♪ good morning. the signs were there. the brother of the alleged gunman in a shooting spree in seattle says he's not surprised it happened. five people were killed in two separate incidents before the shooter turned the gun on himself. this morning police say he later died. white house return. former president george w. bush makes his first trip bac to the white house in more than two years today. he will be welcomed by a president who spent the past four years criticizing his record. and sitting in a bar in minnesota when a truck crashes through the wall. six people were injured, but incredibly no one was killed. the bartender who walked away will share his harrowing story in a live interview today,

thursday, may 31st, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this thursday morning. i'm ann curry. >> and i'm matt lauer. that story out of seattle is terrible. and now the suspect in those deadly shootings has been identified as 40-year-old ian stewicky. >> the first shooting happened inside a cafe was the gunman was captured on cameras. four were killed there. police say he killed another woman as he carjacked her suv and later shot himself when he was approached by officers. this morning his family says he was filled with anger, and there were warning signs. we'll have more coming up. also ahead on a lighter note, should this container of soda or this one be illegal? well, according to a proposal from the mayor of new york city,

any soda or sugary drink that comes in a container larger than this one here, which is 16 ounces, would be banned. you wouldn't be able to buy, for example, this monster right here. this is all because of the obesity epidemic. it would involve energy drinks, some iced coffees and teas as well. and this proposal could become law as early as next march if it goes through. we're going to find out how "today's professionals" feel about that subject and some others as well. >> there's going to be a lot on their hands if they do this. and also, we're talking about the 6-year-old girl who stepped into the spotlight as the youngest person to ever compete in the national spelling bee. a lot of people were rooting for her. we'll tell you how she did coming up. and a new breakthrough for the georgia college student fighting that rare flesh-eating bacteria. she's now talking for the first time in weeks. an exclusive interview with her family. the latest on that deadly

shooting rampage in seattle. our mike taibbi is there. he joins us now. mike, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. the cafe behind me, this one near the university of washington, very comfortable place to listen to music and to read where most of the customers are regulars who come to know each other. in just a few minutes' time yesterday, it became the scene of an historic outrage. it began at 11:00 in the morning. a man police would identify as 40-year-old ian stewicky was seen by a surveillance camera inside the cafe racer in north seattle. regular customers say stewicky had been told he was no longer welcome there because of recent disruptive behavior. >> i said, you're 86'ed. you can't be here. would you like a coffee to go? and he was nice, courteous, said "no, thank you," walked through the door, then turned and started shooting. >> reporter: minutes later, a gun showing in this photo and the chairs scattered around him, five people had been shot. four dead or dying. and the last wounded.

when word spread quickly that the suspect had fled, nearby schools locked their doors, the neighborhood on tense alert. >> we're telling neighbors in the area, keep your doors locked, windows looked. >> reporter: but a half hour later, there was another shooting downtown where police say man shot and killed a woman while carjacking her suv in a parking lot outside city hall. a bystander tried cpr on the woman to no avail. >> you have to do something. you have to get out of the car and do something. >> reporter: two shooting scenes. and the police have flooded the city. they found the stolen suv, a handgun visible on the front seat, and then two detectives saw a man on foot who matched the photo from the coffee shop. >> the suspect saw the officers coming. the suspect then placed a firearm that he was holding to his head and fired one round. >> reporter: stewicky now seen as the lone gunman was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. the day's rampage further rattling a city already reeling from an accelerating spate of gun violence.

in the past month, random gunfire had cost the life of a young student walking home with her boyfriend. and a father of two driving home from the airport. police estimate the memorial day weekend was punctuated by as many as 60 rounds of gunfire. >> multiple tragic episodes of gun violence that have occurred throughout the city. >> reporter: and now this, a ram paj that brought the city's murder count to 21 already in 2012, the total for all of last year. almost all of this year's mayhem at the point of a gun. >> this is the number one public health issue we have right now, and it's only going to get worse. >> reporter: stewicky's brother was quoted as saying there was no surprise that his brother had been seething in anger. the fifth victim, the only one to survive, is expected to recover. ann? >> mike taibbi this morning, thank you so much. let's get a check of the other top stories. natalie's on assignment. savannah guthrie is over at the

news desk. good morning to you. >> good morning. and in the news today, two u.s. citizens have been kidnapped this morning in egypt by bedouin tribesmen. the armed suspects are believed to have taken the american tourists hostage near dahab. they're demanding the release of a relative in local police custody there. in syria, there is renewed shelling on houla where a weekend massacre killed more than 100 people. this as both the government and the opposition forces call for u.n. special envoy kofi annan to recognize that his cease-fire plan has failed. the remnants of tropical storm beryl left destruction along the north carolina coast, damaging dozens of homes and destroying several altogether. a confirmed tornado with winds reaching 110 miles an hour was blamed for much of that damage. a new look today at the man who police say confessed to killing etan patz. new york police released this new photograph of pedro hernandez after his arrest last

week. the 51-year-old is charged with second-degree murder. investigators say he told police he killed 6-year-old patz back in 1979. some frightening moments on the tarmac at chicago o'hare airport. a large cargo plane's tail clipped the wing of an american eagle regional jet. as you see there, both planes were on the ground when they made contact. no one was injured. now let's get to wall street. cnbc's mandy drury is at the new york stock exchange. good morning. >> good morning, savannah. it has been a negative month for u.s. and global stocks as the s&p 500 index has lost 6% for the month of may. we're getting lots of jobs data today. and that serves as a warm-up for the all-important payrolls number today. we are hoping for mob jobs created in may as opposed to the 115,000 we saw in april. also, oil prices are now at their lowest since october of last year. and gasoline is also getting cheaper. you now pay less than both a

month ago and a year ago with the national average of $3.62 per gallon. and a quick update on facebook, it's now sitting at its lowest since the ipo. it started at $38, now sitting at $28.19 as of the close for yesterday. back to you. >> mandy drury, thank you. in illinois, a state lawmaker has apparently had enough of the way things work in the state legislature. republican representative mike bach lost his cool over a bill that came to the house floor before lawmakers could even read it. >> not the american way! these [ bleep ] bills [ bleep ] all the time! come out here at the last second! and i've got to try to figure out how to vote for my people! >> well, the state assembly is due to adjourn for the summer on thursday. and in an afternoon at the local bar turns into a nightmare after a truck slammed into the building in minnesota, pinning patrons in the debris. two people were seriously injured. no one was killed. the driver of that truck

reportedly has a medical condition that caused the crash, but amid the chaos, the son of the bar's owner is being hailed as a hero today. he jumped into action, using a bobcat front-end loader he had in back to free four of the people who were pinned in that rubble. we're going to talk to him live coming up. it is now 7:09. back to matt, ann and al. it's amazing to watch that. no one was hurt. no one was killed, but there were some broken bones. >> we've seen videos like that before. that's about the most severe i've seen. >> you assume those folks who disappeared were killed. >> you think about that, six injuries, no one died. >> we've got severe weather to talk about stretching from texas all the way into the lower mississippi river valley. you've got warm, moist air coming up out of the gulf. cooler air being dragged down from canada. the clash of those air masses, you can already see showers and thunderstorms firing up from dallas all the way to chicago. rainfall amounts. we've got a risk of strong storms stretching from texas all the way on up into minnesota

today with anywhere from one to with anywhere from one to two inches of rain throughout parts of the region. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. good morning, some of the storminess arriving here tomorrow. but right now, off to a beautiful start this morning. under a mostly clear sky, low humidity, it's fresh and cool. we're in the 60s, most of the region. reagan national now at 70 later today, low to mid 80s with lots of sun, low humidity. then tomorrow, clouds close in, could get some severe storms late afternoon and evening with damaging winds and heavy downpours. and maybe a lingering shower saturday morning. then beautiful afternoon that's your latest weather. matt? >> al, thank you very much. it would be an interesting scene at the white house today when president obama welcomes back his predecessor, george w. bush. this, a day after the president placed a phone call to mitt romney. chuck todd is nbc's chief white house correspondent and our political director. chuck, good morning to you. >> reporter: well, good morning. look, while the white house has

been in near full campaign mode for months, the president himself seemed to signal the dropping of the starting flag, thanks to that single phone call. >> thank you. >> reporter: with the stage set for his campaign against mitt romney, president obama placed a congratulatory call to his republican opponent shortly before this speech wednesday morning. the two exchanged pleasantries and good wishes, the longest conversation they've had in nearly eight years. >> the president discussed or mentioned how he looks forward to what he believes is a very important debate. >> reporter: for voters living in the critical battleground states, that debate began weeks ago. already the campaigns have spent a combined $85 million on tv ads, well on their way to breaking all-time spending records. >> i'm mitt romney and i approve this message. >> i'm barack obama, and i approve this message. >> reporter: the latest nbc news/marist polls show a race that is tightening in the six most important states. the president holds small leads in florida, ohio and virginia. the race is even closer in iowa,

colorado and nevada where it's a virtual tie. the obama campaign insists the election will be decided in these swing states, but the president's biggest challenge may be beyond his control. >> obviously, the world economy is still in a delicate place. because of what's going on in europe. >> reporter: meanwhile, mitt romney's challenge, defining his record on his terms. the obama campaign is already slamming romney's career at being capital and this week shifting to his record as massachusetts governor. >> there was great hope that governor romney could deliver. he didn't deliver. >> reporter: following his appearance with donald trump on tuesday, romney continued on the fund-raising circuit with another prominent ceo. hewlett-packard's meg whitman who just days ago announced plans to lay off 27,000 workers. while the romney campaign believes ultimately the economy will decide this election, they know he needs to present a softer side. so his campaign put out a video highlighting ann romney's struggle with multiple sclerosis, offering a rare personal glimpse into the romneys' 43-year marriage. >> probably the toughest time of my life was standing there with

ann as we hugged each other and the diagnosis came. >> i was frightened. mitt was frightened. but i needed him desperately. >> reporter: back to the files of politics makes strange bedfellows story we'll have today, the unveiling of president george w. bush's portrait hosted by the sitting president here, makes it a little awkward, president obama is still running against bush policies. he regularly cites them when going after mitt romney's record. i doubt we'll see any of that heated politics today, though. >> chuck todd at the white house this morning, chuck, thank you very much. david axelrod is a senior adviser for president obama's re-election campaign. david, good to see you. good morning. >> thanks, matt. good to see you, too. >> let's talk about some of these battleground states. there does seem to be a momentum shift in florida, the president was up by about five points. that's now seen as a dead heat. in ohio, he's up by five points, but that's down from 12 points just a couple of months ago. and take a look at wisconsin.

once the lead there of about 17 points. it's down to about three or four. why the shift? >> well, first of all, they're called battleground states for a reason, matt. they are the closest states in the country. they're very closely divided politically. and what's happened is what we anticipated would happen. when there's a republican nominee, republicans and republican-leaning independents consolidate behind that nominee and we have the race we expected. the most interesting polling number i've seen in the last week is the one here in massachusetts where mitt romney is losing his home state by 25 points. i don't think that's -- i don't think anyone's lost her home state and won the presidency in 100 years. that does speak to sort of how people view him and his record here in this state. >> other people, though, are pointing to perhaps a lack of enthusiasm this time around for barack obama. he famously was of hope and change back in 2008. won by it with 53% of the vote. he was seen by his supporters as someone who might become a transformational political

figure. now they're watching him, david, out on the campaign trail, and they're listening to what he's saying, and they fear that he is beginning to sound like a typical politician. how do you respond? >> not at all, matt. the fact is that there is an -- as we've hinted in chuck's piece, there's a real debate. that's what the president said to governor romney yesterday. a really important debate to be had here, which is how do we rebuild this economy in such a way that the middle class is growing and not shrinking, that people who work hard have a chance to get ahead? he believes that's the sign of a strong economy, and there are things we have to do to promote it. governor romney believes if we just give another tax cut to the wealthy, that somehow it will turn out better than it did the last time. and that's just not the case. >> you know what i'm talking about, i'm talking about the negativity we're already hearing from the president on the campaign trail. you were interviewed in "new york" magazine written by john heilman. "for anyone still starry-eyed about obama, the months ahead will provide an bracing

revelation about what he truly is, not a savior, not a saint, but a brass-knuckled, pipe-hitting, red-in-tooth-and-claw brawler determined to do what is necessary to stay in power, in other words, a politician." how do you react to that? >> i don't think it's staying in power. i think what he's interested in doing is advancing an agenda that will move the country forward and give a real chance to the middle class, build an economy that will last, that's durable, that's based on education and research and development and innovation and those things that will be a strong foundation and not on the kinds of financial engineering that we saw in the last decade that led to disaster. so there's so much at stake in this election. and he feels strongly and passionately about it. he's going to fight for that. governor romney's been running around the country for a year and a half attacking the president relentlessly every day, misrepresenting his record and his own record. and we do have a responsibility to straighten that out. >> so in other words, they did it first, and you're firing back. >> no. i mean, i think people need to know what the facts are, the

facts of where we've been over the last three years, i think they do, and the facts of governor romney. he offers himself as an economic guru and savior off of his experience in business. and when he was governor of this state, this state was 47th in job creation. he created huge new debt here, debt went up 16%. incomes went down while the country -- around the country incomes were going up. his was a record of failure. i think that's -- "the boston globe" said it was one of the worst economic records in the country. and people need to know that because this is the sole basis on which he is running for president. >> i know that's what you'll be rying to communicate as you're there in boston today. david axelrod, thanks for your time this morning. >> good to be with you. thanks. 17 after the hour. here's ann. >> thanks. this morning a new report says fatal car crashes involving teenagers could be cut dramatically by changing the rules for licensing teen drivers. cnbc's phil lebeau is in detroit with this story. hey, phil, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. this is all about saving the

lives of teen drivers. as recently as 2010, 3,115 teens were killed in car crashes. a number some say could be much lower if states put more restrictions on licensing teenagers. in hemet, california, police are investigating an horrific accident. it left eight injured. the accident comes as a new report from the insurance institute for highway safety says first-time drivers need tougher rules and more experience. >> the longer parents wait for their teens to get the permit, the longer licensure is delayed, the lower of crash rate. >> reporter: the iihs says raising the age for a license from 16 or 17 would reduce fatal accidents by 13%. while not allowing teens to drive at night and banning them from giving rides to other teens could lower deadly car crashes

by at least 20%. >> teen passengers can be a real distraction to teen drivers, but i think they also can contribute to risky driving. >> reporter: when we gathered four teenagers in california and asked them how their friends drive, they were blunt. it's not all good. >> they do stupid things all the time. you know, they're just -- they're not the best drivers in the world, i guess you can say. >> a majority of the girls i know like to see a lot. >> none of us would like to see restrictions because we all think we're great drivers. when you get your mom and dad in the car and they're telling you to slow down, you kind of realize that, you know, i'm not a perfect driver. >> reporter: even though california has some of the strictest rules for teen drivers, 18-year-old mark admits he and others often ignore the laws, including the ban on texting and driving. >> my phone goes off all the time while i'm in the car. you know, i'll respond to the text. i'm telling my friend hey, i'm five minutes away. get ready for me. i think teens don't think before they act. >> reporter: that concern is

there for mothers like melissa gomez. she supports tougher laws because like all parents, she worries every time her son takes the wheel. >> love you. >> i was a nervous wreck when mark first got his license. he's my first son. i didn't know what to expect. i always tell him to be careful on the road. >> reporter: we should point out the percentage of fatal car accidents involving teen drivers has dropped about 40% since the late '90s when states started putting more restrictions on licensing teenagers. but ann, experts say more can and should be done to protect teen drivers. back to you. >> point taken. phil lebeau, thank you so much for your reporting on this. and coming up this morning, the scary video of a truck slamming into a crowded bar in minnesota. remarkably, no one was killed. we're going to talk to the bartender who managed to walk away unharmed and the bar's owner's son who is being hailed as a hero. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

when mitt romney says "planned parenthood we're gonna get rid of that." romney is saying he'll deny women the birth control and cancer screenings they depend on. when romney says "do i believe the supreme court should overturn roe v. wade? yes." he's saying he'll deny women the right to make their own medical decisions and when his campaign can't say whether he'd support equal pay protections. "and we'll get back to you on that." romney's putting your paycheck at risk. planned parenthood action fund is responsible for the content of this advertising because mitt romney is out of touch and wrong for women.

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good morning, beautiful day today, highs climbing low to mid 80s with low humidity. strong storms tomorrow late afternoon into the evening. a little lingering rain saturday

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that's a terrifying moment caught on tape when an out-of-control truck smashed through the wall of a crowded bar. patrons were showered with debris. some of them pinned up against the bar. coming up, we'll talk to two men who were there, one who was working and narrowly escaped injury. the other who raced in and is being credited with saving some lives. just unbelievable video. >> people pinned underneath that truck for a time, and it's a pretty dramatic story. >> 7:30 now on a thursday morning, the last day of may, 20 2012. i'm matt lauer alongside ann curry. >> "today's professionals" who have a lot of hot topics including michael bloomberg's

ambitious effort to fight obesity by banning sugary drinks over 16ounces. we'll talk about that with "today's professionals" coming up. >> we're pretty sure donny will be here soon. and animal planet's turtle man who grabs dangerous critters with his bare hands pays us a visit. he'll be doing all the work. i understand he'll be bringing alligator snapping turtles with him. there they are right now. we'll be checking him out on the plaza. >> you will be checking hm out, right? >> i'm not getting that close to this guy or the turltss. let's begin with this frightening videotape of a truck crashing into a bar in minnesota. we'll talk to two men who were there in a moment. first savannah has details. >> one minute people were enjoying the afternoon at gordie's, but in a split second, that all changed. and as you just saw, it was all

caught on tape. >> reporter: a typical afternoon at a local bar until this happened. surveillance video inside of gordie's in little canada, minnesota, captured the terrifying moment a truck cra crashed through the wall, pinning patrons, buried in debris that toppled onto them. >> i seen a pole flying through. i thought, that's kind of strange. all of a sudden i heard a boom. and then the truck came right through the wall. >> reporter: pat, the bartender seen in the video in the baseball hat behind the bar, narrowly escaped injury simply because of where he was standing. >> it happened like that. you didn't have time to react. >> reporter: within seconds, casual conversation turned into crisis. six people including the driver were taken to the hospital. officials say two were seriously injured. according to police, the 51-year-old female driver suffered a medical condition when she hit a light pole before slamming into the building. amid the mayhem after the crash -- >> yeah, really good luck. >> reporter: -- the bar owner's son stepped into action using a

bobcat front-end loader he had in the back to help lift the truck and free the victims. most were able to stand up once freed from the rubble. >> they were dazed. they didn't know what happened. my fiancee went up to the lady pinned to the bar and was trying to help her and free the stuff away from her. >> reporter: the bar owner says he's still thinking of everyone who made it out alive. >> i just hope those people come out okay. >> well, the crash remains under investigation. and no charges have been filed against the driver. the bar's owner says he could reopen in a few days. ann, back to you. >> savannah, thanks. jim cossack whose father owns the bar helped free the victims and patrick was working as a bartender and narrowly escaped injury. gentlemen, good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> patrick, we're going to take a look at this video again. we're going to see you standing behind the bar. as we look at this, how lucky are you feeling to so narrowly

escape injury? >> it was a miracle. i couldn't believe it. unbelievable. >> was there no warning, a sound, or were you taken completely by surprise? >> well, i had moved to that side of the bar because i couldn't hear the customer talking to me. and then as i was walking, i caught a telephone pole flying through the parking lot. and then i heard a boom. and then the truck was there. and then it was total chaos. >> right. and in that chaos, jim, you happened to be at exactly the right time with exactly the right piece of equipment, as we just heard a bobcat front-end loader. can you explain, first of all, what allowed you to so quickly remember you had that equipment and also to jump into action? >> yeah, we were -- i was loading the bobcat up in the back of the parking lot. i had tried for two days to get the thing running, couldn't get it running. all of a sudden we got it running at this exact time. i was going to put it on the trailer. my fiancee had screamed and

motioned to me what was going on. we started -- we were about 100 feet from the bar when it started. i headed straight up there and pulled up behind the pickup truck that had went all the way through the wall. >> did you first check to see the people underneath who were pinned underneath all this debris? and if so, what condition were they in, and what did you do after that? >> yeah, they were -- i couldn't believe there were still people in between the truck and the bar, honestly. there was a guy inside that was helping out, charles, a friend of mine since high school. he's the one that shut the truck off inside and then came out and motioned to come on over and hook -- tried to get the bobcat bucket underneath the truck to pull it out. and it kept slipping off. so charles ran and got a strap real fast and hooked it up, and then we got it out a little bit to give them some breathing room. >> you know, there were six people who were injured and hospitalized including the driver who we understand had a

medical condition. you know, i understand that this bar, gordie's, is a neighborhood bar. so i'm guessing that perhaps one or two of you may know some of these victims. can you tell us anything about how they're doing and how you're doing in the wake of all this? you want to take this, patrick? >> well, yes. we heard a couple are still in the hospital, but some have been released. they're a little shook up, but, you know, i mean, they're alive, and that's all we can say. i mean, we're happy about that. i know them very well. i see them every day. so it was a great relief to see people walking around after that. >> well, clearly, the two of you did a great job helping people out. and jim cossack, of course, jumping into action with that bobcat front-end loader. congratulations on your efforts to help people and patrick, thank you both for joining us this morning. >> thank you. >> all right. >> thank you. and now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> all right. thank you so much, ann.

great story. we've got some folks -- where's grove city? >> an hour north of pittsburgh. >> all right. let's check your weather. got some heat to talk about. first of all, the jet stream hits in the midsection of theio country. so we'll get much cooler than normal temperatures in the central plains, mid mississippi river valley. milder than normal in the southeast and out west, medford, oregon, 12 degrees above normal. 6 in fresno. 112 in las vegas. rest of the country, it's going to be hot in the southeast. temperatures in the 90s there. 50s and 60s as you get up into the upper mississippi river valley. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. good morning, beautiful thursday under way. tom kierein in storm center 4. low humidity in place, and lots of sun. we're in the 60s, most of the region. reagan national is at 70. later today, climbing to the low

to mid 80s with low humidity and plenty of sunshine. you'll need sunscreen this afternoon. tomorrow, clouds close in and highs reaching low 80s early to mid afternoon. late afternoon into evening is when we have the likelihood of strong thunderstorms coming through, perhaps with damaging winds, maybe a lingering shower saturday morning a and that's your latest weather. ann? >> all right, al, thank you so much. coming up next, a walk on the wild side with animal planet's turtle man who uses his bare hands to catch dangerous creatures. we're going to meet him and a few of his friends right after this.

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we are back now with the popular star of animal planet's show called "call of the wild man." we're going to spend time with ernie brown jr. in a moment. first, nbc's tom lamaumas got t spend time with him in the wild and find out why they call him turtle man. >> there's a lot of reality shows out there, but this one got our attention. turtle man may be the craziest person on tv because he wrestles giant snap turtles, catches angry raccoons and does it all with his bare hands. >> there he is! he's coming up! >> reporter: from beast -- >> oh, my god! >> reporter: -- to slithering surprises. >> oh! crazy! >> reporter: to a sly thief -- >> attacking the chickens. >> reporter: -- through the r f roof -- >> here we go. >> reporter: -- or in the water,

turtle man always catches what he's chasing. >> i got you! whoo! >> reporter: in the backwoods of kentucky, we found turtle man gearing up for his next adventure. >> it's been my way of life, it's been my inspiration to cheer people up with this. >> reporter: turtle man says he learned his craft because he grew up dirt poor. >> i turned 7 years old and run out of food. and uncle phillip came over and says, i'll get you all some food. and he went in the pond and brought out a snapping turtle. i was into that. >> reporter: in kentucky, turtle man's become such a celebrity, people stop in the middle of the road just to meet him. >> i think he's awesome. i really love the show. >> reporter: you see any turtles? >> yeah, we're looking for a head. see it right there? >> reporter: but it is all for tv. so are the stunts staged? we got into the pond with turtle man and found out there are no smoke and mirrors, just a lot of guts and mud. what's that over there? is that a snake? >> there's no snakes in here.

too many turtles. >> reporter: after just five minutes in the pond -- >> there he goes, he's taking off. >> reporter: -- turtle man spotted a giant snapper on the move. >> right there! >> reporter: yeah. what's that? >> grab the tail! grab the tail! he'll bite you. >> reporter: what do you do? we were happy, but when we brought the 40-pound turtle to the shore, he let our camera know he wasn't. >> i'm the turtle man. turtle reporter just got him some live action. >> reporter: even after our hunt was over, turtle man and his cameraman, craig, couldn't ignore the call of the wild. >> watch him. i don't know where he's at. whoo! two at a time! whoo! that's how you do it. on our show! "today" show, nbc. >> reporter: what are you naming them? >> matt and ann, live action.

whoo! >> and the producers of the show say matt, ann and all the animals that are captured are released back into nature preserves or into the wild. we also want to mention, we did have a paramedic on hand for the shoot. speaking of hands, i came back with ten fingers. >> congratulations to you, tom. that's a major accomplishment. i'm joined by ernie brown jr. nice to see you. you've been whooping and hollering for all the fans. >> i couldn't do it without them, you know. >> let me tell you something right now. there is no chance in the world i'm going to put my hand in that tank. i'm going to tell you that right off the bat, okay? but you will. what have you got in here? >> we've got some snapperlicious in here. >> what are these, alligator snapping turtles? >> alligator snapping turtles. yeah, they're live action. you don't want to put your hand in their mouth because they will snap it. they've got 1,000 pounds of pressure. and they could snap it off. these are alligator snapping turtles that are found in louisiana. >> your track record, how many times have you been bitten over

the course of this career of yours? >> 34 years out of 40 years. >> 34 times? >> yeah. >> in 40 years? >> yep. >> and you have all your fingers, basically, right? >> yeah, i've got a few scars. >> is that the worst you've ever been hurt? >> yeah, seven stitches right here. it cut through the bone. got bit through the head one time. >> were you kissing one of the snapping turtles? >> i was catching it and it flipped over on me and bam! caught me in the face. >> where did you come up with this battle cry of yours? >> i come up with this battle cry, every time i catch an animal. that means you accomplished your goal. it gives you your spirit back. you catch another one. >> what does live action mean? you yell that a lot. >> live action! that means you're face to face with it like this. and you don't know what's going to happen. >> you don't want to be that close to that thing, do you? >> live action! whoo hoo! that will wake him up. >> there is not enough purel in the world for me to do that.

>> this is not a pet. this is live action right here. >> so you want people to know, again, that everything you catch will eventually be released, correct? >> everything i catch gets turned back into the wildlife management areas. and they're set free. and they have a happy life. and that way the rangers protect them. >> you brought a little bit of your fun from kentucky to our plaza here in new york. >> whoo! live action! >> ernie brown jr., thanks for being here. we appreciate it. zbl and i've got some new turtle claws! i made it myself. >> you can catch "call of the wild man" on animal planet. that's sunday night. check it out. when we come back, the youngest young girl ever to compete in the national spelling bee. find out how she did right after these messages. one more call. >> whoo! livi ng w ith the pain livi of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis... ...could mean living with joint damage. help stop the damage before it stops you... ...with humira. for many adults with moderate to severe ra,...

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let's raise academic standards across the nation. let's get back to the head of the class. let's solve this. lori anne madison probably can as well as hundreds of other words. on wednesday the 6-year-old from northern virginia became the youngest person to compete in the national spelling bee. nbc's kristin welker has her story. kristin, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, ann. the scripps national spelling bee is the largest in the nation. and with 278 participants, the competition is fierce. but it at just 6 years of age, little lori anne madison is proving she's pretty tough, too. >> hi, lori anne. >> hi. >> reporter: lori anne madison can barely reach the microphone,

but most days she towers over her competition. >> may i have the definition, please? >> reporter: the 6-year-old is the youngest ever to compete in the scripps national spelling bee. during the first preliminary round on wednesday, she aced it. >> dirigible, d-i-r-i-g-i-b-l-e. >> reporter: lori anne earned a place on the national stage in march after beating out 21 competitors at a regional competition in her northern virginia community. >> v.a. q-u-e-r-o, vaqeuero. >> reporter: she started at 3 1/2 and told her secret. >> i read a lot. >> reporter: the second grader is homeschooled and says she's an avid reader who loves the

water as much as she loves words. >> i do swimming. i'm a good competitive swimmer. i know karate. >> reporter: even her fellow competitors say she's in a league all her own. >> it's surprising that there's a 6-year-old. >> you see kids who are half my age when i was here first. it's amazing. >> reporter: at the end of wednesday's preliminary round, the 6-year-old faced her toughest challenge yet. >> engluvies, e-n-g-l-u-v-i-e-s. >> that is incorrect. >> ingluvies is i-n-g-l-u-v-i-e-s. >> reporter: and while lori anne didn't make it to the next round, her future couldn't be brighter. she already knows what she wants to do when she grows up. >> i like astronomy and biology. so the perfect thing for me

would be astrobiology. >> reporter: pretty incredible, ann. we had to consult webster's on that last word, though, ingluvies. webster's defines it as the crop of a bird or insect. the crop is basically the esophagus. so the semifinals and finals will continue today without little lori anne, but she still has about six more years to compete. so this probably won't be the last time we hear from her. ann? >> you have said that correctly. kristin welker, thank you so much. i just love how she said how it takes to take an ent molg class. she's 6. >> i have a 6-year-old who's not getting his allowance this week. he's got to get on the ball here. >> ingluvies is in trouble. that's not the word. >> spell check. >> i know. >> i came in sixth place in the spelling bee. you asked. i'm so proud. >> back after this. [ fabric flapping in wind ]

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good morning, i'm eun yang with a mess on the roads, let's get to it with danella sealock with breaking news, good morning. >> good morning, eun, still following this water main break traveling in the district. in northwest, right now, westbound n street at connecticut avenue all of your lanes are blocked. the water main break also causing a large sinkhole in the area. so southbound connecticut avenue, between r and n street, all your lanes are blocked in this area. we have debris, in adamstown, maryland, at 80, finger board road at flint hill road has all your lanes block. and marlboro pike, closures tweer loring

good morning, tom kierein in storm center 4. right now sunny in the 60s, later today, bright sun and blue sky, climbing to low to mid 80s. low humidity. tomorrow, increasing clouds and storms likely late afternoon into friday evening. some of them could be severe. maybe a lingering shower saturday morning and partly cloudy saturday afternoon into the mid 70s. beautiful weather after that, sunday into next week. highs near 80 ♪ ch day.

oh yeah, this is what a weekend getaway should feel like. and does. if you're here that is. feel the fun. feel the hamptonality. 8:00 now on a thursday morning. the 31st, last day of may, 2012. as we say a big hello to our crowd here in rockefeller plaza. and right now, they're listening to the music of the band perry. and it's our way of reminding you that this hit country trio and siblings will rock in our plaza tomorrow here on "today." meantime, i'm ann curry outside here on the plaza along with matt lauer and al roker. coming up -- >> yesterday we told you that our friend lenny was going to be gone for a couple weeks because he was going to have surgery. and lenny was so moved by our greeting, he climbed right off

the operating table and came -- >> you canceled it? >> you had it postponed, right? >> oh, they canceled it. oh, good. okay. that means we're going to keep you here. mwah. >> anyway, coming up -- >> we missed you. >> -- "today's professionals" are here. star, donny and dr. nancy. one of the things they'll talk about today, p. diddy's son, justin, just received a scholarship to ucla to play football, based on his merits. some don't think he should accept it because his father is so wealthy. we'll get to that this morning. we'll talk about that with our professionals. we're also going to have a throwdown. we've got two major chefs who are going to be competing on our plaza, giada de laurentiis and bobby flay. esteemed panel of judges. >> both nominated.

we're pitting them against each other. >> we're going to give them a "today" emmy. that's usually a precursor just like the golden globes or the oscars. we've got two incredibly talented young people stopping by. first of all, the "american idol" runner-up jessica sanchez will be singing for us live in our studio. and kristen stewart's going to be stopping by telling us what it's like facing off against charlize theron in "snow white and the huntsman." let's go inside. natalie's on assignment. savannah guthrie's at the news desk. >> the suspect blamed for a shooting spree died overnight from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. police say 40-year-old ian stew wiki opened fire in a coffee shop where witnesses say he had been told he was no longer welcome. four of those victims died, and another was critically wounded. officials say stawicki then killed a woman while carjacking her suv and later shot himself

as officers closed in. the family of a georgia college student ravaged by a flesh-eating bacteria is sharing their story in an exclusive "today" interview. aimee copeland is doing better than her doctors expected but still has a long road ahead. nbc's thanh truong is in augusta, georgia, this morning with more. th thanh, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. aimee copeland is still in the intensive care unit here where she's been for almost a month now, but she's now breathing on her own, able to sit up, and her most recent breakthrough, she's finally talking again. >> reporter: when aimee copeland spoke for the first time since contracting a rare and aggressive flesh-eat beiing bacteria, it was page, her big sister by just 13 months, at her side. doctors had just removed a tube from aimee's throat. >> she just said, "hello?" and so we're all, like, awesome! and she's, like, whoa. and then she said, my mind is blown. >> reporter: page says aimee's voice was strained and raspy.

but none of that mattered. >> you know, it had been the first time in what, what, about three weeks that she was able to speak and hear her own voice. >> reporter: despite aimee's unexpected progress, her family tempers their excitement with realistic expectations. after already enduring amputations to her hands, left leg and right foot, aimee will soon undergo a series of skin grafts. then a massive amount of rehab. >> she was a very strong little child. >> reporter: tomorrow will mark exactly one month since the 24-year-old grad student fell off a homemade zip line and suffered a big gash to her leg. the bacteria that infected aimee usually kills one in four patients. through it all, aimee's kept her sense of humor, cracking jokes with her family and the hospital staff. >> one of the nurses called her jalapeno. >> reporter: hot? >> yes. i guess. >> reporter: aimee's attitude may be surprising. but to her loved ones, it's exactly what they expected.

and aimee's father says she could be moved out of the icu in two to three weeks, but that is a very optimistic prediction. but as we've seen, savannah, this family and aimee are the epitome of optimism. >> an amazing spirit. thank you. now for a look at what's trending today. our quick roundup of what has you talking online. justin bieber fran frenzy had police in oslo ready to declare a state of emergency wednesday. thousands of crowded into the norwegian capital for a free outdoor performance. bieber tweeted, "for the show to happen, you must all listen to the police. we are all concerned for your safety." the show was a success and the beans biebs is now on his way to paris. these girls are going viral with "call your girlfriend." they've accompanied themselves with hand clapping and empty plastic tubs. ♪

they sound good. and the girls are just 8 and 12 years old. and the web is going wild for anne hathaway's version of "i dream to dream" in the new trailer for "les miserables." ♪ i dreamed a dream of time gone by ♪ ♪ when hope was high ♪ life worth living >> but hathaway could be overshad bowed by the period ha russell crowe wears. that hat is already showing up across the internet, amusingly if incorrect places. no, they did not wear those hats to the wedding. now back to al for a check of the weather. >> thank you so much, savannah. what's your middle school? from milwaukee? >> yeah! >> did you bring any leon's

custard? >> yeah! >> did you bring any penze's spices? they don't know what i'm talking. let's see what we've got as far as our weather. portland, oregon, news channel 8, mild, 77 degrees. we are looking at some strong storms firing up from dallas all the way up into minneapolis today. got a risk of strong storms there. beryl is moving out to sea. no big problems. some wet weather makes its way into the pacific northwest. mak to the pacific northwest. the southwest going to be sunny and sizzling with temperatures over 100. phoenix tying or breaking a record. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. the air is fresh and cool on this thursday morning. good morning, tom kierein in storm center 4. 72 now at reagan national. 60s elsewhere and we have low humidity with bright sun and a blue sky. and later today into the low to mid 80s. you'll need the sunscreen if you'll be out for a length of time and clouding up tomorrow, highs low 80s by the afternoon.

late afternoon into the evening, we could get some strong thunderstorms, some could produce damaging winds and heavy rain. some of the rain may linger into saturday morning. drying out afterl this getting the big bobby flay/giada de laurentiis's throwdown. coming up, we have "today's professionals." they have a lot of stuff to talk about including this new push to ban large size sugary drinks. that's coming up right after this. hey, is the table finished?

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♪ well i won't back down we're back now at 8:11 with our latest installment of "today's professionals" with star jones, donny deutsch and dr. nancy snyderman here to weigh in on the hottest issues of the day. nice to see you. >> hi, matt. >> michael bloomberg banning the sale on all sugary drinks and sodas that come in containers over 16 fluid ounces. that would be this guy right here.

so these back here would be illegal. this would clearly be illegal. this is an attempt to tackle this epidemic we've talked about, nancy, of obesity in this country. is this the way to go about it? >> a very famous doctor, dr. david lustig at uc-san francisco says that sugar is toxic and should be regulated like tobacco. it's rewiring the brain. it is not necessary for anything in the human diet. i think it's a very bold, big move, but i have no problem with it. >> star, what are the legal obstacles that he faces with this? >> well, actually, he has avoided a lot of them by doing it municipalally. you know he tried to tax soft drinks, and albany stopped him there. he doesn't have to go to the federal government for this. and so because he has really health department issues only to try to get this passed, and the health department is appointed basically by him. he has very few obstacles. >> donny, do we want local government telling us what we can and can't consume? are you comfortable with that?

>> we complain politicians aren't courageous. god bless this guy. this is no different than tobacco. we solve obesity, we solve the health care program. we've got to do something. every time you make a revolutionary move, there's going to be complaints. i applaud him. >> there's no need for this in the marketplace other than it sells. >> these people can go out and buy two of these. >> what's interesting about that, it will curb obesity in some ways because you're too lazy to get up and carry the extra soft drink. and that's why this is a good idea. >> all right. let's move on. this one, i think, got my attention. the son of p. diddy, justin, is now going to go off to college at ucla. he has been given a merit scholarship to play football and because of his academics to the tune of about $54,000. some people are saying, wait a minute. your dad, p. diddy, is one of the wealthiest guys in the music industry.

this is money that the university should put elsewhere. how do you feel about that? >> i think this kid earned it. first of all, distinction. according to the university, this is not money that comes out of a pot that would be going to financial aid. say what you want. i have a newfound respect for p. diddy. he has a 3.7 kid, an athlete. don't hate me because i'm beautiful. don't punish him because of his father. >> i know this kid. he's always been a student athlete. he's a smart kid. he's not the kind of kid that sat around and said, my dad's work so i can do "c" work. >> we're all on the same page. but what's interesting is that this is a child who's seen indulgen indulgence, over a $300,000 car for his 16th birthday. but he has a 3.75 gpa. he earns this. he's not taking away from the financial aid of other kids. you could say, though, that a really magnanimous thing to do would be to establish a scholarship in his name and free this money for another child. but nonetheless, it can't be

taken away from him. he earned it. >> just so you know, sean has given a significant amount of money for scholarships to other kids. >> and it doesn't cover his entire tuition. >> not in the least tiny bit. way to go, justin. >> let's move on. i'm going to put a picture up. i want to warn people that this may make some people uncomfortable, but that's the crux of what we're talking about. part of an upcoming best freeding awareness campaign. the air force posed for these photos in their uniforms. now, this is a campaign sponsored by a private support group. the photos were not approved by the military. and on the base -- we're talking about fairchild air bors baforce base in washin state -- and in the public are uncomfortable that they posed that way. >> i love the photo. i'm a pro-best freeding doctor/mother. however, they used the uniform of their workplace for an ad outside. and i think they shouldn't have done it without permission.

>> i have seen a lot of military people pose in, like, calendars and all kinds of other outside entities with, you know, a little bit of the flag on their rear end when the guys want to show how many muscles they have. i've seen those kinds of ads before. >> but without permission? because that's a big issue. >> but we've never argued about it before. >> firemen. >> donny, do you think the controversy here is over the uniform, or is it over some people being just uncomfortable seeing a woman breast-feeding? >> that's what it is. >> i think to nancy's point -- because look, as far as i'm concerned, you're in the military. you've earned the right to do whatever you want. having said that, there's an endorsement. you wear that uniform, you are taking on their endorsement. i think they could have accomplished it -- the firemen have "fdny." i think that crosses the line. >> people are wigged out about breast-feeding. >> by the way, not to put words in the mouth of the military. i think if they had gone for permission, the military might have said we're proud that we

have mothers in the military who face the same issues as mothers outside the military. >> i can't imagine the military having any problem with a woman wanting to provide nutrition to their child. >> i don't know. >> you have to be careful when you wear that uniform to make any stand on anything other than what the uniform stands for. >> because you represent the organization. >> well done today, guys. >> very weird that we all agree. what's wrong with you guys today? up next, giada de laurentiis and bobby flay go toe to toe in a quicking showdown on the plaza. that's right after this. have you ever partaken in a car insurance taste test before? by taste? yes, never heard of it. well, that's what we're doing today. car insurance x has been perfected over the past 75 years. it's tasty. our second car insurance... they've not been around very long. mmmm... no good! no good? no good! so you chose geico over the other. whatever this insurance is, it's no good.

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purina puppy chow. hey son! come on over here! coach t, it's an honor. well, have you thought about the future? maybe corolla or camry. well, my mom says i need to keep my mpg up. [ laughing ] course she does... we got number 34. highway. and we got 43 over there. city. go on, check it out! i'll tell you what, checkers, you've impressed me before in the past, and you're impressing me even more now. coach is impressed. you did a good job and i like your shoes. "today's emmy cook-off." the daytime emmy nominations were announced just a few weeks ago. we noticed two very familiar names on the list for outstanding culinary program. >> giada is nominated for "giada at home," and bobby flay has

been nominated for "bobby flay's barbecue addiction." so we decided to invite them both to the plaza and have them battle it out. and we were just told, oh, they've been nominated before. >> before. they've won before. >> i'm judging. >> but this is the first time you've been competing for "today's emmy." >> that's right. >> what exactly would winning this competition mean to you? >> i think it should be the next olympic event. i mean, let's go right to london. >> where is it? >> over there. >> who wouldn't want that on their mantel? it's got a silver spoon and all. >> that's right. it's lovely. it's gorgeous. exactly. that is what you want. an important award. >> look at al. >> oh, you're so serious! >> they're ready because that, in fact, is our judges, matt, savannah and al, they're going to be choosing. they already have the food right in front of them. and each one of the -- >> al, remember who loves you. >> your favorite dishes. let's start with you. >> start cooking, giada. >> tell us what you made for our

judges. >> i did lemon spaghetti which is sort of my hallmark dish. i did it with a surf and turf. so i covered all my bases. i make a really fast marinade, half a cup of olive oil with a little bit of soy sauce, parsley, chives, garlic and lemon zest. and i just kind of mix that all together. >> lots of flavor. >> yeah, lots of flavor, but really, we're only going to marinate for about ten minutes. i spoon a little bit of the marinade on the steak and a little bit of the marinade on the shrimp. and you can kind of do this with whatever you want. and i just -- i let them sit for about ten minutes at room temperature. i put them in a plastic baggie and seal it so you can get the marinade all over the meat. and i let that marinate. then mr. play has been so kind as to though my spaghetti. >> that's spaghetti for everybody else out there. >> spaghetti. and then i make a really fast lemon sauce. olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper. red pepper flakes.

>> i love that suspect so simple. >> lemon juice, a little bit of salt. and i am adding to this particular, this time, some arugula. i don't always add it. you don't have to. what's great about this dish, hot or sold. for the summertime, it's always a dish i make ahead of time, it can sit and add whatever kind of protein you want to it. it is very light. are you going to be able to taste this? >> i'm going to definitely taste this. you're also going to put this meat that you've been marinating, you're going to be grilling that. >> so then you basically mix this all together until the pasta has absorbed all of the lemon and the parmesan cheese and the olive oil. and it takes, like, two minutes and kind of sucks it all up. moving on. >> what about your drink? >> we're going to do that in a send. you're going to put that into this. >> no, no, i don't put it in there. i cook the shrimp. >> we're starting to run out of time. i'm going to let you do that. >> giada, i'm cooking, too, you know. >> just tell me really quickly what's in your drink.

mimosa. strawberry mimosa. >> okay, bobby, you tell us what you've made. halibut. >> we have halibut here. what i'm doing is, i'm going to make halibut with a curried corn sauce and a grilled tomato chutney. i'm going to take my grilled cherry tomatoes, nice and sweet, put them with scallions. we have halibut here. yk, for this dish, can you use any kind of white fish. we're going to use halibut. giada. >> she's trying to influence the judges, bobby. >> come on over here. okay. then we have -- we have a curried -- i took some shrimp stock and curry powder. you really want the curry powder to cook out. we're going to take some corn. and i have to say, for the last day of may, it's very, very sweet. so get out there and buy some corn. this is shrimp stock and some curry powder. then we heat this up and then puree it with a little bit of

coconut milk. a tiny bit of coconut milk. let this stir. and then you have this beautiful sauce that looks like that. giada, you want to sauce that for me? we have the halibut with the sauce and a little bit of our tomato kmchutney. i don't know where it went. and we have blackberry mojitos, everybody. very nice. >> let's all move over to the judges' table where we're going to find out, then, what our judges are thinking about what they're eating. gentlemen? >> i like bobby's drink better than giada's. >> uh-oh. >> but despite the fact that she completely hosed him on the cooking time there, i like giada's dish better. great lemony flavor. >> okay. savannah. >> as much as it pains me to agree with matt, i love this drink. it's quite strong and i feel a little woozyight now, and i like this meal. >> same thing, bobby's drink, giada's food. >> so i could be a bartender. >> exactly. >> you'll have to split this. there you go. you both won one part of it. more after this!

good morning, it's 8:26 on this thursday, may 31st, i'm aaron gilchrest. we have breaking news, a lot of problems on the roads this morning. danella has details. >> right now, we're still dealing with the water main break, westbound n street in northwest at connecticut avenue, all your lanes are blocked. also you're dealing with a large sinkhole in the area. southbound connecticut avenue between r street and n street, all lanes are blocked, includes the inner circle of dupont circle. heading over to marlboro pike in maryland, your closure still this morning between loring drive and dunn hill road due to a crash and route 50 slow from landover road to d.c. back to you. what about over here?

sure. no problem. ♪

that's all the horses sir. ...and the men? all the king's men are here too sir. it doesn't look good. ♪ good morning, in the 60s now with sunshine to near 70 degrees, later today, with the sunshine into the low to mid 80s and low humidity. storms likely late tomorrow afternoon into friday evening. maybe lingering into saturday

morning. >> you can watch the chuck brown memorial service today at noon on nbcwashington.com and on nbc washington nonstop. come cast

"today" at the olympics coming this summer. ♪ it's 8:30 now on a thursday morning, the 31st day of may, 2012. stop and listen to the amazing voice of 16-year-old jessica sanchez. performances like that drove her to a second place finish on "american idol." and she's going to be performing for us live in our studio in just a couple of minutes. she really has an incredible

voice. by the voi, this year's "american idol" winner, phillip, was supposed to be performing. apparently he's undergoing health concerns. >> he actually put off surgery to continue the competition. and now he has to have that done. >> we wish him the best and hope to see him at a future date. meanwhile, i'm matt lauer on the plaza along with al roker, ann curry and savannah guthrie. >> a big concert here on the plaza tomorrow from the hit country group the band perry. so if you're in the area, please do come down. you are welcome to join us. and then a little bit later on, we're going to be changing gears. a lot of folks think when it's time to retire moving down to florida. jane pauley is going to introduce you to a gentleman who's found his true calling later in life as a stand-up comic, and he wants you to follow in his footsteps. also ahead, your embarrassing health questions answered including -- a lot of people feel very scared about public speaking, what to do if

you kind of are overcome with fear when it comes to public speaking. some even more embarrassing questions than that. a lot to get to. could we first say good morning to kristen stewart who is here on the plaza. she plays the fairest princess in the new movie "snow white and the huntsman." good to see you. welcome back. let's stay on the run-of-the-mill snow white path. i've seen all of them in the past. what do i need to know about this version? >> ours is a lot scarier. we have a very classic idea of snow white. we just sort of rip her heart out and stomp on it and shove it back in her chest to see if it will still beat. and it definitely does. >> so my 5-year-old? >> it depends. when i was 5, i watched a lot of really scary movies. >> it's not only scary, also, she's a tough, sword-wielding woman. she's not this, you know, girl with this little, you know, blue bird flying around her.

she's not waiting for a prince to give her a kiss. in fact, you in the role are so into it, apparently you socked the huntsman who's played by this huge guy, chris, so hard he thought you broke his nose? you punched him? you gave him a right? >> i swear i didn't mean to. >> no? >> no. you know, he got too close. >> okay. so there's a warning. everybody move back. what about the stunt work? there's some really intense stunt work. did you have to do any special training for this? >> it's funny. i thought that we were going to have to do a whole load of choreography by training, rehearsal, whatever. basically, at the end of the day, rupert, the director, kind of just put a sword in my hand and said, "don't die." it's so much cooler to watch someone instinctively slash at people. you know, you don't want to watch snow white suddenly become this skilled-- >> martial artist. >> yeah. it's so much more from the heart. she moves towards it.

she doesn't wack back away from it. it's really cool to watch her. >> ann has seen it. she says it is visually stunning. congratulations. >> really amazing movie. congratulations. >> we want to mention, this movie opens tomorrow across the country. our sister company, universal pictures. kristen, good to see you. come back and see us soon. mr. mr. roke centre. >> let's see what we've got as far as your weekend is concerned. starting with tomorrow, a risk of strong storms along the mid-atlantic coast into the northeast with rain there. rain in the pacific northwest. heavy rain down in southern florida, saturday we've got more rain in the northeast. some morning showers giving way to sunshine. warm to hot weather through the gulf, sizzling in the southwest. sunday -- sunday! heavy rain northern new england, showers in the california/oregon area. lots of sunshine and heat through the gulf coast. sunny and mild to warm weather for the southeast, mid-atlantic on into the northeast. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. . a perfect late-spring morning under way. good morning, tom kierein, storm

center 4. right now, 72 at reagan national. upper 60s most of the region. low humidity in place with bright sun. later today, low to mid 80s. not much humidity around. overnight tonight, increasing clouds and a cloudy day tomorrow. likely, thunderstorms late afternoon into friday evening, some could produce damaging winds, hail maybe even some very, very heavy downpours from time to time. ending saturday morning and as we head toward the weekend, don't forget, get the weather anytime you need, go to cable or weather.com online. now let's go to unclewillie.com in washington, d.c. hey, willie. >> we love those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. they're almost here. i love summer. love summer. carolyn counsell of henderson, nevada, 105 years. those western women are tough, live forever. loves to go traveling and also read mystery thrillers. how about that?

scare you to death. john nash of sarasota, florida, right here the circus down in venice. nice and pretty florida country. 100 years old today. worked in the newspaper business for likes a glass of j&b. i think i know. j&b. i know what that is. edith linkon from memphis, tennessee, home and ice cream, apparently. she's 107 and likes to have ice cream every single day. we have richard overton of austin, texas, where the bats live under the bridge. that's a show for you. 106. i'm not just making that up. served in world war ii and has lots of fun with his friends the whole time. and another birthday buddy, viola eshenaur from bartow, florida, 103 years old today. number one fan of the tampa bay

rays. madeleine santos of wareham, massachusetts. the cape. and she loves doing all sorts of exciting outdoor activities. that's it. that's all. and now back to our funny little friends in new york. >> thanks so much, willie. coming up next, we're going to have a live concert from "american idol" jessica sanchez. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

the "toyota concert series on today" brought to you by toyota. back now at 8:39. host ryan seacrest called this year's "american idol" finale one of the tightest races in the show's 11-year history. in the end, after 132 million voters, phillip phillips edged out 16-year-old jessica sanchez. but sanchez has a lot of reasons to celebrate after wowing the judges and fans all season long.

jessica sanchez, good morning and welcome to you. >> thank you. >> you said the fans made the right choice. why? >> because in the competition, not only mentally but physically, too. his health issues. you know, he really fought through it. and now, you know, he's working on it at this moment, but i'm really proud of him. >> you must be proud of yourself as well. >> yeah. most definitely. >> you had an incredible run. >> yeah. >> anything you would have done differently when you look back? >> not at all. i mean, there's been some bumpy moments in the competition. but i made it to the finale. so i have no regrets at all. >> you know, when i've heard you interviewed, you come across as a reserved and somewhat soft-spoken young lady. and you get there up on stage, and you become this soulful almost diva, although i think that word is overused. which is closer to the real you? >> i'm more quiet. i mean, when it comes to me just walking around, i'm really quiet. i don't really talk much. when i'm on stage, i'm a different person.

like in your face singing loud. >> you have a lot of opportunities ahead of you, young lady. >> thank you. >> you'll be working with tommy mottola, one of the great names in music. what are your dreams right now? >> right now just to make my music and just make music for my supporters that have been supporting me throughout the whole competition and just enjoy life. >> all while being a 16-year-old. what are you going to sing this morning? >> i will always love you. >> ladies and gentlemen, jessica sanchez. ♪ if i should stay ♪ i would only be in your way ♪ and i-i-i-i will always love you-u-u-u ♪

♪ i will always love you-u-u-u ♪ i hope life treats you kind ♪ and i hope you have all you've dreamed of ♪ ♪ and i wish to you joy and happiness ♪ ♪ but above all this i wish to you love ♪ ♪ and i-i-i-i will always love you-u-u-u ♪

♪ i will always love you-u-u-u oh, i'll always, i'll always lo-o-o-ove you ♪ ♪ i will always love you >> jessica sanchez. jessica will be back with more music a little later on. but first on a thursday morning, this is "today" on nbc.

♪

back now at 8:45 with "your life calling today." our special "today" contributor jane pauley has been working with aarp which has sponsored and produced a series of reports for us. and the lights have gone out, but jane is here this morning. >> hello? >> she can tell us what's happening in the dark. >> absolutely. where's my flashlight? move to florida, the state of retirement, a funny thing happens. he didn't find his life calling. he heard it. >> thank you. >> reporter: gibb poole was a jack-of-all-trades. >> i'm one of these guys that gets bored real easy. i went to seminary, ski instructor, i was a financial planner, i was in the army, i was in the air force. >> reporter: you sold some stuff. >> i sold vacuum cleaners door to door. i sold boats. i sold cars. i sold insurance. >> reporter: how would you fill in the blank under occupation? >> road show. >> reporter: the road led here,

mccurdy's comedy club in sarasota. i know these people. >> i'm next to paula poundstone. >> reporter: at 61 on a whim, he signed up for a comedy class. >> when i took that comedy class, wow! what if i could really do this? what if this is the one thing that i can hook myself into and just see how far i can go? ♪ >> reporter: six years later, he's really doing it. it's like you finally grew up and got serious about yourself. >> grew up, really. i'm a comedian. >> reporter: but he's very serious about it. >> we're going to have a redneck hurricane survival guide. >> reporter: constantly writing and refining material. >> maybe it's just s-t-u-p-i-d. i stay up till 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning changing things. >> reporter: his wife, jane, videotapes every show. and a computer program analyzes his performance.

>> it tells me what percentage of the time i'm on stage the audience is laughing. >> reporter: he gets lots of material just watching people at the mall. >> i went to this mall. and i'm sitting there. and i'm in this chair. one of those little padded chairs around the fountain. like day care for husbands. i see stuff there, things that just don't make any sense at all. that's how they talk in atlanta. well. a button right here. well, well, well. >> reporter: when did you get your first paycheck? >> about four years ago, $25. and i spent about $30 in gas to get there and get back. i will send you some posters. >> reporter: these days, he does better. playing clubs, colleges and corporate events. and his wife enjoys one of the perks. >> thank you. >> reporter: he teaches comedy, improv and presentation skills on cruise liners. his payment, a free ride. >> we did over 100 days of cruising last year. >> reporter: he's not getting rich, but he's suddenly getting attention. and sometimes it's a little

overwhelming. >> i look at all of this. and i feel like i wasted all these years. and it sort of hurts that i feel like it took this long, you know. i guess the hardest thing about the comedy, it's just such a brief moment in your life. everybody loves you. you love them. you walk off stage. and it's gone. this moment will never be there again. >> reporter: most people go through their lives, and they never hear the applause and the laughter at all. >> reporter: the bottom line, gibb poole is 67. and he's having the time of his life. >> i got married again because i got tired of having my own opinion. almost every show, somebody will walk up to me and go, gee, i've always wanted to try that. and i said, well, why don't you? we're the first generation because of our health care that gets a do-over. why do we want to waste that on sitting around hoping we could try something instead of going out and doing it? it amazes me. i'm going to do it until i can't remember what to say.

you guys enjoy the rest of the evening. >> formerly jack-of-all-trades gibb poole has one thing going for him. he wasn't afraid to try new things. the reality check, getting laughs is hard work. getting paid for laughs is even harder. amateurs don't get checks on the way out the door, as gibb says, unless they're doing valet parking. i hope you'll join me today for my radio internet call-in show at 10:00 a.m. eastern at aarp.org/jane. >> you get a gold star for being such a good sport. you kept on trucking when the lights went out. i want you to know that we figured out the problem. i think al -- >> i'm really sorry. i wasn't supposed to do this. sorry about that. just kidding. >> thanks for that. by the way, the great thing is somebody off camera, jane said to us, i think she was one of our producers. >> belinda. >> she said the two of you never

looked better. >> we're back with much more in a moment. but first, this is live television "today" on nbc. >> ah! ah!

time once again for the wonderfully wacky world of sports. lynn berman is here to do the honors on that. len, good morning. nice to see you. >> good morning. big month, the kentucky derby, indy 500 and the lights going

out on the "today" show. what were truly the top sports stories of the month? let's go "spanning the world." ♪ >> unbelievable! >> all righty. on your mark, get set, katie andrews at byu. and oh, my goodness. but first, the anthem, won the rowing gold in italy. wait, that's not their anthem. oh, well. 7-year-old pee-wee crawford, mt. julius, tennessee. thank you very much. then there's this. estonian basketball league. that's worth another look. that should be worth four or five points as well. what a shot. and the best double play. how about synchronized outfielding. corpus christi. they both go up and over.

and nobody got hurt. no, one of them caught it. >> okay, sorry. >> our oops of the month. one large guy. and one trampoline. >> oh, no. oh! didn't see that coming. >> bristol, tennessee. she takes out the camera. and now, nobody got hurt! thank goodness. our moves of the month in san francisco. stealing home. ooh. safe. and he wins the game! and the quebec junior hockey league. go get yes, ma'am, etienne brodeur, flop city. >> oh! >> and in rock island, illinois, the best umpire move. very nice. but you know, he's not from "naked gun." that's how you do it. the worst move, michigan state. they let sparty, the mascot, in the game and he fumbles. sparty, what's the deal with that? you know, take a seat, sparty.

our athlete of the month with her motorized toilet. jolene setting a world toilet speed record. hey, when you've got to go. right, she's flushed with pride. our fan of the month, the kid does not get the ball in texas. he's not happy. oh, my goodness. but they do toss him another baseball. so everybody loves happy endings. very nice. speaking of which, that is rare ly para rower we were talking about -- ♪ when they didn't have her national anthem, she just sang it herself. >> all right. >> that's the way to do it. >> okay. >> way to go. yeah. >> len berman. ♪ >> there you go. i didn't say it was funny.

>> no, but it's nice. >> touching. >> it came full circle. >> occasionally poignant. >> len, always good to see you. thank you very much. just ahead, answers to your most embarrassing health questions. >> but first, your local news and weather. oh, no! 8:56 is your time on this thursday, may 31st, 2012, i'm eun yang we have breaking news in the district. news4's tracee wilkins is on the scene of a water main break. tracee good morning. >> reporter: we're at connecticut and n, i'm going to give you a closer look, a water main break that happened just before 7:00 a.m. we're told this is a 12-inch

main. and what it's going to do is basically shut down the southbound lanes. so for folks who are trying to commute this evening, this will impact your commute. we have two blocks of businesses that do not have water right now, they don't know exactly when they're going to be able to reopen connecticut avenue and they don't expect those businesses to have water any time soon. reporting live in northwest, i'm tracee wilkins, news4. busy day on the roads, you

good morning, if you're traveling on marlboro pike at loring drive, all of those lanes are open. they were shut down because of a serious crash. but your lanes are open. 395 jammed from duke all the way to the 14th street bridge. eun, over to you. thanks so much. tom will have a check of your forecast in just a couple of [ male announcer ] here's a friendly reminder. it's your last chance to get verizon's reliable high speed internet and phone for small business for only $84.99 a month. call 1.866.solutions now or visit verizon.com/solutions. only $84.99 for high-speed internet and phone. plus your choice of either no annual contract or a two year price guarantee. call 1.866.solutions or visit verizon.com/solutions today.

hurry -- this offer won't last long. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v. ♪ you're gonna love me we're back now with more of "today" on a thursday morning, the 31st day of may, 2012. that is the astonishingly good voic of jessica sanchez, just 16 years old, the runner-up in this year's "american idol." if you can buy stock in jessica, you might want to do that right now because she's going to have an incredible career. we'll hear more music from her in a minute. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, al roker and tamron hall on what is a beautiful day with a great crowd here on the plaza.

and coming up, one of our most popular segments here on "today" where we answer all kinds of embarrassing questions. >> exactly. we're going that talk about -- you want to talk about how to deal with germs in public bathrooms? you want to talk about that? that's one of the things that people don't want to talk to their doctors about. it's basically a health issue. we have our own doctor coming in to give advice on that and other topics this morning. all right. and then a little later on, we're going to head into the kitchen to tackle the dirt and grime. how do you get the pots and pans as clean as possible? when you get stains on your countertops, what do you do? well, janice lieberman went into the test kitchen to find out the best way to clean the messes and goop and gunk that you've got. >> you're into that. >> especially the pyrex baking dish. how do you get that stuff out? >> you buy a new one. >> no, you don't buy a new one. >> you can take the steel wool. >> no, you don't want to use steel wool because that will scratch the glass.

>> there's a lot of rules. do what i do. you don't cook in the first place. >> or you have the butler do it. >> we're going too far. speaking of butlers -- >> isn't that what happened at the vatican? >> the butler did it. >> the butlers always do it. there are plenty of butlers at buckingham palace. >> nice transition. >> thank you. i try. the queen gets ready to mark her diamond jubilee, 60 years on the throne with grand events all weekend culminating on tuesday. and matt will be there with the latest on all of the hoopla. >> the excitement. with meredith. >> meredith vieira is over there already. we'll be seeing her tomorrow and monday and i'll join her on tuesday. >> jubilee fever like cat scratch fever? >> only a little more reserved. let's go inside. natalie's on assignment. savannah guthrie is at the news desk. savannah. >> good morning. in the news today, new details go a gunman who went on a

rampage killing four people in a cafe and another in a carjacking before taking his own life. his brother says that the gunman was mentally ill and boiling with anger. in his brother's words, "we could see this coming." seattle's mayor says those shootings have shaken the city. today former president bush returns to the white house for the unveiling of the official portraits of him and former first lady laura bush. bush was last at the white house two years ago to help out with haiti humanitarian relief efforts. former president george h.w. bush and former first lady barbara bush will also be at the white house today. what's left of tropical storm beryl barrelled into parts of north carolina on wednesday. it spun off a tornado that destroyed at least three homes and damaged 50 others. no reports of serious injuries, though. the storm has now moved off into the atlantic. a massive wildfire is now the biggest fire in new mexico history. the blaze in the national forest has burned more than 170,000

acres and about a dozen homes. the area has fought drought conditions for months. if you are a diehard "hunger games" fan, you can now live in district 12. the land where the movie is shot is being sold at auction. it includes about 20 empty buildings on 72 acres near hickory, north carolina. the asking price, $1.4 million. sealed bids are being accepted until the end of july. an ohio woman says someone broke into her home last week, took out the trash, vacuumed the carpet, cleaned her house and then left her a bill for $75 handwritten on a napkin with her name and phone number. well, the alleged cleaning fairy apparently did the same thing last month at another home. and rather than making a clean getaway, she was charged with criminal trespass. justin bieber fan frenzy had police in oslo ready to declare a state of emergency on wednesday. thousands crowded into the norwegian capital for a free outdoor performance.

bieber tweeted, "for the show to happen, you must all listen to the police. we are all concerned for your safety." the show was a success, and the booe biebs is now on his way to paris. it is now 9:05. back to al with a check of the weather. i'm sure there won't be a frenzy there. >> no, no weather frenzy going on. we have got a cute frenzy going on. what's your name, young man? >> ryan. >> who's this? jaden. very cute. and another cutie over here. who's this? >> this is daisy. >> oh, daisy. >> from london. >> from london. she's our little diamond jubilee. thank you very much. what a cutie. let's see what we've cutie. let's see what we've got as far as your weather right now. here's what we have. clash of air masses, cool air coming down from canada. warm, moist air surging up from the gulf. we've got a risk of strong storms going on. from dallas up to chicago, looking at showers and thunderstorms. that risk area extending throughout, from san antonio all the way up to cincinnati. possibility of tornadoes, a few

superce supercells, rainfall amounts from one to two inches. from new orleans up to chicago. and northern indiana. where are you guys from? >> flagstaff, arizona. whether what's your names? >> valley. >> lynn. >> good to see you, thanks for coming down. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. good morning, bright sunshine, just past 9:00 now. temperatures climbing into the 70s much of the region. reagan national now at 76. we ought to climb about another ten degrees for our high by later this afternoon. and we'll have low humidity in place with lots of sun. you'll need sunblock if you'll be out for a length of time. tomorrow, clouding up and highs low 80s, early to mid afternoon. after that, strong storms likely developing, some of them could produce damaging winds, heavy rain. a little rain may linger into saturday morning. drying out aand that's your lat weather. savannah? okay, al, thank you. and this morning on "today's health," your embarrassing questions answered. if you're a little shy about bringing certain issues up with

your doctor, we are here to put you at ease. dr. carrie peterson is an internist and contributor to "women's health" magazine and most importantly for this segment, you've seen it all and heard it all. >> i have. everything we're talking about. >> let's get to our first question. this isn't so embarrassing. a lot of people deal with this. we have someone writing, "i get very nervous speaking in front of others. my voice quivers, my heart races and my face turns red. is there anything i can do to prevent this from happening?" >> this is reported as the number one fear among american adults. it doesn't just happen to people who are shy or timid. it happens to people who are outgoing and confident. if you have a meeting or have to give a speech and you're nervous, you are not going to be able to deliver your message. so we have a couple of tips for you. first, deep breathing is the most effective thing that you can do. both before, which calms you down, and during. because when you're anxious, your vocal cords tend to clench up. when you breathe, it opens them up and you can speak more

fluidly. the neck thixt thing, avoid caf. it exacerbates your rapid heart rate and your hand shaking. so stay away from that if you're prone have having a fear. next thing is practice, practice, practice in front of a mirror, in front of your family, get more comfortable with your material so you can deliver it more comfortably. and then another little trick that some performers use is called the beta blocker. this is a blood pressure pill. it blocks the effects of adrenaline. so even if your mind is telling you i'm nervous, your body doesn't respond. your hands don't sweat. your voice won't tremble. so it just gives the appearance that you're calm. and then lastly, if you really have severe anxiety and social phobias, i would consider therapy. >> okay. what about picturing the audience naked? not medically desirable? >> i think that that would work. >> okay. that's the old technique. okay, next topic, staying regular on the road. the question we got is, every time i travel, i get

constipated. why does this happen, and how can i avoid it? >> traveling is a very common cause of constipation. there are several contributing fab factors. one is by airplane, it dehydrates. but so many of your routines change, you're eating out more rather than preparing your fd. you may be jet lagged and having an altered sleep routine, you're not as active and may be under stress. all of these things contribute to bowel function. at "women's health," we recommend four things. the first is incorporate fiber into your diet before you go and while you're away. that can be in the form of fruits and vegetables or a fiber supplement. the next is drink lots and lots of water especially if you're taking an airplane. and then once you get where you're going as well. the next thing is exercise. if you move your body, your bowels will also move in response to that. and then finally as a last resort, just pack in your bag a laxative just in case. >> hopefully one you have experience with so nothing kooky

happens. >> yes. >> bladder problems. the question we got was, i've had three children and tend to leak when i laugh, sneeze or pick up a grocery bag. >> this is called stress incontinence. women who give birth have this as a common result. the reason this happens is that the pelvic muscles dilate and weaken when you baiirth. it causes the yurethra's angle o change. this happens in menopause and if you're overweight. as this person mentioned, when you bear down on those muscles by laughing or sneezing, you can leak urine. >> how do you prevent it? >> kegel exercise. this is clinching the pelvic floor muscles, the muscles that hold in your urine. ideally, you want to hold it in for three seconds, relax for three seconds, do ten of these three times a day. and if you can build up to ten seconds at a time, you can lower the likelihood of leakage by

60%, which is very significant. >> add that to the exercise routine right after the push-ups. okay. next question, my hands start to swell when i walk for a while. is that normal? i never heard of that. >> it is common for some, and for the people that it happens to, it's frustrating because your rings can get stuck and your watch feels very uncomfortable. so two things are thought to cause this problem. the first is, when you start exercising, your blood rushes into the muscles that are working. and as a result, there's less blood in your hands so your vessels dilate to compensate. but then as you warm up and your body starts to get hot, now the blood starts to be sent to your hands and feet to dissipate that heat. so the vessels are already dilated, they're going to swell. >> last question, can i pick up germs from sitting on a public toilet? this is the question that america needs answered, doctor. >> america, basically, toilet seats are very, very dirty. there's no doubt about it. >> go figure. >> and bacteria from fecal matter. however, you are very unlikely to get sick from them because

our skin is a very effective barrier against germs. that being said, if the toilet is filthy, auuse a different on or put down toilet paper. and if you have an open wound on the skin of your buttocks, be cautious as well. and the most important thing, your hands are the concern because if they touch these surfaces and then you touch your face, you're going to get sick. so wash your hands. >> wash those hands. 30 seconds, scrub. >> scrub. "happy birthday" twice. >> sing a little song. or the a, b, cs. that's what we tell my nieces. or the national anthem. be patriotic. doctor, thank you so much. coming up next, kitchen cleanup. which products get big messes clean? and then later, glowing on your wedding day with makeup tips from bobbie brown. she's here. but first, these messages. play, and i got no plans to retire. [ female announcer ] aging may slow a dog down, but iams helps keep dogs playing year after year with our age-specific nutrition.

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this morning on "today's consumer," the best products to tackle tough kitchen messes. >> consumer correspondent janice lieberman tried the products out to see which ones work best. >> we spend $1.4 billion a year on household cleaners. finding the best is no easy chore. that's why we asked america's test kitchen. >> reporter: you see them all work gloriously in tv commercials. >> you cleaned the kitchen sink! >> that's the power of pine-sol, baby. >> reporter: cleaning up kitchen messes, a constant challenge. >> spic and span. >> reporter: which ones actually sparkle? the experts at america's test kitchen dig in to find out. we asked them to let us in on

what they know. first up, all-purpose cleaners. microwave messes often lead to build up. intentionally baked-in spaghetti sauce to find out which cleaners can handle the job. using a popular all-purpose cleaner and their winner, method all-purpose natural surface cleaner, we easily spotted the champ. >> i've got this one that's got bleach in it and antibacterial, you've got the natural green product. i'm getting nothing. i'm not getting much on my cloth. how are you doing? >> wow. >> we found a lot of the ones with bleach did not do a better job. >> reporter: a good pair of rubber gloves fight grime. we tackled the gloves next. >> your hand says get really hot. >> reporter: not to be tried at home, boiling water and a thermometer are the surest ways to determine the temperature inside the glove. >> it's continuing to get up. it's now up to 96. >> 101. >> this one did not offer that much heat protection. less than 30 seconds and we're up to 106 degrees and it keeps

climbing. >> reporter: jack repeated the test on the $5 casabella glove. a nicer fit. >> it rises more slowly. this one is going to offer about twice as much heat protection. >> reporter: cleaning the stuff that sticks to pots? finding a liquid dish detergent is key. atk's winner, seventh generation. >> this is seven strokes with a spong. this one is pretty good. this is 27 strokes. we are not that far along here. >> reporter: and for those stubborn stains that cause long-term buildup on the outside, the recommendation is barkeeper's friend. >> let's see what's going on underneath there. it's coming. it's lifting. this is the best abrasive that we've tested. >> reporter: and for copper pots, a surprising trick of the trade, ketchup. >> wipe it right off. hot, soapy water to get it clean. this is really cheaper and more effective than commercial copper polishers. >> amazing. love that.

>> what does it do to your stomach? >> hamburger. >> don't eat it. >> i want to tell you one more trick. for pyrex dishes, they're really a mess, the grime is on there. here's a trick from atk. spray it with oven cleaner, put it in a plastic bag, put it in the garage, keep it there overnight, the next day, right off. >> i love that. >> why in the garage? >> because of the fumes. >> hello. whatever. again, with the domestic skills. >> were you surprised that out of these three cleaners, all of them are fairly green? >> you know, they weren't looking for that. this is more people are buying green. well, let's just test them out. they tested them against conventional, and they were surprised that they worked so well because in the past they were very natural and you thought they didn't have any cleaners in there, but they're much better and the proo iss are leveling out, coming close to the conventional price. >> method's not antibacterial, but it still works the best. >> yeah. and what they found out about antibacterial, if you read the

fine print, a lot of them out there, you need to spray on and keep for ten minutes on the surface before wiping off to get the effect. now, we really don't usually do that. >> no, we don't. >> so it wasn't all that important if you think it is and keep it on for a long time. but smell that because smell was huge. they don't want that smell. they want the fresh, natural smell. >> you really trust me, don't you? >> it's got a nice aftertaste. >> minty a little bit. >> dab a little on my wrist. >> don't do that. no, no, no. she's kidding. >> you've got to get out of the kitchen. >> janice lieberman, thank you so much. we're going to school her during the commercial. coming up, giving tonight's dinner a new kind of sizzle with our pal, michael lomonaco. first, these messages. cash rewards cardal one you get a 50% annual bonus. and everyone likes 50% more cash -- well, except her. no! but, i'm about to change that.

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[ spa lady ] i started enbrel. it's clinically proven to provide clearer skin. [ rv guy ] enbrel may not work for everyone -- and may not clear you completely, but for many, it gets skin clearer fast, within 2 months, and keeps it clearer up to 9 months. [ male announcer ] because enbrel suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. if you've had enough, ask your dermatologist about enbrel. [ male announcer ] if you like movies that make you laugh... [ sirens ] ...tv dramas... ♪

...timeless classics, or whatever else, then you'll love netflix. netflix lets you watch unlimited movies and tv episodes on your pc or tv via game console or other devices connected to the internet. browse genres, and get personalized suggestions. it's instant, it's unlimited. and it's only 8 bucks a month. start your free trial today. coming up, makeup tips for the bride-to-be. plus, after 60 years on the throne, a celebration fit for a yeen. we're going to go live to buckingham palace for the queen's diamond jubilee. >> but first, your local news and weather.

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when eaten 3 times a day. feeling regular to me was a new feeling... activia good morning, it's 9:26 on this thursday, may 31st, i'm aaron gilchrest, it's been a rough ride on the roads, danella is keeping an eye on the breaking news. that's right, aaron, still have the water main break causing an issue in northwest d.c. right now westbound, n street at connecticut avenue. all your lanes are blocked. still have a large sinkhole they're dealing with this is along connecticut avenue. traveling southbound between r and n street. including the sinner circle of dupont circle, all your southbound lanes are blocked. taking the beltway, seeing delays on the outer loop in montgomery county, speed there, 31 miles per hour.

good morning, sunny in the 70s now, low humidity, a beautiful day under way, 76 at reagan national. climbing to the low to mid 80s. lots of sunshine with low humidity then tomorrow, clouds close in, highs reaching low 80s during the early to middle part of the afternoon. after that we could get strong thunderstorms that may produce

damaging winds and very heavy rain late afternoon into the evening hours on friday. maybe a lingering shower saturday morning. then drying out saturday afternoon rest of the weekend into next week. aaron? >> don't forget you can wat

♪ i don't want the whole world ♪ the sun and moon and all their light ♪ those are the country siblings named best new artist last year. they go by the name the band perry. and they'll be bringing their act to rockefeller plaza tomorrow on "today." and then next week, chris brown will take over our summer concert stage. and we want you to mark your calendars because on friday, june 15th, bieber fever comes to the plaza. justin bieber will be here for the concert series. have you been immunized for bieber fever? >> i'm telling you, no matter how many shots you get, it just takes over.

>> i don't want to be well. speaking of music, in just a few minutes, we're going to hear one more song from the 16-year-old high schooler who stole the show on "american idol." this year's runner-up, jessica sanchez, will be back with one more song. what an amazing voice. >> i can't believe she's 16. isn't that amazing? that voice is just perfect. plus, it's wedding season. a day for brides to look their best, of course. makeup maven bobbie brown with tips for whether the party is on the beach or in the city. >> or in your case, in the swamp because you're going to marry the turtle man. >> live action! i've been searching for 40 years, and i found him. >> when you saw him kiss that turtle, you knew, that's my man? >> you've finally come out of your shell. >> that was the best ever! oh, man. all right. how do we transition? if you're thinking about a juicy steak for dinner, you don't have to shell out a lot of money. >> oh! >> new less expensive cuts of

beef are available in your supermarket. we're going to show you how to cook them at home. but first, al -- >> so easily pleased. >> it's true. >> this is like a time capsule. we should be buried. let's see what we've got as far as our weather. tomorrow, a risk of of strong storms, along the mid-atlantic, southeast into the northeast. showers in the pacific northwest and record highs looking there. there's saturday. sunday, okay. i got to go to local. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. warming up now, quickly around the region. tom kierein in storm center 4. and all these areas in yellow into the 70s, it includes all of virginia, just about all of virginia, except along the blue bridge and most of maryland, eastern shore. mid 70s later, into the low to mid 80s. lots of sun with low humidity and then tomorrow, clouds roll in. afternoon highs into the low 80s and maybe some strong storms with damaging winds and heavy downpours. late friday afternoon into friday evening. perhaps a lingering shower saturday morning. should be dry for the rest of the weekend. and that's your latest

weather. >> al, thank you. in case you haven't heard, britain is celebrating a diamond jubilee marking 60 years of queen elizabeth's reign. the celebrations are in full swing. and in the middle of it all at buckingham palace, where else would we find nbc's ben fogle? ben, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. as you say, jubilee fever is sweeping london and the uk. and to celebrate, there are all kinds of souvenirs. both great and small. ♪ the bunting's up, the flags are flying, and flying off the shelves, memories of this royal occasion. ♪ from mugs to royal scrapbooks. tea pots and teacups. fine china from the royal collection. >> the first time we've ever done a china tea caddie like this. if you go on the back, it's actually got extract from the queen's acceptance speech. >> reporter: there's jewelry and all variations of british red,

white and blue. but for this once-in-a-lifetime event, there might just be a memento that's the jewel in the jubilee crown. it's one of a kind and has more royal connections than it may seem. the horse guard desk is modelled after the parade, site of the queen's official birthday celebrations each year and the changing of the queen's guard almost every day. it's the idea of furniture designer count lynley who happens to be the queen's nephew, the son of princess margaret and 15th in line to the throne. his young daughter was a bridesmaid at the wedding of william and kate last year. why have you created this desk and what for? >> her majesty, the queen, celebrates the jubilee. >> reporter: i've heard about that. >> and we thought that it would be rather wonderful to incorporate parts of her and her reign throughout the desk. >> reporter: some of the features were inspired by his childhood in the royal household.

tell me, where did the inspiration for all these secret, hidden compartments come from? >> to me, it's, again, a little bit going back to my childhood. my grandmother suggested i create a secret drawer. i did eventually. and it had an old letter for which she had lost for many years. it's filled with happy family memories for me. >> reporter: the desk also has a hidden gem, a one-carat diamond to mark the jubilee. that's not all. he's donated the desk to the foundation of william and harry to be auctioned off to raise money for their charities. the estimated price, around $500,000. well, the atmosphere here really is electric. and all aupnticipation is buildg to the great river pageant on sunday. 1,000 boats will accompany the queen on her royal barge. i hasten to add, down the river thames. i will also be there. sadly, i won't be on the queen's boat. i'll be on a rowing boat

sweating for the queen. savannah. >> thanks for the visual. >> i was going to say, that's more than we need to do know, ben. >> be sure and bring your video camera. we want to see that. thank you. and we remind you that our coverage kicks off tomorrow. meredith is in london. and then next tuesday, matt will join her for all the festivities. speaking of, a bride's wedding day, makeup maven bobbie brown right after this. i want healthy skin for life. [ female announcer ] improve the health of your skin with aveeno daily moisturizing lotion. the natural oatmeal formula

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♪ this morning on "today's beauty," looking every part the blushing bride from a beach wedding to a city celebration. bobbie brown is "today's" beauty editor. good to see you. good morning. >> good morning. >> let's get to the things off the top. foundation. >> it has to be yellow tone so it blends in when the flash goes off so it blends in. >> so if you don't, then that means you get that white ash? that's not good because you can't go back in time. >> no. >> also, your wedding is going to be a long day beginning to end. how do you get makeup to last? >> long-wear eye shadow. waterproof mascara. two blushes. a cream blush and a pop of powder blush on top will keep it on. and for lips, you could do a long-wear matter lipstick. what i like to do is take the pencil. and you do the pencil after. but the trick is to line and go into the whole lip. you just draw the pencil onto the whole lip. and what that does is keep it in

place. and then you could put a little bit of lip gloss. and this is really sheer on top of it. and for touchups, you just kind of pull this out of your bag and throw it on. >> so really, it's about layering to make it last for the whole day. >> layering. we call her the city bride. >> what is the big difference between city and beach bride? >> she's very sophisticated. she's got lashes on. a lot of brides wear lashes on your wedding day. we have a long-wear gel liner to bring her eyes out, which is really pretty. and she's very elegant and understated. she kind of looks like a princess. >> michelle, you look beautiful. >> doesn't she look beautiful? >> bobbie, is it more makeup for the city bride? i know you said glamorous. this is all of those things, but is it more? >> it's a brighter lip probably than you're used to. and it's certainly a darker liner and lashes. and it's very subtle. it's very subtle. and make sure you have enough blush on because the day of your wedding often girls just get faded just from the stress of running around. >> and what about making sure you don't oil up since, again,

with the pictures all day. >> right. you could wear long-wear foundation. they do it. if your skin is drier, wear a moisturizer underneath. put your powder on with a puff and not a brush. that will keep it on longer. and blotting papers. >> you look absolutely beautiful. >> doesn't she look pretty? >> yes, she does. let's move to our beach bride. what do you have here? >> so our beach bride is a lot more relaxed. you know, kind of like a sexy hippie. i think she looks really great. and what we did is we kept her skin looking pretty much bronzy. so i'm using -- we did foundation first. bronzing powder goes on the cheeks. a little bit on the forehead. nose. chin. and don't forget your neck. >> so bronzing is the key to get that glow? >> well, first a bronzing powder that doesn't have shine in it. >> okay. >> that is number one. you can then use a little bit of a shiny bronzer. this has a little bit more color. so it's kind of your pop of color. and this goes on the cheek.

and it's got a little bit of shine in it, which is really nice. >> beautiful. >> it looks natural. it's got a little shine. and it's got to be blended. so when you put it on, and hopefully i'm able to do the other side, when you put it on your cheek, you blend it underneath and around it. so it doesn't look like two things just socked on the side of your face. another option, you can get shimmer which you can put as a highlighter. >> mm-hmm. >> on the top. >> how does the shimmer work with the photographs? does it give you that glow? >> it looks great if you put it here, the high part of the cheek, and not on your forehead and nose. >> you don't want to look like you're glowing. so near the temple air with the shimmer. >> it's very subtle with the shimmer. and that's the key. also one of my favorite things for brides are these glittery sparkle shadows. >> why do you like them so much? >> because they just make you look like a princess. and i think that's the really time that you should really shine. you should look like yourself

but at your most beautiful. and open your eyes for a sec. it's like wearing the beautiful rhinestone jewelry. >> to complement everything. ladies, you look beautiful. whichever bride type you are, you're going to rock it out. and we're beefing up your dinner tonight. delicious new ideas with new cuts of meat right after this. [ woman ] for the london olympic games, our town had a "brilliant" idea. support team usa and show our olympic spirit right in our own backyard. so we combined our citi thankyou points to make it happen. tom chipped in 10,000 points. karen kicked in 20,000. and by pooling more thankyou points from folks all over town, we were able to watch team usa... [ cheering ] in true london fashion. [ male announcer ] now citi thankyou visa card holders can combine the thankyou points they've earned and get even greater rewards. ♪ had kraft mac & cheese without me. so this time, i took precautionary measures. looking for these?

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but corolla was an easy choice. over 80% of all corollas sold in the last 20 years are still on the road today. ♪ it's a choice well made. dang, son! [ male announcer ] another reason you can always count on corolla. from toyota. ♪ ♪ yes, it's what's for dinner. this morning in "today's kitchen," we're spicing it up with new cuts of beef. they're called alternative steaks and popping up everywhere. i can't stop talking like this. here to show us how to cook it to perfection is michael lomonaco, executive steak of porterhouse new york. >> nice to see you. >> so these are cuts that butchers have known about for years. >> yes some of them. yes, in the case of the tritip. but when you talk about

alternative cuts, skirt steak was alternative enough, you know, and a hanger steak is the new -- is old/new already. of course, the primal cuts like a rib steak or a cowboy rib or a strip steak, those are the high-end expensive cuts. >> right. >> so they've been looking and a tri-tip -- >> cheaper side of beef. >> it is less expensive. you know what's important? it's delicious. >> got flavor. >> this comes out of the bottom sirloin. so it really has great beefy flavor. >> you're going to spice it up how? >> this is very famous in california. they love a good barbecue. i like to do a dry rub. so we have a couple of dry ingredients. black pepper. we have ginger. we have some cumin. >> paprika. >> paprika, smoky paprika. we just make a dry rub. you can mix it up. and the black pepper's in there. we'll add the salt at the end. we're just going to let it marinate for an hour or two or three. >> so just lay it in there. >> that's it. you can rub it in and let it go for an hour or two in the

refrigerator. here we're using a grill pan but this is great on an outdoor barbecue. >> direct flame. >> right over the heat. actually, this is a heavy cut. i left it whole. usually when you find them, i'll show you, usually when you find tri-tips, they're cut into two pieces because that's 2 1/2, 3 pounds of beef. >> how long on each side? >> if you do this on your outdoor grill, it's going to be 10 to 12 minutes total. five, six minutes on each side. slicing is important. >> slicing against the grain? >> it is so important. because these really -- they need to be sliced. you don't want to serve them like you do a steak whole. the slicing really makes them more palatable. and it's the same for our next steak, which is this is a great one, too. >> this is the flat iron? >> this is a newer cut. and this comes out of the chuck. flat iron comes out of what's called the chuck blade steak. and this is great -- this goes very quickly in a cast-iron pan. just a drop of olive oil if you

need -- if you just need a little bit. >> would you do this on a grill direct? >> beautiful on a grill. this direct. three minutes on a side and it's done. and honestly, i really recommend -- i recommend keeping it on the medium rare side. >> okay. >> because overcooking will really toughen the meat. >> again, you want to slice this against the grain? >> you want to slice this against the grain. you have to try and find the grain. everyone asks, how do you do that? look at it before you cook it and decide which way the grain runs. it's very easy to see in the tri-tip. keeping it medium rare, it's really nice. >> and on a summer grill, you've got a nice fresh salad? >> exactly. tomato and onion salad. but i like oranges and onions with a little bit of greens. they have a chimichurri is a great alternative barbecue sauce. >> we're going to bring tamron and savannah in in just a second. michael lomonaco, always great to see you. still ahead, one more song

from "american idol" 16-year-old runner-up jessica sanchez. first, this is "today" on nbc.

"the toyota concert series on today" brought to you by toyota. >> jessica sanchez is small in stature, but when she sings, she is larger than life. >> she wowed fans and judges on "american idol" and finished as runner-up. she's getting ready to hit the road on tour when it kicks off in detroit on july 6th. >> first, she stopped by our studio. she's singing for us performing "and i am telling you with "idol's" director on piano. ladies and gentlemen, as we get ready to eat steak, here is jessica sanchez. enjoy. have a great day.

. ♪ and i am telling you i'm not goin' ♪ ♪ you're the best man i've ever known ♪ ♪ there's no way i can ever go ♪ we're part of the same thing ♪ we're part of the same time ♪ we both never had love ♪ we both have the same mind ♪ and i have so much to share ♪ no no ♪ i'm not waking up tomorrow morning ♪ ♪ and finding out there's nobody there ♪ ♪ but darling there's no way ♪ no no no way i'm living without you ♪ ♪ i'm not living without you

♪ there's just no way ♪ no way ♪ scream and shout ♪ you can say what you want ♪ i'm not walking out ♪ i'm not gonna leave you ♪ there's no way ♪ i'm not goin' ♪ you're the best man i've ever known ♪ ♪ there's no way i could ever go ♪ ♪ darling there's no way ♪ no no no no way i'm livin' without you ♪ ♪ oh i'm not livin' without you ♪ ♪ i'm not livin' without you ♪ i don't want to be your

friend ♪ ♪ i'm sayin' i'm stayingin' ♪ and you and you and you ♪ you're going to love me ♪ love me ♪ love ♪ you're gonna love me

9:57 is your time now on this thursday may 31st, 2012, good morning to you. i'm eun yang. we have breaking news on the road, let's go to danella sealock with more. >> still dealing with marlboro pike, seeing a closure at loring drive, as well as donnell drive, all lanes blocked due to a single-vehicle crash in that area. in d.c., westbound n street at connecticut avenue northwest all lanes blocked by a water main

break and along connecticut southbound between r street and n street, all southbound lanes are shut because of the water main break as well as a large sinkhole in the area. beautiful morning under way, bright sunshine and temperatures around the region, temperatures warming up, into 970s all around the region, ought to make to the low to mid 80s by mid afternoon with low humidity. a terrific day, lots of sun. you'll need sunscreen. could get strong storms tomorrow afternoon and evening. eun? >> can you watch the entire chuck brown memorial service live starting at noon on nbcwashington.com.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television ♪ i am telling you i'm not goin' ♪ ♪ you're best plan i've ever known there's no way ♪ i say ever go ♪ >> that is 16-year-old "american

idol" runner-up jessica sanchez singing it -- i'm telling you -- just a few moments ago. it is just unbelievable to think that she is 16 years old. >> it is also unbelievable to believe she's the runner-up because she is so spectacular. >> yes. she has a huge career ahead of her. >> yes. a long, long runway, this one. she was great. more than 20 million people watched that final of "american idol" and watched her -- good for her. good for the within ewinner as . that is ultimately decided by a lot of votes by hormonal teenage girls. >> the last guys who won were five white guys who played a guitar. >> who was the first crush you had -- >> by the way, everybody. it is may 31st. we do care. it is thirst day thursday. i guess we're going for have to hear a song or something in a

minute. >> look at our summer bold colors. june's right around the corner, baby. >> it is. what we have in front of you is a big new york story. mayor bloomberg is frustrated and upset with the obesity problem and he thinks it is a good idea to get rid of all large sized jumbo drinks. >> sugared drinks. >> they sell them at movie theaters, ball parks, even mcdonald's. street vendors. all those guys. he's proposing that the biggest sugar drink like coke or whatever you should be able to get at a fast food place or anywhere around is 16 ounces. there's all these jumbo bigger double gallup -- >> 32, 48 and 52. >> who drinks this? >> i guess it depends on what's in it. but who drinks this? i mean -- >> that is insane. >> unsightly. that's what you do your laundry with. that's not what you drink!

you could still get this if it has diet in it. >> even dairy based drinks. milkshake. >> see? this is it. it is starting the ball down that road. >> it's controversial because obviously people think that you should be able to buy what you want when you want where you want, et cetera, et cetera. he's saying what is the need for like buying one of these that you can barely get your hand around at a 7-eleven or movie theater. >> i understand at a grocery store if you're feeding a family of four. what's to keep somebody from buying two or three or four? >> you can buy two or three. can you go back and forth and get them. i don't know if it will work. it might help. often at the movies do you want small and the large is tremendous. sometimes you feel thirsty. >> sometimes you share though, too. but it just -- why don't people try the diet stuff? >> you can get diet by the way

in all these sizes. >> try it. it might help. one person -- i won't say the diet product that he drank -- phenomenal pianist. was overweight. his nutritionist said stop drinking diet. he drank about 40 a day. he lost like 40 pounds. >> they say -- >> it screws up with your brain. >> it is also is one of those things whenever i chew sugar-free gum that tastes sweet or drink a soda that's sugar-free, i crave other things -- twizlers. reese cups. >> it does beg the question, what's next? yet we do have a huge problem in this country. >> huge. so justin bieber, as you know, went to norway. he's on tour. we know that people are crazy

about justin bieber here. look how nuts the girls are about him in norway. this got so out of control they were chasing him down the streets. the cops had to get involved because -- >> he had to tweet twice. >> he tweeted first there was going to be a free concert or something. everyone came running down there. then he tweetd again like please listen to the police officers, et cetera, et cetera. he caused quite the commotion down there. he didn't want anyone getting hurt. >> selena gomez must be the most internationally despised woman in the world. all those girls hate selena and she's the sweetest girl in the world! of those girls he's insecure at constantly throwing themselves at him. >> i don't think so. she's a very together young lady. >> whatever happened with the punching of the photographer? >> he has to do a deposition and he went right to norway. i think he's on a world tour though and he'll be gone for four years. >> then the statute of limitations --

>> then the statute of limitations is over. another thing causing a little bit of a controversy, some parents are outraged that p. diddy's son has been awarded a full football scholarship to ucla, i believe. and he's apparently -- his name is justin combs. you know how hard it is -- you have to be awfully, awfully good to get a full ride at these schools. >> this is not a need-based scholarship. this is a scholarship for kids who have earned. they have the athletic ability and the grades. to me, whether p. diddy is your dad or not, you worked hard, you made the team and made good friends and they awarded you a scholarship because you had talent and good phrase, you get the scholarship. if it were need-based, i would obviously get it. >> i don't know. he's p. diddy's son. this is his own accomplishment. and i think that should be rewarded. >> i guess like a lot of parents are watching saying i can't send my kids to school, here's this rich mogul whose kid is getting

a free ride, deservedly. but, i remember you told me a story -- i didn't forget it -- about frank. i thought that was such -- that's a great something that someone can do after they graduate from school. >> yeah. he was the first gifford ever to finish college, much less go to -- finish high school, much less go to college because they all worked in the oil fields -- back then, in the 1800s -- no, just teasing. they'd say real men go to the oil fields. that's a game little boys play. sew got a scholarship to usc but he had no -- he went with one pair of jeans and one white shirt and he bussed tables at a sorority because he had no money. but when he got success afterwards as a football player, then as a sports caster, he paid back every penny of his scholarship money to usc. and he tried to get many, many of the other guys to do the same

thing. they said, you crazy? >> that's such a great -- >> it didn't kick off. but it was a lovely gesture. he was so grateful for what that school did for him. otherwise, he was selling manure at time he got the scholarship. >> unbelievable. that's a good idea. all right. so there is an ad campaign that is causing a lot of controversy and we should let you know even before we show the pictures that they are -- how would you describe these pictures? >> they're a little exposed. it's think bobbie thomas and they are -- but they're trying to make a statement. these two women are in u.s. air force uniforms. it is a breastfeeding campaign for mom to mom, breastfeeding group. >> these are the photos. these are women wearing -- >> hopefully they're their children. >> so anyway, this is obviously caused some kind of controversy among people who have seen it and -- >> what's the controversy? >> well, i think there are women in the military who say that they understand that these women want to breast feed but when you're in uniform, some women

are saying they don't think it is a great idea because if you're leading people into combat, you don't want people envisioning you nursing your child. you want them to -- they want to be envisioned fightsing on and blah blah blah. >> i think they'd put the baby down first, don't you? put those puppies away. >> what's in their head. >> i don't know. how do you feel about it? >> i think it is fine. it's such a natural thing for women. i mean they're making a point here. they want to say like, you know, we want to do it, right now with our uniform on, they're proud of it. but it is stirring stuff up. >> everything is controversial these days. every time you turn around there's something. get over ourselves a little bit. >> i know what's controversial. this is really controversial, because this new survey basically says that old -- well, basically they're saying you're a senior if you're 55. that right off the bat made me mad. this study is from sweden there really is an old person's smell,

they say. >> you know what we're talking about? >> our smells do change as we move from young adult to middle age to elderly as long as -- with our hormones and our excretions. don't you hate that word? >> they say actually good news for old people is they actually smell the best. they did a study and how they conducted the study is a little icky. but they put pads under the armpits of different people who left -- they left them in the exact same shirt for five days. they removed the pads and put them in a jar and sealed it. >> this is the fun part though. then the people were asked to sniff the jar and ask the person's age and rate its intensity and rate its pleasantless or ness. and old people won. here's the thick -- i'm trying to think this through. maybe because their armpits aren't secreting as much anymore but you do start to lose your teeth as well and that can be a problem. i don't -- other things start to

o fall out -- i know. because i am one of them. got my first crown about a month ago. you got one last week. >> thank you, doctor. i feel so much better. here's one of our favorite times. this is going to be -- my play list. it's a carrie underwood song. >> i'll probably like it. >> you're in a van with your friends going to the beach, you're happy, wind's in your hair. >> like california. california. >> it's called "one-way ticket." take a listen. ♪

>> go, dr. ruth! ♪ >> what's she sippin'? just sayin'. >> thig she does, i'm for. we went yesterday to see a play that everybody's raving about, getting an awful lot of tony buzz. we loved it. >> it's called "clybourne park." phenomenal writing. its center theme is about racism. they take a community in 1959 in the first act and then revisit it 50 years later and what's happened to the community and racial -- i don't want to give it away. it is superb. one of the gentleman there, i think his name is jeremy -- oh, shoot -- psimos, i think his name is -- is nominated for a tony. all the cast is sensational.

>> it does remind us of -- >> it's like if you saw "god of carnage," which was spectacular. it starts out very polite. sort of like our show in the morning. then all hell breaks loose. basically about the subject of race. the things they say at the end they sure couldn't get away with at beginning but by the end you understand. is it okay to flirt via twitter? kathie lee, you say -- >> personally i miss the whole privacy thing. >> i say sure, it's okay. >> you say sure to everything, hoda. >> not the next one. >> that is if you don't mind lots of other twitter followers watching you while you get your flirt on. that's right. >> do it in private. up next, our friend dr. ruth is getting ready to pop her cork. >> what? >> we'll tell you why later. >> is that a sexual thing? >> no, it is not. the amazing results of today's "ambush makeovers." but first, these messages. ♪ [ female announcer ] when is it okay to lose the cover-up?

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sweetened with honey, made from real tea leaves and real fruit flavors! mmm...that is so good. ♪ [ female announcer ] lipton tea & honey. real is refreshing. ♪ it's never felt so real ♪ no, it's never felt [ all ] ♪ so right [ female announcer ] new lipton tea & honey. lipton: drink positive! ♪ let's talk about sex baby ♪ in the early 1980s, millions of people starting staying up on sundays waiting for dr. ruth westheimer to explicitly and bluntly hand out sex advice on her radio show. breaking all media barriers. that was the beginning of a legend. >> now as she turns 84, dr. ruth is still sexually speaking with her newest book and going strong with a handful of other projects. she is kicking off. >> so good to see you.

and an early happy birthday. 84 next week. >> and i did not shrink. because i couldn't shrink because you wouldn't see me anymore. but you would still hear me. >> you are still 4'77". >> i am still 4'7" for all of the years that i've known you. and the radio was right here on sexually speaking. >> you've taught me everything i know about sex. and many, many people are appreciative. >> dr. ruth, was it hard all those years ago to speak so sort of bluntly? because now people talk about sex all the time. >> because were you a pioneer. >> now i tell you something. when i started, that term -- and we are on a morning show so i'm not going to be explicit. >> no, of course not. >> but the terminology that i used was not heard, not on television and not on the radio. and i was able to do that because i was already 50 years old. i was very well trained.

i had my doctorate. >> and you were adorable. it was coming from a woman and it was a woman that was 4'7". >> what do you mean i "was" adorable. >> now you're even more so. can't wait until next week when you turn 84. betty white's afraid of you. >> she's a little taller than me. >> just a tad. >> not much. but it was not easy. and there used to be people in suits, you know, all of these attorneys -- >> and very critical. >> but they knew that i'm old-fashioned. i made it clear. they also knew that i can be explicit because it was sunday evenings and we would not do that 30 years ago, we wouldn't do it in the mornings. so i was instrumental -- not the only one, but i was instrumental in saying these are things -- the relationship is important, and the sexual relationship is important. >> what about now though? now kids on every show you turn on are saying all the words you

couldn't say. is that worse, the fact people are this free? >> it seems that because of texting, it seems that people have lost the ability to have a conversation. they can't talk like this. and i'm very sad when people use the "f" word. the other day i told a gentleman very wealthy at a dinner -- at a fund-raiser. gi to a lot i go to a lot of fund-raisers. i told him that i really don't want to hear that "f" word. he said sorry. and for the rest of the evening he was a gentleman. >> that's great. but are we better off really? i look around and see the world we live in today. seems we're so sex saturated that sex has lost its magic. not to me or you, of course. i'm bored with it. can't we write musicals about something else, books about something else? i understand you're a big fan of the "shades of gray" thing.

>> hoda loves it. can't get her to come to the show. >> i have to tell you two things. number one, we are better off because we can prove that there are less women who haven't heard the message from me, from television people like you, that they have to take the responsibility of their sexual satisfaction. they have to tell him or her, whoever it is, what they need. >> these days you have to be careful. >> now you asked me about "the shades of gray." look how interesting. of course i read it. how can i be dr. ruth without reading -- >> you have a reputation to youp hold. >> all three volumes. >> of course you did. >> now i have to tell you, lady chatterly's lover, long time ago, then came fear the flying. now look what is interesting. the message that we have to take out of these three books is that women can be sexually aroused by

reading -- >> say that again. >> aroused by reading and sexually explicit material. >> dr. ruth, we could talk forever but you have a new wine that's coming out later. >> you have to come back and talk -- >> the wine is called -- vand amore. >> we got to go. about activia. i've been eating activia and i feel great!. i'm used to having irregularity. i feel like that's normal. if you are not feeling like trying this on, that's not normal. activia helps with occasional irregularity when eaten 3 times a day. feeling regular to me was a new feeling... i came to find my 'new normal' and i love it! ♪ activia and try new silky, fruity activia harvest picks. another way to enjoy activia.

[ man ] i love you guys. [ laughs ] i mean, just, you know, the whole heist thing. just putting jewels in teddy bears. this guy's wearing a wire the whole time. right? look at that! he's wearing a wire! [ laughs ] all right, let's do this. all right? before my wife changes her mind. go.

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we are back with "webtastic" with our very own sara haines digs up the next video you'll want to be forwarding to all of your friend. >> this week you have a double feature. >> i do. up first a video starring cantaloupe, an italian greyhound. it is the cutest thing ever. it is the roommate's dog. he's trying to get up on the desk and he gets up. here we go. now she set this up and edited it down to one minute because they noticed things were disappearing and they thought the only way to solve it was to tape it. she's an english greyhound that's 2 years old and things kept disappearinging. so they busted her. >> she's got legs like you. they can jump up on anything. >> today's a double feature. next up is baby sage --

>> we're going to save it. >> dr. ruth's fault because she got us all aroused. what are you going to do? still to come, "ambush makeover." verywhere you go, ame, i see your cup of joe goes with you. how nice of joe to, how you say, have your back. try something different. a delicious gevalia kaffe, or as i like to say, a cup of johan. will johan power walk the mall with you? i don't think so. but he will spend time rubbing your feet, discussing your feelings. ♪ joe may have your back, but johan has your feet. gevalia. meet me in the coffee aisle.

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we're back on this thirst day thursday. >> this morning, in under four hours or resident makeover team spun their magic. "today" contributor and stylist to the stars louis licari la-la-la-la-la. >> is that getting old? >> kind of. >> and "today" and "us weekly" contributor and author, jill martin. beautiful day out today. >> gorgeous out there. >> this was the best day of the week. first day it wasn't humid. we had great ladies to pick from. everyone looked great. but it was just such a perfect day. >> usually the person that does something like that gets picked. >> our first lucky lady is mary.

54 years old from tucson, arizona. she's had the same look for as long as she can remember so she was just thrilled when we approached her on the plaza. let's listen to her story. >> i know you are a little shocked. >> very shocked. >> that we picked you. but i know you are excited. tell us why. >> i'm very excited. i just never had a chance to have somebody work on me before. so i'm really excited to see what you all can do. >> we are going to make you new york city hot in three hours. what do you think of this new look we're going to give her? >> i'm really excited. i'm a man -- and i can't wait to see the new look. >> we'll leave that one alone. don't know where he's going with that. >> are you ready to go? >> i'm ready. let's go. >> she's ready. we're willing. she's here with her husband chuck and daughter jessica. please keep your blindfolds on until i give you the green light. here is mary before.

here's the new mary. come on out. >> oh, my god. are you ready? >> i love it. >> all right, guys. chuck, jessica, take off your blindfolds. >> are you ready, mary? spin right here, honey. >> oh, my god. >> just sensational. louis, that cut and color looks awesome. >> mary's a nurse and she works practically 24/7. she said she doesn't do anything. she doesn't put on any makeup. >> she's taking care of everybody. >> she takes care of everyone else except for herself. so what vanessa just chopped into her hair to get this slightly more modern edge. i, of course, softened the color because she has, as women do, a graying problem and it kept

getting progressively darker and darker. you look beautiful. >> chuck? >> she's so beautiful, she could be on the "today" show. >> jess, what do you think? >> well, i know my friends that are guys are going to be amazed with it. they're going to like talk about it. >> jill, that's a cool dress. >> i have that dress! >> this is maggie london. just a twist on the wrap dress. prints are so big for spring and summer. this is a great way to do it. just a thin orange belt to accentuate her waist. >> good job! all right, our second lady is carly. she's 29 from jonesboro, indiana. she's too business working two jobs raising three kids and preparing for her family's move to chicago when her husband starts grad school in the fall to do anything for herself so she begged us for a brand-new look. let's hear her story. >> we love this sign. 10th anniversary, three children, husband in school. needs attention. well, we are going to give it to

you, carly. i know you're ready for three hours of pampering. >> yes, absolutely. >> what do you think about this new look for carly? >> well, she's already beautiful but i'm excited. >> very good answer. all right, are you ready to go? >> yes. thanks. >> all right. that was daniel. he's got his blindfold on. let's take one last look at carly before and bring out the new carly. >> wow! all right, daniel. >> carly, you look sensational, honey. turn around. >> oh! i love it. >> you look awesome. >> i love my hair color. i have to say hi to my mom. she made me come on the show. louis loves to make people redheads. >> it is a very flattering color on many women. but the great news is carly just

grew her hair long. three kids. plus two dogs. basically she wore her hair on her head. vanessa layered her hair so she can wear it down, it will look like this blow dried or not. practically the same. again, what a touch of make-up can do to make you look like a superstar. >> look at daniel. >> daniel, what do you think? >> gorgeous. absolutely gorgeous. she works so hard. she really deserves it. >> jill, i love her dress. let daniel cry, it's fun. we heard the other day it is good for you. >> well, look at this body that we found. underneath -- anything we put on looked great but we really wanted to do a new york city va-va voom. metallic, obviously huge. this is from andrew marc. >> great job, guys. let's bring mary out. up next, great places every kid should see before they turn 15.

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it's time for "today's travel" so take out your note pads because we've got your list of the places every kid should see before they're 15 years old. >> have you haven't even begun where to take your kids this summer, the editor of "budget travel" magazine is here with some fun and educational ideas. >> you got to sneak the educational thing in. she will not want to go. >> how did you come up with your list? >> we actually put it to a vote

with our readers. we said we have done this for a couple of years putting together our own lists and everybody would argue and complain and you for get th forgot this. we asked people to submit their own nominations. we got 500-plus nominations and we whittled it down. >> first up, the golden gate bridge. >> it is the personification of the west, for one. such an iconic gorgeous kind of place. these places are either sort of man-made or natural on our list. this is a place that sort of spans both. it is obviously man-made but it is such a part of the panorama and the environment. there's nothing like it. >> chicago, you guys picked the field museum. >> the field museum is an enormous 20-million object museum of national history in chicago. it is the place where indiana jones allegedly did his training. among things they have there is the biggest tyrannosaurus ever

found. her name is sue. you got your kid off of his ipad or off his computer and really see something for real? looking at that face i think will make people see the difference between something on a screen and in real life. >> new york city, the metropolitan museum of modern art. >> metropolitan of art. different. plenty of art there. >> a lot of museums here. >> but lots of other things, too. egyptian, the largest collection of egyptian -- >> that's all about hoda's family. >> yes indeed. >> all of her grandmothers and everybody. >> for you, kathie lee, they have the costume institute so you can go look and clothes or musical instruments. it is just an enormous, very beautiful. >> next spot, huntsville, alabama. >> the largest museum devoted to space travel in the country. amazing kinds of rocketry of all kinds. a 360-foot saturn 5 launcher.

apollo. manned spacecraft. parachutes. you just go and look up because there's one of the biggest pieces mounted over you and you can walk under 360 feet of this rocket. >> there's nothing like the personal observation, right? >> and making you feel small. look at what we've done with this scientific discovery. >> and finally, you say the volcanoes national park in hawaii. >> it is interesting you talk about these museums. national parks in general are the antithesis of that. you go to a museum, you know what you'll get forever and forever. volcanoes national park changes every day because it's been constantly erupting since 1983. >> thank you very, very much. have a great summer. we got some energizing tricks for fighting fatigue if you're tired. stick around. right after this. eggland's be. -the best in nutrition... -just got better. even better nutrition --

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are you tired in do you feel yourself fighting fatigue all day long? >> um-hmm. >> there is more to the energy equation than just getting enough sleep and eating three meals a day. >> here with tricks to keep your strength and stamina soaring throughout the day, "prevention" magazine's editor in chief, and author of "the calendar diet." >> we're exhausted. right? everybody's exhausted. >> it's an epidemic. you're right, it is not -- food and sleep, very important. but we have some mental strategies that can keep you engaged and alert all day long. some "prevention" favorites. >> when you can't make a decision, it drains you. if you are batting things around in your head you get exhausted. you say one thing to do is just pick something. decide. >> the answer here is that less is more. a university of minnesota study gave people a bunch of things to look at to buy. those who had to buy and not just browse did so much worse on

math problems like showing that it fatigues you. so don't bring 20 bathing suits into the dressing room. just bring three and go with your gut. a german study said don't ago nice. your first instinct is often right. >> i think that's a great idea and it also applies to weight loss which is -- being overweight with really drain you mentally and physically. research shows that when you have less variety except for fruits and vegetables, that you actually eat less and lose weight. not only is it a great mental trick, it is great for dieters, too. >> next up -- >> what you wear. right? >> color therapy they call it. >> we're trying it today. >> you're wearing the right colors. i think you got the memo ahead of time. brain reacts to colors. brain circuitry is on fire with warm colors like red and orange in particular, adrenalin. so you want to wear it where you can see it. maybe on your fingertips. maybe on your shoes. i have an orange stapler on my desk. and eat orangeses.

have the oranges, then eat them. and people who are orange, too. >> i have a friend that opens an orange and leaves it there at her desk just so the smell of it -- >> oranges is a great example to eat because your brain functions on carbs and slow released carbs from things like oranges can give you the right kind of mental energy so that's a great choice. color is antioxidants. antioxidants help protect your brain, help fight fatigue. you guys are all doing great. i'm not doing so well in my warm colors. >> you got some lime green in there. >> you also say unplug. all those e-mails, are you constantly looking at your blackberry or iphone. >> huh-uh. >> no kathie lee. >> speaking of diets, yes. digital diets for sure. people think that they're multi-tasking, getting lots done but in fact a british study showed if you are e-mailing and talk on the phone and doing other things, your iq will drop by ten points. i don't know about you, but i

need every iq point that i can get. so take a break. new home builders are actually putting docking stations in toilet bowls and speakers in the shower? >> i like the speaker in the shower. >> we say at pro"prevention," j say no. >> turn off your computers at least two hours before bed. staring into that skracreen can change the levels of melatonin in your brain which can impair your sleep. if you're doing e-mails right up to bed, you mind is racing and are you actually changing your brain chemistry to make it harder to go to sleep and you're fatigue tired the rest of the day. >> now i'm depressed and fatigued. >> go read "prevention" magazine. there are other tips in there. do it yourself birth kay cakes that are really adorable. >> but first, this is "today" on nbc. [ male announcer ] are you paying more and more for cable

and enjoying it less and less? stop paying for second best. upgrade to verizon fios tv, internet and phone for just $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years with a two-year agreement. act now and we'll add a special bonus: $250 back. but hurry, this offer ends june 2nd. unlike cable, fi is a 100% fiber-optic network that delivers america's fastest, most consistent, most reliable internet plus the best tv picture quality. why keep paying so much for cable? switch to fios for just $89.99 a month guaranteed for two years with a two-year agreement -- plus your special bonus: $250 back. save $600 in your first two years. but hurry. this incredible offer ends june 2nd. call 1.877.707.fios. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities

that's 1.877.707.3467. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. or visit us online to save even more. fios. a network ahead.

time to head into "today's kitchen" for delicious desserts. we are about to make some spectacular birthday cakes. >> "parents" magazine has the scoop on how to impress your party guest with show-stopping cakes for the guest of honor. nice to see you, tara. >> nice to see something unique in the cake department. >> these are super, super quick. that's the idea. start with a box cake mix, go to your grocery store baker, buy a plain cake, then jazz it up with icing and candies galore. this is our celebration confetti cake. this is good for birthdays and graduation. we start by taking these airheads which we've -- >> we've been called worse. >> what you do is twist it arnt your finger and you make these fun little squiggles and place them on top of the cake for decoration.

get the kids involved so you have big and small sizes. these licorice whips we stick on the side. just have fun with it. it is going to be the centerpiece of your party. >> hoda! you got to see what hoda did! >> come on! >> this is our woven cake. >> i love this! >> it looks harder than it is. hoda, put these on the side. just lay them flat on the edges. then it is a simple over-under weave. you can do it right on top of the cake or on the side and transfer it over with a spatula. >> that is a great look. >> fun. a smash cake. this is for anyone with a baby with a birthday coming up. you want a cake shot but don't want to sacrifice the sheet cake

your guests will eat? we cut circles out of nine-inch rounds. trick for getting sprinkles on the side, lies with the fork. wet them, roll it through, then stack them. for the top, we've got these rees minis. you can do the whipped cream. there are two days. icing in a quick zip-top bag. no baker's pastry bag needed. give it a cut little swirl. top it off with some sprinkles. then a red little topper. jelly beans, fun, festive -- >> these are great ideas! this one looks like it cost $50 at a beautiful bakery. they all are darling but that looks like a lot of work went into it. tomorrow, hoda, what do we

have? >> hot polo sensation nacho. >> he's going to tell us what he's up to and give us some relationship advice. and a great performance by british singing sensation rebecca ferguson.