good morning. what did they know? the internal investigation into the jerry sandusky case set to be released this morning. was there a coverup? and was the late joe paterno involved? this morning his son speaks out in a new interview. >> capitol hill mystery. what's behind congressman jesse jackson, jr.'s long medical leave? his office finally discloses he's being treated for a mood disorder. but sources tell nbc news that may not be the only thing he's

there for. and a woman gets more than she bargained for while reeling in the catch. the story behind the big one that got away today, thursday, july 12, 2012. >> announcer: live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> good morning. welcome to "today" on this thursday morning. i'm savannah guthrie. >> and i'm matt lauer. that review of the penn state scandal is expected out around noon eastern time. >> it's an eight-month investigation led by former fbi director louis freeh and hundreds of peeling were interviewed. but joe paterno's family says they were never given a chance

to present his side. we'll have more and talk about it in an exclusive interview with joe's son jay just ahead. >> and kristen chenowith was performing when she was hit in the head. we'll talk to her coming up. >> and then also ahead, if you're one of the millions of men who use propecia to fight hair loss, you'll want to pay attention to this. it has been known to cause sexual dysfunction for some men but now new research shows it may be permanent. >> and a motorcycle weaving in and out of traffic on a busy highway, at times going up to

186 miles an hour. now police are trying to track down that driver. we'll is more on that story coming up a little later on. >> but let's begin on this thursday morning with the release of penn state's internal investigation into the jerry sandusky scandal. nbc's investigation investigative correspondent michael isikoff has the story. >> reporter: this was a probe commissioned by penn state itself. by all accounts, the report is expected to be scathing flp's been nothing bigger than football at penn state but today new details are emerging, suggesting that the culture of college football may have been the problem underlying the jerry sandusky sex abuse scandal. a report due out this morning is expected to detail how penn

state's football glory may have compromised university standards and its moral responsibilities in confronting sandusky, the former defensive coach convicted last month of sexually abusing young boys on campus and in his home. three days after sandusky's arrest last november, legendary coach joe paterno was fired. >> thanks and pray a little bit for those victims. >> reporter: a move that provoked a riot by penn state students and an angry backlash from alumni. former fbi director louis freeh has obtained e-mails showing in february 2001 top school officials changed their plans to report an allegation about sandusky and a young boy in a school shower after one of them talked to paterno. >> i think it was a cover-up. i think it's a code i've seen in

football program after football program. they will never turn each other in and joe paterno ruled that school. and he had control over anything that had to do with football and i believe that extended to jerry sandusky. >> reporter: sources familiar with the probe say the freeh report also examines whether paterno protected football players from school disciplinary procedures. this week a spokesman for paterno's family pushed back against the critics, condemning what he called a rush to judgment based on the torrent of leaks from the freeh report. joe paterno did not cover up for jerry sandusky. joe paterno did not know that jerry sandusky was a pedophile. he did not act in any way to prevent a proper investigation

of jerry sandusky. now, in the weeks before his death, paterno did express regret he didn't do more to follow up on the allegation against sandusky but he also wrote an unpublished essay in which he said this is not a football scandal and it should not be treated as one. >> michael, thank you very much. joe paterno's son, jay, joins us now exclusively. it's good to see you again. good morning to you. >> good morning to you, matt. >> how much trepidation on your part -- we don't know what's in the freeh report, though there have been selective leaks. how much trepidation by you and your family over what's going to be in the report? >> i don't think there's any trepidation. all anybody has wanted is to look into the things that happened and find the truth and go from there.

j joe has always stood for integrity. we'll go from there. >> the bulk of the investigation was carried out after your father's death in january, was your father ever contacted to your knowledge, questioned by the freeh investigators at all? >> i don't believe he was. i myself went in front of them in december, early december and answered questions. joe was diagnosed with cancer shortly after he was fired so he really didn't get a chance to talk to them before he died. but after that we were certainly more than willing, our attorneys were more than willing to meet with them and give them any information. i think that's something that will come out in the report later on. >> if there are some damning pieces of evidence in this report, jay, how do you fight back? was your dad someone who kept notes, did he keep diaries of meetings he might have had with

university official, discussions he might have had about this matter? >> again weeks haven't seen the report. so to comment on what may or may not be in it i think would be premature by all of us. so i don't know what's in it so it's hard for me to say whether we should be pushing back or not. we wanted a thorough investigation. that's all joe ever wanted. i think the important thing is -- this is just a part of the entire process. this doesn't end in any way because there's still legal things going on and more testimony. it's important to see this as part of the process gand from there. >> you say you want a thorp owe report. we have the former fbi director conducting an eight-month investigation on the part of the university interviewing some 400 people. when this report comes out today, do you think it will be the definitive story of what happened at penn state during the sandusky scandal? >> again, we'll have to see but i think -- i think with tim

curly and the legal things that are still going on, i think to comment on what may or may not be in that report and i think we have to wait and see when all those things are done, there are still some things that have to go forth. >> one of the things that seems to come up a lot is power, the power your dad wielded. some say your dad simply this too much hpower. what's your comment on that? >> my comment is any suggestion about the culture of football of penn state, you have to really look at the facts of the situation. we graduated our student athletes in football at a higher rate than students in general at penn state. there was a commitment to academic and athletic excellence in that order. joe paterno was willing to bench

players who were eligible to send a message to the players. joe paterno was the first person to say to us, hey, look, we are part of the university, just a part of it. we're a football program and this is an academic institution and he believed that very fervently. >> finally, do you have an open mind about this? if there are things in this report based on credible information, even if those things cast your father in a negative light do, you have an open mind to accept that conclusion? >> again, we'll have to see what the conclusion is but we have never at any time been afraid to see what people have had to say. but, again, this is still -- this investigation is still one opinion, it's one piece of the puzzle. so we have to read it this morning just like everybody else at 9:00 we'll be reading it and go from there. but, you know, like i said, we've never been afraid of of the truth. so let's have the truth come out and go from there.

>> jay paterno, i appreciate your time this morning. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> it's 10 minutes after the hour. here's savannah. >> we're learning more surrounds mystery of jesse jackson, jr.'s absence from capitol hill. nbc news has spoken to sources within his camp that are shedding more light on this story. kelly o'donnell has more on this now. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. first it was exhaustion as an explanation for why congressman jackson, jr. wasn't here. then it was an acknowledgement that things were more serious. now there are more details and a new effort at rumor control the congressman has been here for 17 years but has not been seen in more than a month. the drum beat was inevitable. >> the mystery surrounding congressman jesse jackson, jr. grows by the day.

>> reporter: where is jesse jackson, jr.? >> who represents us? and if he has a personal issue, then let us hear about it. >> reporter: more pressure from democratic party leaders. >> i hope that we will hear soon that he's on the way to recovery. >> i think congressman jackson and his office and his family would be well advised to advise the constituents of his condition. >> reporter: wednesday night after a month-long absence from congress, a new written explanation from a physician jackson's office would not name. the congressman is receiving intensive medical treatment at a residence treatment facility for a mood disorder. he is responding positively to treatment. the famous father and civil rights icon who shares his name has made the family's heart ache public. >> he's taking his time in recovery. we pray for him and embrace him. we love him so much. >> reporter: sources tell nbc news he was in arizona getting

treatment. jackson's office sent this denial. conflicting views among those close to jackson. some say along with depression, the congressman has had trouble with drinking. he's been under intense pressure, including an ethics probe. he said he did not try to get appointed by president obama's senate seat by offering fund-raising help to now convicted former illinois governor rob blagojevich. >> as a wife, my primary concern is for that of my children. i want to make sure they're provided and taken care of for. >> reporter: feder law gives him or any patient privacy, not having to disclose the diagnosis, who the doctors are, where he's being treated, but the political reality is off

course different. he has been seeking a tenth term in congress and his future here is really uncertain and we expect he'll be under continued pressure to say more. >> thank you. now to the race for the white house. mitt romney heads to wyoming to attend a fund-raiser hosted by dick cheney. this after he was met with a mixed reception on wednesday. ed gillespie is a senior adviser to the romney campaign. thanks for being with us. >> thanks for having me. >> let's start with the appearance before the naacp. governor romney got sustained boos a couple of times during his speech, as well as applause. let me play a portion of that. >> i'm going to eliminate every nonessential program i can find. that includes obama care and i'm going to work to reform and save --

[ audience boos ] >> was this governor romney's attempt to peel off some of the vote or was it a calculated decision to demonstrate political courage to go before an audience that by and large didn't degree agree with governor romney? >> if you're going to be elected president of the united states, which we hope governor romney will be, some people are not going to agree with you. he shared -- highlighted the boo there in reference to repealing obama care, which the governor cites everywhere as one of his policies. at the end he got a standing ovation because i think people appreciated in the audience for his willingness to be there, to say here's what i'm here for,

people weep know are likely to be inclined to vote for president obama but we want african-americans, americans of hispanic dissent, asian pacific islanders and if elected president, governor romney will you present for all americans. >> i want to get to a new ad that bain capital outsourced jobs. >> when a president doesn't tell the truth, how can we trust him to lead? the obama outsourcing attacks, misleading, unfair and untrue. there was no evidence that mitt romney shipped jobs overseas. >> before we get into the specifics of the charge, let's just ask you point blank are you calling the president a liar? >> we're saying, savannah, that this ad that's been running saying that governor romney is ceo of bain capital moved

american jobs overseas. if you look at -- that's based on numerous independent fact checking organizations. just three yesterday came out and said there's no evidence to support the charges in this campaign. there's another ad running in northern virginia by the campaign which completely misrepresents governor romney's views on the issue of life. we have an obligation to make sure when voters tote voth, they vote on true information and right now the obama campaign ad have been shown to be demonstrablely false and that's another way of saying a lie. >> some of these outsources allegations have been disputed by checking saying it happened after romney left day-to-day control over bain capital. if that's the line of demarcation, should romney not

take credit for jobs gained after he gave up control? >> as you noted, that is one of the essential reasons why it is false, and all of the companies cited in that "washington post" article that governor romney added jobs. it's resulted in thousands of americans today being in a job. those companies are successful because of the investments that bain made in them. but to say that, you know, moving jobs oversea when is it didn't happen while governor romney was the ceo of bain patently false and americans have the right to know that. it is true that under president obama we've seen outsourcing from our stimulus dollars, millions of dollars going to create jobs in finland, in

denmark, in china. when you look at real facts, the facts are president obama is the outsourcer in chief and governor romney while he was at bain did not move jobs overseas. >> to be continued for sure. i know that's an allegation the obama campaign disputes but we'll continue on another day. >> and we'll to bill clinton about his upcoming trip to africa. >> new information in the trayvon martin shooting case. new documents revealed today that could clarify whether george zimmerman's shooting of martin was racially motivated. zimmerman says he acted in self-defense. >> investigators from the national transportation safety

board are in columbus, ohio searching for the cause of wednesday's train derailment and explosion. that wreck is still burning this morning, fueled by some 30,000 gallons of ethanol in the tankers. police and fbi have raised the yacht that was capsized off long island. >> kristen chen owe wet was rushed to the hospital after being hit by a light on set. >> and the lyrics of our

national anthem have been notoriously difficult for singers in the past but country star luke ryan said he didn't want to mess up the lyrics this week so he wrote them down on his hand. ♪ were so gallantly streaming >> brian is now apologizing checking the lyrics and also for checking his watch. heap says he didn't want to make a mistake and he wanted to be sure the timing of the song correct for a stealth bomber flyover, which went off without a glitch there. back to matt, savannah and al. he still had the emotion and -- >> he must have written the word tiny! how did he get the lyrics all on

one hand? >> and if you start sweating -- >> lots of pressure on him. >> so nice. hello! >> so nice. let's see what we've got. unfortunately, a lot of heavy rain for our friends down in coastal texas. houston is getting dumped. some areas picking up two inches of rain per hour. there's flash flood going just to the west of houston. flash flood warnings in effect and also flash flood watches. we're talking about some areas picking up five to eight inches of rain over the next 24 hours for houston. we'll continue to watch this. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning, not a lot of humidity around and temperatures are down into the 60s, much of the region. tom kierein storm center 4. right now 73 at reagan national and 60s northern virginia, much of maryland and into west virginia and a few clouds in and out, especially south and east of washington, west and north, a lot of sunshine today.

highs reaching up 80s to lower 90. not a lot of humidity. then humidity returns friday night and that's your latest weather. savannah. >> al, thanks. just ahead, the story behind that remarkable video of a woman who was fishing and encountered a shark. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

homicide of young people in america has an impact on all of us. how can we save these young people's lives? as a police chief i have an opportunity to affect what happens in a major city. i learned early on if you want to make a difference you have to have the right education. university of phoenix opened the door.

my name is james craig, i'm committed to making a difference and i am a phoenix. with being fed on. we demand k9 advantix ii. it not only kills fleas and ticks, it repels most ticks before they can attach and snack on us. frontline plus kills but doesn't repel. and a tick that isn't repelled or killed may attach and make a meal of us. so let's put our paws down in protest

and raise our barks to rally till we all get k9 advantix ii. join us at poochprotest.com. [ male announcer ] ask your veterinarian about k9 advantix ii. good morning, it's 7:26 on this thursday, july, 12th. i'm angie goff. we had some problems on the roads early. mike is here with what problems you can expect. >> not too bad out over the beltway slow at 395 and all southbound lanes are shut down. 395 northbound a bit slow at the 14th street bridge and a 25-minute ride at about 26 miles per hour. back to you. >> thanks, mike. a nice start to the

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] what's the point of an epa estimated 42 miles per gallon if the miles aren't interesting? the lexus ct hybrid. this is the pursuit of perfection. good morning. sun and clouds throughout the day. right now in the 60s and later with the low humidity in place, highs reaching up 80s near 90 and then tomorrow still not very humid. lots of clouds, highs mid-80s and humidity return friday night

and off and on showers possible mainly during the afternoon with highs near 90 and high humidity. steamy humidity into next week. chance of storms each

got no line. >> oh! >> oh [ bleep ]! >> imagine fishing when that happens. a woman in south carolina was innocently reeling in a catch when the fish she caught was attacked by a bigger fish. the story behind that incredible video coming up. we bleeped out what he said because the man said "shark" several times. >> we also added in the "jaws" sound track. >> it's 7:30 on thursday morning, july 12, 2012. >> troubling ahead for men who

used propecia to fight baldness. researchers have known the drug can lead to sexual side effects but now a new study suggests those side effects could be permanent. we'll have more on that coming up. >> and there's been a lot of focus on the such of scientology since the news of the split of tom cruise and katie holmes. a man who says he was cruise's counselor in the divorce from nicole kidman speaks out. >> and kristen chenoweth was rushed to a hospital after suffering an injury on the set of her tv show. >> reporter: kristin chenoweth was hit by a falling piece of lighting equipment and treated on set before being brought here to bellevue hospital. actress kristen chenoweth was

injured on the brooklyn set of "the good wife." she's photos show her in a neck brace being loaded into the ambulance. according to reports she was struck by a falling piece of lighting equipment. a statement said she received treatment on the scene until a ambulance arrived and transported her to the hospital. >> she's energetic, very physical but she's also a very, very small woman. she's not even 5 feet tall. the idea of her being struck by equipment and falling, you have to be concerned for her safety now. >> reporter: chenoweth won a tony award for her role in "you're a good man charlie brown" and an emmy award for her work in tv show "pushing daisies." she also originated the popular

role of gl linda in "wicked." this is not the first time she's been injured while at work. last year she hurt her back after falling downstairs while shooting "glee." and a few years ago another fall from a stage during a broadway show rehearsal. five years ago she found out she suffers from an inner ear disorder that can cause vertigo and affect balance. but she hasn't let the diagnosis slow her down. >> kristen is a very bubbly, warm, she's the kind of person you feel is a family member. she's been really looking forward to joining the cast of "the good wife" so to see something like this happen now is very, very unfortunate. >> reporter: in their statement cbs went on to say "all of us at the studio and show are thinking about kristin and wishing her a quick recovery." on "the guide wife," chenoweth will be playing a reporter, a

recurring role, and that character will debut next season. >> thank you very much. let's get a check of the weather now from al. >> and thank you, mr. lauer. got some friends from kansas, outward bound. where are you guys going from here? >> hanging out. >> going to take the nbc have f talking about today. a risk of strong storms up through the upper plains from middle river, fargo, aberdeen, large hail, damaging winds, heavy downpours and look at the stuff already firing up heading into minnesota. rainfall amounts we're talking anywhere from about one to three inches in central minnesota as that makes its way to the east. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> a delightful summer morning under way. not a lot of humidity, temperatures in the 60s. much of virginia and maryland and west virginia this morning.

right now reagan national is in the low 70s and right near the water it's in the low 70s and mid-90 by late afternoon but not a lot of humidity and we'll have sun and clouds and then tomorrow, cloudy. highs mid-80s and still not too humid but some showers friday night and steam >> and that's your latest water. savannah? >> now to a frightening encounter in georgia for a woman who woke up to find a stranger in her home near her bedroom. wait until you find out why he was there. >> reporter: hey, savannah, good morning to you. your bedroom is the one place you're supposed to feel safe and your privacy should be protected. so when erika saw a burly stranger standing at her bedroom doorway here, she said she was scared out of her mind and didn't know what to think. it turns out the man wasn't a burglar, he was a local county worker count on camera.

as columbia county code enforcer knocked on erika's front door, her surveillance cameras were rolling. it was close to noon and she was still in bed. >> i heard knocking at the door. i wasn't sure if it was in my dreams or i heard something. >> he had come to the house because of complaints of noise and an overgrown lawn. >> the way it was handled, it wasn't too far. >> reporter: masters had enstalled surveillance cameras because she was concerned about people coming on to her property. those cameras captured him walking around to the carport and checking the back door. he returns to the main door, he knocks again and it swings open. >> my roommate had left the door open that day, unlocked. >> reporter: without masters' knowledge or permission, he comes into her hughes and looks around. >> the interior was deplorable.

there was a stench or smell that reeked. i was concerned that somebody was actually either dead or dying or seriously injured inside of that residence. >> reporter: he walks down the hall, getting closer to masters' bedroom where she's sleeping. he claims when he knocked on her door, it opened. >> i could see a silhouette of a body and you blue blanket no, feet no, hands, no head, no nothing. so of course, again, i announced again "columbia county code enforcement." >> i was incredibly scared. i woke up and the first thing i said was what's going on? and i saw somebody standing in my doorway and i said "what are you doing here? get out." >> reporter: masters gets dressed and sign as violation notice. but she feels violated. >> we're allowed expectations of privacy and safety and both of those went out the window. >> reporter: according to the

sheriff's report, he told his boss he did not enter the house but he later tells deputies he went inside to make sure whoever was there was okay. >> i was concerned for the health and well being of anybody that may have been in that residence. >> reporter: the county fired him this week for breaking its policy on entering homes and making false statements to a supervisor. masters says he should also be criminally charged but the investigation found he had no criminal intent. he lost his job but masters said he should feel fortunate he's he still has his life. >> he's very, very lucky that i wasn't armed at the time. nobody could prosecute me if i had shot him that day. >> reporter: and masters says since the encounter, she says she hasn't felt safe in her home and she's planning to sue the county for damages. the worker said he's going to

try to get his job back. and you can see the lawn has finally been cut here. >> coming up, propecia, could its sexual side effects be permanent in some men? and anne hathaway joins us to talk about her role as cat woman in "the dark knight rises." ( telephone rings ) hi, honey. how's the camping trip? well, kids had fun, but i think i slept on a rock. what are you doing? having coffee. ah, sounds good! i thought you'd say that. ah. ♪ the best part of wakin' up... ♪ you're the best! wake up to the mountain grown aroma of folgers. ♪ ... is folgers in your cup!

food you love is a blt with hellmann's. it's made with real ingredients like cage-free eggs for the unmistakable taste that can only be hellmann's. bring out the best. in "the dark knight rises." mid grade dark roast forest fresh full tank brain freeze cake donettes rolling hot dogs bag of ice anti-freeze wash and dry diesel self-serve fix a flat jumper cables 5% cashback signup for 5% cashback at gas stations through september. it pays to discover. a deep, throbbing, persistent ache. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic widespread pain.

lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and for some people, it can work in as early as the first week of treatment. so now i can do more of the things that i enjoy. lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior, or any swelling or affected breathing or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. with less pain, i'm feeling better now that i've found lyrica. ask your doctor if lyrica is right for your fibromyalgia pain. [ stomach growls ] [ female announcer ] skipping breakfast to get ahead? research shows that women that eat breakfast like the special k breakfast actually weigh less.

what will you gain when you lose?™ it's 7:42 with a health alert for men who take the drug

propecia to fight hair loss. researchers at george washington university's school of medicine and health science say it could lead to long-term sexual side effects. dr. nancy snyderman is here with more on that. good morning. >> good morning. these are new side effects but they've been considered temporary for a long time. because people assumed they went away, they weren't worried but this raises the question could it be permanent? some men who have encountered male patterned baldness have treated the condition with propecia. "each of these side effects owe c -- occurred in less than 2% of men and went away after they

stopped taking the medicine. >> i surveyed a bunch of young, healthy men who had no medical problems, psychiatric problems, who took the medicine propecia and while taking the medicine they developed sexual side effects, such has low libido, difficulty in orgasm. >> the side effects lasting for more than three months, 96% continued to suffer those side effects despite stopping their use. >> it frustrating for these men. they go from one doctor to another. we're just in the infancy of trying to understand what's going on. >> the irony here is many men are taking this medication so that they can be more sexually attracted to people they wanted to attract. >> merck says their product has demonstrated safety and

efficacy, that labelling appropriately describes benefits and risks and that a causal relationship between the use of propecia and continued sexual dysfunction after discontin discontinuation has not been established. >> the most important thing to know if you are struggling with your sexual function is that there is help available, that there are doctors that are ready to listen to your problems and to treat you. you just have to ask for help. >> nancy wees, we clearly got t attention of some guys taking this medication. what jumps out at me is only 54 men were studied. >> this is a very small group. millions of prescriptions have been written for this around the world but these guys took 54 men who before they took it had no

sexual dysfunction at all and although it's small, they believe that this is just the beginning. >> aren't some women prescribed propecia as well? >> this should not be prescribed. this is a man-only medication. for women, it could be dangerous. >> and what are alternatives for men -- >> do you really want me to tell you? >> no, we'll go to commercial. >> this is a time for men to remember any time you put something in your mouth that's a pill, you're going to have a side effect and perhaps baldness is not such a big turnoff to women. >> you think men put too much stake on how much hair they have in terms of being attractive to women, women care less about hair than perhaps about sexual function. >> i think women care more about an erection than baldness. >> it's an good time to go to a

commercial. thank you, nancy. >> you're welcome, matt. >> coming up, a woman gets the surprise of a lifetime. this is a different subject. the remarkable video right after this. gave it greater horsepower and best in class 38 mpg highway... ...advanced headlights... ...and zero gravity seats? yeah, that would be cool. ♪ introducing the completely reimagined nissan altima. it's our most innovative altima ever. nissan. innovation that excites. ♪ with lean cuisine steam bags.

get our crispiest carrots and our snappiest peas all freshly steamed in just minutes. steam bags from lean cuisine. be culinary chic. why severy room deserves ll us what outo look great.or is? steam bags from lean cuisine. and every footstep should tell us we made the right decision. so when we can feel our way through the newest, softest, and most colorful options... ...across every possible price range... ...our budgets won't be picking the style. we will. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. make room for savings with $37 basic installation on martha stewart living and platinum plus carpet. the moisturizer in other body washes

sits on top of skin. only dove has nutriummoisture, which can nourish deep down. dove body wash with nutriummoisture. superior natural nourishment for your skin. gives you a 50% annual bonus. and who doesn't want 50% more cash? ugh, the baby. huh! and then the baby bear said, "i want 50% more cash in my bed!" phhht! 50% more cash is good ri... what's that. ♪ you can spell. [ male announcer ] the capital one cash rewards card. the card for people who want 50% more cash. what's in your wallet? ha ha. ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] for everything your face has to face. face it with puffs facial tissues. unlike the leading regular tissue, puffs has soft, air-fluffed pillows for 40% more cushiony thickness.

so you can always put your best face forward. face every day with puffs softness. so you can always put your best face forward. are a sizzling deal, starting at 6 bucks. try our new lunch-size chicken fajitas, sauteed onions and peppers topped with grilled chicken, served with soup or salad. chili's lunch break combos, starting at 6 bucks. >> i got it on the line.

>> oh [ bleep ]! oh [ bleep ]! >> it's a shark! a shark! it's a big shark! >> there's a shark in the pond! >> i love it. they're going to want a bigger net. >> we're going to need a bigger bleeping machine. >> and that goes on and on and on. that's near myrtle beach, south carolina, some kind of an inlet where that woman was reeling in her first fish and got the surprise of a lifetime. >> her jaw just drops. i think you see her face when it pans over. >> and something else catches our attention. have you seen this? this is the new face of a brighter day for electricity in iraq. seriously, the electricity ministry there facing huge shortages of electricity was looking for a bright face to make people more optimistic. they were looking for a bright and optimistic face that inspires people to imagine a better future for electricity.

they went online and they grabbed a picture of katie couric. >> did you hear what katie said when they asked her about it? >> she was shocked. >> oh! >> as long as we're taking jokes, it's written in arabic. it says "if you have electricity, watch katie weekdays at 3:00." that zucker is good. >> they also had another photo of keith olbermann to care people. >> apparently it was decided they needed an american face for the, you know, future of electricity. >> that's great. >> a bright and happy face, katie pops up. >> a guy was quoted in the article that says it doesn't give me any hope about electricity but it makes me happy to see the pretty face. >> just ahead, anne hathaway on

her role in "the dark night." tes softens the enamel so that then it can potentially erode. once that enamel is gone, it's gone. my dentist recommended that i use pronamel to help harden that enamel so that it's not brushed away. pronamel protects your teeth from the effects of acid erosion. i don't have to cut out the things that i love in my diet. i can have the best of both worlds with pronamel. and the cravings begin... again. for nights like these there's special k chocolatey delight cereal. an unguilty pleasure. what will you gain when you lose?

hi, honey. how's the camping trip? well, kids had fun, but i think i slept on a rock. what are you doing? having coffee. ah, sounds good! i thought you'd say that. ah. ♪ the best part of wakin' up... ♪ you're the best! wake up to the mountain grown aroma of folgers. ♪ ... is folgers in your cup! i was worried about 'em, you know? i mean for instance my mom went to bed tonight before making my dinner. which is fine, i mean i, i know how to make dinner. it just starts to make you wonder. is this what happens when you age? my friends used to say i was the lucky one. i had the fun parents. where's the fun now? night guys! [ sighs ] ♪ [ male announcer ] venza. from toyota. don't hide behind your lipstick. [ male announcer ] venza. use it to show the world how you feel.

and today, i feel daring. [announcer:] revlon super lustrous lipstick. mega moisturizing formula in 82 stay true colors. are a sizzling deal, starting at 6 bucks. try our new lunch-size chicken fajitas, sauteed onions and peppers topped with grilled chicken, served with soup or salad. chili's lunch break combos, starting at 6 bucks. we asked total strangers to watch it for us. thank you so much, i appreciate it, i'll be right back. they didn't take a dime. how much in fees does your bank take to watch your money ? if your bank takes more money than a stranger, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense.

7:56 is your time now on this thursday, july 12th, 2012. good morning to you, i'm eun yang. let's check in with tom kierein on this beautiful forecast. so nice out there, tom. >> it is a gorgeous summer morning. a lot of humidity in the air. temperatures around 70 now and clouds south and east of washington, sun north and west and we'll have sun and clouds today with highs reaching near 90. feast your eyes on the seven-day outlook. tomorrow still not very humid, but the humidity and heat return for the weekend and first part of next week and each day chance of a passing shower or thunderstorm as we get through the weekend and into mid-week next week, does look like it's going to stay hot and humid. eun? eun?

oreo and dunkin' are the perfect match for the perfect moment. enjoy the new oreo coolatta and donut today. america runs on dunkin'. no reports of any serious accidents right now on the beltway outer loop is a bit slow right now from college park to silver spring. let's look at 270, things are clearing up nicely. about a three-minute ride on the spur to the beltway. eun? >> all right, mike, thank you. another news update in 25 minutes. for now, back to "today"

we're here on thursday morning, july 12, 2012. we're here on rockefeller plaza. if we could just get our order in now, we'd love to have a carbon copy of this day tomorrow, al roker. i'm savannah guthrie alongside matt lauer and mr. al roker. just ahead of course we were talking a lot about the tom cruise-katie holmes split. that's put the church of scientology back into the headlines again. we're going to hear from former members on how hard it can be to

leave the church, including one man who says he worked with tom cruise following his divorce from nicole kidman. >> and a hollywood role with a story past. i'm talking about cat woman, that young lady there, anne hathaway. a lot of pressure going into this, what is a huge summer blockbuster. ms. hathaway is in our studio. we're going to be talking to her about that role in just a couple of minutes. >> and we've got some amazing video. police are on the hunt who recorded himself or herself going 186 miles per hour down a crowded highway. this would have had you havery result. >> before we go ahead, can we

brag on miss savannah guthrie for a minute? if you go to people magazine and you look inside, a very nice picture of miss savannah guthrie. >> they're forced to clap. >> it's a very nice article. >> i reveal my inner nerdiness. my eating at 5 p.m. whatever. >> it's very nice. >> natalie? >> rescuers are searching for victims after an avalanche in the french alps swept at least nine mountain climbers to their death. about a dozen climbers are unaccounted for. most of those on the expedition with europeans. >> penn state releases its own report on the school's handling of convicted child sex abuser jerry sandusky. meantime in a letter written just weeks before his death in january, the former head football coach joe paterno

defended his football program. he wrote the sandusky case was not a football scandal and had nothing to do with the achievement of his players. >> democratic congressman jesse jackson, jr. is being treated for a mood disorder at an inpatient facility according to statement released by his office wednesday. his month-long medical leave was only announced about two weeks ago. leaders of his own party have been demanding an explanation for his on sense. >> mitt romney was booed wednesday at the naacp convention when he vowed to repeat president obama's health care overhaul. vice president joe biden is speaking at the convention today. >> skeptics are wondering if this viral youtube video from

amsterdam is too amazing to be real. the bus we are told was empty, thank goodness. >> and police in canada have issued an arrest warrant for the speed demon who posted this motorcycle joy ride on youtube. he maneuvered dangerously through traffic at up to 185 miles per hour. police say their suspect is a known serial scoff law and they have seized the bike, which was registered to his mother. >> and this cringeworthy video of vice president biden's joke online. he was speaking to a latino activist group about his own crowded and humble upbringing. >> four kids and literally a senior adult member of my family living with us at least, at least 15 of the years i lived at home. those walls were awful thin. i wonder how the hell my parents did it but that's a different

story. i know you don't know anything about that. >> and continuing in a somewhat baudy style, he challenged mitt romney to release his tax returns saying "he wants you to show us your papers but he won't show us his." now to al roker. >> a little naughty al bide i don't know. >> we have folks there and see we've got for you for today. our pick city of the day happens to be yuma, arizona. get the 310 to yuma. nbc 10 11. scattered showers and thunderstorms and 107 degrees. check out the rain, we have heavy rain down in houston and flash flooding going on there and more heavy rain in southern florida and more storm into the dakotas moving into central minnesota today and plenty of sunshine and beautiful today along the west coast.

that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening alongside savannah's paparazzi route. >> good morning here. a beautiful summer morning under way. tom kierein in storm center 4 right now. we're climbing into the 70s throughout much of the region and we'll continue to climb into the 80s to near 90 by mid-afternoon but still not high humidity, thankfully. sun and clouds today and tomorrow cloudy and highs mid-80s and still not very humid but getting humid friday night when that happens a shower friday evening and hot, steamy weekend coming up as well as into next week. main >> and that's your latest weather. mr. lauer? >> when we come back, what some people from the church of scientology have to say about how difficult it can be to leave. [ male announcer ] the inspiring taste of mcdonald's new spicy chicken mcbites.

♪ poppable pieces of tender chicken breast seasoned with just the right amount of spice, but just for a limited time. new spicy chicken mcbites. the simple joy of spicy perfection. ♪ are made with sweet cherries and the crisp, clean taste of our cranberries. i cannot tell a lie. 'tis tasty. okay, george washington, did you take my truck out last night? 'tis tasty.

[ stomach growls ] [ female announcer ] skipping breakfast to get ahead? research shows that women that eat breakfast like the special k breakfast actually weigh less. what will you gain when you lose?™

use the points we earn with our citi thankyou card for a relaxing vacation. ♪ sometimes, we go for a ride in the park. maybe do a little sightseeing. or, get some fresh air. but this summer, we used our thank youpoints to just hang out with a few friends in london. [ male announcer ] the citi thankyou visa card. redeem the points you've earned to travel with no restrictions. rewarding you, every step of the way. [ female announcer ] new lipton tea & honey. sweetened with honey, made from real tea leaves and real fruit flavors. ♪ it's never felt so real ♪ no, it's never felt so right ♪

[ female announcer ] only 5 calories. new lipton tea & honey. back now at 8:09. with the tom cruise-katie holmes split getting so much eye tension, the church of scientology is back in the spotlight. kate, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning to you. we spent this last weekend at a reunion of sorts, people who have left the church of scientology and say they know firsthand how hard it can be to separate from the church. one of those former members has surprising things to say about the last time tom cruise went through a divorce. for katie holmes it was a seemingly speedy exit from a church she once praised. >> i really like it. i think it's really wonderful. >> reporter: former member of the church of scientology marty rathbun says he agrees with holmes' decision to seek primary custody of her daughter sur i.

when choose divorced nicole kidman in 2001, the two shared custody of their children. at the time rathbun says he was auditing. >> he would come to the center for auditing with me and his kids were then overseen and nannied and tutored by church of scientology staff at the celebrity center when he had them. >> reporter: rathbun claims such officials suggested to the children that kidman was what they called a suppressive person, someone bent on destroying others. >> he and i were intensively at it, auditing several hours a day over several months. the kid were in the hands of church of scientology staff and they were reporting to tom on how that was going in my presence. >> reporter: what would the staff be telling those kids? >> the initial indoctrination of

connor and bella was teaching them certain people are anti-social personalities, they're suppressive people and they started teaching them the characteristics of -- >> like their own mother? >> like their own mother. >> the such of scientology says rathbun and others like him are excommunicated self-promoters. but rathbun isn't the only person speaking out. about 60 members gathered. this woman says for years she dreamed of leave bug it seemed impossible. >> i don't have a driver's license, i have no car, i have no way of getting out. >> reporter: the gates, can you climb over the fence? >> the gates have these blades

that if you try to jump over them, they cut you. i helped put them up. >> reporter: why did you put those up. >> we thought we were putting them up to protect ourselves from intruders coming out. i know now it was a way to keep us in. i did not take a breath of relief until i was on the plane and it was up in the air. at that point in time i knew i had done it. i had actually gotten out of there and i was able to get my life together. >> reporter: it makes you emotional now? >> because i'm still working on it. >> reporter: for its part, the church of scientology tells us it is absurd to suggest that the fence around its property is to keep people inside. they say this is just one of the countless smears against the church by noncredible sources. they say janile left of her own

well. and they say it is absolutely false that mr. cruise or anyone else did or said anything to lessen connor and bella's communication or relationship with their mother. >> kate snow, thank you. bonnie fuller, richard behar, good morning to you both. i want to start with one more statement from a lawyer who represents tom cruise in the divorce says "let me be very clear about this, the church of scientology played absolutely no role in the divorce settlement talks at all. period." carefully worded. bonnie, do you think scientology had something to do with the breakup of the marriage? >> i think when you look at the extreme measures that katie took, she wanted to change her life enormously.

she moved cities, she cut off all contact, she apparently got new cell phones, hired new bodyguards -- >> may have joined the catholic church here in new york? >> that's right. it certainly raises big questions about that. >> reporter: richard, you said something in the past, to reject tom cruise is to reject scientology. >> to be involved with him is to be involved with the church. to reject him is in a major way to reject the church. there's no way around it given the pampering and the monitoring and the -- a lot of control that the church has over the lives of a lot of the celebrities. >> bobby, it's been really interesting, katie holmes has been out and about, carrying suri all of the times. what do you make of that strategy? >> it is a strategy. it's a brilliant public campaign. she's presented herself as ak fantastic mother. she is there for her child.

she's been very open. i think she's invited people to be on her side in this divorce and i think that's helped her tremendously. she spent all her time in new york taking suri to the central park zoo, to restaurants with other children, chelsea pier to play. it's been perfect. >> richard, you've reported by b former members of the church who had to leave and some of the ordeals they've gone through. is this something you think someone like katie holmes would be shielded from because of the nature of her celebrity and privilege? >> no. hi to laugh when i saw the segment. it reminded me of 20 years ago when they said the church members were not credible, we left, they're not credible and they threw them out. she has to be careful. she has not attacked the church. she's being very careful not to. that could lead to problems if she does.

tom's previous wives didn't either. >> with about 15 seconds left, there had been reports that katie holmes actually reached out to nicole kidman in relation to the separation of tom cruise. >> no, we've not been able to confirm those reports. >> thank you so much. good to get your perspective. >> you can see more of kate snow's report tonight on "rock center with brian williams". and coming up, anne hathaway on her turn as cat woman coming up next.

well hello, welcome to hotels.com. summer road trip, huh? uhuh yep uch let's find you a room. at hotels.com, you'll always find the perfect hotel. because we only do hotels. wow. i like that. nice no. laugh... awe uch ooh, yeah hmm nice huh book it! oh boy call me... this summer, we're finding you the perfect place - plus giving you up to $100 at hotels.com with our babysitter. no. these work, right? no. all right. mom! look what i found in the shed! no! no! no! ♪ ew! were you guys just making out in here? what? no! is it okay if i quit my job and start a blog?

no. really? cold cuts from a package? yes. [ male announcer ] in a world filled with "no," it's nice to finally say "yes." new oscar mayer selects deli meat. the tastes you love and no artificial preservatives. it's yes food. [ male announcer ] this is our beach. ♪ this is our pool. ♪ our fireworks. ♪ and our slip and slide. you have your idea of summer fun, and we have ours. now during the summer event get an exceptionally engineered mercedes-benz for an exceptional price. but hurry, this offer ends july 31st. the more options you have, you're trying to lose weight, the more likely you are to stay on track. that's why there are 10 delicious kinds of special k® cereal. so many possibilities. what will you gain when you lose?

the moisturizer in other body washes sits on top of skin. only dove has nutrium moisture, which can nourish deep down. dove body wash with nutrium moisture. superior natural nourishment for your skin. ♪ now it's your turn. you could appear in a dove ad with thousands of real women, just like you. just upload a photo of yourself and join the campaign at dove.com/showusyourskin. ♪ we're back now at 8:20 with one of the stars of the most anticipated movies of the summer. anne hathaway plays cat woman in "the dark knight rises." take a look. >> i think maybe you're assuming a little too much? >> maybe you're being

unrealistic about what's really in your pants other than your wallet. >> ouch. >> you think all this can last? there's a storm coming, mr. wayne. you and your friends but bettha baton down the hatches. >> she has also mastered the art of slipping into a skin tight cat suit to defend and sometimes even plunder gotham city depending on her mood. anne hathaway, nice to see you. >> good to see pup. >> can you get me one of those suits for halloween next year? actually, get it for al. >> that would be fantastic. >> what was your favorite part of the movie? >> that's hard. i loved the fighting. i'm a fairly low-key person but

it turns out i really like to kick. >> when you got the part they said "get strong," right? >> right. 's what i loved. they didn't say lose weight, they said get strong. that was the fun part and an integral part of the character. it's so hard to pick one moment. working with chris nolan is just a different place to be. >> it had to be a trip the first time you stood in front of a mirror and saw yourself in the cat suit. >> i didn't actually do that. >> how come? >> it was a little too big and i thought i might stress myself out if i focused too much on how i was looking. i did all the work hi to do to get into the cat suit. i just focused on how i felt in it. >> what was it like the first time you saw the batman? >> that was cool. >> i mean, you're on set, here he comes walking out dressed like batman.

that must be a total fantasy. >> i had a -- when he first spoke, i giggled. it was unprofessional but i couldn't help it. >> halle berry, michelle pheiffer and now you take on that role. it's a lot to live up to. >> yeah. i think it would have been scary had chris nolan not been the one directing it. you can good moments and bad moments. but if you can't trust chris nolan and people working on the movie, i don't know who you can trust. actually it was a pleasure. >> i know people are careful not to let plot elements slip out. >> you're going to get me in trouble.

>> when the movie begins, batman has been be absent from gotham for a while. what brings them back into the action? >> i can't tell you up. >> can tell me a little. >> i have a little something to do with it. >> can you confirm that that one of the main villains is a guy who wears a contraption a little like something i wore as a kid. >> first of all, i can't send you bat signals because they don't work in the daytime. secondly, i can't tell you anything. i work braces, too. >> i have a picture. >> that would freak me out because that would mean somebody was taking pictures of me when i was sleeping when i was 12. >> the head harness? >> i would hate it because i'd

have to go to school with my teeth all marked up. it's it's my favorite type of press to do. i can't talk about the movie. >> why it was so hard? >> she begins the film very open and hopeful and at the end is decimated. it was hard going to that place. >> the last thing i want to talk to you about is congratulations on your engagement. >> thank you very much. >> congratulations on that and on les mis. >> thank you. >> july 20th is when the movie is out. at that point anne can actually

talk to us about the movie. good morning, it's 8:26 on this thursday, july 12th. i'm angie goff. let's go straight to storm 4 meteorologist tom kierein. he has a look at the torcast. big changes on the way. you look at the seven-day outlook and getting hot and humid over the weekend but today and tomorrow, not a lot of humidity and we'll have highs reaching the 80s and some sun in and out today and then tomorrow mostly cloudy and then it looks like humidity returns along with a chance friday evening and then heat and humidity for the weekend into the first part of next week. could get passing showers and thundershowers. that's the way it looks right now,

still have heavy delays on the outer loop of the beltways making the trip from college park to silver springs and mo s manassas to centerville and

20-minute ride from 276 to the beltway. more weather and traffic in 25 minutes. now, back to "today" show after this break. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] virtual wallet can help you be that person who's good with money. see what's free to spend. move money with a slide. save with a shake. feel good about your decisions.

when you hear the national anthem being played, it just a flood of emotion. >> everybody says i'm not going to cry but when you get up there, you can't help it. >> i dreamt of this moment since i was 6 years old. >> it's a dream come true. ♪ ♪ returning now on a thursday morning, the 12th day of july 2012. as we look at another crowd gathered here on thursday morning, we want to remind you tomorrow morning here on the plaza the music of the zac brown band. if you're coming down for that, get here early and bring a creative sign.

the band will choose their favorite. the winner will get free tickets to an upcoming concert. >> also ahead, financing your fertility. a lot of lending companies and fertility companies are getting together now and offering financing loans to get those expensive fertility treatments. some expert do worry about a potential conflict of interest. we're going to talk about all those interests with dr. nancy snyderman. >> and a unique twist on the classic prosen pops. and later on a live interview with jennifer lopez and talk about her upcoming tour and her

future on "american idle." >> mr. roker, how about the aw the country. extreme drought through central georgia and also in the rockies. as we put the radar into motion, see if we'll get any help from that drought. a lot of the rain in the southeast is staying to the north of where they really need it and getting some showers in southern california, but, again, you can see dry over much of colorado, no help there. for tomorrow, we are looking at a risk of strong storms in the mid-mississippi and upper mississippi river valley and the thundershowers continues throughout the gulf coast and throughout the southeast, maybe atlanta getting a little help there. sizzling weather from texas southwest and on into the central and northern plains. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning, sun and clouds around the region on this thursday morning. humidity not too high and temperatures climbing into the 70s, all the areas in yellow including maryland, district and shenandoah west into the mountains and still a few locations into the 60s and some

90 with sun in and out and cloudy day tomorrow. highs reaching mid-80s and we'll get humidity returning friday night along with the chance of showers. could get some showers and storms over the weekend, first part >> that's your latest weather. don't forget, can you get that weather any time you need it. go to the weather channel at weather.com. >> coming up, fertility financing. the pros and cons of the industry who wants to help people have a baby. but first, this is

back now at 8:35 with a new industry that's popped up to help couples that are struggling to afford family and expensive fertility treatment. >> good morning, savannah. this is a company that gives loans for in vitro fertilization, egg harvesting

and all those other fertility treatments you know about. some call it a recession-proof business. when jill and tom clinton were married in 2006, they knew they wanted to start a new family right away but it turned out to be more difficult than they thought. >> we did get pregnant but we miscarried. we knew we were a little older. we knew it might be something to look into at that point, fertility. >> reporter: as small business owners, they did not have insurance to cover fertility procedures, which average $12,000 per ivf cycles. but they were able to save enough money and had their first son, michael. >> we're thrilled. we had limited funds and we weren't sure how many tries we would get. >> it was at that point when their doctors told them about a growing trend in lending,

fertility financing. former banking joel segal noticed a void in lending for couples desperate for families who don't have time to wait. he says business is brisk. >> we are funding about a $1 million and we're looking to fund about $50 million in loans in 2012. >> but he runs his new business a bit differently from the banks he headed up before. because his company caters to people who are often in an emotionally fraj gile states, h makes sure the employees are familiar with the fer silt industry. some have gone through the process themselves. >> they understood the language, the terms that i used. i took comfort in that. we didn't have to look any further. that filled in the gap for us and allowed to us do the final cycle. >> reporter: and it was that final cycle that got the clinton family results, twins. >> plenty of results. >> amazing results. >> yes, we're finished with

results. >> despite the demand from couples looking to be parents, these loan companies have generated a bit of criticism. some worry about conflicts of interest. >> you really have to be a little bit careful because you've got vulnerable, desperate people who want to hear there's some answer to their prayer. i worry they're not going to listen to that interest rate, they're not going to really hear what the failure and success rate is. >> there are dozens of fertility financing companies popping up around the company and interest rates vary. here they vary from 9% to 13%. >> we have interest rates to stay in business. >> another concern is that doctors may push the loans on patients in order to secure more business. dr. robert stillman has less than a 2% equity ownership in the company behind says it's a win-win situation. >> with the more patients we are

able to see, if we can be successful, then we would makei. so that's a win. but it also comes as a win to the couple because they're here to have a family. >> reporter: experts warn as with any business deal, you've got to think forward. >> when do you have that baby, even when you're trying as hard as can you to keep the child you want, you need to keep a certain business sense to pay off their loans. in the meantime, they say they got the better end of the deal. >> they get the money, we get the kids. that's a great deal i think. we get the best part of it. >> and dr. nancy snyderman joins us pup know, this sounds like such a great idea. why should it be that only people with money can afford these expensive fertility

treatments? >> i think it's a good idea but you have to channel your inaner suze orman. make sure can you finance the loan. and make sure you can get pregnant. do your homework on that and make sure you really can afford it. if you want to parent, it's not always about popping out a baby through the birth canal, it's about parenting. look into adoption there. this does cover adoption. this just is for fertility treatment. >> do you have concerns about the clinics that partner up with the lending services? >> at the one time it's -- >> i don't have a problem if i'm a doctor a, but if i'm getting y kick back or financial gain,

that's not all right. you have some people who think it's predatory, you have people o who are emotional and vulnerable. take somebody with you. who can read the documents. you could lose a lot of money. >> thank you. and coming up next, unique and homemade frozen treats for those hot summer days. but first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

it's the perfect match for the perfect moment -- oreo the dunkin' way. introducing the new oreo coffee coolatta and new oreo vanilla bean coolatta. taste the fun today. america runs on dunkin'. hurry in to dunkin' and try the new oreo coolatta and donuts today. we're back at 8:43. in "today's kitchen" we're talking about desserts, in particular summer fruit pops. these are straight from the menu at the new hotel in miami, south beach. how you have been? >> great. happy to be here. >> the timing couldn't be better. it going to be about 90 degrees

in the city today. let's make something frozen. you're starting off with a mojito frozen. what goes in it? >> you put this in, smash it. help me out. >> lime juice. >> we're going to put some salt. salt is going to bring the flavor up. you shake it. oh, we have a great mojito. >> you're going to put it in the strainer. a lot of people when they drink the mojito, they like the junk at the bottom. >> yeah, but you look like a cow with all that in your mouth and i don't want to be a cow for a day. here you have the mojito. >> you want to put the rum? >> i forget the rum. i'm a dad and i have three daughters. you know your recipes, matt. >> all right. >> one of those.

>> a push up. >> you put it in the freezer. and look what you have. >> does this one have alcohol? >> this one have alcohol. careful, you have more show to do. >> when you are losing limes, don't throw in garbage. keep everything. put the lime inside and you have a beautiful fancy way to present it. >> next we're going to make something called a poletta. what is that? >> in mexico they love to eat mangos with chilli peppers and lime. we are transforming this. >> this is a mango puree? >> mango puree. >> why the chilli peppers? >> because we want to spice up your day. everybody knows it. we buy this in a store near you, people are america, we have an

amazing poletta. give me a break, this is awesome. can you make one very quick and even better than the one before. >> these are really good. >> what do you think this is? >> it looks like banana or coconut. >> banana -- come on, matt, it's key lime, you know better. oh, my god, the best. these are melting. you get some graham crackers. >> and you just dip it in it? fantastic. all done. >> man. >> you're eating ice creams today. >> if you don't have key limes, can you just use regular limes? >> regular limes or just change the recipe, put the lemon, put

the orange. >> you serve these at your hotel? >> i hope to see you there. >> happy birthday tomorrow. >> friday the 13th, are you kidding? it's not happy. i'm scared actually. >> up next, call of of the wild with some fascinating creatures.

back now at 8:48 with today's "call of the wild." sea world has been taking in animals in distress for over 40 years. sea world and busch gardens animal ambassador julie is here too share some friends and rescue stories with us. >> good morning. >> march of the penguins. >> you know, we brought some species that represent some of the most epic rescues in our history. one of those has to do with penguins that were caught in an oil spill off of south africa. >> we have two kinds of penguins here, right? >> that's right. those are found off of south america as well as these guys which are a threatened species. they're all template species, which means not all penguins come from the ice regions.

some off of south africa, 20,000 in 2000 were caught in an oil spoil. because we breed and raise penguins ourselves, we know how to do that. we were the only ones who went down there who were able to show people how to take care of the baby penguins. i'm going to show you how to take care of the baby penguins. you hang on to this one so it doesn't go anywhere. we're going to put our fingers just like this and hold a fish right up like this. how about you? >> oh. >> threw go, -- there you go, a. >> let's see if this guy wants another one. the very cool thing is that the babies survived. otherwise they would not have survived if it had not been for zoos who knew how to raise

penguins. the babies have since reproduced and are helping a species out in the wild. can you see this little guy only has a little bit left. we're going to hand these guys off. >> now we're going to bring out some flamingo chicks because it's another rescue in south america. there were hundreds of eggs and chicks that were abandoned. we have an adult flamenco as well. >> these are actually american or caribbean. the most colorful, the most beautiful with the orange coloration. they actually get that from their food as well. >> they start out gray. how do they get the orange coloration?

>> they eat crill and different shrimp and -- >> and as they get older, do their beaks curve? >> that's right, it's important they eat upside down. they sip their food. but when they're young, they eat from their parents. you give this guy a little bit of food there. and you'll be -- matt, you can give this guy a little bit of food. just let him see that you have it. now hold that above. so you push the -- >> i don't want to push it too hard. >> there you go. >> is that formula? what's in there? >> what it is is both parents actually create what is called milk from the cryll they eat. again, it's because we know how to do this -- >> he doesn't want any but matt,

look at that, he's got his all going. >> he just said, hey, could you get me the mojito. >> you got it down perfectly. i'm just going to snuggle him. we wanted to go down and teach the folks down there how to care for the chicks that were orphaned and abandoned and how to raise the eggs out. because of that all the animals were able to go back out into the wild. so that expertise has really made the difference. look at that. >> he's going round two. >> look at that, i'll take everybody's! >> next we're have an alligator, right, for our next animal? >> oh, a pelican. >> threw go. so busch gardens and is he seaworld. and then we've got another rescue here and -- >> mine, mine, mine.

how do you like the wind-blown look? >> whoo! >> that's very good there. >> why does this guy have to be rescued? >> ginger was found hanging from a tree believe it or not with fishing line caught all over her. this is something that's really, really happening a lot with animals. people cut their fishing line, they leave it out there thinking i don't need it anymore but we're seeing a lot of animals come in with fishing loon wrapped around them. >> what percentage of the animals you rescue go back to the wild and what percentage stay at some sea world facility? >> as long as they're rehabable, some of them come in with injuries so severe they don't survive, a vast majority of them can go back out into the wild. it's only those that have injuries, and what happens what happened with ginger is because of of the wing injury and having been tangled so long, she would not be able to do what the

pelicans do, which is soar over the war and dive and that -- >> we're feeling it. >> unfortunately ginger can't do that anymore. >> julie, thank you so much.

8:56 is your ntime now on this thursday, july 12th. let's check in with tom kierein now for a look at your forecast. love the way this day is shaping up, tom. >> we are escaping high humidity, again, today. we'll have our afternoon highs, though, climb to near 90, but right now much of the region, those areas in yellow, those 70s

including virginia, maryland, right now washington national is at 77. later today, upper 80s near 90 and not a lot of humidity, as well as today and tomorrow. more clouds on friday and then friday night could get a passing shower as some humidity begins to push back in and looks like we'll have steam heat, high humidity and hotter temperatures for the weekend. first part of next week. >> we'll take ♪

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.

still have some slow traffic right now on the beltway in maryland outer loop pretty heavy from college park into silver spring and here you are at new hampshire avenue. 27 minutes from

we're back now with more "today" on thursday, july 12, 2012. as we thank these people for spending a good portion of their morning with us, we want to tell you that i'm matt lauer, along with savannah guthrie and al roker. we have one of the biggest superstars and. she's an extremely busy lady, the mother of four wins, she's got a new movie out tomorrow, she has tours and records. she makes all her own clothes -- maybe not all of her own clothes. we're going to catch up with

j-lo coming up in just a little while. >> and we have our in-house celebrities who are here to talk about the hot topic of the day, and morgan freeman, the famous actors, an obama supporter, has made comments about the president's race that some people say have raised some eyebrows. and then is it appropriate to hug in the workplace? >> only at times. >> well, we'll get into that. we voted yet. >> and the answer to a lot of wardrobe problems for ladies. the little white tee. we'll tell you how to dress it up and dress it down. and we are looking for today's best home chef. we want to you submit your best barbecue side dish, coleslaw,

beans, corn on the cobb. not a hard one -- >> potato salad. >> corn would be hard for me, i'm just saying. >> head to today.com and enter today's own chef challenge and we'll announce the winner on the "today" show. >> natalie has the headlines. >> good morning. tragedy in the french alps where an avalanche killed at least nine climbers. about a dozen others are missing, triggering a desperate rescue effort. nine climbers were injured. >> today penn state releases an eight-month internal investigation into the child sex abuse scandal. the investigation was led by former fbi director louis freeh and looked at the way penn state responded to warning signs about former football coach jerry sandusky. he hayes our most sad and sobering finding is the total disregard for the safety and

welfare bof sansky's victims. joe paterno rejected the notion the scandal tarnished the reputation of his players. jesse jackson, jr. is receiving treatment for an undisclosed mood disorder. he's been on leave for the last month. his spokesman says he's responding positively to treatment. >> u.s. home floshiers are rising. the number of moments entering the process increased in june, rising for the second month in a row. california is up 18% from a year ago. >> massive flooding in western japan where at least 20 people are dead.

the flooding swept away cars, trucks and homes. >> dick cheney mosts a fund-raiser for republican mitt romney. on wednesday romney was booed as he addressed the naacp convention in houston whb he said he would repeal president obama's health care reform law. heap said if the goal is to create jobs, the u.s. has to stop spending over $1 trillion a year more than it takesin. >> and so to do that i'm going to eliminate non-essential program i can find. that includes obama care. >> and romney later did get a standing ovation. vice president joe biden meanwhile addresses the same group there today. >> the four-time olympic gold medal winner called the

experience incredible and phenomenal. >> the telecope -- telescopes shows that polluteio measures six to eight feet across. let's turn it back to al with a check of your weather. >> today's weather is brought to you by win the day with chobani champions. >> savannah teachers love savannah guthrie. that's very nice. we're not doing let's see what we got for you for today. we are looking at heavy weather down through the gulf coast of texas from corpus christi, beaumont. we have flash flooding in houston, just to the west there. also just north of victoria, we have flash flood watches all the way into central louisiana,

alexandria. rainfall amounts, we're talking anywhere from three to five inches of rain from corpus chris christi, houston on into jackson, louisiana. so, we're looking at wet weather there and expect to see more heavy showers making their way along the stationary front and more heavy rain down in florida, and strong storms as you make your way on into the northern plains into minnesota. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. sun over washington, clouds south and east. it's now climbing into the 70s. reagan national now at 75 and we're into the 70s all around the region now and later today into the mid and upper 80s near 90. not without high humidity, thankfully. not a lot of humidity around tonight and tomorrow and although getting more humid friday night and increasing clouds tomorrow. maybe a shower friday night and some passing storms possible >> that's your latest weather. natalie? >> al, thank you.

in the new animated film "ice age: continental drift" jennifer lopez plays a sharp tooth tigris with an equally sharp toothed tongue. >> you guys are like the start of a bad joke. >> and we saved you. that makes you the punch light, kitty. >> don't call me kitty. >> okay, i won't. kitty. >> if they kiss, i'm going to puke. >> and jennifer lopez joins us now from philadelphia. jennifer, good morning. >> good morning. >> good to see you, doing this especially. i love this whole film series. it's been amazing up till now. why did you want to lend your voice to shira? >> i think having kids it's always kind of interesting to be involved in an animated project, a cartoon, something you know

they're going to enjoy. everything else i do they really just don't care about. but this is something that we're to be able to enjoy together. one of my favorite things with them is just watching movies with them and so this is going to be a nice thing for us. >> i'm sure they're looking forward to it as much as my kids are. shira, as i understand, she's a bit of a tough girl female role for this. she's a bit of a rogue but manages to win over the love of the saber tooth tiger. >> yes. i think they kind of that instinct kind of -- i don't know. i don't want to reach too high here but kind of like hepburn and tracy kind of thing where right away they don't like each other but then they love each other later. and they have kind of that contentious relationship right from the beginning. but he kind of shows her what it

is to be part of a family, which she doesn't have. because they both have the fact that they left their packs in common and they find this kind of family somewhere else and heap shows her what that is. >> it's a sweet message. it really is about family. i got to ask you about "american idol." you said you've thought about it but are you any closer to making your decision on another season, your third? >> yeah, it's been on my mind a lot, as can you imagine. i signed on to "american idol" to do one year and i wound up -- i'm sorry, i heard something weird in my ear. but i kind on to just do the one year and i wound up doing the two years. do we fin on this journey, i

love the whole process of the show and the whole thing. so it's a tough decision either way. but i have to say that, you know, there are so many other things that i do and that i put on hold for that. at the end of the day, which ever way, it's a heart breaking decision. if i'm going to have to go. >> it sounds like you're making up your mind. it sounds like you're saying you're really going to leave. up. >> know, little by little i am. >> you are. oh, we've loved you there. >> everybody wants that definite yes or no and all i can say is -- all i can let you in on is my own thought process with it because that's where i truly am. and the truth is i love everybody, i love all the guys on the showed, i love the show

and i love it so much. but i am thinking maybe it's time for me to go and to do other things that i really love to do, mike films and right now i'm on tour and performing and all the things that i do. so this has been a great journey but at the same time, you know, but then again i really love the show. so i -- >> you're torn, i can tell. >> you are one busy lady. you're touring with enrique inglasias. >> it's going to be an amazing show. i just saw enrique's show, the

whole setup the day before yesterday. i'm excited about it. this is something i want to do for a long time. now that you have that facebook and twitter and you could -- i'm excited to be doing it and connected and performing my real show for them for the first time. >> is that a yes for you that you will come to the plaza? i'm going to write it down. yes? i'm booking you. >> that concert will be hotter than hot. >> wait, hold on! it lab lot of fun. >> we always love you. we're so looking forward to seeing the movie as well. jennifer lopez, you're a busy lady, i'm going to let you go. "ice age: continental drift"

starts tomorrow. >> coming up, our experts take on all the hottest topics. but first these messages. ho we . put a little pepper on that. i'm a typical mom. i go to amusement parks. and my kid's games. and just like any typical mom i'm thrilled when my champion loves to eat something nutritious, like chobani champions yogurt. it's a good source of protein, and most important, he loves it. so even though i'm an olympian, around here, i'm just another mom trying to help her champion win the day. chobani champions. win the day. [ alyson ] just keep walking... ♪ oh, come on! ♪ ugh, again! [ sniffs ] that's what i'm talkin' about. [ female announcer ] up to 100% flake-free, flirty hair. head & shoulders green apple.

mom, we're dying. no you're not, you're just hungry. make some totino's pizza rolls. we don't have any! front... left, totino's. [ male announcer ] well done mom! less drama, more fun! totino's pizza rolls. is really my mother. they keep asking me if the dirty guy is really my son. huh -- what do you tell 'um? holy smokes, these viva towels really are tough, even when wet! [ mike ] for the record, that's my real father, cleaning up a real mess on a real grill. see? very impressive! you're a natural. oh that's much better... dad's got his tough mess, i've got mine.

[ female announcer ] grab a roll and try it on your toughest mess. i think you got it. back now with our team of power players weighing in with the hottest headlines. star jones, donny deutsch and dr. nancy snyderman making her third appearance here this morning. we want to talk about race and politics. mitt romney before the naacp yesterday and he on a few different occasions got sustained boos from the audience but also later some applause. my question to you is do you think he was honestly trying to peel off some of the african-american vote or was this a smart decision by him to go in and speak before a crowd he knows largely doesn't agree

with him? star? >> i am actually encouraged that he went because i don't think that taking african-americans and our vote for granted is a smart thing. i think policeman a has the vast marnlts of african-americans who support him but we are a very divorce group of people. at any given time -- >> did you think it was rare they gave him boos? >> no. what's going to decide this election, this is what i'll call the demographic election, women, la tinos and african-americans are going to cost him the election. >> do you think, though, because went and state on me-- stay on

message. >> i think with vice president biden being there, the representation of this administration, he's not the black president. he's the president of the united states of america. you know. >> we want to touch on that because morgan freeman, a big supporter of the president did an interview and in context of defending the president against some of the berther controversy said he's actually not our first african-american president, he's our first black president. he said he's america's first mixed race president pointing out that president obama's mother was white. >> she was. >> if you believe in the origin of man, we're all black. >> no, we're all african. >> you know, at one point it does sometimes get tiresome to hold up the blood stained batter in these circumstances. i mean, i could care less.

morgan freeman is in charge of what he wants to say. however, he's wrong factually. president obama may be more black than anybody walking around. he is truly african-american. >> i interviewed charles barically once, he said when you have one black parent, you define yourself as black. number two, he said a black person hasn't arisen yet. i think he's stirring the race card. if i'm app person american we - we -- -- if i'm an african-american -- >> no, you only read part of the -- >> they said the first black president hasn't risen yet. >> you only read a portion of

it. read the whole thing. >> we will revisit this topic. there's a study in the journal of pediatrics that when teen-agers see smoking depicted in movies, they are more likely to smoke. should smoking alone be enough to get an rev rating? >> yes. yes. there is no reason for character development in a movie that m might -- >> cigarettes have no business being in television. >> i have to go with drt on this one. unless the character is seen as a negative character -- >> no, you know what that is -- >> i don't know even know why you need it. >> you give an r rating because they have sexin but not because they're smoking?

>> rob reiner was trying to do this, get cigarettes out of movies or get them r rated. according to a staffing agency, 7 in 10 executives interviewed said hugging your co-workers in a business setting is inappropriate. >> okay. i'm going to now defin appropriate and inrip. -- define an inappropriate hug. >> that's a lousy hug! >> step away from the hug. >> would you hug your boss like that? >> no. >> how would you hug me if you were on the street? >> that is so creepy! >> no, creepy is!

>> all right, star save us. >> in a professional environment maintain a professional demeanor and that was not an example. >> my god. >> star jones, donnie deutsche, who used to work with us and dr. nancy snyderman, thank you. >> coming up, stress free summer party planning. but first, these messages. g of ? it can be the side effect of many medications. g of ? dry mouth can be frustrating... and ignoring it can lead to... sipping water can help, but dentists recommend biotene. biotene moisturizes and helps supplement some of saliva's enzymes, providing soothing relief when you need it most. don't ignore dry mouth... look for biotene in your oral care section today. this has been medifacts for biotene.

i feel likeo having 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... activia what ? customers didn't like it. so why do banks do it ? hello ? hello ?! if your bank doesn't let you talk to a real person 24/7, you need an ally. hello ? ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. what makes me feel truly decadent? [announcer:] new revlon colorstay whipped crème makeup.

its unique formula flexes with skin for a flawless finish. the feel of nothing but silk on my skin. ian italian dinner for 2r $25. where choice is on the menu. start with all the fresh salad and warm breadsticks you want. choose 2 appetizers made for sharing. then 2 entrées from 6 of our favorites. classics like eggplant parmigiana and new favorites like smoked mozzarella chicken and spaghetti with four cheese meat sauce & meatballs. 3 courses, 2 people, just $25. but only for a limited time, at olive garden. never beat around the bush. you'll just squash the berries. new triple berry newtons. ♪ made with real fruit, 100% whole grain, and fiber. it's one unique cookie.

still to come, five different ways to wear a basic white tee. and for dinner tonight, braised st. louis pork steaks. si zzli ng news from chili's lunch break combos. try our new lunch-size grilled chicken fajitas, with sauteed onions and peppers, served with soup or salad.

lunch break combos, starting at 6 bucks. enjoy them with friends, because a lunch together feeds the friendship. good morning, k 26 on this thursday, july 12th, i'm angie goff. let's go straight to storm 4 meteorologist tom kierein who has a look at this nice forecast. tom? >> it is a dreamy summer day under way. temperatures now into the upper 70s near 80 and not high humidity, thankfully. comfortable humidity today, tonight and tomorrow and more clouds around and highs reaching mid-80s on friday and humidity returns with a chance of showers over the weekend. increasing humidity and increasing heat and passing storms. >> tom,

right now we are still seeing some slow traffic right now on the outer loop and much

better at route 50 and still have heavy delays as you make the trip from college park to silver spring. ange. >> mike, thanks. more weather

♪ ♪ ♪ somewhere down the road you might get lonely ♪ keep me in mind >> the zac brown band isn't your typical country band, they perform square dance to country and samba. i'm sufficient sufficient along with al roker and natalie morales. >> and coming up, easy summer style. all up need is a basic white t. we'll show you five different

ways to dress it up or down, making it perfect for the office or a night out. >> you better maybe sure you paput a bib over that white shirt. we're going to be sinking our teeth into a braised pork rib from a city or two that knows a thing about ribs, st. louis. >> whether it's the food or decor, planning a party can be kind of stressful. we have some ideas to keep it simple and keep it fun, like lemonade. >> talking of keeping it fun "america's got talent" moved four more people on last night, including big barry. >> big barry. >> it's great to be here. >> tough break, you didn't make it. howie mandel, great fan. he says you're not the greatest singer but you'd be a great

novelty singer. >> on the way out each said maybe we can do something together. would you mind? i said wow, would i mind? >> howard stern was tough on you. he said you're not funny and you have more talent in his big toe. >> that's howard being howard. i take it with a grain of salt. i got a thick skin. it doesn't bother me that much. that's what started the brouhaha between the two of them. >> i love the height differential between you and howard. >> that was great. he and i had fun. i mean, you know, off camera he's really a fun guy. >> so you've come between howard and howie. >> yes. >> you're kind of a howard sandwich at this point. >> i know you sing at your home in florida. what are some of your favorite songs? >> i like to sing "new york, new

york." it seems to be new york songs. >> give as you little "new york, new york." ♪ i'm leaving today, i'm going to be be a part of it, new york, new york ♪ >> big barry, bring it. >> we'll be looking for you and howie mandel together, an act soon to come. thank you. and 12 more contestants compete for their chance to win the million prize on "america's got of the weather from mr. roker. >> thanks so much. let's see what we got for you. starting off, we're talking about tomorrow. sizzling weather through the southwest and more thundershowers continue through the southeast and the mid-atlantic states and a risk of strong storms in the upper mississippi river valley and moving on into saturday, sunny and warm, as you make your way from the ohio river valley on mississippi all the way on down into texas, some thundershowers making their way through the

interior northwest. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning, tom kierein, storm center 4. beautiful summer morning under way. all these areas in yellow are in the 70s. it's at 77 now at reagan national and covers all of virginia, maryland and the eastern shore, beautiful morning under way. we don't have a lot of humidity around and we'll have some sun in and out with clouds in and out throughout the rest of the day. tomorrow, more clouds, highs midhfr midhmi mid-80s and not very humid. a chance of some showers and heat and humidity. for the >> that's your latest weather. >> thank you, al. coming up next, five ways to wear that little white t right after this. nual bonus. and who doesn't want 50% more cash? ugh, the baby. huh! and then the baby bear said, "i want 50% more cash in my bed!" phhht! 50% more cash is good ri... what's that. ♪

you can spell. [ male announcer ] the capital one cash rewards card. the card for people who want 50% more cash. what's in your wallet? ha ha. ♪ did you know honey nut cheerios is america's favorite cereal? oh, you're good! hey, did you know that honey nut cheerios is... oh you too! ooh, hey america's favorite cereal is... honey nut cheerios ok then off to iceland! yep. the longer you stay with us, the more you save. and when you switch from another company to us, we even reward you for the time you spent there. genius. yeah, genius. you guys must have your own loyalty program, right? well, we have something. show her, tom. huh? you should see november! oh, yeah? giving you more. now that's progressive. call or click today.

and you could save nearly one thousand dollars a year. switch to straight talk wireless

now you could win that one ousand dollars every week. just tell us how you'd spend it at straighttalkwin.com. same networks. same smartphones. half the cost. straight talk wireless. only at walmart. a great clean doesn't have to take longer. i'm done... i'm going to read one of these. i'm going to read one of these! [ female announcer ] unlike sprays and dust rags, swiffer 360 dusters extender gets into hard to reach places so you can get unbelievable dust pick up in less time.

i love that book! can you believe the twin did it? ♪ [ female announcer ] swiffer. great clean in less time. or your money back. ♪ this morning on "today's style," five ways to wear a little white tee. most of us spend more time than we liked standing in front of the closet wondering what the wear. if you have a white tee, you have the makings for an outfit. you say the white t is like a little white dress, right? >> exactly. it's a crew neck, from the gap and you can use it on all open cases. >> the first look is for work.

cheryl is modelling for us. the basics, $15 as you said. >> she's really wearing it as a shell. it's not something someone would look at and say, "oh, look at your tee shirt." we have a long blazer from lulu's. because it's tubd in, she's showing off her waist and her silhouette. you just throw in some neutral accessories like the shoes and bag and a few bangels. if she wanted to wear it for night, take off the jacket and add a necklace. >> thank you so much. cheryl, white tee for a barbecue look. for this we have our model lauren. this is paired up with the bermudas. it keeps it more casual for the barbecue but do you add some jazz to it with the accessories. >> this is a great color. the white is so clean.

it's a nice counterpoint to that great tomato red. the shorts are only $30. then you add in a statement. the necklace is actually from all the rage online. >> great. love that necklace. now for our nightous look, here's the way you can really dress up that white tee. come on out for us, kate. >> she looks so sweet and funky, she's ready to paint the town. the white echos in the blazer. it's only $25. we're seeing a lot of tight black pants. that's something that's very on trend but it's also a fashion basic that is easy to dress around. >> the look is only $40. you add in the gladiator sandals, and add in the accessories and nice chunky

bracelet and watch and she's ready to go. black and white is always in. thank you, kate. and now our weekend look, annalynn, she looks fun. >> we don't know where she's going. but she looks appropriate but casual in the most sophisticated way. she's and then some cute shoes and then the bracelets and she's all set to go. >> i love that. >> and now lorna, tell me about her outfit. >> this is something that might surprise a lot of people. if you're going to a daytime wedding, you think i have to go through a department store

spending a day or two going through expensive dresses. no. this says it all. this is from forever 21, the skirt is pleated. if you're not into the pleats, you can do the maxi skirt but with a great color, a great pattern. this is under $20, the skirt. can you splurge on the accessories like the necklace and shoes which up the glam factor. >> ladies come back out for one last look here. great job. fantastic. you really showed us the power of that little white shirt. thank you. >> coming up next, we're sinking our teeth into a midwestern favorite, braised st. louis pork steak. that's right after this. by what's getting done. the twenty billion dollars bp committed has helped fund economic and environmental recovery. long-term, bp's made a five hundred million dollar commitment to support scientists studying the environment. and the gulf is open for business - the beaches are beautiful, the seafood is delicious.

last year, many areas even reported record tourism seasons. the progress continues... but that doesn't mean our job is done. we're still committed to seeing this through. and set the stage for a great day.

hey, becky. hey....uncle steve. for life's bleachable moments. when i'm transported to a world of apricots and honey. there, strength giving formulas help restore my hair to so silky strong, i rule. [ female announcer ] new honey, i'm strong from herbal essences.

pleeeeeeeease... [ female announcer ] betty crocker fruit flavored snacks. pleeeeeeeease... less than 100 calories and made with real fruit pleeeeeeeease... thanks mom! [ female announcer ] betty crocker fruit flavored snacks. ian italian dinner for 2r $25. where choice is on the menu. start with all the fresh salad and warm breadsticks you want. choose 2 appetizers made for sharing. then 2 entrées from 6 of our favorites. classics like eggplant parmigiana and new favorites like smoked mozzarella chicken and spaghetti with four cheese meat sauce & meatballs. 3 courses, 2 people, just $25. but only for a limited time, at olive garden. ♪ you came a long way from st. louis ♪ >> good morning. on "today's kitchen," our chef

is here from st. louis to show us how to make up a st. louis braised pork steak. >> good to see you. >> when i got this recipe, i never heard of a pork steak. >> i never did until i moved to st. louis. i'd been cooking a long time and never heard of that. >> when you go to the butcher, do you tell them you want a pork steak? >> you might have to tell them you want to cut up the pork shoulder. >> we take roasted pepper, cumin and let it sit for a few hours. >> that's starting to draw out the liquid. >> so that's actually liquid from the steak? >> yes. we'll take it out and pat it dry. i'm guessing because it's

relatively thing it will cook rather quickly. >> depending on your butcher, it can be thin. hear that? on both sides, gets nice and brown. >> what goes into the brazing liquid? >> i'm just using water, some ginger and some cgarlic today. >> could you add something else? >> you could use beer, black kardamin, cinnamon stick. >> once you get this in, do you have to get to a boil? >> get it up to a simmer and then keep an eye on it. steak that size is going to be about two hours. >> do we put these right there? >> yes. do you want to throw them in? >> and you great lot of nice stock out of this, you can cook it down, strain it and use that as a sauce also. >> how long are we going to keep this in there? >> probably two hours. >> on the stove top or in the oven? >> can you put the lid on it and put it in the oven or leave it

on the stove top and cook real low. >> that will braze for -- >> a couple of hours. >> what are you dheerg? >> baby spinnish with fried cash us a -- cashews and raisins. you have to be careful with your salt to begin with. >> are we going to throw that all in together? >> add some of our cashews, some of our raisins to that. i always say toss, toss, mix. >> we have some of that finished back here. let's check it out. >> we do. we have this nice potato salad we use on the plate. >> a warm potato salad, it's got

cumin and turmeric. you want to put the spinach on the plate? and drain that off. we have a coriander chut any. >> everybody knows how to eat in st. louis. we're going to try this in just a little bit. thanks so much. coming up, we'll tell you matters. pioneers in outsourcing us jobs supports tax breaks overseas. insourcing. industry and favors bring jobs home. it matters. this message.

throwing a party always sounds like a good idea at first but when you get down to the planning, it can be a lot of work. if you're looking to get cool, calm and party on, the folks at real simple have come up with a

plan. what do you suggest to keep people on track and having fun at the same time? >> we came up with a whole no-sweat scheme because sum ever entertaining should be easy. there's a bunch of things you can do to have a good time and keep everybody happy. >> first on the invitation, there are three things to make sure of there. >> first of all, tell them when you're grilling. there's nothing worse than slinging burgers at 5 to 7 and someone showing up at 9. if you have a rain date, put it on the invite. a lot of people just do rain or shine. be specific so you won't be fielding calls the day off. and the third thing is attire. just be specific. is it flip flop casual? >> let people know. also you like to create the mood. a pun thing to do is include a

pinata. this is a pinata for all age, right? >> that's right. it's an adult pinata. it's not elmo. this is a fancy one from confetti systems. it's beautiful and really fun. can you get anything from a party supply store. the key is what you put in it. if you want to do a little more adult, do a monochromeatic situation. >> over here, what to serve. i don't want to be cooking all d day. so you suggest keeping it simple. >> summer food is so delicious, why bother trying to make it gourmet. burgers, dogs. just make sure you are keep things on ice, don't keep it out all day. but keep it basic. you can get fancy when you go to

drinks and desserts. >> let's move on and get fancy and go to the drinks. >> a signature cocktail is a good idea. this is a lime aid margarita. you're just using lime aid instead of using fresh lime. don't put the ice in the pitcher. keep it to the side. if you have don't have a cooler, can you use things like a planter. line the bottom with plastic or it will start to leak. >> and desserts. >> this is simple. pistachio ice cream, hot fun and cookies. just layer it and freeze it. >> and this on the end. >> this is if you're at a party in the sweltering heat. give your guests the cold towels. roll them up, put them in ice

water and they can put them on the backs of their necks. >> still ahead we got kathie lee and hoda.

9:57 is your time now on this thursday, july 12th, 2012. let's check in with storm 4 meteorologist tom kierein. how long can this nice weather last, tom? >> we'll keep humidity, not extreme. today, tonight and tomorrow. right now temperatures are upper 70s to around 80 and around the metro area and it will climb to near 90 by mid-afternoon, but not extreme humidity. sunshine in and out and few

clouds coming and going. tomorrow mostly cloudy and still not extreme humidity. getting more humid for the weekend, though, and into the first part of next week. how is our late morning traffic doing this morning? >> well, tom, we do have no serious delays on 95 in virginia in either direction. 95 in maryland looking better, but still have some delays on the outer loop in maryland right now. live look at new hampshire avenue and 20-minute ride at 28 miles per hour on the outer loop. eun? >> mike, thank you. don't forget to tune in tomorrow and wake up with us and get your day started the right way. news 4

[ obama ] i'm barack obama, and i approve this message. [ female announcer ] every woman who believes decisions about our bodies and our health care should be our own is troubled mitt romney supports overturning roe versus wade. romney backed a law that outlaws all abortion -- even in cases of rape and incest. and that's not all. i'll cut off funding to planned parenthood. [ female announcer ] for women, planned parenthood means life-saving cancer screenings and family-planning services.

but, for mitt romney... planned parenthood. we're going to get rid of that. captions paid for by... nbc-universal television hey, everybody. it is thirsty thursday, july 12th. we are so happy you are here with us today. >> we certainly are. >> we are glad to hear you were with us yesterday. >> talk about a reaction to our guys show. >> it's just a bunch of guys. >> we had a bunch of guys on our show. they apparently -- my feet look huge! >> don't they? >> that's terrible. oh, my gosh. that's the camera angle.

that's awful. >> they are size 12. >> i wear 9 1/2 on a good day. those are like skis. those were a big hit. what are they called? cozies. >> funions made a big hit. thanks to our guys. >> everyone wanted one of these cozies. here's the news. you can't really have one. >> they were only made up for the show. may i suggest to the geniuses over there in that building, make them. >> and they are great for a cold beverage on a hot day. very, very nice. you weren't into the coors light. >> i like a cold light beer when eating maryland crab. that i like, but we weren't. one group of friends i want to say a very quick hello to there.

sara and yvonne are my biggest heroes. >> the kids are here. >> they started child help which battles child abuse. the kids, the grandchildren are here. any way, they've dedicated their entire life to help children who are abused. it's now up to five children a day that are killed every day by neglect or abuse, so god bless them. >> absolutely. if if you want some exciting video, you might want to watch this. there was a woman who was fishing off, a freshwater canal off south carolina. she is pulling a fish, a big one. an even bigger one takes a bite. take a look at this thing. >> oh!

[ bleep ]. >> that was a shark. it was a shark. >> shark's got to eat, too. >> it wasn't just a shark, it was a shark. >> any way, thank god nothing bad happened. >> you know what, that has happened to me. >> what, a shark? >> yes. we were in a boat in the keys. and a big, big -- looked like a shark. >> took a chunk out of the fish you were pulling in? >> yeah, took the fish and took the line and went off with it. that's when you let it go. >> there was a lot of cursing going on there, too. >> sharks have to eat, too. okay? >> yes, they do. we heard troubling news. some of you may have heard about this. kristen chenowith was on the scene of "the good wife" shooting. a gust of wind came and hit a lighting fixture. it fell on to her and knocked her, according to tmz, out cold. it fell square on her head. she was rushed to a nearby new

york hospital. there was a witness that told tmz -- we can't independently confirm this, she lost consciousness and was seen bleeding and seizing. we don't know any other details about that. >> we love her to pieces. she is the tiniest -- she makes me daughter cassidy look full figured. she is the tiniest and this fell directly on to her head. oh, my gosh, we are praying for her complete recovery. as we get more details we'll tell you. >> sure. >> this was a weird thing that happened. there was this woman in georgia who let her lawn grow too long. it was a foot, i guess -- >> more than 12 inches. >> there were code an enforcement people who walk around and measure. >> apparently they are like bushes, not grass. >> an officer came to her house and saw this overgrown grass. >> wanted to give her a violation. >> he knocks on the door, doesn't get her. >> who is he calling? >> his people.

>> he went to the back door. no entry. >> he does not know the cameras are on. >> he decides, i'll knock and then i'll go right in. it's open. he walks into her bedroom where she is sleeping and says he claimed he yelled outside and yelled inside. it's hard to tell if he is saying anything. she was startled and told him to get out. he did. there he goes. >> she met him later. met him in the living room and signed the violation. >> i guess the guy, first he told his supervisor that -- what did he say? he went in, i don't remember. what did he say? no. what did he say? he didn't enter the home. i had a brain freeze. has that ever happened to you? you're talking and you have no idea. i remember the story. >> blessedly, it rarely happens

when we are on television in front of millions and millions of people. >> i forgot exactly what we were talking about at all. >> the worst part is you're looking at me and i didn't either. >> he lied first. >> you say he lied. >> i think. we don't know. anyway, the bottom line is, should he have busted into her house? >> she is going to -- what is she going to do? she is going to press charges against him and the town. >> i wonder if he knew she was sleeping. >> who knows what her night job is. there are reasons, i suppose to enter a person's house. if you heard domestic violence or something. >> he said he smelled something that sounded like someone might have died. >> that's just rude. maybe she had a gastrinomical

problem. >> it's time. let's do this. we are on a good role right now. >> we don't know what we are talking about. it's the perfect time to play the ihoda song. this is by a singer named cher, not cher, but cher lloyd. she is british and she sings this song "i want you back." it's about when the girl breaks up with the guy and she's later like, wait, what did i do? ♪ i heard you've been hanging out with another girl in town ♪ ♪ remember all the things i did for ♪ and you're doing them with her ♪ and now you're doing them with her

♪ remember all the things that i did first ♪ you got me ♪ now you're taking her to every restaurant ♪ and everywhere we went come on ♪ and now you're taking her to every restaurant ♪ you got me got me like this ♪ boy you can say ♪ i don't give a shh ♪ i want you back ♪ i want you back >> i will be kind to another songwriter. ♪ i want you back i want you back. >> here is your line right now. ♪ you ain't got a thing on me ♪ trying to rock them ugly jeans ♪ you clearly didn't think this through ♪ >> not my kind of thing. i told you a couple of months ago i went home and did a photo shoot. nobody asks me to go on a cover shoot. you know who wanted me

desperately? "life and dog." there we are, lola, bambino and louie. >> what is this? what is going on there? >> that's utterly ridiculous. >> uderly. >> the author was brian rice. came to the house. the nicest group of people. >> beautiful pictures in here. one of your puppies got all the air time. it wasn't lola and it wasn't louie. >> it was bambino. >> look at bambino. >> bambino is in four of the five pictures, then the other two are. >> you know what? if parents are honest, they would admit they do sometimes favor one of their children over others. not supposed to admit it, but it's true. yes. >> so you love bambino more? >> he is loving me at the time.

the thing about dogs is, they don't know what has gone on. they don't know how much money you have, if you're ugly or angelina jolie, thank god, but they love you. they love you unconditionally. you come home and, you know the old joke. if p you put your wife -- we're terrible. if you put your wife and your dog in the trunk and leave them there four hours, which one is going to be happy to see you when you take them out? they're right. the dog. we want to wish -- we already did. kourtney had her new baby penelope. >> we have pictures? >> hoda, what are you? >> i don't know what's going on today. >> did you give up drinking and that's the problem? >> is it okay for stars to brag about movie sexing? >> you say if they are so comfortable with it, why am i so uncomfortable. >> hoda said, yes, it's okay.

if i don't get to make out with george clooney, i want to hear all about it from someone who has. >> i want to know if those guys are as they seem. know what i'm saying? >> there is something else. >> oh, yes. >> yesterday we went to see -- i didn't title it. "old jews telling jokes." it is exactly as advertised. except there are a couple of young jews, too, telling jokes. it's 80 minutes at the west side theater, downstairs little theater. >> it was really funny. >> very, very funny. one joke i didn't appreciate. >> bette midler was there the night before howling. >> i know so many of these jokes and you scream any way. it's delivered brilliantly. have fun there. >> john leguizamo is back with us. >> what is he eating? s he's eating the food. >> nobody eats the food in the

greenroom. it's just for show. >> we'll have the results of our ambush makeover. [ male announcer ] what's in your energy drink? ♪ power surge, let it blow your mind. [ male announcer ] for fruits, veggies and natural green tea energy... new v8 v-fusion plus energy. could've had a v8.

within each strand of an oat's rhythmical sway. when an apple's vibrant red temptation, and honey's sweet touch of golden sensation, join together with a pecan crunch you'll savor, creating the most perfect lesson in flavor. at nature valley, nature's best-written recipe is ready for you to enjoy. delicious granola bars made with the best ingredients in nature. nature valley, nature at its most delicious.

nature valley, ♪ [ ping! ] [ ping! ping! ] that's why i use new tampax radiant. it helps keep my period invisible, combing tampax's best-ever leak protection with a revolutionary resealable wrapper so all they'll see is me. [ ping! ] ♪ hi. totally new, awesomely-invisible tampax radiant. check out the whole radiant collection. in the newest installation of the 3-d animated film "ice age, continental drift," comedian and actor john leguizamo is back as the voice

of slid the loveable sloth. >> he is anything but slothful. he is like the actor that plays him. he's energetic and silly and slobbers all over his family. >> see, he still hugs his parents. >> oh, my old familiar. i knew it, i knew it. >> that's incorrect. we totally abandoned you. >> but we always missed you. right? >> yeah, yeah. >> that was the voice of joy behar. >> joy is my mom and wanda sykes is my grand mom. her voice is gold. i've got to take care of her. she is my geriatric grand match i've got to get her teeth, prechew her food. >> that's why they want you back to take granny, right? >> yeah, then they re-abandon me

just like my family. >> you're taking car of your whole family. >> they are not going to abandon me as long as i pay the checks. >> how did you come up with the voice for this character? >> they approached me. i talk really fast and sloth doesn't make sense. how about a southern type? what about like real slow? he's like no? how about something exotic from india perhaps? he said no. how about downtown new york city, you know, like this and waddup? no. i looked at the discovery channel, sloths move so slow, they have fungus on them. >> we had them here. >> they are stinky. >> do they have a lisp? >> they store food in their cheek pouches, it ferments, it turns into alcohol and they get drunk and fall off the trees.

>> that happens in our house a lot. >> you're confessing. i'm not gossiping. i started walking around with a sandwich, how do i come up with this voice? >> you're going to spill hot coffee on your crotch any minute. >> thank you for being observant. i appreciate that. i'll hold it over here. it's a nice attractive mug, isn't it? >> they are available at the nbc experience store. >> $14. >> i'll buy a couple for my family. >> we should bring out the other character. >> i didn't finish the story. >> are you still talking? >> i started walking around, i've got the voice. guess who this is? >> we've got to bring out -- >> we are so excited. >> queen latifah is here with your daughter! >> my daughter allegra. >> hey! >> show us the dance. >> hit it. >> back it up.

>> hey, girls. >> jump back. ♪ >> to the side and drift jump, wiggle your rump and walk it out like this. >> i like it. to the side. ♪ >> all right. we learned something new today here. >> i like watching this move. >> queen, you don't know this step, do you? >> she knows it now. "continental drift" rocks. >> we'll battle it out to see who knows the best food choices to make. >> right after this. [ female announcer ] daily sun exposure

requires daily sun protection. eucerin daily protection spf 15 body lotion is a long-lasting moisturizer and spf in one. it helps protect skin against everyday sun exposure. daily protection body lotion only from eucerin. i'm home! [ scraping ] hey...dinner. [ male announcer ] of all the things that happen on your wooden surfaces, disinfecting has to be one of them. clorox disinfecting wipes. gentle on wood. hard on germs.

clorox disinfecting wipes. so you're telling me he didn't win the batting title in 1935, but he won ii'm 99.9% positive. so you don't know. ball park angus beef franks. made with 100% angus beef, to make guys 100% happy. [ female announcer ] new lipton tea & honey. sweetened with honey, made from real tea leaves and real fruit flavors. ♪ it's never felt so real ♪ no, it's never felt so right ♪ [ female announcer ] only 5 calories. new lipton tea & honey. "just started trying all the yoplait flavors! i love them." well ,we love that you started eating yoplait. but melissa, there's over 40 delicious flavors so you've got some catching up to do. yoplait, it is so good. but kate still looks like...kate. [ female announcer ] nice'n easy with colorblend technology is proven to give more blends of tones. for color that's true to you. i don't know how she does it. [ female announcer ] with nice'n easy, all they see is you.

why use temporary treatments when you can prevent the acid that's causing it with prevacid24hr. with one pill prevacid24hr works at the source to prevent the acid that causes frequent heartburn all day and all night. and with new prevacid24hr perks, you can earn rewards from dinner deals to music downloads for purchasing prevacid24hr. prevent acid all day and all night for 24 hours with prevacid24hr. it is time for madelyn's food fight. saturday is bastille day. the french love to indulge in the most elegant treats. >> if you're planning a champagne soiree, just how healthy will your diet be? >> hello. >> you look beautiful. >> very french today. >> we saw the hats and hoda's fits her head.

>> that's a good start. >> it's perched. >> champagne is always a good choice. is this statement true or false. all champagne is made in france? >> actually, yes. the other is called sparkling wine from california. >> yes, you're correct. >> i think i'm going to lose this one. >> on to something a very popular salad in france is a salad nicoise coming from nice. which is not part of this, tuna, black olives, potatoes, green beans or chicken? >> chicken. >> mine is not working. >> i think it is. >> whatever. let's move on to something very french. >> i was born in france. >> cheese and bread. a one ounce serving of brie cheese and one ounce of bread, does this have more or less than 200 calories. >> more, definitely. >> what? >> oh, mon dieu what a day

you're having. >> which has less calories? is it the crepe with strawberries or the croissant? >> it's the crepe. >> could she may be get the question out before you answer? >> which has more calories, that or that. >> i can't see it. it's blocked by bambino. >> two-part flavored cocktail question. a popular drink before dinner and aperetif is called pastis. is this cherries, licorice or mint. >> licorice. >> one of these three is flavored with apples, cognac, calvados or armagnac? >> the second one.

>> right. >> the tiebreaker. >> it is not a tiebreaker. it's 4-2. >> exactly. >> look at these small shell-shaped cookies. is this an isabel or madeleine? >> madeleine. >> who won? >> moi. >> what's the prize? >> the prize is -- >> oh, i love her. "french women don't get fat." >> thank you very much. i will enjoy this very, very much. i don't usually win, but today i did. >> coming up next, their own revolution. spectacular results of today's plaza ambush makeover. >> plus, everyone has a story. a triathlete and mother of 8-year-old twins who bravely battled pancreatic cancer and is winning.

[ female announcer ] chair climbing isn't a professional sport, but it takes real effort and pampers cruisers with 3-way fit. they adapt at the waist, legs, and bottom for up to 12 hours of protection. play freely in pampers cruisers. fiber one. uh, forgot jack's cereal. [ jack ] what's for breakfast? um... try the number one!

[ jack ] yeah, this is pretty good. [ male announcer ] half a day's worth of fiber. fiber one. [ jim ] you know, that's our business. so we want to be the experts in chicken. we're not the status quo. perdue is the first and the only chicken company to have usda process verified programs for fresh, all natural chicken. [ jim ] this is an all-vegetarian diet. no animal byproducts, no animal fat. our chickens are not fed steroids or hormones. it's not gonna happen.

[ jim ] we raise our chickens cage-free, and we set our goals higher than anyone. we're trying to make a better chicken. [ jim ] my dad did, my grandfather did, and it's what we do today.

it's thirsty thursday. that means it's time for today's plaza ambush makeovers, when we surprise two lucky ladies outside and surprise them with a brand-new look. >> our resident makeover team "today" contributor and stylist to the stars, luis licari, la, la, la, la, la -- and "today" and "us weekly" contributor jill martin. >> two ladies said it was their dream to be on the show. >> oh, good. >> look at you, the dream maker team. let's start off with claire. 40 years old from westerville, ohio. between balancing a full-time job and being a single mom to her three kids, she rarely has

time to do anything for herself. she washrilled when we approached her to come on theak. >> cara, you really want this for mommy. tell me why. >> because she helps me with my homework. >> she does? what else does she do? >> she feeds me food. >> we love that. she's a good mom. i know you really want this makeover. tell me why. >> thank you. you now, i just feel like i always look the same. my hair is always the same. i would like a change, something different. >> we are going to give you that. are you ready to go? >> i am. thank you. >> she is a beautiful woman. >> she is. >> look at her adorable daughter. keep your blind fold on till i give you the green light. >> keep it on till your teeth come in. just teasing. >> here is claire's before picture. come on out, be claire! oh, wow.

>> oh, my gosh! are you ready? >> all right. take off your blind fold. wait till you see mommy. >> hi, sweetie. >> very new yorky. >> oh, my goodness. >> i love that haircut. >> oh, my gosh. >> it's gorgeous. >> wow. >> look at camera 12, if you wouldn't mind. >> you see the difference. >> tell us about this fashionable haircut. >> this is a killer haircut. i can promise you, you won't be a single mother of three for long. i made the hair color deeper. she looks fantastic. >> i love the feathers around the ears. it is so pretty. >> the back kept it soft and of course that long sexy bang. you're a man magnet. >> you want to come see your mom?

tell us what you think. >> it's really your mommy. you can go up to her. she looks gorgeous. >> that dress is so cute, jill. >> she whispered to me, wow. when she walked out. she was two sizes smaller. that's always good to hear. this is another version of the little black dress from maggie london with the sheer. let's show off your back. i love that diamond back. >> that is gorgeous. >> good job. you look beautiful. >> our second lady is carolyn conrad. 42 from woodland hills, california, where i used to live. when we asked about her daily beauty routine, she said she is lucky if she has time for a shower. >> this is already a win because you wanted to meet al roker and you met him. now it's mom's turn. why is she the best mom?

>> she makes me food. >> that is a common theme today. what about you? >> she cares for me and helps me with my homework. >> why do you want this for your sister? >> she is a hard working stay-at-home mom and deserves it. >> i'm ready to go! >> all righty, keep the blind folds on. take one last look at carolyn before and bring out the new carolyn conrad. >> take off your blind fold. >> wow! you ready, carolyn? spin around, sweetie. >> oh, my gosh! >> you look fantastic. >> you look great. >> everyone looks great today. >> don't leave us. >> let everyone see what you look like. this is a very simple but very elegant chic, timeless haircut.

>> like a bob? >> yes. this is a bob. we gave it the fashion statement with the bangs. she wears them so well. >> it's darling. >> i softened the color, of course. her hair was -- she put black color on it. >> the highlights are nice. >> once you're black and you're not quite black any more, your hair color, you should make it softer. >> how is the family doing? >> they don't recognize her. >> do you recognize your mom? >> she looks beautiful. >> what about her dress? >> i love it. >> she loves black and white. we wanted to play with that theme. you could wear with flats or flip-flops or dress up at night. by london times. >> let's bring claire out, too. >> everybody. good job, everybody. thank you, luis. thank you. >> next up, we have "everyone has a story." >> this is going to inspire you. >> gorgeous woman. we also have a fantastic singer

for us today. we'll be right back. [ female announcer ] what makes florida's natural orange juice taste so uniquely fresh and delicious? is it the rich florida soil? or the perfect blend of sunshine, rain, and temperature? maybe it's the fact that florida's natural oranges are never imported. they're raised right here in florida, and passed with care from our hands to yours. 100% pure. 100% florida. florida's natural. that's been wrapped in a flaky crust stuffed with a gooey center toasted up all golden brown then given a delicious design? a toaster strudel. pillsbury toaster strudel. so delicious...so fun.

pillsbury toaster strudel. and you could save nearly one thousand dollars a year. switch to straight talk wireless now you could win that one ousand dollars every week. just tell us how you'd spend it at straighttalkwin.com. same networks. same smartphones. half the cost. straight talk wireless. only at walmart. dinner with the girls tonight. i really want dessert. i better skip breakfast. yep. this is all i need.

[ stomach growls ] [ female announcer ] skipping breakfast to get ahead? research shows that women that eat breakfast like the special k breakfast actually weigh less. and, with honey kissed whole grains of oats & honey... you'll never want to skip breakfast again. [ woman ] victory is sweet. ♪ [ female announcer ] what will you gain when you lose? requires daily sun protection. eucerin daily protection spf 15 body lotion is a long-lasting moisturizer and spf in one. it helps protect skin against everyday sun exposure. daily protection body lotion only from eucerin. daily protection body lotion mommy! i went potty! that's great, honey.... where? for life's bleachable moments.

it is time for our newest "everyone has a story" contest winner. a mom of two from delray, florida. her name is molli.

>> let's listen to the letter her friend wrote us about this amazing lady. >> molli is a beautiful, 38-year-old mother of 8-year-old twins. she is also a phenomenal triathlete. in 2011, molli was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. her odds were 20% chance of making it to the first year and only a 6% chance of making it five years. after her diagnosis, molli redirected her focus from ironman training to the fight for her life. on june 28th, 2011, the day of the twins' 7th birthday, molli under went a very invasive, seven-hour surgical procedure which removed a large part of her pancreas, a large part of your stomach, intestines, gallbladder and rerouted numerous parts of her digestive system. recovery was extremely difficult. like a true champion, molli

astonished even her doctors with her threshold for pain. two weeks to the day of her surgery, she was back on her bike. let's hit this cancer with everything you've got, i can handle it was her motto. throughout the entire process, molli maintained her biking regiment. the back pockets of her jersey held her chemo pump and showed up for radiation in her bike kit. today she is cancer-free. back to her training and stronger than ever. >> isn't that unbelievable? she is here with her sister niki and cara who wrote that letter. welcome to all of you. i literally walked by molli this morning thinking she was a model on one of our segments. when i was introduced i said you are the person? to look at you, we cannot believe you had this kind of a year. >> it's been a year, but you know, i've been lucky. i've been very lucky. >> we talk about how difficult

that is to detect. it's very fortunate yours was caught when it was. >> i was very lucky. >> tell us about your friend having stomach problems? >> i have a friend dr. david wyss who rides bikes with me. i had stomach pain that radiated to my back. i was training for an ironman race. i would run 20 miles. i felt okay though. he insisted on, you know, molli, i think you should get an mri. you should check this out. i had gone and had pancreatitis. i got the mri and they found the tumor. >> your sister seems so incredibly strong. is this the way she was from the get-go? >> from the get-go. my mother and i said every time we saw her, we were amazed.

you would think we would have to lift her up and she was the one, when we were with her, she lifted us up. so inspirational, so strong. so proud of her. >> you are the one to write the letters? >> yes. i was best friends with niki in high school. molli was quite a few older than us. i met her a few times but didn't know her. she would send all the information on the computer, i was watching and i was like, oh, my god. i couldn't believe she was so puck and it happened. this is the most fantastic woman i've ever seen in my life. and you are, you are. i look at her story and anything you thinks wrong with your life or whatever is going on, you're like i don't have anything to complain about. she makes me want to be a better person. >> all of us. you do that for all of us. thank you so much. >> when we come back, from the broadway stage to our studio. >> jenny powers about to have a

baby. if her water breaks, ignore it. she'll sing a song written just for molli after this. [ female announcer ] with swiffer wet cleaning better doesn't have to take longer. i'm done. i'm gonna...use these. ♪ give me just a little more time ♪ [ female announcer ] unlike mops, swiffer can maneuver into tight spaces and its wet mopping cloths can clean better in half the time. mom? ♪ ahhhh! ahhhh! no it's mommy! [ female announcer ] swiffer. better clean in half the time. or your money back. ♪

♪ power surge, let it blow your mind. [ male announcer ] for fruits, veggies and natural green tea energy... new v8 v-fusion plus energy. could've had a v8. new v8 v-fusion plus energy. look who we got here. put a little pepper on that. i'm a typical mom. i go to amusement parks. and my kid's games. and just like any typical mom i'm thrilled when my champion loves to eat something nutritious, like chobani champions yogurt. it's a good source of protein, and most important, he loves it. so even though i'm an olympian, around here,

i'm just another mom trying to help her champion win the day. chobani champions. win the day.

perdue is the first and the only chicken company to have usda process verified programs for fresh, all natural chicken. our chickens are not fed steroids or hormones. [ jim ] we raise our chickens cage-free. we're trying to make a better chicken. this is our perdue perfect portions, five chicken breasts individually wrapped so you can use what you want,

and put the rest in the refrigerator. this is something even i can cook. i am not a perfect cook, but this is a perfect meal. [ jim perdue ] we believe in a better chicken. ♪ everyone as a moment >> we are back with "everyone has a story" honors molli serrano for her successful battle with pancreatic cancer. molli is here with her sister niki and friend cara. >> it's time to hear the song david friedman and i wrote just for you. here to sing it is the wonderful broadway performer jenny powers. the song is called "you do the impossible." ♪ what do you do when you're dealt a lousy hand ♪ that's too hard to understand ♪ ♪ what do you do ♪ when the answers aren't clear

♪ do you sit around in fear ♪ well that's not what you do ♪ when it happens to you ♪ you do the impossible ♪ all your life you trained across the finish line ♪ ♪ pushed the limit ♪ chased the dream ♪ and you were doing fine ♪ each day you grew stronger closer to the prize ♪ one day you discover much to your surprise ♪ you were being asked to run a different race ♪ ♪ one with different obstacles and challenges to face ♪ ♪ but this didn't stop you ♪ this was nothing new ♪ you just kept on doing ♪ what you always do ♪ you do the impossible

♪ you get up every day ♪ and you find a better way to do the impossible ♪ ♪ to give it your best shot ♪ give it everything you've got ♪ and we know you'll pull through ♪ cause that's just what you do ♪ ♪ you do the impossible ♪ all your life you strained to reach that final goal ♪ ♪ stretched each muscle to the brink in pain to gain control ♪ ♪ so we know you'll give it all you have to give ♪ ♪ to beat it ♪ to feed it ♪ to triumph and to live ♪ you'll do the impossible ♪ you'll get up every day ♪ and you'll find a better way ♪ to do the impossible ♪ to give it your best shot

♪ give it everything you've got ♪ and we know that you'll pull through ♪ cause that's just what you do ♪ ♪ you do the impossible ♪ because the impossible ♪ is possible for you ♪ you do the impossible >> come over and join us, please. >> we'll take a break and be right back to talk to jenny after this. this is "today" on nbc. the first time i saw fios it was absolutely amazing.

for years and years we had to put up with cable. once we got fios it was like somebody like took our computer and shook all the junk out of it. [ male announcer ] don't settle for the same old cable technology. switch to a verizon fios triple play and upgrade your entertainment equipment with our 100% fiber-optic network and whole home solution, including a high-speed wireless router plus a new multi-room dvr and new hd set top box free for 12 months. everything has to be fast now, and that's what fios provides us

right now when we want it. [ male announcer ] and now, with new fios quantum speeds, you can enjoy internet more than twice as fast as anything you've ever seen. fios gives me way more for my money. [ male announcer ] switch to fios for just $99.99 a month with a two-year agreement. and get our whole home solution -- a $359 value. call 1-888-879-fios. that's 1-888-879-3467. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v. say goodbye to your old technology. welcome to life on fios. ♪

we are back with "everyone has a story" honors a very special woman. >> jenny powers just performed "you do the impossible" for molly. composer david friedman is here and david wilde on the keyboard. matt cavanaugh is with us, allegedly the father of this unborn child. >> what did you think of your song? >> it was unbelievable. the words, the way you performed it. you were singing to me. it was beautiful, absolutely beautiful. >> you deserve it, after everything you've gone through. >> you deserve something. visa donated a $2,000 gift card for you, which is huge. don't take this on the plane. >> you can buy cute outfits. >> thank you so much. >> you're welcome. >> such a great, great bunch. >> this is the first time we had

someone actually memorize the song, as well. so thank you for that. >> you inspired me. >> she had three days. >> that's right. what took you so long? all right. great to see everybody. god bless you, molli. you're in our prayers. >> tomorrow, freida pinto joins us. >> fashion emergencies. >> all of that plus a great singer paul sykes. i met him in nashville. >> have a great thirsty thursday. tomorrow is try day friday are, everybody. have an awesome day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

for years and years we had to put up with cable. once we got fios it was like somebody like took our computer

and shook all the junk out of it. [ male announcer ] don't settle for the same old cable technology. switch to a verizon fios triple play and upgrade your entertainment equipment with our 100% fiber-optic network and whole home solution, including a high-speed wireless router plus a new multi-room dvr and new hd set top box free for 12 months. everything has to be fast now, and that's what fios provides us right now when we want it. [ male announcer ] and now, with new fios quantum speeds, you can enjoy internet more than twice as fast as anything you've ever seen. fios gives me way more for my money. [ male announcer ] switching to fios has never been easier with our whole home solution. get what you need in one easy package -- a $359 value. call 1-877-827-fios. that's 1-877-827-3467. contact the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v. say goodbye to your old technology. welcome to life on fios. ♪