good morning. breaking news. a passenger jet from new york to mao could you deverted to iceland after a report of a bomb on board as investigators begin their search of the play. >> and a winner in last night's $337 million jackpot, the largest prize in history. >> and how did they survive? dramatic new video of that terrifying race car crash in colorado. they'll tell bus their unforgettable ride in an exclusive live interview today,

thursday, august 16, 2012. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> welcome to "today" on a thursday morning. i'm savannah guthrie. >> i'm matt lauer. a bomb scare on board a moscow-bound flight from new york's kennedy airport. also ahead, we'll have a question to parents that's tied to flying. would you let your child get on a plane alone? >> a california couple did and they thought they had ensured their daughter's safety. they even paid united airlines extra to watch over her. now they are demanding answers after the girl failed to show up at her final destination. it took the airline an hour to find her, according to the

parents. we're going to hear from them. >> there are other elements to that story that will infuriate a lot of people. and take a look at graceland where elvis fans are gathering to mark today's 35th anniversary of his death. it was an emotional team last night when priscilla and lisa marie attended the yearly candlelight vigil for the very first time. natalie morales is live inside graceland and later will take us on a tour of the king's home. >> then it's al's turn to get a "today in history" moment. we have recreated the beatles on abbey road. matt is still chafing after doing his best as air jordan, natalie and her son did charlie chaplain and the kid and this morning al roker is recreating man's first step on the moon. >> do you know who has the best selling album of the year? is it justin bieber, adele? believe it or not it's lionel richie and he is here for a live

concert out on our plaza this morning. we're looking forward to that. let's begin with that single winning ticket in the third largest lottery jackpot in u.s. history. wdiv joins us from lapier, mir began. what can you tell us? >> a little town called lapeer, michigan, just outside of michigan, one ticket worth $337 million in the powerball game sold right inside the sunoco station i am standing in. the powerball jackpot, there were so many sales overnight the jackpot number jumped about $27 million. people are seeing all the media, they're whipping out their

tickets. they're thinking one of their neighbors is getting up, they're checking their numbers. they want to see if they have won. if they do the lump sum, $241 million is what somebody is waking up to this morning. there is no winner yet but i have to tell you the city manager just stopped by. he is keeping his fingers crossed the winner lives within the city limits because they're going to get some income tax, he hopes about $2 million. he said the timing couldn't be better. >> 6, 27, 46, 51, 56 and the powerball number was 21. in michigan do winners have to come forward? is it required? >> just got off the phone with the lottery officials. they say, yes, you have to come forward. you cannot stay anonymous. you have one year to do so but the lady i talked to said the offices are open over in lancing, michigan. they're waiting for the winner to call. >> exciting moment there. sean, thank you very much. >> i really enjoyed you giving

the lottery numbers there and the powerball is what? >> all we needed was the little wheel. >> let's get a check of the morning's other top stories. tamron hall is filling in for natalie. >> a plane carrying 266 people, an anonymous bomb threat was called in this morning. all passengers have been safely evacuated. the worst outbreak of west nile virus in years has spread to more than 30 states. in dallas, texas officials have declared a state of emergency there. good morning. >> tamron, good morning. this is the epicenter of the epidemic. a third of the nation's cases of west nile is right here in dallas county. tonight something they haven't done since the 1960s, spraying insecticides from small planes. in dallas county the west nile virus has led to a full fledged

state of emergency. >> 6% of the west night virus cases in america would be in southern dallas county. >> tonight health officials will start fighting back with aerial spray, hoping to slow the outbreak, which has so far affected more than 450 texans and killed at least 17. >> i think people are correct in being concerned about it and certainly when i have that many fatalities, it's something that bears our attention. >> 14-year-old jordan connor was watching her dog when she was bitten by five mosquitoes. doctors say that led to encephalitis, a swelling of jordan's brain, terrifying her mother. >> we have to do neurochecks. you have to wake her up and make sure she's alert. >> reporter: her mher is still very worried about jordan. officials say texas is on track to have the worst year ever from west nile, caused by an

unusually warm winter followed by a rainy spring, perfect breeding conditions for mosquitoes. neighboring states are reporting higher rates of infection this year, too, and cases have been reported in almost every state in the nation. >> it would not be surprising over the next month or two if we saw other outbreaks occurring in totally separate areas of the country. >> reporter: and the cdc says while this is serious, only one of every 100 people who are infected will develop an illness. tamron, back to you. >> thank you very much. the suspectedgunman who shot and wounded a security guard is now in fbi custody. floyd lee corkins ii broke in and shot the building's guard when he was confronted. he's being held on charge of assault with a deadly weapon. >> wildfires have residents of two small towns in idaho

evacuating. meantime in california, washington state and oregon, thousands of firefighters are battling growing blazes fueled by dry conditions and hot weather. now to wall street. mandy drury is at the new york stock exchange. good to see you. >> good morning. we're hoping to break out of a very narrow range here in the markets. if you like tech gadgetry, listen up. samsung is revealing new gadgets. it hopes to set itself apart from ipad with a sty lus. exciting stuff, tamron, back to you. >> prince phillip is back in the hospital after a reoccurrence of that bladder infection that sidelined him earlier this summer. the 91-year-old will likely be hospitalized for several days. that according to buckingham

palace. and it was a perfect game for seattle mariners pitcher felix hernandez, aka king felix on wednesday. it's the 23rd perfect game in major league history and led the mariners to a 1-0 victory over the tampa bay rays. up see there spelling out king it should have been, it is now 7:09. for your nbc sports trivia of the game, how many perfect games this season, just this season? >> three. >> good. >> even when you win you lose with him. >> up north they have these things called newspapers in the morning. it's right there on the back page. >> that's called a softball, savannah. >> mr. roker, what's up? >> she's very bitter. >> yes. >> let's at some strong storms that are going to be firing up, stretching from kalamazoo and saginaw back to tulsa, damaging winds, a lot of rain, hail. as you see on the radar, we're already seeing that activity

firing up from traverse city back into kirkland ellisville. and then we're also looking at temperature wise big changes, 91 in cincinnati, 90 in st. louis behind it. minneapolis will have a high today of 69. bismarck, 73. so that's going to be good news. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> where's your sunglasses? go find them. get them before you head on out the door. look at that sunshine across the area. it's glowing, it's fiery. 70 degrees, the temperature. we've got light breezes out of the north. but the dew point temperature, the humidity, way down from yesterday. we're going to see a high today about 91 degrees. some areas north and west, 86. so warm, nice, with low humidity. tomorrow, a little bit of humidity and some showers coming into the area. in fact, could have some is and that's your latest weather. >> thank you. now to a growing scandal inside the department of homeland security. more men are coming forward

saying a top aide to secretary janet in a politano made lut comments to male subordinates. >> just months after the department of homeland security was rocked by allegations that secret service agents procured prostitutes before a presidential trip to columbia, nbc news learned that congressional investigators are looking into sensational new charges of misconduct within the department, this time that a senior female official presided over a culture of intimidation directed at men. a top aide to homeland security secretary janet in a politano has stepped aside as department officials investigate new allegations that the female deputy was sexually offensive to male subordinates. suzanne barr, the chief of staff of ice has voluntarily placed herself on leave pending an internal review of alleged live

lewd and sexually charged comments at work, a spokesman confirmed tuesday. the allegations first came from james hayes, jr., the special agent in charge of ice in new york. s hayes as filed a discrimination lawsuit. he claims barr's actions were part of a frat-house-type atmosphere at ice. >> if is highly unusual to see a male complaintant bringing a lawsuit. >> hayes alleged that bar played sexually charged games, in one 2009 incident moving the office computers, telephones and name plates of three male employees into the men's room, that she

called another male employee in a hotel and screamed at him using a sexually vulgar term. his lawsuit accuses homeland security for gender discrimination for replacing him in a top top job in washington and retaliating against him when he filed a complaint. an ice spokesman said the lawsuit is unfounded and said "ice will respond directly and strongly to this lawsuit in court." a key republican congressman tells nbc news he intends to look into the charges. >> we're going to conduct our own investigation into the charges. they're so egregious and disturbing that if accurate, i think it poses serious problems for the department. >> homeland security officials tell nbc news the hayes discrimination complaint is belied by the fact he continues to hold his high ranking position in new york and most of secretary in a politano's top aides, including her chief of staff, are men.

one official acknowledged at least one of the allegations that suzanne barr moved male employee's computers into the bathroom is true. it was, officials said, intended as a joke. >> thank you. it's 7:14 now. here's matt. >> if you thought president obama and mitt romney would ease up on their war of words on the campaign trail, think again. nbc's kristin welkers is at the white house with more on that. >> president obama is back at the white house this morning after a three-day campaign swing through iowa. with polls showing a tight race there and nationwide, he enlisted the help of his most powerful weapon, the first lady. in this week marred by mud slinging on both sides, president obama was in florida with his wife, michelle. >> we all know who my husband is and we all know what he stands

for. >> reporter: the president on the offensive as mitt romney has been hammering him for running a negative campaign. >> take your campaign of division and anger and hate back to chicago. >> reporter: mr. obama responded in an interview with "entertainment tonight." >> i don't think you or anybody who has been watching me campaign would suggest that in any way that we have, you know, tried to divide the country. we've always tried to bring the country together. >> reporter: still, the president continues to use strong language to refute republican claims on medicare. republicans say the president's health care reforms slash more than $700 billion from medicare. in fact, according to the congressional budget office, president obama's reforms and the paul ryan medicare plan slow medicare growth by $700 billion but do not cut program benefits. ryan, campaigning in ohio, isn't backing down on medicare. >> we need this debate and we will win this debate.

>> reporter: meanwhile vice president joe biden doubled down on being outspoken. >> i know i am sometimes criticizing for saying exactly what i mean. it's not going to chang. . >> reporter: biden still taking heat from republicans for comments tuesday about romney. >> he's going to let the big banks once again write their own rules. unchain wall street. they're going to put y'all back in chains. >> reporter: romney slammed biden's comment. >> an unfounded charge and a metaphor that is not uplifting, not uniting. >> reporter: in an interview with "people" magazine the president defended his running mate saying "the truth is that during the course of these campaigns folks like to get obsessed with how something was phrased, even if everybody personally understands that's not how it was meant." but then wednesday the vice president had another slip of the tongue. >> where is it written we cannot

lead the world in the 20th century in making automobiles? >> reporter: it took just moments for the romney team to start mocking that mistake. earlier this week, former vice presidential candidate sarah palin suggested that the obama team should swap out vice president biden with secretary of state hillary clinton. president obama dismissed that idea during his interview with "entertainment tonight." now, one more point, matt, the rnc is out with a new web video today entitled "anger and division, " a sign the contentious tone of this campaign shows no signs of letting up. >> we've heard a lot this week about mitt romney's new running mate paul ryan but his real running mate is his wife ann. she traced her roots to the welsh village of where her

father was born. >> reporter: in southern wales, found how the ann romney's well-to-do image has obscured her inner toughness, a grit that my rival her coal mining forbearers. she fierce live defended the romney's decision not to release tax returns from before 2010. a lot of people still are asking why not be transparent and release more than the 2010 and the estimates for 2011. >> have you seen how we're attacked? have you seen what's happened? >> it's been in the press quite a bit. should you not be questioned about your taxes? >> we've been very transparent. the more we release, the more we get attacked. the more we get questioned, the more we get pushed. we've done what's legally required and there's going to be no more tax returns given and

there's a reason for that and that's because of what happens as soon as we release anything. mitt's financial releases were huge when he was governor if anyone wants to look and see what he has. he's honest, his integrity is golden. beyond paying our taxes, we give 10% of our income to charity. we have no issues that way. the only reason we don't disclose anymore is we'd just become a bigger target. >> so it's just because you'll continue to face more questions? >> it will just give them more ammunition. >> you're so pretty, magic. >> yet i also saw a surprisingly playful side to the 63-year-old would-be first lady. her affinity for animals or animals' affinity for her was obvious when we happened across a welsh upony.

and it was a surprise to hear rare kind words between the rival camps of 2012. clearly the campaign has gotten to be so negative on both sides. is there a positive that you see in president obama and the first lady? >> you know, i love how family-oriented they are. i think her initiative is wonderful. i think obesity is a huge problem in this country and it's great to see her caring about that but to also see the role model of a strong mom and a dad and two darling little girls. you know, i love seeing that. >> what about president obama? what can you say positive that we don't often hear? >> well, you know, i think all of us are so proud that america backed him and i think that piece of it is never going to go away, that america is a place where anything is possible and anyone can dream whatever they want and anyone can accomplish anything they want and he is the embodiment of that and i think it's a thrill for all of us to

have him as president. >> mrs. romney also talked very candidly about her own diagnosis with ms. can you see the full interview on "rock center with brian williams" at 10:00 here on nbc. >> still ahead, the two men inside this crash miraculously survived and are with us for

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♪ so get ready ♪ 'cause here i come ♪ get ready 'cause here i come ♪ i'm on my way ♪ get ready 'cause here i come ♪ every day . breaking news at 7:26. two ramps closed along 395 in alexandria right now because of a deadly crash. that violent crash tore the lone car involved in two pieces. you see that right here. one person died, three others went to the hospital. the southbound ramp from 395 to duke street closed right now, along with the rank from duke to the interstate there, southbound. we have a look at other problem spots. danella? >> also 3925, this time northbound at duke street, a crash blocking the left lane in this area, and delays from the beltway. you can see jammed at edsel here northbound. aaron, back over to you. >> thank you, danella. weather is next. stay with us.

i hope you're getting your morning off to a good start. meteorologist veronica johnson. 70 degrees, your temperature. i put that order in yesterday

for great weather today and we're going to have it. low humidity, warm, but nice. 86 to 91. the range in temperatures for today. tomorrow, warmer. aaron? >> thank you, veronica. another update in 25 minutes.

this is a terrifying view. this is what it looked like for the guys inside a race car when that car slid off a cliff on colorado's pikes peak. what were they thinking what were they saying? it's morning tv. we can't say that. and how did they survive? we're going to ask them. they're here and relatively unscathed. that i am join us for a live interview. 7:30 now on a thursday morning, the 16th of august, 2012. a date, by the way, that has a special place in history for music lovers. >> 35 years ago today elvis presley died. natalie is live at graceland

this morning. coming up, her interview with priscilla and lisa marie presley. she's going to take us on a tour of the singer's famous memphis home. >> and a drug rehab program is linked to three mysterious deaths in oklahoma. agonizing moments for a couple. they put their 10-year-old daughter on a flight unaccompanied but she didn't show up on time. diana, good morning. >> reporter: matt, good morning to you. letting your child fly without a parent is a white knuckle moment for any mom and dad. they're always thinking that something might go wrong. that fear came true for one family. >> i got a frantic phone call from the camp counselor saying phoebe's not on the flight from chicago. do you have any idea what happened? >> reporter: in june 10-year-old

phoebe left san francisco bound for summer camp in traver city, michigan. she was supposed to change planes in chicago. her parents paid an extra $99 fee to united airline to make sure she was accompanied to her next flight. that never happened. >> all the worst possible thing goes through your mind as a mom when you think you have no idea where your child is and she's 2,000 miles away. >> reporter: when mother, annie, finally got someone from united on the line, it only got worse. >> they said, no, she's in traver city. that point was when i really knew that they had lost her. on some level they didn't know where she was. >> reporter: and then she says they put her on hold. what annie and her husband didn't know is the person hired to escort her daughter to her next flight never showed up and that person did not work for united. the airline outsources the service. phoebe missed her connection and an united employee walked her to a waiting room for unaccompanied minors. >> i asked several times to call

my mom because i knew she'd be worried because nobody knew where i was but they kept saying hang on a minute, we're beneficially. >> reporter: her mother said it took an hour to get through to somebody at chicago's o'hare airport. >> she came back and said i can't sort it out and i'm going off my shift and my husband asked her if she was a mother. she said yes, i am. each said how would you feel if you couldn't find your daughter f for 45 minutes? >> the pleas worked. >> i don't understand why the agent didn't do something, hand her a cell phone and say call your moment. >> reporter: it took six weeks and an investigation for united to finally respond to complaints. they say they contacted the family to apologize and are reviewing the matter. "what the klebahns describe is

not the service we aim to deliver to our customers. we are redepositing the miles used to purchase the ticket back into his account and in addition to refunding the unaccompanied minor charge. >> we should mention that to avoid any problems on the return flight home, phoebe and her parents flew back on a different airline. nbc news has reached out to the company hired to escort phoebe and so far they have not responded. >> thank you very much. let's get a check of the weather now from al. >> thanks very much, matt. we have a lot of big lionel richy fans out here. >> you're just married? >> just married. >> and which has another meaning, just got married. let's show what we've got as far as your weather today. wow! look how hot in the northwest. 91 in seattle. close in portland, eugene,

oregon. 98. tomorrow it gets even hotter. a record of 96 in seattle. probably coming awfully close to breaking the record in eugene. rest of the country, not quite as hot. we are expecting temperatures in the 50s and 60s through the upper midwest. 70s in northern new england. hundreds through texas on into the mid plains. 90s through the southeast. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> and right here, it's a yummy morning. refreshing outside. low humidity, cooler temperatures. we're in the low 70s right now. by noontime, 85 for a temperature. we'll go up to a high of 91 degrees. mostly sunny sky for today. tomorrow, morning sunshine to afternoon clouds. some showers and storms starting about 5:00 or 6:00. and continuing probably through part of the evening. but it will be warmer tomorrow with high around 93 to 95. >> and d't forget, check that weather any time you need it. go to the weather chant on cable, the weather.comline.

>> al, thanks. to a heart stopping crash we showed you earlier in the week. jeremy foley and yuri kouznetsov ed off pikes peak.uri kouznetsov both men managed to walk away virtually unscathed. they're with us this morning we're happy to say. i know u dislocated your shoulder. how are you feeling? >> feeling good. if you saw the wreck, good to come out with just a couple of bruises and this. >> you both have redness in your eyes. you've got some bumps on the way down i imagine. >> yes. >> you've seen that video probably a hundred times. is it hard to watch? >> it's definitely difficult. it's never enjoyable. >> what goes through your mind when you watch that and say i was in there. >> you try not to too much. the last few moments was pretty much a lot what you remember and

then it's a big washing machine of pain and violence and then just coming back to it in a daze. >> let's walk through what happened. you're on this racetrack, you're going around what's known to be a very tough corner, right, i think they call it devil's playground. we actually have video of the moment where you lose control. did you know, jeremy? you were in the driver's seat. did you know? >> i did. there was a moment where the tires did not grip. you hear it in the audio where they squeal. as a race car driver, you know that sensation and feeling that the car is not doing what you want it to do. >> what amazing me is you were conscious the entire time. what went through your mind? >> a lot went through my mind. i thought this was it, game over. >> you told us you weren't really a religious man but there came a time did you pray.

>> i did. prayed before the race and i prayed during the ordeal it would come to a halt. >> yuri, you lost consciousness. what do you remember? >> i remember everything to the point where it slowed us down. the moment i dislocated my shoulder, i remember that. i grabbed the belt and tried to grab it out. what goes through your mind is please stop, please stop. >> i hope those of us who see this hope you're secretly in shock and you don't feel every bump but that is not what happened. >> i did, i felt every single bump, every single impact. >> painful. >> indeed. extremely. >> when you think about getting back behind the wheel of a race car, is there any doubt in your mind you'll keep us with it? i know you've been doing it for eight years. >> i think we both want to get back in the car. we're both a little hesitant i think to do it tomorrow but with time we'll both certainly be

racing in the future. >> one of the things you were really worried about was yuri. >> i was. that was my first concern. his life was the responsibility of mine and i felt extremely guilty and saddened to know that i may have caused him some harm. >> we're so happy to see that you're both okay and that you're here to tell us about it. be careful out there. i know you feel the roll bar and some of the safety equipment that we see here really saved your lives. >> indeed, indeed. the helmet here was worn by yuri. you can see there are multiple cracks on the helmet, indicating he suffered some severe impacts. luckily my helmet was left marked up but it shows those safety devices did keep us alive. >> jeremy foley and yuri kouznetsov, thank you. >> coming up, a drug rehab

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harry smith is here with details. >> narconon is based on the scientology writings by l. ron hubbard and those deaths happened an their flagship facility in oklahoma, all within the last year. >> we are the authorities on the mind. >> reporter: famous scientologists like tom cruise have targeted their value. a crew from "extra" captured john travolta and kelly preston hoepsing a fund-raiser for their hawaii facility in 2007. >> compared to other rehabs, we're the best. >> i can't believe it, it works. >> reporter: their method of rehabilitation is unorthodox. patients are call students and they study eight books based on

the writings of l. ron hubbard. its unconventional methods include being in a sauna for five hours a day. many graduates have told us the program helps them lead drug-free lives. but three people in the past year have died under mysterious circumstances while in the care of narconnon's flagship facility. stacy murphy 21 old, hillary holton, 21, gabriel graves, 32 years old. they all died inside narconon arrowhead. gabriel's mother and stepfather want answer. did you feel like they were completely forthcoming with you

on the phone in terms of who they were, what their procedures were? >> no. no. i number one said i do not want my son indoctrinated into scientology here and i mean it. and we don't do that. >> they said -- >> they said we do not do that at all. when i talked to gabe about it, he said that's their whole thing, trying to get us to be scientologists. >> really? >> that's what gabe said to me. >> ceo gary smith says the church of scientology has supported narconon since its inception but insists it's a non-religious program. as for the death, smith said he can't comment on specific cases due to federal privacy laws but he says our deepest sympathies go taught those families and our prayers are with them. >> it needs some type of monitoring. i mean, what the heck's going on? >> narconon international

declined to do an on-camera interview with us since they have done plenty talking with us over the last month or so. they say the detox is part of a larger plan of life skills training. the church of scientology says it is committed to help people free themselves from the ravages of drugs adding narconon has an exceptional record of helping people recover from addiction. >> you can see the entire report on "rock center" with brian williams tonight at 10:00. >> and coming up, natalie goes to graceland on the 35th anniversary of elvis's death. but first these messages. ch ili'

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amateur so she can swim in college or turn pro. miguel sat down with missy "the missile." >> today is her first day of her senior year in high school. next year she hopes to go to college and swim as an amateur. but with so much money if she turns pro from speaking endorsements to engagements, it could be a deal too lucrative to turn down. >> reporter: at just 17 years old, franklin has already reached the pin california of her sport. from her-faced enthusiasm and bubbly personality have made her one of the rare athletes capable of crossing over into the world of mainstream celebrity. she's already gone from the pool -- >> we welcome missy franklin! >> -- to "the tonight show." some say missy could make

millions as a pro swinger, but if she did, it would cost her her dream of swimming for a college team. what are you thinking >> right now i'm still very set of swimming in college but my decision has become extremely difficult. there are so many pros and cons to consider. it's definitely hard. >> missy came out of the games as one of the most affable athletes. >> missy lab wwill be a winner, either way she decides to go. >> she has her own journey. >> reporter: a journey will little down side, even if she remains an amateur. swimming is a sport with few career-nding injuri career-ending injuries. and four years ago in rio, she's likely to be a star. >> i think she's a great swimmer who will be a long time. and those opportunities might

even be greater going into the olympics. >> for a high school senior, a huge decision to make. will the teen-ager with so much fame now pursue fortune? swimmer's golden girl with golden years ahead. >> some of the numbers must be jaw dropping. do you fantasize about it? >> absolutely. you have to think about it. turning down this amount of money is unheard of. it's an amazing amount of money. >> she will be able to walk away from a couple hundred thousand dollars from medals earned in the olympics. not chump change but a fraction of what she'd make as a pro. she'll make her decision in the next few weeks. >> it's a hard decision for her. >> it's hard to contradict what she's been saying up to this point because she's always said she wants to swim in college. so if she changes her mind, it's going to get a lot of attention. >> i hope she follows her heart. we want to know what you think.

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breaking news right now. two ramps are closed along 395 in alexandria, because of a deadly crash. this is in alexandria. take a look. the crash was so violent, it tore the single car involved into two pieces. one person died, three others went to the hospital. the southbound ramp from 395 to duke street is closed, along with the ramp from the duke street to the interstate southbound. here's danell sealock with other problem spots, good morning. >> we saw i-95 still jammed. lort lorton, your delays, it's slow from quantico, 27 miles per hour. that drive almost taking you a i'm barack obama and i approve this message seen this? mitt romney claiming the president would end welfare's work requirements?

the new york times calls it 'blatantly false' the washington post says: "the obama administration is not removing the bill's work requirements at all." in fact, obama's getting states to move twenty percent more people from welfare to work. and president clinton's reaction to the romney ad? it's just "not true." get the facts.

happy thursday, everybody. meteorologist veronica johnson here. today, one of those days where you just want to grab and squeeze every ounce of yummy out of it. 73. we've got a sparkling, bright day ahead of us. 91 for a high. tomorrow, warmer. 93 to 95. but tomorrow that sunshine is going to start

8:00 now on a thursday morning. it is a picture perfect start to the day here in rockefeller plaza. in our next half hour, they're going to get a treat from a concert from one of my favorites, lionel richie. alongside matt lauer and al roker. >> it goes like this. going to make it real awkward. >> you have to have a certain amount of distance between the bodies. >> like in catholic school, leave room for the holy ghost. >> it's a big day in music history.

>> 35 years ago today, elvis presley passed away, the king of rock 'n' roll. as mark says in his great song "walking in memphis," there's a pretty little thing waiting for the king in the jungle room. natalie morales is at the king's home in memphis. she has a big interview with priscilla and lisa marie in a while. >> and on monday we transformed into the beatles on abbey road, matt attempted to be like mike, natalie and her son struck a pose of charlie chaplain and the kid and today bang, zoom to the moon as i attempt to recreate an iconic image from the first lunar landing. >> i thought you were going to be the honeymooners. >> we did that already. >> tamron hall is at the news desk fors us. >> good morning. a military helicopter has crashed this morning in southern afghanistan.

three americans and eight other coalition service members have been killed. the cause of the crash is right now under investigation. >> someone in michigan is feeling very lucky this morning after a single winning ticket has been sold in the $337 million powerball jackpot drawing. the odds of picking that winning ticket 1 in 175 million. and the worst outbreak of west nile disease is leading to drastic action. dallas declared a local state of disaster and will begin aerial spraying of pesticides tonight to combat mosquitoes that carry the virus. >> a parasailing accident has claimed the life of a connecticut woman on vacation in florida. officials say 28-year-old kathleen mesko was parasailing

with her husband when her harness broke. >> and actress mayim bialik was in an accident. her husband tweeted that she will keep all of her fingers. >> here's brian williams with what's coming up tonight on nbc "nightly news." >> coming up tonight, baby elephant orphans are desperately seeking a mother. chelsea clinton went to nairobi and introduced to us a woman who dedicated her life to this cause. we'll have it all for you in our "making a difference" report tonight. >> for a look at what's trending today, actress jody foster is supporting her former panic room

co-star kristen stewart, who admitted to cheating on robert pattinson. she writes if she was a young actor growing up in today's invasive media culture, she would quit because she doesn't think she could survive it emotionally. >> and this youtube parity is sung by a look alike of the mohawk guy. ♪ i got stars on my 'hawk and i ain't afraid to show it ♪ we're nasa and we know it >> nasa approves, tweeting for fans to take a look at the video. >> and to celebrate becoming a man, sean sperling honored his

favorite woman madonna. ♪ come on, vogue, let your body move to the music ♪ come on, vogue, let your body go with the flow ♪ you know you can do it >> the 5,000-year-old rite of passage never looked so fabulous. i don't know what's better, the crowd reaction or sean. we got to catch up with this kid. where is he in the 90s? still voguing. it is 8:05. al, break it down. >> watch him, he grew up to be david gregory. that's what happened. hey, air force week. very cool. what happened? >> we'regregory. anyway. let's see -- hey, air force week. very cool. what's happening? >> we kick off sunday at the intrepid. free and open to the public to show case your united states america's air force. >> thank you very much for your service. thanks very much. let's see what we've got for

you as far as your weather today. we are expecting to see burlington, vermont getting a gorgeous day, lots of sunshine. mild, high of 80 degrees. as we look on the radar, some strong storms firing up now in the upper midwest. also monsoonal moisture through the southwest. another sizler for the pacific northwest with temperatures getting into the mid to upper 90s. hotner seattle than san diego. look for an afternoon shower or thunderstorm in central florida. risk of strong storms in the upper midwest back down into the mississippi river valley. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> happy air force week. this is an armed service town for us and we wish our men and women well. we're at 73 degrees right now. it's a good-looking day out there and it's going to be throughout the day. comfortable, sunshine. highs getting into the low >> and that's your latest weather. savannah? >> thank you, al. coming up next, natalie talks to lisa marie and priscilla presley

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we're back now at 8:09 on this 35th anniversary of elvis presley's death. natalie is at graceland where she talked to presley's ex-wife priscilla and their only daughter, lisa marie. good morning again. >> good morning, matt. this is the first time priscilla and lisa marie have sat down for an interview together here at graceland. i began by asking them if they ever thought this place would become such a sacred place for elvis fans. >> we've had maybe some visitors, but not to this extent. i mean, i was told that elvis passed and that, you know, he'll be forgotten the next couple of years and life goes on. thank god i didn't listen to any

of those people. >> lisa marie, what feelings do you get when you come here? >> i'm always really happy when i was here. it always reminds me of when i was the happiest i think in my life. it always just brings me right there when i come back. >> priscilla, in an interview i believe you said when you were talking about graceland that you have feel like elvis is going to come down the stairs any minute. do you feel his presence throughout still? >> absolutely. i've always said that. this was so much a part of him, this home. he loved this home. he always came back here no matter what. his presence is all around, sitting and talking or playing the piano, early morning hours, the kitchen, that's where we all congregated, lots of laughs. i can sometimes hear laughter. ♪ return to sender >> what did you call your father, lisa marie? >> daddy. >> never elvis? >> i did say it a few times and he wasn't too thrilled when i would call him that because i

kept hearing it being yelled by women. i would giggle and start saying it back to him. or would i call him like the fans would call him when i was really little. he would giggle but he preferred that i called him daddy, i suppose. i loved being with him before he'd go on stage and then being in the audience, i was awe struck watching him. >> your own father watching him, you're awe struck? >> of course. there was really no difference from him on and off stage. there wasn't a persona. the word would be awesome, his dynamic, how big he was. what he projected was just as much off the stage as it was on so it wasn't any different. >> good evening. elvis presley died today. he was 42. >> tell me about that day 35 years ago, priscilla. do you remember getting the

call? >> i do. i'll never forget that day. i walked outside and i said, my god, something's not right. lisa was in memphis at the time and i first thought about her. i wasn't able to function for a while without him because i just, you know, in my head i just thought what do i do without him because she was always there for me. >> lisa marie, you were 9 at the time, you were at the house i understand here at graceland. did you know what was going on? >> i knew something was going on. i was in my room right next to his bathroom. so i anywknew that something wa very wrong, all the commotion and everything. i was a wreck, i was a mess. i was confused. just the pandemonium that happened afterwards was a little bit confusing. >> for the first time you're actually going to participate in the candlelight vigil? >> yes. >> why? >> it just seems like it's the

right time. >> when you come here and you see now on the 35th anniversary, i mean, there are just massive people outside for a candlelight vigil, are you somewhat struck with awe that people still decades later -- >> absolutely. >> -- come here to honor elvis this way? >> absolutely. that's the force of elvis. i remember elvis saying that he didn't really know if he gave up singing, if he did want to retire, he felt that people would forget him. and to see this every year, it's like my gosh, you were wrong, look at this. i mean, look what you do every year, look who you bring. and it brings a smile to my face, it does. if he only knew. ♪ falling in love with you >> and the memphis police department estimates some 75,000

people were here last night for that candlelight vigil. later today there lab special tribute concert for elvis and lisa marie will reveal a video performance of her singing alongside with an image of elvis, matt. so a very special celebration for his life and legacy. >> and you're not done there. you're going to take us on a tour in the next hour? >> that's right. coming up i'll show you all the hidden places in graceland. >> up next on "today in history," al takes a walk on the moon to recreate the historic photo of buzz aldren. that's right after this. ♪ look out baby 'cause here i come ♪ ♪ and i'm bringing you a love that's true ♪ ♪ so get ready ♪ so get ready

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some memorable photos. >> i think those are pretty impressive but i'd have to say mine is out of this world. >> up two, three, four -- >> blasting off into outer space. a mission to the moon. going where no man has gone. things i dreamed about as a kid. but back then my dreams were the stuff of science fiction. >> this nation should commit itself -- >> until 1961 when president kennedy challenged america to achieve the goal -- >> of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. >> turning fiction into reality. >> we are go with all elements of the mission at this time. >> no matter who you are, what you believe in, you can believe in this. >> this is the story of a dream. it's the story of challenge, it's the story of a nation working together. >> ignition, sequence, start.

>> to achieve an impossible goal. >> three, two, one, zero. liftoff! we have liftoff! >> within a decade, three american astronauts, neil armstrong, buzz aldrin and michael collins soared up, up and away on a mission to the moon. >> look at that. do you ever get tired of seeing something like that? >> no. used to be a stranger. it's become a friend now. >> you're one of the closest friends the moon has. astronaut buzz aldrin still hosts full moon parties to pay his respect to the old friend he visited over 40 years ago. >> the actual descent to the surface of the moon was a battle. >> apollo 11 flight director gene krants coordinated the

landing from 240 miles away. >> we locked the control room doors and those doors would remain locked until we either landed, crashed or aborted. >> i was huddled around the tv along with the rest of the planet. we were all in the living room, we were all watching and my mom had made jiffy pop popcorn. we're all waiting. the descent was riddled with issues. the proposed landing site was strewn with boulders. >> he didn't say anything. he just leveled the spacecraft off. people on the ground were wondering why he leveled off. >> everybody was sucking air. i mean, it was about as tight and tense as you could get. >> it was quiet. you'd hear this his in between the word and transmission, the crackling. and he uttered those words.

>> tranquility base here. the eagle has landed. >> tranquility, we copy on the ground. you got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. we're breathing again. thanks a lot. >> that's one small step for man -- >> one giant leap for mankind. >> i had the chance to look up, almost straight up about 24 degrees. i could see three quarters of the earth was illuminated. just to realize that we were the only people up there was a sense of pioneering, that we're really alone. >> and nothing captured that historic moment, the sheer will, better than what they now call the vizor photograph. zit still to me an amazing picture. >> it's candid because i was walking toward the landing gear and neil said, hey, buzz, stop a minute. i stopped and it was just kind of perfect.

that picture represents the very fact that we did have a human, an american, on the surface of the moon. this is representative of mission accomplished. >> people ask me why is this so famous? and i say i got three words, location, location, location. >> we keep our area clean. >> for inspiration, buzz brings me to one location where i can get a little closer to the real thing, nasa's lunar sample laboratory. it's like a lending library for all of the lunar rocks buzz and the astronauts brought home. >> we're going to go into this little room. we're going to take an air shower. >> going in. >> okay, guys. this is the pristine sample lab. so we are going to be looking in the apollo 11 cabinet. >> buzz, did you get to keep any

rocks? >> no. >> no? >> no. >> good answer. >> finally, under the watchful eye of the lab curator, i donned three sets of protective gloves and take my own trip to the moon. amazing. it really is. >> don't drop it. >> no. i am holding a piece of the moon collected from apollo 11. >> been there, done that. >> yes, you have. ♪ fly me to the moon >> now for my trip to the moon, i head home to recreate that epic shot. west 18th street, new york, new york. just doesn't sound as authentic as lunar surface, milky way glassy. but since nbc wouldn't spring for the flight, i made do. finally, i'm ready for my not so candid homage to the moon.

for one giant leap for a weatherman and a lot of work for one photographer, mission accomplished. >> great, got it. >> all right. so of course let's do it, let's show you the photo that's of buzz aldrin on the moon. and now my photo on the moon. because the vizer is up, all the air was subjected out and now i'm dead. >> we wanted to share some of the best ones that we got. here's a good one. this is michael phelps. the famous e.t. phone home. >> iwo jima. there's some lifeguards recreating that picture. >> and this is from kelly from west lynn oregon. used her family to create famous faces from the world of music and movies.

from queen. >> oh, yeah. >> and you a drew hepburn. >> buzz aldrin is "e.t." shot. that's cute. >> iwo jima, lifeguards. >> and from oregon, use your family to create some famous faces from the world's of music and movie. >> that's a pretty good doris day. >> and audrey hepburn. >> oh, that's cute. >> well done. and more photos on "today".com. >> and buzz aldrin appearing in the catskills. we're back after your local news. this is a news4 news break. :26 on

. ♪ ♪ it's 8:30 on a thursday morning. it's the 16th day of august 2012. it's a beauty here in new york, nice blue sky, big crowd out on the plaza. they're here for a great reason, because we've got the music of the one and only lionel richie coming up in this hour. here along with savannah guthrie, al roker and tamron

hall, who is here while natalie is gone enjoying some time at graceland. we're going to catch up with her in just a couple of minutes. >> we have one more concert for our big week-long series of concerts. nick lashea and the boys are getting back together. and next thursday, guess who's going to be here. >> who? >> hit it, boys. >> we may have to sing it. >> there we go. that worked well. >> "call me maybe," her relentlessly catchy hit. >> meaning you're not over it, right? >> no. and on friday we've got chain, one of your favorite bands. >> and we have the one and only kelsey grammer. this year he won the golden globe for best actor in a drama for his portrayal of a ruthless mayor on "boss."

not only his new role as a great mayor, he's also excited about being a new dad. we'll talk to him all about that. each is looking good, looking fit. >> yes, he is. and today's professionals are hanging with us this morning, chiming in on the hot topic, including this picture of tim tebow causing quite a stir. people are reacting to it. we'll tell you why and find out what they think. >> first let's say high to three olympic gold medalists, helped the usa women's rowing team win gold in london. it's good to see you again. good morning. you three would get a lot of attention walking through the streets of new york no matter what. but with gold medals around your neck, you're really going to get attention. what kind of reaction have you been getting? >> it's great to be home. the biggest reaction is when you see somebody hold it and their eyes light up. >> and you're getting married? >> yes, i'm getting married in september. i need to be driving out west

and fixing knick-knacks. >> how did you wedding plan and train to get a gold medal at the same time? >> i don't know. i guess i'm kind of a little control freak. >> rowing is in your blood. your mom just won in 1994. how does it feel being in the family? >> i ran home and put my medal around her neck. both my parents train and it's great doing it from them. >> and i'm from new york. it's a small town and everybody will be there. >> you're going to be in a convertible, that sort of thing? >> i don't know. >> do you know the wave? >> i did. we went to windsor palace so i've been practicing.

>> are you retiring? >> yes, i'm going to work with tons of programs for kids. >> and the ladies throw you in the water. the tradition here in new york is you throw her in the hudson river. hey, congratulations. it's great to see you here in new york. >> thank you. thank you. >> which is different than our tradition, which is to throw someone under the bus. that's another story. >> and i've got quite a medal -- i'll be involved in the rowing organization and there's tons of programs for kids. >> and the ladies threw you in the water after winning the gold. the tradition here in new york is you throw her in the hudson river. >> oh! >> so -- you don't like that? okay. congratulations. >> thank you. >> good to see you here in new york. >> thank you. >> which is different in our tradition, which is to throw one of us under the bus. that's another story. >> mr. roker. >> let's show you what we've got as far as today's weather. for lie lionel richie, his

hometown, tuskegee, hot and humid. 91 degrees. for today -- tomorrow, a risk of strong storms in the lower mississippi river valley. western half of the country going to be hot and humid. for saturday, more wet weather through the gulf along the mid atlantic states. sunny and hot out west. mild in the east. and then sunday, sunday! more rain through central texas. rain into the mid atlantic states and the heat continues out west. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> and coming up, kelsey grammer >> and coming up, kelsey grammer ta[ male announcer ] you paid in to medicare for years.

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is going to a massive new government program that's not for you. the romney-ryan plan protects medicare benefits for today's seniors and strengthens the plan for the next generation. [ romney ] i'm mitt romney and i approve this message. back now, 8:37. kelsey grammer gained fame as dr. frasier crane on and

"cheers" as frasier. but he now plays the mayor on "the boss," who is secretly battling a disease. >> the tremors can be hidden for a time but without awareness -- you're not god. you don't want to shake. how do you feel about seeing monsters or believing you can fly? your personality, your judgment, the way you look at the world, all those things will be compromised. >> purpose. i have purpose. >> mr. mayor, you have to know your best days are behind you. >> kelsey grammer, good morning. nice to see you. >> good to see you. >> they were nice enough to send me an episode last night. i watched it. this guy is a contradiction. on one hand he's ruthless, manipulative and will do anything to hang on to power. on the other hand he's broken,

he's dying. is he like anybody you've played before? >> no. it's extraordinary. >> did you know about this before taking the role? >> no, it's still relatively unknown and his disease is misdiagnosed a lot of the time. it gave us a lot of license because it does have hallucinations. some of them are very benign and lovely. one person i know whose mother had it had been a school teacher and she spent most of her time talking to young children and teaching them during her hallucinations. >> i don't know if people are aware, he wants to hide this from everyone. he doesn't want anyone to know this is going to happen because it would take away from his persona. >> exactly. and his power base, yeah. >> it's been called a shakespearean tragedy, a story about a king who has to lose his kingdom, who is now thinking about his own epitaph. if his epitaph were written

today, it would be pretty rough. >> what they know. if we get the seasons we want to get, the story is laid out that just when it's too late people will say, oh, what a shame. >> i want to mention it's on stars. does that give you a lot of leeway when it comes to violence and nudity and language? >> there's a lot of nudity. >> you're nude in most scenes. does it give you a lot of leeway? >> it does. i always think that it has to be earned. this guy would use the f word quite a bit because that's the situation he's in. but the nudity thing, i think we've actually done it, it's character based now. >> it's based in politics but it's not overtly political. >> you've been talking in the past a little bit about your own strong ideas and political beliefs.

you still toys at all with the idea of running for office someday? >> maybe someday down the road. >> what office would suit you best is. >> lord only knows. >> small town mayor maybe? >> maybe so. >> not only is this going for you and going well, you had this transition in your life. you went through a very public divorce that was played out over a long period of time, you are remarried and you're a new dad. >> yes. >> do you find fatherhood at our age energizing or exhausting? >> this is just what i like. it's what i'm good at. i've wanted to have more children for a while. i love getting to know these people who come into the world. they come of their own volition i believe and they have some idea of what they want to do already and it's my pleasure to watch them blossom. >> i know you're a hands-on dad and i can see from the smile on your face that you're loving it.

kelsey grammer, it's great to see you. >> thanks, man. >> you can catch the season premiere of "boss." that's friday night on stars. >> up next, lionel richie live on the plaza. but first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪ all night long, all night i'm barack obama and i approve this message seen this? mitt romney claiming the president would end welfare's work requirements? the new york times calls it 'blatantly false' the washington post says: "the obama administration is not removing the bill's work requirements at all." in fact, obama's getting states to move twenty percent more people from welfare to work. and president clinton's reaction to the romney ad? it's just "not true." get the facts. i'm drinking dunkin'. medium iced, cream and sugar. dunkin' iced all day long. dunkin' keeps me going. it gives me the boost i need. dunkin' iced keeps me moving and grooving. i run on dunkin'.

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i know he likes the sound of this. he has the best selling album of the year and we are delighted to have him on our concert stage. ladies and gentlemen, lionel richie! >> here we go. come on! come on! come on! come on! come on! everybody, come on!

♪ i said what is happening here, something's going on, not quite clear ♪ we're going to have a party, it's starting tonight ♪ oh, what a feeling, as we're dancing on the ceiling ♪ whoa what a feeling, we'll be dancing on the ceiling ♪ some of my friends came back from the neighborhood ♪ it looks like everybody is having a ball ♪ whoa what a feeling when we're dancing on the ceiling ♪ whoa what a feeling when we're dancing on the ceiling

♪ whoa what a feeling when we're dancing on the ceiling ♪ whoa what a feeling when we're dancing on the ceiling ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ everybody starts to lose control when the music is right ♪ if you see somebody hang around don't get uptight ♪ the only thing we want to do tonight ♪ is go around, around until

we're upside down ♪ >> are you ready? i can't hear you. are you ready? one, two, one, two, three! ♪ whoa, what a feeling when we're dancing on the ceiling ♪ oh what a feeling when we're dancing on the ceiling ♪ oh what a feeling when we're dancing on the ceiling ♪ ♪ oh, what a feeling ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> that's how you do it. lionel richie, thank you. there's much more music ahead.

but first this is "today" on nbc. ♪

lionel richie has sold more than 100 million albums, winning an oscar along the way.

his latest album "tuskegee" is a top seller this year. good morning to you. >> it is too early in the morning. do you this all the time, huh? >> yeah, you get used to it. >> hello. >> is it me you're looking for? >> you're exactly who i'm looking for. your songs, people love them so much, it's almost like the sound track of their lives. you must have people coming up all the times saying this is what's happening. >> yes, and i get details all the time. i don't need to know the details. "lionel, i made love to you all the time." i don't need to know. >> "tuskegee" is kind of a reinvention of these songs. it's not immediately evident to everyone that it would be such a hit but it is. >> i did not realize when i was writing for the people between new york and l.a. that those people happen to be partly

country. when i asked tim mcgraw and kenny chesney if they'd like to come along, they said we've been singing these songs all our lives. it was basically a tribute to the melody. i had the best time of my life doing this album. >> i know you're going out on a european tour. how long has it been out since you've been out and done a full fledged tour like that? >> it's been two years since europe. we're planning on starting in february to come across america which have i not done in the last eight, nine years now. >> are you ready for life on the road? >> life on the road is probably where i live best anyway. but when you're playing with the kids and now the grand kids, i have to show them what pop-pop does for a living now. when harlow says for a minute,

my daughters sophie and miles say what do you do for a living, dad, i have to show him. >> how is al roker's dance moves? >> al has not changed in years. he has that side to side move. al, stick to the day job. >> this is where i live. >> he's added an air guitar. >> lionel richie, we'll let you do the singing and dancing. take it away. good to talk to you. >> here we go. ♪ i know it sounds funny but i just can't stand the pain ♪ girl i'm leaving you tomorrow,

seems to me girl you know i've done all i can ♪ yeah, that's why i'm easy, i'm easy like sunday morning, yeah ♪ i feel so easy, yeah, i'm easy like sunday morning ♪ >> sounds good out there, guys. ♪ why in the world would anybody put chains on me ♪ i've paid my dues to make ends

♪ everybody wants me to be what they want me to be ♪ i'm not happy when i try to fake it, oh, no ♪ that's why i'm easy, i'm easy like sunday morning, yeah ♪ i feel so easy, yeah, i'm easy like sunday morning ♪ i want to be high, so high, i want to be free to know the things i do are right ♪ i want to be free, just me, oh baby

♪ that's why i'm easy, baby, well, i'm easy like sunday morning ♪ i feel so easy, so easy, yeah, well, i'm easy like sunday morning ♪ come on, that's why i'm easy, so easy, yeah ♪ i'm easy like sunday morning, yeah, oh, yeah ♪ i'm so easy, i'm easy, yeah, i'm easy like sunday morning ♪

[ cheers and applause ] >> sounding so good, lionel richie, thank you. he'll be back with one more song a bit later. but first, your local news and weather. ♪ i'm easy like sunday morning this is a news4 news break. >> 8:56 is your time now on this thursday, august 16th, 2012. right now, police are investigating a deadly crash along 395 in alexandria. the crash was so violent, it split the vehicle in half. one person died, three others went to the hospital. police are not releasing any of the details at this time. danella is here now with a look at the other troubled spots on

the roads. good morning. >> good morning. right now we're seeing the problem on route 50 inbound as you make your way towards new york avenue, right at the anacostia river bridge, crash blocking the right lane, absolutely jammed. east-west highway, on the brakes, just sitting. brakes, just sitting. >>

chances are, you're not made of money, so don't overpay for motorcycle insurance.

geico, see how much you could save. wrap. it's a race outside kind of day or at least take advantage of bits and pieces. a lot of sunshine, comfortable conditions. 77 your current temperature. today, 86 to 91. warm but nice with the low humidity. and showers come in late tomorrow. >> veronica, thank you. more news, weather and traffic for you

and we're back with more of "today" on a thursday morning, the 16th day of august 2012. you know, there's some guys who simply can put on a show and lionel richie is one of those

guys. >> a life long dream fulfilled. thank you, lionel. >> and if you're just joining us, we have more music from lionel coming up in just a couple of minutes. man, now you know why his albums are the best selling. >> that's how it's done. >> on the plaza, i'm here with savannah guthrie and al roker. >> coming up, we'll be cooking with curtis stone. >> and we're heading down to graceland where natalie morales is for the 35th anniversary of elvis presley's death. you're going to give us a little tour, right, natalie? >> i'm going to give you a tour. this here is the dining radar loop. it is very much used and still continues to be used by the family. i'll show you graceland coming up. >> jody foster wrote an interesting essay in the "daily beast" coming to the defense of

kristen stewart saying this coverage has gone too far. we'll ask the professionals what they think about that. >> one more time, lionel richie! >> the pride of tuskegee, alabama. >> the taliban is claiming it shot down a coalition helicopter in southern afghanistan this morning. seven americans were killed when the helicopter crashed in kandahar province. the military is investigating this incident. >> and today breaking news in the case of wikileaks founder. ecuador has granted political asylum to the founder. it is the third biggest powerball jackpot ever and there is one winning ticket, that ticket worth $337 million was

bought at a gas station in lapeer, michigan. that's about 45 miles north of detroit. the winning numbers, 6, 27, 46, 51, 56 and the powerball 21. >> a state of emergency is in effect today in dallas as an outbreak of the west nile virus grows. more than 690 cases of west nile virus nationwide have been reported this year with one third of them in dallas county. >> president obama's back at the white house this morning after a campaign swing through iowa. on wednesday he responded to claims by mitt romney he's running a campaign of division and anger and hate saying he's always tried to bring the country together. meantime, the debate over medicare is heating up with romney's running mate paul ryan saying, quote, we need this debate and we will win this debate. >> officials are seeking a motive at a shooting wednesday

in the washington headquarters where a security guard was shot in the arm. police are crediting that guard with thwart an attack that could have turned deadly. >> prince phillip is in a hospital in scotland after a recurrence of the bladder ineffeinfe infection that sidelined him at the queeny jqueen's jubilee thi. >> the interactive panorama compiled and edited by 360.net uses pictures from nasa's rover, enhanced by a photographer who retyped images and added features using the sun using older images from mars. 360 cities says the panorama is

totally accurate. >> michael j. fox is said to be returning to tv in a comedy series now in development by sony pictures. fox left series tv more than a decade ago to focus on his fight with parkinson's disease. he said a new drug regimen has allowed him to take on more acting roles. let's check in with al who was dancing on the ceiling and shaking it down. >> that was a good time. that's how you do it old school. we love it. we've got some old school storms dumping anywhere from 2 to 3 inches of rain. the good news, ahead of the system, all that hot air, temperatures in the 90s behind it, cooler conditions. minneapolis, 69.

marquette, 67. omaha, 76. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> to ashton and even maryfield today, it will be an absolutely superb day. 86 to 91 degrees, the temperature range around the area. sunshine, yes. low humidity, you bet. it's going to be warm and it's going to feel very nice outside. 93 to 95, your high for tomorrow. and tomorrow, that sunshine is going to start to slip away. afternoon clouds, even some showers, maybe isolated thunderstorm tomorrow. and then occasional showers for the weekend with highs in the >> you guys enjoy the concert? >> yeah! >> all right, yeah. natalie, from one icon to another. >> that's right, al. well we're of course talking about the king of rock 'n' roll, elvis presley. today marks the 35th anniversary of his death. we're here at graceland. i'm joined by angie markies.

this room has tons of character. >> this is the jungle room. elvis bought all this furniture locally. it has a very polynesian feel to it. >> you see the llama, there's a lot of hawaiian influence. >> hawaii was his favorite place. his last album was recorded here at graceland. >> from the jungle room into the kitchen. talk about this being stuck in time here, very much a 1970s working kitchen. >> very much so, from the appliances to the iron skillet, a lot of great southern food came out of kitchen. >> it was the heart of the home, right? >> like any good southern home, the kitchen is the heart of the

home. >> lisa marie and priscilla, they still have dinner and the table. >> the china is elvis and priscilla's wedding china. >> you see portraits everywhere throughout the house. even though it's a museum open to the public, 18 million visitors have walked through here, this is very much a home still. >> it is very much a home. you can see elvis relaxing here at graceland. >> this is the stairway of the second floor. not a lot of people get to go up there. >> no, they don't. >> you're still not going to let me. i thought live tv you'd let me up the stairs. what is up there? >> elvis's office, his dressing area and lisa's area. even when he was here it was a private part of the home. we still respect that and no one

goes up there. >> oh darn. >> all the furniture was made for graceland when elvis bought the home. very much a family home. elvis's parents are there on the table, there's a portrait of elvis. >> and his parents lived in the home. >> yes, they did. >> he was all about family here. >> and it's still about family today. >> and coming in here, the music room, i imagine what would happen in here, the entertaining would carry over here with sing alongs in the music room? >> definitely. the piano has been here since 1974. the unique thing up might not know is elvis never took any formal lessons. he really didn't even read sheet music. elvis would mimic what he was

hearing. he was fluent on the guitar and several other instruments. >> self-thought then, musical genius. >> it wasn't usual to have southern music coming out of here all hours of the night. >> when you talk about his legacy, we saw last night 75,000 people here. isn't it amazing his influence on music and the legacy he continues to have? >> it really is amazing but it's not shocking, though. elvis transcends generations. he's timeless. i think it's not only because of his music but it's also because of his personality. everyone could kind of connect with elvis, if it's the soldier, the family guy or the star you see on tv. elvis was that all-around guy, very personable. when you come to graceland, you walk through his house and you feel his presence and you're still welcome. >> thank you for the fascinating tour. my first time here. it really is worth coming to.

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only at olive garden. back now with today's professionals where we talk about the hottest headlines. our pros, star jones, donny deutsch and dr. nancy snyderman. >> kristen stewart is an actress. i'm sure you guys have been following this. she was caught publicly cheating on her boyfriend and now she's been in the middle of a media fire storm. jody foster wrote "if i were a

young actor today i would quit before i started. if i had to grow up in this media culture, i don't think i could survive it emotionally." >> it's a feeding frenzy. when people have an indiscretion, when you're ripped apart for every little thing do you, which for most of us is how we go through life, we make errors and fix it and move on, i think it would be very hard. i thought jody foster's piece was right on. >> are you crazy? >> you're so predictable. >> she's under the same microscope that a 14-year-old in high school is under today. >> no she's not! she's not! >> what party did you go, what party didn't you go? >> it's not on the front page of the paper. >> listen to me, you pose for magazine covers, you use the press. that's the contract you sign. are you kidding? and on top of it this girl had

an affair with a married man, 40 years old. are you kidding me? >> but you don't sign a contract to allow people into the most inner workings of your heart. >> every single day -- do you think you have signed a contract to have media look at everything? >> i walked in today, i'm not a celebrity like that but they flash and talk and they're nice. >> and if you were with your children -- >> i wouldn't be happy about it. people pose with babies on the cover of magazines and get upset. >> jody foster was criticized for having a protective stage mother and there were rumors she had a contentious relationship with her mother. i wonder if the reason she survived -- >> are you feeling really bad for kristen stewart, this sensationalized young starlet, now all of a sudden people are writing about her? >> she's being ripped to shreds for sexual indiscretion.

>> star? >> the only word i would like to say is remember you don't give up privacy to get a check. >> says who? >> no, you just don't. >> they use the press, they exploit the press. >> not everybody does. >> let's go to our next topic. did you see this in gq, this picture of tim tebow has a lot of people talking. some people are saying it's a christ-like pose. >> it's photo shopped. >> it's a fake picture. >> it's an old picture that "gq" manipulated. what do you think, donny? >> tim tebow has decided to make his faith a part of his brand. i'm not saying i agree with it. if advertisers and magazine

editorials are going to pick up on that essence of his brand, it is what it is. >> for us to say it was a christ-like pose, it's unfair to put it on his shoulders. when the girl who does my hair saw it, she said "yum." listen to what i'm saying. if i handed you a picture of the crucifix, she would not have said "yum." the crucifix is different from the pose. >> if next week he's having an affair with somebody, are we going to feel bad for tebow because he's being ripped apart in the press? >> no, that's not the point. >> i'm bringing it back to the first subject. >> let stay on the second subject. he's being criticized for taking this pose but he's not -- >> he's strutting his abs. >> i think he looks good.

>> and after 35 years "the price is right" is now casting for a male model. we all remember barker's beauties. what do you think of this? a good idea? >> i think it's a brilliant idea. you're targeting to women at home. why not have hunky guys on there? i think it will bring in viewers. >> and there are some hunky guys at home that would like to look at guys also. there's a nice gay contingency that watches daytime television. >> is this an attempt to get more male viewers? >> no. >> is it an attempt to get more gay male viewers? >> yes. >> no. >> they're sitting there at home saying we want more women. if they get more men, that's great. >> i like to see handsome men. there's nothing wrong with that. >> have you guys heard about

this new app called baby blocking. it basically allows facebook users who are putting their baby pictures up with other pictures with things that make them happy. what do you think? >> it absolutely hilarious. it addresses whether people are oversharing. >> just defriend them if you have don't want their pictures. >> i hate to bring synergy to the segment but it goes back to the first segment. even your baby,or putting your baby out there. that's the world we live in. >> thanks so much. >> you bet, savannah. >> coming up, we'll cook in the kitchen with curtis stone. but first these messages. ♪ i'd do anything for you, dear ♪

♪ anything, yes, i'd do anything ♪ ♪ anything for you ♪ ♪ i woke up to a new day ♪ every little thing gonna go my way ♪ ♪ i woke up to a light bulb on

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still to come, straight talk for parents on how to keep your kids safe in the age of social media. >> and i have three words for you, crisp y crispy pork belly. >> and lionel richie and crispy pork belly. this day doesn't get any better! what ?

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that's a big deal! so is a free 8-gig jump drive when you buy $50 in hp ink. save big on back to school... at officemax. this is a news4 news break. >> it is 9:26 on this thursday, august 126th. a an accused of shooting a security guard at a conservative christian organization in d.c. will be in court today. 28-year-old floyd corkins walked into the family research council and shot a guard in the arm. corkins was allegedly yelling about the organization's policies. good morning, everybody, i'm aaron gilchrist. we'll look at weather and traffic for you right after this.

kids to the park, maybe a doctor's appointment, you don't have to worry about any rain today. it is going to be dry. 73 in jessop, 74 in manassas. you want to take your time getting there, it will be so nice. danell? >> driving in fairfax, heads up. westbound, the jackson highway

past i-66, right lane blocked by a crash in that area. and you can't see it here, but outer loop of the beltway at route 1, crash on the left side. aaron? >> thank you, danella.

♪ ♪ ♪ the time of your life, the time of your life ♪ >> being transported back to the day. >> they were quite the band. >> 90s boy band, 98 degrees. >> tomorrow on "today", the men are back in town taking center stage to wrap up our special week-long summer concert event. and somebody who really knows how to rock the stage, lionel richie. yeah. singing one of his classic hits

to get the crowd back on their feet. >> you know the lyrics? >> yes, of course. ♪ ahh, ohhh >> we'll work on that. beyond that moment, get ready to pig out. how do you transform from that? curtis stone cooks up crispy pork bellies over noodles. they're eating it already? and gold medal olympians, they work hard so they eat a lot, giving him a hand in the kitchen. >> youe a rower, you burn calories. they need that. >> the competition is continuing on "america's got talent." this week 12 acts performed lives, including a guy who calls himself romo dance cheetah. >> good to be here.

>> you're a professional air guitar? >> yes. started out as an amateur like everybody else. >> how did you decide to become a professional air guitarist? >> i actually play in a real band, believe it or not. >> a real instrument? >> yeah, you could call it that. we were performing once with the real air guitar champion. i saw it and i thought this is going to be a drunk idiot dancing around on stage and it was that but it was also very entertaining so i had to do it. >> you got voted off yesterday. >> yes. >> why do you think that happened? >> it's one of those things i came out there, i had some friends say, "romeo, don't rock too hard." >> oh. >> i gave them too much. >> was it the costume or --

>> i think it was a combination of pelvic thrust, the face melting, attitude, make-up. there was nothing i could do about it. i rocked at them. they just kind of looked at me with a blank stare. >> did you know at that moment maybe i blew it? >> yeah. they were like what just happened to me? i'm like i just rocked your face off. >> rock our faces off. >> do you want to learn how to do it? >> yeah. >> it starts with -- >> oh, we have to do it? stand up. >> first of all, grab the neck. then you've got your strumming hand. give a little strum. bam. >> bam. >> now get your rock face on. and then give me a windmill. >> thank you so much. >> what's that? >> matt corn

live, 7:00 central on nbc. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> maybe you want to play the air guitar outside today. do something outside today. it's going to be very nice, and you won't want to let this day slip away. 86 to 91. that will be our high temperature later today. warm, but comfortable. kind of a dry heat for us. and then humidity starts to inch back tomorrow, some clouds increasing, and some late-day showers. maybe even a thunderstorm. right now, there's a 50% chance. the next two days, above-average highs. ask cooler for the weekend. low 80s for highs and occasional showers. >> and that's your latest. >> i'm winded from rocking it out. >> because you did the windmill. >> i did the windmill. next keeping your daughter safe from one of the top criminal profilers right after this.

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for years criminal profiler has been teaching us how to profile. pat, good to see you.

>> good morning. >> what inspired you to focus on protecting girls, daughters? >> well, i do a lot of television. of course i'm always doing television when something terrible happened, homicides, rapes, mass murders and all of that. so i'm always talking about what happens to some poor, innocent person. a lot of these people are teenage teenagers, high school girls. i keep trying to get the information out there how we can protect these girls. there doesn't seem to be enough of it so i wrote a book. >> you really have to be active and monitor their media, whether it's computers, what they're watching on tv, what they're reading in books. >> the thing is, predators are out there. unless we get all of them put away, i kind of would like all of this to happen, it's not going to in our system today, we're not going to get them all put away. our girls are going to be out there. we have to look from a predator's point of view.

they're looking for prey. they look to see if they're in isolated location, if they're small and easy to grab, if they're vulnerable in any other way, emotionally vulnerable. bullies will target in on a girl who has a fragile ego. we have to work with our girls -- >> for example, you say you should have your daughter take martial arts classes? >> no, no, absolutely not. >> no? >> no. if you go to take martial arts to get strong and learn the art of martial arts, you're going to go three times a week and learn to become a black belt, that's great. today you send your girl off to a three-night class or maybe a three-hour class and they learn to punch like this. have you seen girls punch? >> there's some girls in my son's martial arts class, they would be afraid. >> but they're not taking self-defense. martial arts is okay.

self-defense is a false sense of security. ey're going to punch like that, they're going to kick in their high heels and they're not going to do it. if she's up against a mike tyson, a 2 pound psycho path, she's going to lose. >> we have a question from a parent, sent as you tweet. john asks "how can i keep my daughter safe when she's on trips with the local high school marching band?" >> that's a good question. we have to watch is our own home safe. but then we have to look at where our girls go out to. if they're going out on trips, do we trust the adults, do we trust the other kids? if we can't, our girls shouldn't be there. if they are going to go out, we have to understand our own daughters, look at their own vulnerabilities, what are our daughters like? some girls are real tough, some are not so tough.

some are on the wild side looking for trouble, other girls would say i don't want to do that. >> some critics say they feel you're blaming the victim in this because of their behavior instead of the action of the criminals. what do you say to that? >> right. they want to think our daughters it doesn't matter what you do, where you go, what you wear, that old story, no girls deserve to be raped. no, they don't. but there are girls that will draw rapists to them, by drinking too much, walking where they are. date rape is almost 90% alcohol fueled. the predator is looking around and saying is your girl the one? we have to train them not to be the one. we have to look at their behaviors, teach them to be really, really smart. >> pat brown, thanks so much. coming up next, we have chef curtis stone including a meal that includes crispy pork bellies next.

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back now and we are "cooking with curtis" today, celebrity chef curtis stone. he's whipping up crispy pork bellies with help from some of my friends, olympic rowers. >> do you have an appetite? >> come closer. don't be afraid. where are we starting, curtis? >> i have pork belly, crispy pork belly. we all love that. not everybody. >> they've been training. >> you can leave the skin on. i roast it the whole way through. you end up with this beautiful crispy skin. >> what does the scoring do? >> the scoring opens it up to allow the skin to get crispier. >> why do you prefer to roast it? >> because if you braze it you dilute the flavor a bit and the other thing that happens is you end up with - it becomes this

whole complicated mess. >> and we don't want complicated messes, right, ladies? >> it makes a great crunch. >> it makes a great crunch. >> i put it into the oven at 400 degrees. you turn it down and cook it slowly for another hour and a half. you let it cool, slice it up like this and put it back in the pan to get it crispier. >> mary is getting married first. this could be your first meal in your new home. >> i'm a vegetarian but my hubby to be is not. i think this will be good. >> this is ryan's meal. >> you won a gold medal, you can make a delicious dressing. someone pours out the lemon juice and there's the fish sauce. >> a little harder. faster. you're doing it, yes! >> look at that. great job!

>> brown shug, a fish sauce which gives it the saltine and lemon juice for the acidity. take your veggies, which i cup up nice and fine. we have mangos, carrots and chilli peppers. a beautiful thing about this style of cook beinincooking, th vietnamese take on the dish. >> what kind of noodles are these? >> these are rice noodles. you boil for three minutes and strain them. you add all of thatressing in there, brown sugar and all. >> ladies, the sound of shugar, just the word i imagine, you've been training so hard. >> you toss that together, get all those veggies in there.

the cold salad would be with the hot pork on top. you come back here to your pork belly and turn that around. >> isn't that beautiful? >> it's gorgeous. a restaurant-style dish. we're in the middle of "top chef masters," all the fabulous chefs around cooking the food just like that. >> this is easy enough to make tonight. get the right ingredients. >> the pork is popping over here. i don't want to get, you know, porked up over here. >> and then the garnish of course is really simple. we have scallions, pressure peanuts and mint. >> ladies, you have the gold. you deserve the honor. doesn't that smell amazing. you always hear people say i wish we had smell-a-vision. >> ladies, dig in. >> if you don't hurry up, i'm

going to take your fork. >> no time to wait around. >> the legendary lionel richie takes our concert stage. but first, this is

i'm barack obama and i approve this message seen this? mitt romney claiming the president would end welfare's work requirements? the new york times calls it 'blatantly false' the washington post says: "the obama administration is not removing the bill's work requirements at all." in fact, obama's getting states to move twenty percent more people from welfare to work. and president clinton's reaction to the romney ad? it's just "not true." get the facts.

♪ you are the sun, you are the rain ♪ two things we need every day. we need curtis stone here and we need olympians. >> and pork. >> and crispy pork belly. >> three things. curtis, ladies, thanks so much. his first song came out 30 years ago and he's churning out the hit ever since. >> it's lionel richie's latest album called "tuskegee." here he is with another one of

his classics. >> here we go, everybody! ♪ nah, nah, nah, nah ♪ well, my friends, the time has come ♪ to raise the roof and have some fun ♪ go away, the work to be done, let the music play on ♪ everybody sing, everybody dance ♪ lose yourself in wild romance we going to party ♪ fiesta, forever, come on and sing along ♪ we're going to party, fiesta forever ♪ come on and sing along,

everybody ♪ all night long, all night, all night long, all night ♪ all night long, all night, all night ♪ once you get started, you can't sit down ♪ come join the fun, it's a merry-go-round ♪ people are dancing their troubles away ♪ come join our party, see how we play ♪ everybody, everybody hands in the air ♪ ♪

♪ whoa, we're going to have a party ♪ all night long, all night, all night long ♪ all night long, all night, all night ♪ all night long, all night, all night ♪ everyone you meet, they'll be dancing in the street all night long ♪ yeah, i said everyone you meet, dancing in the street all night long ♪ everybody sing right here, all night long, all night long ♪ yeah, all night long, all night

♪ all night long, yeah come on, everybody! ♪ oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, all night long ♪ thank you very much, everybody! [ cheers and applause ] >> are you getting burned? tomorrow take a second look at sunscreen. but do the higher numbers really help? [ male announcer ] you paid in to medicare for years.

every paycheck.

now, when you need it obama has cut $716 billion dollars from medicare. why? to pay for obamacare. so now the money you paid for your guaranteed healthcare is going to a massive new government program that's not for you. the romney-ryan plan protects medicare benefits for today's seniors and strengthens the plan for the next generation. [ romney ] i'm mitt romney and i approve this message. this is a news 4 news break. >> 9:57 is your time on this thursday, august 16th, 2012. right now, police are investigating a deadly crash along 395 in alexandria. the crash was so violent, it split the car in half. one person is dead, three others are in the hospital. the man accused of shooting a security guard at a conservative christian organization in d.c. will be in court today. police say 28-year-old floyd corkins walked into the family research council and shot a

guard in the arm. cork ins was allegedly yelling about the frc's policies. time to check on the forecast. meteorologist veronica johnson with a look at how nice the day is shaping up so far, veronica. >> oh our temperatures going up to 86 to 91 degrees. we'll have loads of sunshine around the area. here's a look at your good night forecast after hitting 91. it's 89 for 5:00 p.m., warm, pleasant for the evening. 86 by 7:00 p.m. and down to about 80 degrees 11:00 p.m. expecting cooler temperatures by tomorrow morning. >> veronica, thank you. >> veronica, thank you. don't forget to tune into

captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello, thirsty thursday people. it's august 16. >> which means only one thing. >> a lot of things. >> one big thing. >> elvis died on august 16th. >> but it's also your birthday. >> oh gosh. >> kathie lee's birthday is today. >> happy birthday to frank gifford. happy birthday to madonna, edie

gourmet and art moore. maybe you don't know art moore. every year he was our executive in charge of productions with the shows at abc. all these years later, he always sends a birthday card to me and to frank. also an anniversary card. all these years. i have yet to send him one. i want to say publically, happy birthday, art moore. >> to celebrate your birthday there was a huge concert on the plaza with lionel richie. >> he was rocking with "dancing on the cereilinceiling." ♪ when we're dancing on the ceiling ♪ what a feeling >> i think my all-time favorite is "still." gorgeous. >> beautiful song. >> he will be with us in a little bit.

>> we are excited about him. you were busy last night, missy. >> don't we have other facebook people who is also their birthday, guys? >> yeah. we are going to get to that. >> i was extremely busy. i was on "kitchen cousins." >> we had a beautiful lunch. >> we had an amazing lunch yesterday. we thought it was going to be with timesville and joanne and you and i. >> instead we walked into oceana, this restaurant across the street. we got some beautiful pastries by jason chan. look who showed up. >> it was a crowd. it was so much fun. >> it was really fun. jim bell and his wife. kathie lee and i horned our way into that picture. >> and al's birthday is coming up on monday. we made it a triple threat. >> four more wake-ups for al roker. you were busy on hdtv. then with fallon.

>> first of all, i might as well admit it. i have such a boy crush on jimmy fallon. i love him to pieces. he does not have a mean bone in his body. he's extraordinarily talented. he's a dream boat. i love him. we have fun together. >> you guys really click. i didn't get to see it because it was on so late. >> that is scandalous. >> that is scandalous. you talked about "scandalous." and you gave, as we say, quite a performance. >> oh, dear. ♪ >> "the sun will come out tomorrow." >> yes! >> it's a genius game where you pick an animal. you have to perform and then you pick a song. if it's "somewhere over the rainbow" as a goat --

♪ it requires you to be stupid. >> did you talk about "scandalous." >> we did. he's coming opening night with his wife. i'm excited. another friend of ours jimmy kimmel had nice news. >> he got engaged to molly mcnierny. they've been dating since 2009. he's 44, he looks younger. >> and he acts like a goof ball. >> he has two kids from a previous marriage. one is 21 and the other is 19, which i found surprising. >> he doesn't seem like a father, does he? like howie mandell. congrats to him, as well. >> a lot of facebook fans have been writing saying happy birthday. so grateful for that. we missed hoda's because it was during our olympic coverage. >> don't worry about me. talk about rhonda. all these people have birthdays

today. >> and fran. there she is. >> so sweet. >> thanks, everybody. there is a lot going on out there. we are showing -- there is something called a hoda barbie. >> i'm not going to like it. you know what? >> my 3-year-old was playing with her barbies and she said, look, mommy, i have a hoda barbie. >> okay. when is it over? when is that joke over? is that joke ever over? >> it will not as long as you all keep sending in those pictures. thank you very much. >> people are still clicking on our facebook like page. >> we need to get over 500,000. we need you to like us. we do. we are very insecure. we need it. >> okay. you know a lot of people in restaurants, you see them on their iphones and blackberries and they may be sitting next to someone and are totally preoccupied.

there is a restaurant that is giving you a discount if when you walk in the restaurant you hand your phone over to the maitre d. >> keep your old phone then give it to the guy at the front and keep it. >> they are giving a 5% discount at eva in l.a. that's smart. >> i used to being so against it. i'm a little lax now. >> with what? >> with the phone thing. my kids are not home. so it's about that. i have to check to see if it's cody or cass. >> all the kids are home? >> yeah. >> how's that going? >> it's good. it's good. it's wonderful. cody came home last night. he's taller, bigger than ever. you never stopped loving your

kids, but i'm just still surprised how much i like them. we have so much fun together. cody might be the funniest person i know. >> he's really funny. >> he's hysterically funny. we are all together for a family wedding this weekend. it will be a lot of family time. big crab feast this afternoon. you're coming, right? we'll take pictures. >> cracking the crabs. >> from costas in baltimore. i'm having a good summer. you take stock of your life when you have a birthday. you can groan and moan about the fact you're not as young as you used to be and your thighs are never going to be the same. when you look at the blessings, they far outweigh everything. i still have frank and that's a miracle. i tell him all the time. i never dreamed you'd live this long. >> stop saying that. >> honey, i'm glad you lived

this long. you are such a sweetheart. >> i decided i'm going to do a little lionel richie love. this is a group called little big town. they sing a long with lionel ritchie called "deep river woman." ♪ deep river woman >> that's music, hoda. ♪ i'm coming home to you ♪ deep river woman ♪ lord i know she's waiting ♪ just anticipating all my love ♪ >> i love that. >> it's a little weird what he's doing.

>> so it is your birthday. how could we let your birthday go without a custom cake? it's created by le cordon bleu. executive chef bill walker is delivering the cake. it is a beauty. >> oh, my gosh! >> oh, you guys, it's got bambino on there. hello. thank you. thank you. >> happy birthday. >> thank you. >> tell us about the cake. >> we managed to incorporate a lot of aspects of your life. we have the nbc peacock and the "today" show logo, and we have the "scandalous" logo. we have your three dogs on there, bambino, lola and louie.

he's taken the bite out of the "scandalous" apple. >> where is my hoda woman though? >> for her birthday, we'll bring one in. >> mine was last week. >> thank you so much. >> that is gorgeous. >> we'll share it with everybody. this is awesome. >> on behalf of le cordon bleu, we want to wish you a happy birthday. >> how long did this take? >> this took three days. that is record time for that. >> thank you. >> did they learn something in the making of this? >> they sure did. >> the baking class at le cordon bleu did this for you. >> thank you so much. >> sadly, we have absolutely to fans out there to share it with. we'll see what we can do. >> we may not look like it, but

we are dancing on the ceiling. >> do we have an okay or not okay? >> tomorrow. >> oscar winner and five-time grammy winner lionel richie is here with us. >> we are so excited. ready for the big reveal. first these messages. [ female announcer ] there's surprising news about whole grain.

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♪ all night long ♪ all night ♪ all night long >> there he is. >> keep your day jobs, guys. he is a musical legend that needs no introduction. lionel richie has been thrilling crowds more than 40 years, five grammys and academy award. >> can we talk about your latest album? >> first of all, first of all. ♪ you're once, twice, three times a lady ♪ happy birthday. >> thank you, darling. >> what a beautiful way to

start. >> oh, my gosh. >> i thought your career was terrific before. who knew now all these years later you would peak with this incredible album call tuskegee. >> it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. >> or more humble. >> or humble. i've been low key for a long time. the truth of the matter is what a surprise. i went down and said i think i want to do something country and realize everybody in country music knows every song i've ever done. next thing they said i'm going country and i said, no, i'm going country. tuskegee, alabama. "sail on" "stuck on you" have already been on the country charts. i never really went there. >> you have such great artists, you have shania twain. >> what song would you like toe

do and they said lionel, my favorite song is. >> did people wrestle over certain songs? >> it was pretty much -- it gets really ugly. for example -- >> shania twain was down in the mud with someone, right? >> why does she know all this? i will tell you the truth. honestly, you think, for example, kenny chesney, his favorite song was, lionel, i want to do "penny lover." you can't do "penny lover." that's not the image you need. or blake shelton. i said okay, i'll let you sing "warm up" then i'll come in. he came in with "baby you'll find ♪ i said do you have a volume on your shirt? you can't turn him down. tim mcgraw, these guys -- it's so much fun. >> did they say yes right away?

>> absolutely. you know what's so wonderful though? almost you get in the studio, it's the way the music business was where you're actually having fun. >> you remember why you got into it. >> it was so much fun. we told more jokes. we laughed. >> will there be a volume two? it seems it would only make sense. you have so many more hits. >> i'm going to go there and try it, but right now i'm going to survive the first wave. >> watching you in some of those videos with rascal flatts, you have such a connect with them. >> instead of trying to make it a sinatra album where you have to sing it like frank. i changed it around. okay, guys, you're the band, you make it a rascal flatts song and you'll come in after you. right? what did i do that for? that was wrong. >> it worked beautifully. >> yes, here is lionel richie trying to figure out how to get lionel richie on a lionel richie

song, you following me? i asked the question to darius rucker, what part would you like to sing? he said, your part. i don't have any part to sing. >> the tv special you did, i couldn't leave the couch. i had to watch it from the couch. >> i don't think i'm the only one out there that misses beautiful melodies and fabulous lyrics. i'm distressed what's happening in the music industry. >> there is a point in life where we are going to sound like parents after a while. i remember when i came in the door that day with the commodores and had enough hair -- >> you had hoda hair. >> i had helmet head, they called it. my grandmother said, well, i would love for you to be in something dignified, like the music business was not what she wanted. she was a classical pianist. they referred to our music as bump-bump music. i called it funk. >> it was both.

>> i remember the words henry mancini when he saw the commodores come down the aisle at the grammys, they said, well, there goes the music business. >> then you started singing the songs and henry mancini would know the greatness. my favorite is "still." would you please sing the last three lines of that? only because it's my birthday. ♪ i do love you still >> thank you, lionel. we love you. >> thank you. all the best. continued success to you. a sister act that took the plunge and will have you drowning in laughter. what could that be? >> it looks good. ♪ watch out, wishful thinking ♪ ooh la la, read between the les ♪ ♪ i know a blessing in disguise ♪

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it is time for webtastic where our own sara haines picks up the next hot video. >> this stars three real-life sisters who caught olympic fever and got inspired by those amazing synchronized swimmers. >> these golden girls should win a medal for the most spirit. ♪ o solo mio >> turn around on the edge. you're too far back.

>> we got to do that again. [ bleep ]. >> she's losing her teeth. >> she can't get out. >> one hand. okay. i'm getting dizzy now. >> that's what old ladies do. >> well, that's what you are. ♪ >> oh, my gosh they are a trip.

>> i got to tell you girls you take direction like [ bleep ]. >> was that good? >> i love it. >> i wonder if they peed in the pool. >> at least 1/3 of them did 2. they are actually twins and their older sister mary who is 81. >> i don't know without looking at it which one is which. they decided to do it on their own. imagine choreographing anything with family? >> that was adorable. wouldn't you like to go to a cocktail party with those three? >> they love to give free italian mother advice, is what they say. they love videos together. they are adorable. >> they are so cute. perfect, sara, thanks. >> two lucky ladies on the plaza are going to get a makeover from our crack ambush team. >> and our friend curtis stone. >> and big willie is in the house. ♪ i dare you to dare me

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we are back on this thirsty thursday with today's plaza ambush makeovers where two lucky ladies are hoping to pop their looks. >> working their magic "today" contributor and style to the star lewis licari la-la-la-la-la-la-la and "today" contributor jill martin. >> lionel richie, he had it going on. it was so easy today. >> was it easy like sunday morning? >> all night long. >> let's get to it. nancy. >> is she here.

>> i heard a rumor. 55 years old from long island, new york. she has not cut her hair since she was 16. >> i believe her. >> she was finally ready to take a chance on a brand-new look. let's take a listen to her story. >> we cannot wait to chop off this hair. i know you want to see it cut, too. tell me why she deserves this. >> i think she deserves it and can't wait to see what she looks like. >> she was 16. what do you think? s you're her son. ready to see a whole new look? >> i think it's going to be a shock, good or bad it's going to be a shock. you and mr. licari, unbelievable. i have no problem whatever happens to my mother. >> are you ready to go? >> i'm ready to go. i'm really, really ready to go. >> really, really ready. >> nancy is fired up. her son jesse is here and her friend carolyn. keep your blind folds on.

this is nancy before. all right, nancy, come out. >> oh, my god! >> are you ready? take off your blind folds and be prepared. >> beautiful. >> nancy, are you ready to see yourself? >> oh, my god. my hair has never been this straight before in my life. it's fabulous! >> i can't believe this is you. >> this is the most surprising one we ever had. ever. >> louis. >> thank you. >> look at the difference. >> this shows what a great makeover, haircut, hair color, jill's clothes and a bottle of scotch can do.

she looks great. why do we do the makeover? because she hasn't cut her hair since she was 16. >> she could have trimmed it. >> not even trimmed it. >> i've got to get the woman kleenex. >> tell us what you think about this? >> i'm surprised i'm not on the floor and one of you people aren't picking me up. it's literally mind-blowing, a shock to the system. i thought it was a switcher-oo and somebody from outside. wow, wow, wow, in a good way. >> i haven't worn a pair of pants since i was 16 either. >> why? you look great in them. >> i always wear long skirts. >> that she makes herself. >> her brothers and sisters are going to flip out. >> the jacket is andrew mark. the jeans are nydj and the top is white house box market.

big staples for fall. >> big round of applause. >> thank you so much. >> our second lady is elizabeth, 49 from the bronx in new york. when we asked her about her daily beauty routine she replied dove soap, which is an excellent product. let's listen to her story. >> you're definitely more excited than your mom is for this. why does she deserve this? >> she hasn't really been girly her whole life. she is a tomboy. i don't know where i get my girliness from. she is a tomboy. >> are you ready? >> i'm ready for a change. >> she is here with her daughter sabrina and niece jessica. let's bring her out. you can take a look now.

>> oh, wow. >> you look fantastic. >> turn around and take a look at yourself. >> you look gorgeous. >> oh, my gosh. >> more kleenex, quickly. >> turn around, sweetie, and look at camera 12. >> here is what's going on. this is the magic of the great make-up. she would like to keep it simple. she would like to keep it simple. >> we kept it simple. that doesn't mean you can't have edge and style. perfect example. >> sabrina, tell us what you think? >> she looks so great right now. >> yes. she looks perfect.

>> thank you. >> give them to the whole crew. >> that dress is cool. >> everybody's crying. >> london times. it's a great way to transition into fall. you can put it with boots and heels and sandals. >> such a great job. awesome! come out, sweetie. you guys look so good. coming up next, we are playing a birthday game in honor of the birthday girl. trivia. >> big willie will be fun. ♪ ♪ i'm thinking sweet ♪ and i'm thinking new ♪ i'm thinking all these brilliant colors ♪ ♪ shining through ♪ i'm thinking sunshine ♪ i'm thinking sunshine ♪ i'm thinking [ whistles ] ♪ i'm thinking [ whistles ]

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donuts? ♪ [ chuckles ] ♪ you're cute. ♪ [ door creaks, closes ] [ female announcer ] the protein effect. new special k protein cereal. with ten grams of protein and three grams of fiber... finally, a protein cereal to help keep you fuller longer. willpower. what will you gain when you lose? all right. 1953 is famous for a lot of things. the first corvette, the sale of the color tv. >> this is making me feel ancient. i'm as old as television? >> the first issue of "playboy" with marilyn man row on the

cover. audrey hepburn won best actress. >> and my mommy gave birth to me. that's who should be blessed on birthdays. i heard about it my whole life. 1953 is the year we are going to celebrate. willie geist, host of "way too early with willie geist" and co-host with chuck scarborough. >> this is a game show as evidenced by the giant buzzer and the podiums that come with all game shows. this is about the year 1953. let's go to our first question. we start on the big screen. which film won an academy award for best picture in 1953, "house of wax," "from here to eternity" "roman holiday" or "gentlemen prefer blondes." >> "roman holiday." >> wrong.

"from here to eternity." >> in addition to being the best picture the top grossing film, how much did it make in 1953? $27,400, $57,400 or $87,400. >> it was definitely $57,000. >> wrong. >> one of the others. >> 70 something. >> $87 is correct because it's your birthday. which of these tv shows was not on the air in the year kathie was born "i love lucy", "the jackie gleson show" the milton berle" show or "andy griffith." >> andy griffith. >> correct. what was one of the most popular songs, "love me tender" "the doggy in the window or "the

twist." >> which one was a popular song. >> not chubby checker, "the doggy in the window" by patty page. >> cheating. cheating. >> it's only cheating if i don't admit it. i can't help with willie going like this. >> i'm helping her. >> is this game stacked or whatever you call it? >> no, but we are. >> bam! let's get to the heart of the matter and talk about wine. prices from 1953. starting with white wine. we know your favorite, maso canali goes for $23 today. what was the average price of white wine in 1953, $1.34, $3.34 or $6.34. >> i got it. >> $1.34. >> i got it. $3 and whatever. >> wrong. >> $1.34.

>> my game is on. >> imagine the volume of white wine you would have drunk at those prices. gas prices range from $3.40 to $4.50. true or false in 1953 a gallon of gas was less than 25 cents. >> no. >> yeah, it was. >> oh, oh, oh! >> you got to read the cheating. >> i'm trying not to cheat. i'll give hoda that one. >> it's double or nothing, triple or nothing so we're tied. >> no. absolutely untrue in every way. >> this is the last one. >> no. this isn't the last one. question nine. this is for all the marbles. your favorite dish at frankie and johnny's steakhouse, it's shrimp scampi sells for $29 today. it became popular the year you were born. how much would they have sold it to new that year, $1.50, $2.50.

>> $2.50. >> that is correct. >> we have a special guest. mario, please come out. >> happy birthday. >> oh, my gosh. this is both of our favorite things. >> this is from frankie and johnny's. you're right scampi was $2.50 in 1953. >> thank you, mario. i love you so much. >> look at the wine. that will get us through the crab feast today. >> happy birthday. >> thank you, darling. >> the birthday celebration continues. >> you'll have a special meal by curtis stone. more to eat. >> well, i'll have another bite of this. mmmm, just how satisfying is every spoonful

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seen this? mitt romney claiming the president would end welfare's work requirements? [ female announcer ] i'm barack obama and i approve you'this messageel it. the new york times calls it 'blatantly false' the washington post says: "the obama administration is not removing the bill's work requirements at all." in fact, obama's getting states to move twenty percent more people from welfare to work. and president clinton's reaction to the romney ad? it's just "not true." get the facts. 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? mmm. refueled space captain james. [ male announcer ] new fiber one chewy bars. great taste kids love plus calcium and fiber kids need.

time for today's "kitchen." we are cooking with chef curtis stone who is here to help bring in kathie lee's birthday. >> i hear you're about to make some of my favorite dishes, crab cakes. it's good to be the birthday girl. >> i'm going to start off with the mango chutney that goes with the crab cakes. you caramelize the sugar. then you have your mango, a little bit of vinegar and lemon juice. you just let that crystallize and come back together. >> you just leave that on the flame? >> leave that. >> crab cakes. i've got a beautiful sauvignon

blanc from new zealand. >> i'll be gracious. i mean it was a chablis. >> you can't have everything on your birthday. >> i've got a case of mano canali downstairs. >> chili pepper, fish sauce, sesame oil and egg. all this stuff goes in together. mix it up with a bit of mayonnaise. then you add the panko bread crumbs. >> people are using those more and more. >> they are really dry. they get super crispy. when you want that crunch -- >> keeps it all together, be too, so nicely. >> then you get this stuff. turn it into like a little ball or you turn it into a cutter and you can push it down.

you make your crab cakes like that. pop them into a hot pan with a little bit of oil. you can use a little butter if you prefer the flavor of butter. >> is the egg safe? >> you're cooking it. >> okay. i don't want anybody dying because i was born. >> you see the chutney takes a little while to cook. you throw all that stuff in, get it working and it turns into this beautiful sticky chutney. >> that looks really good. >> how i serve these crab cakes, your next guest came in here -- >> he came in today. >> that's right. he's here today. >> you should never have two birthdays. crab cakes are right there cucumber. >> i've got to say this pie, ever since curtis made it when the book came out, it's the best

dessert you will ever have in your whole life. >> get in there. >> take one for the team. >> you are the best. >> thank you, curtis. >> happy birthday. >> next, the birthday surprise that will blow kathie lee's mind. first this is "today" on nbc. [ male announcer ] you paid in to medicare for years.

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why? to pay for obamacare. so now the money you paid for your guaranteed healthcare is going to a massive new government program that's not for you. the romney-ryan plan protects medicare benefits for today's seniors and strengthens the plan for the next generation. [ romney ] i'm mitt romney and i approve this message.

get ready to believe world-renowned mentalist who dazzles audiences around the world. >> he has two secrets in his book "mind reader, unlock the power of your mind to get what you want." >> nice to see you. happy birthday. we get to do an experiment with influencing and suggesting. happy birthday. my mother told me never ask a lady for her age.

how much do you weigh? >> they already know. >> think of a time that has a meaning to you. don't say it. think about it. don't tell hoda, don't tell me. got it? >> i got it. >> go to the left over there. can i borrow your watch? >> what were you doing with my watch earlier today? >> wow. it's a good watch. >> frank gave me that on our second date. >> you been to china lately? >> no. >> just kidding. hoda, use your intuition. you can move it forward or backward, but you will not notice whether it's going to be 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, whatever. can you pinch the watch with your right hand. >> pinch it? >> like this. perfect. like this. closure eyes. take a deep breath. with your right hand start to move this little notch forward

and backward. when you want to stop, you just stop. whenever you want, you stop. the time you have in your mind. >> nobody in the entire world knows the time. >> can i have a pen. thank you so much. >> did you stop? >> i stopped. >> can you push it in. don't move. you can open your eyes. don't look yet. keep looking like this. >> it's going to be difficult. hoda, you will see what i'm doing here. i'm going to write something over here. can you tell everyone with your eyes closed what was the time you were thinking of? >> 5:00 a.m. >> oh, my gosh. look, look. >> look at it. >> what time does it say the watch? >> 5:00 a.m. >> that's your watch. >> you only have 30 seconds. i thought of your birthday

present. what is it? i thought of a present for her. you have 10 seconds. >> boob reductio