registered there. can you register at ikea? >> i'll bet you $10 they did. >> thanks, chuck. that does it for news today. we'll be back in 25. unexpected apology. >> i wanted to say i am sorry for the loss of your son. >> george zimmerman, the man who shot trayvon martin, stuns the court with an apology to the teenager's parents. now he's set to go on bail as early as this weekend. over and out. three more secret service employees out of a job as an investigation into what happened in colombia widens and the president gets embattled by the chief of the agency. we're here in the city of brotherly love for a very special reason. the crowd's going wild on this

saturday, april 21st, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a saturday. i'm lester holt. >> and i'm amy robach. >> and this morning george zimmerman is getting ready to go free after a big surprise day in court during his bond hearing on friday. zimmerman took the stand and apologized to trayvon martin's parents. shortly afterward the judge in the case agreed to set him free on $150,000 bail. the question is where will he go, will he be safe. we're going go live in just a moment. and then angry birds. birds cause problems for three planes in three days, hitting a passenger plane and the vice president's jet as well. we'll look at this threat in the sky. drivers are seeing a little relief at the gas pump as gasoline prices are ticking

downward. we don't get to say that very often. we're looking at how long the trend is heading. and we're live in the city of brotherly love. jenna is there to take part. she's warming up with comcast cares day. she's going to join us in just a bit to tell us what it's all about. >> those little guys are like, no deep bend this hour of the morning. i look forward to that. let's turn now to george zimmerman, the man who shot and killed trayvon martin. he could go free on bail as early as this week. he apologized to martin's parents in court. nbc's kerry sanders is in florida. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lester. george zimmer mand spent another night in the jail here. he could be released as early as today. they wanted to work out some technology. he will be required to wear an ankle monitor that can be tracked by a gps.

and they want to make sure it's going to work beyond the state line because the judge has given permission to him to leave the state. the trial that will be at least a year away was sort of foreshadowed here in the hearing yesterday, and there was a surprise, as you mentioned. george zimmerman took the stand, and he apologized to trayvon martin's family. now, as his mother and father left the court, they made no comment, but their attorney said that they thought that apology was self-serving, disingenuous, and when they discovered that the judge was going to allow george zimmerman to leave jail, their attorney said they were devastated. lester. >> kerry sanders in florida. thank you. now here's amy. the director of the rattled agency has now briefed the president, this as more employees lost their jobs on friday. nbc's mark potter is in cartagena, colombia, where the investigation into what happened widens. good morning, mark. >> reporter: good morning, amy.

the prostitution scandal which began here continues to bring fallout. yesterday the secret service announced three more would be leaving the service. and on capitol hill they briefed senate staffers. they said that pollography tests are continues, there's no evidence of illicit drug use by the agents, no evidence of a big hooker party here at the hotel as has been reported and that after the hallway argument that sparked the scandal with an agent and a prostitution over how much she was charging for sex, the agent did not know she was a pros city tut. facebook pictures seem to show the woman involved in the disagreement, but because there's no confirmation, nbc news continues to blur her face. a lawyer in cartagena is representing her.

he also told reporters that she has left town but is willing to talk to investigators as the secret service and the u.s. military try to determine the full scope of this case. amy? >> nbc's mark potter. thank you. and once again, here's lester. >> all right. amy, thanks. air force mechanics spent friday going over one of the specially equipped 757 jets used to carry vice president biden after it had a mid-air encounter with a bird. they're not uncommon, but in recent days there have been a trio of high-profile incidents. pete has more from washington. pete, good morning. >> it happened most recently to hillary clinton's plane while she was flying from brussels to paris. the air force landed it safely but sometime as bird weighing only a few pounds can cripple a 90-000-pound aircraft. here it is, bird versus machine.

>> we have an engine failure. an emergency due to a bird strike. >> shortly after this flight took off from jfk on its way to los angeles airport, it lost its right engine due to flying into a flock of birds. the pilot was able to turn it around and land safely to the relief of the 172 passengers onboard. friday night, the same problem. air force 2 flying vice president biden. it's bun grounded after it had a bird strike on a flight to santa bausch barbara, california. the same happened three years ago in what forever will be known as the mir call on the hudson. captain sully sullenberger blount his flight down on the river after flying into a huge flock of birds, losing power in both engines.

airports have long struggled to keep birds off the runways. some have used cannons and some have used dogs. the engines are tested by tossing frozen birds into the turbi turbines. compounding the problem is this fact. many of the nation's busiest airports are rivers, lakes, the ocean, places birds consider their hush too. >> pete williams, thanks. let's get a check of the other top stories with nbc's ri richard lui. >> kelly bordeaux has been missing. her brother said the family is hoping this is a hostage situation and his sister is still alive. she e was last seen drinking aet

a bar with convicted sex offender. he turned himself yesterday. >> investigators could spend several more days as they tear up a basement and they search for the 1969 8-year-old eta etan patz. he disappeared during a two-block walk to his school bus stop. afghan insurgents say they've arrested more. three of the men are pakistani citizens and two are afghans. all are members of the taliban which claim responsibility for last week's deadly attacks in kabul and other cities. heavy winds are being blamed for your a fatal plane crash in pakistan. no survivors have been found. the bowie 747 crashed into a

muddy field on friday while trying to land. a volcano 35 miles east of mexico city has been spewing ash into the sky. it began erupting thursday night. it remains to see how this increased activity will affect the city's 18 million residents. >> this is the first day of national parks week and this means free admission through april 29th. there are other deals, too, on tours, food, and fishing. queen elizabeth ii is celebrating her 86th birthday. although she generally celebrates the day privately, there will be a public one complete with a 21-gun salute. amy, lester, back to you. it's great to be queen. you get to have two birthdays. >> or maybe not. i don't know if i'd want two. >> if i were the queen, i'd do

it every other year. >> bill karins is here with a check of the weather. >> that's pretty cool with the national parks thing. this would be the time to do it. the drought situation for april is, you know, very high with drought situation for april isery high. southeast georgia to florida we're exceptionally dry. the bright reds. phoenix to amarillo exceptionally dry. we were hoping for rain. we needed that soaking. doesn't look like we're going to get it. as we go through the upcoming period here, we'll be mainly dry. we're going to hit 1 hurkds for the first time in phoenix here. much above here. and looking ahead, let's look to may now at this point. may could be a warm month. looks like it will be especially in the west. in the gulf we'll experience above normal temperatures. only one spot on the map show the spot in may being cooler

than normal. probably with stormy weather in the northwest. as far as what we're dealing with today, we're waiting for the nor'easter to hit new england sunday and monday. the problem, what's going to be in florida. the severe storms. it's not until sunday evening it will head into the northeast and maybe snow on monday from buffalo to western pennsylvania. yes, i said snow. that's a look at your national forecast. here's a look at the weather outside your window. >> good morning, everybody. i'm chuck bell. your weekend is off to a beautiful start this morning. plenty of sunshine early on. but the clouds are going to be racing in here very quickly. current temperatures in the upper 50s to near 60 in many spots. cooler in the spots of west virginia. there are the rain showers now moving into western virginia, western pennsylvania. look for the rain later this afternoon. could be heavy by the time the sun goes down. tomorrow struggling to stay in . >> that's a look at your weekend

forecast. amy? bill, thank you. if you're driving anywhere this weekend, you'll be happy to know that gas prices seem to be holding steady right now and can it last. and where is the economy as a whole? cnbc's bertha coombs is here to break it down for us. good morning. >> good morning. >> let's talk gas prices. according to aaa, 3.$3.83 a gallon. do you think -- >> in a sense, nobody wants to spend more, but the fact that we've stopped that trajectory of prices going up is a bit of a releechlt in fact, we've got a dozen states where the prices are all lower than they were a year ago. >> so it's all relative it's all relative. a month ago we were talking $5 a gallon this summer. it looks like we peaked. nobody likes the high price but

the fact that they're not going up is encouraging. >> where do we see things headed? >> part of the reason that prices have come down is that oil prices have eased up because tensions with iran are a little bit cooler. they're back negotiating over iran's nuclear program. of course, things could pop back up but at the moment there aren't any things that are going to impact prices higher. so that's one of the things that has people encouraged. certainly when you're paying less for gas, that leads to more money to spend on other things and helps people spend a lot easier. >> that's a great transition to talk about our economic recovery. while jobs fulsell 8.2%. why has hiring slowed down? >> that is one of the questions that people are concerned about.

we had seen this move up earlier in the year. and we receive a pattern in the last couple of years where we slowed down in march. right now a lot of folks are watching the economic data that seems to be a little slower. they're concerned that the warm winter push add lot of the activity in the spring earlier in the year that and we're seeing the same trend in the housing market as well. >> exactly. exactly. we had a very strong first quarter, first three months of the year. strongest in five years. then things slipped a bit. sales fell in march unexpectedly. so it may have pushed some of that spring activity forward because it was so warm this winter. >> and the stock market saw a peak. it slowed down in april. what is the stock market saying about our economic recovery? >> it actually closed up for the week. part of the issue is once again europe. we resolved the crisis for now in terms of greece, but now there are concerns about spain.

one of the things that's happened in the european country is the austerity measures. they cut back. a lot of people up employed. spanish banks are seeing a lot of defaults on loans. that has people concerned about the bank system and spain is a much bigger economy than greece, so europe continues to be a headwind for us. we're watching the situation in china. they're trying to keep their economy from veering too fast, they don't want it to slow down but whether they'll get the goldie locks rate, just you. american sculpture, happiness is a big block of marble. as nbc's kevin tibbles will tell us, it wasn't easy for a woman to follow in the footsteps of

grace master. >> high in the tuscan hills of italy comes the echo on the artisan. sights and sounds that have skpiftded for centuries. for it was here that michelangelo came to find the pristine white marble that he would use to create his sculptures. some 500 years later, helene bloom enfeld has been driven here too. >> i was completely, completely hooked. >> bloomenfeld is an american, a wife, a mother, an artist, and apioneer. when she first came to sculptor 30 years ago, she was an

outsider. >> they were very hostile. every day my hands were hurting and you could never say, my hands. guys could say it but i couldn't. >> these days bloomenfeld makes fun of her callouss, badges of honor. from years of transforming massive chunks of stone, brorngsz into works of beauty. >> i would assume one mistake, you can't exactly crazy glue it all back together. >> something this big, you don't make that big a mistake. >> reporter: she still travels into the hills, the quarry, in search of a perfect stone, ail

the wile thinksing of how she can transform it into this and this and this. so revered is helene bloomenfeld here she was granted a solo excision in the main square and its medieval church where visitors stand in awe and the younger ones take in and explore. you've create add work or art but you can't call it anything until people react. >> yeah. they give it life. >> reporter: this day bloomenfeld is far from being the only fee maim sculpture.

her determination blazed the trail for so many others and she's proud. from a small town made famous by the great my call angelo, a formidable woman creating some masterpieces of her own. for today, kevin tibbles, nbc news, see an ta, inla. then a strategy for eating right even when your favorite restaurant dishes out extra large portions but first this is "today" on nbc. joirks

our parent company and comcast and those of us who work here, it's a day of service for employees nationwide. >> and jenna decided to roll up her sleevie ins and get in on t action. >> i didn't know there was going to be a fashion element to it but here i am rolling up my sleeves. employees of comcast and all

across the country are going to head out for a national day of service. we're here in northeast philadelphia and a lot of work to be done. joining me is john dishonest, executive director and chief operator officer of comcast. john, it looks like i have two shovels. what should i do? >> i think i need one. there's an awful lot of work going on at frankfort high school. right now we're going to dig a hole. >> when you say that -- >> we're going to actually do this. >> i read some of numbers. you have almost 70,000 employees who are going to be doing a much better job than i. i how big is it? >>. >> nationally were ee going to have 67,000 folks come out. it's a fabulous day for us, fabulous day for the community. >> it is.

it's not like 10:00 in the morning. what motivating anyone? let me tell you i i haven't done much work here. what motivates people? >> first of all, it's the right thing to do and it's wonderful to give back to the community that we live, serve, and work. and the other thing i think is at the end of the day it feels good. you feel good with what you did with the community. >> we should mention it's not like you're out here and then going off to some country club. you've got a bus full. who's coming here? >> my wife and i invited kids. much to my surprise. 20 kids raised their hand and got up at 7:00 this morning. they're on their way. 20 high school kids. >> 20 to add to them. >> 400 volunteers from comcast and city. we're going to be painting a gymnasium and doing a complete makeover of the cafeteria. the students are going to love

this come monday morning. >> it's wonderful woncht you keep working. i'll check back every three to four minutes to make sure you're still working. john shauns. >> did you actually move any dirt? >> i don't think so. >> jenna, we'll be right back.

good morning. taking a live look outside. there are some big weather changes on tap this weekend. it is 7:26 on this saturday, april 21st. i'm richard jordan. some new cab fares go into effect in the district today. it now costs $2.16 per mile instead of $1.50. also there's no charge if you handle your own bags. only vans can charge the extra passenger fee up to three people. no fee after the fourth person. the shuttle getting replaced by discovery will spend more time in northern virginia. the shuttle enterprise is sitting at the air and space museum in dulles.

nasa postponed the trip because of bad weather. enterprise was to leave for its new home in manhattan. nasa says it's monitoring forecast and will reschedule the flight as soon as possible. we're going to check on our foreca

good saturday morning, everybody. i'm meteorologist chuck bell. we're off to a delightful start to the weekend. but the weather is not going to last. you need to have umbrellas ready this afternoon into this evening. rain is on the way. temperatures in the mid to upper 50s in many cities now. 61 in downtown washington. there are the rain showers now moving into pittsburgh, pennsylvania, and west virginia. they're all part of a weather front coming our way. turning cloudy but very warm today with highs reaching well into the mid and upper 70s.

showers becoming likely. then heavier rain by the time the sun goes down this evening. then much colder with heavy rain and the chance for thunderstorms. richard, back to you. morning, april 21st, 2012. it's a lovely spring day here in new york city. we want to thank all of these fine folks for spending part of their weekend with us, and we're going to head outside to say hawaii in just a minute as well. and in philadelphia, there's a lot of elbow grease and hard work under way at the comcast cares day. we're going to check in once again with jenna. she's watering this time. and play a little trivia. i don't think she'll get too dirty. back inside studio 1a, amy robach and lester holt.

he was bailed out friday. in a surprising move he took the stand and apologized to martin's parents. we're going to talk about it with the host of "justice" with judge janine. >> 30 years ago, 6-year-old etan patz disappeared and was never seen again. we'll hear how someone who lived nooib says eta's disappearance changed her life. >> do you know what's in that strawberry frappuccino? we'll tell you about the one ingredient that ee's bugging a bunch of customers and what starbucks plans to do about it. if you're eating out lately, many restaurants are dishing out extra large portions. we'll have advice so you don't

eat the supervised meals. let's begin with a serious story. george zimmerman is expected to be released ed od on bail afte in court. >> reporter: prosecutors argue that george zimmerman should not be allowed to leave jail and if a bond was set, it should be at $1 million. the judge decided to set bond at $150,000 and now george zimmerman is set to leave the jail here soon. george zimmerman hand shackled in the courtroom and for the first time he and trayvon mar n martin's parents were face to face. the 26-year-old who shot trayvon martin took the stand to apologize. >> i want to say i'm sorry for the loss of your son. i did not know how old he was. i thought he was a little bit

younger than i am, and did not know if he was armed or not. >> reporter: by putting him on the stand, zimmerman's lawyers opened him up to questions from the prosecutor. >> why did you wait so long to tell mr. martin's father and mother to tell them? >> i was told not to communicate with them. >> so even through your attorney, you didn't ask to do it right away. your former attorneys or anything. >> i did ask them to express that to them. >> reporter: the defense challenged the state's lead investigator who co-authored the probable cause affidavit. it reads in part zimmerman confronted martin and a struggle ensued. >> do you have any evidence that supports it? >> no. >> what did he tell the officers? >> that he was the victim in this and that it was martin that confronted him and assaulted him. >> reporter: the affidavit also saying that zimmerman profiled the black teenager. >> why did you use the word

profiling rather than noticed, observ observed, saw, or anything besides the very preside word profie? and by the way, was that your word? did you come one that call? >> i don't recall. >> reporter: but he said what he said the night of the shooting doesn't add up. >> don't you agree a lot of it could be contradicted by the evidence? >> yes. >> reporter: before granting the bond the judge listened. the beating is captured in this photo taken by a neighbor and broadcast on abc. >> he had a protective cover over his nose. he had two vertical gashes on the back of his head. >> reporter: their attorneys call zimmerman's apologize

self-serving. >> when he made all those statements to the police, why not show remorse there if he was sincerely apologetic for killing this unarmed child. among the conditions of george zimmerman's release, he'll have to wear a ankle monitor that can be tracked by a gbp, even if he leaves the state. lester? >> thank you. janine, good to have you here. >> good morning. >> zimmerman takes the stand and apologizes. where did that come from? >> you know, most of us almost fell off our chairs when we saw that. this is bail hearing. it is number one, is the defendant going to core the court and, 2, is he a dafrmer to the community. when he takes a stand and apologizes, everyone was stunned. i have never see seen that as a

prosecutor, attorney, or a judge. but what compels that, i'm sorry for the loss of your son, i didn't know how young he was or -- as a prosecutor i'm saying are you saying this was a mistake? >> was the prosecutor. limited in how far he could go. >> once the defendant gets on the stand and starts apologiz g apologizing, the prosecutor has the right to question him further. it was used to get as muchb discov discovery. everyone understands you glet what you ka whenever you can get it. the d.a. missed it. >> is zimmerman obligated to testify in the actually trial?

has he wairch it. >> not at all. you cannot confer from his taking the stands every think. >> the fact that he duct have to touj now minus he doesn't later. >> what's interestet i'm a night guy. i didn't mean it. when he said i don't know if i -- >> my understanding is he was responds to the answers the family asked before. let me talk about the bail 1. $50,000. it's far less. far less than the prosecutor. they wanted no bail. did he show any sense of being a flight risk. >> the issues that you consider is, number one, does he have a prior conviction?

although he went for anger management classes for assaulting an ex, there are so many things. it was kind of a balance. as a judge i think i would have set bail much hire. this man is not a virgin to the criminal justice system. this is somebody who probably in some sense is better off in jail or place them. let. >> thank you. let's get a check on the weather. >> florida is going to deal with heavy rain and some thunderstorm. that will move up the eastern seaboard asill move up the east seaboard today and sunday. sunday evening heavy rain. the rest of the country looking at a decent and dry weekend. that's a quick look at your weekend forecast. now here's a look at the weather

outside your window. >> good saturday morning to you. i'm chuck bell. it's a nice way to get the weekend started. if you have things to get done outside, you better hurry. rain showers come in later this afternoon. once they get here, it's going to be a wet and turning increasingly cold weekend. right now temperatures upper 50s and low 60s. highs today reaching well into the 70s. there are the rain drops now moving into western virginia. they're on the way. they'll arrive here mid to late afternoon today. rain >> that's a look at your saturday forecast. >> thanks very much. coming up, starbucks buckling under pressure and changing one controversial agreement in some of its food and drinks. you'll see why it bugged some customers. >> we were all looking at the wrong camera. and she's been entertaining us for more than 50 years. a author julianne drews talk about her new book, right ar that. turns out to be not such a good deal.

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bayer advanced aspirin with micro particles. it enters the bloodstream fast and rushes relief to the site of pain. we know it works. now we're challenging you to put it to the test. we're giving away one hundred thousand bottles absolutely free through april 25th. so you can try it yourself and tell us what you think. visit fastreliefchallenge.com to get your free bottle. she taught us a spoonful of sugar really makes the medicine go down and the hills are alive with the sound of music. but julianne drewes has made a name for herself with her best-selling children's books and she's here with her daughter and co-author ellen walter hamilton. good morning to both of you. i love saying all of those lines because it just bridges me back to my childhood and it's come full circle to you. you're rooching out through many, many books, children of

all ages. how did you come up with this idea and co-author with your daughter this fairy princess series. >> we've been righting now for about 14 or 15 years. so far we've wrirn like 25 books. this particular series, this is the third book in the series and thing it was inspired by your daughter, my granddaughter, hopy or hope. >> affectionately called hopy. >> it's actually about inner sparkle more than outer glam. >> it's great story, a great concept. i understand you i chat via video conference? >> we do. >> what's that like? it's a daily occurrencesome. >> its is. if we're on a deadline. it's actually a lot of fun. generally she's three hours

back. >> i'm in california and she's on long eiland. >> she spritzes perfume on her. >> how has working on so many books changed your mother #daughter relationship? >> i think we've been for gntun to have a great relationship. we have a musicalual respect. >> take care of this, move this here. it's almost like watching sisters. it's really cute. who has a final say if there's an editorial different of opinion? >> the amazing thing is i always wondering who would. actually there's a -- i don't get it. the one who's the most passionate about something. >> i know you were recently in a school district school pushing your passion or early literacy

and obviously your books are a big part of that. what does it mean to communicate with the books? >> it was a wonderful experience with me and i do it as often as i can. i go into schools and read to children. we're both such passionate advocates for reading to children. and it's rare that you find a type e teacher such as the one i was who is able in spite of cuts and budget problems and of course the arts are always the fit to go, as you know, amy, making it work somehow, and this gentleman has been pushing and pushing and getting people to come in and help and i was only too happy to do so. >> we were certainly happy you both stopped by today. julianne drewes and emma walton hamilton. we appreciate it. again, it's called the very,

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when we walk together, we are bigger than cancer. join the world's biggest fight for more birthdays, the american cancer society relay for life. find your community's event at relayforlife.org. with the hours we keep around here, starbucks is about as essential as oxygen and water but they've come under fire for using an animal product that

might make some people bug-eyed and as joel gar jewel lowe explained, starbucks is takinga. >> if you've been drinking the strawberries and cream frappe or the boynes and cream, that's what you've been getting or sort of. in january starbucks started using tropical beats for for coloring. as groez as it may sound shlg it's been approved by the fda. they t critters are dried and processed into a red dye. the end results, a rosy hue that starbucks adds to two of its strawberry treats as well as four of its sweet treats. >> that's really gross. >> fresh beetles are natural. >> reporter: the dye is natural,

but it's not exactly vegetarian which bugged some member of the vegan community. so they start and online peation to put an end to it. in the blog post the president of the responded saying i am pleased to report that we are reformulating affected products to assure the highest quality possible. our expectation is to be transitioned to lycopene. it should take place in the end of june but until that's over, some are stickering to coffee. for today, joelle garguilo, nbc news, new york. just ahead, more fallout from the secret service scandal in colombia. we have a leave report, but first this is "today" on nbc. ♪

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let's check back in with jenna wolfe in philadelphia with comcast cares. >> reporter: i couldn't possibly come to philadelphia without experiencing philadelphia through my eyes. coming up in this hour we're going to talk about philadelphia. one thing i experienced is cheese stake. the quint e essential food in philly is the soft pretzel. these have been around for a long time. my new friends who date back like a million years ago. be careful. it's stale. i don't know if anything could happen to you. >> b.r. and b.f., betsy ross and ben franklyn. we're on a firnickname basis.

meantime a surfer killed in a shaurk attack off the coast of south africa. >> we'll explain, but first these messages. cash -- well, except her.re no! but, i'm about to change that. ♪ every little baby wants 50% more cash... ♪ phhht! fine, you try. [ strings breaking, wood splintering ] ha ha. [ male announcer ] the capital one cash rewards card. the card for people who want 50% more cash. ♪ what's in your wallet? ♪ what's in your...your... i'm going to lunch. those days are gone now. i'm going with her. i don't want to be chicken... i want to eat it. [ male announcer ] mcdonald's all-white meat premium chicken sandwich and the juicy 100% angus third pounder. it's your lunch. take it. you didn't think what life was gonna be like for me? mom, dad.

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take a look at that. it is the calm before the storm. some wet weather is moving in. it'll have you reaching for that umbrella. it is 7:56 on this saturday, april 21st. i'm richard jordan. metro's spring break is over. that could mean delays this weekend. three stations on the system's busiest lines are closed. on the redline are shut down. free shuttle buses are running between the silver spring and rhode island avenue stations to get you around that work. buses are also bussing on the blue line. on the orange line expect single

tracking. commuters who use virginia railway express will soon be spending more for their ride to work. the board approved a 3% increase on daily fares and monthly passes during a meeting on friday. the increase is expected to generate about $900,000 in additional revenue next year. it'll pay for rising fuel costs and the costs of day-to-day operations of the

good morning, everybody. i'm storm4 meteorologist chuck bell. we have sunshine and a great way to get started. but rain showers are a big part of your weekend forecast. temperatures upper 50s and low 60s right now. we'll race into the upper 70s for a brief time this afternoon before the cold front moves in with rain showers coming along with it. rain moving into west virginia virginia already. cloudy and warm today. showers becoming more likely this afternoon. moderate rain by this evening. then heavy rain arrives tomorrow

afternoon. could see snow flakes in the mountains of pennsylvania by early monday morning as the cold air and the wind hangs around. back to you. >> all right. another news update in 25 minu welcome back to "today" on the 21st day of april 2012. spring is in the air. nice temperatures. look at the people on the plaza. great to have them here with us. if you're in the neighborhood, stop on by. another large crowd in philadelphia. that's where jenna is holding court this morning. hey, jenna. >> i don't know if jenna can hear us it's so loud there. >> anyone ya can hear .

>> reporter: i'm very confused. i need analysis. what happened last night. >> they took third period. >> reporter: we're going to have much more on what happened here in philly and everything else. >> nice cloud, looking forward to it. >>. coming up, a search for etan patz. we'll talk with a woman who grew up near etan and how the boy's disappearance changed her life. and a tragedy off the coast of south africa. a 20-year-old suffer was killed by a shark in cape town. we'll tell you why some are blaming his death on a documentary film. and we're going to shift gears and talk about dining out. if you're not careful, it could cost you more than just money.

we're going to give you tips on how to avoid the big every waistline from the ridiculously large portions. >> you grew up and were told to eat everything off your plate. first, more of the morning headlines from richard lui. richard. >> good morning, lester and amy, and good morning, everyone. this morning a neighborhood watchman accused of killing a florida teenager could be released on bond awaiting trial. he was he with can be he can be released on $150,000 bail. the white house has been directed on the scandal. nbc's mark potter is in colombia for us. good morning, mark. >> reporter: good morning, richard. once again, the prot tustitutio

scandal which is behind me has lady to fallout as the political defense move forward. on capitol hill secret service officials made their rounds friday trying to contain the damage from the growing pros tugs scandal in cartagena, colombia. they told senate staffers there was no evidence of illicit drug use by agents and the hallway argument that sparked the scandal between an agent and a prostitute it's because he claims he didn't know she because prostitute. in face pages, there may be a face of the woman involved in the agreement. but because there's no confirmation, nbc news is blurring her face. an attorney is now representing her and she's negotiating to sell her story the an american network, not nbc news.

she is willing to talk to investigators. on cell phone video on thursday night, police can be seen arriving at the play club where u.s. officials say some of the agents involved in the scandal picked up prostitutes. this man sells food outside the club. he said several police officers told him the play club and three others were being investigating. meanwhile david cha any, a vee sea caret service supervisor faces more scrutiny. this report lid surfaced on his facebook page, showing him on security detail with sarah palin. a comment says i was really checking her out, if you know what i mean. thursday night the former governor fired back. >> check this out.

i hope his wife kicks his ocoli and sends him to the doghouse. i'm tired of these dogs. >> reporter: now a source tells nbc news that among other things investigators are poring over security video from the hotel behind me, hotel caribe, and the secret service and the u.s. military try to look through the whole scope of this case and find all that were involved. >> thank you so much. now to a bird strike that forced air force 2 to land quickly and safely in california this week. the plane was carrying vice president biden to a fund-raiser in santa barbara. another bird struck senator clinton's plane. finally, a cat so fat it's heavy year than most toddlers.

five times larger than many adult cats, meow tips the scale shy of 40 pounds. this is obviously not the video of it. the tabby was given to the shelter. he's under a special diet. he can't play lodge because he runs out of breath. with that, that's the news. back to amy. >> smaller portions. that's the key. as i send it over to bill karins, i want to say happy birthday to ethan and allen. just outside of ross chester, they're going to be delivering girl scout cookies to ten different firehouses. thumbs up to you. if you have any extra, i finished the cinnamons. it was an upsetting night in my throughout the weekend. big storm system up the east coast. as we go through sunday and

monday, the timing of this is more sunday afternoon for the carolinas and virginia. sunday night through new england going to be a big rain event there. we need it too. now here's a look at the weather outside your window. >> good saturday morning, everybody. i'm storm4 meteorologist chuck bell. the sun is shining for now. it won't last all weekend. temperatures in the low 60s now. it's going to be a warm day today with temperatures climbing well into the mid and upper 70s. might even make 80 degrees today. rain showers now in western west virginia coming way late this afternoon. 3:00, 5:00 time frame. 70s today. only near 50 tomorrow with rain sunday night. . >> all right. we're in indiana. this is rising sun, indiana. what a beautiful place to be on a saturday morning. rising sun, indiana. back to you, lester. >> bill, thanks. >> investigators are searching a

basement where a 6-year-old boy disappeared in 1969. aon the patz was one of the most high profiled cases in u.s. history. nbc's michelle franzen has more. >> reporter: the investigators are out here continuing their dig in the basement of a red brick building. that as they say a cadaver dog picked up a scent during the week. the building is located less than a block away from where little etan patz lived. a decades-old mystery into the disappearance of etan patz. in new york city's soho district, the fbi removed sections of walls in the basement floor in their certain for new clues. >> we thought it was something worth the effort. whether it yields it or not,

we'll have to see. >> reporter: it's been 36 years since the 6-year-old boy vanished by himself, a two-block walk to his bus stop. this man worked as a handy man when etan patz disappeared. he's a rretired. >> i'm not going to say anything but he denies involvement with this beautiful young boy. >> reporter: the parents have not given up hope. >> it overwhelms you. >> that question, the big unknown, will we ever see him again, constantly troubles me. >> reporter: authorthis awe tho recently spoke with etan's dad. >> when this happens, there's this hope.

by the same token there's this swarm of all the attention. >> reporter: etan's disappearance startled the nation. his picture was one of the first to be pictured on milk cartons. and president reagan dedicated the day he van issued national missing children's day. she remembers that time like yesterday. she was near etan's age and also lived in soho when etan went missing. >> you really does lose some of your innocence. you didn't just come home anymore. you came home and look around your shoulder. she said her thoughts are with etan's parents. >> i can't even fathom what his parents went through and what his parents are still going through. >> reporter: etan's parents are not speaking publicly at this time. in the meantime investigators have confirmed they've questioned another man, a friend

of miller's in this case, but they're not giving the nebraska details about what happened afteral all these years. here's amy. a giant great wark shark killed a surfer off the coast of africa. a documentary film crew is being blamed for the attack. nbc's anabel is live in london. good morning, anabel. >> good morning. a 20-year-old who repped his country in international body boarding competitions. his friends say he had a passion for the ocean. >> he was one who let the surf dog the talking. >> reporter: he was a championship water-boarder. he was in the water when the

shark struck, biting off his right leg when he was hit. husband brother was unable to save him. he knew the risks. >> he was a true, what we taerm the waterman. he spear fished, he dived, he body boarded. when the wash waves were too s he's go waterboarding. >> reporter: this is thought to be the shark that killed david. a great white about 16 feemt long. sharks are known along there. a film crew threw out fish and blood to attract them. david's friends believe this is what called him. the filmmakers have moved out of the area on monday. this is the second fatal shark attack in south after friday ka this year.

>> every time there's an attack, it's a huge tragedy, however rj it's what we've coming to live with. there are more people using the water, spending more time in the water, and therefore more chance of encountering a shark. >> a risk david understood. his friends say at least he died doings what he loved. thanks to the wet suit, wi spent longer in the wait ir. they're likely to become more so. >> thank you. we'll check back in with jenna. next, should you use a fork or forklift. we'll have tips on how to deal with the huge portions at restaurants right after these messages.

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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. ♪ we'll have tips on how to deal

this morning on "take it off today," with americans eating out more, we need help with keepikee keeping our waistline in check. great to have you here. >> nice to be here. >> you brought samples from popular chains. you're going to talk about how to make it more popular. cheesecake factory. that's chicken and biscuits. it's a lot on one plate. you've split it up. >> keep in mind most restaurants have a healthy option. but you don't always want a healthy option. everyone knows the cheesecake food on platters, not plats. sandwiches could be up to 1600

call calories. if you had one of these a week, that would be the calorie equivalent over the course of a year of a 35 to 37-pound weight gain. >> i believe all that but this is what i want to eat. >> so you can have it. with this one you're going to have to go to a restaurant with four friends and split it five ways and ask for extra carrots and peas to pump up the meal. >> do you ever say, look, box up half of it right now? >> you can do that. if you dome do it, we tend to eat in units. >> once you see it, you want to eat it. >> all of a sudden you'll say i can't believe i ate the whole thing. >> next is chipotle. usda says it should way about a third. >> at chipotle their kicken can

weigh as much as 29 ounces, over 21 call errors. with this one, probably eat a third of it. take the rest home or slar it with two friend is. >> they have weight watcher approved items on the menu. throw the chips out. don't have them on the tachblt it will be several hundred more calories. >> app i by's, this is like a burger. >> this is the quesadilla burger with fries, artery clogging fat and two days worth of sodium and that including the chili for your fries. east about a third of it and don't even bother boxing up the rest. >> this would be a good share if

you wanted to share with others obviously. >> two other people, yes. >> let's talk about the great styles and myths. this is olive garden. this is the cap a leeny. >> you get three and a half times that at olive garden with capellini bore odor row. the bread sticks too. have them box up half and put it in a doggy bag. you can have as much salad as you want. toss the crew on thes and put the dressing on the side. >> and last, ruby tuesday's. >> their chicken salad has over 1,100 calories. you can split wit a friend.

dip your fork lightly into the dressing. leave all the slat and leave most of the dressen o the play. still ahead, turning back the clock. more than a decade ago jena worked in philadelphia. see what amy and i were doing then too. first this nbc.

we're back in philadelphia now. >> jenna is there for comcast cares day. >> you spent a lot of time there. you worked there, right? >> reporter: i did work in philadelphia, about ten years ago. not much has changed. i'm just kidding. a lot of things have changed p one thing has four letters. it's called hair. we're going to see a video.

wow, that's a lot of video. everything was completely different back then. i covered sports, so it was a little bit different than what i'm doing now. but i'm not the only one that worked back there. amy, you were there as well. lester, you were there as well. let's -- >> i worked in washington, d.c. >> reporter: and you worked where? >> at the beginning of the century, i was at msnbc. frontline plus. it uses two ingredients. one to kill adult fleas and ticks. plus another to eliminate flea eggs and larvae, annihilating the next generation of fleas. and, frontline plus works non-stop for thirty days. no wonder it's the number one choice of vets for their pets and yours. ask your vet about frontline plus. accept nothing less. ask your vet about frontline plus. [ beso, agents, why did i make you wear these costumes? because the new avengers movie is coming out.

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good morning, everybody. we're taking a live look outside. a beautiful start to our saturday morning. things are definitely going to change. we're going to check in with chuck in a moment. but first, it is 8:26 on this saturday, april 21st. i'm angie goff. new cab fares go into effect today. it costs $2.16 per mile. no charge if you handle your own bags and only vans can charge the extra passenger fee. no fee after the fourth person. now, the shuttle being replaced by discovery will spend more time in northern virginia.

the shuttle enterprise is sitting at the air and space museum in dulles. nasa postponed its trip to new york because of bad weather. enterprise was supposed to leave monday for its new home at the intrepid space museum. nasa will reschedule the flight as soon as possible. and you can enjoy a hot dog with your real dog if you go to this afternoon's nationals game. it's the first of four up. s in the park game this season. and a chance to enjoy a game with your furry friend. all humans will have to buy a ticket for $22. dog tickets are $8 each. and the proceeds benefit the washington humane society.

good morning. i'mmojchu i'mmojchuckmeteorologist chuck bell. a great start to the weekend. showers arrived late this afternoon. probably at 3:00. a couple of nice usable hours on your weekend. temperatures upper 50s and low 60s now. there are the rain drops moving in. it's going to take them awhile to get over the mountains. they will get here eventually. showers possible by late this afternoon. heavier showers through the night and into tomorrow. much colder tomorrow.

today upper 70s. tomorrow low 50s with more heavy rain possible into monday. >> all right. a lot of changes. thank you much. and remember to join us for a full hour and a half of all your news and weather coming we're back on this saturday morning, april 21st, 2012. isn't it beautiful? i'm amy robach along with lester holt. we're going to be talking about a serious story. the missing soldier. >> the 23-year-old disappeared a week ago. we'll tell you what her family is doing now to try to find her. as we mentioned, it's a beautiful day here in new york and it's springtime. the question is does your garden actually look like it is? we're going to walk you through a great way to take your vegetables, herbs, and flowers to a whole different level. and in philadelphia, we're

talking about earth day cares. jenna is there too. you were talking in philadelphia, you used to be a sportscaster. we want to see your hair. >> you looked cute. >> disaster of a hair experience for three long years and fashion experience. we're going to move on from that. speak of gardening, we're doing a lot of it for comcast cares. i found a rare breed, the teenager that wakes up at 7:00 a.m. to come down here. i found 20 of them. one quick question and then i'll toss back to new york. have you lost your mind? >> absolutely not. >> have you lost your mind? >> definitely not. >> we've got the true scoop. back to you. we'll keep working. >> thank you, jenna. let's get a check of the weather. >> beautiful outside. they didn't get a good seat in

the front row but they bake prepared with their sign. this is the junk row hawks. let's take a look at your weekend forecast. we have the rain in the southeast, east coast, southeas. the east coast prepared for the storm system. not so much today along the eastern seaboard. it's that storm that's hitting florida today. this is going to be a full fledged nor'easter. we haven't seen a storm like this all winter long. primarily going to be rain. i say primarily because if you're in buffalo down through the mountains of pennsylvania, we could be talking snow. and of course the leaves are on the trees, there could be power outages. western new york and western pennsylvania. i thought i was doing doing that snowfall map. that's a look at your weather forecast. now a look outside your window. >> i'm storm4 meteorologist

chuck bell. clouds moving in foorly quickly by late this morning. rain drops are closing in but not racing in. rain is becoming more and more likely this afternoon after about 3:00, 4:00, 5:00. forecast today becoming cloudy but toasty warm. highs today upper 70s to near 80 degrees. tomorrow much colder. highs tomorrow upper 40s and low 50s. chilly into >> and that's look at your weekend forecast. amy? >> bill, thank you. and now to the disappearance of a young woman a soldier at ft. bragg missing for seven days now. kelly bordeaux's family says little progress has been maechltd nbc's mike vuihas the story. >> we don't want the story to fade. we want it to be the first story across the country, that everybody knows we're still

looking, that not to give up hope, that she's going to be coming back home. >> reporter: she was seen one week ago singing karaoke in the bar. she was last seen with a convicted sex offender. he was arrested friday for failing to report his address. police have questioned holbert at least twice but at this point say he's not a person of interest. police, fellow soldiers, family and friends have fanned out, distributing flyers and following leads, including a two-day search at an area pond that failed to turn up anything sniet gets frustrating for us as an agency. i think the other thing it is it's very frustrating. bordeaux's husband was in florida. he's now there with her family, all gathered to do everything they can to aid in the search. >> trying, you know, praying she

comes home safe. >> reporter: kelly's brother refuses to believe the worst. >> it's a horrible thing but now you hope she's being held hostage or something somewhere. >> reporter: not giving up hope but after a full week still searching for answers. for "today," mike viqueira, nbc news, fayette, north carolina. coming back we're switching gears. all the things we love about it. first these messages. [ telephone ringing ]

i'm going to lunch. those days are gone now. i'm going with her. i don't want to be chicken... i want to eat it. [ male announcer ] mcdonald's all-white meat premium chicken sandwich and the juicy 100% angus third pounder. it's your lunch. take it. [ female announcer ] improve the health of your skin with aveeno daily moisturizing lotion. the natural oatmeal formula improves skin's health in one day, with significant improvement in 2 weeks. i found a moisturizer for life. [ female announcer ] only from aveeno. and find more than just great styles. you'll also find great value in our free design service and in free local delivery. plus, shop the april sale and get special savings or 48-month financing.

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let's jump back on the turnpike and head down to philadelphia. >> jenna, good morning again. >> they've got the famous founding father, the famous sports teams, the famous cheese stakes and the rock steps. it became my quest, my mission to figure out what exactly there is to love about philadelphia. ♪ >> reporter: philadelphia, a fanatical city. just look at their mascot, a city brimming with royalty. not that prince, but this fresh prince. a city known for its dynamic electricity. hey, ben franklin was a philly guy. but the most popular resident of all, this bell.

this is the famed liberty bell, and despite what you've read on line, i didn't do this. you guys realize this is cracked, right? >> we do realize it. it started when we did a test ring. you're looking at the real crack. this one here, happened in 1846 on george washington's birthday. >> getting a new bell, ordering online, not an option? >> not an option. >> wh >> >> reporter: what is an option, friending the bell on facebook and following it on twitter. why not. >> coming to look at bell each day that will never ring again. i've got tell you, a little crazy glue along this sign and you can have it up and running in eight to ten minutes. >> i'll bring that up to my

supervisor. >> reporter: now onto another philly institution. about 80 years ago some guys chopped up a stakeak, put it on hoagie bun and ordered it up. nothing's changed over the years except for how people order them. >> would do you the whiz whiz without the whiz and order it with onions? >> probably. >> reporter: i did come all this way. do you have like multi-grain wraps? is it something i said? with my appetite still intact, i craved a little taste of history. and when in philadelphia, why not go where the actual founding fathers went for happy hour. city tavern literally right here. and here, everything is pretty much the same as wit was back in 1776. so throw out some name tss of people who have sat at this table. >> george washington, mr. adams,

mr. madison, mr. hall. >>. >> reporter: name dropper. >> everyone was here. >> you can enjoy some of mrs. washingt washington's favorite desserts. i want to be presidential. i don't want to leave anybody out. now that's what i call the spirits of philadelphia. but there was money more stop before my journey in the city was complete. all right. how many of you guys know what movie these steps are from? what? >> rocky balboa. >> reporter: do you like being from philly? >> yeah. >> best sports teams in the world? yeah. >> reporter: best food in the world? >> yeah. >> reporter: westbest, best, ben the world? >> yeah. >> reporter: do you know what

show i'm from? no. >> reporter: nice, guys. the "today" show. et put it here. >> reporter: i gave the rocky fans something to remember. on your mark, get set, go. that cheese steak. forget it. i didn't need that cheese steak. ♪ yeah, well, at least i wasn't mel low dramatic about anything. i learn add lot while in philly. the most important thing is a cheese steak will not travel well down the turnpike. cold not bring you one but i could bring you beer. we have thomas jefferson's original recipe, g.w., george

washington, alexander hamilton and drink, drink, drink, and be merry. >> thing we should drink to the presidents. >> do you remember the time the three of us were in philly and we ran up the steps? >> ever so vaguely. the only thing i remember is i won. >> because you didn't have a krafrp fr cramp from a philly cheese steak. >> i didn't eat all that cheese. we'll walk you through how to build a garden. first this is "today" on nbc.

>> announcer: do more with spring today is brought do you by home depot. more saving, more doing. that's the power of the home depot.

this morning on "do more with spring today," a perfect project for growing fresh herbs and vegetables. our sara haines found way to let them grow just about anywhere and to bring your gardening to a whole new level. >> oh, mike. there's wood. do you not remember last week? i totally missed. >> i do remember last week, but you can relax because these pieces just snap together very easily. >> like a puzzle? >> like a puzzle. >> reporter: then what is it? >> this is going to be a raised garden bed. ♪ you raise me up >> you can put one of these absolutely anywhere. if you have ph issue, soil issues, you can't get anything to grow, you won't have issues with this. because it's elevated the water is going to naturally drain out of it. you can have one of them, two side by side, stack them on top

of each other. this is actually a kit. there's a screw that matches the side of the wood panel. you basically slide it in here. ♪ it's hip to be square >> reporter: that was so easy, let's build another one. >> let's do it. >> reporter: that's not where -- >> now, to cap it all off, we add these caps. four simple screws. very simple. i trust you. >> reporter: that was the wrong one. ♪ >> there you go. >> reporter: done. this house is built. ♪ dirty deeds done dirt cheap >> reporter: you want to see my yard trick? >> that's not a good idea. that's like a three stooges movie. >> reporter: it's like playing in the sandbox.

i told you that. what is next, mike? >> we have filled our raised garden bed wi. now the plant. >> reporter: that's the fun part. what are we planting? >> we focused on flowers last week. this week i thought we'd focus on the gardening part. it's upside down. oh, no. this is actually biodegradable. you put it in the dirt and it becomes part of the soil. you rip the bottom out and roots start growing. because of the side of it you can reach in from any angle and get inside. what it allow dwrous s you to dw them close and that is it. >> reporter: now i have a garden. >> i'm seeing a theme here. it's kind of an italian theme. basil, pepper, tomato.

>> reporter: oh, my gosh. i'm hungry. do you want to eat? >> pizza. >> reporter: pizza. we're ordering in. i'm not making anything. i made a garden today. >> all right. we'll be right back, but first these messages. afternoon can be.lorful an with certified advice to help us expand our palette... ...and prices that give us more spring per dollar... ...we can mix the right soil with the right ideas. ...and bring even more color to any garden. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. lay down a new look, with earthgro mulch, now three bags for just $10. ♪

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all morning jenna has been in philadelphia. >> that's right. we want to know, jenna, how much do you really know about philadelphia? >> reporter: here's the deal. you would think after spending all this time in philly i would know everything there is to know about philly, but i don't. to help me i've gathered to help me with a couple of natives. we'll begin with the founding

father. we're going to start with ben franklin. it is ben franklin. >> it is indeed. >> reporter: tell me why you feel or you guys are qualified to help me with the knowledge i need to know. >> well, you need to join us as a historic philadelphia incorporated. you can take a tour, raise the flag at the betsy ross house and come in to independence hall after hours with mr. jefferson and me. >> reporter: a lot of activities. >> a lot of activities. >> reporter: let's get this started. i don't know any of the questions or answers just so you know. question number one. >> question number one. what food did i introduce to america. >> reporter: what food did ben franklin introduce to america? i'm going to say cheese steak. is it beer, cheese? >> tofu. >> reporter: really. i dejt know how much i love you. thank you very much. miss betsy ross, what make use

fall feed -- we know you're qualified. ask me a question. >> you know i sewed the first flag. did not design it but i made a change to the original design. what change did i make to the stars and stripes? >> reporter: i'm going to suggest the pattern of the stars. >> close. it has to do with the stars. george washington wants six pointed stars but after showing him this little trick he changed his mind and allowed me to put five stars on our flag just like that. a star for you. >> reporter: i love it. that is awesome. thomas jefferson, let me talk to y you. >> i was on the committee to write the document. can you name one of the other four men on the committee? >> reporter: i assume this is a trick question. is it lester because he's the

hardest working man on televisi television. >> he's standing right behind me. >> reporter: betsy ross? >> he. >> reporter: oh, benjamin franklin. can i sign this? shoo yes. >> reporter: there you go. i'm making history. thank you very much. go put that in a museum or something. unfortunately we have to go. the principal of frank ft. high school. we didn't get to you either, but we want to thank you for being part of this. thanks, all you guys. >> thank you. coming up tomorrow on "today," we go behind the scenes. >> bye-bye.

good morning. i'm richard jordan. >> and i'm angie goff. straight ahead on news4 today, new developments in the secret

service prostitution scandal. there's word of more resignations. now the president is being briefed on the investigation. a prominent politician says he's willing to be mitt romney's running mate. we'll find out who he thinks should be the candidate on the gop ticket. and major headaches for metro riders this weekend. which stations are closed and how to get around them. well, the sun is shining for now. promises to be a great start to the weekend. but don't you worry. mother nature's got a curveball coming your way. stay tuned. all that and more when you join us for news4 today. it's less than two minutesaway.

look what lurks on the horizon. we could see rain, wind, and bitter cold temperatures today. and get this. you're hearing me correctly. maybe even some snow flakes. >> i don't believe it. >> good morning, everybody. i'm angie goff. >> i'm richard jordan. welcome to news4 today on this saturday, april 21st. yes snow flakes. we're talking snow flakes in april. >> i'm not. he is. >> first of all, don't get out the snow blowers or shovels. that being said, today it's going to feel summerlike with temperatures near 80. tomorrow we willtr