and best of all, it keeps getting better. no wonder more people choose xfinity over any other provider. ♪ love can be so mystical ♪ good morning. breaking news. police in tulsa, oklahoma, arrest two people in connection with a series of random shootings that left three people dead, two others wounded and residents living in fear. easter message. pope benedict issues a call for peace as more than 100,000 people packed st. petersburg square to hear his words. in a time-honored celebration of christianity's holiest day. and from passer to pastor. tim tebow's religion is on his sleeve and in the headlines. now he's stepping up to the pulpit and a crowd more than 20,000 expected to hear his message. today, sunday, april 8th, 2012.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on this sunday, easter morning. i'm lester holt. >> and i'm jenna wolfe. let me see if i understand this. the pope gets 100,000 people to see him and tim tebow not far behind with 20,000 people expected to show up. >> not quite as many as in a typical sunday game -- >> not at all. >> but still a big draw. >> yeah, we're going to start with some relieving news today for the folks in tulsa, oklahoma. early this morning, police acting on a tip actually arrested two people in connection with a series of random shootings that left three people dead and two others wounded. they are expected to be charged with murder, and we're going to have the latest on that, coming up. then, new images and eyewitness accounts from that spectacular navy fighter jet crash in virginia beach. people there are calling it a holiday miracle that no one was killed when the f/a-18 slammed

into an apartment complex. today, we're hearing more people speak of their close brush with tragedy, this as the navy continues to investigate, trying to figure out what went wrong with that plane. we're going to get the latest, just ahead. and then, we're going to meet this little guy. she has made headlines on the internet. we promise, these pictures are not photo-shopped. this is a real puppy you're looking at, officially the world's tiniest puppy. we are going to meet her, coming up in just a little bit. >> i have to tell you, we have had some of the world's biggest stars in the studio over the years, but i haven't seen as much attraction, at least with the crew. everyone has had their camera out, myself included. >> the whole morning, shooting. >> i just tweeted out a moment ago some video. we're happy to have little beyonce in the studio. she's got a great story and a great message as well. >> absolutely adorable. first, we want to get to those arrests in tulsa, oklahoma. police say two people are under arrest and will be charged with murder. they also say they've been following the suspects since last night. we're going to have more now from nbc's john yang.

>> reporter: in just a few hours, three people found dead and two others wounded, all within three miles of each other on tulsa's north side. it began just after 1:00 a.m. friday when a woman was found shot to death in a yard in a residential neighborhood. three minutes later, two men found wounded just two blocks away, both expected to survive. at 1:50, a man found fatally wounded. at 8:30, the morning's last grizzly discovery, a man shot in the chest outside of a funeral home, pronounced dead at the scene. investigators said the victims, all of them black, appear to have been picked at random. >> the victims were in the street and not really in their yards. so, i would think that people are walking up and down the street being targeted. >> reporter: according to investigators, one of the survivors spoke with his attacker, who he described as a white male driving a white pickup truck.

they caution, it's too early to say whether race played any role in the shootings. >> i'm worried more about three of my citizens being murdered. and if it takes us in the direction of a hate crime, that's certainly where we'll go and we'll prosecute them for that as well. >> reporter: in a city with only 11 homicides this year before friday, residents of tulsa's predominantly black north side are on edge this easter weekend. >> right now, i think everybody needs to, you know, just get closer and just protect themselves and do whatever measures are necessary legally, legally, to protect themselves. >> this is tulsa, oklahoma. we should have the ability to stand out on your porch any time, day or night, that you want to, to walk down your street any time, day or night, that you want to. >> reporter: community leaders are urging calm while police are urging vigilance. >> daylight now, you can go about your business. but boy, at night, i would be aware of what's going on. >> reporter: john yang, nbc news, chicago. >> dewey bartlett is the mayor

of tulsa, oklahoma. he joins us by phone. mayor bartlett, good morning. thanks for being with us. >> you're very welcome. thank you. >> well, we understand there are two arrests that were math last night do we have any motive from these two people? was this, as originally thought, racially motivated in any way? >> we don't have any motive yet. they're still being interrogated as we speak. we certainly want to find out what their intentions were and what their motivation was. but at the end of the day, what really is good news is that this community became very united behind the desire to catch these knuckleheads and to bring them to justice. and whatever differences we might have had in the past were totally put on the side because we really wanted to unite and bring these people to justice and have our community restored again to a good, calm way of life. >> mayor, the police set up a task force. they called it "operation random shooter." how did that turn into the two arrests overnight?

>> well, what we were very serious about doing was encouraging the community to not be afraid or concerned about calling the police, if they had a tip or some observation. we wanted to make certain that they called the police and called the hotlines we had set up in order to get some ideas, and that's exactly what happened. we received a few tips about some people, and that led to some observations. and at the end of the day, it led early this morning to the arrest of these two individuals. so, the community involvement was extremely important, and their ability to call the police and give us some ideas on what to do. >> i understand there have only been 11 homicides so far in this town, in this area where the two people were arrested and the five people were shot. what does that say about the area in general and about your town? >> well, we have a terrific city, and we really enjoy a

very, very prosperous, good way of life. this thing is such a shock to the community. i mean, when five people are very viciously assaulted, three of them killed in a fairly concise area of town in a very short period of time, it should not be wished upon any community. so, we wanted to make certain that we stood up as a community, found these people and brought them to justice, and that's exactly what we did. >> tulsa mayor dewey bartlett, i'm sure you have a busy day ahead of you. thank you so much for joining us this morning. >> thank you very much and happy easter to both of you. >> you as well. time to check the morning's other headlines and turn to wnbc's tom llamas at the news desk. good morning. >> good morning, lester, jenna. good morning, everyone, and happy easter. pope benedict celebrated christianity's most joyous day this morning with an easter mass at the vatican. the pope is voicing fear that mankind has lost its way and is unable to distinguish good from evil. now the latest on the good friday miracle in virginia

beach. nbc's thanh truong has been following the investigation to the fiery crash of a navy jet. good morning, thanh. >> reporter: tom, good morning to you. the big focus for naval investigators at this point is to gather as many pieces of the f/a-18 as possible, that, and of course, talking to the two pilots, trying to get a thorough account of what happened before the crash. on the ground, many people are saying that the quick action of everyday people made it possible that no one was killed, and they say, perhaps, there was some divine intervention. >> thanh truong live for us, thank you. syria today demanded written guarantees that insurgents stop fighting before it pulls back its troops under the terms of a u.n.-backed cease-fire due to start this week. the opposition refuses to comply and says dozens of people were killed or wounded today when syrian loyalists shelled a rebellious area near the border with turkey. rescuers are desperately trying to free nine miners in peru. they became trapped on thursday during the collapse of a copper mine in the southern part of the

country. food and drink are being delivered to them through a tube. and pakistan has also launched a search-and-rescue mission. soldiers are digging for a second day to find 135 people buried alive under 70 feet of snow. an avalanche slammed into a military complex on a remote glacier near the indian border. rick santorum won't be on the campaign trail on monday, so he and his wife karen can remain at hospital where their daughter, bella, is being treated. nbc's ron mott is in boston. good morning, ron. >> reporter: thanks, tom, good morning to you. this is the second time that senator santorum has had to take himself off the trail to tend to his 3-year-old daughter, bella. now, back in late january, she developed pneumonia in both of her lungs. doctors were able to get that treated fairly quickly and get heckfriday, though, she was readmitted to a hospital. we don't know any details about why she had to go to the hospital, or in fact, where she is hospitalized this morning. they typically like to take her to the children's hospital of philadelphia, but we have no

confirmation on her condition or whereabouts at this time. senator santorum has canceled campaign activities on monday. the plan is to return to the trail on tuesday, preparing for a big run on tuesday april 24th, tom. >> ron mott live for us in boston, thank you. finally, kids have been hopping for easter this holiday weekend. they've been busy hunting for candy-filled plastic eggs in parks in philadelphia, albany, indianapolis, and other cities around the country. as you saw there, they had the easter bunny referee with his green flag. so, everything went off without a hitch. that's the news. now back to lester, jenna and stephanie. >> all right, tom, thanks. stephanie abrams is here with a first check of the weather. hey. good day today! good easter day. >> it's a beautiful day across much of the country, so let's show you here. we'll start withcountry. we will start off with the satellite and radar. only the trouble spot today is going to be texas. a system along the west coast is slow-going. there is the rain for you and we could see thunderstorms pop as we head into the afternoon hours but at least the morning is starting out nice. look at this across the country.

just gorgeous. our temperatures are phenomenal as well. now here is a look at what is happening outside your door. a good sunday morning and happy easter, everybody. a bright sunny sky over washington, and clouds to the west and southwest of washington dimming out the sunshine a touch. not expecting any real threat for rain on your easter sunday. temperatures are sliming into the mid-40s to 50 degrees in town. a few cold spots left in the 30s. highs today up near 70 degrees. maybe a chance of a shower lester, over to you. >> stephanie, thanks. now to politics and what was a pivotal week in the gop primary race. mitt romney picking up key wins that make his nomination appear to be all but inevitable. this as rick santorum vows to fight on to his home state of pennsylvania, which votes april 24th. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." david, good morning. good to see you. >> hey, lester. good morning. >> as we heard, senator santorum right now dealing with the most important issue in his life, and

that is the health of his daughter. but when he returns to the campaign trail, he'll be facing down the fight in pennsylvania, his home state. will that make or break the rest of his campaign in terms of what happens there? >> well, i think most likely. right now, there is a strategy that the santorum campaign has, which is to try to win pennsylvania to try to get the rules changed for the texas primary, to try to make it winner take all, which would make it a big delegate prize. that's a tall order. and the conversation, based on my reporting, that's going on inside the campaign, boils down to this. senator, you lost re-election in pennsylvania back in 2006 by 17 points. you've had a good run this time. do you want to risk another loss in your home state after you've had such a good run for this nomination? this has been pointed out to senator santorum, i'm told, and he's still resisting the idea of getting out. he says, yeah, but what if i win pennsylvania and have an opportunity to keep this going? i think, lester, he's fortified by the idea that he's still a

conservative cause candidate, still seen that way within the republican party and has more of a message to get out. >> but to the extent that romney now is pivoting and almost making this as the campaign between him and barack obama, is he marginalizing santorum at this point? >> well, he's been trying to do that for some time. i think the vote itself has marginalized santorum. he's occupying a sliver of the electorate right now, although his advisers would tell you that their broader base of support than some of the exit polling indicates. but for mitt romney at this point, you see the path. he's well on his way. for anybody else, it's virtually impossible to get there. so, you have romney keeping his focus on president obama, and in many ways, president obama's helping romney, because now the president is talking more specifically about romney. the general campaign is under way. >> he is, in fact. but i remember us talking about this even at the beginning of the primary season, that the white house always had its eyes set on mitt romney, as if they presumed that he was going to be the nominee.

the president taking direct jabs this week, pointing out that romney called representative paul ryan's controversial budget proposal marvelous. will we hear this step up now? is the president prepared to go square at romney? >> he is. and what's important about that is timing. the president wants to define mitt romney in order to be able to say to the country, look, we still have high unemployment. you may be, you know, concerned about the direction of the economy, but this is the alternative. is this the direction you want to go? you know, it reminds me a lot of covering the 2004 race when then president bush contrasted himself with senator john kerry in what became a very effective way over the war on terrorism and other matters. and here, you have president obama ready to do the same thing, to try to define romney first before romney has an opportunity to reset his campaign and lay out the themes for the fall. >> i know you guys down in washington getting ready for your show, "meet the press." who are the guests today? >> we're going to talk to senator durbin of illinois, governor kasich of battleground state ohio about the big themes from the fall campaign, and on

easter sunday, we're also going to talk about faith in politics and how to get that balance right in this election year. >> all right, we'll be watching "meet the press." david gregory, thanks. >> thanks, lester. up next here this morning, tim tebow steps up to the pulpit for a special easter message in front of 20,000 people. a live report from the service, right after this. ♪ [ female announcer ] walgreens introduces...nice! [ woman ] i got it. where's your brother? [ dog barking ] ♪ [ telephone rings ] [ dad ] hello. [ female announcer ] quality everyday products at a way better price. [ boy ] mom? ♪ [ female announcer ] now that's nice. come in now and get $2 off your next purchase when you spend $10 on nice products. sold only at walgreens. splenda® essentials™ no calorie sweetener with b vitamins, the first and only one to help support a healthy metabolism. three smart ways to sweeten. same great taste.

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fidelity investments. turn here. as christians around the world get ready to listen to easter sermons from their pastors, a parish in texas will hear from someone whose faith quite often makes the news, new york jets quarterback tim tebow. chris don gaey from our austin affiliate kxan, joins us from georgetown, texas, with the latest. hey, chris, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, jenna. it feels like a football game atmosphere out here. 20,000 people expected to show up and gather around this rock concert-style setup in the distance. tim tebow is not your usual athlete and this will not be your usual easter service.

on the field, he's known for leading his team to last-minute victories. but today, he'll try his hand at leading a congregation. >> you know, obviously, i'm someone that is very outspoken about my faith. >> reporter: call it the gospel according to tebow, as the nfl quarterback is set to speak during an outdoor easter sunday service at celebration church in texas. the church is not big enough to hold the crowd, so they set up an outdoor stage and jumbo trons for the 20,000 or so worshippers expected to come hear tebow's message. just the latest public display of devotion from the heisman trophy winning qb who literally wore his faith on his face while winning a national championship for the university of florida. the nfl does not allow the eye black scripture messages, but they couldn't stop him and the rest of the country from tebowing. >> i'm sure i'm not the first athlete that has gotten on a knee and prayed, but somehow, it's gotten to be known as tebowing, and i'm not sure why.

>> reporter: after a season in denver, tebow was traded to the jets where there's a potential battle brewing with mark sanchez. >> whatever my role is, however i can expand that role, i'm going to try and do that. >> reporter: tebow hasn't said why he reached out to celebration church, but the pastor, joe champion, stresses this event will be about easter and not god's quarterback. >> they are seeing a worldwide celebrity come give them a sermon on easter sunday. this kid may not be the best player in the nfl, may not be the best player in the world, but he is the most popular player, one of the most popular people right now. >> reporter: and this service is expected to begin in about three hours, but already a lot of buzz. you can see some red shirts behind me. that's the 1,000 volunteers called upon to make this happen, certainly the biggest thing to happen to this church in georgetown, texas. jenna, back to you. >> all right, chris, thank you so much. and still to come on a sunday edition of "today" -- when the easter bunny attacks.

so, we asked for your awkward easter photos. oh, we received them, all right. we're going to share them. first, these messages. with little toy trainstt ]g and now i build them. i am a bigger is better kind of guy. i absolutely love building locomotives. i knew i wanted to design locomotives from when i was very young. [ jahmil ] from the outside it looks like such a simple device. when you actually get down into the bare bones of it, there's so much technology that's submerged. [ rob ] my welds are a signature, i could tell my welds apart from anybody's. you lay down that nice bead and you look at it, i love it. they don't go together by themselves. there are a lot of little parts, and everyone has their job. [ scott ] i'd love to see it out there on the open tracks. and when i see it, i'm gonna know that i helped build that thing. [ train whistle blows ] here she comes! [ bell clanging ] [ train whistle blows ] wow! [ charlie ] well, it's one thing seeing them built, but then to see them out here,

pulling freight across america, it makes us proud. ♪

just like santa with christmas, it's time-honored tradition to take your child's picture with the easter bunny. >> and sometimes, like with santa, the photos don't go so well. some viewers sent us your awkward easter pics. >> there's one for this year. not a happy camper on the left there. >> nor on the right. another one here, at least one of the kids is enjoying the experience. the other one is mildly disturbed. >> this one has kind of an odd-looking easter bunny there. >> yeah, that's like devil

bunny. what's with devil bunny? and that kid is like, this is the last place in the entire world i want to be. >> this one's more like, okay, hang in there, you're going to get the picture and you're going to like it you're going to enjoy it. >> the other kid is like, look what a good kid i am. then look at the before and after. the male bunny, a female bunny. always happens. >> thanks for sending your photos. still to come, janet jackson shares her newly slimmed figure with the world. why she's joining other stars integrity her weight loss story. >> and meet beyonce, the smallest puppy.

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good morning. it's 8:26 on this sunday, april 8th, 2012. topping the news for today, it's

easter and right now easter services are under way at the national cathedral. there will be an organ reidle later tonight. 6,000 people gathered at the memorial to celebrate easter. a pastor wanted people to bring in easter at sunrise. maryland lawmakers are running out of time to approve a state budget plan. they are trying to reduce a deficit of more than $8 billion and they are considering tax increases to help. rates would range from 5% to 5.5%. and they are considering lowering tax exemptions for those making less than $100,000

a year. meteorologist, chuck bell, as a look at

whatever your plans this holiday, it looks like the weather will cooperate. let's go to chuck for the details. >> richard, thank you. beautiful and bright sunshine all over washington. there are a few clouds down towards charlottesville and the southern end of the shenandoah valley, but no need to worry about clouds or rain in the washington area today. a good-looking day. temperature 51 at national airport. and 40 degrees in falls church right now, but 48 in leesburg, and 46 in germantown. the forecast today, around downtown, mostly sunny and will be breezy in the afternoon. highs today, 65 to 70.

tomorrow, morning sunshine giving way to afternoon clouds. a chance of a few showers late in the day tomorrow and then turning cooler as we head towards the middle of the week. >> we have a full hour of we're back on a sunday morning, april 8th, 2012. a happy easter to everyone at home and a happy passover plus one. by the way, it's like christmas plus 47. i'm just saying. out on the plaza, i'm jenna wolfe alongside lester holt. coming up this half hour, talking about celebrities with the quick weight loss programs and commercials that they're all doing. >> they all seem to work. we're talking about janet jackson, latest star to take her newly slim figure public. we've seen other stars trim down in commercials, mariah carey, jennifer hudson, carrie fisher, charles barkley --

>> is that charles barkley? sadly, it is. >> coming up, why so many celebs are sharing their weight loss stories. plus, it's another buzz-worthy week. mary j. blige is actually in the news. the singer was in a burger king commercial. we're going to tell you about the strange controversy that's gotten the ad pulled off the web, and oblige herself is in a huff over the whole thing. plus, beyonce became a mom, but now she's taking on another task that has people talking. we'll find out what that is, just ahead. >> we have two beyonce stories. we have that one and another beyonce live in our studio, a tiny beyonce, the world's tiniest puppy. take a look. this puppy has created more buzz in our studio this morning. great story behind its survival and what it says to all of us about rescuing animals. >> i understand when little beyonce was born, she fit into a tablespoon, believe it or not. >> a tablespoon. >> she's only 4 weeks old. she'll probably not grow much more than this. she's probably shaking because she's nervous. i'll go with that. >> a lot of people are in our studio. >> we'll have that coming up.

first, a check of the weather with stephanie abrams. >> and mary and john are joining us from north carolina. do you enjoy all this cool air? >> i get to walk around and don't get overheated. >> you're supposed to hop around! give me your best bunny hop. there you go! with the bunny ears. and i have to tell you guys that you have the bunny ears. jenna dared me to wear this bonnet, so i'm going to rock the bonnet as we do the weather today. let's have a look at how we do today. let's have a look at how the forecast is shaping up across the country for the easter egg hunts. it's only in texas where we could see the thunderstorms. otherwise, sunshine and beautiful weather across the country today. how about tomorrow when you are on your sugar high? again, it's going to be nice if you can fit anymore candy into your bully. good sunday morning, everybody. happy easter. i am storm 4 meteorologist, chuck bell. temperature, 51 degrees at national airport. 50 in wind chester, virginia.

and 46 in hagerstown, maryland. a beautiful day today. there are a few clouds out to the west and southwest of washington. there will not bring any rain chances today. maybe a shower late in the day okay, so, i wore this hat and jenna dared me to. so, what i want you guys to do is hit me up on twitter, just stephanie abrams. that's all you have to do. tell me what i should dare jenna to do. how about that, jenna? >> let me just tell you that it's game on, stephanie abrams. game on. thank you very much, though. we see them every day on tv and online, the parade of stars showing off brand-new, slim and trim figures. now janet jackson's jumping into the mix with her own ad for nutrisystem, the latest in a long list of celebrities showing us how they lose weight. here's michelle franzen. >> reporter: janet jackson

showing off her latest body of work in new tv ads for nutrisystem. >> get on it now and look great this summer. >> reporter: the singer says along with the program and exercise, she dropped the pounds by writing a self-help book about the emotional hurdles behind her weight battles. >> you have some great ideas. >> reporter: on "the tonight show with jay leno" in january, the petite pop star revealed she was 180 pounds at her heaviest. >> i put on the weight for a film. >> reporter: she told meredith vieira last year her struggles with body image began at an early age with her brothers teasing her and producers demanding the child star go on a diet. >> i would literally bang my head up against the wall and i would cry because i didn't feel attractive. >> reporter: the 45-year-old singer is the latest celebrity spokesperson for weight loss programs, a growing alum that includes mariah carey and jennifer hudson.

♪ because i believe in you >> reporter: valerie bertinelli and carrie fisher. even men are tackling the issue, from terry bradshaw -- >> old and fat and ugly. >> reporter: -- to the latest weight watchers ad featuring charles barkley all dolled up. >> and i can still eat man food, like steak and pizza. >> reporter: experts say it shows, regardless of fame, celebrities are just like us. >> so, if this is what i've got to do to get you to listen, then take a good look. >> it's good for them to do these ads, but it's good for us to see that they all have the same struggles we do. >> hey, do you want to make a change for the better? >> reporter: the same struggles and the same hope. >> i lost the pounds i wanted to lose, and you can, too. >> reporter: for "today," michelle franzen, nbc news, new york. >> you don't want to see lester in that same dress. one time he wore it and that was it. kidding. once again, here's lester. >> all right, jenna, thanks very much. i want to turn now to a bizarre story that's the subject of tonight's "dateline nbc," about a woman who spent about 15

years in prison convicted of sexually abusing kids who rode her school bus. the evidence against her was questionable, enough that a judge threw out the conviction and set her free. but the story doesn't end there. nbc's ron mott has more. ron, good morning. >> reporter: hey, lester, good morning to you. this is a story about a woman who suddenly found herself on the wrong side of the law, sent to prison for, as you mentioned, nearly 15 years for a bizarre, horrific set of crimes that she and even one of the kids who testified against her at trial say never happened. in april 1993, the child sexual abuse panic that had been sweeping the nation blew into lorain, ohio. word was, a bus driver named nancy had been delivery preschoolers to a pedophile. >> said you know what, mommy? the school was closed before we got there, so we just went to nancy's house again. i said, what? >> reporter: according to the mother who first sounded the alarm, the bus driver's name was nancy smith. the pedophile's name was joseph.

>> she goes, well, all of us kids, we take off our clothes and then joseph plays with us. >> reporter: within hours of that startling revelation, the police were involved. soon, the media had the story, and within weeks, other parents were claiming that their own children had been victimized. >> it mushroomed into a circus atmosphere. >> reporter: for nancy smith, the divorced mother of four at the center of the allegations, this was the beginning of a 19-year-long nightmare. >> this did not ever happen. i am an innocent person. these allegations are not true. i don't know how else to explain it. i did not do this. i am not a child molester. >> reporter: though detectives were unable to corroborate the children's stories with physical evidence, they got lucky when an ex-con named joseph surfaced in another case. >> the reason they came to the attention of the detectives to begin with was the fact that he had a group of young juvenile runaways that he was harboring at his home and having sex with. >> reporter: just days after his

arrest in that case, joseph allen was charged with molesting the preschoolers on nancy smith's bus. >> i guess at that point, they claimed that he was my boyfriend. i never even met joseph allen. >> reporter: by now, nancy smith and joseph allen were inextricably linked. they were tried together, and after the testimony of parents, children and nancy's co-workers, they were convicted together. >> we, the jury, find the defendant guilty. >> i thought i was going to pass out. i couldn't believe it. >> i did not commit this crime. i don't even know that man. >> reporter: nancy, a woman with no criminal record, got 30 to 90 years in prison. joseph allen got five life terms. they both spent 15 years behind bars before a clerical error led them to being freed. but the ohio supreme court ordered they be sent back to prison for mo. for more than a year, they have been living in legal limbo, neither exonerated nor in prison. now on friday, nancy smith's

attorneys turned to ohio governor john kasich for his help. they filed a clemency petition on her behalf. it could be several months, though, before a decision is made. lester? >> it's an incredible story, ron, and we'll see more of it tonight. nancy's incredible story on "dateline," 7:00 p.m. right here on nbc. we hope you'll join us. up next, why are people talking about this burger king commercial? we'll hear all about it on "the week in buzz." first, these messages. [ male announcer ] strip away the styling. strip away the rearview monitors, tv screens, bluetooth... and even the cup holders. you know what's left? the only suv's with american-built f-alpha truck frames. the ruggedly capable pathfinder, xterra, armada. nissan. innovation for all. ♪ so i get claritin clear. this is all bayberry. bayberry pollen. very allergenic.

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me? i've been paying in all these years... years washington's been talking at us, but they never really listen... listen...it's not just some line item on a budget; it's what i'll have to live on... i live on branson street, and i have something to say... [ male announcer ] aarp is bringing the conversation on medicare and social security out from behind closed doors in washington. because you've earned a say. ♪ what's going on time now for "the week in buzz," a look back at the last seven days in pop culture. from beyonce's new project to the burger king commercial that has the internet talking. >> here with the scoop, erica suitor from "us weekly" and

comedian chuck dice. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> i want to start with the mary j. blige commercial, chuck. it wasn't complete, appears to be singing the phrases of fried chicken and for a lot of people, it fed to ast stereotype of african-americans and fried chicken. what do you think? >> i'm not sure of the back story from mary j. blige, but i think every black person knows that you cannot sing about fried chicken and people be okay with that. that's all there is to it. you know, i'm hoping one day we will get to a place of post-racial america where black people can freely sing about fried chicken or watermelon with no repercussions. >> but we're not there yet. >> but we're not there yet. we're not there yet. >> we're not there yet. >> in fairness, they say the commercial wasn't finished and it was leaked on the internet. >> on the flip side, somebody who did do a burger king commercial that has aired is david beckham.

it's like give me more. there are few things this guy can't do that doesn't -- i mean, same with that guy. >> yeah, he can do no wrong, but he was ordering a strawberry smoothie and it was all about him looking dreamy and hot and the sales pearn not being able to concentrate, and it was just gorgeous. >> yeah, it's such a hot ad that i actually made out with the smoothie after watching it. >> it's understandable, david beckham. >> yes, yes. >> "snl" last night, musical guest, chuck, was one direction. there are reports that there were teenage girls that ran after the van. >> what? >> as they left. >> i am shocked! teenage girls? >> there's always going to be that group. >> that's what i'm saying about, you know, oh, my god, they're the biggest sensation, girls are screaming for them. i have a 12-year-old daughter, and i've seen her with her friends. teenage girls will scream for anything, you know? are those crackers? ahhh! like, they will scream for anything! [ laughter ] >> you're right. >> so, the masters is going on. let's switch gears and talk tiger woods. he was doing well for a split

second, and then had a hiccup and got kind of ornery about it, too. >> he was on his way to a fifth masters and then everything went downhill. he freaked out, had a meltdown, kicked his clubs. it's clear he's lost his mojo. something is wrong with tiger. we're not sure he'll be able to get it back. >> it can't possibly be from the last two years of stuff. i don't know. it's probably something else. >> you're probably right. well, he was doing really well. i mean, he had this alternative lifestyle, his personal life was really crazy. >> right. >> now that 24i7things have cal down in his personal life, things aren't that great on the green. >> needs more women in his life. that's what it comes down to. >> let's talk about the next it couple, perhaps, kim kardashian, kanye west? what do you hear about that? >> two people that are certainly very private and don't want any publicity coming together to live their lives. i would love -- >> feel bad talking about it. >> i look at those two pictures right there and i just want to be a fly on the bathroom wall while they're getting ready for a date and just hear, i love you more, no, i love you more. only to find out that they are

looking in the mirror. >> that's funny. and it wasn't planned. hey, that was funny! can i ask you a question about ann hathaway's new haircut? did you see this? >> yeah, it was awful. >> went all sinead. >> she did it for les mis, and you're like, she's crazy. she's getting married soon, but thank god for extensions. >> we don't have a picture up. but incredibly short. you know how long your hair is? it's a little shorter. >> definitely, a little shorter. >> i saw it and thought to myself, robert downey jr. has never looked better. >> oh, no! >> that was funny. >> erica suitor and chuck nice, as always, thank you very much for your fun and witty insights. still ahead, the amazing tale of the world's tiniest puppy. wait until you see her. first, these messages. ♪ ♪ [ cellphone rings ]

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♪ time now to meet the world's tiniest, and perhaps, luckiest puppy. this little pup that jenna's holding is 4 1/2 weeks old and barely 4 1/2 inches long. >> aww! she was even smaller at birth, so fragile that they thought she was dead and they had to bring her back to life by cpr. she really is a survivor, so it's only appropriate that she was named beyonce, who sings the song "survivor." she's here with beth dicaprio, executive director of the grace foundation and animal rescue organization. beth and beyonce, good morning to you both. >> good morning to you. >> and by the way, i'm holding one of the siblings. this is, no kidding, jay-z. >> of course.

>> jay-z. >> they're not really brother and sister in real life. >> look at the difference in size. >> that's unbelievable. >> so, we know why she was called beyonce, but was there something medically wrong with her or was she just born small? >> no. mom was a 8-month-old dog and she had five puppies, very small in there, and she actually was the last. the vet thought she was probably going to be still-born from the ultrasound, but she came out. she wasn't breathing, we were able to get her going. and she is now developing just like her siblings, just a micro size. >> and the mom was a rescue dog. typically, you would put a dog like this up for adoption, but you decided that there's a real message here. >> yeah. it's been incredible. we're so grateful for the outpouring of love and support for her. and what really is tragic is that in the united states, we euthanize 3.4 healthy animals each year. people don't realize that moms and puppies are euthanized because they're too young to be spayed/neutered, they're at the shelters, they can't hang on to them. so, beyonce's allowed us the ability to bring that awareness to the world. and so, we are going to have her

so that the whole world can love her and keep following her story, and spay, neuter, adopt a rescue pet is really what her message is. >> how big is she going to get? will she grow any bigger than this? >> she will, and it's really hard to tell because she's so small. but we hope nature lets her get big enough to be strong, but probably about a pound or a pound and a half. >> is the mom nursing, taking care of them? >> she is. she's nursing them. and she actually is starting on a grool formula. she's 4 1/2 weeks, so that's when we develop them. and she's playing with her siblings and carrying on. >> i have jay-z, but lady gaga, what are their names? >> we have bono, lady gaga and jagger. and you know, we actually have a new facebook page, which is tinybeyonce, and this has been the miracle. today is a miracle. we're asking people to go like our facebook page. >> i have to ask you, have you heard from beyonce? >> we haven't. we hope that she knows that it was in the best of spirits. >> oh, of course. >> that she's a strong woman.

>> i'm sure she does. >> but we're just thrilled and hopes she understands it. >> we have a few seconds left. tell us about the grace foundation. >> the grace foundation, we believe that every living being has a purpose on earth, and so we partner kids with special needs and animals and rehabilitation programs, and we rescue about 1,000 animals a year that would otherwise be euthanized. and people can go to our website, thegracefoundation, or visit tinybeyonce.com or on our facebook page. >> thank you. >> i think she said "put a ring on it." ♪ put a ring on it >> beth dicaprio and beyonce, thanks very much. thanks for what you're doing. >> thank you very much. >> this is a treat for us, too. we're back after this. spring has sprung but so have my allergies. nighttime is the worst. i can't breathe and forget sleeping. good mornings? not likely! i've tried the pills the sprays even some home remedies. then i tried something new. [ male announcer ] drug-free breathe right nasal strips. [ woman ] you just put it on and ...

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on this easter sunday, millions of people will be packing the pews in churches all across america, but in washington, d.c., one man has found a way to get people lining up to hear the good word in a place you'd never expect, a theater near you. here's nbc's mara schiavocampo. ♪ >> reporter: at a packed movie theater in washington, d.c., the main attraction isn't a show but a service. >> welcome in to national community church, and then we're going to worship the lord together. >> reporter: in this sanctuary, there's a rock band in place of a choir and a collective in popcorn containers. how could you describe what you've got going on here? >> i have some people who would say, you know, i'm not into organized religion. so, you're going to love national community church because we're totally disorganized. you know, this is more of a movement than just a static

organization. >> reporter: the movement is to create a church without an actual church. members meet at six different movies theaters across the nation's capital. what started as a group of 20 has now grown into 3,000. >> it was just so interesting that i kept coming back. >> reporter: the members are mostly single 20-somethings. while many work on capitol hill, here, they trade politics for prayer. >> i see the bickering and the fighting on both sides every day, so it's kind of refreshing to be able to come to a place where people can put that partisanship aside. >> reporter: the theater church movement is the brainchild of lead pastor mark banderson. >> there are gifts from god that god has given to us. >> reporter: 16 years ago, the former university of chicago shooting guard founded the church and started looking for available space, but they don't just use theater. they also run ebenezers, a non-profit coffee house at what used to be an inner city drug den. you've got to explain the bottle of cognac. >> we found that liquor bottle

in the walls, which kind of signifies what it was. i mean it was a dilapidated, rundown crack house, and god gave us a vision to turn it into a coffee house. >> reporter: ebenezer's serves some 600 customers a day, and all of the proceeds go to missionary work. the coffee shop also allows the church to reach potential new members. >> i think it makes us as a church maybe a little bit more accessible to the average person. >> they're really going where the people are, and they're representing this sort of spiritual entrepreneurship that characterizes american religion. >> reporter: patterson wants to keep spreading the word by buying and renting more movie theaters in d.c., growing the church -- >> we jokingly say, we're coming soon to a theater near you. >> reporter: and praying for a blockbuster turnout. ♪ >> reporter: for "today," mara schiavocampo, nbc news, washington, d.c. well, that's going to do it for us this morning.

our thanks to tom llamas and stephanie abrams. coming up next week on "today," we'll put celebrity cookware to the test. until then, we'll leave you with our "life illustrated" series, a look at what matters most in your life. >> send your pictures to today.com, our facebook page and twitter. you might see your pictures on this show in the near future. have a great easter, everyone. bye-bye. ♪ you're better than the best, i'm lucky just to linger in your life ♪ ♪ cooler than the flip side of my pillow, that's right ♪ ♪ completely unaware, nothing can compare to where you stand, lets me know that it's okay ♪ ♪ yeah, it's okay ♪ in the moments when my good times start to fade ♪ ♪ you make me smile like the sun, fall out of bed, sing like

a bird, dizzy in my head ♪ ♪ spin like a record, crazy on a sunday night ♪ ♪ ♪ you make me dance like a fool, forget how to breathe, shine like gold, buzz like a bee ♪ ♪ just the thought of you can drive me wild, oh you make me smile ♪ ♪ -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com ♪

hello, everyone. hope your easter sunday is off to a fantastic start. i am angie goff. >> and i am richard jordon. we saw one of the largest easter celebrations at the national mall. news4's derrick ward is live from lincoln memorial with a ceremony just wrapped up. first, happy easter to you, derrick. >> reporter: happy easter to you, too. the sun rose over 2 1/2 hours ago over what has become