settling down and under a clear sky, temperatures down as well. all the way down near freezing by dawn tomorrow. mid-60s on saturday. still a blustery wind tomorrow. sunny on sunday, a cold start, but afternoon highs upper 60s. might get a shower on monday afternoon. then cool weather returns then cool weather returns midweek

never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. if my mom can fight and beat breast cancer, i can walk 60 miles. (woman) the fund-raising was the easiest part. people were very giving. complete strangers wanting to help. i knew someday i was gonna do this walk. if i can do this, you definitely can do this. we can do this. we can all do this together. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime.

good morning. traveling southbound at 395 at maine avenue, crews are working taking up your left lane. you're able to pass but stick to the right to get by. now over to maryland, not seeing any problems on the beltway. a live look inner loop making your way past college park,

you're pretty clear. in fact as you make your way all the way to green belt, no issues, 59 miles per hour. back over to you, aaron. >> thank you. on news 4 midday, tom chef mike stops by to talk abo

the motto around our house, there's always room for one more. and they are such a gift. we are so grateful for each one of them. >> oh, good, one more. those were the duggers. the arkansas family who have their own reality show "19 kids and counting." how do they do it? you'll see firsthand when they have us over for breakfast monday on "today." i'm really looking forward to spending some time with the duggers. >> really cool. >> we'll see how they pull it off logistically. i'm curious. also coming up in this half hour it has been named the color of the year. tangerine tango. >> is that what you're wearing? >> i guess so, yeah. so now i'm going to coordinate it with my house. you can do it, too, if you don't

want to really do it in the walls. we can show you how you can add an accent and brighten up every room of your home. tamron? >> then, next week marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the so-called unsinkable "titanic." for centuries the story of the doomed oceanliner have enthralled audiences and fascinated historians. we'll take a rare look at some items recently recovered from the wreck. >> and speaking of color, her brand-new album named for another bright color "pink friday" and this friday we're going to get one more song from pop star nicki minaj. first let's say hello to jenna wolfe is here with a preview of what's coming up -- >> i had that on this morning at the last minute and changed it. it was too subtle. this morning on "today" we're going to have the latest on the trayvon martin case. protesters in florida plan to camp out at sanford city hall

calling for george zimmerman's arrest. his attorney will join us for an interview. plus, lauren scruggs, she's the model seriously injured when she walked into a plane's spinning propell propeller. her parents are going to talk about how their faith pulled them through that difficult time. and then dennis rodman like you've never seen him before. the basketball legend sets the record straight about allegations that he's not only broke, but very sick. all that and more when we see you this weekend on "today." >> all right, jenna, look forward to that. al is going to get a check of the weather. >> something about dennis rodman, he always has a place to put his keys. let's show you what's going on as far as yput his keys. let's show you what's going on as far as your weather is concerned. for saturday some clouds across the northwest coast. slight risk of storms from texas into the mid-mississippi river valley. mild conditions into the southeast. east eer sunday, sunday, snow showers in new england, wet weather along the pacific west coast. texas on into oklahoma

thunderstorms. nice and mild through the central plains on into the southeast, nice and warm down in florida. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. good morning. a sapphire sky. a live view overlooking washington. temperatures are still chilly. we're in the upper 40s and it will be 50 degrees by 10:00 or so and into the 50s by noon time. during the afternoon we'll climb to near 60. we'll have winds also gusting 25 to 30 miles an hour. overnight tonight clear, cold again. another freezing start tomorrow morning. near freezing sunday morning. both afternoons sa >> and that's your latest weather. >> all right, al, thanks. coming up next, taking the fear out of using the hottest color of the year in your home. but first, these messages. mommy's got a surprise for you. [ rattling ]

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this morning on "today's home," we are doing the tangerine tango. it's not a dance. it's the season's hottest color and you may be surprised at how versatile it is if you'd like to give your home a fresh, new pop. sabourino soto, the host of hgtv is here to show us how to do it. you look lovely in your tangerine. >> thank you. >> bright colors are in. we know a mistake is to go out and buy a huge refrigerator or oven that's tangerine. don't do that. but you can paint your walls. >> you can. you can paint all of the walls a very bright color but you want to keep all of the furniture either glass, acrylic or height. that's the rule. >> that's the tip on that. we cannot these not just an accent wall. >> all of the walls. no more accent walls. >> we're beyond that. why is this color so hot, you think? >> i think it's just cheery and

fun. and it's very easy to incorporate this into your house. pair it with a warm gray, or a navy blue. >> let's start off with the kitchen. >> so this is a very small way you can incorporate into your kitchen ap $80 electric kettle is a way to be bold but you can get this, rachael ray for $30. either way this is a low $80, low $30. >> okay but it's still -- >> they both heat water. >> absolutely. >> high-low continues in our kitchen. >> these are two toasters. this has more features it's $100. it has the peek-thru to see the toast if it's browning. if you still want the look this $40 is just as good. >> i actually love the texture on this. and you get the color and a little texture too. >> it's more modern. this is a little bit more vintage. >> very nice moving down the line. both are adorable. but if you don't have the cash to spend. >> right. this is $18 hand made with vegetable dye. this is just screen printed, mass market $9. but again very easy to

incorporate into nine kitchen. >> this is a little brighter. this is a little richer in color. does that matter? >> you'll see a difference in some of the colors because of different manufacturers twist their colors. orange, as long as you're in the orange family. >> and little accent bowls can be versatile. >> yes, you could use them outside barbecuing, inside for a fancy dinner. this set is $27, the low set is $6. the low set is a little bit more of a modern look. this is fiesta ware so it's been around for 75 years. >> i like fiesta. >> the trays can be so versatile. you can use them in your living room, your bedroom. >> absolutely. and i have them everywhere in my house. the high end is jonathan adler, has 12 layers of blacker. >> oh. >> so it's going to last you a lot longer. if you don't want to splurge on that great item this is a lot less expensive only $29. >> and i imagine if you avoid putting it in the dish washer, washing it by hand the color

lasts -- >> you'll have to be more careful. >> perfect. moving on to the seating area. would this be for outdoors or indoors? >> both. outdoor or indoor. if you try to pick this one up you'll see the difference between the two. >> should i try? >> yes. >> really heavy, right? that one's more expensive, $285. that's $169. they're both made in italy the same manufacturer. you can tell this one is sturdier. >> i have to tell you, i love the seat on this one. kind of this nice curve. i like that. >> austin powers. >> okay, moving on to more things in our living room or den we have the versatile item you can use them in a bathroom. >> you can put that in your bathroom? >> oh, absolutely. that one is made out of leather. it's $295. the low is cotton, it's $90. i put that in my sister's new nursery. >> and these rugs? >> the high end is actually the smaller one. that is $295. the bigger one is $90. but this is a cool blend where as the high end is just cotton.

>> that makes sense. the size is different. you get the same effect with both of them. >> right. throws again another versatile accessory. the high end is made out of mohair. it's $295. another jonathan adler item. the low end is just a wool, $169. >> but i love it. it's a different texture but you still get that pop. >> this one say little richer because it's very, very luxurious. >> but this one is equally nice. >> yes. >> and last but not least. >> the lanterns. you would think that either one is more expensive. this one is only $49. the high end is $99. but it's made out of iron. >> where do you put these in your home? >> you could put these outside on a patio, a deck. inside like in an enclosed patio, as well. >> nice stuff. >> sit down. >> these are high end. i'm low end. this one. sabrina. >> what do you think? >> i like it. >> back to back. >> sabrina, thank you so much. up next 100 years later, a look at artifacts recently recovered from the "titanic." right after this.

mommy's got a surprise for you. [ rattling ] wanna see what's in it? yeah! whoagasp! whoagasp! whoagasp! you wanna make these? you put it in here? yeah, put it in there. ok, just press. i'm gonna give you some m&m's® to put in there. ok! ready? and then you wanna take this... ...put it together. shake it. [ giggles ] are you making them for the easter bunny? no, you. ahhhhh. [ female announcer ] this easter... bring a tradition... out of its shell. rice krispies®. i did it! you did!

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another way to enjoy activia. next weekend will mark 100 years since the "titanic" sank to the bottom of the north atlantic. more than 1500 passengers died. now a new history channel documentary goes into the deep and provides a look at the ship's remains. and the rare artifacts that were recently recovered from the wreckage. it is a fascinating glimpse at what life was like for those on board. the vice president of collections, and the director of underwater research for rms "titanic" incorporated. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> i'll start with you. you have visited the wreckage more than 30 times, as i understand it.

what is it like to actually be down there and see this piece of history? >> well, it is the wreck of the "titanic" is unbelievable. it is the most beautiful wreck i've ever seen in my life. but at the same time, it is full of emotion, and sad because, of course, a big, dramatic maritime disaster, and it is really unbelievable, and you see the big hull of the ship and the big debris field full of artifacts. we never recovered anything from inside the ship. we always recover the artifacts from the debris field. >> astonishing that you can still recover artifacts 100 years later. and that brings me to you, alix. you have some artifacts on the table. i know i am not permitted to touch them so i will keep my distance. tell us what we have here. >> first of all we have a second class dining saloon plate. it was done in a blue and white delph pattern that's still

popular today. this insignia here is the white star line banner and flag. that was placed on most of the dinner service. >> wow. >> and then over here you have some items and you said the key to the fact they were preserved is they were in leather? >> yes, all of these art facts were found in leather. most of this hand leather. this little wallet has some business cards, and money in it. and the leather had the effects of preserving paper, books, textiles, clothing. all these things without much damage whatsoever. >> and you say it has a story to tell? >> it does. the item here this paper document is the birth certificate -- sorry the marriage certificate of marian rose parents. it gives a key looking into her life. her father john henry ogden married ann who was a widow. witnessed by their parents. it's a great story. this one here is a wonderful story. we've only recently associated this pipe with first officer

william murdoch who was on the bridge when the ship hit the iceberg, and then proceeded for the rest of the evening to load the lifeboats. he did not survive but we found his kit with this pipe in it. >> it's amazing to think something made of paper could still be with us. tell us about this book. >> this belonged to edgar samuel andrew, a 17-year-old student, but his family lived in argentina. so this is a book of castlian grammar. and if i open it up you can see that the print is still there, although the pages are damaged, stained, it's in great condition considering where it's been for the last 80 years. >> before we go any further, i should say how difficult it is to extract these artifacts from these wreckage. >> sometimes, of course when we want to recover something we don't want damage, and when we saw something that on -- we recovered one artifact. >> i don't even want to think about how you were able to see these things in that dark ocean. tell us, alix, if you would, about this coat?

>> this is a custom made prince of wales chest coat, double breasted as you see. it was' covered in a suit case with three other suits and pajamas. unfortunately no name. but it was custom made for a sizable imagine. i would imagine it would be first class. but the prince of wales, king edward actually selected this check and so it's known today as the prince of wales check. >> 100 years after that terrible accident, these items still hold our fascination. i know for you two, but for all of us. so thank you for sharing them. >> my pleasure. >> and a reminder you can watch "titanic at 100, mystery solved" april 18th on the history channel. coming up next, one more song from hitmaker nicki minaj. first this is "today" on nbc. the word is swapportunity.

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the toyota concert series on "today," brought to you by toyota. >> kathie lead and hoda coming up next. but before we go we've got one more song from nicki minaj. >> the song is from her latest album called "pink friday: roman reloaded" and it's called right by my side. nicki can really rock out. let's let her take it away. ♪ ♪ ♪ it all comes down to this i miss your morning kiss ♪ ♪ i won't lie i'm feeling it ♪

♪ you're gone now and i'm missing it ♪ ♪ i'm so dumb i must admit ♪ ♪ it's too much to hold it in ♪ ♪ i can't say no more than this ♪ ♪ i just hope your heart hear me now ♪ ♪ gotta let you know how i'm feeling ♪ ♪ you own my heart just renting ♪ ♪ don't taurn way pay attention ♪ ♪ i'm pouring out my heart oh, boy ♪ ♪ i i'm not living life ♪ ♪ i'm not living right if i'm not living if you're not by my side ♪ ♪ oh, oh, ♪ i i'm not living life ♪ ♪ i'm not living right i'm not living if you're not by my side ♪ ♪ oh, oh, ♪ i can't eat i i i i can't sleep i i i ♪ ♪ what i need i i i

is you right by my side ♪ ♪ i can't eat i i i i can't sleep i i i i ♪ ♪ what i need i i i i is you right by my side ♪ ♪ it ain't your spit game it's your quick game ♪ ♪ they got me walking around to wear your big chain ♪ ♪ i only with them when i think about he always seems to come back, because i'm let me get your phone ♪ ♪ let me get in my truck because they can't catch it ♪ ♪ we don't know i don't even remember thought i was probably bent ♪ ♪ i i'm not living i'm not living right ♪ ♪ i'm not living if you're not by my side ♪

♪ oh, oh, i'm not living right i'm not living right ♪ ♪ i'm not living if you're not by my side oh, oh, ♪ ♪ i i oh, oh, ♪ ♪ oh, oh, you're not by my side ♪ ♪ i can't eat i i i i i can't sleep i i ♪ ♪ what i need i i i is you right by my side ♪ 44

good morning. i'm eun yang. >> and i'm aaron gilchrest. we're gearing up for a big week next week. >> everything you need to know about the easter egg roll. >> we will have live coverage from the white house. plus your weather and traffic together on the 1s. >> meteorologist tom kierein is here with a look at the weekend's forecast. >> it does look like a cool pattern will be continuing.

right now we're near 50 degrees. we've got bright sunshine. as we get into the weekend, it should be a bit warmer. we've got to make it into the 60s on saturday and again on sunday, but as we get into next week, it does look like the cool pattern continues throughout much of the week. monday morning i'll be here to help you through it. i'll be watching the roads monday morning to make sure your commute is painless. plus i'll let you know if there's any delays on the metro, the mark or the dr echl. plus all the news from your neighborhood while you sleep. >> we start at 4:28. wake up with us and get your day started the right way.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello, everybody. it's try-day, friday. it is april 6th. we're getting ready for a big easter weekend. it is both good friday today and the first night of passover. so a lot of families and friends are going to be getting together to celebrate. >> yes, indeed. hi! >> i'll see my old pal regis on sunday. in the meantime, we're going to be out in california to see cody. look at a couple more colleges with cass. >> look at you, you're busy.

>> what are you going to be do? >> i'm going to go to rehoboth with jay, my mom, my mother. >> don't pack your thong, it is going to be chilly. we don't usually start off our show with a plea but we have one. some people like the "ihoda" play list and some people don't. >> i like the play list, i don't usually like your songs. >> well, someone would like to be on the play list. >> i'm sorry, we don't just do it for everybody. >> we have a videotape, i guess, plea. let's listen. >> hoda, kathie lee -- it's justin here. i just wanted to say, hoda, please put "boyfriend" on your play list. you need to. it's great, man. if you haven't heard it, check it out. it's called "boyfriend" and you should play it. right now. >> let's hear it. >> how can you say no to him? ♪ ♪

>> oh, i like it. >> if you were my boyfriend, i'd be arrested. >> prison time. >> what a sweet guy! all right, we've done it. >> we have done it. he's made it. he asks and he receives. >> pleading works every time. there is yet another study out, you guys. this one has -- >> this one i agree with. >> yes. this one has to do with doing the spin classes and bike riding. they say there is another reason to avoid the gym. bicycling can hurt your -- downstairs. they say it is the numbness from sitting on the bike seat and doing the spinning. >> don't look at me. >> they say -- we know it is uncomfortable, but now they actually, according to this study, have some scientific proof that it messes with your -- downstairs so you got to be careful. the way that they say -- i think if your handlebars are too --

see? if your handlebars are too low, it is a problem. you have to have your handlebars high and your seat low. here's the thing i don't understand about bicycling and spin classes and stuff. the seats are teeny. why don't they have a big seat that's padded and comfy? because i would like a class if the seat were bigger and cozy. >> they sure don't make them for post menopausal women like myself. we've always known bicycling can be tough on men's -- >> downstairs. >> we're allowed to say testicles, aren't we? >> yes. it can cause erect aisle dysfunction, it says. >> what's more fun than being around little kids at 4:00 in the morning and hearing commercials for ereelect tile dysfunction. i mean come on. we have enough to explain. it is hard enough to explain how babies get here, much less than when it is erectile dysfunction.

of course i'm talking about it right now and it's 10:00 in the morning. slap me! >> as you get dressed in the morning, do you ever wonder what does what i'm wearing say about me, does it make a statement? >> no, because i'm like that lady from england and i know i'm beautiful and i know that everybody hates me because i'm so beautiful. >> i still can't believe her. >> i can't get over it! >> anyone who thinks that -- she keeps saying people give her gifts on the street? first of all, i don't even think it's true. are people approaching her and handing her free things? >> apparently, hoda. >> we're sorry. >> too much cleavage says you have an urge for power. if you're stuff is out -- >> i think it says you're a slut. what's the problem? >> now, if you button up too much -- >> is that me? >> that's you with it all hanging. if you button up too much -- me -- it shows that you feel like if you show your junk it's a sign of weakness and not power so you button up.

why did you show that old picture? >> that's the first week we worked together. they say if you have a scrunchy in your hair, which i do every single morning, it means you miss the free-wheeling days of high school. i don't miss high school a bit but i love a scrunchy because it gets the hair out of your face without leaving a mark on your hair like regular rubber bands do. >> think it through. if you wear too much bling, it means you're trying to keep up with the joneses. it means you are in financial trouble. >> well, kim kardashian is not in financial trouble. >> she blings it out. >> yeah. long flowing locks, hiding something. that's what you're doing or you're using your hair to distract -- >> look at you. your bling and your hair. you're all in one. >> i'm a total slut. >> how about this one? short skirt. >> i'm everything today. that's the only one i agree with but i don't want to look like me as a teenager, i want to look like my daughter as a teenager. it's not fair. >> if you wear a pencil skirt it shows confidence. >> i agree.

there's our bobbie. >> high heels, also confidence. you're in longer looking up to a man -- b.t., are those your feet? >> yes. >> bobbie's got it all going on. remember we were at the big anniversary for the "today" show and flo rida performed and he gave you a very special gift? >> he gave them to you. >> his sneakers. >> he insisted you have them. did you not steal from him. >> here they are. we decided these are going to be donated to a charity i love so much, it's called groove with me. it's based out in harlem an these young girls get to go there and dance and the great thing is the graduation rate from high school in that area is 50%. among the kids who go to groove with me, it's 98%. tuns belie it is unbelievable. you can bid on those boots with the fur -- with the whole club is looking at her -- she hit the

floor ♪ shorty got low low low low >> here comes my favorite part. ♪ the magic sweatpants and the reeboks with the straps ♪ ♪ >> so if you want to give money for those sneakers which have nothing to do with that -- okay. it's bidding for good. write it down. biddingforgood.com from april 5th to the 23rd. apparently we don't live in the happiest country in the world. did you know that? we're 11th or something on the list. economists at gallup says the united states report card is not so great. number one is -- canada. number four -- the netherlands. number three -- norway. all these seem like the same kind of country. number two, finland. number one, denmark. >> they're all in scandinavia. they have a very high suicide rate, don't they, in scandinavia? >> i don't know.

>> i think they do. let's check that. >> here's what they have in common. average income is high and the people live longer. the ones that don't off themselves. >> the ones that don't commit suicide live a long, long time. >> did you make that up? >> no. of course i've heard other things that were not true. we will get back to you on that. all right. >> i like the lady who said she won the lottery. i'm sorry. >> it ain't over yet. this story is an ongoing thing. >> can we just say one thing about her? >> you can't make someone up like that lady. >> she claimed somewhere her lotly ticket -- she hid it in a mcdonald's where she works and she had a news conference with her attorney and was filing her nails and talking on the phone while her attorney was fielding questions. >> i guess her english is not as good as she would perhaps like. i think she speaks creole. let your daughter do your talking for you. but i loved her shirt. >> something about -- >> swine scum i think? nothing says class like wearing

a t-shirt while you're doing your nails when your lawyer's pleading your case that you are an upstanding american citizen. all right, it is try-day friday. this is called motza-toff. they are not kosher so we don't want to confuse you on that. >> but they're good. they took the cracker and dipped it in chocolate. >> it's a leavened bread. >> it's friday. >> i've never seen this before -- after being married for 40 years, a man took a careful look at his wife one day and said 40 years ago we had a cheap house, a junk car, slept on a sofa bed and watched a

10-inch black and white tv. but i've got to sleep every night with a hot 23-year-old girl. now i have a $700,000 home, a $60,000 car, and a nice, big bed and a large-screen tv but i'm sleeping with a 63-year-old woman. it seems to me that you're not holding up your side of things. his wife is a very reasonable woman. she told him to go out and find a hot 23-year-old girl and she would make sure that he would once again be living in a cheap house, driving a junk car, sleeping on a sofa bed and watching a 10-inch black and white tv! older women are great and they really know how to solve an old guy's problem. now you can laugh. it's time for -- "bobbie's buzz." >> where did you get that dress? >> $9 at h & m. equal opportunity shopper here. i will take it from anywhere. so lots of fun new beauty this week. there is a big sort of craze happening with textured nails.

these microbeads, bear with me. a runway inspired this. basically you would take -- these are new kits that are going to be launched at sephora next week, brand-new for $24. you put the wet nail polish on and the kit instead of having to go and make a mess, helps you shake the beads on. you press them on and that's it. it's done. instant nail art. then this kit actually gives you the tray and a funnel so you can catch all the beads. okay? >> kathie would never use that. >> you're really going to want to do that again. >> all different color combinations. maybe i'll get the white on you next. >> okay. >> this is a really great brand-new nail polish removercu. it will get rid of the stuff. if you look at my legs, not because i love them -- i have

nylons on. and you know what's funny? these are from pretty poly. if you look close, these are open-toe nylons and they're from this uk company, kate middleton started this year termed pretty poly. there's also a brand-new pair of sheers called sun kissed that are actually self-tanning tights. you wear these self-tanning tights and it helps give you the faux glow. afterwards, you can watch the tights but you'll have tan legs. it's the world's first pair. >> you know who is going to be so upset? our spanx lady. she's doing all right. coming up, oliver platte with a sneak peek at the new season. [ jennifer garner ] there's a lot of beautiful makeup out there.

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on the hit show time series "the big c," acclaimed actor oliver platt plays paul jamison whose wife is living with cancer. last season paul suffered a heart attack, but did he survive? >> because we try to pry that out of oliver, let's look at what led up to paul's heart attack after he crashes an insurance company's holiday party. take a look. >> why don't i just leave you with something else to think about while you drink? you all work for a health insurance company, which means, no doubt, that you're probably covered by the same insurance. well, you better hope you don't get sick. >> you're so much fun at parties. now we know you're dealing with a lot with your wife who -- the lovely laura libby who plays your wife so well, suffering with cancer. but you have your own issues, mister. >> i do. i do. one of the things that i love

about the show is that it's very truthful about -- i think we all wish that we would sort of hope that we sort of like turn into gary cooper when our loved one gets sick and be heroic and change the didies. >> do all the right things. >> i think people respond in very miss serious ways. somebody's version of gary cooper can be very ungary cooper-like when they're doing their best. >> kind of twisted. >> the funny thing about this show, when you read what it's about, i would think it would sort of be a turnoff. but when you watch it, it is a whole different game. i think your character is especially unique. i mean what happens -- this is the end of last season so we're not giving anything away, you're kind of clutching your chest and falling down and people are dying to know what happens to you. >> i have -- first of all, there's a predator drone from show time out there just waiting for me to forget. but -- >> but you're here promoting the new season. >> i will say this.

i have an official, but somewhat solemn -- i think we have to be very respectful about people. and what i have to say about this, is this -- ooh! i'm a ghost maybe. that didn't go -- >> that fell so flat. >> that happens sometimes. >> swing and a miss! we assume because you're here you are promoting the new season. but you do survive and you have your own health issues then that your wife has to deal with. >> this is what say about that -- ooh! >> as an actor you try many times in previews to get it right. >> now in addition to this program, which is great, you also obviously -- we know you from a lot of thinks, broadway is among them. you have something cooking there? >> going to be doing "shakespeare in the park" this summer. 50th anniversary. the show is "as you like it," which is exactly the way bill shakespeare himself says, look,

i got a great new show for you, for you people at the globe. "as you like it." i'm going to be playing touchstone. >> i love you in everything you do but i was talking with my dear friend this morning, all talking about how we love beethoven so much that -- if there's a whole generation that hasn't seen beethoven -- are you in beethoven, aren't you? it is a classic hysterical family film. you've got to see him -- if you have children, got to watch "beethoven." don't watch "the big c" -- >> no, not with the kiddies. >> great to see you, oliver. we'll try to come see you this summer if it's not too warm. >> check your iphone before you go. >> there might be winds blowing. ooh! up next, sara's getting our fans ready to ask us some unbelievably daring questions. oh, please, after these messages. ♪

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it is time for 3-2-1 live with sara haines who's hanging around with the crowd over at the nbc experience store. >> okay, sara, what probing questions have you got lined up for us? >> the first one is from darla from ohio. >> hi, girls. >> hi! >> i just want to tell you, you make me laugh every day and i want to know what has been your best moment that's just made the both of you laugh and had such a good time. >> oh, gosh, there have been so many. tomorrow is our four-year anniversary. >> i can't believe it! >> yeah! thank you, donny deutsch. yes. it's been four years. you know what the first thing that came to mind was? for me, when we had our first mardi gras together and we were going through the king cake and looking for the baby. i said it is a baby jesus. she goes, no it's not. i said yes, it is. i don't know, to me you'd have

to look it up. it was one of the funniest things ever. >> i think every day is one of those days when you're not sure what's going to happen. usually the funniest days happen when they're unplanned, we don't even realize when we're both punchy. >> excuse me, speak for yourself -- but she's right. it could be today -- hasn't happened yet but hope springs eternal. thank you. >> our next question is from vanessa who's from new york city. >> hoda and kathie lee, i notice you all are so close and i'm just wondering is that closeness the same off the air and how much time do you all spend together? >> i don't spend much time with hoba. >> that is just deshl! >> that is yoda, to you. >> hoda! >> you don't know my name. >> i love this woman. >> hoda, i know. >> we spend lots of time together and we have a great time. you can't fake this. but thank you. >> thanks, guys. >> so hoba, what's up.

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i played this for you. ♪ they call me maybe carly something something. we love this song. >> this is a great song. >> apparently we all agree it is a great song. we're back on this try-day friday with the answers to all your burning questions about -- men. >> like how do you tell a guy you want to be more than friends and why can't men just say what they mean. our resident guy's guy, donny deutsch. >> wearing my greenwich, conoutfit. >> you're always welcome, sweetheart. >> we're ready. >> first question is from adelle -- not that one, though. how do you tell someone you've been friends with for years that

you'd like something more with them without losing or ruining the friendship? >> by the way, you're going to risk that. but if you feel that way, just say it. say look, i cherish our friendship and just jump him. >> if they say no does it mean that the friendship -- >> no. what gets weird is if you go into it, then it doesn't work. but i've been with women -- i've had situations where women i've been friends with have said to me they'd like something more, i was like that's great but i actually like you too much, i don't want to risk our friendship and we just went on from there. >> it didn't make it weird? >> no. had we slept together, started a relationship, then pulled back -- no. just go for it and if he doesn't jump, fine. >> next question from ginger -- why is it that before we married my husband got up and did the dishes without me asking and now he won't even load the dishwasher. >> does he still eat? >> because you got married. you got to lay it out there. this is what you do, this is what i do. not like you used to do it, not in a nagging way. if we both work -- by the way,

if she or he doesn't work, maybe he should be doing it. everything's got to be fair. >> what's the line that chuck says -- no man runs for a bus that he's already on. they stop trying once they're there. >> not if the woman's smart. visa versa. you got to keep a relationship fresh. it is very easy for both sexes to take each other for granted. >> you also have to understand -- >> we just had a moment. i had a moment. >> you have to understand that life has seasons and things change. if you want everything to be what it was like when you were 20 years old, what's the point of that? that's why he changes women every five minutes. >> i don't. that is not -- >> next question! >> that's not true. >> janice wants to know, what is the best way to educate my husband about menopause. sometimes my hot flashes seem like a big joke to him. >> you used the word educate. we're dumb about a lot of stuff. i'm going to say something you guys are going to mock me and i'm kind of a smart guy. i don't know exactly what that means, menopause. you got to tell us.

>> you've never stayed with a woman long enough to experience it. >> i'm just saying, i know conceptually overall what it is. i don't know exactly -- okay, this happens and this is -- >> when you date older women -- >> it is a beautiful thing. it is a part of the seasons. it is autumn, crunchy leaves -- >> the next question is from vanessa. donny, if men are so simple, why can't they just say what they mean instead of us women having to figure out what they really mean? >> because without, frankly, over stereotyping, a lot of men, it is hard for us -- we've been socialized that it's not manly sometimes to express ourselves. or to talk about our needs or whatnot. that's not all men. i'm not saying it makes it right but men are just wired differently. i hate do the venus and mars thing, but it is so hard for us. we seem vulnerable saying i need this or i want this and this is not right. >> the average guy has no trouble saying i need another beer, i need another -- pizza.

>> no. i'm talking about emotional stuff. >> emotional stuff. they miss their mommies. >> yes, we do. >> okay. how to break the beauty rules like your favorite celebrities after these messages. hi! i brought champagne. wow! the best in the world. ...some chocolates swiss! ah...the best in the world. oikos greek yogurt from dannon. really? wait until you try it. so creamy thick and fresh tasting dannon oikos berry flavors beat chobani 2:1 in a national taste test. mmmm... this may be the best in the world. oikos greek yogurt possibly the best yogurt in the world.

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now on "today's beauty," beauty rule breakers and why sometimes it pays to question authority. a few of hollywood's hottest lovelies have rebelled against outdated beauty laws and are more fresh and fabulous for it. >> "women's health" editor is here to tell us how to follow their lead. >> a lot of those rules that you hear about that they always say never, never, never, you say -- >> you don't even know where they came from but it's like they've been passed down from generation to generation. >> don't wear white after labor day, all those things. >> first rule is a formal event

calls for a fancy up-do. >> very outdated. you get this image in your head of bridesmaids from years past, tight severe buns and french twists. no longer necessary. >> blake lively. >> she's amazing. she likes to have her hair a little imperfect. for this particular premier she did a very cool unexpected braid along the length of her hair there. celebrities like jennifer aniston -- that's her classic go-to look. she likes movement. this is a woman in her 40s. at the academy awards two years ago, she did that french braid along her hairline. >> always elegant. >> that's the key. >> you also hear about women over 40 who grow their hair long and they say that after 40 we're supposed to cut our hair. >> i hate that rule. i think it is so annoying. who decided women of a certain age need a short helmet hair style. celebrities like demi moore, sandra bulluck, sarah jessica

parker. but you need to keep it very healthy, very pristine. once a week do a deep hair conditioner. give trims every six to eight weeks. even if you get a quarter-inch off the ends it makes a difference. anything that hits from your chin length and below, get rid of the layers. you direct attention down instead of up here on your lines. >> you can take care of that, too. >> fake eyelashes should only come out at night for like a fancy thing. >> very old school. people are still imagining like drag queens. but celebrities wear them all the time on the red carpet. this is for an evening event. taylor swift -- >> we're not sure she's really wearing them. >> they look fabulous. there are tricks for daytime. >> sara, come on out and show us. this is how -- i guess we're supposed to wear them. come on out. >> sara is a diehard steeler fan. she can wear this to work, a game. >> those look so natural.

>> these are individual clumps that we placed three or clumps to the corners. just apply mascara at your lash base. you don't want the color all the way at your tips because that can make them look heavy and thick. this is a very light wispy look. >> sara's blinking. are they uncomfortable? >> no. >> close your eyes for one second. look how long they are. >> she's not a big makeup person so they look great on her. >> you can also do the rapid lash thing which works for me. >> you can also do strips. >> the last rule is redheads should not wear red lipstick. >> i see it on people like julianne moore all the time. >> they look great. i think the problem with this rule was that redheads were originally told they need to match the warmth in their hair color so they were going for warm-based reds or russets and that doesn't necessarily look good with their skin tone because most redheads have pink skin tones.

go to a primary color red. stop sign cherry red. >> come on out, suzanne. >> she's wearing a try red. it is devoid of any undertones. it is not going cool blue undertones or warm orange. it is right in the middle. i think she looks great. >> i think you do, too. thank you. thank you, hon. >> that's it. thank you. >> i want to break some more rules! >> that's all we got. next, we're going to whip something up in the kitchen with chef george mendez. talking about an easter brunch -- right after this. ♪ beth! hi! looking good. you've lost some weight. thanks. you noticed. these clothes are too big, so i'm donating them. how'd you do it? eating right -- whole grain. [ female announcer ] people who choose more whole grain tend to weigh less than those who don't. multi-grain cheerios -- 5 whole grains, 110 calories. creamy, dreamy peanut butter taste

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♪ happy easter ♪ happy easter >> we're back on this good friday with "today celebrates easter." >> whether you are serving a small group or a large crowd, we

have some recipes for you. >> hey! >> you're from portugal, right? >> yes. >> will we see a little of that influence in anything we're eating today? >> the vegetables, the eggs, olive oil, potato, yes. absolutely. but it is all about spring vegetables right now. >> are we starting with something to drink? >> champagne lemonade. we're thirsty. >> let me top this off. >> just lemonade and champagne? >> that looks delicious. get us started on our little course here. >> cheers, sweetie. >> we have a frittata using just spring vegetables. cheers. >> that's nice. you're going to like it, it is not sweet. >> you're right. i like it. >> we have eggs here. you can add the vegetables. spring peas, peppers, the more vegetables, the better. >> i just don't want to make a big mess like hoda would have -- or hoba.

>> careful. >> zucchini. >> i heard you can cook. >> okay. >> and then -- >> we just whisk it up a little bit like you're making scrambled eggs. >> hoda, go ahead and ladle this. you don't want to go too far up. >> who has time? it's for tv. >> there you go. >> it's all about speed. >> she doesn't realize that stuff's going to cook, too. she doesn't care. >> good job. >> hoda! >> no, it's done. >> then we have bananas -- >> wait, what's happening here? s . >> these are thyme potato cakes. these go into a 375-degree oven for ten minutes. >> you're making something else.

>> you eat with your hands. that's how you should eat the minifrittatas. >> delicious. you have some bananas here caramelizing. >> chocolate and banana pancakes. >> where is your restaurant? >> i'm between here and 16th avenue. >> look how he's cooking up the bananas. how cute. >> throw a banana in anything, it tastes better. just sweet butter? >> unsalted. >> what's happening here? >> then we're going to add -- this is our dry ingredients, flour, baking powder and a little bit of salt, then our egg and milk mixture. go ahead and whisk. >> did you start learning to cook from your portuguese mama? >> i started by making breakfast at home with my mom and my sister, my dad. pancakes were probably one of the first things that i learned to make. >> good job. you want it a little bit lumpy. then go right into --

>> chocolate? >> add your chocolate, as much as you want. perfect. >> that's how much i want. >> can people actually get this at your restaurant this easter sunday? >> yes, we're open for brunch on easter. starting 1:00 until 8:00 p.m. >> great. >> you just cook them up. little maple syrup on it? >> yeah. now we're going to add -- you're going to get in here. >> i'm sorry, i'm enjoying this very much. i'll help. >> now you're going to ladle in the pancake batter. >> where did the ladle go. >> use that one. >> ooh! >> that's fine. come on over here. >> are you sure? i don't know. raw eggs? >> here we go. skip that stuff. these are ready. >> i'm going to give kath a taste of this one. >> there you go. >> thank you, hon. >> are you enjoying that? >> everything's delicious. i can't wait to come to your restaurant, too. >> stick around. because we love this show on broadway. it is a performance by the cast of the musical "once."

you are going to love it. it is just delicious. just like this. but first, this is "today" on nbc. never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. 60 miles in 3 days is-- is huge. if my mom can fight and beat breast cancer, i can walk 60 miles. you just put one foot in front of the other, and you know that you're walking for such a great cause that you just keep going. (man) that you have all these people coming together

for one common goal. (woman) the goal is to bring an end to breast cancer. (woman) the fund-raising was the easiest part. people were very giving. complete strangers wanting to help. if i can do this, you definitely can do this. (woman) i'll never stop walking, not till we find a cure. (woman) and it has to end, but it starts with us. i knew someday i was gonna do this walk. it is the most rewarding experience i have ever had in my entire life. we can do this. you can do this. we can all do this together. (man) register today for the... and receive $25 off your registration fee. because everyone deserves a lifetime.

>> announcer: the toyo"toyota concert series" on "today" -- brought to you by toyota. >> hoda and i see all the new shows. this one "once" has been my favorite all year long. this is the one i hope wins the tony for best knnew musical. >> it is based on a story of the shared love of music. we loved the show so much! i sat with tommy tune over the weekend. he went on and on about. he's seen it three times already. he's lard to miss.

when tommy tune says this is why we all got into theater, it means something. >> means a lot. >> you guys just quickly -- true to the movie or kind of your own take? >> i would say it is more of a theatrical take on the film. it's quite different than the film but it retains the heart, it retains the emotion, sort of retains the essence of the film but presented in a broadway. >> you care about each person on stage so much. >> yes. everyone. >> there are 13 of you, you all play instruments. best part is you can drink before the show, can you drink at intermission. it all takes place in an irish pub. here they are from "once." ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ i don't know you but i want

you ♪ ♪ all the more for that ♪ word fall through me and always fool me and i can't react ♪ ♪ and games that never amount to more than that play themselves out ♪ ♪ save this sinking boat and point out how we still got time ♪

♪ raise your hopeful voice you have a choice you made it now ♪ ♪ falling slowly sing your melody i'll sing it loud ♪ ♪ oh ooh oh whoa ♪