a full hour of news and weather. remember to always connect with us online. good morning. medicare moment. vice presidential candidate paul ryan heads to florida's largest retirement community to defend his plan to overhaul the massive program, and today he's bringing along the person he hopes will be his good luck charm, his mom. without a trace, a california woman disappears during a diving trip. now family members want the investigation to take a closer look at her husband. and ballroom battle. olympic soccer star hope solo makes some shocking allegations in her new book about her reality tv dance partner, saying he slapped, pushed and manhandled her. the dancing pro is fighting back today, saturday, august 18th, 2012.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a saturday morning. i'm lester holt. >> and i'm tamron hall. it's great to be back from london. you look great, by the way. >> thank you. >> look very dapper, got the uk flavor going on. >> i'm still waking up at 4:00 in the morning, although it works for me today. >> oh, right. >> this wasn't such a shock. >> how many days have you been back? >> i got back on monday. how about you? >> on monday. still got a couple more days, so we're in the game today. >> we're in the game. nice to be back. i had a great time, but it's great to be home. we'll talk about a big day in the race for the white house. paul ryan is drawing praise as well as fire for his plans to overhaul medicare. he's today going to a florida senior community to face tough

questions. how will that he do in that key battleground state? and much more on the massive wildfires burning across the west, stretching firefighters to the limit, and unfortunately, they're getting no help from mother nature. and then, chilling details about how a young woman fought for her life until the end. the gruesome story came from the registered sex offender who pleaded guilty on friday to the murder of louisiana college student mickey shunick. >> plus, we'll have an exclusive interview with a teenager who was actually shot through the head with a speargun. it's an unbelievable story. amazingly, this young man survived and he is here to tell his story and give us an update. can you believe that? >> every time i see the x-rays, it's hard to believe they're real. it will be fascinating to hear what he has to say. but we begin with vice presidential candidate paul ryan's first campaign trip to florida today. nbc's ron mott is near orlando. this is a high-stakes trip for ryan, isn't it? >> reporter: it is indeed, lester. good morning to you. it's a big speech he is set to give today on medicare here in the villages billed as the

world's largest retirement community. about 60,000 people call this place home and a lot of them want to hear about the plans he and mitt romney have for transforming medicare. now, it's been mostly a pretty good week for the most part for paul ryan. he had, of course, the encounter at the iowa state fair with a medicare protester, and over the past 24 hours, he's had to come clear on denials for stimulus funds in his home state of wisconsin after denying he did that. he of course has been a vocal critic of the president's spending package, then yesterday he said he did in fact send one of the letters. one of the organizations received $20 million-plus in stimulus funds. that issue has now gone behind. an issue that doesn't seem to be going anywhere any time soon is the issue of taxes and mitt romney's taxes. yesterday the obama campaign made an offer in writing to the romney campaign that if he would release five years of tax returns, in return, the obama

campaign would stott criticizing him for not releasing any more than that. the response was thanks, but no thanks, see you in denver, which is the site of the first presidential debate. paul ryan, incidentally, just last night, lester, released his two tax returns. so we hope, perhaps, that issue has come and gone for him, at least. big speech coming up with his mom in tow. >> ron mountain, thank you. mark halperin is an analyst for nbc as well as "time" magazine. good morning. >> good morning. >> a lot made about him going before retirees to talk about medicare, but as i understand it the changes he's talking about wouldn't affect that group, but us, right? >> it would affect the younger people and that's one of the main points he'll say today. he'll say i'm here to talk about medicare. with the changes i propose and governor romney proposes, it won't affect any of you. that's a tough message to get through, because the people who care about medicare, there can be a lot of confusion and concern and fear, are the people who have it now. he's going with his mother, and this is not a special retirement community, it's a pretty

pro-republican community, so this isn't as hard as some people think. >> when romney picked him, he didn't know medicare would be a front-and-center issue. is this time for them to take back the narrative on this? >> it is, it is to try to make a couple points democrats will try to obscure. one is that it doesn't affect older people. also they're going hard after obama care. obama care took some money for medicare and moved it for other purposes. that is what republicans believe is a real vulnerability. this is a huge fight and debate. paul ryan hopes everyone has the debate. not everyone in politics wants to be serious. he's a serious guy. they're trying to keep him from being too serious on the romney campaign because the details can make things more controversial. >> the obama campaign released its first tv ad on the medicare issue, an attack on paul ryan, but also the president defending his own plan and that's got to be critical as well. >> pretty surprising to some. it wasn't to me. this is not a traditional attack ad. they're not going viciously hard after paul ryan and mitt romney. the president's side clearly feels they need to defend a bit.

both sides have vulnerability on medicare. that could change. republicans traditionally have been purely on the defensive. now the president's at least a little bit on the defensive. he doesn't have a detailed plan to save medicare and he also, again, took some money from medicare. both of those things, along with obama care, make it a little bit more of an even fight. and democrats are confident they can win the fight. every democrat likes to say we will win this fight over medicare. republicans hope they can win. they're glad they have paul ryan on their side, even though he's a lightning rod. he's the best explainer they have, republicans believe, to go to communities like florida to say we have a plan to fix things. it doesn't affect older americans. it's not a fair, each fight, but both sides know they have to engage. >> the obama folks know they have found traction on the tax return issue for romney. then later comes the challenge, give us more and we won't talk about it anymore. has this jumped the shark? >> i think the press likes this

story a lot. the media is susceptible for doing what the obama campaign wants, which is focusing on this. i don't think there's any chance. romney was on "rock center" saying that's it, no more. i'm pretty sure this is all he'll put out. do voters care about it? i don't think so. the economy is still front and center, the medicare debate's important. i think it's mostly something that the press and insiders care about. it's an important issue about transparency, but there are bigger issues in the campaign, i think. >> mark halperin, good to have you on. >> thanks. >> thanks very much. now here's tamron. >> lester, thank you. now to those raging wildfires burning across the west. some residents who were forced to flee are being allowed back to see whether or not their homes are intact. nbc's chrikristen dahlgren is ie elum, washington with more. >> reporter: good morning, tamron. they did make some progress on the fire here yesterday, now 40% contained, but that is far from out. there were worries about flare-ups late yesterday. there are still 100 homes here

in the danger zone. for the fifth day, the flames raced through the dense, dry pine forest, little to stop them, but the herculean efforts of firefighters and an almost nonstop assault on the blaze from all sides. >> oh, my goodness. >> reporter: those with homes nearby keeping a close eye. >> what do i do? i mean, continue along, but oh, my god. >> reporter: making the decision on when it's time to flee and what to bring. >> the neighbor said the first day, we have 20 minutes to evacuate. what would you do in 20 minutes? >> reporter: the awful reality and the fear over what will be left isn't just playing out here. 52 out-of-control wildfires are still burning across the country. in idaho, the vacation community of featherville, population 500 in the summer, is bracing for a blaze. the trinity ridge fire just 4% contained. >> contact is still inevitable. it is going to get here. >> reporter: residents could

only listen as officials tried to prepare them. >> it makes you absolutely want to cry. >> reporter: even idaho's governor is preparing to evacuate his vacation home. >> i'm going to leave when they ask me to leave. i hope everybody else will, do. >> reporter: there's already been 1 death and 14 injuries fighting fires in idaho. these pictures taken of the state spring fire show just how intense the fight is on the front lines. as temperatures across the region continue to soar, back in washington, a new fear of what the weekend might bring. >> we've also got thunderstorm activity that's predicted, dry lightning for saturday. >> reporter: lightning that could spark new flames and make this just the beginning. and if there were lightning strikes, tamron, they could come in areas that haven't seen rain in more than a month, so in a lot of places today really could be critical. >> all right. nbc's kristen dahlgren. thank you, kristen. let's get a check now of the morning's other top stories from

cnbc's courtney reagan, who's at the news desk. good morning. >> good morning to you, lester. good morning, everyone. well, the u.s. military is taking steps to clamp down on betrayals in afghanistan. there have been seven attacks in the past two weeks where afghan security forces killed 32 allied troops. atia abali has more in this report from kabul. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, courtney. well, the pentagon has issued new guidelines. among those is the fact that u.s. service members here must carry fully-loaded magazines in their weapons at all times. this follows two more american deaths yesterday. it happened when u.s. special forces went to farah province in western afghanistan to train the afghan local police, villagers trained to protect their home towns. as they were handing out weapons, one of the afghans turned his on the americans, killing two in cold blood. so far this year we've seen more than 30 of these so-called insider attacks, also known as green-on-blue attacks, killing 39 coalition members, most of

those being americans. and in the end, it's eroding the trust between the u.s. and afghan forces at a very crucial time as the united states wants to withdraw from afghanistan. courtney? >> atia abawi, thank you. police in arkansas are investigating the reported suicide of a man who was handcuffed behind his back in a patrol car. police video hasn't resolved questions about whether 21-year-old chavez carter shot himself in the head with a hidden gun as the two arresting officers reported. carter was arrested for an outstanding warrant. the officers say he then shot himself after being searched, handcuffed and placed in the back of the patrol car. police have asked the fbi for assistance. much of the western world is voicing sharp criticism of russia after three women from a russian punk band were given two-year jail sentences friday for protesting against president vladimir putin in moscow's main cathedral. several people were arrested at a protest in new york city. the united states calls the sentences disproportionate.

and nasa's curiosity rover will take its first road trip on mars tonight. it will aim its laser blaster at a rock formation, part of a two-year mission to determine if the planet most like earth could have hosted microbial life. the $2.5 billion rover landed on mars on august 6th. that's the news. now back to lester, tamron and bill. i can't decide if i want the rover to find microbial life or not. >> well, it's interesting, the rover has a twitter account, an actual nasa twitter account and then a really funny sidebar twitter account, what curiosity is seeing and thinking. it is genius. >> it's also recording live weather conditions. >> really? take your shot. >> what's the temperature? >> usually if the sun is out, it's like 160 degrees, but when, you know, when it's dark, it's like colder than antarctica, so extreme. >> and very little chance of rain. >> it gets the winds, too. >> what about the earth forecast? >> oh, the earth forecast? >> you've got that covered. if you can. >> i never trained for mars. well, good morning, everyone. it's amazing what's happened

this summer. june and july were off the charts, dry and hot charts, dry and hot all through the middle of the country. then the middle of the country has dried up now we have some in the northwest in june and july, now we've been baking. but the intermountain west where all the fires are burning remains extremely hot today. we do have a chance for the dry based thunderstorms, that's where the rain doesn't make it to the ground. you don't even get the benefits of the rainfall. all you get is lightning. that's a look at the national forecast. now a look at the wh outside your window. >> good morning. pretty comfortable outside. we have lots of 60s. winchester, 63 along with gaithersburg. we'll work on highs of 84 today in d.c. mostly fredericksburg. a few showers across the delmarva.

there they go this morning leaving us alone. a few puddles out there but no rain falling. a great saturday. send you look at your saturday forecast. tamron? >> bill, thank you. illinois congressman jesse jackson jr. is in the fight of his life today, battling bipolar disorder at the mayo clinic. just this week, a former congressman who also has a famous father visited him in an emotional get-together. more now from nbc's kelly o'donnell. >> reporter: after almost 70 days of secrecy, nbc news obtained the first photos of congressman jesse jackson jr., who is hospitalized for treatment of the mental illness bipolar disorder. visited thursday by his friend and former congressman patrick kennedy. >> this has taken him down. i mean, nothing like a mental illness can threaten your life like what depression has done. >> reporter: kennedy, who had also been treated for depression at the same hospital, the mayo clinic, traveled to minnesota to offer jackson support.

>> there's the political story, but i was there really to see someone who is in a lot of personal pain, who is suffering from a very serious illness. >> reporter: jackson has spent 18 years in congress and a lifetime in both the spotlight and the shadow of his famous father, the civil rights leader. the democrat from chicago's south side simply dropped out of sight in june. at first, his office blamed his absence on exhaustion, but under mounting public pressure finally said more, that jackson has a mood disorder. this week, the mayo clinic confirmed bipolar disorder. >> for jesse, i think understandably, he did not want to acknowledge that what he was suffering from was something that was so stigmatized and would affect the way people would view him. >> reporter: with pressure on jackson to resign, kennedy says he hopes these photos reveal a more human side of jackson, not

his political face. >> and you get to empathize with that person because you know he's struggling with a very real physical illness, and my heart goes out to him. >> reporter: jackson is on the ballot in november for a tenth term in congress, but so far, there is no timetable for his treatment. for "today," kelly o'donnell, nbc news, washington. >> dr. janet taylor is a psychiatrist who works with patients with bipolar disorder. she's with us now. dr. taylor, good morning. >> good morning. >> help us understand, first of all, what's bipolar 2 disorder. what's that mean? what are the symptoms? >> so, bipolar disorder is a mood disorder and bipolar disorder has two things, they have high highs and low lows. so, you have a major depressive episode or recurring episodes and then mania or hyplamania that's an episode and then hyplomania generally lasts between four to seven days, where you have irritable,

self-esteem decreased, need for sleep, maybe more talkative than usual. >> obviously we don't know his past medical history, but it seems like the information from his wife as well as his famous father, that this happened suddenly. is that usual with bipolar 2 disorder, which he's been diagnosed with? >> one of the symptoms is major depression, so you can develop that, although typically with bipolar disorder, there may have been underlying signs of depression with increased depressed mood, increased sleep. so maybe it can develop suddenly, but more often, by the time you get to be the age of je jesse jackson jr., you've had some signs and symptoms of depression. >> and perhaps the signs weren't understood by family members or the patients themselves, they don't understand what's happening. >> there's a tendency to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs like marijuana, so it clouds the picture. and so, you may think maybe i'm not feeling well, so i'll use

something else to make myself feel better and there can be a complication in that regard. >> how treatable is this diagnosis? kelly o'donnell in her report says it's unclear when he'll be released. >> people need to realize this is very treatable, as long as you take the right medications, typically mood stabilizers, follow your doctor's orders, right exercise, nutrition and getting psychotherapy or support for yourself. it really is a condition people can do well with. >> with all those things you laid out, would an individual, includi including the congressman, be able to return to work and have a happy, functioning life? >> my hope certainly is that he does return to work, because people should realize you can live with mental illness, but you typically need to take medication and also stay in touch with your doctor. >> dr. taylor, thank you so much for your time and insight. now here's lester. all right, tamron, thanks. this week marked the 35th anniversary of elvis presley's death. natalie morales was grant ed a rare sit-down interview with his ex-wife priscilla and their own daughter, lisa marie.

it's their first ever interview together at graceland. >> he loved this home. he always came back here, no matter what. this is where he felt safe. this was his sanctuary. >> lisa marie, what feelings do you get here? >> i'm always happy when i'm here. it reminds me of when i was the happiest in my life, so, and it always brings me right there when i come back. >> what were your fondest memories of him? >> gosh, there's so many. he set up a little sort of station in my room, which is a tv set and a chair. so, whenever i was here, he would sit in there with me. him waking me up to take me on the golf cart, different things like that. >> so, when he was here, he was a very hands-on dad? >> very, yeah, when he was awake. >> i guess the hours were different -- >> he was on tour, so he was nocturnal and i would become inevitably nocturnal if i wanted to spend time with him. >> and priscilla, you had a good relationship with elvis, even after the divorce, right? you continued to be friends until the end? >> up until the end, yes.

i mean, when we were together, you never knew we were divorced, for sure. we had a lot of feeling for each other and we were very good friends. >> good evening. elvis presley died today. he was 42. >> tell me about that day 35 years ago. priscilla, you remember getting the call? >> i do. i'll never forget that day. i could hear the phone ringing and ringing and ringing, and i was hesitant to answer the phone. i'll never forget that. it was -- in shock and not being able to want to believe it. and lisa was in her room at the time and i first thought about her. >> lisa marie, you were 9 at the time. you were at the house, i understand, here at graceland. >> mm-hmm. >> did you know what was going on? >> i knew something was going on. my room was right next to his bathroom, so i knew that something was very wrong, all the commotion and everything. i was a wreck. i was a mess.

i was confused because i was so upset, but then i also was watching the reactions of everybody else, so it was a bit -- i had to stop and watch people coming through this door right here and viewing him and passing out and being taken in ambulances, and just the pandemonium that happened after was a little bit confusing. >> how much did that moment stay with you for years later? >> it stays with me, you know, a lot, especially when i'm here, you know, substantially. but i try now to focus on the good that he did in his life and celebrate his life and what he did. ♪ in the ghetto >> what do you want to say to the fans? >> if it wasn't for them, i mean, it's something to keep his legacy. i don't know of too many other

entertainers at this level, you know, especially after 35 years. it's awesome. ♪ falling in love with you ♪ >> natalie morales with priscilla and lisa marie presley. still to come this morning, chilling details about how a louisiana college student fought for her life and how that struggle helped convict her killer. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

still to come on "today," everywhere you look, prices for gas, checking accounts, bank fees, food, all on the rise. this morning, what you can do to fight back. plus, pictures that will take your breath away. the winners of the "national geographic" photo contest, all taken by regular tourists. can you believe that? first, these messages.

good morning. it is 7:26 on this saturday, august 18th. i'm richard jordan. taking a look at our top stories this morning, meese are trying to identify a would-be robber killed in a bizarre crime. the cops say the man was picked up by a cab, then demanded money from the driver. he then started to douts t ed e cabbie with flammable liquid. the would-be robber then set himself on fire. the would-be robber was killed. a ride to remember victims and survivors of the september 11th attacks rode through our area today. the ride is organized each year

by america's 9/11 foundation. later today the fwlgroup will le the pentagon and continue their tribute.

rain overnight left things a little wet this saturday morning. let's find out how the rest of the weekend is shaping up, kim martucci. >> the showers are hugging the coast. that's where they should stay today, not here. the temperatures are comfortable, though. 70 inside the beltway, college park, and reston, 66, 67 at ft. belvoir and huntingtown, you are at 68. the weather today up to 81 at 1:00, 83 degrees later this afternoon. extending ahead, i don't see any rain until late sunday night and monday again. what i like about this, is no 90s in my extended weather

forecast. only 80s. back to you. >> another news update on 25 minutes. now back to the "today" show. and we are back with more of "today" on this saturday morning, the 18th day of august 2012. as you can see there, a wet morning here in the big apple, but a good day to stay inside and watch tv. or if you're around, come hang with us like these folks. just bring your umbrella. we'll get the forecast from your neck of the woods in a moment. meanwhile, coming up this hour, new ways to stretch your budget. >> because everything is getting more expensive. if you drive, you're probably feeling the pinch with gas prices spiking, up 30 cents in the last few days alone, food prices, and of course the bank fees. you look at a transaction, there's some kind of fee attached to it, so we have tips on how you can avoid paying

more. >> certainly great information. plus, you love her from the classic movies of the '80s. of course, molly ringwald, but the movies were "sixteen candles," "breakfast club." that's the best one, i think. >> the one where they were in the classroom. >> classic. molly ringwald is now an author and she'll tell us what inspired her line of work and how she got into the business. >> what's your best photo you took on vacation? >> i took one of you in london with me doing this. >> yeah, and i wasn't looking, by the way. >> yeah, that's why it's a great photo. >> i saw that one on twitter. >> i picture-bombed lester. >> i'm looking all serious. anyway, we say all that. oh, this is why we're saying this, because "national geographic" is out with the winning entries of its 2012 photo contest taken by regular travelers like you and me. one of the magazine's editors will be here to talk about some pretty stunning images. >> absolutely. they'll take your breath away. first, let's take a big turn and begin with a story we've been following from the beginning, the murder of a louisiana college student. on friday, a registered sex

offender pleaded guilty to the crime, and as part of the plea deal, revealed just how hard mickey shunick fought for her life. here's nbc's janet shamlian. >> reporter: when mickey shunick went missing in may, there were pictures of her all over louisiana. the 21-year-old college student was last seen biking from a friend's house, recorded on a traffic camera pedaling home. >> we need your help. she needs your help. >> reporter: days later, her bike turns up along a river bank miles away, but no sign of mickey. police put out a call for a white pickup truck cameras captured trailing her. it was later found burned in texas and linked by police to brandon lavergne, a registered sex offender who was arrested later during a traffic stop. >> brandon, did you kill mickey shunick? >> reporter: friday, he pleaded guilty to the murder of mickey shunick and also another one in 1999. prosecutors say what she did

helped bring her killer to justice. >> much of what she did to the defendant, leaving the injuries she did led in large part to us being here today. >> reporter: prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty in exchange for details on mickey's last moments. it is a chilling account. >> i'm not surprised that she was ferocious and that she did not quit until he blew her head off. >> reporter: in court documents, lavergne admitted stalking mickey from his truck and then armed with a gun and knife forced her to get in. she tried to call for help and then maced him and wrestled for the knife. he wrestled it away and stabbed her at least four times. she slumped over. he thought she was dead. when he went to dump her body, like something out of a horror movie, mickey got up, grabbed the knife and stabbed her attacker again. lavergne said he pulled his gun and shot her in the head before dumping her body near a ceremony. he drove to a new orleans hospital for treatment, then returned the next day to bury

her. >> i hope in his dreams he sees her coming at him with the knife and putting it in his chest. i hope he wakes up to that image over and over and over again every night. >> reporter: a tragic ending for a young woman who may have lost the battle but never gave up the fight. for "today," janet shamlian, nbc news, houston. now let's get another check of the weather forecast. bill karins, little rain coming down here. >> yeah, big changes around the country, and now that we're getting towards the end of august, everybody wants to know what's happening in the tropics. but now we're getting towards the peahe tropics. this is the peak of the hurricane season. this is when the storms can be devastating. helene formed in the gulf of mexico yesterday. that would normally be a concern, but this is a very weak storm. heading inland. it won't be a problem for anyone. beneficial rains down there around tampico. we have hurricane gordon heading away from the u.s. another strong wave coming up from the coast of africa. if that did get a name, it would be isaac and that's still ten

days away from anywhere in the land area from the u.s. down to the caribbean. we're looking nice to the end of the august. that's good news. it's a sunshine smiley forecast today in chicago. sunny and 76 degrees. the summer you guys strug would through in st. louis and indianapolis, this is your reward weekend. take a look at the extended weather forecast. i'm meteorologist kim martucci. we'll look ahead four days. we have temperatures in the 80s today, not 90s. that's great news. tomorrow around 82. partly sunny. sunday night to monday we'll bring some rain here, a good 60% chance coming. we need it with our rainfall deficit up around, oh, eight inches behind, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday, there's definitely a lot of changes going on in the weather this weekend. if you want your hour-by-hour forecast, you can get that at

weather.com. tamron and lester. >> bill, thank you. still ahead, we loved her in "pretty in pink," "sixteen candles." now molly ringwald joins us to talk about her new project. and next, paying more for gas, food and bank fees. how you can avoid getting nickelled and dimed with all these rising prices, after this. [ female announcer ] quaker yogurt granola bars. they're whole grain good... and yummy good. real fruit pieces. 12 grams of whole grains and a creamy yogurt flavored coating. quaker yogurt granola bars. treat yourself good.

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♪ is that all you get for your money ♪ this morning in "today's money," managing your budget with rising costs. gas prices, bank fees and grocery bills are all on the rise, so is there anything you can do to avoid paying more? cnbc's kayla tausche is here to help. good morning. >> good to see you, lester. >> let's start with gas prices. last year we thought it was the highest ever, the average $3.59 a gallon, now it's $3.72. >> it's a role reversal because economists say we'll go down by the end of the year, expecting $3 on average, but a series of unexpected events, like fires at refineries which make oil into

gasoline for us to drive has meant that instead of prices coming down in the fall, they're actually going up. and as we see from that national average, they are climbing. a month ago they were $3.43 a gallon. now economists expect $4 a gallon by the end of the year. >> right, and you can only cut back driving so much. you can hold off the vacation, but we're hitting a season now, people who need to drive more, right? >> i think the answer is carpooling. you can't cut back on driving your kids to school because we're entering a season where driving is a necessity. you can't really get around it. you're going to have to get creative with your solutions here. >> what are the solutions? which states have the most expensive gas right now? >> if you're living in california, california did suffer a fire at a chevron refinery, so you'll see gas prices above $4 in california. the pacific northwest. in the midwest, michigan and wisconsin, and of course, new york state as well, but you're lucky if you live in the middle states, in utah, arizona, nevada, colorado, also if you live in mississippi or louisiana. those gas prices are below the

national average. >> all right. i want to turn to banking fees now. there's been a lot of added regulation to the banking industry. they lost a lot of sources of revenue but quickly found them in terms of fees. there is a survey, the cost to maintain a checking account has increased over the past six months. let's start with the basic checking account. what's the minimum requirement? >> it's gone up by $20, lester, in the last year, so you'll now need $409 to open a checking account. that's going to be tough for students and people without a lot of disposal income, because even though a $20 increase isn't that much, the banks really get you there, and you're right, they're searching for those creative solutions themselves. >> and what about those service fees that they add on? i mean, those really add up. >> right. would you guess that those have gone up, too? $12.08 a month to just maintain your account. that's up from $11.18 last year. >> and a lot of them have -- if you maintain a minimum amount, then you don't hit those fees, but that's gone up as well. >> right. it's a trend, going up across the board. you now need $4,447 in your

account to avoid just that $12 fee every month. one solution for that, though, is direct deposit. if you do get paid on a regular basis and you sign up for direct deposit, even though that involves some red tape, you will get to avoid those monthly fees. >> and what about going smaller, independent banks, is that an option? >> it's definitely an option. it's one that we've seen a lot of big corporations and entities do. the "wall street journal" reporting that the democratic national party actually changed its accounts from bank of america to the union-backed amalgamated bank. oftentimes, if you go to your local credit union or the smaller banks, they have zero to lower fees, and you can also avoid some of those minimum requirements. >> and very quickly before we run out of time, food prices going up. what are some ways people can save a few bucks on food? >> well, because of the drought, grains prices are going up in exorbitant amounts. that's your breads, your pastas. the key with breads, buy toward the end of the day. oftentimes, your grocery stores, instead of throwing out the freshly baked loaf, will mark

down the price of that. of course, if you have a big family, that's the answer, but if you don't want the bread to go bad, that may not be the answer. with produce, buy what's in season. know what's in season. on the usda website, there's a list of what produce, what fruits and vegetables you can buy. in the summer right now for fruits, watermelons, strawberries, cantaloupes, cherries. for vegetables, bell peppers, green beans, and i'm sorry, kids, peas, but that of course will change into the fall. kids still won't like it broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts -- >> call them sweet peas, maybe they'll like them. kayla tausche, great to have you on. >> thank you. >> great to see you. up next, molly ringwald's new role, trading in a script for a pen. [ female announcer ] back to school means back to busy mornings.

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molly ringwald was the it girl of the 1980s, starring in such movies as "the breakfast club," "six teen candles" and "pretty in pink," but now she's taking on a new role as writer with her new book "when it happens to you." molly ringwald is with me now. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> i love that we were admiring you and behind the scenes you were writing. that was your passion behind the scenes. >> that's right. >> how did this get started? >> it was something i took to in school. i was never very good with math or chemistry, i was all about -- >> that makes two of us now! >> i was just really good at writing and i was always interested in storytelling, so yeah, it was always something i did, you know from creating character bios to writing journals. >> so, was it therapeutic for

you? here you had this fantastic career, you have a fantastic career, but you were admired by teenagers and boys all over had crushes on you. was this an outlet for you? >> i think so. you know, my parents just -- you know, i had fantastic parents and they always said that it was very important that i had something other than acting, you know. it was something they always drummed into my head was you have to have something else. they wanted me to go to college. they didn't go to college, but i sort of educated myself and just kept writing, kept singing, and i just think that it's made me a more -- >> a well-rounded person. >> right. >> absolutely! interesting, this book, your first work of fiction, and it deals with a series of connected stories, but the central message is about betrayal. >> yes. >> i'm intrigued by that. why does that stimulate you to write about it? >> you know, i just think that it's one of those universal subjects that you can't meet anyone who hasn't been betrayed or betrayed someone or betrayed themselves. it's just one of those things -- or had a best friend or a sister or a brother, you know? and i just felt like it was very

rich material. and so, i wanted to get inside of it and sort of understand it and write about it from as many different angles as i could. >> it's interesting. i know that you just mentioned your parents were great and fantastic, and for your own children, you've kind of wanted the idea of hollywood or acting not to be in the picture. what about writing? >> i completely support writing. i just don't want them to be in the public eye because i think that you need to have a time in your life where you get to be awkward and that you don't suffer a lot of rejection, and i just really want to protect my kids. and my parents say the same thing. if they had to do it over again, they wouldn't have gotten me involved. >> really? >> at such a young age. because they didn't know anything about show business. my father's a jazz musician, but it's different. >> i love that you mentioned jazz, musician, as you pointed out, writer, still acting. how do you make time for it all? >> i don't know. some days i don't, you know. it's a daily negotiation. we figure out how we're going to sort of get through the day and

how we're going to get everything done, and some days it feels like we almost make it and then some days, you know, the balance is off, but you know. >> a lot of women can identify with that. >> yes. >> thank you, molly. it's a great pleasure to meet you again. the book is "when it happens to you," molly ringwald. thank you. we'll be back in a moment, but first, this is "today" on nbc.

♪ photographs help us remember an amazing vacation or a trip to a far-off destination, but not many come close to these stunning snapshots from, get this, amateur photographers took these pictures you're looking at, capturing images and moments in places from fiji to norway. they are some of the finalists in the 2012 "national geographic" traveler photo contest. >> george stone is contributing editor at "national geographic" "traveler," he was a judge in the contest. george, good morning, good to see you. >> good morning.

>> are you guys scared? >> they're going to put us out of business soon. >> these were stunning images. first-place winner called "butterfly" was taken by a brooklyn traveler in a pretty remote section of afghanistan. >> very remote, and in a turkish village, too. and not only that, but within a tent of a woman and her daughter. and so, it's a very intimate shot. it's gorgeous. >> a sewing machine there. >> yeah, it's a sewing machine, but there's also a stereo and a tv in the background. there's this fantastic textiles and rich reds, and it just is a beautifully composed and beautifully lit shot that is very intimate and poignant. >> intimate is a great way to describe that one. second place is "my balloon"? >> "my balloon" was shot in a mung village in vietnam, and -- >> it's black-and-white. >> it's black-and-white. it captures a kind of timelessness. it feels like a dream sequence, these suspended balloons. >> i love it. >> and children playing, as they do all around the world, and here it's just, it captures the

joy that you discover when you travel. >> i think the one that we've all been staring at and keep wanting to look at again is the surfing picture. >> i think -- >> this is the third-place -- >> no, it's one of the merit winners. >> this is one of the merit winners, okay. >> but i think maybe it's riding on the michael phelps wave. >> how did they capture this? how did they do this? >> well, it took a lot of planning. the photographer was under water. you could spend a year under water and not get this shot, so it's about timing -- >> you could also drown. >> yeah. >> but that's another issue. >> it's about planning and serendipity. it's about capturing that moment when it happens. the surfer is under water, is diving with his board, and it's just the rippling motion of the waves. very powerful. >> what was the viewers' choice? >> viewers' choice is a magnificent shot in norway. it's the aurora borealis over a cabin, and i think it's the viewers' choice, because who doesn't want to be there? it's exactly the sort of shot we love in "national geographic traveler" because it takes you there. >> is there a secret to

capturing something that phenomenal? >> a shot like that, you need to time it, you have to have your exposure correct, you want to think about composition, and you want to put a lot of intention into the shot. you do there have more opportunity and more time, but really, you have to compose it. and all these shots and the rest of the shots, which are on nationalgeographic.com, demonstrate just a remarkable talent. >> well, unfortunately, we couldn't get our entry in in time, but we'll show you it from london. >> this is next year's winner. >> oh, you could win a trip to the galapagos islands if you wanted! that's the number one prize here. >> can you imagine that? we'll be right back. >> thank you, george. [ birds chirping ] are you a fan of demoisier? uh, um... [ thinking ] demois-a-who? okay, you can't get by on just your looks forever. okay. [ thinking ] you just ordered a premium roast coffee and a savory sausage mcmuffin for only a dollar each off mcdonald's dollar menu at breakfast. so you know you're smart. he has a certain... je ne sais quoi, you know?

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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. good morning. it is 7:56 on this saturday, august 18th. i'm richard jordan. here's a look at what's happening this morning. prince george's county is getting kids ready for class with a big back-to-school fair today. from 10:00 this morning until 1:00 at the showplace arena in you upper marlboro. parents can get information on before and after school programs, even some county agency will be there. today is the last day to get tax-free deals on back-to-school shopping in maryland. you can skip the 6% state sales tax on clothes and shoes as long as they are less than $100. it is designed to help parents

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you may be donling some puddles out there this morning but what are the chances for more rain this weekend? kim martucci has details. >> i think you'll like the answer. we won't have to be dodging any raindrops falling from the sky. but as you mention, we had rain overnight. all that's shifted to the coast. beach weather is not the best today. but for the rest we'll have clouds lingering and sunshine into the afternoon. we're waking up at 68 at camp springs, over in the 'burgh you got '70s in leesburg. a little damp and cloudy out there, 71. 81 by 1:00 and 83 at 6:00 with a partly sunny finish. doesn't get much better than

that. 80s at the rest of the week. no 90s. loving that. >> i love that, too. we've update in 25 minutes but now back to the "today" show. welcome back to "today" on a saturday morning, the 18th day of august 2012. nice crowd on the plaza, in a little, actually, a lot of bit of rain. that's why we're still in here. as they wave to their friends and family back home, our thanks to them for spending part of their saturday with us. if you're in the neighborhood, stop on by and say hello. i'm lester holt with tamron hall. coming up, the search for a california woman who's been missing for a week. >> rebecca weiss's husband says she vanished during a snorkeling trip, but her mother says he's been acting strangely. we'll have the latest on the case. plus, what would you do if you saw fiery wreckage on the side of the road? most of us like to think we would do what these folks did. they pitched out as a team to

try to get the fire out and save two women trapped in the wreckage after their car crashed in mississippi. we're going to hear from some of the good samaritans coming up. >> they are that, for sure. and it's common to see actors get injured during dancing, but hope solo says she was hurt and it was no accident. her surprising allegations, coming up. a lot of people talking about this. then, can you imagine surviving this? an x-ray we'll show you of a three-foot spear that went through a teenager's head. it happened during a fishing trip. he joins us in an exclusive interview to tell us what it was like and how he's doing now. but we begin this half hour with battleground florida. vice presidential candidate paul ryan will talk about his plans for medicare this morning. he's in florida at the world's largest retirement community. nbc's ron mott is there as well. ron, good morning. >> reporter: hey, lester, good morning to you. in the weeks since he first stepped out on to the national stage, paul ryan's vision on how to transform medicare has taken

center stage in this campaign, and he says he is ready for the fight. paul ryan's whirlwind week through election battleground continues in florida with a speech about the future of medicare as he sees it. >> we want this debate, we need this debate and we're going to win this debate on medicare. >> reporter: it's ryan's first foray into the sunshine state since mitt romney tapped him as running mate. romney, pictured here alone earlier in the week while ryan was in iowa, fueling attacks by democrats that the wisconsin congressman was avoiding the medicare issue in the country's retirement destination. not so say republican campaign strattists. >> paul ryan has spent most of this week talking about medicare. he's going to spend most of the next ten weeks talking about medicare. it's going to be really important for them not to back down on that fight. >> reporter: meantime, the obama campaign kept up its side of the fight in a new ad. >> and the ryan plan? aarp says it would "undermine"

medicare and could lead to higher costs for seniors. >> reporter: ryan criss-crossed the country, eight states in seven days, hammering obama about the economy much of the way. much of the talk has centered around medicare, a discussion democrats much prefer, says one political observer. >> so far, the polls have actually showed that ryan's helping romney's campaign. the big challenge, though, is the obama campaign is highlighting ryan's medicare plan and trying to tell seniors it would really hurt medicare. and can ryan survive that and can his poll numbers be maintained in the face of those attacks is the big question. >> reporter: and a big question democrats continue to ask is will mitt romney release more tax returns? in fact, yesterday the obama administration made an offer in writing to the romney campaign, saying if mitt romney released five years worth of tax returns that the obama campaign would in turn stop criticizing him for not releasing any more than that, and in the meantime, quietly paul ryan last night released his past two tax returns, lester. >> all right.

ron mott, thanks. time now for a check of the morning's other top stories. cnbc's courtney reagan inside the news desk for us. hi, courtney. >> hi, good morning, tamron. good morning, everyone. an outbreak of salmonella that sickened 150 people nationwide is linked too cantaloupe grown in southwestern indiana. health officials say consumers should get rid of infected melons purchased since july 7th. a third of the illnesses were reported in kentucky, where two people have died. well, storms again cut short planned aerial spraying for mosquitos in texas friday night. officials there are trying to stop a west nile virus epidemic. more from nbc's michelle franzen. >> reporter: for the first time in 45 years, dallas-area officials are spraying aerial pesticide to kill off mosquitos carrying the west nile virus. >> it is not a risk to you, an unreasonable risk to you or your family. >> reporter: health officials say the virus is blamed for killing ten people in the dallas-ft. worth area and infecting others including teen

jordan connor. >> we were babysitting the dog and five mosquitos bit me on my leg. >> reporter: the centers for disease control say the epidemic is spreading with nearly 700 cases of illnesses reported across the u.s. the most recent death a woman in michigan. experts say hot, dry conditions have turned standing water stagnant, ideal conditions for mosquitos to thrive. health officials are hoping that by launching their own aerial assault, they can quell the outbreak. michelle franzen, nbc news, new york. an nfl preseason game between the oakland raiders and the arizona cardinals turned ugly friday night in the parking lot. a fan was shot during a fight. he's reported to be in stable condition after originally being taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. no one else was hurt and police have arrested the suspected shooter. the cardinals won the game 31-17. the united nations spokesperson said today the last u.n. observers in syria have started to leave the country.

their mission officially ends at midnight on sunday. they acknowledge the international efforts to end the fighting between the syrian government and rebels has failed. witnesses say a man in a kayak pulled in a big shark about 200 yards off the new jersey beach this week. the man apparently kayaks with a bucket of chums and usually catches smaller brown sharks, but the marine mammal center says this was a 6-foot sand tiger shark. after taking some pictures, the shark was released back into the ocean. sand tiger sharks usually don't threaten humans. and for $20, a utah woman got much more than a camera to add to her collection. paisley weston bought a vintage camera with accessorieaccessori including undeveloped rolls of film. now that she has the pictures of family events, she's trying to find the rightful owners. i used to love getting the rolls of film back. can you imagine how happy that family's going to be? >> interesting. you think over the years you've lost the rolls of film because you don't use it anymore with the digital camera. now you worry about your disc.

>> i'm worried about some that might be found at some point. >> well, what's going on in your life, sir? the 20s. >> i'm kidding. it's all good. >> it's going to go viral when i find them. ha ha! courtney, thank you. bill karins is on the plaza with a check of the forecast. bill, i hope you don't have any pictures we should be worried about hitting the internet. no, i hope not, either. and you have some 'splaining to do. they look warm and dry inside, don't they? i'm trying to cover up people that don't have umbrellas and if we had you out here, we could cover them a little more. but these hardy folks are in buffalo, so they don't mind. heading to the yankee game later today, where it will be dry. that's the good news for us on the plaza getting wet this momorning, we do have beneficial rains to talk about out there. we had the horrible drought. this is updated once a week. you notice that's where the drought is the worst. kansas, missouri, down through arkansas. but we've been getting some rain in this area with these cold fronts. we're now getting drenched.

this will run out in the streets and how fabulous is the heavy rain, little rock, texarkana. probably picked up an inch or two of rain this morning. we'll probably get more rain later today. with the cooler air comes a collision with the humid air in the south. we go throughout this weekend. we have some beautiful weather, but we also have beautiful weather in terms of beneficial rain. i haven't said that in a long time. now here is a look at t the wh outside your window. >> we picked up about 0.2 inches of rain. i'm kim martucci. great to see you. saltite shows clouds around and rain showers off the coast. we have 70 inside the beltway. gaithersburg and hunterstown. partly sunny off to the west. martinsburg, cumberland, hagerstown also 82. now back to new york. it's so sad.

it's almost like cassidy and graci are crying out here, but they're very happy anyway. tamron, hope to see you out here soon. back to you. >> all right, bill, thank you. it's been a week since a california woman went diving with a snorkel and disappeared. rebecca weiss's family is frantic to find her and want to know why her husband is not doing more to find her. nbc's diana alviar has more from los angeles. >> this is horrible. she's my only daughter. >> reporter: velma causey is desperate to find her daughter. she's been watching search teams comb the waters rebecca weiss was reportedly free diving last saturday, using just a wet suit and a snorkel. the last day her husband says he saw her. alan weiss told investigators his wife of 18 years left their condo wearing her wet suit. when she did not come home, he went to the cove they often free dive together. he didn't find rebecca, only her diving bag and car.

that's when alan reported her missing. homicide detectives are reviewing surveillance video from businesses in the area where alan said he thinks his wife was headed. they tell nbc news he's cooperating with their investigation and not considered a suspect in his wife's disappearance. however, rebecca's family says they're having a hard time believing her husband's story and that she knew better than to free dive alone. >> my sister is a strong swimmer, and she was wearing a wet suit, you know, according to my brother-in-law. so, it would have to be something out of the extraordinary for something to happen to her out there. >> there has to be somebody who must have seen it. this is not an isolated place. this is a resort. there should have been people. >> reporter: and she's determined to find them. together with the los angeles county sheriff's department, she will hand out flyers this weekend. she believes rebecca is alive and wants her home. for "today," diana alviar, nbc

news, los angeles. once again, here's lester. >> tamron, thanks. a violent accident on a mississippi highway turned into a moment of humanity as dozens of drivers put their own lives on the line to pull two women from a fiery wreckage. an "associated press" photographer was able to capture the dramatic moments after wrapping up his role as secure. we get details from nbc's mark potter. >> back up some! >> reporter: moments after an suv careened out of control, struck a tree and caught fire in a highw median strip, 15 to 20 fellow motorists stopped their cars and rushed to help. giovanni demonte suffered a severe head injury. her sister, disabled, was strapped in the back seat. when this petty officer arrived on the scene, she found them both in extreme danger. >> i started yelling for fire extinguishers, because that's when i realized the entire front of the suv was engulfed in

flames. >> reporter: "associated press" photographer gerald herbert arrived shortly afterwards and saw the driver trapped behind the wheel begging for help. >> that was one of the most horrible feelings in my life, to run up there and see her pinned and to hear her screams as those flames were getting bigger, her screams for help. >> reporter: herbert and others flagged down other cars and trucks looking for fire extinguishers and water bottles. as the rescuers worked feverishly to save the driver from the flames, unexpected relief finally arrived. a big cement truck with a hose and lots of water. >> i backed into the ditch, turned my water on and sprayed it with the hose and they got it out good enough where we could get the two women out. >> the cement mixer was critical because he was the first one to get water on her to keep the flames off of her, and that was her guardian angel. >> reporter: when firefighters arrived, the driver was finally extracted and flown to a hospital. her family most grateful for all of her rescuers. >> when i saw all these people,

i'm like, it was amazing. and only god's hands could have did that. >> it makes me feel really good to know that there are motorists traveling the roadways in mississippi that would stop and this would not have happened, families would be grieving today. >> reporter: pictures and video of the incident were taken by the "ap" photographer who waited for the rescuers before taking out his cameras to record the heroics of strangers. for "today," mark potter, nbc news, miami. >> love the way people saw this and they started problem-solving together and came together as a team. >> and your point that we would all like to believe that that's what we would do. >> sure. >> you know, run in, help out. great story. >> glad they were all there. still to come, "vogue" gone viral. this 20-year-old bar mitzvah video is now a sudden hit on youtube. we're going to catch up with the star. but next, is the duchess of cambridge playing cupid for prince harry? right after these messages.

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kate middleton captured the world as a beautiful bride, and now the woman who found love with a prince may be playing cupid for his brother. nbc's duncan golestani is live. good morning, duncan. >> reporter: good morning, tamron. prince harry is 27 and he's spoken openly of wanting to meet the right woman. what's reassuring for the rest of us, apparently even he needs help getting a date. so, you can be an apache helicopter pilot, you can be a prince, you can even outrun usain bolt, kind of, but despite all that, he's still stuck in the lonely heart club. >> i'm recently single, too, so call me. >> reporter: coming to harry's resc rescue, kate, his duchess in shining armor, if you believe magazine reports. apparently, she's going to help her brother-in-law find love. and she's enlisted some other

windsor women to help -- harry's cousin princess beatrice and zara phillips. >> i was thinking he's a good bachelor candidate. >> reporter: perhaps she played cupid as his date in the closing ceremonies of the olympics last week, or maybe it was when harry was third wheel at the cycling, at the equestrian event, in fact, all through the games. >> he's always been with them, he's living right next door to them at kensington palace. you know, it's almost like you, me and harry instead of you, me and dupree. >> reporter: but why is harry finding it so tough to land a date? has he heard about the harry hunters, the young women who come to london determined to track down their prey, i men prince. harry's even had offers from miss bahamas, who said she wanted to marry him. >> well, prince harry is careful about the girls he goes out with, because the last thing he wants is them rushing to the papers with a kiss-and-tell story. >> reporter: of course, harry had that someone special once. he dated chelsy davy on and off

for six years, but recently, it's been 0 for 1. now, harry is ready to get serious again. earlier this year, he told an interviewer he wants to have kids, but he's just waiting to find the right person. >> i like my privacy, but i think i could handle it. so, prince harry, i'm interested. >> reporter: fun crowd at buckingham palace this morning. you know, it's actually not the first time a royal wife has come to the help of her brother-in-law. princess diana helped fix up prince andrew with fergie, the duchess of york, but we know that one didn't end quite so well. tamron. >> all right, duncan golestani, thank you. and still ahead, a look at whitney houston's final movie, "sparkle." but first, this is "today" on nbc.

still to come on "today," hope solo makes some surprising

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this is a news 4 newsbreak. >> good morning. the time right now is 8:26 on this saturday, august 18th. i'm angie goff. topping your news this morning, a heavyweight boxer from prince george's county is dead after a freak accident in delaware. police say he was driving on i-95 at the delaware toll plaza when a tractor trailer made an illegal u-turn. during the turn, the truck slammed into the man's car, killing him. friends and family of the victim, who just became a father, plan to hold a tribute next saturday at the washington convention center. a ride to honor victims of the september 11th terrorist attacks rolls through our area today. a motorcycle group organized

each year by america's 9/11 foundation arrived at the pentagon yesterday. this morning the group will head to new york city to continue their tribute. and now's your chance to get a great deal on some of the area's best restaurants without breaking the bank. alexandria's restaurant week runs until next sunday. for 35 bucks you can enjoy a three-course dinner. alexandria isn't the only place to get a deal. d.c.'s restaurant week continues through tomorrow. most restaurants are offering lunch for $20.12 and dinner for $35. $35.12.

we were puddle jumping early this morning, but do we need that umbrella to get around? >> nope, you can put the umbrellas away. although there are clouds outside still. we're at an even 70 degrees. the humidity is 81%. more numbers showing you 68 in winchester, 73 at annapolis and so low 60s out there in western maryland. the high today comfortable in the 80s. not a ton of humidity. we'll call it partly to mostly cloudy. if we see any showers, i think they'll be over towards the beaches and the delmarva and not over our neck of the woods.

more to come in just a little while. back to you. >> a full hour of local news, weather and sports is coming up at 9:00. for now back to the "today" show. we are back on this saturday morning, august 18th, 2012. it's been a wet start today, but some gray skies, i understand, are expected to clear up, especially here in new york city. i feel like a celebrity are you holding the umbrella for us. we've got a great crowd. thank you so much for coming in, being wet with us on this day. >> you know i'm not going to do this after the show? you're on your own. >> oh, man. all right, let me enjoy my celebrity while i have it. meanwhile, we are talking in the next half hour about a story of survival. absolutely incredible. three months ago, this teenager was shot through the head by a 3-foot spear while fishing.

he didn't know if he would make it. well, now he's recovering and speaking out about this accident. we'll talk to him and his mom. >> this is unbelievable. looking forward to that. soccer star hope solo has a reputation. i think it's fair to say she's been outspoken at times, and she's at it again, talking about her partner on "dancing with the stars." she says the pro dancer manhandled her during rehearsals. we'll find out how he's responding to the allegations. also, "sparkle" is in theaters right now. it was supposed to mark a comeback for whitney houston, but now it's her silver screen good-bye. we'll hear what jordin sparks and some of her fans are saying about the performance. i understand some people were in the screening and left crying, so moved by her final performance. >> looking forward to seeing that. talking about your past coming back to haunt you. 20 years ago, scott sperling struck a pose to "vogue" at his bar mitzvah. now it's online, recently

posted. we'll see if he still has the moves, coming up. >> i think people will be surprised by the transformation. >> check out the shirt on the back. >> if you hold the umbrella properly, i'll get you that shirt for your birthday. >> let's not and say we did. anyway, that's coming up. first, bill karins is going to strike a move with the weather. we'd love this rain to go away, but so many people have been telling me from around the country, they're enjoying it. what's your man, young man? >> jean paul. >> and how old is jean paul? >> 15 months. >> you're a big boy! you like that microphone. do you want it? all right. rouble now. we'll talk about the weekend forecast. for jean-paul and everyone else that's getting this rain out there in the southern portions of new england, it will exit as we go through the day. a nice saturday afternoon and the great weather continues throughout the middle of the country right through your sunday. really the worst of it as we go throughout saturday and sunday. we could have tropical downpours from texas to louisiana, alabama, mississippi and areas

of florida. we do need the wet weather, but you don't really want it to wash out your weekend plans. for those fires out west, no rain in sight. we're talking most of the rest of this month it looks like we'll be dealing with the fires and very hot conditions. now here is a look at the weather outside your window. >> good morning. i'm meteorologist kim martucci. your saturday weather forecast is not so bad. partly cloudy, mostly cloudy in spots. temperatures of 85 will be our high today. winchester 81 four. that will be the case in stanton. maybe a shower in the delmarva. pawtuxet river you'll have an "a" high near 83. up to the north frederick, maryland, 83. now back to new york city. how nice it is to turn 13, at least for you. we're not so sure about mom, but happy birthday to you. let's send it back inside to tamron. >> bill, thanks. a florida teenager is lucky to be alive today. he was recently on a spear

fishing trip with a friend when he was shot through the head by a 3-foot spear. we'll speak with him exclusively in just a moment, but first, the latest from nbc's kerry sanders. >> here, over there, leads to the rock where i was fishing. >> reporter: 16-year-old yasser lopez visits the lake where he nearly lost his life. >> i was almost dead in this water. for a simple fishing trip. >> reporter: he was spear fishing with a friend using a 3-foot, gas-powered speargun, when somehow, the gun went off, striking lopez in the head. his friend called 911. >> the speargun just went through my friend's head. we're on a lake, a lake. please come. >> reporter: lopez was rushed to the hospital, the spear through the skull. >> it went front to back. that's mighty unusual. i've never seen that, exactly that combination.

>> reporter: doctors say a series of miracles helped lopez survive. the spear missed important blood vessels and vital structures of the brain. in a delicate surgery that lasted more than four hours, they were able to remove the spear from the teenager's head. >> okay, grab the bar. >> reporter: now, lopez faces months of therapy. the accident left him with partial paralysis on the left side of his body. >> right there, like that. >> reporter: and memories of what happened are now slowly starting to come back. >> i remember being in the ambulance when they picked me up. i was telling them, take the spear out, feel it inside the head, so i wanted them to take it out. >> reporter: doctors say if he had pulled the spear out, he would have died, but that didn't happen, thanks to the kindness of a stranger. >> right here. half of his body was in the water. >> reporter: astrid cardoza was near the lake that day. she heard yelling and ran over to help, telling lopez not to pull on the spear. >> i just hold his hand and i said, you can. and he told me, please, don't let me die.

and i says, you're not going to die. >> reporter: lopez and his family were overcome with emotion during a reunion with cardoza at the accident scene. >> oh, my god, he looks terrific! >> reporter: lopez knows the road to recovery is going to be tough, but he's not giving up. he says he may even go fishing again some day. >> if i do ever spear fish again, very safely and with a grown-up near me. >> reporter: for "today," kerry sanders, nbc news, miami. >> yasser lopez and his mother are here for an exclusive interview. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> you're making progress and you're feeling good? >> mm-hmm. >> i understand from kerry's piece, slowly the memories are coming back from what happened that day? what do you remember? >> i remember holding a fish that my friend had caught, then following it to the water, then just seeing the spear in my head. >> you could see it in your head. >> yeah, i could see it.

i could see it. >> that spear through your head. did you realize what had happened? >> no. >> you get the phone call from your husband that your only son, your only child was in this terrible accident. >> we got to the hospital. there we found yasser with the speargun in his head. oh, my god, i am so -- >> how did you keep standing? i can't imagine you didn't collapse. >> i thought my son is going to die, mm-hmm. >> and doctors told you to still talk to him, even though he was unconscious. >> yeah. the doctor said you can tell something, he can hear you. i said to him here, yasser, mama and daddy are here, everything is going to be okay. that said, we are very frustrated with that. >> when you look at him now and

he's making progress with physical therapy, he's smiling, you probably didn't think you would get to this point. you thought you would lose him. >> it's incredible. >> it's incredible. >> it's incredible, yeah. >> yasser, do you feel like you're a miracle walking? >> yes. >> and i imagine around the neighborhood, everyone wants to talk with you about how you survived this. you're one tough man, young man. do you feel that way? >> mm-hmm. >> we're very happy to see you, and i know you're going to get better every day. thank you. up next, surprising allegations by hope solo about what happened behind the scenes at "dancing with the stars." but first, these messages. [ snoring ] ♪ [ snoring ] [ male announcer ] introducing zzzquil sleep-aid. [ snoring ] [ snoring ] [ male announcer ] it's not for colds, it's not for pain, it's just for sleep. [ snoring ] [ male announcer ] because sleep is a beautiful thing. [ birds chirping ] introducing zzzquil,

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and a creamy yogurt flavored coating. quaker yogurt granola bars. treat yourself good. soccer superstar hope solo is fresh from winning olympic gold in london, but people are

now buzzing about her performance off the soccer field, which she writes about in her new book. nbc's michelle franzen has the story. >> reporter: u.s. olympian hope solo, who won gold with her teammates in london, is now making the rounds promoting a new memoir and defending her allegations "dancing with the stars" partner maksim chmerkovskiy was too rough during rehearsals. >> when you write a book like this, you're not free to just, you know, throw words out that aren't true, you know. you don't think people fact-check the book and there's attorneys involved. at the end of the day, i rewrot this book and everybody knows that i speak the truth. >> reporter: in her book, "solo: a memoir of hope," she writes maks "manhandled me from the start, pushing me, what canning my stomach, bending my arms roughly." she says at first she thought that was usual but says it got

worse, writing he "wanted my head in a specific position. to achieve that, he slapped me across the face hard." 's abc's "dancing with the stars" has not commented and maks didn't mention solo but said "always hated hypocrites and liars, but when someone is both and an opportunist, i just feel bad for them. can't win at someone's expense." later he wrote "i'm bullet-proof, fire away." >> i'm the bad girl and he's the bad boy of the ballroom. >> reporter: during the 2011 season, the pair sparred playfully for the cameras. >> there is going to be no fighting. >> no fighting. >> i enjoy fighting with you. >> reporter: behind the scenes during a group rehearsal, cameras captured this intense interaction. >> can you stop? >> reporter: whether it was all for show or crossed the line is now playing out offstage. for "today," michelle franzen,

nbc news, new york. now here's tamron. >> lester, thank you. it's been more than six months since whitney houston died, but after years in the works, her last movie is hitting the box office this weekend. here's nbc gabe gutierrez. ♪ i hope >> reporter: she was best known for that voice. ♪ and i will always love you >> reporter: but thanks to movies like "the bodyguard," whitney houston was also an actress. >> only if you want to. >> reporter: when she died in february, drowned in a hotel bathtub, houston had just wrapped up shooting her last movie. >> it's going to be a spectacular film, and i really hope that everybody really enjoys it. >> reporter: in "sparkle," a remake of the '70s musical, she plays washed-up singer emma williams, a mother of three girls who dream of making it big in motown. >> sparkle, you can have a gift. it's how you use it.

>> reporter: at times, art imitates life. houston's character even warns her daughters not to end up like her. >> it will strike a chord with whitney houston's fans and with the world because we are all going through something. ♪ >> reporter: "american idol" winner jordin sparks plays one of those daughters. she told "today" what it was like working with her idol. >> you know, her legacy and my story are forever in this intertwined, and if i think of that too much, i get kind of overwhelmed. it's like, i can't believe this is happening, you know? >> reporter: this is houston's first silver screen appearance in 15 years, and after months of anticipation, the film is opening this weekend to many positive reviews. >> it was amazing, it was emotional seeing whitney. i had to prevent myself from tearing up a little bit. >> i thought jordin sparks was great. >> the movie was so amazing. to actually see her again doing what she does best, being fabulous, was excellent. >> legacy's intact, as is even without the movie.

>> reporter: houston's former sister-in-law expects this movie will further solidify the pop icon's place in history, but for houston's biggest fans, she says it will be an emotional experience. >> it's going to be very tough. it's been about six months, and now at this point, i can just start to hear her music again. ♪ >> reporter: a voice that touched so many, leaving behind memories that still "sparkle." for "today," gabe gutierrez, nbc news, atlanta. all right, up next, a viral video 20 years in the making. we talk to the star about why this dance is still in vogue, dare i say, but first, this is "today" on nbc.

♪ ♪ vogue all the things we did 20 years ago. as much as we may try to forget them, the past can catch up with you, especially when it's caugh on videotape.

that's what happened to chicago lawyer shawn sperling. his bar mitzvah video from 1992 has gone viral with nearly 700,000 hits. and here's why. check out his performance of madonna's hit "vogue." ♪ vogue, vogue, let your body move to the music, hey, hey, hey ♪ ♪ come on, vogue, let your body go with the flow, you know you can do it ♪ >> shawn sperling, two things, good morning and, dude, why would you repost that? >> well, you know, i think it was just time for me, now that i'm becoming more established in my career as an attorney, i've been doing some creative work and thinking about madonna and my lifelong love of her. and so, i dug the video out and posted it on youtube. >> i love it. >> okay, quick back story on this. your mom signed off on this? >> yeah, believe it or not. i mean, they were so incredibly

supportive. and you know, that's like the message of the video, is i had this support system of my family and my friends to just be the person who i was. >> and so, tell us about the madonna obsession. >> yeah. >> when you went to your folks and said this is what i want to do at my bar mitzvah. >> i was thinking about this for a while and was fantasizing about it and didn't dare ask. then i casually mentioned it and my mom said, yeah. >> and she made the shirt? >> the morning of the bar mitzvah. >> your mother made the shirt? >> well, she had it made and surprised me, so that was the big reveal. >> where is the shirt now, dare i ask? >> who knows? we're hoping it's -- >> lester's closet? >> yeah, right. >> what's your reaction been to this? you posted it. you didn't expect this many hits on it. >> no. it's been so incredibly positive, and i think people are just really having a ton of fun with it. it's bringing tons of joy. and also, i think people are touched by it, about people being themselves, and it's so timely to have that message of

love your kids, love your family. >> yes, yes. >> and be yourself. >> should we find out if he still has it? >> yeah. why don't you touch us in person? not literally. over there, bust a move. >> okay. am i going to get music? >> yeah, good idea. >> okay. ♪ ♪ vogue, vogue, let your body groove to the music, hey, hey, hey ♪ ♪ come on, vogue, let your body go with the flow ♪ ♪ you know you can do it ♪ >> this is my favorite part. >> bring it on! take it all home. okay, are you ready? >> no. >> come on, come on! >> here we go. >> you just have to sort of go like this. just do any move. then you go to the other side. >> lester! >> yeah, and then maybe just do this.

>> do this, lester. here we go. >> boom, boom. >> come on, lester. >> you grab a little -- >> that's it. >> come on, lester, grab your leg! okay, i can't bend. okay, that would have been the worst bar mitzvah ever. >> that's a lot of fun, though, a lot of fun. >> thanks. >> thanks so much for coming on. >> you're a great sport! >> thank you. >> and good luck with your new career, an attorney. >> thank you very much. >> and we're going to bust a move. come on, lester. after these messages. ♪ the capital one cash rewards card >> my favorite part, onus. and everyone likes 50% more [ russian accent ] rubles. eh, eheh, eh, eh. [ brooklyn accent ] 50% more simoleons. [ western accent ] 50% more sawbucks. ♪ [ maine accent ] 50% more clams. it's a lobster, either way. [ male announcer ] the capital one cash rewards card. with a 50% annual cash bonus, it's the card for people who like more cash. [ italian accent ] 50% more dough!

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only from almay. only for me. ♪ ♪ saturday, saturday, saturday i really thought we'd put the dancing to bed for the show, but this morning in "today's summer saturdays," it's a dance-off. we had actually outdoor plans, but it's raining, so the thought was let's do something inside. a good opportunity to play some video games for our summer saturday? >> good idea. >> anybody want to be the lead dancer? >> yeah. >> saturday morning dance fever.

>> it's "just dance," popular video game. kids love it. >> you know, they have sports and other video games. >> but here's the thing, they selected this because we can play it together. it's called family fun. >> that is a sport. >> you walk over to the monitor, apparently. i don't know how i'm the signer, but we're dancing to katy perry. courtney, i think you're on that side. >> there you go. >> so, bill, and the point -- how do you know if you win? okay, here we go. it started. >> what do we do? >> with the green hand, follow the green hand. >> i'm going to pull my hair out now, what she's doing. ♪ >> really? this is what it's come to? >> come on, courtney! >> i keep getting them perfect. i don't know about you guys. >> i'm doing good. i'm not getting anything. >> wrong way, bill karins. >> boom, shakalaca. time to say good-bye yet? >> yeah. >> this is the longest dance segment ever. >> ten minutes of this. ♪

>> oh, yeah, there we go. >> bust it out. >> wait, green hands. >> oh, my gosh. >> that's the easy one. >> our families are watching this. >> they turned it off already. >> we've got 30 seconds to do this? >> are they going to tell us who wins or who made the biggest fool of himself? >> i got it good, okay! ♪ >> are we supposed to shoot something in this game? >> where are our scores? i'm not working out. >> all right. thankfully, that's it for us on a saturday. courtney reagan, bill karins, thanks. >> we did that without a winner?

good morning, etch. i'm angie goff. >> i'm richard jordan. straight ahead, two deadly hit and runs from overnight. one in fairfax county.

and another right here on-95 near woodbridge. these are live pictures. it may cause some troubles if you're heading out. paul ryan on defense. he visits one of the largest retirement communitieses to discuss his medicare plan while the president south with an argument of his own. a demonstration that will take over the west lawn of the capital. that's coming up. >> that time of year again. a back-to-school fair in prince george's county. i'm derrick ward. i'll have details. >> i'm kim martucci. i've been tracking rain all morning. i'll share my forecast. >> all that and more.

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get in. hi, good to see you. start with an actual written offer when selling your car, no strings attached. carmax. start here. hi, everyone. good morning. i'm richard jordan. >> i'm angie goff. welcome to news 4 today. it is saturday, august 18th, 2012. a cool one out there to start off. >> whenever kim martucci is here, she always brings a good forecast with her. that's why we love having kim visit us. >> good morning. what a nice way to start off the day, thank you so much. the weather is actually getting better. check it out. we are at 74 now. our skies are breaking up. we've seen lots of sunshine patches as well peeking through. we hav