work requirement, because it works. [ romney ] i'm mitt romney and i approve this message. misty may treanor and kerri walsh jennings earning another gold in beach volleyball. what's next for the olympic legends? we'll ask them live. and it was a big night for team usa at track and field. americans capturing 7 of 12 medals. now the u.s. women's soccer team goes for its third straight gold

facing the world reigns champs today, thursday, august 9, 2012. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today" at the olympic games with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from olympic park in london, england. >> good morning and welcome to "today" on this thursday morning here in london's olympic park. i'm savannah guthrie. >> and i'm matt lauer. >> good morning. you want to cap off your olympics and you do it the way mist ooe may treanor and kerri walsh jennings did it. it could have been southern california, it was all americans. >> it was a good night to be

americans. misty and kerri winning in straight sets. when it was over the dynamic duo could not contain their excitement. we'll talk to misty and kerri about their dance moves and t final match straight ahead. >> it was also all about team usa at the olympic stadium as well. seven medals, three of those gold, highlighted by allyson felix's win in the 200 meters. she was simply overjoyed. i would imagine she's still on cloud nine this morning. we'll catch up with allyson live as well. >> this morning we'll show you stunning images captured by a man who calls the olympic the premiere event for any photographer. ann curry is here with a very special profile. >> and a woman who is drawing inspiration from the athletes here in london, lawrence scruur.

>> we've covered her story. she was injured when she walked into a propeller. today we'll talk to her. >> natalie has the olympic headlines. >> good morning. once again, as you heard it was one of team usa's biggest days of these games, 11 medals in al including gold and silver in that, sighting all-american women's beach volleyball final. >> it is over here in london! misty and kerr,three-peat olympic gold! >> they are still the queens of beach volleyball. wednesday night misty may treanor and kerri walsh jennings won their third olympic medals. the pair beat fellow americans jen kessy and april ross for

gold. may treanor and walsh jennings have never lost a match in the olympics. >> i felt this woman deserved to go out on top. she's not going anywhere. we're friends for life. >> i wanted to finish this journey with kerri. i believe in what she does and she believes in me. we knew this was possible. >> misty may's mus matt watched the matchline from los angeles where he plays baseball. >> once they get their minds set on something, it's no holds barred, they're going to go out and do it. >> for kessy and ross, it was their olympic debut. >> i can't believe we came out of it with a silver medal, in the olympics. we keep saying that. >> a gold rush in track and field for the u.s. team.

in the 200 meter, allyson felix fired down the stretch after taking gold in beijing. >> that's a big jump. >> a victory in the long jump for brittney reese, the first u.s. gold in the event since jackie joyner kersey in '88. a close finish in the 400 meter hurdles. lashinda demus took silver just over russia. for the men a one-two finish in the 110 meter hurdles. merit flew to gold. and the fastest man in the world is getting ready to run. wednesday usain bolt easily qualified for tonight's 200 meter final. if he win, he'll become the first man to defend almost pick

titles in both the 100 and 200 meter. and a moment in history. 19-year-old sara atar became the first woman to represent saudi arabia at the olympics in track and field. she finished last in an 800 meter qualifying heat but got a big round of applause from the crowd. and today's main events, the u.s. women's soccer team takes on japan in the gold medal game and the u.s. women's water polo team goes for gold against spain. wednesday put usa back on top in the medal count. >> natalie, thank you very much. it was a story book ending to the olympic careers of misty may treanor and kerri walsh jennings winning gold for the third straight time, pushing their career olympic record to a perfect 21-0. they only lost one set in all of their olympic competitions.

misty and kerri, good morning. >> good morning. thank you. it's always a treat. >> it's a treat for us, too, for you to be here live. you guys thought '04 and '08 were great. you said london would be the best. did it finish out that way? >> without a doubt. misty and i have had a great tournament. we've played the toughest competition in the world. to be hanging with you today, dream come true. >> and for us. did it change your outlook because you were facing another u.s. team? or were they just two other competitors? >> we had a similar situation in athens. it's never easy playing your own countrymen but way to represent usa beach volleyball is to have a gold medal match usa versus usa. you know, they helped elevate our game because they are such

wonderful players and i couldn't be more proud to face jen and april in the finals. >> we were there last night, it was fantastic. it seemed to me, kerri, a turning point in the second set, it was 16-14, there was a shot that looked like a winner and up came the ball and set you up for a point. >> that's what she does best, isn't it? >> those are back breakers. you want to build momentum and you want to crush the spirit of your opponent. >> the medal ceremony was poignant for a couple of reasons, three golds in a row, that's enough. but also we're watching as we know it's going to be the last time you two stand there together. what was going through your mind? >> it was a bit overwhelming. i'm personally ready for my next journey, but i will never leave her side. it was emotional but i think, you know, we learned so much

about everything outside of volleyball. that's what this olympic signified was the journey off the court together. it's something we're never going to forget. we're going to be in each other's lives forever. >> tell me something about her that you don't know. >> i hate questions like this. i don't even know where to start. we have a pregame prep. she comes in my room. we have -- what do we play on? >> it's my break dancing. >> she does the egg beater. we have to clear all the sharp edges out. >> i should probably wear a helmet, not the best thing, don't try it at home. >> i think the world knows she's one of the most genuine, amazing women in the entire world. >> i just want to show one thing, we have a video of your husband matt playing for the

dodgers last night watching on the laptop. he said this after your victory. >> there's a huge amount of respect for my wife and what she does. for them to go back and do this, you know, you can't see enough about the two of them. they've adapted their game, they became better as far as their communication and stuff like that and the old ladies went out and did it. kerri's going to kill him for saying that. he's one of our biggest fans. for people to see on the outside the work we've put in and how we've adapted and changed, it's wonderful. >> i love the moment your husband grabbed you and lifted you -- >> it was my brother. >> oh, it was your brother. >> it was really special to see that and share it with everyone. >> three-peat. >> feels good. >> congratulations, ladies and thanks for stopping by. >> our pleasure.

>> it was an all-american celebration last night. april ross and jen kessy took silver. good morning to you ladies. if you had watched the medal ceremony in black and white, you would have thought you guys had won gold from the smiles on your faces. how exciting is it to be going home with silver medals? >> as competitive as it is in beach volleyball, i can't say i expected to be going home with a medal. to bring home a gold and a silver for usa is huge and we're really happy. >> jen, to come so close to getting into the olympic in beijing and now you've got it. what did you think when you were on that medal stand? >> the first i was thinking i would have loved the gold but then i just soaking it in. i've been really, really happy to be up there with april. we've been through a huge road together, a really long road. i'm so proud and so honored. i was holding back tears for

sure. >> april, you grew up watching misty may treanor, but if you had to lose to one team, are you glad it was kerri and misty? >> yeah. they've done so much for volleyball worldwide. >>but you had an amazing tournament. you knocked out the number one seed, the brazilian team. that's got to be on your highlight team. >> oh, yeah. we actually already watched the match again. i can't wait to watch it on nbc at home. we hadn't beaten them in nine times. it's embarrassing to say that. >> biggest victory of our career i would say. >> jen, i have to ask you about your lucky chewing gum. what is this during the match against brazil that it wasn't going so well until you realized you forgot to chew your gum?

>> yes, i realized it always helps me. call a time-out, put it in and it just changed the tide for us. >> april, are you going to carry the gum for now? >> i have carried the gum. my husband is the gum captain. she called a time-out, what is she doing? it's so early in the game. she's like i didn't have gum in. i'm like, okay. >> are you and your gum coming to rio in 2016? >> yes, she is. >> but not you, jen? >> i think i've been it two olympics because we were so close the last time. i'm 35 and i'm not sure what the future holds but i'm not sure if it includes rio. i won't count it out 100% but 99%. >> i know someone named kerri who is looking for a partner. >> it was a very special night at the olympic stadium as well.

after winning silver in 2004 and 2008, allyson felix finally got the medal she has trained so hard for in the 200 meters. good morning. >> thank you so much. >> i watched your preliminary race that got you into the final and i watched the way you came into that turn and blew everybody away down the straight. i thought to myself if there's one sure thing in london, allyson felix is going to win this 200. were you confident? >> i was confident. i felt things were coming together for me. the semi-went well so i felt pretty good in the final ps. >> did you realize how big a lead you had? >> i had no idea. i was just trying to be aggressive. >> are you looking at the monitor showing the race or the scoreboard? what are you seeing? >> in the semi you're looking at the monitor, looking where everybody else. in the final you're dead out to

cross that finish line. i think i was overwhelmed. at that moment it hadn't even all sunk in. i let out a "thank you lord" and was overjoyed. >> i mentioned silver in 2004, silver in 2008 and now the gold. and you really have trained hard for this. is this the highlight of your career? >> definitely. i was devastated in beijing. i remember seeing my family and just being in tears. last night i saw them and we were all so happy so it's pretty cool. >> as a broadcaster when i hear you say you were devastated getting a silver medal in the olympics, it's hard to imagine. >> it's a crazy thing because you are so grateful, you're so competitive, it's all about gold. >> you've got one more event here, young lady. >> two. >> you have the 4x100.

>> and 4x4. i think it's going to be pretty special. >> allyson felix, congratulations. it's great to see you. >> good morning, everyone. a rare and daring rescue overnight to save an american stranded in antarctica with a serious medical emergency. keith miller has the latest. >> good morning. the patient has not been identified but is reported to be in stable condition. the rescue was necessary because the medical condition could not be treated at the remote facility. privacy laws restrict the amount of information released but staff at the location said the staff needed immediate corrective surgery. it was the australians to the rescue. a specialist medical team was dispatched to airlift the patient to a hospital in new

zealand. flying into antarctica in the winter is a dangerous and rare event as the weather is unpredictable. they prepared the pegasus for landing. wind chill minus 100 degrees fahrenheit with visibility less than 100 feet. but there was no battle with the weather today as the evacuation flight touched down safely in new zealand. >> mid-winter medical evacuations are sometimes necessary since the research station operates only an urgent care center. natalie? >> thanks, keith. july was one for the record books this year as it became the hottest month in the continental u.s. ever. the previous record was set during the dust bowl in the

summer of 1936. it has been the warmest 12-month period on record as drought conditions worsen. >> new york shakeem for the susan g. komen for the cure's foundation as the president resigns. nancy brinker will also leave her post as chief executive but will serve in a management role. they have been struggling since they tried to cut finding earlier for planned parenthood. and mary thompson is back with us at the new york stock exchange. good morning, mary. >> good morning. traders back to work after a mixed session yesterday. the dow notching its fourth straight gain and nasdaq closing lower. a spike in global food prices could cause rise like those in 2007 and wait. gasoline prices are inching higher following a refinery fire in the bay area. prices in the golden state could

reach $4 a gallon. back to you. >> mary thompson, thank you. >> and nasa's rover curiosity has been on mars for just a few days and already the conspiracy series have begun. a dark image seemed to be a shadow until they sent back a second photo with that mi mysterious blotch completely gone. they say it's most likely just dirt on the lens. or could it be that rover isn't quite alone? i don't know. back over to matt and savannah just now. >> it is a mystery. >> it could mean disaster! >> mr. roker, what's going on? >> well, we've got unfortunately risk area weather to talk stretching from the northeast all the way into the midwest and

the lower mississippi river valley, hail, damaging winds, torrential downpours and can't even rule out a tornado or two. you look on the radar, stuff firing up. central indiana and rainfall amounts from green bay down to cincinnati. anywhere from three to five inches of rain. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> that severe risk is coming our way tomorrow. today, though, a pleasant start this morning. good morning, tom kierein in storm center 4. temperatures around the region now are in the 60s west and north of washington, around the shenandoah valley in the mountains and closer to washington and near the bay, low to mid-70s and upper 70s in the metro areas and later today, low to mid-90s and a greater chance of some showers and some thunder and lightning tonight, as well as tomorrow morning and maybe afternoon and evening storms on friday with some damaging winds. less . >> that's your latest weather. gorgeous weather now. fantastic last night at the horse guards parade for that match. in fact, we were all hanging out together, just having a good

time. there you go. >> apparently i didn't make the picture. >> you were out getting beer. >> my face smiling so hard, that was exhausting. >> coming up, much more from london, including a victory lap around the city for the u.s. women's gold medal withining gymna

just ahead, the first time olympians who gave team usa a one-two finish. we'll talk to them. >> and lawrence scruggs will be here for her first interview when she was injured walking into a plan propeller. that's next. parents this year i'm going to teach your kids

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good morning, tom kierein storm center 4. satellite and radar showing one shower into the panhandle of west virginia and else where,

it's partly cloudy to sunny morning. in the 70s later and low to mid-90s and a chance of afternoon and evening storms and

i hear you speak british. >> we speak a little bit of british. >> we're really fantastic. >> so what do you do after you win gold here in london? smart to do a little sightseeing of course. jenna bush hager tags along with the u.s. gymnastics team. on the plaza, our home away from home the past couple of weeks. i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie, natalie morales and al roker. >> it's going to be a huge night tonight. the u.s. women's soccer team

advance to the finals after the last-second win against canada. natalie caught up with alex morgue a morgan, the hero of the game and they're going to tell us how they feel going for their third straight olympic medal. >> every time we come to the olympic games, we're in search of an inspiring story but we're going to share an inspiring story from back home. lauren scruggs, who walked into a propeller, was terribly injured. sheep has made the trip here to london, she'll take in the sights. it's her first interview since that accident. we'll talk to her shortly. >> first we want to say hello to two medal winners. guys, good morning to you. not too slouchy for two first-time olympians. >> not bad at all. >> how do you feel? >> i feel great.

it like a dream come true. it's been something i've been training for, it's amazing. >> and deliver your personal best, right? >> yes, it was. >> did you so much better in this race than you did trying to teach savannah. >> you had to bring it up. >> take me through the race. >> to be a hurdler, you have to be a little bit crazy, you have to believe you're able to defy gravity. for us it starts with a strong, powerful start. >> precision is really everything. and aries, you're all about the method. even though you had the gold coming your way, you thought your race of imperfect. are you being too hard on yourself in. >> as a world class athlete, you strive for perfection. if you're satisfied, something's wrong. >> when you're doing this, what is time like for you? are you conscious of the time or does it seem like it's going on for a while? >> you're not really conscious

of the time. you just go out there and compete like you do at practice and the time will be there. you're just not focused on that. >> i know you guys are competitive on the track but also with your hair. >> he has better hair. >> we have different hair. >> it's a dead heat. >> aries merit and jason richards, congratulations. and lucky for you, al's english class is about to be in session. >> we share the same language but it means so many different things. today in al's english class, it's a little bit of the news. the presenter on the telli looks squish in his jumper. >> the presenter is the host. looked what? >> squish. >> dapper?

>> the anchor on the television looks stylish in his sweater. >> next one. the little nipper's plans went sixes and sevens. >> it went all wrong. >> what's the little nipper? >> little kid? >> the small child's plan went haywire. >> you get credit there. >> it's a nice team effort. >> team usa. there you go -- >> luckily we don't put you on the spot. >> that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> pleasant morning under way this thursday morning. tom kierein in storm center 4. right now around the region, mostly clear over the metro area and a couple showers on the lower part of the eastern shore, as well as panhandle of west virginia, just now coming into morgan county there in western washington slowly drifting east and later today, well, a greater chance of isolated

thundershowers late afternoon into early evening. before then, into the mid-90s and then tomorrow a likelihood of showers and thunderstorms. al, thanks very much. this morning on "today's athlete to watch", the u.s. women's soccer team. they advance thanks to a thrilling extra time goal headed in by alex morgan. they'll face a tough opponent, japan, who beat them in last cup's world cup finale. natalie? >> after speaking with five women of team usa, i can tell you to never count them out because they are ready for a taste of redemption. it was a play for the ages as the clock wound down in double overtime --

>> alex morgue and has done it! >> a cross and a header by 23-year-old alex morgan right into the net propelling team usa to the gold medal race in the olympics. >>. >> did their part. i just happened to be the right place at the right time when heather crossed that ball. >> how stressed do you have get when you're down? >> if there's time on the clock, we always feel like we're in it. >> and in it is right where team usa expects to be tonight when they take on japan in a rematch of last year's world cup finals, the match the u.s. lost on penalty kicks. >> tell me how you're feeling going into this match. >> the team is feeling good, going up against japan again, readvantar reven revenge. we're going for a gold medal. >> you sure keep your fans on

pins and needles. if you're looking for a shoot-out scenario again, will that be disappointing for you guys? >> we're expecting to get the job done within 90 minutes. all of us have the belief in ourselves and each other, i think we owe it to each other to perform for 90 minutes. >> it's also been a bit of fun. >> megan, i hear alex has a nickname. >> i don't know where that came from. >> baby horse. >> when she first came on the team she was so talented. she plays with so much power, like she's a baby horse. now we're proud to say she's upgraded herself. she's a stallion. >> the stallion and the rest of the team have celebrated their scoring, with cart wheels against new zealand and the world versus north korea.

>> can you show me that? >> ready? >> whoo. >> practicing your move. >> could a special celebration be in the works for tonight? >> i don't think anybody is going to have to choreograph the celebration. you'll see it on our faces. >> and with this team you see ou far women's soccer has come through the years. >> i also think all of us want to keep creating more opportunities for people who come behind us, more opportunities to inspire. my favorite story from the world cup was when a 15-year-old kid came up to me, a boy, and said i want to be a women's professional soccer player when i grow up. that was amazing. i any it's really come full circle. >> and if they win tonight, fingers crossed, it will be their third straight olympic gold. this team is all about true grit. they've been down four times

here in the olympics and they've come back to win. >> going to the game? >> of course. i'll be there. >> you can catch that game at 2:15 eastern time on the nbc sports network. >> up next, the women's gymnastics team takes jen bush hager on a tour of london. all multivitamins give me the basics. they claim to be complete. only centrum goes beyond.

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teen-ager. with all of their hard work, there's been little time to play until now. the girls went off to blow some steam and they took me along for the ride. i heard you are speak british. >> a little bit. >> you speak a little bit of british. >> we've been practicing a lot. >> you're doing very well. how about you? >> not really. >> you guys have been competing the entire time. have you been able to do anything? >> we were been in the olympic village the whole time. >> you haven't been anywhere at all? >> no. today's our first day out. >> usa! >> come on board, let's see london. you guys are all in your teens still. what are you looking forward to that has nothing to do with gymnastics? >> i think besides competing outside of the gym we're normal

girls. we love fashion and talking about boys. >> we're just normal girls. we just want to have fun. >> whoo! ♪ oh girls, they want to have fun, oh, girls just want to have fun ♪ ♪ girls just want to have fun >> and all of us girls did have a lot of fun. if you're wondering why they now go by the fierce five, they decided on that neck name after being told the fab five was already used by the university of michigan's basketball team in the 90s. savannah? >> well, here they are, the fierce five. girls, i think at this point you

need no introduction. did you have fun on that tour of london? >> so much fun. >> what was the best part? >> the hot chocolate. >> a dance party. >> i had a feeling you guys have been having a dance party. every night in your room? >> definitely. >> what's the theme song of the pierce five these days? >> we have too many. so hot chocolate. nothing something you had p pre-olympics i'm sure. have you done anything to cut loose? >> we've been pretty busy. we've been hanging out, enjoying being done. >> you've had the highs and lows of the olympic experience. what has most impressed you about your teammates or who has really stood out for the way they've handled everything? kyla, do you have something to say? >> i'm sorry, i didn't really hear you. >> who has really stood out you

think during these olympics? who do you think has really shined? >> i think we all sort of went out there and did our job for team finals. i think going out there and showing we're fierce out there helped us throughout the olympic experience. >> i think each girl had their time to shine. aly is the team captain and got the gold medal, jordyn came back and redeemed herself and i'm just really proud of all these girls. >> jordyn, we see you have the fashion statement there, the boot. you have been hurt? >> once i got to london, i figured out i had a stress fracture in my shin. i was able to push through it. this was the olympics. i couldn't give up so easily. i fought through it and came together for the team. >> i have to ask you about your medal ceremony. a lot of people say she did not look that happy to win silver.

>> it wasn't the silver i was disappointed about. i was just disappointed in what happened and how i performed. i wanted to hit both my vaults but i ended up falling on my second one. i was just disappointed with myself, not the silver medal. it's amazing to be here and be on this team usa. it wasn't what i was disappointed about. >> you're all wearing gold and looking good. i hear you had a brush with royalty. you saw princess kate. thofs that, gab-- how was that,? >> it was an amazing experience to say i met princess kate. abby told her she loved her fashion. >> you guys are looking to meet usain bolt. i have a picture to say you've got the pose down. >> haven't found him yet. >> have you tried stalking him? >> i know you guys are big justin bieber fans and he

tweeted you. is that right? >> mm-hmm. >> tack a look at that monitor. see if you can hear. >> that was not a gold medal performance but what is is what you guys have been doing over there in london. i want to say you guys are incredible and keep up the hard work. >> what do you think, girls? can you go home now complete, your olympic experience? >> so cool. amazing. >> i didn't know he could do that. >> that wasn't him. that was one of his dancers. >> i'm sure -- >> i couldn't really see. >> maybe you guys will get to meet him and you can show him how to do a back flip. >> gabby, you're going to be on the cover of "people" magazine. that's exciting. >> i think it's going to be pretty exciting.

to see my covface on the cover l be exciting. >> we know you're going to keep at it. congratulations here. still ahead, much more from london. dane helen mirren is going to stop boy. and the olympics through the lens of a very special photographer after this. is the end the most rewarding part of the journey? is it? the truth is, there's no destination without a beginning. no dream without closing your eyes. for us, there's no finish... without the most important part of the day... [ girl ] the start. [ female announcer ] kellogg's. [ girl ] see you at breakfast. discover a supernatural family comedy that has audiences in stitches.

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team. and whether it's on the grass -- >> oh, it's in! >> -- or on the sand -- >> misty and kerri, three-peat! >> the women have provided some of the most thrilling moments. among them, sarah atar, a runner from california representing saudi arabia because it's her father's homeland. but this isn't a story about winning. it's a story about breaking barriers. sarah atar is the first woman ever to compete for saudi arabia in track and field. she drew a roar from the crowd at the start of her 800 meter race. the rest of the field blew by her from the very start and they were already cooling off by the time she crossed the finish line alone. but that didn't matter. sara atar came to london not to finish first but to chang hearts and minds. it's a great story.

and just ahead, lauren scruggs, her first interview since that accident after your local news. we're at walmart with anne and her daughter. they shop for all their groceries right here, but let me ask you, do you think of walmart when you think of phones? no. no. let's see if we can change that. okay. i mean, look at these smart phones! oh wow! cool! yeah. will you tell them how cool it is? this is the htc evo 4g lte on sprint's super fast network. really? with sprint? yup. cool! well she loves her new phone and you love the price. yup. come to walmart and see for yourself. the only network with truly unlimited data. and now find the htc evo 4g lte at a special price in stores today. now at walmart. oh you're checking in. will you tag me? nope. she's so funny. here we go! ♪ ♪

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7:56 is your time now on this thursday, august 9th, 2012. good morning to you, i'm eun yang. let's check in with tom kierein with your forecast for today. starting off kind of muggy there, tom. >> muggy now in the 70s and those areas in green, you see a few showers out in the panhandle of west virginia and parts of washington county and the lower eastern shore and later today, little greater chance of an afternoon storm as well as this evening, otherwise, partly cloudy and highs mid-90s and storms likely tomorrow during the afternoon and evening, they could be severe and maybe some morning showers, too. maybe a morning shower on saturday, but lower humidity moves in over the weekend with highs in the 80s and a pleasant start to

good morning. 66 inbound about a six-mile backup here because of a multi-vehicle crash eastbound at nuttily blocking the right side of the roadway here. two lanes to the left get by and you're absolutely jammed. look at this sluggish from fairfax county parkway and under speed roughly 20 miles per hour. eun, over to you. >> more news and weather and traffic for you in 25 minutes. now, back to "today" show in

8:00 on this thursday morning, the 9th of august 2012, 73 degree, nice breeze, it's a chamber of commerce today, a chance to say hello to the folks back home. >> tell the chamber of commerce they can move this helicopter. >> always with the complaints. >> it's always something. >> maybe it's the queen! >> blame al roker. >> good morning, everyone. i'm matt -- >> you're matt? >> no, you're matt. that's al. eem s

i'm savannah. just ahead, we are going to catch up with a remarkable young woman whose story we have been following. lauren scruggs was badly injured in december when she walked into a spending plane propeller. she lost her arm, she lost her eye but she is making a remarkable recovery. this morning she is here to tell us how she's doing in an exclusive live interview. it's her first since that accident. >> also ahead, a man who is capturing some stunning images of these games. ann curry has made her way to london and she'll have the story. >> and we've got some stunning images, abby road, man's first step on the moon, michael jordan defying gravity. >> let's get the top lem pick

ne -- olympic news of the day. we turn to michelle kosinski. >> the u.s. will play japan in soccer and last night it was a great one to be an american athlete at the london games winning medal after medal. >> celebration time once again for the golden girls. >> the unstoppable team of misty may treanor and kerri walsh jennings grabbed gold yet again in the beach volleyball finals, beating kessy and ross in straight sets. they celebrated on a night that finally felt something like london, temperatures in the low 70s. >> i'm so honored to have played the last 12 years in misty. i'm so proud. >> we wanted to go down in history, three-time gold medallists.

this is what we wanted. >> we were really happy. we would have loved to have a better match today. i think we've battled so hard in the last two weeks. >>al san felix gets her gold! >> an historic night for team usa in track and field getting seven medals, capped by a long-awaited gold medal for allyson felix in the 200 meter. >> there's tons of hardships along the way. you can't give up and lose sight of your dreams. >> and she insisted on limping over the finish line. the crowd gave her a standing ovation. >> and she wore a big red flower in her hair in honor of her

grandmother's 100th birthday. >> and the track opened for bmx, on the second time the sport has been in the olympics. 19-year-old american brook crane was doing great in the preliminaries when one of the gravel hills got him, slamming into the next one. crane was okay. >> and the u.s. once again tops china in the medal count 81-77. back to you guys in the sunshine. >> thanks very much. >> i just was signing someone's hat. i had to remind myself not to sign it matt lauer. i've recovered now, though. let's send it over to natalie morales who has a check of the news today. >> good morning, everyone. president obama called the prime minister of india wednesday to express his condolences over the shooting deaths of six sikh

worshippers on sunday. gunman wade michael page died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after he was shot by police. officials still do not know his motive for the massacre. >> sear -- syrian government forces have larched a ground assault on aleppo. >> country sing are randy travis is facing new legal trouble after his second alcohol-related arrest in just six months. >> reporter: this almost sounds like a bad country song. police say they found randy travis wearing nothing at all, all alone by the side of the road after he allegedly crashed his car. country singer randy travis is a free man this morning following a bizarre run-in with the law late tuesday. a witness called 911 alerting

police to someone in distress. >> i just found a guy laying in the road. >> is he responsive? >> i haven't got out of my vehicle yet. >> reporter: according to the police, travis was found naked and smelling of alcohol after he crashed his pontiac trans am in his home state of texas. he was arrested and charged with driving while entointoxicated a felony retaliation, saying he was belligerent and threatened to shoot the officers. >> he was buck neighborhoaked, demanding cigarettes. he had no money on him. i said how are you going to pay for it? >> reporter: in february he was charged with public intoxication, seen on this

video. >> you're going to go to jail for intoxication. >> hoda kotb asked hum about the incident when he co-hosted earlier this year. >> i was waiting for someone to pick me up and the wrong person showed up. >> reporter: travis was released on bond from jail wednesday morning. neither the singer or his staff has commented on the arrest. he has a tour scheduled next week. >> for a look at what is trending today, what has you talking online. jenny garth reports she is dating again but, quote, with training wheels on. she jokes that she's back into adult adolescencadolescence.

>> a low blow is getting a lot of replay online. he punched a player below the belt during the quarterfinal loss. he played for the trail blazers and later apologized on twitter. carmelo anthony also shaking off a cheap shot delivered by argentina player on monday night. and the american gymnast's expression is being photo shopped into different images. this morning she said she was disappointed in herself and not the silver medal win. and how about this week's rover landing? we know, not impressed. people are having a lot of fun, too much fun. >> she was actually thinking of my forecast. that's what that look is. let's show y show you what we have for london. no frowny faces with this

forecast. lots of sun today and 81 today and rest of the country as we go back to the states. you can see we have showers and thunderstorms through the upper midwest and risk of strong storms there stretching all the way up into new england today and beautiful in the pacific northwest and the slight risk of strong storms stretch down to the lower mississippi river valley. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> sunny in the metro area. we're in the 70s now and temperatures are in the 60s out of the mountains and storm 4 radar showing that in washington county and lower eastern shore and later today, maybe an isolated thundershower this afternoon. before then, low and mid-90s and humid and greater chance of a passing thundershower tonight, maybe morning showers tomorrow afternoon and storms into friday and friday evening might cause some wind damage and then lower humidity for the weekend and >> and that's your latest weather. matt? >> thank you very much. when we come back, the remarkable recovery of lauren scruggs, the young lady severely

injured when she walked into a plane's propeller. she here in london. it's her first interview. we'll have that right after these messages. [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] if you have yet to master the quiet sneeze... ♪ [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] you may be an allergy muddler. try zyrtec®. it gives you powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because zyrtec® starts working at hour 1 on the first day you take it. claritin® doesn't start working until hour 3. [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] zyrtec®. love the air. join zyrtec® rewards. save up to $7 on zyrtec® products. what are you gonna do? ♪ [ cross ] i'm gonna finish what he started. [ dita ] it's aaron cross. consider the magnitude of what we're facing. let's go. [ male announcer ] "the bourne legacy." rated pg-13. let's go. energy is being produced to power our lives. while energy development comes with some risk, north america's natural gas producers are committed

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go above and beyond to find lower priced options... ♪ and enroll you in walgreens prescription savings club... which saves members an average of one hundred and seventy dollars a year. ask your pharmacist how much you can save today at walgreens. ♪ welcome back to london. the life of aspiring model lauren scruggs changed forever last december when she accidentally walked into the propeller of a plane. she writes about it in a book coming out this fall called "still lolo." >> reporter: for this beautiful young model and fashion blogger, it was a life changing moment, one that could have easily claimed her life just a few weeks before christmas. lauren heads out in a two-seat are plane piloted by a friend

n for a look at holiday lights. in the dark, lauren accidentally walks into the path of a still spinning propeller. >> a girl walked into an airplane prop. i need an ambulance immediately. >> she suffered multiple injuries, the loss of her left hand and eye. doctors said it was a miracle she survived the accident but that her recovery might take yet another. months of rehabilitation, numerous surgeries, her parents and twin sister kept a daily vigil by her side, often logging that lolo, as they call her, was in considerable pain. lauren didn't hide.

she was spotted in grocery stores. on twitter, there were pictures of family getaways, including this one to colorado just two months after her accident. back home she was fitted with pr prosthetics, first her left eye and then her hand. by her 24th birthday last month, this texas beauty was in a celebratory mood, out with those she loves and crediting family and faith for a recovery most say is nothing short of another miracle. >> and lauren scruggs is with us exclusively. lauren, good morning. >> good morning. >> it is good to see you. you look great. how do you feel? >> i'm feeling good. i think physically it's good that i'm off all my pain meds and all medication and haven't had pain since january so that's a blessing. and emotionally days are hard sometimes just accepting the

loss of my eye and hand but it just gets better and i've realized god's in control of my life and there's a purpose in this story and spiritually i just learn to live not by faith and not by sight. i realize the lord has a strong purpose and i need to use that. >> you have an amazing story to tell. i know you have a book coming out and we're going to talk more later. but there was a reason you wanted to come out now publicly and show the world here you are. why was that important to you? >> i know a lot of people have been following the story and photographers trying to get photos. it's just good to be out in public just as i am and letting people know that i'm doing okay and healing up. >> you wanted to do it on your terms? >> yes, yes. >> i know we'll talk more about it. do you remember that night? >> i remember my feet touching

the ground getting out of the plane but that's all i remember. we'll go into more detail in the book. my parents obviously have their side of the story and my sister and so it's good to see their perspective as well. >> how was the prose cess of writing it? was it therapeutic? was it painful? >> it was a little bit of both. it was really healing for me to talk about the event and even reading things that i was unsure of that everyone else went through. and, i don't know, it was just i have kind of gained a new perspective of life and i feel like i need to use my message of hope and healing to help others, inspire others just like people have inspired me. >> i know you've gotten so much support, certainly from your family but also from total strangers. on a happy note you're here at the olympics. why was it important for you to come here? >> i'm just inspired by the athletes and their perseverance.

i had to, you know, be -- persevere through this recovery and still am. >> are there any particular athletes that you really are inspired by? >> yeah, i think gabby is a real inspiration to me, just her spirit is so sweet and just how she professes her faith. >> gabby douglas, i see someone wanting to say hello to you. >> so nice to meet you. >> you, too. >> oh, my gosh, yeah, i just think she's a doll. >> thank you. >> here's two ladies that can draw inspiration from one another. gabby, that must be pretty exciting to you, a total stranger looks to you and says you've inspired them. >> i just have to say this means so much to me. and to know that i was always wanted to inspire the nation and inspire people. it means so much when you said you're inspired by me. it's just an amazing feeling. and i'm so happy and so excited

for you and all that you've overcome just keep staying strong and keep shining. >> two wonderful ladies, gabby douglas and lauren scruggs. we'll see you later but until then get a picture with gabby. we'll be back from london right after this. we imagined a vehicle that could adapt to changing road conditions. one that continually monitors and corrects for wheel slip. we imagined a vehicle that can increase emergency braking power when you need it most. and we imagined it looking like nothing else on the road today. then...we built it. the 2012 glk. where bold engineering meets bold design. starting at $35,880.

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ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. we're back in london where these games have already produced a lot of memorable images. ann curry is here to introduce us to a guy who hopes to mack them last forever. >> a few days ago i saw a photograph that captured two synchronized swimmers in motion. >> as a sport photographer, the olympics is probably the premier vant you can photograph. it's almost like a compressed emotions of human life. >> what do you learn about our

human nature, about our drive for excellence? >> you see the whole range of emotions in a really short space in time. you see the same people coming back and back again. they'll do anything to achieve in their particular field. >> who are some of those people you've seen rise up? >> i've seen michael phelps' career begin and come to a close here in london. >> and michael phelps is going to win gold! >> describe the technical challenges of photographing the fastest athletes in the world. >> technically it's probably not as difficult because the athlete is so perfect. they're predictable almost. but then to get something a little bit different is where it i guess becomes a challenge and where you really do need to have good reflexes or most of the time it a bit of foresight. you know, knowing what to expect. planning for that unexpected moment and hopefully getting it. >> well, given how much there is a risk of not getting the

photograph, why do you take the risk of shooting with such a short depth of field when you're looking at a moving object? >> at the olympics you're competing against i don't know how many other thousands of photographers. to get your picture used or noticed, you want to create something different or unique. i guess that's where the risk comes into it. >> so risk is good? >> risk is good, yeah, definitely. >> most of the time. >> most of the time, yeah. will have been times where it hasn't paid off. >> you seem to take a lot of pictures of water. and you have to get in the water. >> yes. you know, i didn't want to try to look for that easy option. and from australia, living down by the beach, i love the water, i grew up in the water. i think water, life and athletic bodies is photographic nirvana. >> and in this one, what is going on here? >> you really see the impact on the guy's face, the amount of force he hit the water with.

>> you seem to find images that are quiet, simple. how do you do that? >> the first thing i look at is what background am i going to shoot? it's almost like building a picture rather than taking a picture or going and look at a background and try and find the best possible situation for that background, then i'll look at the lighting and probably the last thing i think about is where the athlete will be. >> how grueling are these hours? >> look at these eyes. >> they look pretty good to me. >> i'm 21 years old. >> what, are you 16 hour days? >> sometimes longer. if i complain about it, they say don't come back next time, we'll get somebody else. you fight to come back. >> photographer adam priddy says what we see in these frozen moments of impact and drama is

what's great even with these still pictures. >> you're pretty good with a camera.ng the background first. >> pretty cool. ann, thanks. good morning, it's 8:26 now on this thursday, august 9th. i'm aaron gilchrist. let's go to tom kierein and talk about our forecast. >> good morning. still humid and a lot of sun around the metro area and to our west, a few showers panhandle of west virginia to washington county. as we get into the afternoon hours climb low to mid-90s and right now near 80 degrees and isolated thundershower later this afternoon and tomorrow morning a passing shower and maybe a little thunder and then during the afternoon, some storms could produce damaging winds on friday into friday night. a lingering shower saturday morning otherwise weekend looking less humid and cooler. aaron? [ male announcer ] olympic tennis players bob and mike bryan

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good morning. traveling 66 eastbound at nutley. still have a crash involving a school bus and we're seeing about a six-mile backup if you're heading eastbound on i-66. let me show you what fairfax county parkway looks like. sluggish, jammed all the way as you head to the beltway. travel speed from fairfax county beltway to the parkway, 38 minutes as you drive 15 miles per hour.

again, as you travel eastbound, i-66 at nutley that crash is on the right side of the roadway. hopefully out of the road soon. but right now, that right lane still blocked. aaron, over t

day 30 now on the thursday morning, it's also the 9th day of august 2012. a gorgeous view of some of the sights of london. boy, this city has put on some show over the last couple of weeks. we appreciate their hospitality. by the way, there's our friends at goodyear providing those images. let's not forget the nice people

who have joined us here in olympic park as well. they've been here for two weeks as well. well, not the same people. because so many people have come to the olympic games, it's hard to find ways around without jumping into traffic. >> or even on the subway, the tube. i actually brought my bicycle with me. this is a biking city. a lot of folks on bikes. it's a great way to see the city and the surrounding countryside. ben fogel took me out and we had a great time. >> we have a national treasure here today. dane, helen mirren is here. do you think she's got the olympic spirit? >> i don't think that i've ever seen her dress casually. that's cool. >> also doesnn't forget we have really exciting week next week, concerts lined up for you, monday we'll have the fray followed by nicki minaj, carrie

underwood, lionel richie and friday a rare 98 degrees reunion, all next weekly on rockefeller plaza on today. be sure to stop on by. all of you in london, come with now. let's show you what we have as far as your weekend is concerned. starting with friday, beautiful day making its way out west, but along the eastern seaboard it is going to be a mess. sizzling in the midsection of the country and, saturday, we've got more sunshine and sizzling weather from the midsection of the u.s. and showers around the great lakes and sunny and mild in the pacific northwest and then sunday, sunday, we are looking at more mild weather and plenty of sunshine along the eastern seaboard and all the way down to the southwest where it will be sunny and sizzling. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning, tom kierein in

storm center 4 and it is near 80 and humid and storm 4 radar showing one thundershower and maybe a developing thundershower just west of winchester and later today maybe a passing shower or thunderstorm and this evening, as well. highs before then, low to mid-90s and then tomorrow morning showers through mid-day and afternoon and evening storms on friday and could be severe >> and tt's your latest weather. savannah? >> al, thanks. when you spend time in london, it's clear the americans and british have a special relationship but why are we so fascinated with one another? tom brokaw is here to explain. good morning. >> good morning. as you know, it's a mixed relationship. at the beginning america was a british colony. before long there was a family feud and the british were told to take their ting and get lost.

it turns out we're bonkers for royalty. any major royal event is big box office on american television. the queen, so much more than the head of the royal household. >> it's our brand. >> tracy ulman, an american citizen but always a brit. >> she's done a bloody good job, if i say so. and kate middleton has rejuvenated us all again, on we go. >> it doesn't stop with the royals. on we go to abby, the lifestyle of the british upper class. >> are you afraid someone will think you're american if you spoke openly? >> i doubt it will come with that. >> there's mccartney and the beatles, mick and the stones, hollywood, that very american institution, some of the biggest stars are british. best pictures "the king's

speech." before that "shakespeare in love." "harry potter" conquered america young and old. so what do the british like american? katty kay is a british bbc correspondent based in london. >> all of our grumbling about hour americans behave around the world, we're still wearing levis, drinking coke, using ipads. >> it's a little bit harder now and independent speaking as a student of history to look at how you actually make a decision in washington. >> we talk about god, guns and government. those are the three big things we don't understand. the role of government here is much more complicated. people don't want it in america. in britain we expect government to provide things for us. >> in these olympic games there's a kind of mutual

admiration society. there are more of us here with a bigger medal count, but britain is having a great run. and it is an agreeable mix. they can row. >> great britain takes the gold medal! >> we can swim. >> here comes phelps to the wall and gets it done! >> they're better on a horse, we're better on hardwood. >> what i love about this olympic game that seems to have happened in england is that we've imported a ton of american self-esteem. we could never high five year ago but now we're high fiving, we're winning gold medals. >> royals kate and harry, the younger royals, are a big attraction for americans in the stands. they seem like the kids next

door, if this is your idea of next door. kate is so much more than just another young bride. >> she has a mystique. we don't know her. she's not on the reality shows, you don't know every about them. you just know everything about everybody. and that's what she's got right now, this mystique. >> you know, i think that this relationship really has been enhanced during this week here, such a great feeling in the city. the british are very inclined to be very generous about americans. i'm going to go out into olympic park, take up a collection and see if we can buy matt a pair of socks. >> oh, no you didn't. he's right there listening to you and so are his ankles. >> i've run out of laundry. >> and helen mirren has stopped

by. >> go gb! >> we'll talk to her but first this is "today" on nbc. i got the chance to start my own business.

i know what it's like to hire people and to make ends meet. from those experiences, i had the chance of running the olympics. the games were in real trouble. there'd been way too much spending. and in massachusetts i found a budget that was badly out of balance. our legislature was 85% democrat. and every one of the four years i was governor, we balanced the budget. i want to use those experiences to help americans have a better future. we believe in our future. we believe in ourselves. we believe the greatest days of america are ahead. i'm mitt romney and i approve this message.

and this morning on "today" in london, a little manpowerer to see the sights around here. mr. roker hit the road for a little adventure. >> coming into the games the folks were worried about the london traffic. i found if you hop on a bike, you're good to go. ben fogel took me along for a ride. >> you can keep your traffic, i'm getting on my bike. a lot of londoners feel the same

way. now i'm off to the countryside and meeting up with ben. if you have one of these dinky folding bikes, you'll never have to take the bus again. >> 20 miles out of london here. >> this is gorgeous. >> i've always found being on a bicycle the best way to cover a huge distance and see places you wouldn't normally get to. >> but see it in ways you don't see it from a car. all this exercise is making me hungry. what's for lunch? is that chicken? >> we've got plenty. >> that is fantastic! she's got something for you. >> it's bangers and mash. >> if we weren't on our bikes -- >> we'd be on the boat. >> i have move on. ben says he has a surprise up his sleeve. >> wait a minute. this is where matt's staying while he's covering the

olympics. >> this was henry viii's palace, famous for chopping his wife's heads off. but he loves sports. this was one of the olympic venues as well. what do you think? matt's got a pretty good pad here. >> he does. i can't believe he was able to score this. since matt seems to be out right now, we have the run of hampton court. i have to tell you, i've seen just about as much as i can possibly see. oh, my goodness. what the heck? >> what is this? >> this is a bicycle that victorian people used to ride all the time. >> some people even race them today. >> were these dangerous? >> yeah, very. >> ooh! >> uh-oh, ben's going to give it a go. >> let's just go for it. i am riding a penny farthing. oh, yes. >> oh, yeah, who's the man? wiggins has nothing on you.

>> one hand! >> don't get cocky! >> very good, my friend. >> yes! >> i'm going to try something just as dare devil. >> are you? >> you wait here. >> i'm going to wait here. >> oh, hey! >> not bad, huh? look at this. for athletic ladies or less athletic men. yes. >> do you have room for another one sp. >> no, i'm on this. i'm on fire, baby. have you ever seen anything like this before? >> never. >> now, would you swap my bike for one of these? >> no. first of all, those don't fold up and, secondly, they're just really weird. >> cool. >> we had a great time. more impressive than the fact that you rode a penny farthing

is that you took a sausage from the boat -- >> i know. >> when we come back, one of great britain's treasured athletes, dame helen mirren preparing for race walking on our plaza. but first this is "today" on nbc. [ female announcer ] the power of green coffee extract is now in our new starbucks refreshers™ -- a breakthrough in natural energy. made with real fruit,

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welcome back to london. oscar winning actress helen mirren is enjoying having the olympic games in her home stadium. she's happy to join us here in olympic park. my first question was, helen, are you into the olympic spirit? i think we have our answer this morning. >> i am so into the olympic spirit. i was into it right from the beginning. i was a big supporter. i was thrilled when london got the bid and i've been supporting

it ever since. luckily my schedule worked out so i could be here. >> and icing on the cake, team g.b. is doing great. >> unbelievable. i don't know if that happens every time a host country hosts. we always know the americans are always going to do great, the russians are always going to do great, the chinese are always going to do great but it was -- i think it's been quite a surprise for all of us. it just shows how important preparation is, you know, to have the training facilities, to have the encouragement of kids in school. really, really great to see. i have to say for me the overriding story is the women, the women in the olympics. >> and it's just been huge. >> the english -- the british girls but girls from all over the world. just watching them compete. i remember in 1984 when the games were in los angeles, that was the first year i was told that women ran in the marathon.

and that was in 1984. that wasn't so long ago. >> well, they've come a long way. i know you've gotten to see some events. you saw usain bolt won? >> i saw him win. >> are you one to scream and shout? >> that's not the way we operate in britain. >> i heard you have a theory that the brits excel in sports in which you're sitting? >> the british prime minister did say that, we have excelled on the sitting down sports, riding, cycling, rowing. >> it's been a big year. you narrowed the jubilee pageant. that wasn't nerve racking at all? >> no, it wasn't nerve racking. it was a wonderful celebration of an amazing era in time. and to have this as the icing on

the cake here, you know, is just an amazing experience for all of us. sorry. >> feel free to cough. are londoners sick of partying now? are they kind of over it? >> londoners i'm afraid never get sick of partying, as you see every thursday, and friday night in all the pubs. we are party animals. it's just so wonderful to see the beautiful, beautiful women and goals doing extraordinary physical feats. that's just been so moving for me and exciting. >> very inspiring. speaking of beautiful women, i can't let you go without mentioning you were voted the celebrity who has aged the best in a poll rating celebrities over 60s. it's your gold medal moment. do you want to make a speech? >> i'm very honored.

>> you are a good sport indeed. great to see you. and your city is wonderful. coming up next, where the olympic families go to relax when they're not watching families compete. but first this is "today" in london. [ cullen ] take a day off? i don't even take a morning off. [ danell ] i haven't ordered dessert in two years. [ gwen ] you know that best selling book everyone loves? i haven't read it. [ carlos ] i haven't watched tv since last summer. hey, i've been busy. [ breathing heavily ] [ male announcer ] citi is proud to sponsor our dedicated u.s. athletes, every step of the way.

as we've been tell ing you

for a while, it's exciting to watch an olympic event in person. but for athletes' families, it can be a bit stressful. >> the proctor and gamble house here in london is treating the olympic families to their own experience. >> my family is so important to me. >> my parents are so supportive. >> whether i quit swimming tomorrow, they're still going to be rooting for me to matter what i do. they're my parents. >> my mom has been a huge part of my life. >> reporter: we met up with ashton's mom at the procter and gamble house, which has become a home away from home for the family's 10,000 competing athletes at the games. it's your son's first olympics. >> yes. >> reporter: tell me what that's like as a mom. >> it's one of the most surreal, magical moments ever. just a representation of so much

effort by him. >> reporter: how awesome is it that there's a place like this that supports the moms? >> it's an amazing place where we can get our laundry done and eat. >> reporter: between the anticipation of events, families can grab a bite, taking a financial strain off the liolymc experience. you have to take me to your favorite places. >> let's go. >> reporter: they serve a thousand meals a day from this kitchen. when you think about some of the athletes whose parents might not have that much money to come over to london. >> it just takes care of so many things for parents. >> reporter: and relax. we have these wonderful pillows where people can lounge.

some moms, like the mom of dana vollmer. to all of us, she's an olympian but to you she's your daughter in. >> she's my baby. >> reporter: found time to get dolled up. you're going to get your hair done. what's it like to have a place like this that really pampers you? >> i've never had anything like this before at all. they never had anywhere that would do our hair and our nails. this is great. >> i like it. >> reporter: there's a man cave for dads. team usa viewing parties. and even birthday celebrations. >> happy birthday! >> go usa! >> reporter: and some moms come here for a little bit of fun, like kerri walsh jennings's mom. >> so this is a green screen. i'm kind of new in television but something tells me this is very fun. i'm not sure what it is but we

can take pictures. >> i think we should go for it. >> one, two, three. >> we're olympians. >> reporter: that was hilarious. >> when you watch her as a mom, you must have driven her to a thousand volleyball practices. millions. >> right. >> reporter: what's it like to see her ultimate dreams have come true? >> our family is a partner and is a team. it's been amazing. as long as she wanted it, we would support her in anything she wanted to do. >> reporter: and here in london a place of support for the families who have given so much. >> and both of the girls' moms -- hello, thanks for joining us -- and knocking my bracelet off. both of the girls' moms we met up with, they both won gold and ashton is on his way for another gold. so it's the moms that really get them there. >> jenna, thank you very much.

8:56 is your time now on this thursday, august 9, 2012. i'm eun yang. let's get a check of the forecast with tom kierein. >> a developing line of scattered thundershowers, not severe, moving into washington county, berkeley, jefferson, warren and clark heading towards

loudoun and frederick county, maryland, over the next half hour. brief downpours and thunder and lightning. later today storms into the afternoon and evening hours and partly cloudy up into the low to mid-90s and mid-afternoon we'll have those high temps and likely showers into the morning and afternoon and damaging winds into early evening. into early evening. >> all right, tom,

i'm drinking dunkin'. i'm drinking dunkin' iced mocha. they make it exactly how i like it.

medium, iced, with a turbo shot. french vanilla, hazelnut, caramel -- i love 'em all. they make it perfect every time. america runs on dunkin' coffee. good morning. traveling i-66 eastbound had a crash at nutley. out of the roadway, but still seeing big delays at fairfax county parkway and, really, your delays start out in centerville, you're pretty sluggish. to get to the beltway, it will take you 18 miles per hour and 32 minutes to make the drive. eun, over to you. >> more weather and

we are happy to be back with more of "today" on a thursday morning. it's thursday, the 9th of august 2012. it is a gorgeous day here in london. we don't get to say that all that often. it's blue skies, a nice crowd of people who are gathered here in olympic park. i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie and al roker. coming up, misty may treanor and kerri walsh jennings. what a night they had last night, they won their third consecutive gold medal in beach volleyball. they've only lost one set in their entire olympic careers.

we'll find out what is next for them in just a little while. >> very excited to hear from them. also ahead, jamie oliver is here. he's going to show us how to make certainly called slapshot. we're hoping it tastes better than it sounds. >> wasn't that a movie with paul newman? and the olympics draws all fans, the royals, the celebrities and even bigger, the muppets. elmer, grover and abby are here to tell us how they've been enjoying the games. >> i guess that's a yes. >> the voice sounds the same even on this side of the pond. let us first bring in brittney reese who won the woman's gold in the long jump. ladies, good morning, congratulations. you are the first american women to win gold in this event since

jackie joyner kersey. how does it feel? >> it feels really good. i'm honored. >> i know there was a moment in your life when you almost gave up on track and field. tell me about that. >> i was a basketball player. i was going to take a basketball scholarship but pmy mom sat me down and said track is where you need to be. >> janay, you won the long jump. how did that field? >> it was amazing. as soon as i realized i this enough for that bronze, it was amazing. >> you two are friends. does it make it more special to know you'll be up on the medal stand with a friend here? >> yes, it did. >> you get your medals -- >> tonight. >> congratulations.

brittney, janay, congratulations. gold and bronze. >> natalie, good morning. >> brittney and janay group two of the 11 medals won by the team usa on monday. two more came in in the all-american beach volleyball. they are still the queens of beachle havy ball. wednesday night misty may treanor and kerri walsh jennings won their third straight olympic gold medal. >> it's celebration time once again for the golden girls. >> they beat fellow americans jen kessy and april ross for gold. london was the final farewell for may-treanor. >> this womd deserved to go out on top. she's the best player there ever has been. she's not going anywhere. we're friends for life. >> i wanted to finish this

journey with kerri. i believe in what she does and she believed in me. we knew that was possible. >> misty may's mus, matt, watched the match online from los angeles where he plays baseball for the dodgers. >> they stay focused. once they get their mind set on something, they're going to do it. >> for kessy and ross, it was their olympic debut. >> i can't believe we came out of it with a silver medal. i keep saying that, i can't believe it. >> a gold rush in track and field for the u.s. team. allyson felix fired down the stretch after taking silver in athens. gh her second attempt after a foul on the first. >> a victory in the long jump for brittney reese.

janay took the bronze. a close finish in the 400 meet are hurdles. lashinda demus took silver just behind natalia of russia. for the men a one-two finish in the 110 meter hurdles. and a moment in history, 19-year-old sarah atar became the first woman to represent saudi arabia at the olympics in track and field. she finished last in an 800 meet are qualifies heat but got a big round of applause from the crowd. >> and today's other big action, the u.s. women's soccer team takes on japan in the gold medal game and the u.s. women's water polo team goes for gold against spain. now for the rest of today's top stories, an american patient is undergoing treatment this morning in new zealand after a dramatic medical evacuation from

antarctica during the night. the patient, who has not been identified, is said to be in stable condition but may need immediate corrective surgery. the american was airlifted by an australian rescue team from the station where it is now the middle of winter and flights in and out are very dangerous. >> july was officially the hottest month on record in the continental u.s. the average temperature, 77.6 degrees, hotter even than during the dust bowl days of 1936. drought conditions confver 63% the lower united states. >> and kennedy told police that she called him and said she was everything. much of the statement was blacked out. it want clear what she meant by

"everything." the two are in the midst of a divorce. >> and the doctor who lost his wife and two daughters after a brutal home invasion has remarried. dr. petit was married in west hartford. >> the first man to walk on the moon, neal armstrong is recovering from heart surgery. he had quadruple bypass surgery this week. his wife says his spirits are high and he's doing great. buzz aldren took to facebook and to twitter to wish armstrong well. >> and an unusual guest checked in this week at a hotel in angle fire, new mexico. you see a bear just strolled right through an open door, wandered past the front desk, walked through the hallways for about ten minutes before then heading back outside. some expert say the high and dry summer is sending bears where they are don't normally go.

i guess he checked in and checked out. let go back outside to al with a check of your weather. maybe the accommodations were not to his liking. >> i know, he's smarter than the average bear. obviously some folks from >> the big terrible towels. can i borrow that a second? let's show you. he'll never wash it. that's not a smart thing. let's show you as far as today is concerned. a risk of strong storms from rochester, pittsburgh, also down to louisville and little rock. risk of strong storms, damaging hail, dangerous lightning and even a tornado or two. on the radar you can see from green bay, detroit, cleveland down to pittsburgh, heavy showers and thunderstorms and rainfall amounts anywhere from three to five inches and generally about one to two. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> coming our way tomorrow, right now, though, closer to washington.

some thundershowers in washington, as well as berkeley, jefferson, warren and clark counties drifting east into frederick counties, maryland. just a little thunder and lightning with downpours with that. highs reaching low to mid-90s mid-afternoon and partly cloudy. likely tomorrow and in the morning off and on throughout the day and strong storms friday afternoon and early evening could >> and that's your latest weather. matt? >> thanks very much. now the undisputed queens of women's beach volleyball. misty may treanor and kerr consider made it three gold medals in a row at horse guards parade last night. they stopped by earlier. i started by asking them if this win was their best ever. >> without a doubt. from start to finish, london, they've been such gracious hosts here but misty and i have had a fantastic tournament. we've played the toughest k

competitikp competition in the world. and to hang out with you -- >> and the same for me. was it hard to play another u.s. competitor or was it just another competitor? >> we went through the same thing in athens. it's never easy playing your own countrymen. but way to represent usa beach volleyball is to have a gold medal match usa versus usa. you know, they helped elevate our game because they are such wonderful players and i couldn't be more proud to play jen and april. >> we were there last night. it seemed to me at that a turning point in the second set, there was a shot from ross and kessy that seemed like a winner. and all of a sudden up comes in

one, sprawls to the ball and gets the point. >> those are back breakers. it may not be the prettiest play ever but it reaches that objective. >> the medal ceremony was poignant. we're watching as we know it's going to be the last time you two stand there together. what was going through your mind? >> it was a bit overwhelming. you know, i'm personally ready for my next journey. but i have -- i will never leave her side. it was emotional but i think, you know, we learned so much about everything outside of volleyball. that's what this olympic signified of the journey off the court together. and it's something we're never going to forget and we're going to be in each other's lives forever. >> three-time olympic gold medalists kerri walsh jennings and misty may treanor. >> coming up, kate style.

where the duchess of cambridge likes to shop here in london. but also up next, we have jamie oliver preparing an olympic size feast right after these messages.

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. this morning on "today"'s olympic kitchen, jamie oliver prepares a dish for us. welcome back. we love having you here. >> thank you. >> he loves you very much. >> i know he does. >> you wrote the book because you've been inspired by the olympics, right? >> the history of british field, the last 15 years it's gone pear shaped. just like in the u.s. there's

been an amazing revelation. i want to show you a dish, clap dcla clapshaw. >> what's clapshaw? >> can i come back to that? right here i have oysters. these don't knee partners. they make love to themselves. they have a simple life, no dog house. it's all good. >> anything you want to talk about going on at home, jamie? >> no, no. we're going to go in with these scallops. i scored these scallops halfway down. as they cook they will open out like a beautiful flower. it going to allow us to get seasoning in. also, there kind of cooking happens very, very quickly. in the pan, another little thing if i may give out to you, blood pudding. countries, spain, italy, france,

they have a black pudding. it's got barley in will. if you like sausage, if you look meat, this is a beautiful thing and of course smokey bacon. imagine all of these things cooking together, smokey bacon and the scallops. we're going to leave these scallops to cover up. back to the clapshaw. it's an old english name for ball bearings in the cartridge of a gun. when you have onions, green onions, scallions you call them -- >> we call it buck shots. >> buck shots. if you boil it up, season it, a little butter and chives, just have a little try, girls, you lovely, elegant ladies. al, you can have a go, too. it's beautiful. >> mmm. >> al, if i can ask you to be a little bit feminine now, do me a

nice dollop of capshaw there. mr. cameraman, back to the pan. these scallops have come from very cold, clean water. they live pretty much within about 500 meters of wherever they go and we're going to serve this up. a little bit more clapshaw, my darling. >> you said dainty. >> he a dollop. >> there's our scallop. >> look how it opens up! it's like a blooming scallop. >> and you have smokey bacon. that is a beautiful, delicate little dish. if you try that, that is amazing. it's been a pleasure being with you lovely americans. >> jamie oliver, thanks for being with us. we learned a lot. >> coming up next, you know who else is excited to be here? >> who else? >> the muppets are here. can you believe it?

they're all here. they'll tell us what they're doing to enjoy their olympic experiences, their very first olympic games. we'll talk with them right after this. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] you've been years in the making. and there are many years ahead. join the millions of members who've chosen an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. go long. they're whole grain good... and yummy good. real fruit pieces. 12 grams of whole grains and a creamy yogurt flavored coating. quaker yogurt granola bars. treat yourself good.

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wambach. >> get it? >> very cool. what about you, grover? >> grover like anthony carmelo, my good friend anthony. >> carmelo anthony. >> it's the other way around. >> yeah, whatever. >> what you have guys been doing since you've been in london? >> we just got in yesterday so we haven't been doing that much yet. >> we've been napping a lot. >> we're going to women's soccer tonight. >> cool. so am i! i'm going to be there, savannah and i. will you be our dates? >> i want mommy and daddy to be there because we're going to be there pretty late. >> what has inspired you guys about these games? >> everything! >> you bet. >> what did elmo learn about is sportsmanship. >> what else have you learned? >> teamwork. >> persistence. >> very nice. >> abby, are there any events for fairies? >> some of the events we get disqualified because of the wings, you know. >> you'd be great in the high

jump. >> yeah. >> i'd be great in the low jump, i think. >> have you guys had any british food? >> we tried not to. >> elmo likes to get some figgy pudding. >> do you want to grow up to be an olympian someday? >> i want to. if i can't be in the olympics, i want to be a coach, a motivator. >> well, thank you very much -- >> wait a minute, you mean we came all the way over to london and that's it? you gave jamie oliver more time. >> you guys have fun at the game tonight. >> what happened to perseverance and collaboration? >> teamwork! [ female announcer ] nature valley protein bars.

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so it's energy straight from nature to you. nature valley protein bars. good morning, 9:26 on this thursday, august 9th. i'm aaron gilchrist. in for more of that d.c. heat and humidity. tom kierein has the forecast. >> it's in place. we're around the low 80s and later today low and mid-90s. storm 4 radar showing a few scattered thunderstorms along the line from washington county down to warren and clark county and drifting east and those may, if they hold together, make it into the metro area another couple of hours. otherwise this afternoon passing thundershowers and a greater chance of that tonight and tomorrow in the morning, maybe a few passing showers with thunder and lightning through midday and strong storms maybe tomorrow afternoon and early evening to be followed by lower humidity

for the weekend. >> w

good morning, southbound i-270 that crash moved to the right shoulder lane, but you're jammed

wambach on the right-hand side ahead of o'reilly. morgan in the box. here comes the cross. other, it's in! >> can the gold medal game match that drama? we will find out later today when the u.s. women's soccer team takes on japan. it's a rematch of their 2011 world cup game that was won by japan on penalty kicks. matt and i are going over to wembley stadium a little bit later on. we will provide a full report on the game and the refreshments at wembley. >> uh-oh. >> i was there for the france-japan game. what a beautiful venue. the girls can't be more excited

to be in the gold medal match. for them it's a bit of redemption as well. we know the girls have moved on the field but have you seen them move off the field? they are dancers and when they like to relax, they like to relax. they're going to show us their steps. >> and the duchess of cambridge has been cheering on team g.b. and dressing pretty sporty to boot. we're going to show you some of her favorite places to shop in london as we great trick view from our friends add got goodye. >> this is the first time boxing has been an olympic event. congratulations, how does it feel? >> it is definitely a blessing, an example. i was really proud of my performance. i go home happy about that. it was definitely a blessing and a huge experience for me.

you were really emotional when you found out you won the bronze. describe what was going through you at the time. >> first that i was glad that we did something for the u.s. our team wasn't going very strong so i felt like an obligation to do that. i was up and i was the first one to go home with some hardware. so i was -- i was just really happy that i stood up for the united states mostly and then after that i was trying to get the gold but came up short. >> what made you start boxing? >> i started boxing very young for a female because i grew up around it. i would watch boxing on tv with my dad all the time when i was 5, 6 years old. he didn't let me try until i was 11 but i was trying until i was about 8. >> it changed your life, right? >> definitely it's taught me everything i know and it brought me really far and i fell in love with it really early. it was easier than it seems because i was so in love with it. it's me, i who i am.

>> you have some prematch superstitions, right? can you give us some examples? >> whoever puts my mouth piece on and my gloves on the first day has to do it the first time. if you put my left glove on first i have to do that. i have to take a shower before i fight and i have to put make-up on -- >> look good, look good. >> smell good, look good. >> i have to wear the bandanna, the flag bandanna. i can't get in the ring without it. >> it's obviously working for you because you are going home with the bronze medal. congratulations to you. i'm so proud. and your teammate clarissa is going for the gold later >> check of the weather. >> let's look ahead to your weekend. for tomorrow, a risk of strong storms. i should say, the london three-day forecast is

spectacular. plenty of sunshine and temperatures upper 70s to the mid-70s here in the northeast where we're going to be looking tomorrow at strong storms along the eastern seaboard. beautiful weather out west and more wet weather making its way through the great lakes. saturday, we've got some clouds and showers around the great lakes. sunshine continues the western third of the country. sunday, sunday, we have more sunny, mild weather in the northeast and new england and warm in the pacific northwest and mild around the great lakes and sizzling in the mid-plains all the way back through the southwest and into the rockies. 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 4 radar. now showing a line of thundershowers slowly drifting east. these are not severe moving towards the metro area, perhaps in a couple hours as they hold together. then later this afternoon and this evening, an increasing chance of scattered thunderstorms popping up before then into the mid-90s in the heat and then tomorrow, humid, cloudy, showers and thunder and lightning maybe in the morning through mid-day and stronger

storms maybe afternoon and evening could prodos damaging winds an >> and that's your latest weather. >> al, thank you. well, we have another medal winner with us here, sanya richard ross captured team usa's first gold in track and field. good morning, good to have you! amazing first medal for u.s. track and field of these games. what was that moment like for you, now that you've had some days to absorb it all? >> oh, my gosh, reliving that moment, there's so much emotion that goes on. first there's this huge sigh of relief, you believe can you do it for so long and then you publish it. and then a moment of disbelief, in front of 80,000 people did i do it and then tremendous joy, all the hard work paid off. >> for a while you were in third place and then you turned on the after burner. was that the race plan all along is it. >> this year i just wanted to go out and compete well. a lot of times you overthink the

race and go out and it just falls apart. this time i wanted to compete. i didn't know what race i was going to run but i wanted to cross first. >> and you did it and everyone was talking about how great you look, the hair. did you fake out your opponents but coming out looking so good? >> my entire family were all about fashion and hair. >> look at this. >> i have my own salon and hairline. it's part of who we are. i bring that to the track. i love looking good, running good, feeling good. >> we should all look so good after working out like that. and you've had a good time so far? >>, oh my, god, we've had a wonderful time. they've been so good, the village, the track, the stadium. >> team sanya is here. >> coming up, where does kate middleton go to shop here in london?

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new pencils, new books... new backpack...looks good. just trying to look our best. gonna take more than looks. from what i hear, ms. haskins is a toughy. oh we had a good breakfast, so we're ready. gonna be another great year, huh guys?! you bet your 8 layers! yeah! long distance high 5. whoa! oh, careful. hey, watch it. [ female announcer ] packed with fiber and nearly a day's worth of whole grains, kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal helps keep your kids full and focused all morning long. now available in touch of fruit raspberry. keeps 'em full. keeps 'em focused. ♪ [music plays] ♪ [music plays]

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the duchess of cambridge relies on a few spots in london to get her fashion fix. here with the scoop, zana. i've got my fascinateor on because i'm kate middleton inspired. this is a fiphillip tracy. >> she is a big fan, as is sara jessica parker and lady gaga. gate has been seen wearing them since 2006. she continues to wear them. he made over 36 hats for the royal wedding, all the guests. >> so she's really inspired this trend to continue to grow, right? >> absolutely. and i think sales are spiking in head gear across the board. zun of t >> one of the other brands we've seen her wearing, she wears

these shoes all the time. >> l.k. bennett. >> yes. >> tell me about this shop in france. >> this shoe is synonymous with kate now. the queen has her crown and kate has her shoes, the nude pump. they're so comfortable. >> we know why she wears them all the time. >> she has to walk miles. it's a four inch heel, it's a great high height. she's still got the lift but she's not tripping over them. these are around $300. >> you can buy them in the u.s. there are a couple stores you can buy them. >> flagship in u.s. just opened. >> the purse and handbags? >> she loves everything in l.k. bennett. >> and her links of london earrings. what's great about kate is i think she really mixes and matches the high street to less pricier labels but this one is

around $300 or so? >> yshs thes, this is one of th earrings she wears a lot. there was the hope earring she wore for the engagement. the kate effect has had a negative effect, they had such a demand. so this launch counterfeits globally. it cost the company around 8 million pounds. >> not good the counterfeiting. but beautiful earrings. >> let's move over to the dresses here. we have great examples of her style. she's been known to wear the brand reese a lot, which is also available in the u.s. and available on line. >> the love affair with kate and reese started with the official engagement picture. we saw her wear the same dress for the canadian tour and she restyled it differently. this was a similar dress to the one she wore when she met the

obamas in the u.k., it sold out over night. it drove their profits up around 10 million pounds in only last year. >> this is a little more updated version of the dress she wore from the engagement. and this lace dress as well. >> templi, one of my favorite gowns of all time she wore for the "war horse" premiere. >> and this is a top shot dress and she's been known to go in and shop around. >> she was reportedly in line waiting for the changing room. >> she's amazing. >> thank you so much. still much more to come here from london but first these messages. release me, momigus! that's mom to you. and you should eat something that's good for you before you go outside. never! come on james. it's a new fiber one chewy bar. chocolatey and delicious. fiber one chewy bar, huh?

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now you know who to blame. nbc's olympic late night host mary carillo went to the source, the folks who decide what is considered english. >> that's exactly right. you might think creating the definitive english dictionary, the oxford dictionary, is a boring endeavor. but it's an ever changing process with roots dating back more than a thousand years. it's the oldest university in the english speaking world with more than 900 years in the books and fittingly, oxford university is the home of the ultimate source of what is, isn't and should be english. the oxford english dictionary. in its second edition, 20 volumes, 21,730 page, weighing 137 pounds. >> and the word just keep coming. >> they don't stop, do they? >> the very first edition took 70 years to complete and the current staff is summoning the

stamina to frame the ever widening scope of our ever expanding tongue. the next version is expected to be done by the year 2034. >> is the word twitter in there? in the last three months are there word that have never been there before? >> brain candy is a new one. brain candy is undemanding entertainment. >> you just described my entire career. >> how do words make the cut? it's like high school, a popularity contest. a word may merely be adoptedly bayh sufficient number of members. they showed me a room of wall-to-wall file cabinets. >> none of the words in here have been able to make the cut? >> they might get in eventually.

this is a quote "problemaschlitika." >> it rolls off the tongue. i'm surprised it didn't make the cut. >> to find the words known meant to ask every person alive. this appeal earned the citation, earning murray his own mailbox. this project involved a strange american twist, an inmate at the broadmoore asylum, a convicted murderer, would become essential to the english bible. he flooded dr. murray with

200,000 citations in microscopic writing. >> every time they finished a letter, letter b or d or w, they'd have an enormous party and they'd invite everybody who contributed, including dr. w.c. miner. and he would write and say i regret i'm very sorry, i can't get away. no kidding. >> from the day dr. james murray asked the world to help him define english, our tongue has remained muddled, ever spoken words and news ones like bling and flash mob. you feel that english is the most important language and probably always will be?

>> yes, of traffic control, commodities, shipping, trade. yes, i think it has been for the last 500 year and probably will be forever english. >> so, al, as you know, english has no shame and i don't either. i'm making an appeal right now to the "today" show followers. i want one of my phrases included in the oxford dictionary. >> which one? >> big babe. hit it hard. you can use it like vocals, big babe vocals. >> how about mook? >> mook? i've already called you mook. >> up next, big babe soccer.

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call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v. the u.s. women's soccer team goes for the gold against japan tonight. but if they are feeling the pressure, they are not showing it off the field. take a look. >> abby's the worst dancer ever. but she really gets her heart into it. >> i own it. >> she puts a lot of effort into it. >> i'm the best worst dancer. >> teen-age music. i don't know, what music do we listen to? >> rihanna, lady gaga. but then we'll put some rock alternative in there and abby's like -- >> i think we need some music. ♪ just dance, it will be okay, just dance ♪ ♪ just dance, it will be okay, just dance ♪

>> kristy had the moves, the whole running man. >> the dancing is good, the soccer is better. you can catch it on the nbc network at 2:15. hey, there's barely a line at space mountain.

you there ! i am looking for someone, hair black as night, skin white as snow ! yeah, yeah, i got that ! she is at the castle. dad ! honey ! but she's on the move. disney mobile magic, on verizon. you wouldn't happen to have an apple ? find characters, access wait times for the park you're in, and enjoy premium features when you download disney mobile magic, powered by verizon. president clinton and a bi-partisan congress helped end welfare as we know it,

by requiring work for welfare. but on july 12th, president obama quietly announced a plan to gut welfare reform by dropping work requirements. under obama's plan, you wouldn't have to work, and wouldn't have to train for a job -- they just send you your welfare check. and welfare to work goes back to being plain, old welfare. mitt romney will restore the work requirement, because it works. [ romney ] i'm mitt romney and i approve this message. 9:57 is your time now on this thursday, august 9th, 2012. good morning to you i'm eun yang. let's go to tom kierein with a look at your forecast. >> sunshine over the metro area. storm 4 radar showing a line of some showers and a little thunder and lightning now moving out of west virginia's panhandle into loudoun county and frederick county in maryland.

drift east and washington county and later today into the low to mid-90s and maybe some storms this afternoon and this evening and more likelihood of that tomorrow and then lower humidity and cooler for the weekend. danella, how is late morning traffic? >> here is the situation on i-270. had a crash at west diamond avenue. now it is in your shoulder lane and travel lanes are opened. 66 still slow at fairfax county parkway. beltway 27 miles per hour, that drive taking 22 minutes. eun? >> don't forget to tune in to news 4 tomorrow morning. for the latest