for more of the inside story, visit shinglesinfo.com good morning. facebook fiasco? the company's stock plunges even further as a probe is launched into problems tied to the social network's debut on wall street. did the lead underwriter, morgan stanley, keep valuable information from thousands of investors? purely random. new details on the motive of a 21-year-old father being held in custody, suspected of allegedly kidnapping and killing a 15-year-old cheerleader in california. this morning his possible connection to other crimes, and why police feared he was going to flee. and dangerous game. a father jokingly puts his young son into a washing machine. seconds later, panic sets in when it starts to spin, and the door won't open.

luckily another man was able to free the child, who is said to be doing okay. but police are now trying to track down the boy's parents "today," wednesday, may 23rd, track down the boy's parents "today," wednesday, may 23rd, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm ann curry. regulators are now taking a close look at how facebook's initial public offering was handled, matt. >> that's right. specifically they want to know if the investment bank morgan stanley selectively informed some of their clients that one of its analysts was cutting its forecast. this as facebook stock dropped another 9% on tuesday. so what does all this mean? we're going to talk about it with cnbc's jim cramer straight ahead. >> also ahead this morning, new images of the woman who

triggered fears of a body bomb forcing a u.s.-bound flight to make an unscheduled landing in maine. coming up, the latest on this investigation and we're going to hear from passengers who were aboard that flight, matt. >> and i think this story is going to get a lot of response from parents. a high school freshman who tried to shed light on the issue of bullying with a video and a fake facebook page. it was all part of a school project. but instead of getting a good grade she got suspended. the school will not comment. but she'll tell us what happened when she joins us, along with her parents, for a live interview. >> but we begin with the big story this morning. the new questions surrounding facebook's botched debut on wall street and jim cramer is the host of "mad money" on cnbc. >> good morning, ann. >> as we speak the stock's down yet another dollar from the close yesterday at $30 you're saying? >> yes. >> and that's down more than 18% from its initial offering. what happened? >> well, we're now getting word that it's possible that some of the big boys who get stock, or these very exciting initial public offerings, were being told that perhaps this company

wasn't exciting after all, that facebook may not have been doing as well as we thought. so perhaps they decided to dump their stock, which is a lot of the reasons why this stock has been in free-fall from the beginning. >> a lot of reporters are in "the new york times" for example are pointing to the possibility of this. this would be illegal, if true. >> yes. you can't have selective disclosure to the big guys and not tell everybody. >> this is privileged information if, in fact, it's true? >> it is a violation of the ftc's rules about telling one group of people and not telling everyone. i mean look at it this way, i big guy gets stock, knows the thing to do with that, and buries the public which is all excited about buying the deal. that's why this could be so outrageous. >> we know that morgan stanley is denying this, the big bank handling this ipo process. it is also, this is supposed to be a crowning achievement, this ipo for morgan stanley, right? where, where is it going to go from here? >> it's a crowning fiasco. it's definitely the worst ipo i've ever seen in 30 years. i've never seen anything like this, actually. this was so poorly handled by

everyone, whether it be the nasdaq, which handled the exchange or morgan stanley. morgan stanley is saying listen, this was procedures, same as always. if it's same as always, boy, something really stinks. >> if these reports are true that some investors, big investors, got privileged information before this ipo happened, what would be the repercussions? >> well, the ftc could come in and -- they've got to clean house. anybody who was involved with this could be sanctioned by the ftc because this is exactly the opposite of the way the securities and markets are supposed to work. >> all right. cnbc's jim cramer, thank you for your perspective on this developing story. >> we're learning more about an alarming incident on a us airways flight from paris to north carolina. it was caused by a woman who said she had a surgically implanted device on her. nbc's tom costello covers aviation. he's at reagan national airport this morning. tom, good morning to you. >> hi, matt, good morning. this passenger was in 30-f, row

30-f. she had no luggage for her trip to the united states. investigators now believe she is mentally unstable, but she caused quite a stir yesterday for the flight crew who managed to play it very cool until the flight was down, and law enforcement on board. it was just after 5:30 p.m. when us airways flight 787 finally touched down in charlotte, north carolina. and passengers certainly had a story to tell. >> it was a bit scary. but we're just glad to be safe. >> reporter: it was just after noon when the flight was diverted to bangor, maine. >> no one really knew what was going on. we thought it was a medical emergency. then they told us that they were low on fuel, because the -- there were strong headwinds. then as we were landing, you could see all the ambulances, and police cars, and it wasn't just one for a medical emergency. there was like a brigade. >> reporter: but the f-15s escorting the flight knew the real reason. the 767 flying from paris to

charlotte, north carolina, with 188 people on board was more than halfway over the atlantic when sources tell nbc news a woman from cameroon with french citizenship passed a flight attendant a note, in french, warning she had a device implanted inside her. while she didn't say it was an explosive device, the flight crew took it seriously. >> she showed them some papers which i thought was a ticket and then they calmed for a doctor, and then the pilot came out of the cabin and took her to the back. and it was just -- >> reporter: they examined her for any signs of surgical scars. finding none, they became convinced she was mentally unstable. >> 7 7 heavy, verify cockpit is secure. >> affirmative, cockpit's secure. >> reporter: nbc terrorism consultant roger countriessy. >> it was only recently where we had a security tletd in the airlines keyed to al qaeda in the arabian peninsula. it's not surprising if an airline received this kind of note they're going to take

action. >> reporter: that threat was recent disclosure of a plot to surgically implant explosives on passengers bound for the u.s. once on the ground in bangor the female passenger was removed by police. >> you can see her being carried off in handcuffs. and you can also see the dog right there, and they're holding on to luggage right there. >> reporter: meanwhile the passengers were recreaned and allowed to continue on to charlotte where they arrived about three hours late. >> i'm glad i'm safe. >> reporter: we're told once in bangor the pilot came on the p.a. system and apologized to everybody for misleading them. but there was no panic on board. this passenger, 41 years old, planning a ten-day visit to the u.s. again, no checked luggage. she's now in federal custody and she's likely to face criminal charges. >> all right, tom costello. the crew seemed to handle it really well. thank you very much. >> all right. a lot of other stories making news this morning. and back from assignment, natalie morales to give us those stories. welcome back. >> good morning, everyone. just under six months to go

until election day and republicans are coming together behind mitt romney, who picked up victories in the kentucky and arkansas primaries on tuesday. and now a new nbc news/"wall street journal" poll is revealing just how close the race between president obama and romney would be if americans were voting today. romney has tightened the gap with the president by just a bit, coming in at 43%, to president obama's 47%. the president lost two points since this time last month for his handling of the economy. as for how the candidates views on gay marriage impacted voters, it's a wash. even after president obama came out in support of same-sex marriage, 62% of voters still say the candidate's stances make no difference. a senate committee hears testimony today about last month's secret service prostitution scandal in colombia. the director of the agency is expected to testify today that the night of partying did not pose any threat to national security. but one republican senator is challenging assertions that the incident in colombia was isolated.

noting a message from veteran secret service agents that this kind of behavior was tolerated while on the road. actor michael mckean is recovering in a new york city hospital this morning. the laverne and shirley star was hit by a car while walking on the sidewalk in new york city tuesday afternoon. he was taken to a local hospital with a broken leg and facial has indications. he is now in stable condition. former first lady nancy reagan is recovering after a fall that left her with several broken ribs. the 90-year-old had been expected to attend a speech tuesday at the reagan presidential library, but was unable to attend. the fall happened at her los angeles home about six weeks ago. and just call him his royal hipness. take a look. this is none other than prince charles, scratching on the turn tables -- apparently i'm scratching now, too. he's on tour of canada with his wife camilla, celebrating the queen's diamond jubilee. all right. well, nine minutes past the hour.

a long video there. we'll turn back over to matt and ann. >> well, we saw some of the video i think. but either that or the scratching of the music, was the wrong kind of music that you would attach to that kind of scratching. >> you were on assignment. you were having an echo box implanted in your throat? >> i was scratching as i said it. >> welcome back. natalie. >> deejay natty mo. >> mr. roker, what's up? >> let's see what's going on. >> deejay natty mo. >> you can see a lot of rain, miami yesterday, setting a record set back in 1901, streets were turned into rivers. it just kept falling and it is going to keep falling. this rain is going to continue. check it out right now, we can show you the rain falling currently on the radar, there's a weak front that's just draped along there. upper level low just sitting and it continues to churn out the rain. we're looking at another one to three inches, maybe some local areas may get up to five inches in the keys. there's probably going to be more flooding and more airport

delays down in southern florida. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's going on in your neck of the woods. good morning, tom kierein, in storm center 4. we had more heavy rain in northern virginia overnight. as it approached the metro, it dissipated, but left up to an inch of fresh rain on top of what fell yesterday. we had some road closures in prince william county due to creeks and streams out of their banks again. now it's receding. we're in the 60s around the area, but we could get more heavy downpours this afternoon with thunder and lightning, may cause some flooding. highs in the upper 70s. a smaller chance on >> and that's your latest weather. >> police in california say the 21-year-old father facing murder and kidnapping charges in the disappearance of a 15-year-old cheerleader may be linked to other assault cases. nbc's kristen dahlgren is in san jose this morning with the latest on this story. kristen, good morning. >> good morning, ann. this morning we are learning more about how police say they linked 21-year-old antolin

garcia-torres to sierra lamar's disappearance. what they say was a complete stranger abduction, and not his first crime. meantime, even with the murder charge pending, sierra's mother says she can't give up hope that somehow her daughter will be found alive. >> we believe there is no proof right now that she's not out there. and that's the number one priority itself, finding sierra. >> reporter: for sierra lamar's mother, this week's arrest hasn't stopped the search for her daughter. >> you never give up hope on your child, with anything. that's part of being a parent. >> reporter: but tomorrow the santa clara county district attorney's office says it plans to charge 21-year-old antolin garcia-torres with the missing teen's murder and kidnapping. certain he's responsible, after sheriff's kept him under surveillance 24 hours a day for nearly two months. sheriff's say they started watching garcia-torres after dna evidence linked him to clothes

in the teen's purse found on the side of the road just after she disappeared on march 16th. >> it's my belief this was purely random. it was an act with stranger abduction. >> reporter: after the dna link was discovered, authorities say they put a gps tracking device on garcia-torres' car. a red volkswagen jet to they say was spotted in the neighborhood at the time lamar was last seen leaving for school. the suspect's family says there's no way he could be responsible. >> i know he didn't do it. he's not capable of that. there's no motive. they don't have physical evidence. >> reporter: garcia-torres lives with his mother, and 18-month-old daughter and a wife pregnant with another child. in a trailer park just under 10 miles from lamar's home. authorities say they have his dna because of a previous assault arrest. he wasn't charged, but investigators now say dna evidence also links garcia-torres to at least one other assault in the area. authorities believe garcia-torres knew he was under surveillance.

worried he would fleet, they say they moved in for the arrest monday night. forcing a community to face a possibility they have dreaded. >> when we heard of the charges, that kind of took away any hope of her being alive. >> reporter: but her family can't give up yet. and in her pain, sierra's mother made a plea. to the man she believes has the answer she needs. >> it's in your best interest to come forward, to help end this nightmare. miracles do happen. >> reporter: now investigators have been questioning garcia-torres, but they say so far he has given them little information. again, he's expected to make his first court appearance tomorrow. meantime, another search, ann, will be going out for sierra this morning. >> all right. kristen dahlgren, thank you. it is now 7:14. once again, here's matt. >> all right, ann, thank you. memorial day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer but it looks like one staple of the season is getting a big head start. experts predict this could be a brutal mosquito season. nbc's kerry sanders is in lehigh

acres, florida. kerry, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. they're small, they're pesky and they want your blood, which i'm going to show you here as i stick my arm in this container. the problem is, as you stated, this year it at peers they're showing up nationwide, earlier than expected. late tuesday night, and into the early morning today, mosquito control was back at it in lee county, florida, fogging with synthetic pyrethium, a pesticide formulated to kill as many of these pesky insects as possible. >> in the united states we're doing a pretty good job of keeping the mosquitoes under control. but we'll never win that battle. >> reporter: in southwest florida, three planes and nine choppers crisscrosses 1,000 square miles doing battle. but this year, entomologists who study mosquitoes say the problem is not just in swampy, humid, florida.

in texas, memphis, atlanta, health officials all report increased mosquito counts. in new york city, 3-year-old jasmin richie learned what it is to hate mosquitoes. parents are not happy with how local government has responded so far to this early mosquito invasion. despite being told these mosquitoes do not show signs of west nile virus. >> my children are under mosquito nets. i want to know what are you going to do today? >> reporter: why so many mosquitoes, and so early this season? the same mild weather that brought our early, and abundant pollen season, is now to blame for the mosquito explosion. >> it's been an unusually mild winter and we did not see the repeated freezes that entomologists say we need to kill off those mosquitoes. so now with the wet season upon us, this could mean trouble. >> reporter: that wet season was evident in south florida tuesday. standing water is a perfect

breeding grund for mosquitoes. the biggest fear, disease. the cdc received reports of 610 cases of encephalitis or meningitis from mosquito borne viruses last year. 47 resulted in death. >> if you develop things like a fever, a severe headache, swollen glands, it is very important to see your health care provider immediately because these could be signs and symptoms of more serious infection. >> reporter: so here is lee county mosquito control, they spend about $13 million a year fighting these pesky critters. but, they say, it's really up to homeowners also to help, doing simple things as taking that potted plant outside and tipping it over if there's some water in there. remember, that water is where they breed. >> did you just kill all those mosquitoes in that little rag there? >> no, it just holds them off. >> yeah. sure. all right you're going to have a great night, kerry. enjoy that. thanks very much. now here's ann. >> all right, matt.

thanks. we're going to now turn to a serious story. the harrowing new details about the deaths of four climbers who perished over the weekend trying to reach the summit of mt. everest. this morning we're hearing from a colorado man who was there. here's nbc's miguel almaguer. >> reporter: piercing 29,000 feet into nepal's sky, mt. everest is the world's tallest peak. but the mountain is also one of the deadliest. this weekend climbing four lives while three other climbers are said to be missing and feared dead. >> we came across two more bodies that were also not moving at all. >> reporter: john, a mountaineer from colorado was on everest sunday. as he descended the mountain he came across some of the victims. a 16-year-old german doctor, a graduate student from nepal, and a south korean climber who he tried to help. >> his hat was off, his gloves were off. he was kind of looking at me, kind of zombie-like. or anybody that would pass would reach out and try to hand you.

the gentleman's hand was frozen solid. >> reporter: the climbers had been waiting at a campsite like this one in the so-called death zone because of the mountain's icy slopes, and low oxygen level. when the weather finally cleared, an estimated 150 climbers rushed to reach the summit. mountaineers describe the scene as a traffic jam. but soon, a windstorm blew in, there was nowhere for climbers to go. supplies started running out. >> when there's a bottleneck on everest, you have a long line of climbers that really can't pass one another. they're stuck. they're using up their oxygen, and as a result, they get cold, and potentially make bad decisions. >> reporter: it's believed the victims died from hypothermia and brain swelling triggered by the lack of oxygen and high altitude. the bodies are so difficult to reach, they may never be removed from the mountain. the graduate student from nepal tracked the early stages of her climb on facebook. but words of encouragement turned to condolences as news

spread of the tragedy. on everest, the weekend will be remembered as one of the deadliest in history. a mountain crowded with climbers, a trip not everyone would survive. for "today," miguel almaguer, nbc news, los angeles. >> pretty dramatic story, matt. >> it is. >> meanwhile authorities in new jersey are trying to track down the parents of a little boy who was put in a washing machine by his father, and then became trapped. natalie is here with that story. >> and we should warn our viewers the video may be disturbing to watch. we want to say the little boy involved is fine. but the video, which already has millions of hits on the web, is sure to get the hearts racing of any parent. it shows how within seconds, a simple prank can turn into a terrifying ordeal. this disturbing surveillance video captures the moment that a became of peekaboo apparently between father and soon quickly turned to terror at a new jersey laundromat. with the boy's mother looking on, the man picked up the boy and placed him inside the washing machine, shutting the door.

but the man soon realized that this was no laughing matter when he tried to open the door and it wouldn't budge. frantic, the woman screamed for help, as the little boy was tossed around in the machine. the laundromat's owner told the fox tv station in philadelphia she couldn't believe what was happening. >> playing peekaboo with the child in a dryer and in a washer? that's ridiculous! >> reporter: a quick-thinking store employee raced to the machine, shoved away the tables, and shut off its circuit breaker. but with the power off, even he couldn't open the washer's doors, overcome with anxiety the father jumped impatiently and the mother pounded the nearby tables. finally, after 67 heart-wrenching seconds, the employee was able to pry open the door and return the little boy to his parents. >> he's a hero, you know. he saved the child's life. >> reporter: workers at the laundromat called the police when the incident happened but the family had already left for the hospital. they say the father returned

about an hour later to pick up their clothes and told employees his son was okay. but authorities are now looking for that family, and the case has been referred to child welfare authorities, as well, matt, and ann. it's hard to see -- >> nothing funny about that story. >> not at all. >> all right, natalie, thanks very much. just ahead, new scrutiny for the tanning industry in the wake of that jersey tan mom case. are some salons ignoring laws that bar kids from tanning? the results of our hidden camera investigation. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

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coming up why does a high school student suspended for her school project with an anti-bullying message? we'll find out. ♪

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[ male announcer ] your favorite foods fighting you? fight back fast with tums. calcium rich tums goes to work in seconds. nothing works faster. ♪ tum tum tum tum tums good morning, it's 7:26 on this wednesday, may 23rd, i'm aaron gilchrest. the rain has moved out, but it did cause some problems overnight. here's tom with a look at the forecast. >> we had more flooding in prince william county around dawn. it's been receding since then. we did have some road closures there. later today, could get some heavier downpours. afternoon highs into the upper 70s, mid to late afternoon during the evening could get some downpours with thunder and lightning, may cause more flooding. then tomorrow, only a small chance, mainly in the afternoon. hot and humid for the memorial day weekend. saturday, sunday and monday, highs near 90. aaron?

good morning, traveling northbound, 29 at sandy springs road, have a report of an accident in this area. please use caution. southbound 29, your delays start right around lockwood and you're slow as you make your way to the beltway. no accidents, just delays.

on 395, slow from the weltway as you head to the 14th street bridge, your travel speed, just 19 miles per hour. aaron, back to you.

7:30 now on this wednesday morning, the 23rd of may, 2012. and you're looking at part of an anti-bullying video from a high school freshman. she made it for a school project, along with a fake facebook page, and she got suspended because of this. we're going to talk to her about what happened coming up this morning. a lot of questions to be asked, i think. >> puzzling that story. we haven't heard from the school yet on that. there's a hearing later today so we'll know more about that. also ahead the case of a new jersey woman dubbed the tan mom has brought attention to the tanning krad. well, most states have strict age requirements for salons. but are the operators of those salons following the law?

you may be surprised what we found in a hidden camera investigation. >> it was pretty startling stuff. and also are you one of the millions of americans suffering through this bad allergy season? this one is. well dr. oz is going to be here with some drug-free advice this morning to help you out. >> in a weird twist i'm actually having a better season this year than i have in the past. and people are saying it's one of the worst ever. i'm not asking any questions. >> maybe the flower that bothers you is not flowering. >> yet. we begin this half hour with a mysterious case in washington, d.c. the wife of a prominent expert on ocean life seriously beaten in the couple's apartment. and while she apparently can't remember who did it, police have acted as if her husband is a person of interest. we'll talk to him in a moment. but first nbc's justice correspondent pete williams has this story. pete, good morning to you. >> matt, it's been almost seven weeks since the brutal beating was discovered here at the couple's apartment in this upscale section of washington, d.c. now the victim's husband is fighting for the right to stay with his wife in the hospital.

david guggenheim says he rushed back to washington from several days of travel in early april, after family members became concerned that his wife, svetlana, was not answering phone calls. >> i took the next train home in the morning, and came home and found her lying the bedroom floor, a lot of dried blood. she had been there awhile, a horrible black eye, and her left eye, she was shaking, and incoherent. and it was horrible. >> reporter: david guggenheim is a prominent marine biologist. the ocean doctor, he calls himself, appearing recently on "60 minutes" to dramatize threats to underwater life. >> clinically endangered is pretty much the highest level of endangerment. >> reporter: he was a go-to expert during 2010's bp disaster in the gulf. >> this spill is going to move with the currents in the gulf of mexico. >> reporter: but now, he's fighting for the right to stay with his wife, as she recovers

from the brutal attack that left her with a blood clot serious enough to require brain surgery. at first, he was by her hospital bedside almost constantly. but then, he says, washington, d.c. police suddenly blocked him from her room. local prosecutors claimed in court that, quote, it was ms. guggenheim's explicit wishes that plaintiff, her husband, not be permitted to have contact with her. prosecutors said they had a note from a nurse who said mrs. guggenheim indicated it was her husband who attacked her. but family members say she has no memory of indicating that. family members also say she claimed someone else attacked her, but more recently indicated she did not recall saying that, either. police have since allowed her husband to resume the hospital visits. >> she would know i would never do such a thing. even if she didn't remember, you know, she would know that i -- there was no way i could possibly have done something like this. >> reporter: he insists he has the receipts to prove that he was traveling, and was out of town when his wife was attacked.

and says he has offered them to police who told him to hang onto them. >> a combination of the husband's travel records, phone records, and surveillance cameras from the apartment, should help the authorities rule him out as long as they have a very tight time frame of when the actual assault took place. >> reporter: police in washington say they're continuing their investigation, but they've been allowin mr. guggenheim to visit his wife again since late last week. matt? >> all right, pete williams in washington, d.c. this morning. pete, thank you very much. david guggenheim is with us now. mr. guggenheim, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> so, first of all, let me ask, how is svetlana doing now? what's her current condition? >> she's doing better. remarkably better. i hadn't been able to see her for a month, which was agonizing, and i didn't know who i would see when i finally got back to the hospital. but she's herself. she has her faculties. she's thin and frail. she's being fed by a feeding

tube, but she's walking a little bit. >> when you say she has her faculties, is she able to talk now? is her memory returning? >> her memory is returning. she doesn't remember the incident. she cannot talk because she has a trach tube in her throat. but we communicate by writing, and typing on an ipad. >> has there been some communication through a note or through that ipad where you have said to her, do you think i did this to you? and if not, would you clear this up with the police? >> my daughter videotaped her last week signing a statement to that effect. and then interviewing my daughter interviewed her -- >> interviewed her how if she can't communicate? >> well, through nods and shaking of the head, you know, did your husband do this to you, yes or no? and i e-mailed that information, the statement, and the videotape, to the d.a., and to the hospital, and i said, please deal with this.

>> and at the moment, do you feel you are still being considered, although not technically, but a person of interest in this case by the police? >> yes. >> you arrived home last night, i understand, and actually found police in your apartment with a search warrant. what were they looking for? do you know? or were you allowed to even remain there? >> i was allowed to be there. it was digital media. so hard drives, computers, discs, that sort of thing. and her telephone. >> you say you have receipts that show you were traveling during the time period when this attack occurred on your wife. you've, i understand, shared those or tried to share those receipts with the police, and it's my understanding they have seemed uninterested at the moment in looking at them? >> well, they have seemed actively disinterested in anything that would show that i was out of town during this incident. and the receipts is one example. my brother went to a walmart store in philadelphia, where we

shopped, and found surveillance video, talked to the head of security, and i also told them i wasn't alone during that trip at all except when i was on the train. i gave them the names of all the people i was with and they haven't called a single person. >> i have to ask you, mr. guggenheim, is there a history in your relationship with svetlana of domestic violence? >> never. >> is there a reason why police would be looking at you more closely? >> no. absolutely nothing. nothing like that. our relationship has never been violent, it's a peaceful home. and why they would bar both me and svetlana's daughter, my stepdaughter, anna, from seeing her for weeks, i -- i -- is unfathomable. i mean, this was unhumane to allow svetlana to be waking up from this sort of injury isolated from the people she needs the most around her, her husband and her daughter. >> just quickly, is there any kind of surveillance camera at your home where the beating took

place that might show who went in and out of that apartment during this time period? >> there are two surveillance cameras in our building. and presumably the police have looked at that. but, i don't know. >> and the reason you're speaking out this morning is just so that you can in some way clear your name in this? >> actually not. i -- i'm very confident about my name in this. i'm speaking out because of the way mpd has handled this, and without a court order has kept a family apart at their time of most need. and that should alarm people. >> david guggenheim. mr. guggenheim, thanks for your time this morning. and our best to your wife. >> thank you very much. >> let's get a check of the weather now from al. >> matt, thank you so much. we are out here with a couple of twins birthdays. what birthday? >> 10. >> double digits. very cool. what's your name?

is she your spokesperson? she's saying everything for you. very nice. happy birthday ladies. let's see what we've got for you today. we've got this big upper level high that'sdeala. >> this big upper level high. hundreds in the southwest, into texas, 80s and 90s. by thursday, you can see the 90s making their way into the gulf coast. 80s into the ohio river valley, and by friday, even toastier, with temperatures in the 80s, 90s, gulf, southwest. and by the time we get well into the weekend, even chicago looking for highs in the mid to upper 80s. nice folks here from perry, georgia, hanging out. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's going on in your neck of the woods. gom, tom kierein, in storm center 4. we had some heavy downpours in virginia overnight. and in prince william county, too. as a result we did have some road closures there, but the water is receding. there's a little shot of the blip of green near chesapeake beach in calvert county. otherwise, just a few clouds

around this morning. a little bit of sunshine in and out. and then a cloudy afternoon with a possibility of some heavy downpours with thunder and lightning. that may cause more flooding. a smaller chance on thursday, heating up into the memorial day weekend. >> and that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al, thank you very much. up next, are some tanning salons ignoring laws that are supposed to bar kids from tanning? the results of our hidden camera investigation, right after this. i love cash back. with the bankamericard cash rewards credit card, we earn more cash back for the things we buy most. 1% cash back everywhere, every time. 2% on groceries. 3% on gas. automatically. no hoops to jump through. no annual fee. that's 1% back on... wow! 2% on my homemade lasagna. 3% back on [ friends ] road trip!!!!!!!!!!!! [ male announcer ] get 1-2-3 percent cash back. apply online or at a bank of america near you. ♪ anti-aging cream undeniably. it creamed unbelievably a $500 cream

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back now at 7:43. this morning on "rossen reports" kids and tanning. it's gotten a lot of attention recently highlighted by the case of the so-called tan mom. are tanning salons allowing

underage kids in to get under the lights. "today" national investigative correspondent jeff rossen was under cover to find out. good morning. >> good morning. you hear about the tan mom. you hear about teens and tanning. up may laugh it off, no big deal. but doctors say it is a big deal. studies show kids who go tanning are more likely to get skin cancer. that's why most states have tough hows about who can use tanning salons. but when teens try to get in the door, are salons actually stopping them? our hidden cameras are rolling. ♪ i'm sexy and i know it >> reporter: she's made tanning this country's hottest issue. >> there's somebody out there who my whole life that doesn't like me because they're jealous, they're fat, and they're ugly. >> reporter: that's the so-called tan mom, charged with bringing her 5-year-old daughter into the tanning booth. she's pled not guilty. >> she never went in. she never went in. >> reporter: but this national spectacle has raised serious concerns about the dangers of underage tanning.

>> if you start tanning as a teenager, you're 74 times more likely to get a malignant melanoma as a younger adult than you would otherwise. >> reporter: right now, 33 states have tough age restrictions at tanning salons. in the tan mom's home state of new jersey, kids under 14 are banned. 14 to 17, must have a parent with them. to give written consent. but we found some salons apparently are ignoring the law, and seemed willing to allow teens in. no questions asked. >> she told you it was for a sweet 16. she told you her age. >> yes, she did. i was in the wrong. and i apologize. >> why did you let her tan? she said her parent's not here. >> i'm going to have to ask you guys to leave, okay. >> reporter: we did an experiment. wiring up this "today" show staffer and sending her into six tanning salons in new jersey. posing as a 15-year-old looking to bronze up. with her another young nbc staffer posing as her teenage friend.

first stop, soleil tans. >> i have a sweet 16 this weekend. i just want to do like a one time. >> here the clerk immediately shuts her down. >> it's the law. anyone under the age of 18 needs parental consent. the parent has to be in here and sign the waiver. >> reporter: two other salons also did the right thing. no parent present, no tanning. but at hot spot tanning in edison -- >> my sweet 16 is this weekend so i just want to get just kind of build on my tan for my party. >> oh, nice. >> reporter: our girl is waved right in. >> come on back. >> reporter: the clerk takes her back to the bed. >> thank you. >> reporter: and that's when we show up. jeff rossen from nbc news. >> hello there. >> reporter: you just sold this young woman tanning package and you never got her parents to sign a permission form. >> yeah, you're right. i did -- the lady that was with her was her mother. >> reporter: really? she thought these two were mother and daughter? >> i apologize to you.

i should have asked. i did something, i was wrong. >> reporter: the owner later told us his clerk violated policy. but next top tantalize. >> my sweet 16 is this weekend. i was wondering how you could show me what kind of beds. >> are you interested in doing a baser for a bronzing package? >> reporter: the clerk doesn't blink even when our staffer writes her birthday right on the salon's form, showing again she's only 15. and there she goes. ready to tan. >> jeff rossen from nbc news. you just allowed this young girl to tan here. she said she was underage. >> okay, i'm sorry. >> reporter: then she walked away. the owner later told us the clerk was fired. because she violated policy. >> the results of your hidden camera investigation are completely unacceptable. >> reporter: new jersey state senator loretta weinberg is pushing for even tougher laws to ban all kids from tanning at

salons. parental consent or not. but the tanning industry is fighting it. >> government should not be getting involved in an outright ban. and we have a sensible parental consent law already in place. it just needs to be enforced. >> reporter: but in some cases are the salons themselves helping kids to scheme? at this next one, tans mania in north brunswick, we were in for a twist. >> i'd like to get a tan, please. it's my birthday this weekend, sweet 16 so i need to get some color. >> reporter: to get her in the owner actually asks her friend, our other staffer, to sign the consent form. even though she's clearly not the girl's mother. >> you just need to sign it. >> oh. i'm just here as her friend. >> cause if she's under 18, you need like a parent's signature. >> i'm not her parent. but -- >> can she sign it anyway? >> she can sign it. >> reporter: that's all it takes and our girl heads to the beds. jeff rossen with nbc news. are you aware that the young

girl you just allowed to tan is underage? >> yes, she was with someone that's 18. >> reporter: but you actually need parental consent in the state of new jersey. >> that's what i asked right here. >> reporter: but the other woman said she was not her parent. >> she said she was her guardian. >> reporter: no, she didn't. >> you were not here. >> reporter: i was watching on hidden camera. >> all right, i'm going to have to ask you guys to leave, okay? >> reporter: in the end three out of six salons, half of them, allowed our girl to tan. doctors say that's putting teens at risk. >> what's at stake here is the health of our young people. and it is up to us to protect young people from themselves. >> reporter: remember, letting underage kids in to tanning salons without parental consent is illegal in many states. the indoor tanning association says most salons do follow the law, and those that don't should be held accountable. ann, you know, officials say the only way to stop this is more enforcement. many states don't enforce this at all. and even when these salons are caught. the fines are minimal, $100.

$200. they need more enforcement and more fines. >> jeff rossen, thank you. we know this is dangerous. thank you. still ahead this morning, what brad pitt had to say in cannes about his upcoming wedding to angelina jolie. but first, these messages. it's time to live wider awake. only the beautyrest recharge sleep system combines the comfort of aircool memory foam layered on top of beautyrest pocketed coils to promote proper sleeping posture all night long. the revolutionary recharge sleep system... from beautyrest. it's you, fully charged. you know that comes with a private island? really? no. it comes with a hat. see, airline credit cards promise flights for 25,000 miles, but... [ man ] there's never any seats for 25,000 miles. frustrating, isn't it? but that won't happen with the capital one venture card. you can book any airline, anytime.

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and progression of joint damage. it's helped new ra patients and those not helped enough by other treatments. do not take orencia with another biologic medicine for ra due to an increased risk of serious infection. serious side effects can occur including fatal infections. cases of lymphoma and lung cancer have been reported. tell your doctor if you are prone to or have any infection like an open sore or the flu or a history of copd, a chronic lung disease. orencia may worsen your copd. [ male announcer ] now learn about a program committed to you and copay assistance that can reduce monthly orencia out-of-pocket drug cost to $5. if you're not satisfied after 6 months, you get that money back. call 1-800-orencia. just ahead a high schooler shines the spotlight on bullying or a school project and gets suspended. we'll talk to her. >> and dr. oz is here with allergy relief.

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7:56 is your time on this wednesday, may 23rd, 2012, good morning to you. we have a sunny start, but grab the umbrella, just in case, meteorologist tom kierein is in the storm center 4 with the latest. >> we had overnight heavy downpours that caused flooding problems in prince william. now the waters are receding, we have breaks in the clouds, a little sunshine. later today, clouding up and heavy downpours, maybe with thunder and lightning, maybe isolated flooding. highs in the upper 70s. tomorrow, partly sunny, into the low 80s. a smaller chance of a mainly afternoon thundershower. and heating up, feeling like summertime, friday, into the memorial day weekend,

good morning, have an accident to look out for. this is new hampshire avenue at norwood, norwood road, the fire department is on the scene of the crash. also seeing an accident, but just in the right shoulder lane, i-95 north at the occoquan, difficult to see through the traffic here and a slow travel speed, heading to the beltway from the occoquan to the beltway, 25 miles per hour. looking like a 24-minute drive right now. another news update in 25 [ mechanical humming ] [ male announcer ] we began with the rx. ♪ then we turned the page, creating the rx hybrid. ♪ now we've turned the page again with the all-new rx f sport.

♪ this is the next chapter for the rx. this is the next chapter for lexus. this is the pursuit of perfection. 8:00 now on a wednesday morning. it's the 23rd day of may. ooh that looks good, 2012. a little frozen ice right now, muggy here in new york city. and we've got a big crowd of people gathered on the plaza. by the way, you're listening to the music of pitbull. that's our way of telling you that come this friday, pitbull will take over the plaza. and there's a guy who can take it over. >> mr. worldwide. >> no question. this friday morning, 8:30 half hour, pitbull live in concert. the music doesn't stop there. we've got a memorial day weekend monday of "today." we've got r&b singer bobby brown on the plaza, as well.

for a concert. meanwhile i'm matt lauer along with ann curry and al roker and coming up, was it a good idea with a bad reaction? >> that's right. you would think it would be a good idea. a high school freshman makes an anti-bullying video. you think that's a terrific idea featuring a fictional girl. the school administrators believe the class project went too far and they have suspended her. we're going to talk to this girl and her parents coming up in this half hour. >> it's been a rough allergy season, one of the worst in memory. dr. mehmet oz is going to be here with medication-free solutions to helping you with your allergies. >> and can we take a second just to brag on some of our colleagues. "today" won three gracie awards last night which honor programming for women, by women, and about women. we were recognized for outstanding news talk show. savannah guthrie won for individual achievement. and our "today's moms" blog was

named the outstanding blog. >> cool. >> congratulations to all involved. we're very proud of that. >> that's a pretty dress on savannah. now let's go inside and get a check of the morning's top stories from natalie. >> good morning, everyone. with facebook stock stumbling since it started trading last week, regulators are now examining whether some investors had an unfair early warning. they want to see if investment bank morgan stanley, which handled the ipo, selectively informed some clients about a negative analysis of facebook's prospects. morgan stanley says it complied with regulations. officials are praising the actions of a us airways flight crew during a midair scare tuesday aboard a flight from paris to north carolina. the plane with 188 people on board was diverted to maine with a fighter jet escort, after a passenger passed a note to a flight attendant, claiming she had a surgically implanted device. doctors aboard the plane examined the woman and found no scars or incision which would

have signified possible signs of a surgically implanted bomb. a little boy in rush hour traffic made for some heart-pounding moments in eastern china. the 3-year-old rode his scooter through a busy intersection forcing drivers to maneuver around him. a police officer rescued the boy around returned him to his grandfather, who was supposed to be keeping an eye on him. now for a look at what is trending today. our quick roundup of what has you talking online. brad pitt is teasing wedding watchers by giving almost nothing away about his engagement to angelina jolie. >> we have no date. and we actually really truly have no date. it's just -- >> it's a rhymer? >> something that made sense to us. well, certainly datewise it's absolutely rumor. i'm still hoping we figure out our marriage equality before then. >> pitt is in cannes promoting his new film "killing them softly." the roaring new trailer for

the great gatsby with leonardo dicaprio is a trending topic on twitter. one thing that might seem out of place, a sound track not by j. gatsby but jay-z and kanye west. and mother nature made sure caleb and sandra will never forget their wedding day. tornadoes provided the backdrop for their wedding photos. caleb's a rodeo bull rider and his bride is a barrel racer. i guess they're used to a little excitement in their lives. that tornado far off in the distance. it is 8:04 right now. let's go back outside to al with a check of your weather. or matt and ann. >> what great wedding pictures. >> it looks like a great picture. that's fantastic. >> i know i think it would be great to have a big weather -- happening right behind you -- in your photographs anyway. speaking of the weather. >> yeah. >> let's go to mr. al for that. >> okay. i don't know how many people would like a tornado during their wedding.

but that's cowboy love for you. we've got some friends from hawaii. the big island. aloha! book 'em dano. there you go. let's show them what we've got for our forecalet's show them w for our forecast, phoenix, arizona, nbc 12 news, sunny and hot, 103 in phoenix. that will be toasty. on the satellite, we've got a few showers in the pacific northwest. more heavy rain for our friends down in florida. where they got dumped with almost ten inches yesterday, more rain, slight risk of storms in the mid-atlantic states. awe foo showers on the big island of hawaii today, it should be lovely, anyway. here's what's going on in your neck of the woods. good morning, tom kierein, storm center 4, the morning fog we've had around is dissipating. and as we had some of the overnight showers coming through, we had some flooding in prince william county. not as bad as yesterday. and right now, breaks in the clouds, a little sunshine around. then clouding up the rest of the day with highs in the upper 70s. and there's a possibility of an afternoon or evening heavy

downpour with some thunder and lightning. watch out, could have more high water. tomorrow, a smaller chance of an afternoon shower or thundershower. and then heating up for the >> jack lord. ann? >> all right, al, thank you so much. coming up we're going to meet that high school freshman who created an anti-bullying video and also a facebook page that caused her to be suspended. her story coming up right after this. [ male announcer ] at p.f. chang's, we serve more than starters. we serve igniters. and now, so can you.

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one teen's project to create awareness about bullying that got her suspended from school. we'll talk to her and her parents in a moment. but first nbc's mara schiavocampo has their story. mara, good morning to you. >> matt, good morning. jessica barba is a freshman her at longwood high school. when she got a school assignment to do a project on an important issue she chose bullying. but instead of getting a grade, she got suspended. 12-year-old hailey bennett's facebook page was full of hateful messages, like, shut up already. you smell bad. and no one pities you. a depressed bennett posted, i hate myself. a heartbreaking display of cyber bullying. except, it was all fake. 15-year-old freshman jessica barba says she made up the girl and created the phony account to raiseawareness about bullying as part of a class project. jessica also made this six-minute youtube video showing

the fictional hailey bennett facing physical violent and torment day after day until she finally committed suicide. the video ended with the message, speak up, speak out, bullying is 100% preventable. >> i was so excited, i would work on it so hard for the two days straight that i worked on it just to make sure it was done. and made sure it had a good message in it. >> reporter: but jessica's good message got a bad reaction. jessica's family says that a concerned parent saw the facebook page and not realizing it was fake called police, who contacted the school. the family says school officials then suspended jessica for five days, even after she explained that it was an anti-bullying project, telling her, she says, she had created a disruption at the school. >> i started hysterically crying. i couldn't believe i was getting in trouble for something that i worked so hard on, and the only intent of it was good. >> reporter: jessica says the school demanded her facebook

password and took the page down. she also says both the facebook page and the video contained clear disclaimers, saying the girl and her story were fake. >> this is a post that i had posted on my own account, and that it was for a project that i was doing on school bullying. so everyone. >> reporter: cyber bullying is a very real problem. in the last few years several teens have committed suicide, after facing relentless taunting online. internet experts say jessica's suspension provides a teachable moment for students, and the school. >> the people that thought it was a real situation can learn that's what it looks like when a kid is crying for help and crying for help online. that's what it looks like. and let's talk about it. >> they've been teaching us since we were in kindergarten that you should treat people the way you want to be treated and not to bully. then i make some type of movement in it and i get punished for it. >> reporter: we reached out to the school about this story but they said they can't comment

citing student privacy protections. jessica's family says she has a suspension hearing with the school scheduled for later this morning. matt? >> all right, mara schiavocampo. thank you very much. jessica barba is here now along with her parents michael and jodi. good morning to all of you. >> good morning. >> i've been doing this job a long time, jessica, and usually an alarm goes off when i read something that just doesn't make sense. this doesn't make sense to me. i mean, when i hear what you did, what you created, the work you put in, that you labeled it a fake, in both these places and said it was just to spotlight the issue of bullying, i don't understand how you got suspended. can you -- is there something i don't know? >> no. i just created the video to raise awareness and i don't understand why i'm being punished for it. >> when you walked into the office, you were called into the assistant principal's office, i believe. >> yes. >> to me this seems like something, mom and dad jump in here, that could have been explained in the first five minutes of that meeting without it ever getting to suspension.

did you try to explain? >> i did. i tried explaining it so much they had the printout of the page, but none of the printouts that they had were the ones where i specified that it was a fake page. >> why was there the disdiscrepancy there. why didn't they have those printouts where you said on this hailey's girl's page this is fake? >> because the person who had seen them and printed them out and sent them to the school hadn't been able to go down far enough to see that it was fake. >> okay so mom and dad i'm thinking you go home, you print that part of the page, you walk back in and none of this would have happened. >> i did print it out. and i brought it to them. and they still -- they didn't really care too much about that. >> by that time you were suspended and they didn't want to hear about it. this is a great idea in terms of the way you went about highlighting the issue of bullying. did you perhaps go about parts of it the wrong way? did you tell a teacher at any point while you were creating these things? >> i had told my teacher that i was super excited to do the

video, i was making a bullying video and that i'll have it on time for her. and i -- she didn't really -- >> when you created the facebook page did you alert a teacher that you would be putting this material out there? >> no. >> and when you finished the video, you posted it on youtube before you turned it in to the school. >> yes. >> might you have now decided that was the wrong order to do things? >> no. i think that maybe it was, but, i'm not too sure if i would rechange the order in which i did it. >> dad, this assignment was meant to teach a lesson. >> absolutely. >> what lesson have you learned from this? >> okay, first off i'm very proud of the things she's done here. okay, she's made other movies and put them on youtube already. so the teacher never got to see it. it was never turned in. she would -- if this wasn't a project she made have made something like this and put it on youtube anyway.

>> so how do you feel about her being singled out? five-day suspension is a long time by the way. >> i think it's extensive. me, myself, i'm not on facebook so i could see how possibly a parent as they're reading down maybe didn't read far enough to see that this is fake. and possibly misunderstood this. >> and real quickly, there is a hearing at, i guess at the school a later later this morning. you won't be able to attend because you're here. what do you want to see as the quick outcome from this? >> listen all that has to happens. all i expect is her be able to go back to school, erase the suspension because it was a mistake and be able to turn in the project. this is a great project. thousands of people love it. and it can be fixed. this can be fixed simple. >> we will follow what happens later today and as this story continues. jessica, thanks very much for being here. we appreciate it. >> thank you so much for having me. >> mom and dad, thank you as well. up next, if you're suffering from allergies like a lot of people are right now, dr. oz's medication-free quick cures for the seasonal allergies. right after this.

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back now at 8:19. this morning on "today's health," coping with allergies. experts say this allergy season is worse than last year and higher pollen counts, and an exceptional warm winter may be to blame. we've got dr. mehmet oz, host much "the dr. oz show." good morning to you. >> good morning. >> is it me or are we just continually having worse allergy seasons? >> they're definitely worse. some of it is urban sprawl. the key thing for folks to understand, if you're going to get through your systems with no medications you've got to make the right diagnosis. >> you want to make sure you're not having a cold. how do you tell the difference? >> colds will come on slowly. allergies hit you quickly. colds take two weeks but no longer to get better. allergies will also last all season. but you've also got to contact pollen. pollen will be obstructed in hot

wind. pollen will also get in your eyes. it will give you eyes as well as nose problems. mold comes from spores in the ground. so moist days will give rise to that. hot, windy day, it's probably pollen. if it's a moist day, it's probably mold. 10% of the population has mold. don't confuse them. >> you want to help us medication-free treat some of these symptoms. including the itchy, watery eyes. what can we do? >> of course on ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. preventing it with sunglasses, big, hollywood glasses. look good with those. >> i'll put them on. >> those will block off the pollen from getting into your eyes. so you look cool but in addition you won't have the pollen getting in there. once in your eyes offgot to get it out. a little bit of warm water with a tear free shampoo. don't forget that pollen sticks to your body. you've got to shower it off before you go to bed. otherwise you're going to be getting it in your eyes all

night long. >> what about an itchy, stuffy nose. >> also common. again you can prevent that. a wide-brimmed hat will allow you to prevent the pollen from getting into your nose to begin with. you won't inhale it. >> a hat? >> a wide brimmed hat. it creates a halo around you so not all the wind coming past you gets into your face. if you've got a lot of products in your hair the product will stick to it. the hat will prevent that from occurring as well. once the pollen is in there, now you've got to deal with the reality you're already plugged up, neti pot is a wonderful idea. it looks like a tea pot. you put a little bit of warm water in there. it's got to be warm. warm water with one packet of salt. they come sold together. and then i won't demonstrate it. you put a little bit of water like this in your nose, turn it over to your side. the water literally washes your sinuses out and the nasal airways. that gets all the pollen or mold out of your nose.

>> so some of us who have never done that before we may be having pollen and stuff up there we need to get rid of. >> you brush your teeth? >> yes. >> why wouldn't you clean your nose out? >> good point. what about avoiding the symptom of itchy throat. >> everyone pay attention to this. a lot of folks keep calling me and saying i'm allergic to fruit, apples and pears and celery. mangoes. what's happening actually is you have allergies to pollen. and there's a cross reaction between proteins found in the skin of these fruits, and the pollen. so what you have to do is either peel the fruit, or vegetable. which is incredibly effective. you won't have that feeling of itchiness in your mouth anymore when you eat these. or you have to bake it or microwave it just for a few seconds. it denatures the protein. your body is being fooled. it thinks you're having a pollen attack but the protein in the skin of the fruit is causing the issue. >> who knew. as usual, telling us something new. by the way we want to mention coming up on your show today you're going to be revealing the

million dollar winner. >> so excited. >> and you've got to check your local listings on that broadcast. now here's matt. >> all right, ann. let's head down to orlando for some birthday wishes from our great friend mr. willard scott. willard? >> beautiful. orlando, florida. the land that's meant for me. happy birthday to a beautiful lady, and her name is laverne and her last name is rhodes. el reno, oklahoma. she's 107 years old. lives on the same family farm where she was born and loves hard work. how about that? beatrice johnston, minneapolis, minu minnesota. 100 years old. excellent artist who loves to paint and teach music. lovely ambition. eleanor, eleanor solomon of new york, new york is 100 years old. she takes daily vitamins and she loves yoga.

she practices yoga for 50 years. and tomorrow she's going to get up off the floor. how about that? we have jack goldsmith of longboat key just a few miles from here, florida, 102 years old. a proud wwii veteran and loves to discuss politics. don't we all. but don't do that and get in a fight. mary leonard, isn't that a great name, quincy, mass. 100 years old today. enjoys spending all of her time in cape cod. and an occasional glass of jamison. good for her. you can't beat that. and if you will just take a look at another pretty lady savannah lockhart from macon, georgia, 109 years old. dresses up every single day and she loves socializing with young folks. she's a cougar. how about that. that's all. now back to little old new york. >> all right, willard, thank you. up next martha stewart.

good morning, it's 8:26 now on this wednesday, may 23rd, i'm aaron gilchrest. let's go right to storm center 4 meteorologist tom kierein and some sunshine, tom? >> we have sunny breaks after the predawn showers that came through and caused more flooding in prince william county. now getting a little sunshine breaking out across virginia, maryland and the district. a lot of clouds in and out as well. it looks like it will cloud up again this afternoon with highs reaching upper 70s, another likelihood of some showers and some thunder, maybe some heavy downpours this afternoon and evening that may cause isolated flooding. tomorrow, a smaller chance of any more rain, mainly in the afternoon. heating up for the memorial day weekend. aaron

traveling i-270, no accidents, but some delays. in fact southbound at you make your way from shady grove and continue towards the spur, you

are under speed. but no accidents, a good sign. traveling on 66, approaching fairfax county parkway, not bad. but you're delayed after you pass the parkway. back to yo

8:30 now on a wednesday morning. the 23rd of may, 2012. and look here. we've got some sun peeking through the clouds. as we look at our wonderful crowd gathered here in rockefeller plaza. and we're very glad to see them. they are a welcome sight. i'm ann curry alongside matt lauer, al roker and natalie morales. coming up we're going to take a look at some of the nation's

best dishes. >> our tour guide for this is martha stewart. she's scoured the country from region to region to come up with the best recipes, and she's going to take us through some of them. what she found in a new book. coming up in a couple of minutes. >> sounds great. >> also coming up, you can call them mothers of invention. two women saw that their daughters had needs that were not being met so they decided to work and create their own product lines and coming up we're going to show you, and also teach you, about starting your own successful business. >> all right. and if you've ever wondered how the hollywood stars stay in such great shape we've got the secrets from scarlett johansson, jennifer lopez and others. >> first we want to bring you date on our hiring our heroes initiative, we were talking about this, of course, you know, just recently, in partnership with the u.s. chamber of chers. we kicked it off in march. we told you that kiss offered a job to a veteran as a roadie on

their summer tour with motley crue. we've got gene simmons joining us this morning. gene, it's great to have you here. when we, when we announced that you were offering a job to a veteran you got something like 1900 applications. why was it important for you to hire a veteran? >> it is the most important thing that we can do, because we don't use the word volunteer very often. kiss has always been committed to giving fans the best of everything. we start a new tour in july. but then we took the stock of ourselves. here's a gentleman, he doesn't know it yet, here's a gentleman who's had three tours of duty voluntarily. >> well let's talk to you for a second. >> exactly. you've narrowed this down to three finalists. the first one is paul jordan, three tours of duty. she has been, by the way, a die-hard kiss fan for 37 years. >> meeting for the first time. >> nice to meet you. >> and you are one of his idols. paul, come on in here.

>> it's nice to have you. >> you stand right here. >> so what was it about paul that made you want to make him one of your finalists? >> paul has been in iraq and afghanistan three times. he volunteered to risk his life for you and i. he's been wounded twice. i mean, the amount of service, he's been in the u.s. army 21 years voluntarily. if you don't give him a round of applause now i'm going to find out where you live. let me hear it. >> paul you've been looking for work for about the lasta half o? >> that's correct. since i retired i've had a really hard time trying to find a job. it's tough for veterans out there sometimes. >> you even have a tattoo of ma'am.mmons is that true? >> where is it? dare i ask? >> well, first of all -- >> maybe i don't want to ask. >> superman. you ready for the close-up? >> there it is. >> wow.

>> there we go. >> how about that. >> whoa! >> okay. so gene, do you have something you want to say to paul? >> well, it's true. you know you're one of three finalists. there are lots of very deserving people. we should all step up and give our heroes, our vets a job. it's the least we can do. they volunteered for us. but probably something i should tell you. you are the new kiss roadie. we're going out together in july! >> yeah! >> man! >> and paul, what's this going to be like for you? >> dream come true. i've always wanted to be involved with kiss somehow. i mean, i've been a fan since i was 4 years old. and wow, this is -- this is incredible. >> it is a paying gig. it's the real thing. let me tell you something to everybody listening out there. if you've got a small job or a big job it's the least we can do. our heroes go and represent us on the field of battle, voluntarily. then they come back and we throw them back out, here, good luck,

get a job. they should have guaranteed jobs, and you out there, get off your behinds and give our heroes a job. this is in conjunction with the chamber of commerce. give them a job. it's the least you can do. >> gene simmons. paul jordan, congratulations. great to have you here. >> thank you. >> gene>> gene is going to be b our 10:00 hour to talk to kathie lee and hoda. mr. roker? >> here's what's going on in your neck of the woods. good morning, tom kierein, storm center 4. right now we have breaks in the clouds, a little bit of sunshine breaking out. maybe an isolated sprinkle here and there. later today, a greater chance of some afternoon showers and maybe some downpours with some thunder and lightning. some of the downpours could produce isolated flooding. late afternoon, into the early evening hours. after that, though, we should settle down and tomorrow only a small chance of a passing shower or thundershower mainly in the afternoon. then heating up, friday, saturday, sunday and

>> and that's your latest weather. >> all right, al, thank you. coming up, martha stewart is celebrating america's best dishes. coming up, but first this is "today" on nbc.

martha on "today" is brought to you by macy's. the martha stewart collection is now available only at macy's and on macys.com. we're back now at 8:38. this morning on "martha on today" all-american foods. whether you live in the northeast, the southwest, or any point in between, our regions are often defined by the meals we serve. and that's the focus of martha stewart's new book called martha's american food, a celebration of our nation's most treasured dishes from coast to coast. hey, martha, good to see you. >> good morning. >> a new jersey girl. you know a lot about this region and yet we're starting this morning out west. >> we are with a beautiful red snapper and fish taco. >> this is something that people

go out west a lot of times, say i've got to try the local food. they love these fish tacos. >> tacos are good and you must really season the ingredients well. that's the secret. >> what are you using? >> one clove of garlic, one sea spoon of salt, a teaspoon of chipotle powder, zest of three limes, a teaspoon of oregano, dry, and a fourth of a cup of chopped cilantro. about a tablespoon of olive oil. this is your rub. >> how long are you going to leave that on there? >> oh, no instantaneous, rub it on and put it on the grill. because everything is very fresh. the dishes in this book are so amazingly tasty. rub that all over your fish. >> this kind of fish cooks very quickly. >> it does. it will take just about oh, maybe four or five minutes. >> all right. >> one side, an then the other. >> we can pretent we've done that other side. it's going to come out looking a little bit like that. >> chop it up like that. tear it with a fork. you can tear that if you want to see how easily it tears.

and then you have your lovely tortilla. you put on some avocado mixed with lime, very simple. >> that looks good. >> this is good. >> so savoy cabbage, some radish, scallions. >> load it up. >> have you ever done a taco bar for a party at your house? >> no, martha, i haven't. >> why not? >> but i will, i promise you. >> this summertime to do this. >> okay. >> and a little sprinkling of the rub. that's your taco. >> fold that up. i'll take that out of your hands. >> eat that with some lime. >> and the whole rest of the country to get to. south and butter milk fried chicken. >> do you like butter milk fried chicken. >> yes, i know all about this. i didn't know you marinate it overnight. >> oh, we do. buttermilk, dry mustard about 1 1/2 tablespoons. cayenne pepper. not all that. >> you know me. i would have dumped it.

>> and some salt. mix that together. pour it over the fire, the three pound fire. you can do that. >> okay. >> and then here's the butter milk chicken, roll it -- oh, forgot. >> you have to let it drain, don't you? >> no. i like it more crusty. more cayenne and some cornmeal in your flour. this is going to make a crunchy fried chicken. and fry it at 350 degrees. use a thermometer. and that's just a little bit cooler than that. >> okay. >> and then this is what it comes out looking like. >> it does. >> i'm going to go attack that. >> try that. >> why don't you go to the midwest now. what do you think of the fish taco? >> mm-hmm. >> and what about you? >> cheeseball. how fitting. >> and i found a -- >> you found ann's blackberry. >> oh, my gosh so this is a cheeseball.

it's so in the midwest. >> love it. >> eat with crackers, eat it on toast. you like cheeseball, right? >> who doesn't. >> two packages of cream cheese and eight ounces of grated cheddar. this is so easy. but the flavoring, again, really -- you can put in the worcestershire sauce. you know your recipe already. >> a pinch of pepper. >> yep. >> and some toasted pecans. >> i put a little more pepper than that. this makes two cheese balls and then roll it in these beautiful chopped pecans. and serve it like that. cold. make sure you get it cold. >> nice and cold. >> all right. see how pretty? >> we're talking about blueberry crepes. >> we talk about the indigenous ingredients of america. blueberries are indigenous america. and cranberries and squash and potatoes. even tomatoes. >> right. >> so all of those things that make america america and then all the ethnic groups that have

come here with all their great, great traditions. >> don't have a lot of time. >> okay here's the blueberries, half a cup of sugar. lemon juice. >> okay. >> cornstarch. and a little bit of salt. >> okay. >> so you can stir that up. put it in this dish. >> don't have to heat it up or anything? >> no, no, no, you're going to bake it. you're going to bake it -- >> i mean you don't have to put it over the pot? >> three quarters of a cup of flour, rolled oats, half a cup and chopped nuts, baking powder, salt. >> you've been eating that? >> oh, no, no, no. >> bake it and that's what it looks like. but here we have all of this -- >> let's have a party. >> fourth of july, or even for memorial day. beautiful, beautiful blueberry crisp. the tacos. oh, isn't this great? cherry lemonade. >> martha, thank you. >> congratulations on the new book, by the way.

>> oh, thank you. >> happy memorial day. >> it's the bounty of america. that's what we should really care about. >> up next two moms who created successful product lines inspired by their daughters. first this is "today" on nbc. i'm thinking of asking carlina to have dinner at my place. she's italian... and you can't cook. ♪

sure. no problem.ere? ♪ back now at 8:46 with two mothers of invention. christy and carolyn created entire product lines inspired by the needs of their young daughters, willa and maddie. and they're now all joining us along with donny deutsch, the chairman of the ad agency deutsch inc. carolyn, your daughter maddie suffered from some physical illness and that is what caused you to be inspired to start your company. talk to me about the illness that she had. >> maddie was born with congenital heart defects. she had three surgeries, two of them open heart, before she was 5 years of age.

the doctors did a wonderful job, but she had conditions, alopecia, losing her hair and she had psoriasis all over her body, doctors couldn't do much with. as a mother i started researching natural ways of getting her healthy, keeping her that way, and it became my passion. and so we developed some of these products, these remedies, and my husband said you've got to take these to the market. let other people benefit from them. so, that's what we did about 3 1/2 years ago. >> and now they're being sold in major stores? >> they are. about 15,000 retail outlets this year. and for next year, over 30,000. >> maddie, what's your reaction to what your mother has done? >> well, i think my family is really proud of her because we've seen the company grow from the very beginning. and we've seen like all the hard work that she's done with it. >> you feel that your health has been improved? >> yes. i'm completely healthy, i feel. >> and christy you started a skin line because you -- you -- you yourself suffer from skin problems when you were dealing with the sun, right, is that

right, and you want to protect your daughter willa. >> growing up i had terrible acne and the emotional trauma of being a girl with bad skin was pretty intense. i had no skin care regime. and then when i was 29 i had my first facial skin cancer followed by mohs surgery at 29 and then two more years later and every dermatologist i saw said 80% of the lasting damage you've done happened by the time you were 18. and now you're just seeing it show up on your face. so that's why i did want willa and other girls to repeat my story. so i got to work on willa -- >> so you got to work and you created exactly what? >> we created a skin care line, a tight focus on getting girls to start early taking care of their skin. >> spf. >> self-foaming face washes, moisturizers, natural spf, natural lip balms to get them to start taking care of themselves. >> willa, you got involved. you actually helped create some of these ideas the packaging of

them? >> we had a lot of focus groups with my friends and other moms to kind of understand what girls wanted and what moms needed for their daughters. and that was really fun, but i think that was a big part of what the products are right now. >> and looks like we have two moms who've done pretty darn well, donny. you know you're in the profession. they're motivated by love. to what do degree is that powerful in creating successful business? >> they're motivated by love and they're motivated by need. i say to everybody out there. have a journal during the course of your week. and up of a sudden you're trying on a shirt, why don't shirrs fit a certain way or i like a certain kind of applesauce. whatever is missing in your life is probably missing in other people's lives. as simply as you guys did it, and even willa, have focus groups with your friends. what do you think? and then pbs, protect your idea, build it on line. google. how do i build new shoes that have tassels on them, and "s,"

just sell it. it's not brain surgery. but it starts with what am i missing in my life. >> that's great. >> it's a great way for moms and kids to get closer. >> congratulations you guys. >> thank you. >> and thank you. coming up next we've got -- going to take you on a trip to the neon boneyard of las vegas. but first this is "today" on nbc.

they are the iconic marquees of old las vegas the giant neon signs that used to line the streets of what was called the famous strip. well what happens to them when they're retired? "today" national correspondent jenna wolfe took a trip to vegas to find out. >> lucky me. you can't exactly recycle a couple hundred enormous neon signs. so, where do you stash a slice of vintage vegas? today, many pieces sit quietly on a two acre boneyard. or a modern-day museum. ♪ by now, we all know the deal. what happens here, stays here. >> to a night the four of us will never forget. >> there is a tiger in the bathroom. >> reporter: and we're not just talking about our wild weekends. remember those neon signs that used to light up the infamous vegas strip?

♪ well, those signs, once part of sin city's past, are now destined for a place in its future. ♪ come fly with me let's fly let's fly away ♪ >> reporter: this is the las vegas neon museum, where bill marion is chairman of the board. >> this museum is like a history of neon as an art form. but it's also a history of las vegas as a city. ♪ viva las vegas >> reporter: neon signs were popular vegas fixtures from the 1930s through the '60s. today, about 150 rusty signs with broken light bulbs tell countless stories of the rich and famous in america's deck can't desert playground. >> the desert inn sign is a great sign. that's the hotel that brought howard hughes to town. and howard hughes was in the penthouse. they wanted to get rid of him because new year's eve was coming and they wanted the suites for the high rollers. what did howard hughes do? he bought the hotel so that he

wouldn't have to be evicted. if any of the viewers have seen the movie "casino." that's the old stardust. stardust doesn't exist anymore. all that's left is this magnificent sign. >> reporter: the two acre boneyard is also the final resting place for the massive sign that hung above the famous moulin rouge. the first racially integrated casino in las vegas. >> a beautiful sign in its own right. >> reporter: the busty donyard has been the backdrop for wedding photo shoots and even magazines. ♪ >> reporter: artists like carrie underwood and the group the killers also shot memorable music videos here. ♪ you saw the video they did there, right? >> love that. >> reporter: i was in that video. >> no! >> reporter: yes. ♪

>> there was something electric about being in this film. ♪ viva viva las vegas ♪ >> so why the big change of neon heart in vegas? blame it on technology. when new technology took over it was out with the neon bulbs. now it's all l.e.d. and lcd screens. it is all computer program now up and down the strip. >> that's a very cool place. it's like a walk down history. >> if you've ever been to vegas back in the '80s, '70s, '60s you remember some of these iconic marquees. it's really a neat place to go if you have some extra time when you're in vegas and you're not doing those other things. >> new definition of recycling, as well. thanks so much, jenna wolfe. >> thanks. coming up the hollywood diets that actually work. we'll talk about those. but first your local news and weather.

8:56 is your time now on this wednesday, may 23rd, 2012, good morning to you, i'm eun yang. let's go to storm center 4 meteorologist tom kierein for a look at the forecast. tom, good morning. >> we're drying out in the wake of the overnight heavy rains we had in virginia. there was some flooding in prince william earlier this morning. but the waters are receding now. later today, we might get more

heavy downpours with thunder and lightning during the afternoon and evening. some could produce isolated flooding. a smaller chance tomorrow. seven-day outlook into the memorial weekend showing a heating pattern here. it's going to be into the upper 80s, near 90, saturday, sunday and monday. eun?

good morning, traveling in the third street tunnel, northbound in the third street tunnel, have an abandoned vehicle in the far right lane. please look out and stick to your left. seeing delays on the road, 395 northbound at edsall. starting to hit the brakes, they continue as you make your way to the 14th street bridge. you're driving at about 20 miles per hour. pretty slow. 33 minutes to get democrat beltway to the 14th street bridge. and on 66, delays continue to the beltway. eun?

we're back with more of "today" on a wednesday morning, 23rd day of may, 2012. we've got blue sky above us here, after some rainy weather over the last couple of days here in new york city. and from what al is telling us, going to be a little off and on between now and even maybe through the memorial day weeken >> exactly. it's not going to be bright blue skies. but it will be a fairly decent weekend. >> we like that. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, al roker and tamron hall joining us, as well. coming up, okay, this is not what you do with a little child. >> that's right. because we have some video that shows a father putting his son inside of a washing machine, as a joke, and then closing the

door, and then obviously reacting strongly when the washing machine starts to spin. he can't get the door open to stop it. another man rushed over to help, and the child has been freed. but now police are looking for the father, so we have more on this story coming up. >> the child was in that washing machine for 67 seconds. >> which had to seem like an eternity. >> for both the parents and also the child. >> absolutely. >> and then we're going to check in with our financial experts in "today's money 911." we're going to be checking everything from settling a family estate to reasons why your credit score may be low. all that and more coming up on "today's money 911." >> and then we're talking celebrity diets. we've seen people like jennifer lopez, even matthew mcconaughey, scarlett johansson all slim down. but do you really need a celebrity trainer? when you see the celebrities you often think trainer. we've got some slimming secrets and the workout from hollywood stars to your homes without a whole lot of money shelling it out for celebrities. >> i wonder when matthew

mcconaughey was fat? >> no, no, no, but he's got buff. >> he's got an amazing ab situation going on. not that i've seen it personally but i've seen it in the movies. i would take some secrets from him if he has some. on ab situation. >> my thought is, natalie is standing by at the news desk, and she's got a check of all the headlines. natalie? >> all right. good morning to you guys once again. in the news this morning, regulators looking closely at last week's facebook initial public offering and whether morgan stanley selectively told some clients that one of its analysts cut revenue estimates for facebook prior to the start of trading. morgan stanley says it followed the same procedures for facebook that it uses for all other ipos. a woman from cameroon is in custody after some anxious moments on board a paris to charlotte us airways flight tuesday. the plane was diverted to bangor, maine, escorted by f-15s after the woman passed flight attendants a note saying she had a device surgically implanted

inside her. the woman was taken off the plane in bangor. officials have warned airlines that terrorists are considering hiding bombs inside humans, but they do not believe this woman posed a threat. authorities in new jersey are trying to track down the parents of a little boy who was put in a washing machine by his father as a joke but the little boy became trapped. the boy is now fine, but the video, which already has millions of hits on the web, is sure to get the heart racing of any parent. it shows how within seconds, a simple prank can turn into a terrifying ordeal. this disturbing surveillance video captures the moment that a game of peekaboo apparently between father and soon quickly turned to terror at a new jersey laundromat. with the boy's mother looking on, the man picked up the boy and placed him inside the washing machine, shutting the door. but the man soon realized that this was no laughing matter when he tried to open the door and it wouldn't budge. frantic, the woman screamed for help, as the little boy was

tossed around in the machine. the laundromat's owner told the fox tv station in philadelphia she couldn't believe what was happening. >> playing peekaboo with the child in a dryer and in a washer? that's ridiculous! >> reporter: a quick-thinking store employee raced to the machine, shoved away the tables, and shut off its circuit breaker. but with the power off, even he couldn't open the washer's doors, overcome with anxiety the father jumped impatiently and the mother pounded the nearby tables. finally, after 67 heart-wrenching seconds, the employee was able to pry open the door and return the little boy to his parents. >> he's a hero, you know. he saved the child's life. >> reporter: workers at the laundromat called the police when the incident happened but the family had already left for the hospital. they say the father returned about an hour later to pick up their clothes and told employees his son was okay. but authorities are now looking for that family, and the case has been referred to child welfare authorities.

casey anthony has reportedly been subpoenaed to appear at her defamation trial. a woman named zenaida gonzalez is suing anthony, who once told detectives that a fix tigsal baby-sitter by the same name had kidnapped her 2-year-old daughter caylee. anthony was acquitted of murder charges last july. and some kansas newly teds have a wedding photo to remember. they didn't let a stormy start put a dumper on their special day. the photographer caught this remarkable photo of the two with the tornadoes touching down in the background. that's amazing. some phony bar codes could put a california man behind bars. the silicon valley software engineer is facing four fell fly burglary counts. he's accused of putting fake bar codes on lego sets at target stores, buying them at a steep discount, then selling them online for thousands of dollars. if convicted he could get up to five years in prison. too smart for his own good.

five minutes past the hour right now. let's turn it over to al for a check of your weather. >> never heard of that one before. >> that's unbelievable. >> thanks so much. let's see what we've got for you. fi for you. first of all, it's been raining like crazy in florida, they picked up 9.7 inches yesterday, a new record. they're going to probably pick up another one to three inches today. in southern california. make that southern florida. could be up to five inches of rain. and out west, the heat will continue out there. we're going to talk about more heat. a slight risk of strong storms, a slight risk of severe weather along the mid-atlantic coast. showers in the pacific northwest. windy through southern california with temperatures, 76 degrees. here's what's going on in your neck of the woods. . >> good morning, overnight, heavy downpours in virginia, did cause some brief flooding problems in prince william county. around dawn. but now things are settling down. we have some sunshine breaking out around the region. but later today, we could get some heavy downpours by mid to

late afternoon into the early evening hours. some isolated storms could produce enough rain to cause some localized flooding again. then tomorrow, a much diminished chance of any rain and heating up into the memorial day weekend. highs near 90 saturday, sunday, monday. time now for today's money 911 where we take on your biggest financial questions. your exerts jean skat ski, "today's" financial editor and the author of "money rules." sharon epperson, cnbc's personal finance correspondent. and farnoosh torabi the host of financially fit on yahoo! finance. good morning. >> good morning. >> our good buddy david isn't here. >> he got married over the weekend. so we want to say congratulations to him. >> all right. congratulations to them. all right. let's start off we're going to go to skype. frank is on the line. he's from baldwinsville, new york. good morning, frank. what's your question? >> good morning, guys. thank you.

i'm in the process of setting my wife's parents will estate. we're financially okay but would like to use the money for a college fund for our 13 and 12-year-old kids. want to get letters from a life insurance settlement and we're not sure where to invest, where the money -- majority -- >> jean, what do you think? >> let me just make sure. you say you're financially comfortable. does that mean you're set as far as retirement is concerned, you've got enough money set aside from retirement? >> 401(k) retirement fund. and a couple more years till retirement. >> okay. in that case you want to look at opening 529 accounts for your kids. the proceeds should typically not be taxable unless they're coming from a life insurance policy that was associated with a group policy at an employer. so you can take the money, put it into a 529. you're in new york, has a very good new york state college savings plan. $5,000 for each you and your wife each year you'll receive a tax deduction on that. that's a great of going and the money can grow tax deer iffed

until your kids -- or tax free until they go to college. >> to the phones now. sue calling in from connecticut. good morning, sue. >> good morning. thank you. >> what's the question? >> yes, last week it was mentioned that debt over six years old isn't collectible, and i just had my bank account garnished for a debt that i'm sure is over six years old. so how do i find out more? and when is that rule applicable. >> sharon what should we do. >> what we were talking about last week, sue, was time barred debts. the issue that you have varies from state to state. there's a statute of limitations and when a collector can actually sue you. it's not that you don't owe this debt. it's that the collector can't sue you. what sounds like you is a judgment has already been made and already been decided that they're going to garnish this debt and you're going to have to pay it. so you may be out of luck here. what you need to do is find out what your rights are in terms of time barred debt. go to ftc.gov find out what your rights are. also get a lawyer, find out if

you really do have to pay this money. i assume that you will. but you can find a legal aid attorney and go to the american bar association, find legal help dot org, find an attorney in your iryeah. that statute of limitations varies from state to state. in connecticut it may be six years but you do need to check with an attorney and make sure you understand what the statute of limitations are. >> good luck. thanks for calling in. now amelia calling in from california. good morning -- i should say angela. what's your question? >> hi. i'm trying to open a small business using sba loans as a start-up and in the process i found my credit score was about 635. we had a really high debt ratio and so we paid down everything, and we also had some late pays over the last two years but once we paid off everything, including a second mortgage, my score didn't budge. it didn't move. i was just wondering how i can fix that. >> farnoosh, what's going on there? >> a couple questions for you.

when did you pay off those debts? and did you check your score from all three of the reporting agencies? >> yeah, we paid off everything in late january. and we've been checking -- we checked all three agencies, and then we actually had somebody who is trying to help us try and deal with it. and she checked everything last week. we checked everything. >> okay. so i checked in with the folks at myfico.com which is the overseer of fico scores and what they think could be the problem here is that those late payments that you have had, and i think you said something like four in the last two years, that can have a very significant impact on your score. the more frequent and the more recent your late payments are, unfortunately, that's going to weigh very heavily on your score. you did the right thing, you paid off your debt. the reason you're not seeing an immediate bump is probably because those recent debts -- those late payments, rather, are still bogging you down. but you know, just keep at it. time will heal. and you know, check your credit score, you know, once a year at

least. >> all right. >> -- pay on time, but it's such a big part of your score. can be up to 30% so you really want to make sure that you do that. >> okay well good luck angela. thank you. and now we'll go to skype one last question, we've got susannah from texas. susannah, how you doing? >> good. you? >> what's your question? >> i'm a student at a community college and planning to transfer to public university. i'd like to know what are some useful sites to apply for scholarships? i already applied for financial aid. >> quick answer, fastweb.com. the college board also has a very good scholarship locator. and there's a new site that i want you to check out, they actually have some matching dollars, a small pool of matching dollars that they'll give to people who get scholarships so if you're early to the game. >> why do they make up this names? >> 12k679 i-n-c 4679.

>> sharon epperson, jean chatzky, farnoosh torabi thanks so much. later on, preventing the summer brain drain. some fun games and apps to keep your kids learning. right after these messages. i w♪ ♪ every little thing has meaning ♪ ♪ i woke up to a light bulb on ♪ every little thing is possible now ♪ [ female announcer ] we've added a touch of philadelphia cream cheese to our kraft natural cheese to make it creamier. so whatever you make isn't just good, it's amazing. ♪ life is amazing with the love that i've found ♪ [ female announcer ] and to make a creamier sandwich, try new kraft touch of philadelphia slices. actually it can. neutrogena® ultra sheer provides unbeatable uva uvb protection and while other sunscreens can feel greasy ultra sheer® is clean and dry. it's the best for your skin. ultra sheer®. neutrogena®.

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we can. it's a small change that can make a big difference. and try glad odor shield with febreze freshness... strong bags that neutralize strong odors. we're back with celebrity diets that actually work. if you want to slim down for summer we have the secrets of some a-list celebrities that helped them shed the pounds. joy bauer is "today" contributor and nutritionist and jill martin is "today" and "us weekly" contributor. good morning. >> good morning. >> let's get right to them. men and women in hollywood. jennifer hudson. she obviously has changed dramatically, lost a lot of weight on weight watchers.

and jill, tell me how she did it and how much she actually lost. >> it's been so much fun watching her transformation from idol back in 2004. she lost 80 pounds. size 16 to a size 6. and she's not a jim buddy. her trainer will be the first person to tell you that. she likes to work out and say i want to do this again tomorrow. she does sit-ups, push-ups, squats and she jumps rope which is an underrated exercise. burns a lot of calories and builds upper and lower body. >> and she still has amazing curves, which i love. >> what about eating, because we did say weight watchers. having sort of a planned diet has worked for her. >> one of the smartest strategies is that she powers up with protein at each and every meal. protein helps to squelch hunger and ramps up your energy. so that's a tip that every man and woman on the planet could take from jennifer. she has white egg omelettes for breakfast, huge tossed salads with grilled chicken or turkey sandwiches on light bread for lunch and stir fries for dinner.

she does not miss all the carbs but does put a cap on them. at dinner broccoli and shrimp stir fry, half to one cup of rice. >> and it's working. she's maintaining that weight loss, too. >> yeah. >> she looks amazing. >> okay. let's move on to scarlett johansson, plays the black widow in "the avengers." boy does she look unbelievably amazing. but probably hotter than ever. >> right. >> and jill, how does she keep those curves in check? >> she's 27 years old. so it's obviously a little easier for her. you saw her in that black cat suit. va-va-voom. everyone wants the black costume. >> i don't know -- >> >> but she only had six weeks to get into that tip top shape, and she worked with a trainer and also her stunt double, which is interesting. because that really helps her. >> how do you know she has a stunt double? >> she uses dumb bells, resistance bands, medicine balls. 30 reps for each exercise. multiple times a week.

so circuit training. really big. and that's how you get a cat suit body. >> and from the diet perspective she follows mostly a vegan diet. that means no animal products at all. no meat, no dairy, no eggs. every once in awhile she'll have turkey chili, though. and she likes to splurge. she makes great oatmeal cookies. even when she's indulging, she wiggles in a little nutrition along with all the sugar. i think that's pretty cool. >> okay jennifer lopez. j. lo, she also looks unbelievable. and what's her hidden secret? >> i think best ever she's 42 years old. she'll say the first thing is running around chasing her twins, max and emme, they're four years old. they're singing and dancing and adorable. she's going on tour with enrique iglesias. of course she's dancing a lot which obviously helps. i once interviewed her and there was a little girl standing next to me and she said how do i get your legs? and she said do not drink soda.

no soda. >> but she has to keep up with that young boyfriend. just saying. >> and her whole mantra is always have a goal in place, and that's what helps her stay on the straight and narrow when it comes to her eating and fitness regimen. whether it's an upcoming video that she's shooting or the tour that she has coming up. from the foods perspective, nothing is off limits. she eats everything, but she's got this incredible resolve, because she's able to stop at small portions. and in fact, every dressing room that she's ever in must have chocolate chip cookies. those are her favorites. and she can stop at one or two, even with the plate staring her in the face. >> good for her. >> major resolve. >> let's go to the guys now. we've got matthew mcconaughey who is known for his abs, right, jill? >> let's just stare for a moment at this shot. because in this new movie "magic mike" he plays a former stripper. he's always in shape, but i love him because he says i like to break a sweat every day. he doesn't love to go to the

gym. he likes to be outdoors. no equipment needed. running, cycling, surfing. he uses things like a kid's swingset to do pull-ups. he hold a 45 pound rock for 15 minutes. but that's how -- he does. he says anything around he'll work out with. that's how you get abs like matthew. >> he is so cute. and you've got to love a guy that also loves to cook. he's a total pro with his spice rack in the house. he makes family dinners every single night, and even though he consistently makes fish and chicken, he's creative with the seasonings. so you could take that same piece of chicken and from italian, greek, indian and continually mix it up. >> he likes his drinks but he's doing locale. >> but he chooses light beer. you can trim off calories from the regular to the low cal. >> he's a superstar. >> i love guys that cook. >> we all do. >> jill martin, joy bauer, thank you so much. for more tips on how to get into

celebrity shape be sure to pick up this week's edition of "us weekly." and still to come this morning, pack your bags. we've got some great memorial day get aways for all of you last-minute planners. [ bell tolls ] agents, say hello to the biggest hailstone in u.s. history. oh, that will leave a dent. which is exactly why we educate people... about comprehensive coverage. yep. the right choice now can pay off later. looks like a bowling ball. yeah. oh! agents, say hello to the second-biggest hailstone in u.s. history. [ announcer ] we are insurance. ♪ we are farmers bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪ [ male announcer ] a blt is... good. a blt with hellmann's... is the best. hellmann's is made with real ingredients like cage-free eggs, and exceptional oils and vinegar. ♪ hellmann's. bring out the best. will break your heart. it's my mission to make sure

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coming up, a light meal that won't weigh you down this summer. >> and what a crock. [ male announcer ] monica's decided to make a quick pit stop for gas. [ engine turns over ] but it looks like she'll have to find another station to fill 'er up. no! are you kidding me?! [ male announcer ] good thing her corolla has legendary mpg, so getting there won't be a problem. another reason you can always count on corolla. from toyota. oooh, what's her secret? [ male announcer ] dawn hand renewal with olay beauty. improves the look and feel of hands in just five uses. [ sponge ] soft, smooth... fabulous! [ male announcer ] dawn does more... [ sponge ] so it's not a chore. ♪ start your puppy off right, with petsmart! we have everything you need, like the petsmart puppy starter kit - a $130 value for only $19.99,

including a free bag of puppy food, and training orientation. at petsmart®. good morning, 9:26 now on this wednesday, may 23rd, i'm aaron gilchrest. let's go to storm center 4 meteorologist, tom kierein, for look at the forecast. >> right now there's no rain on radar. around the region, though, later today we could have some heavy downpours, perhaps with some thunder and lightning. that would be from late afternoon into early evening. and there's a slight risk that some of those isolated heavy downpours may cause some flooding. and then tomorrow, only a small chance of a passing shower or thundershower. mainly in the afternoon. then we'll be heating up, friday, saturday, sunday and memorial day, it will feel like summertime.

good morning, if you're traveling on i-66 eastbound, just at compton road, you have an accident, ways going to say disabled, but still an accident. police are on the scene in the left shoulder. crossing over the 14th street

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♪ ♪ black suit white shirt ♪ >> that is party animal pitbull doing his signature thing. he's going to be bringing his party to the plaza this friday on "today." just in time to kick off your memorial day weekend. he is so much fun. >> mr. worldwide. >> but we're going to cap mr. worldwide off with a special monday concert from bobby brown. and then, a week from friday, we're going to have a visit from the band perry. friday for pitbull only on "today" and then monday bobby brown. >> mm-hmm. >> you can just camp out on the plaza all weekend long.

>> meanwhile just ahead, school's almost out for summer. ♪ out for summer but if you want to learn to sing or just continue we've got cool new apps and games that are a lot of fun for your kids so that they don't have that sort of brain drain. >> then we head into the kitchen and learn how to make an easy roasted fish using seasonal spring ingredients that you can wrip up any time. >> and then, a rabbit a fox and a prairie dog walk into our studio. who wins? >> big rabbit. >> we are hitting all the corners -- >> oh, look at that. he's eating the set! >> we've got a look at some of the exotic animals in our "call of the wild" and the exotic al roker, too. >> that's right. >> -- senior. >> eventually. we are looking for friday as we

head toward your weekend. rain through the western plains. sizzling through the south. hit or miss showers interior northeast and the ohio rivernd river valley, on saturday, we're expecting rain across the pacific northwest. into the northern plains, showers in northern new england. record highs in the ohio and mississippi river valley. sun were and warm out west, sunday -- sunday -- record highs in the great lakes, more rain in the pacific northwest. sunny and hot in the southwest, gulf coast, on into the mid tlask states. here's what's going on in your neck of the woods. good morning, just past 9:30 now, with the sunshine breaking out around the metro area, temperatures are climbing to around 70. it's 71 at reagan national. continuing to climb into the upper 70s, maybe briefly near 80 during the afternoon. we could also have some showers developing some of them could be heavy downpours with thunder and lightning and that might cause some isolated flooding. then tomorrow, much smaller chance of any showers, maybe during the afternoon, with thunder and lightning. feeling like summer, friday into the >> and that's your latest

weather. >> all right, al, coming up next. skipping the summer slump with fun learning tools. people keep asking me if that lady in the viva commercial is really my mother. they keep asking me if the dirty guy is really my son. huh -- what do you tell 'um? holy smokes, these viva towels really are tough, even when wet! [ mike ] for the record, that's my real father, cleaning up a real mess on a real grill. see? very impressive! you're a natural. oh that's much better... dad's got his tough mess, i've got mine. [ female announcer ] grab a roll and try it on your toughest mess. i think you got it. never beat around the bush. you'll just squash the berries. new triple berry newtons. ♪ made with real fruit, 100% whole grain, and fiber. it's one unique cookie. sweetened with honey, made from real tea leaves and real fruit flavors... ♪ it's never felt so real

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toss these little scent boosters in before you wash. and the fresh scent will last until you're ready to wash again. [ buzzer ] [ laughs ] [ both sniff ] and this fresh scent will last? it's like you shoved a rainbow up your nose. i should go. downy unstopables. the fresh too feisty to quit. "today" is brought to you by kellogg's trusted mini wheats cereals. >> this morning on "today's" classroom, tech tools for summer learning gaps. heather cabot is helping to prevent the summer brain drain

with new sites, apps and games that will make learning so much fun. good morning. >> good morning. >> this is pretty awesome because we know brain drain when kids go back in fall they've lost a lot of information. >> the good thing is there's so much technology out there and there are tons of really wonderful educational tools that are available online. i think the first stop for parents is commonsensemedia.org. >> why do you like that? >> it is a nonprofit that assesses the educational value of all those sites, apps and video games that parents are interested in. if you want to know, is this really effective? i think for parents it's a great resource. they also rate all kinds of media like movies. for summer they've come out with a looklet that you can print out. it also lists age appropriate -- >> you have a lot of bad things out there. >> exactly. and also for parents concerned about safety. >> i was going to ask you about. other than learning you want them to be safe.

>> yeah. as parents we're concerned when we hand over our devices. we want to make sure we're helping them navigate it. >> let's get to some of these ideas. there's an app to teach you how to explore the world. >> i love this app. we were playing around with it just in the studio. this is the barefoot atlas. >> all right, already love it. >> it's based on the barefoot books, it's a group invented this and did all the technology on this. what this allows you to do is you literally spin around the world and it talks to you. so we can zoom in on any country. >> okay. >> if you go in tight you can pick a landmark. >> the castle. >> it talks to you. >> what age child would this be appropriate for? >> my kids are 6 and they love this. the thing is because of the narration you don't have to necessarily be a reader. and it's a great thing, stick it in the back of the car when you're on a road trip rather than have your child just watching a movie. >> a dvd they've seen a thousand times. >> exactly. $7.99, by the way. it is not cheap. >> but it seems like it really

does a lot there. building reading skills. what do you recommend there? >> so the next app i want to show you also for the ipad is also the ruckus reader. and you know there are a lot of ebooks out there. what's unique about this, first of all, the number of titles. they have a deal with six different publishers and this for example is a sea world book. they have a lot of content that really interests kids. what's new about it, is that within the book are games. and so -- >> okay. >> as your child reads a book, they can also have it narrated to them. different activities. that measures their reading progress. as they read the parent will get an e-mail saying so and so is having trouble with, you know, his consonants but he's doing really well with sight words. you get a sense of how your child is doing. >> that is amazing. >> this really is the future of education. >> i love it because they're having fun with these gadgets, and they don't know. >> they don't even know.

>> that they're really being tested. this one is $24.99 for a six-month membership. >> that's right. or for $5.99 you can get the whole collection. for example with this sea world collection the first book is free then you get the two others you pay $5.99. >> that is cool. >> the other thing that's great with this is you can add up to four adults. so you can add your child's teacher. you can add a parent who maybe lives in another state. you could add grandma who's helping your child. >> the next one. school house rock 3.0. i remember the old school house rock. >> okay. me, too. so this is two guys who've come up with their own version of school house rock. it's school house rock. >> oh, my gosh. >> this is cell city. this teaches you, well biology 101 right? now who wouldn't have wanted to have this. if your child is struggling with algebra or grammar or anything and you just want to have fun over the summer, you can check out really hundreds of videos on all different topics. and the best part is there is a

template that allows them to make their own songs. >> awesome. >> they can upload to the site. they're having a contest where they're awards the child that gets the most vote for their song can win $10,000 for their school. >> we still remember that, i'm just a bill. i'm only a bill, sitting on capitol hill. >> this is the same thing. >> last one. >> for younger kids ages 3 to 7 this is a great subscription called sea weed crate. every month they send you a box with cool science and arts and crafts project. it's $59 for a three-month subscription. this is the medieval. >> there you have it. from high tech to just getting your hands into it. >> and orders online. >> heather, great pleasure meeting you. up next, easy and healthy dinner you can make tonight. allie's spelling bee is monday...

sounds like a mini-wheats day to me! and becka's science fair is on the 8th. she's presenting the solar system. hey i've got just the whole grain fiber to help keep her full so she can stay focused. um...you rock. she'll be ready to rock. right here! [ female announcer ] make your kids big days, mini-wheats days. packed with fiber and nearly a day's worth of whole grains kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal helps keep your kids full and focused. now available in cinnamon roll flavor. keeps 'em full... keeps 'em focused. [ male announcer ] new best prices are on their way. march in, before the goods are gone. this friday is just the beginning of prices that can't be beat.

♪ to your kids' wet skin. neutrogena® wet skin kids. ordinary sunblock drips and whitens. neutrogena® wet skin cuts through water. forms a broad spectrum barrier for full strength sun protection. wet skin. neutrogena®. not in my house. with maxwell house, we are perfectly capable of brewing our own coffee. am i right little man? he knows what i'm sayin'. [ male announcer ] maxwell house gourmet roast. always good to the last drop. with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior or thoughts of suicide.

antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbaa.lt dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. ask your doctor about cymbalta. imagine you with less pain. cymbalta can help. go to cymbalta.com to learn about a free trial offer. and this morning on "today's kitchen," a seasonal spring dish easy as 1-2-3.

david myers is a chef at a cosmopolitan hotel in las vegas. >> great to be back. >> it's great having you. you're making a great spring dish using fish, which intimidates a lot of people. but this is pretty easy. >> fish is always tricky for people. this is an alaskan halibut that we're roasting. a little bit of butter. we like the skin on, it gets nice and crispy. we're going to do this -- >> could you use any other fish? >> snapper, a little bit of tuna is good. i like the beauty of the alaskan halibut. i like the color of it, it's white. we're going to do one of my favorite dishes at comstock cosmopolitan hotel. a little bit of artichoke. it's beautiful. people are always nervous about artichokes. you have the leaves. >> it takes a lot of work here. >> i'm already going to town with this. you want to take off all of that this'll and leaves. i just do a really quick trim, take out all of the artichoke heart right there and here's the trick most people don't know, i

like to use a spoon and you can take that out like that. just get in there, and there you go. makes it nice and easy. and then you can get a really nice cut around to making this barigoule which is a fancy name for an artichoke vinaigrette. we like to braise it. cut it up like this into nice pieces just like that. and then you can saute that with some olive oil. get some nice olive oil going, which i think is fantastic. by the way, i have some more recipes on my twitte twitter @chefdavidmyers. i'm going to show you some of the classics we have. add a little bit of lemon zest. coriander, and i think it's really one of the secrets to this. smell that aroma. is that beautiful? >> that is good. >> and a little bit of crushed garlic. i like to crush it because it releases the aroma and flavor a little bit more. finish with a little bit of butter, a tad bit more olive oil, and then some white wine, and get this cooking down. you can add a little bit of carrots if you like.

i like to finish, as well with some kalamata olives to give it the brianiness. >> how long are you going to cook this for? >> for about six to seven minutes. you can even cover it like this if you'd like. but this is the beauty of after it's cooked it's got this glorious color to it. you don't have to worry about the thistles or anything. >> i know when you got the artichokes you've got like stems here. what's the difference? >> what i did was, i cut the stem off. you can either have the stem on or have it off. i like for having presentation, at the restaurant or at home i like to leave the stem on. i think it looks beautiful. it's a little bit more challenging when you're cutting it. but if you have the time, do it up like this. i like to finish it with a little bit of fresh herbs and you see that the sauce, if you want to reduce it down a little bit it works beautifully. and then just plate it up, finish with a little bit of smoked paprika. and then you of course have your beautiful roasted halibut, or snapper or whatever else you'd like. >> right. >> and put it over and for me,

this sings of spring. this is a beautiful, beautiful dish. look at this going on. that i think is healthy, easy to make and actually looks very, very nice on the plate. >> and it's just got a terrific presentation. >> squeeze of lemon at the end. i think that's a secret to a good cooked fish. give it a try, al. >> we're out of forks. >> oh, my gosh. >> where are the forks scl vr? >> a spoon! you know what, this meal -- >> chefs are very prepared here. >> a little bit more lemon. >> there you go. >> tell me what you think. nice vinaigrette in the barigoule. you could the afternoon or early evening, right? >> very nice. >> al, great to see you. >> all right, david, thanks so much. and we've got a real fox in the studio. no we're not talking tamron. we're talkingbut this is "today.

this morning on "today's" call of the wild, from the arctic to the tropics to right here in north america, there's a variety of exotic wildlife and here with some friends is national wildlife federation naturalist, david. good morning. >> hey, guys. >> you're starting off with a croc. >> we are. this is a nile crocodile. >> hmm. >> very, very small. these guys can get to be 15 to 20 feet. obviously lives in africa. this is sort of representing the african continent. amazing predators. one of the top predators in africa. supremely adapted to live in the water. you can see the eyes and the nostrils at the top of the heed. that allows this animal to sit under the water with just the barest part of it showing so their prey like zebras or antelope can't even see it. then they flash. this animal will zip out of the water and grab it. which is why we're not putting our fingers anywhere near there. >> how old is this?

>> this one is only a couple years old. again, you can imagine, when they get full grown, much, much bigger. three times as long as this table. >> what does it eat? not anchors? >> if you got too close to it. we've got a bunch more animals that i will show you. the next animal is a little bit cuter. >> yeah. >> oh, so cute. this is a little prairie dog. >> this guy -- >> if you want to gently touch her back there. >> this little guy lives in north america. this is an animal that is representing north american continent. these guys live out west. she wants to bury her head here. >> we used to see them everywhere tunnelling around. >> their tunnels are so important because many, many dozens of other species from snakes to frogs, to even burrowing owls will actually live in prairie dog burrows. there's unfortunately been a campaign to wipe these guys out. some of them are endangered. so when we do that we hurt all of the other species that rely on their habitat.

>> all right. we've got a bird up next. >> this is a -- >> this is a collared alicari. i'm going to see if she's going to eat. she got my finger here. this is -- they're actually kind of toucan. or toucanette. she's not -- >> she's having a hard time -- >> let's see if we can do that. she has that long bill. this is a south american bird. they're fruit eaters. and what's really neat is that they will build their nets in a hole in a tree. just like a lot of birds that live here in north america. we can't attract this guy in north america but you can get blue birds or chick adees if you put up a bird house in your back with yard. >> sold your hand out flat and see if she'll take it. >> nice. good job. so this next thing i'm going to ask you to take a quick step back. we're going to let him wonder the table here. he's a little bit -- he's a little freaked out. this is an arctic fox. you can see the white fur there.

he's in the process of molting his white winter coat and getting that gray/brown summer coat. so an amazing adaptation that he's guys have. even up in the arctic, summer only lasts for a month or so, but in order to, you know, sort of be camouflaged in the non-snowy environment they get this gray fur. these guys are eating birds and small mammals. in the wintertime they follow the polar bears out onto the sea ice. so with things like climate change with the sea ice going away, not only are animals like polar bears being seriously threatened, even those these guys are doing well, who knows what will happen to them as that sea ice continues to decline. >> are they pack hunters? >> they're not pack hunters. >> why are you behind me? >> well, totally gorgeous animal, you know, really, really beautiful. just sort of a great representative. >> is this the normal size? >> this is as big as they get. >> really? >> and we've got a little rabbit over here. >> we actually have a big rabbit. >> the rabbit is bigger than the fox.

>> a giant rabbit. >> you can see why it's called a giant. this isn't a wild animal. i always bring wild animals because i'm from the national wildlife federation. he's a little bit nibbley. >> okay. >> she got me, you know, before. >> big pointy teeth! >> but this is very stressful with all the lights. but yeah, these guys are a domestic animal. normally i bring wildlife but it's just so cool that this rabbit is so big. it's one of the biggest rabbit breeds. 15 pounds. people don't believe that rabbits get this big. but there you go. >> like a little dog. >> that's right. >> he just ate the arctic fox. >> no, no! for more from david go to our website today.com. >> last-minute memorial day getaways. [ male announcer ] are you paying more and more for cable

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see the cloud cover breaking up, partly sunny tomorrow. smaller chance of a shower or thundershower. mainly in the afternoon. highs low to mid 80s. heating up for the memorial day weekend. danella, how's traffic? >> we're thankful for dry roads right now, but still seeing delays on 395. slow from the pentagon as you make your way to the 14th street bridge. your delays continue as you head into the city. no accidents, though, that's good. outer loop of the beltway, still just a bit under speed at 43 miles per hour. taking you 13 minutes to get from i-95 to i-270, no accidents. eun, over to you. eun, over to you. >>

captions paid for by nbc-universal television from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hello, everybody. hoda and i want to wish you a very happy winesday, wednesday. one of our favorite days of the week. >> may 23rd. oh, my gosh, memorial day. >> coming up on the big weekend, baby. >> it's knocking. >> then sleep week. one of your favorite times of year. >> one of my favorite times. "dateline" people know how to party. we had a little "dateline" gathering.

celebrated 20 years. it was fun. one of the fun things that we do at "dateline," there's a cake that gets baked and on it is the face of every correspondent. >> so they gave you some little leftover cake. but nobody wanted to eat your face? >> that's just rude. anyway, here's what's left of it. >> it's a lovely face. >> sorry. uh-huh. okay. there it is. anyway, it's good. >> good cake. you had a good time? >> i did. you know when you do an interview and you do karaoke. this is excellent. nothing is better than right now. >> because she was so great. until you watch it back. then you look like a big dork. >> let's just watch it. >> i knew i was going to have fun when i met up with carrie underwood. but i never expected this. hip hop carrie. ♪ apple bottom jeans and the

boots with the fur ♪ >> awful. >> that's it? >> that's all we could use. apparently there was some rights issues. anyway, it always seems good at the time. later you look back. she was sweet. >> you had a good time. 20 years. how many years have you been doing it? >> you know what they said? which i can't even believe is true? i guess i started working at nbc 14 years ago. >> what's it feel like? >> i was scared when i first came in. i didn't know what i was doing. i was just really afraid. i was terrified. >> of your hair or the show. >> everything. you ought to see some of the pics. i can't believe they let me on the air. it was like, hey! how was your yesterday? >> my day was fine. i'm not allowed to show pictures. i have been castigated by my daughter who was not happy i showed them the first day. so she had a second prom last night. so there will be no pictures forthcoming. i realize it's literally costing me more money to get her out of the high school than it's going

to be to get her into college. i've never seen anything like it. she graduating tomorrow. good riddance. honestly. honestly! i can't wait for it to be over. >> there is a lot of hype. proms, graduation, dresses. all the stuff. >> it's out of control. it's fun when you're there and all that stuff. but i'm ready to have a nice quiet weekend afterwards. although my mother's coming. there that goes. >> you're going to hang with the family. >> going to hang with the family. what are you going to do? >> i'm going to go to nashville, tennessee. >> and do what, hoda woman? >> you know what, rascal flatts. crazy about them. they're playing at the grand ole opry. i'm going to pack it up with jay and we're going to go to nashville. >> you're writing another book. >> called "ten years later." it talks about -- we found a bunch of different people. you find a significant event in their life. whether they won the lottery, lost a loved one, illness, something good, something bad. fast forward ten years and see

what's become of them. it's way to kind of fast forward through life. it's going to be fun. we're going to be working on that. >> think about your life ten years ago. >> yeah. that was not great. >> it wasn't. you know what i'm worried about now? i'm officially worried. because i like this young girl. she's a talented young girl. she grew up knowing better. let's just put it that way. miley cyrus is starting to concern me. as a mom. yeah. flashed her side breast. exposed her dream catcher tattoo in a cut-out top that leaves nothing to the imagination. >> she's barefoot. we thought it was a movie -- she was shooting for a movie. apparently just running down the street. >> greeting a friend. if you run around in my neighborhood you'll find me doing this, too. i'm a friendly girl. i greet everybody. >> you know what's interesting about this? the other day at the billboard music awards she was wearing it shall it looked like a jacket top and no pants. everyone kept saying where are miley's pants? >> she looks great. her body looks fantastic.

>> you know what it is? you wonder what's the next thing you can do. she's already surprised people and shocked people. today's picture -- >> what does she want people to think? that she's not hannah montana? >> i think that's it. >> we know that. she was an actress. i don't know why she feels the need to do that. i wish she didn't. she's an absolutely darling girl. i just hope it's a short little period. >> a moment in time. >> yeah. >> so this video from china is very shocking. all right. so traffic is bad in the city. it's incredibly bad. but this 3-year-old child was on, like, a scooter. and he was with his grandfather. he sort of slipped away from grandpa. >> he was playing around. got away from him. >> got into traffic. look at him going into oncoming traffic. the bus dodges him. >> i wonder if the bus can even see him the driver is so high. oh, dear lord. another one. >> i guess the grandfather lost track of him. there he was. just going down the street. continuing to go. is that a motorized --

>> you shouldn't give a 3-year-old a motorized thing anyway, should you? when my kids were little there were no motors. we've come along ways. >> the child was fine. at the end of the day. the grandfather, i'm sure, got in trouble. when they asked him if he was scared, he goes, no. thank you. >> grandfather's in deep doo doo. >> here's something that's probably going to get on your last jangley nerve. if you are flying for memorial day weekend and you're trying to book a flight, the average airplane flight if you're averaging them across the count country is $350. you have to pay for additional food. the pillow and all that. now a lot of airlines are charging more for the aisle seat. or the window seat. because they're better than the crummy middle seat. they're charging in some cases 25 bucks extra so that you can sit on an aisle or a window

instead of the middle. i know. it's horrifying. >> the biggest question is what do you do if you're traveling as a family and you've got small children. you don't want them sitting with strangers and that sort of thing. why should a family be penalized that can't sit together. no. i think it's -- they've got to find another way to make it happen. >> they're charging for everything. that's the thing. they say it's expensive for airlines to pay for everything. >> the price of fuel's gone crazy. >> i can't believe you have to pay 25 bucks more for a window or an aisle seat. in the back of the plane usually they say that you can get seats. but they say the best thing to do is to go on early and then five days before your flight's about to take off, get online. because a lot of the people who are elite members have been bumped up. it frees up seats. then they say go the last 24 hours before your flight takes off because people who are disabled, click back online and see if you can get a seat that you want. >> or just get one more job so you can pay for the extra seats

and upgrades. no wonder people are just -- >> sick of traveling. >> tired of it. >> it's a lot. all right. but there is -- if you're driving. >> good news, hoda? >> i don't think so. let's talk about the worst traffic cities. >> more good news. >> these are the five worst traffic cities in the u.s. >> everybody thinks your city is. >> one year you -- bridgeport, connecticut, is number five. >> i don't go up there that often. >> number four is new york city. drivers wasted 57 hours in traffic in 2011. worst times, of course, 5:30 p.m. >> on fridays. >> on fridays. yeah. >> it took me two and a half hours the other day to get home from -- 24 miles away. on a beautiful day. the day before was raining and it took an hour and 15. the next day, beautiful weather. that's when it drives you crazy. you know what drives you crazy? you think you know a shortcut. you get off of the main traffic, and you turn and --

>> everyone's there! >> it's bumper to bumper there, too. mama wasn't happy when mama got home. get away from me. >> i have no sense of direction. i was in a cab. we were stuck and we were late. we were trying to get home. there was so much traffic. i go is this really the only way you can go. the guy's like, where do you want me to go? i go let's try another way. i'm encouraging this guy to take alternate routes. i go what about the g.w. bridge? he goes, that doesn't even go where you want to go! >> nice bridge. might not have that traffic. >> not anywhere near where you want. >> three is san francisco. two is los angeles. number one is -- go ahead, hoda. >> honolulu. >> honolulu. >> the overall congestion fell 30% in the u.s. due to low job growth and high gas prices. >> so there is good news. >> is shannon tweed here? >> there's a bigami mystery. last time gene simmons and shannon tweed were here they were feuding. i thought this is the last time we're going the see this couple

together. they got married. here they were back in june 2011. >> it's clear that men -- >> please don't lump yourself in with -- other men are good. >> oh, god. i'm so happy to be here. >> there's some really good ones over there on that couch i'd like to get ahold of. >> in this whole new series, this relationship unravels, right? >> it's pretty much unraveled. >> did you have a fling with those girls or was it just a picture? >> he's had a fling with many girls. >> anywho -- >> gee, that was fun. >> that was a great day. >> that was a lot of fun. i saw gene downstairs. is shannon here? >> yes. >> she did make it? >> we were worried. >> we're going to talk with them in a few minutes. they're always fun. >> they enlded up getting married. that's really something. >> there they are. >> lovey-dovey. i don't think so. >> the green room. shouldn't sit on those couches.

>> the food's not great either. >> we are going to have a winesday quiz today. we have david stark, celebrity event planner and designer. he's going to talk to us about celebrity wine, hoda woman. >> we each have a glass here. >> we're supposed to taste this and decide is it a wine by wayne gretzky or dan akroyd, dave matthews or antonio banderas. >> how are we supposed to know? >> i'm trying to think, who would have their own wine. >> you know whose that is? i'll tell you right now. >> that's nice. >> that's antonio banderas's wine. right there. >> tastes like it. i'm going to go with dave matthews. or dan akroyd. >> the correct answer is? wayne gretzky. >> cabernet sauvingion. my father said find what you love and figure out a way to pay for it. coming up next, newlyweds gene simmons and shannon tweed are with us. has it been better or

bitter? they're going to tell us right after this.

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gene simmons and shannon tweed have been together more than 28 years. >> wow. >> since their official wedding was only seven months ago, i think we'd be safe in calling them newlyweds. >> and although they hold the keys to each other's heart on this season of "gene simmons' family jewels" the couple faces a dilemma over another set of keys. >> where did you find this? >> hidden under a box in the garage. so what are they? >> they're -- they look like old keys. >> yeah. to what? >> small ones. can you sit down? >> really? it's a please sit down key? >> yeah. >> great. >> i hate please sit down keys. they're the worst kind. >> nobody wants to hear please sit down. >> they were keys to what?

a porn -- chest of porn? >> how did you know that? >> because i'm very smart. >> oh, my god. >> and cut. >> you have everybody -- an people on twitter kept saying to me, what about all those albums he's always talking about. well, i found them. >> i'm sure you did. >> you guys are happily married. >> we are now. >> i'm getting the death stare from kathie lee. >> no. you amuse me. but i'm not married to you. >> i have a feeling she wouldn't be as easy on you as i am. >> no, no, no. first time you see your priest. second time you see your lawyer. it's a miracle you guys have lasted. >> the second time you -- the third time you see a lawyer. >> the last time you guys were here, we were a little bit nervous. >> we couldn't believe it. we didn't know if you were playing with us. >> i don't play. >> really? >> i don't play. everything is serious. i'm serious.

i'm in this for real. otherwise i'm not in it. >> what is the one thing you love the most about gene. >> oh, stop it. >> i mean it! >> as a matter of fact, you will see it in this season. and there's a lot of it. there's a lot of it. >> what is it? >> there's a lot of it, and it's in here, and it's huge. >> what's huge? >> his heart. his heart. >> what is the one thing -- >> it's not here or down below here. it's all in the chest cavity. >> what's the one thing -- >> it used to be the person in the family who had the biggest boobs was me -- no, i'm just kidding. >> the one thing honestly that if you could change about him you would change it instantly. >> i would change his ego. the size of it. >> it's all about size with this. it's all about size. >> when it should be actually about the speed. just kidding. >> and good morning. i think it's in the interest of full disclosure before the fact,

i think all guys will admit readily that they don't grow up for a long time. we have the best intentions. we love you without promise. the truth is, we don't become mature or even close to it like wine does way, way down the line. >> has anything changed, gene, since you guys tied the knot? >> yeah. i tell you what. i got slapped across the face. edited myself. and understood that if a woman was willing to stick by my sorry -- for 28 years, give birth and raise the two most charming children i've ever met. they happen to be ours. put up with my -- for 28 years, it's probably time to grow up a little bit. because we went to a marriage counseling session. and the cameras followed us. >> you fwgrew up a lot. >> i want to tell you, there was a scene that was too much for me to bear. i broke down. i walked into it -- they do

these exercises. i walked into a room, and they didn't tell me anything. and shannon was in a casket. and the exercise was, shannon has finally died. tell her -- what are you going to say? what do you have to say. >> wow! >> i walked -- it was just too much. you know, all these memories, what i've been all my life. what are my kids going to say and all this kind of stuff. there's a moment at which -- for guys, it's all about lines. i tell you to cross this line and become a man. i will love her till the day i die. this is the only marriage i will ever have. >> wow. >> cut. >> you have a great show. your season seven starting -- >> season seven. >> great what you did with the guy giving him a job, gene. >> paul jordan just came back from 21 years of service voluntarily. they want us to go to

commercial. >> we've got to go to commercial. >> you're going to see him out on the road with kiss. his mother must be thrilled. >> he's right here. >> he's going to go out, he's going to be our roady. after being wounded twice in three deployments. >> we've got to go. we've got to run. >> anything the other rowdies ddo i will kill you myself. >> penicillin. up next, the offbeat funny photos -- we're swapping this for that? >> "what the what?" right after this.

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want to hop in the back and get weird? no. family vacation... vegas. ♪ no. no. give it a big yank! really? yeah! [ knock on window ] no! no. ♪ ugh, no! [ sighs ] we can have hotdogs for dinner?! yes. [ male announcer ] in a world filled with "no," it's nice to finally say "yes." new oscar mayer selects hotdogs. made with 100% beef and no artificial preservatives.

it's yes food. it's time to take a look at all those photos that make you say "what the what?" >> that's not what they make me say. once again miss sara has sorted through your submissions in search of the most unbelievable photos. >> out of this world. our first photo comes from jim jennings in everett, michigan. for all you hard playing dog lovers out there. can a dog be a card shark? maybe. his son is actually holding the cards up for the dog. >> what? >> a kid is holding up the cards underneath. you can't see him. clearly the dog's not holding the cards. that's the -- >> you know what, sara? you just spoiled a lot of joy for a lot of people. i hope you're proud of yourself. >> he doesn't have opposable thumbs. he can't hold the cards. the next photo by jennifer graham from salt lake city,

utah. that's either a giant zucchini or a mini baby. >> wow. that's a heck of a zucchini. >> i mean. >> i've seen some big ones. that thing is huge. >> speaking of size, our next one is shannon mosley from san angelo, texas, submitted this photo of a real estate agent who promises to sell your house or die trying. >> i love that. i'd hire him. >> he obviously takes his job very seriously. if he does die trying i hope it's not while showing your house. >> you are a bundle of fun today. party wrecker. >> do you have any one? >> next one from math guio in marquet marquette, michigan. where have your hands been? i understand the boy with the finger in his nose and the toilet. what's up with the donkey and chicken? >> another day at gene and shannon's house. >> exactly. >> all right, sara. thank you, sweetie. >> you topped yourself today. that's not a good thing. all right, everybody.

a big show coming up. "who knew?" >> i get to go across the street! >> all right. >> real guys come in all shapes and sizes. >> we'll be right back. we're at the legendary southfork ranch in dallas for a cookout with world champion grill master brett gallaway. he's serving his guests walmart choice premium steak. but they don't know it yet. they will. it's a steakover! the steak is excellent. very tender... melts in your mouth... so delicious... tonight you're eating walmart steak. what? it's good steak. two thumbs up. look, i ate all of mine. it matches any good steak house if not better. walmart choice premium steak in the black package... it's 100% money back guaranteed. try it for your memorial day barbeque.

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we are back on this winesday, wednesday, with more of today ready to play our weekly trivia game we call "who knew?" to celebrate memorial day or the unofficial start of summer we'll test your knowledge of your favorite summer songs. kany lee is across the street at the nbc experience store. she's ready to hand out $100 to those who answer the questions correctly. you know what? those who get it wrong, they get kathie lee's cd. lucky them. all right. here to help me out is a guy with a very, very famous name and possibly with an even more famous voice. his name is elvis dur ran. he's the host of the national radio show elvis duran in the morning. >> hi, hoda. >> look at us seeing your face. we're used to hearing your

voice. >> you can catch my face on some post office walls. where's kathie lee? >> kathie lee wants to come see you. she's across the street. should we get this party started. >> i want to thank elvis personally. he helped me sell three of my pop records when i was on his show. >> i did. i love you, kathie lee. come back soon. >> love you too, elvis. any time. all righty. you're from illinois and you're lovely. according to a 1970s smash hit by mungo jerry -- told you it was dark in here -- what can you do in the summertime when the weather is fine? touch the sky, fly a kite, have a picnic or go fishing. >> you didn't bring me a glass of wine, did you? i don't know this. what do you think? >> it's an hour show. >> sorry. "b." >> you're wrong. ♪ in the summertime when the weather is hot ♪ >> the correct answer is touch the sky. >>. talk to us about this. >> the more wine you drink the closer the sky seems to get to

you, right? one of those summer songs that was such a massive hit. if this song came out today it would be laughed off the radio. >> you're right. let's pick up another one, kath. >> where are you from, sir? >> chicago. western springs. >> which of the following has not recorded a version of the drifters song "under the boardwalk." >> the rolls stones, john mellencamp, bruce willis or bruce springsteen? >> bruce springsteen. >> so the boss never recorded this one? >> you assume because "under the boardwalk" is about a new jersey location. you assume bruce springsteen had something to do with it. bruce willis, he recorded it but under a different name. >> he did? >> no one really cares. no offense to bruce willis. >> across to kath. >> does this guy look like he's from brooklyn or what? he is from brooklyn. finish the lyrics to this jimmy buffett song, please ♪ wasting away again in

margaritaville, searching for my lost shaker of salt ♪ >> i didn't hear it. i'm sorry. can you replay it? >> no, we cannot, mr. brooklyn. ♪ some people claim >> this is going well. we should do this every day. >> there are the lyrics. some people claim there's a woman to blame. >> isn't it funny? a great musician but made a great career out of margaritas and parrots. >> you're right. love him. all right. we have time for a couple more, kathie. >> he just sang it for us and he was right. he got it. please, mr. brooklyn. what year did the beach boys who sang "suhren safari" and "california girl" form as group. 1959, 60, '61 or '63. >> 1961. >> wow! great. '61. >> when it comes to summertime songs, the beach boys except for

some bad christmas song they had once, they were all summertime themed. they were at the beach. >> christmas is important for songs. >> christmas is unbeatable. but the sound track of your summers, you'll never forget the songs that you were cruising around to with the top down or out with your friends. summertime music is the best. we have great summertime music coming up this summer. >> one more from kath. >> all righty. oza ozark, missouri. who was justin timberlake dating in 2007 when we released his song "summer love"? cameron diaz, jessica biel, britney spears or he was single. >> i think it was britney spears. >> this is so much better than anything justin ever recorded. >> the correct answer is jessica biel. >> don't tell his fiance, jessica biel. back then, to be honest, they were rumored to be on again, off again. maybe "d" could have been correct. we don't know. >> thanks for coming to see us. we hear your voice. great to see your face. >> rihanna, new usher cd out.

it's going to be a great summer. >> where can everyone hear you? >> elvisduran.com. >> come see us any time, elvis. thanks for coming. coming up next, how to find a bathing suit that fits him the best. the guys suiting up here are real guys. don't you wish your real guy looked like that? right after this. how does it look? ridiculous. why don't you just try hugging the dirt off that floor? ha! that's silly! this dirt snuggler is gently cleaning and polishing the floors at the same time. and why would you want to treat dirt "gently"? honey? i'm thinking. don't overthink it. everything you need, and nothing you don't. that's cleanin' with the power of pine sol, baby.

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it's true. start your free trial today! ♪ time for today's guy, and swimsuits for men. how many times have you heard bathing suits for all body types when we're referring to the ladi ladies? not like guys all come in one size either, hello. >> guys have body issues as well. whether he's tall or short, in great shape or looking to use a few of those lbs, "men's health" fashion director brian is here with the perfect swimsuit for your guy. >> do men really have a stress issue when it comes to bathing suits or do they put on

whatever's around. >> i think women have it a lot harder when it comes to picking the perfect bathing suit. guys throw on shorts and go. there are a few tricks guys can use to look better in their swimsuits. >> jason, this is the taller guy. if you're tall like jason. >> jason is a yoga instructor, about 6'3". tall and lean. in great shape. proportion is what you have to keep in mind here. >> uh-huh. >> length is the main thing he needs to be concerned about. because he has long legs he can wear a longer swim short that hit just above the knee. that's going to provide balance. this is a beautiful swimsuit. retro inspired. from nautica. >> with his body he could wear a mankini if he wants. >> he's hot. >> i believe he does in real life. >> all right. next up we have james. >> yay! >> these are kind of on the shorter side, the suit on the shorter side. >> he's not a short guy, 5'8", 5'9". if you are a little bit shorter you want the shorts to come above the knee. that's going to make your legs

look longer. we all want to look a little bit taller, right? this is from number lab. what i love about this swimsuit, the long vertical stripe along the side. that draws the eyes up and down. he wouldn't want to wear horizontal stripes. vertical is going to be his friend. >> look at the manscaping. >> leather goods. i love this. a great beach bag. >> terrific looking. >> thank you, james. if you're just young and fit like george. >> hello, george. >> lucky, lucky george. young, fit, great shape. this is a cool bathing suit. a lot of women know trina turk. they now have a men's line called mr. turk. that's what this is. two things. length above the knee. makes his legs look a little bit longer. i love this board short style. it's a flattering waistband for everybody. >> surfer. >> exactly. it doesn't cinch you at the waist so it's really flattering. big, bold print actually adds a little bit of heft. i know you guys probably aren't concerned about looking bigger in bathing suits.

>> not in that part of the body. >> but guys are. a bigger print if you're on the lean side works well. >> all right. >> thank you. thanks, george. xavier, this is like a lot of guys. we're working on our six-pack. the guys are. >> drinking a few, too. >> he looks like a lot of fun to me. >> xavier is big and proud. he looks awesome. >> you do, xavier. >> you go, xavier. >> the thing to look for in this case are you want a little bit shorter. show off your legs. one of your best assets. you want to avoid elastic waistbands. that's just going to cinch you in at the waist. this is from to exist. i like to suggest wearing a tonal bathing suit. something similar to your skin tone is going to create a longer, leaner look. >> you know what's best? his smile. >> thank you, xavier. all right. finally, if you're kind of on the verge of being a model, then you're like phil. look at phil! >> stop it, phil.

get out of town. >> this is just not even fair. >> phil's been here before. phil's a new york city firemen. he's mr. december in the firemen's calendar. >> now you're looking familiar. >> he could be on the cover of "men's health." he's lucky. he can wear almost anything. this is from hugo boss. sunglasses, shorts, sandals all hugo boss. athletic cut. elastic waistband works for him because he's not trying to conceal anything. >> he better. >> perfect for volleyball, running on the beach. great athletic swim trunks look great on him. >> unbelievable. >> get out of here, mr. perfect. >> bring everyone out. >> come on out, guys. thank you very, very much. thanks to you, brian. >> my pleasure. coming up next, get out of town. we're going to show you some great getaways for the holidays. right after this. [ female announcer ] daily sun exposure

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it's time for today's travel and getting away for the weekend if you're hoping to get out of dodge but don't have any plans, it's not too late. >> here with a few deals that might get you to pack your bags travelocity's contributing editor dena willdorf. we're knocking on the door of memorial day. there's still time? >> there are amazing deals out there. wherever you want to go, we have two ultimate tips. number one, book a package. bundle your flight and your hotel together. >> okay. >> book it at the same time. you can save up to $525. >> wow. >> number two, know what a good deal is. air fares are up. they're down. it's so hard to know. we can tell you based on all of our data, the average summer airfare is $336. that means if you see that price, book it. >> okay. >> it's a good deal. >> people want to go to washington, d.c. a great place for memorial day. what do you have there? >> there is a great hotel there called the omni shore hotel. they're running a deal over

memorial weekend for $111. in the center of rock creek park. walking distance to the national zoo. all the american presidents over the past 100 years have had their inauguration there. to give you a sense of the stature. keep in mind, everything i'm talking about today you do not need to memorize. it's all gathered for you on travelocity.com deals. >> orlando is a great family place. >> i love orlando. anyone with kids loves it for good reason. it's fun. the windham orlando is doing an incredible deal over memorial day for $79 a night. 30% off. it's a great location. they have a free shuttle to seaworld, universal studios. there are pools on site. pet friendly hotels. >> what about the west coast? >> san diego is great. fun. a beautiful double tree called the mission valley. they just finished a renovation for $8 million. this hotel now, prime weekend,

$131. trolley runs right outside the door. leave your car behind and go everywhere you want to go. look at that pool. >> beautiful. >> how about the bahamas? usually a cruise is the way to go. >> there is no easier trip than a cruise. pay one price. you're done. carnival imagination, $329. all inclusive to the bahamas. a three-night trip. my favorite one about this is that it's fast. cruises are so long, you don't need to take the kids out of school. there's something for everyone on this ship. >> vail, colorado. >> this time of year, too. >> sebastian vail. beautiful four-star boutique hotel. they're doing a deal for $118 a night. michelle obama brought the girls here last year just to give you a sense of the kind of rustic luxury. it's beautiful. right on the slopes, so you could go mountain biking and hiking. >> we used to have a place out there. there's really no more beautiful

place in the colorado rockies. love it, love it. >> you're right in the center. >> thank you, knnina. up next, the perfect pairings for your next wine and cheese party. first, this is "today" on nbc. i'm thinking of asking carlina to have dinner at my place. she's italian... and you can't cook. ♪

roar! alright, what do lions eat? ♪

it is winesday, wednesday, here on "today." on friday it is national wine day. >> what? >> that's right. a whole day dedicated to wine. >> what a celebration! to help us get ready for the big day, we have celebrity event planner and designer david stark to create a fabulous wine and cheese party for us. >> hi, david. what have you created for us? >> i love to create big, huge events. but i love to entertain at home. i have the same problem everybody does, which is no time. a great way to avoid cooking for days, shopping for days is to create a wine and cheese tasting party. with a couple of, you know, easy twists from the hardware store

or craft store and from your recycling bin, you can create something that's really cool. >> show us what you got. >> our hero is chalkboard paint. we've painted these bottles from the recycling bin. we had a great time drinking them before they went into the recycling bin. even an invitation. it's a great way to start the party off right. the invitations -- it's like the movie trailer. then the runner for the table also is a piece of canvas with the chalkboard paint. you can write directly on it exactly what the cheese z are or wines are. >> people are always asking, what is this, what is that? >> to get everybody together it's all fun to have a party game. there's so many celebrity wines that are out these days. why not -- >> we want to have one. >> you can have one, too. it would be fun to actually get everybody together, guess which celebrity tastes like which wine. learn a little bit about the wine at the same time. >> we're going to have a taste test? >> let's do it. >> we've taken the chalkboard paper and covered all the

labels. you can't tell what is what. one glass for you? >> what kind of wine is it that we're tasting. >> this is a -- >> what is that? >> god bless you. >> a spanish grape. >> spanish grape. >> then it's antonio banderas. >> perhaps. is that your guess, too? >> i don't know. what are my options. >> dan akroyd and dave matthews and antonio banderas. >> could be a trick question. >> then it is. so what's the answer? it's a trick question? >> it is antonio. >> this is going to be the hard one. >> this one is a chardonnay. that's your favorite, isn't it? >> i've grown to -- i love chardonnay. but i've grown to like pinot grigios a lot. they're lighter. >> does this chardonnay taste like dan akroyd or dave matthews. >> dave matthews. >> you haven't even tasted it. >> i did. i tasted it. it's not for me.

>> and? >> dan akroyd. >> i think kathie lee is right. >> what? that's a ridiculous game. >> i have such talent. >> you are multitalented. >> i know. >> i'm going to guess this last one. >> dave matthews. let's taste this baby. >> do you like this one? >> i like that. that's not for you? >> not for me. a little fruity. but i love dave. i love his music. so there. >> all delicious. thank you. >> we got no cheese but we had a nice time with david stark. >> we also want to give a big hello. show us your sign, sweetie. >> she was over there with me at the -- >> there's a bride. she was outside with her mom and maid of honor and some friends. we want to wish you congratulations and good luck! >> god bless you. >> all right, everybody. tomorrow you know what we have? >> ambush makeovers. >> yes, we do. >> plus hot exercises to get you fit before you hit the beach. there's a pole involved. that's all i'm saying. >> we'll be back.

see you, everybody. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

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