impassioned plea. first lady michelle obama delivers a rousing speech at the democratic national convention. reaching out to women, she gets emotional as she talks about her family. >> my daughters are still the heart of my heart and the center of my world. >> savannah has reaction live from charlotte. scary moments. the newly elected premier of quebec rushed off stage as masked gunman opens fire at a victory rally. this morning at least one person dead, the shooter is under arrest and police are looking for a motive. tennis, anyone? pippa middleton checks out the

action at the u.s. open. a trip to new york city that has some wondering if she has a new man in her life today, some wondering if she has a new man in her life today, wednesday, september 5th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning, everyone. welcome to a split edition of "today" on wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm savannah guthrie at the democratic national convention in charlotte. matt, i was on this floor last night when michelle obama spoke. at times she was fiery. at times she seemed to get choked up. in distinctly personal terms, she made the case for why the president deserves four more

years. she did not mention mitt romney by name, did not go on attack, that was by design according to her advisers. what she drew from his background and the republican challenger was not subtle. he watched the speech with daughters sasha and malia at the white house. chicago mayor rahm emanuel joins us live straight ahead, matt. >> we'll be back with you in a couple min. a tell-all book is out from one of lance armstrong's teammates. he claims armstrong is lying when he claims he never took performance enhancing drugs because he said he saw him do it. hamilton's credibility has been called into question. who can we believe in we'll ask hamilton when he joins us for a live interview. a little later on, the church of scientology is lashing out against sources from the "vanity fair" article.

we'll talk to the writer of that article which claimed the church auditioned potential wives for tom cruise. >> a lot to get to. we'll begin with the first lady's speech at the democratic national convention. chuck todd, nbc political director, chief white house correspondent. chuck, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. the first night got off to a rousing start. culminating with michelle obama, the most popular figure in the democratic party, had a hold in a way no one could do in tampa. a sharp contrast in the way they structured their convention and enthusiasm. making the case for re-election, michelle obama mixed the personal and professional in a speech designed to address her husband's biggest vulnerabilities with democrats. >> change is hard, it's slow and never happens all at once. >> reporter: with recent polls showing the president's

likability shrinking compared to mitt romney, her job was to get them to like him all over again. >> when people ask me if being in the white house has changed my husband, i can honestly say when it comes to his character and convictions and heart, barack obama is still the same man i fell in love with all those years ago. >> reporter: her chief role tuesday, simply playing character witness. >> i hear the determination in his voice as he tells me you won't believe what these folks are going through, michelle, it's not right. we've got to keep working to fix this. we've got so much more to do. >> reporter: while she never mentioned romney by name, a few lines about her husband seemed designed to directly contrast him with the republican. >> for barack success isn't about how much money you make, it's about the difference you make in people's lives. >> reporter: the speech culminated with the first lady showing rare public emotion. >> my daughters are still the heart of my heart and the center of my world.

>> reporter: just before the speech ended, the white house released this photo of the president and their two daughters watching her from washington, ending a night in charlotte that was not just about bolstering the president but also hitting romney and sometimes hard. >> where mitt romney was willing to turn his back on akron, dayton and toledo, ohio, the president said i've got your back. >> mitt romney talks a lot about all the things he's fixed. i can tell you massachusetts was not one of them. >> reporter: and the job of appealing to latinos fell to keynote speaker santa i don't mayor julian castro. >> my family's story isn't special. what's special is the america that makes our story possible. my mother fought hard for civil rights so that instead of a mop, i could hold this microphone. >> reporter: tonight the featured speaker is former president clinton, but he's got an interesting opponent night.

he's against opening night of the nfl on nbc. savannah. >> chuck todd, thank you. chicago mayor rahm emanuel served as president obama's first chief of staff. good morning to you. >> good morning to you, savannah. >> one thing i have noticed, behind the scenes if you talk to top democrats here, they are quite confident, i might even use the word cocky, about the president's chances of re-election. if the polls show a close race that's razor tight, how do you account for that confidence and do you share it? >> i don't know who you are talking to. i think everybody knows this is a close race. you're going to have to make every minute of every day count making sure people know the choice they have, the difference between the two candidates, different visions, policies that have huge consequences to their own lives. i don't walk with any confidence. i know this. the president doesn't share that. this is a very competitive person. he doesn't share any sense of confidence. we have a job to do which is tell american people what the choice is, the consequence of those choice and the different visions for the future.

>> you talk about those visions, array of speeches, yours included. many of them were a backward looking defense of what the president did his first term in office. what you hear less of is an affirmative case of what he will do in the next four years, especially on the economy, almost sounds like stay the course, eventually the economy will get better. >> first of all i disagree with the characterization. the president will lay out the roll. that's his job. no one will do that. he's the nominee, president of the united states, he'll lay out the vision for the next four years. i do think it's worth reminding people which i tried to do in my speech and others did, what has the country inherited. we're not out of the woods but not the global recession, deepest since the great recession, an auto industry about to collapse, the auto industry out and thriving. we had new numbers out in august showing again sales are up. on that clear choice mitt romney said i think he should go bankrupt. the president said not on my

watch. clear difference. if we had followed mitt romney's strategy we would have lost those manufacturing jobs and ohio would have a lower unemployment rate. >> the president was recently asked to grade himself on the economy, his answer was incomplete, something he has said time to time over his four-year term. the voters gave him four years and the four years are about up. is it sufficient to say it's incomplete. >> i think his reflection, i think would be a true statement, until the middle class feel like their economic security is where it should be, the president should have an incomplete in the sense of being able to afford college tuition, own a home, security and job skills to grow and maintain a middle class life. and if you're looking for a job, you have the ability to find one. that is, i think, a proper grade in the sense the president make sure the american people know he

has not given up day in and day out from the moment he wakes up until the moment he sleeps every time in that office making sure he's making progress for them so they can achieve what they need for themselves, their children and grandchildren. >> the president cited the president's wall of opposition. >> that's true. i was there as chief of staff. not within one minute before we sat down the same way the republicans treated bill clinton when he passed his first budget without their vote, when the country was in the midst of the worst economic recession since the great depression the only job they were interested in getting was the white house not the american people back to work. >> let me ask you about that. you were on the front lines. >> for both presidents. >> something the president has been saying a lot during this campaign, things will be different if i'm elected because republicans will begin to cooperate. is that hope or is that a strategy. why would you think suddenly republicans will change their tune after you've said -- >> savannah, it's pragmatism. i'll give you a clear example from history, recent history.

1995, republicans shut the government down no one would buy their technology. a huge debate over medicare, sound familiar, education, sound familiar, medicaid, the environment, the role of government. election happened, president clinton won. nine months later you had a balanced budget agreement that created the first children's health care program. doubled the size of our national parks, balanced the budget, cut taxes for families to send kids to college with hope scholarship and lifetime learning. same parallel president obama makes president clinton made election of '96 cleared the air. the american people issued a verdict and republicans sat down at the table rather than shut the government down they negotiated a change of direction. >> favorite parlor game, will hillary run in 2016. you've worked for obamas and clintons. care to venture a guess. >> i think you have to assume mrs. clinton has been clear, served as first lady, secretary

of state, united states senator. she has a lot to say about her career. i think she's clear, though, she's done in public life. electoral life or severing in the administration there's a lot you can do in public life without having to run for office. >> mayor rahm emanuel, thank you for your time. an exclusive interview with featured speaker president clinton on nbc news. more from charlotte in a bit. for now let's go back to new york and get a check of the other stories from natalie morales. good morning, back to you. >> reporter: good morning, everyone. we begin with the shocking and deadly shooting overnight at a political rally in canada. police say a man wearing a mask opened fire inside a montreal theater where pauline marois was celebrating her election as first female premier of quebec. one killed, another critically wounded. marois was rushed off stage and not hurt. the suspect was tackled by police after starting a small

fire outside the building. the fbi is disputing a computer hacker's claim information on millions of apple iphone, ipod was obtained by hacking into an fbi's laptop. on sunday the group posted what they claimed to be a partial list of information. some security experts say they believe at least some of the data is genuine. army corps of engineers will investigate whether the fortified system that protected new orleans from flooding during hurricane isaac last week pushed floodwaters instead to surrounding rural areas. a new study finds many doctors may be giving up too soon when it comes to cpr. it fipds giving cpr nine more minutes than the average amount gives patients a better chance of surviving. there's currently no clear guidelines for hospitals about how long to continue cpr. the study was published in the lancet. penn state said jerry sandusky sex abuse scandal has already cost the school nearly

$17 million. that includes legal fees and payments to consultants and public relations firms. penn state says the money will come from insurance policies and other sources and not from tuition donations or taxpayers. overseas markets were mostly lower overnight. cnbc's mandy drury at the new york stock exchange. good morning to you, mandy, how is it looking there today? >> you're absolutely right. growth could stall u.s. stocks again. it is a big day in terms of the battle for smartphone dominance, nokia's most powerful smartphone yet. this could be the last major shot at winning back market share from apple and samsung. labor day, come and gone, prices at the top still sticky at the top. national average still $3.82 a gallon. back to you. >> mandy drury at the new york stock exchange. thank you. a florida restaurant that never had a drive-through window now has one after a car crashed right through its front entrance

tuesday. for neal it had not opened for the day's business yet. two people in the car suffered minor injuries. police say the driver had accidentally shifted into reverse. it was a similar problem, though, with a different outcome in massachusetts where a driver apparently hit the gas, instead of the brake. his car then crashed through a fence and landed right there in that swimming pool. the driver was safely pulled out, though, before the car went under. still not good. 7:14 now. back over to matt and al. that's a heck of a cleanup. >> it is, natalie. >> he thought that was the carpool lane. >> they told me to go quickly to you, you need to go quickly to the forecast. >> risk of strong storms. some storms t of a tornado yesterday in camden, new jersey. those same storms triggered some fires in homes and a real mess there. fortunately nobody injured. today a risk of strong storms pushing through with a cold

front making its way through the upper mississippi river valley as we go to the maps from green bay to ft. wayne all the way to st. louis. you can see the showers and thunderstorms already firing up. rainfall amounts are basically going to be anywhere from about one to three inches of rain stretching from green bay all the way down to chicago. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> storm team 4 meteorologist veronica johnson. good morning. another front that will move through our area. with it better chance of showers and storms later on. morning showers around i-66, the dela plain area and some of the showers could make it towards warrington and marshal in the next couple of minutes. light wind, high humidity. today's high 88 with showers and storms, most of which will be >> and that's your latest weather. matt. >> al, thank you very much. it is a startling number. more than 244,000 u.s. troops have returned from the wars in

iraq and afghanistan with traumatic brain injuries, an issue that is front and center for the nfl. a league dealing with the problem of concussions among many of its current and former players. the league is now teaming up with the u.s. army and national institutes of health to research ways to limit these types of injuries. roger goodell is commissioner of nfl. dr. landes director of the nih's institute. general odierno is the chief of staff of the army. good morning to all of you. general, that's a huge number, 244,000 military personnel with those brain injuries. i know the seriousness of those injuries varies from person-to-person but it's a problem that has to be addressed. >> absolutely. one of the problems we have are soldiers coming forward first to say i have a problem. one of the things we're really focusing on is making sure the physical, mental, dedication to

accomplishment does not impede people from saying i have a problem and i need help. that's why this initiative is important to us. we're now putting sensors in helmets our kevlar helmets. about 7,000 soldiers have those in their helmets. we're collecting more and more data, collecting more and more information but we have a lot of work to do yet. >> commissioner, most people will not associate players injuries with when our men and women are dealing with in these wars but the problem is great for you as well. 190 concussions in 320 games last year. is that why this is the perfect partnership? >> well, we have a long history with the military. general odierno and i have spent a lot of time talking about our cultures, what it is to make sure our people stand up and say i have an injury and it's okay to ask for help or have your teammate or fellow soldier to say i've got an injury, so i need to get the proper medical attention. it's one of the big issues making sure anyone who has this

injury get proper medical attention. >> you're announceing a grant to help research the problem. >> we are. we're going to be funding $30 million with the foundation for the nih to fund new research that will hopefully help and accelerate understanding of brain injuries. help not only athletes in the nfl but throughout sports and the military. >> doctor, what can that kind of money accomplish? >> can accomplish a huge am. i'd like to start off by saying not only is traumatic brain injury an issue in military and sports but affects people of all different ages. it's the leading cause of death and disability in young children and has increasing impact in older adults. so with this generous gift from the nfl to the foundation for the national institutes of health. nih-funded investigators will be able to determine what causes brain damage after traumatic brain injury, they will be able

to find out who is at risk, who isn't at risk, to develop diagnostics, to help with having people come forward if you had a diagnosis you can say i have a problem think about prevention and treatments. we're very excited about this. >> an interesting partnership. general, thanks for being here. appreciate that. doctor, good luck. commissioner, it's nice to see you. >> good to see you, too, matt. >> thanks very much. reminder nfl season kicks off tonight here on nbc. now back to savannah in charlotte. >> all right, matt, thanks. when the lights dim at these conventions each night, many delegates make their way to lavish parties thrown by corporations and special interest groups. nbc's national investigative correspondent michael isikoff has more on that story. michael, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. political conventions have always been a magnet for lobbyists and rich donors seeking influence. the democrats pledged this year in charlotte would be different. but public watchdog groups and

lobbyists say it's not quite as differ as they would like you to believe. as democrats swarmed the streets of charlotte, party officials are calling it the people's convention. unlike any before. >> this is truly the most diverse, the most open, the most transparent, the most exciting convention. >> they are bragging about their script new rules. no corporate money, no money from lobbyists. no donations over $100,000. but after the session is adjourned, delegates and donors pour into parties like this film industry bash where actor jeff bridges introduced rock star band. lobbying arm of the liquor industry throwing its own big bash where democrats smoked free cigars and drank malt liquor from an ice sculpture bar.

>> this is kind of politics as it was and always will be. >> reporter: as for that ban on corporate money, this marketing brochure obtained by nbc news shows how the official convention committee set up a sister nonprofit that has aggressively courted donors to help cover millions in convention costs. companies that ponyied up $1 million got special responseship opportunities, banners and logos in other prominent locations and. >> reporter: it's super bowl for special interests. we're seeing it in charlotte as we saw it in tampa. >> gop party scene was bigger in tampa where the conservative activist groups citizens united threw its own giant party for donors featuring fox news host sean hannity. >> hello tampa. >> and country star trace adkins. >> there's not going to be a lot of sleep tonight because we're having too much fun celebrating.

>> reporter: but the real rock stars in tampa were mega donors like casino billionaire sheldon adelson. when he entered one republican group event the waters seemed to part. one more sign that at the conventions, big money still speaks loudly. now, those lobbyist sponsored parties and big fundraisers are continuing right through tomorrow night in charlotte. among the most anticipated a big bash by google and what's called super fundraiser for democratic super pacs in which rich donors are asked to cut a check for $100,000 or more. savannah. >> michael isikoff, thank you. in charlotte, ted kennedy's sons open up about their father's legacy kept alive with this convention and what do they think about taylor swift. fi

still ahead lance armstrong's former teammate

speaks out how he saw the sefb time tour de france winner use performance enhancing drugs. we'll talk to tyler hamilton straight ahead. >> kate middleton's sister pippa comes to the u.s. and is the talk of new york city. we'll have that story. but first a check of your local news and weather. (bell rings) hi. good morning. big news. we're spreading the word about new honey bunches of oats fruit blends and their unique taste combinations. like peach/raspberry... and banana/blueberry. we're telling everyone. with one flavor in the granola bunch and one on the flake. try some. mmm! two flavors. in harmony. yummy. four nutritious grains and two big fruit flavors to make your day bunches better. it's guaranteed they'll go through a lot. that's why you get guaranteed savings for back to school at staples. now get a sandisk flash drive for just $4.87 at staples. ♪ now get a sandisk flash drive for just $4.87 at staples.

try our new lunch-size grilled chicken fajitas, with sauteed onions and peppers, served with soup or salad. lunch break combos, starting at 6 bucks. enjoy them with friends, because a lunch together feeds the friendship. good morning, 7:26 on this wednesday, september 255th. in your headlines former olympic figure skater is behind bars in maryland accused of sexual abuse. the airline authority trying to repair its image with new ethics rules and a public memorial service will be held next week at the national cathedral for astronaut neal armstrong. here's veronica johnson. >> especially later, aaron. we have just some showers right now. one little area making its way along i-66 into northern

foulklier county. 79 the temperature, high humidity throughout the day and that means more tropical downpours a a good chance this afternoon. aaron? >> thanks. a check on the morni heavy load in america. but mitt romney plan, a middle class to $2,000 more a year in taxes. multi-millionaires like himself hits the middle class harder... bigger break. forward for america?

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that is pippa middleton, the duchess of cambridge's sister out and about in new york city, a trip that led to some speculation about a possible new love sbin her life. more on the big trip to the big apple coming up. 7:30 on this wednesday morning, the 5th of september, 2012. good morning i'm savannah guthrie at the democratic convention in charlotte. matt is back in studio 1, a. >> hey, savannah. good to see you again. coming up the case against lance armstrong. he recently dropped his fight against allegations that he used performance enhancing drugs but he maintains his innocence. this morning one of armstrong's former teammates who claims he

saw him using ped speaks out in a live interview. a little later on some new details about those claims in "vanity fair" magazine that the church of scientology conducted top secret auditions to find potential brides for tom cruise. it's a story that's been making headlines. the woman who wrote that article will join us for a live interview as well. >> all right. we're going to begin here at the democratic national convention where delegates paid tribute to the late ted kennedy last night. i had a chance to sit down with kennedy's sons ted and patrick who began talking about their father's legacy. >> from my uncle teddy, politics was always about people. >> for the first democratic convention in 56 years, teddy kennedy wasn't there. but his presence was felt. >> the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die. >> it's a bittersweet moment to be honest with you.

we're sad because our father isn't here but i'm filled with pride. >> we think of what he did for us in our lives. like anybody else who has lost a loved one but we're filled, as my brother said, with pride for what he represented and what he fought for. >> he was a real person. he had real struggles. how do you think those struggles should be part of his legacy. >> keep in mind not only did he lose his brothers, president kennedy and bobby kennedy, he lost them in the most violent way possible. for him to carry on in spite of that. >> so i think he's somebody that represents a guy who carried on in spite of the pain. sure he had lots of struggles, very public. everybody admired this was a guy that never gave up. >> health care was something so important to your father. it was really his life's work.

health care passed and yet it remains incredibly unpopular. do you think he would have been disillusioned about that? >> no, health care was complicated. my father always wanted to expand access. >> my dad if he were alive today would be cheering on president obama for delivering on the promise of health care for all. it isn't perfect but my father believed perfect should never be the enemy of the good. >> their father believed in bipartisanship, health care passed on bitter party lines on issues large and small congress is more divided than ever. >> some of his greatest achievement he was able to succeed that by crossing that aisle. >> we shouldn't sugarcoat it, though, your father was a liberal and a fierce partisan. >> you know what, he had honest friends who were republicans. it's very hard to attack somebody when you've been over to their house the night before to dinner. >> president obama is somebody who has acknowledged he's not

the guy to invite politicians over for dinner. that is a mistake? >> i think it is a mistake to try not to foster relationships of a more personal nature with the people you have to work with. >> some have noticed, ted, you have kind of raised your profile a bit. are you thinking at all about running for office? >> well -- >> i hope so. >> you've got his vote. >> i think coming from my family, we all have been brought up in a tradition to try to give back. i haven't made up my mind one way or another, but i hope one day i have the honor to serve in some capacity. >> when patrick left congress in 2010, it was the first time in over six decades that no member of the kennedy family held political office in washington. recently the family has again faced personal struggles. mary kennedy, the estranged wife of ted and patrick's cousin robert, committed suicide.

>> what my cousin mary faced was not only a depression but the stigma that kept her from wanting to seek treatment that would otherwise help her deal with her depression because now all of my cousins who miss her as a mother are going to have to grow up without her as a mother. this is a real impact of untreated mental illness in our country. >> when people talk about some of the hard times your family has faced, sometimes they use that phrase, the kennedy curse. i wondered if that irks you. >> obviously we've had a lot of losses in our family, but you know what, so, too, have many other americans. the issues of cancer, gun violence affects many people, the issue of mental health. what makes our family great is how close we are. >> the extended kennedy clan has recently grown close to another familiar face. ♪ >> country superstar taylor swift has been dating robert

kennedy's 18-year-old son conner. >> i did read in "us weekly" that you thought taylor swift was a kennedy groupie. >> a what? that who said that. >> i don't know, that supposedly you did? >> that i said that. no, i want it clear right now on the "today" show, no. no. >> how do you guys feel about taylor swift, she's dating a kennedy cousin. >> we love taylor swift. she's great. >> what she likes about spending time with our family is she can be herself. she's a great person and we love getting to know her. >> former senator ted kennedy's sons ted, jr., and patrick. now let's head back to new york for a check of the weather from al. >> thanks so much, savannah. it is a hot, sticky, warm, ugly morning out here. if you think it's hot here with the humidity, take a look at ot. we are talking chicago, 90, 99 in st. louis, memphis 98 degrees

and tulsa checking in with a high of 104 and houston 96 and lorado, texas, 107 degrees. rest of the country we're looking at those 80s stretching all the way up into the upper plains and the upper mississippi river valley into the southeast. hundreds in the southwest and nice and cool in the pacific northwest and portland, 85. 77 in seattle today and risk of strong storms from the mid great lakes all the way into southern indiana and illinois, as well. we're looking for sunshine. along the east coast. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> storm team 4 meteorologist veronica johnson right here. we have a little wet weather out there. no big troubles, though, because of the weather, just west of frederick, light shower. and leesburg getting a light shower and little more rain around marshal and around sugarland. so, that headed off to the east. a few breaks, too, in the cloud cover. 79 the temperature going up to a high today of 88.

i'm expecting some showers and thunderstorms, even some downpours noon until 5:00 today. >> guess what, another great tradition gets started, we're not talking political conventions we're talking nfl football. the nfl kickoff starts tonight. the boys coming in to metlife stadium. partly cloudy skies, warm, take on the giants. temperature upper 70s into the low 80s. the kickoff special starts tonight, 7:30 on nbc. savannah. >> all right, al. thank you. i'm in the mood. coming up next, we'll talk sports. a former teammate of lance armstrong claims he saw the cycling great take performance enhancing drugs. he's speaking out in a live interview this morning right after this.

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heels of armstrong's decision to give up the fight against the u.s. anti-doping agency even though he says he's innocent. the book is called "the secret race, inside the hidden world of the tour de france." tyler hamilton is here with his co-author. good to have you. >> in our business we say credibility is everything, the source is everything. i need to ask about you. you have admitted to doping in the past and you have admitted to lying about it. so why do i believe what you put in this book right now? >> well, the first thing i want to say, matt, is this was so hard. this the hardest thing i've ever done in my life, to come clean. i lied for a long, long time. there was sort of an -- people really encouraged me not to speak. finally -- it finally came out i planned

-- i planned to take the secret to the grave. there was a federal investigation and i told the jury the truth, nothing but the truth. >> in this book are you telling the truth, whole truth, and nothing but the truth. >> absolutely. >> your name is on the book. are you confident the guy who is telling you the truth. >> we made an agreement. no subject off limits. i had access to all his materials. everything would be confirmed. spent two years talking to former teammates, wives, girlfriends, staffers, this thing rests on independent reporting. >> a lot in the book is about you, your career and your time with the tour de france. the headlines, of course, are going to be about lance armstrong. i think the question a lot of people have, tooiyler, here is guy who was tested for drugs and doping some 500 times over the course of his career. do you have any physical evidence that proves he failed some of those tests? >> well, first of all, i passed hundreds of tests when i

probably shouldn't have. >> how? the average person wants to know how that can happen, because the testing is pretty sophisticated. >> the testing is great. the united states doping has been doing a fantastic job, improving their tests. back in the day, the time i was riding, we had doctors one step ahead of the testers. >> you write this. they have got their doctors, we've got our, and ours are better. so they knew how to get you around those tests? >> they sure did. they sure did. >> back in 2001, you write in the book, and daniel jump in there, lance armstrong talked to you once and he said he got popped, which was his term, according to you, for he failed a test prior to the tour deswitzerland. tell me about that. >> i remember being in swi switzerland where we finished a time trail the day before. we just finished breakfast, were walking outside and he told me

he had just gotten caught. >> why didn't that make national and international headlines. if he failed a drug test, why didn't it get to the test. >> good question, a call was made to the cycling body, uci, this test should go no further, the matter should end here. >> you're claiming a cover-up. >> that's right. a meeting between armstrong, his coach and the lab and also $125,000 donation from armstrong to the -- >> lance armstrong vehemently denies being part of any cover-up. the international cycling union denies there was any cover-up. so do you have a smoking gun? if you do, case closed. >> we have 300 pages of a smoking gun, an avalanche of evidence. >> doesn't surprise me they would deny it. they denied it for years. after a while you get pretty good at it. i've lied to you before straight to your face. for me it's like a huge weight off my back. today i feel fantastic.

fantastic. >> obviously the book is going to create a lot of waves, tyler and daniel. this guy, lance armstrong, has done an enormous amount for the sport of cycling. he's done an enormous amount for people around the world through his foundation. in your opinion how should history treat him? >> lance armstrong is one of the best athletes i've ever met, hands down. hands down. he's done incredible things. you know, i think we'll let the cards play the way they fall, i guess. >> here is what lance armstrong said in advance of this interview. >> tyler hamilton was a teammate of lance's more than a decade. writing a book today boutter vents that allegedly took place ten years ago is not about setting the record straight or righting a wrong, it is greedy, opportunistic and self-serving. >> it's the truth. it's the truth. you know, again, i'm not surprised by that. i denied for such a long time.

there are other people still denying. it's hard to come to terms with that, to tell the truth. you know, for my telling my parents for the first time, my friends, it was just brutal. >> people have a right to know the truth about this. he's an icon for millions of people. he's an icon because he inspired people through his winning. now there's truth coming out about exactly how he won and now people can make up their own minds. >> the book is called "the secret race." tyler hamilton, daniel doyle. 7:47. on a much different note kate middleton comes to new york. we'll catch up with pippa right after this. our moment? the blissful pause just before that rich sweetness touches your lips. the delightful discovery, the mid-sweetening realization that you have the house all to yourself. well, almost. the sweet reward, making a delicious choice that's also a smart choice.

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prince harry made headlines with his recent trip to las vegas but he's not the only royal sibling living it up here in the states. mara schiavocampo has more on this. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. pippa middleton in the big apple. she spent the weekend with the best new york city has to offer and got people talking about a possible new love interest. from the u.s. open to table tennis, hot restaurants to the hamptons, pippa middleton is closing out the summer american style. kate middleton's younger sister arrived in new york just before labor day and she didn't wait long before taking a bite of the big apple. >> wow.

>> warm, tuna cold. >> reporter: one of her first stops trendy manhattan restaurant catch home to executive chef, winner of top chef season three. >> she came with friends sat on the main dining floor. she ordered crispy rice cakes, tuna tar tar. >> she has good taste? >> she has great taste. >> middleton's britain's most eligible bachelorette has also sparked romance relative humidity ors. sunday she reportedly flew from manhattan to hotel owner. they were seen playing ping-pong together and spotted around town several times. >> if anything is happening between them, i'd have to say it's at the very early stages or maybe he was just being a great host and restaurateur and brought her there to entertain her.

>> tuesday, middleton a huge tennis fan was spotted at the u.s. open. naturally she also made time for night life in the city that never sleeps, reportedly partying at the electric room in the chic dream hotel. middleton has reason to celebrate. she's just two months away from the release of her first book of the same name, a festive party planning guide. >> pippa millington's return to the social scene is very apt considering she has sort of picked the biggest party city in the world, new york. i think what's more interesting is she's not going it rather discretely but doing it with a lot of spark, shall we say. >> no word on when pippa is heading back across the pond. tomorrow is her 29th birthday and the start of new york's fashion week maybe she'll stick around a few days. >> mara, thank you very much. a live interview of the vanity article about tom cruise and the church of scientology's influence on his love life but first your local news. ♪

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7:56 is your time now, good morning to you, i'm eun yang. today an american navy s.e.a.l. killed in afghanistan will be laid to rest at arlington national cemetery. patrick feeks died in a crash in afghanistan last month. he leave business hind a wife. plans are set for a public memorial service for neal armstrong. next thursday morning at 10:00 a.m. at the national cathedral. we'll take a quick break now and

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storm team 4 meteorologist veronica johnson getting updated on wet weather coming through. helping the mugies is the fact that we have a little bit of a breeze. your showers right there out of le leesburg and fairfax you'll get rain before long and mostly cloudy sky and go up to a high today of 88. >> right now if you're traveling northbound i-88 left lane is blocked by the accident there. eun, back over to you. >> danella, thank you. another news update in 25

it's 8:00 on wednesday morning. it's the 5th day of september, 2012. it is a gray, damp, humid, sticky, not so nice day here in new york city. >> a lot of adjectives. >> it's a little thick here. we have a nice crowd of people. they don't seem to be bothered by it. a slight breeze in the air. i'm matt lauer with al roker. savannah guthrie in charlotte at the democratic national convention. savannah, the president will

keep an eye on the weather tomorrow night. >> reporter: the president and aides plan to do the speech outside. the convention is moving to this outside arena, bank of america stadium, for the president's speech. there is a decent chance it will be raining. officials here say they will hold it there rain or shine. only a very severe weather event will have them moving it. meantime, guys, you've noticed the first lady is making headlines not only for her speech also for her fashion choice, tracy reese dress, j. crew shoes. as many male staffers have been commenting on it, a blue gray hue nail polish really the talk of the internet. i've been calling all morning over to the first lady's office to discover that shade but i haven't been able to find out just yet. >> meanwhile you won me a $10 bet. i told you those were j. crew shoes. >> the tracy reese i was dead on. >> savannah, what do you have tomorrow for us. >> i had no idea you were so

sensitive, in touch with your feminine side. tomorrow we'll hear from two people who know the president well, his sister maya and brother-in-law craig robinson, both spoke at the convention so we look forward to that. >> look forward to seeing you, savannah. also coming up now from here, we're going to be talking to the author of that "vanity fair" article that talks about the connection between the church of scientology and tom cruise's love life even claiming church officials auditioned women to date or perhaps even marry that superstar. the church is speaking out firmly against that article. marreen orth is here. we'll be talking to her in a couple minutes. on a much lighter note actress and singer demi lovato will be here. she'll tell us what it's like to sit at the "x factor" table with simon cowell and britney spears. >> natalie with the headlines. good morning. >> good morning matt and al, good morning, everyone. democrats are hoping for more

momentum when former president clinton takes center stage at the democratic national convention tonight. last night first lady michelle obama got a rousing reception as you saw in a speech mixed with personal and professional observations of her husband. with the president in a tight race with mrs. romney, mrs. obama said, quote, change is hard, change is slow, and it never happens all at once. some terrifying moments during a victory rally overnight in montreal. quebec's newly elected premier pauline marois was rushed off stage after shots were fired. she was unharmed. at least one person killed. the suspect now in custody. fire officials say it could take a week to surround a wildfire in los angeles. so far flames are staying away from homes and other structures. the fire has burned about 3600 acres and is at least 15% contained. jurors begin deliberations in the drew peterson murder case today. closing arguments wrapped up tuesday. the former illinois police

sergeant is charged with the 2004 drowning of his third wife. a remarkable survival story out of oregon. 94-year-old pilot jack haggerty is lucky to be alive after the brakes on his cessna failed causing him to nosedive and crash at an airfield in toledo. hagerty, who is a flying legend in the area says he's never crashed in his 70 years but says now may be the time to hang up his wings. now here is brian williams a look at what's coming up tonight on "nbc nightly news." >> hey, natalie, coming up tonight when we join you from here in charlotte at the democratic convention before president bill clinton gives his address to the group he'll sit down and talk with us exclusively. that's tonight on "nbc nightly news" from here. for now, natalie, back to you. >> thanks, brian. now for a look at what is trending today. our quick roundup of what has you talking online. this disturbing video spiking on youtube. it shows one soldier at fort bragg hitting another in the chest with a large wooden

mallet. the soldier then collapses, his his head and has a seizure. he is okay now. it was meant as sort of initiation after being promoted to sergeant. the other soldier meantime was fined and reprimanded. bob barker is a top search on yahoo! after his snub from the price is right's 40th anniversary special which aired tuesday. the 88-year-old who hosted the longest running game show for 35 years said, quote, the producers chose to ignore me and haven't offered me a dvd. most new jerseyans love the boss but maybe not as much as the state's boss chris christie. he boasted about attending his 130th bruce springsteen concert this week on late night with jimmy fallon. >> screams all the words louder than bruce springsteen behind me. ♪

>> pretty good duet there. christie says he's been going to springsteen concerts since he was 13 years old. can you see he does know all the words. 8:05. let's go back outside to matt and al. think he has you beat as a springsteen fan. >> he's got a good voice, though, so does jimmy fallon. mr. roker. >> all right. got some friends here from hawaii, aloha. very nice. let's see what's going we got two systems out there. tropical storm michael, tropical storm leslie. we were more worried about leslie because it may be affecting bermuda later this week. 490 miles from bermuda and moving very slowly. affecting the eastern u.s. with strong rip currents and strong waves. a lot of wet weather in northern new england today. look for heavy showers and thunderstorms along the central gulf coast and also risk of strong storms through the upper mississippi river valley,

including chicago on into detroit. and indianapolis, beautiful in the pacific northwest. sunny and hot from texas non to the southwest. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> veronica johnson here keeping an eye on the radar. we have showers already showing pup. take a look at them. light shower around frederick, maryland and approaching shower around leesburg and that's headed towards restin and chantilly. cloud cover across the area, just a few peeks and pokes of sunshine. we're at 79 degrees right now. we'll see a high today like yesterday upper 80s, but some storms possible downpours later i'm thinking of convening a panel right now. a little construction off the plaza. >> look out below. >> yikes. >> mr. roker, thank you. when we come back we'll talk to the author of the new "vanity fair" article about tom cruise and the church of scientology's

effort to audition a wife for him. that's the article. back after this. og#wvs#q'ppu;v? ♪ nope. [ female announcer ] charmin ultra soft is so soft you'll have to remind your family they can use less. charmin ultra soft is made with extra cushions that are soft and more absorbent. plus you can use four times less versus the leading value brand. don't worry, there's plenty left for you dad. we all go. why not enjoy the go with charmin ultra soft? 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. quaker yogurt granola bars. are made with sweet cherries and the crisp, clean taste of our cranberries. i cannot tell a lie -- 'tis tasty. okay, george washington, did you take my truck out last night?

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a "vanity fair" article that the church auditioned prospective women for tom cruise. this morning the church is calling that hogwash. marreen orth who wrote the piece is with us. mauereen, good to see you. good morning. >> good morning. >> here comes the church. they are questioning your sources in the article. you have a lot of sources, named and unnamed. here is what the church said. "vanity fair" relied on a group of anti-scientologists, a handful of self-promoting apos tats, liars and perjuries. the article fails to quote quote a single source that is -- is it fair? >> no. scientology does not know everybody i talked to, for one thing. all of my quotes -- all of my sources in this article, with very few exceptions, are on the record. these are people who were very high up in the church at one point. >> but do they all have drapes

against or grievances with the church of scientology? >> no. some of them are scientologists but they have gripes against the current leadership of scientology but not against the religion necessarily. >> let's talk about the premise of the article. it starts with tom cruise talking to an official of the church. i can't find a girlfriend, not even my sister can help me find a girlfriend. that's what initiates this process, according to sources, of auditions for tom cruise. we have to believe one of the most popular movie stars in the world, one of the wealthiest, one that women consider the most hand some. >> gaga. >> can't find a girlfriend. >> he can't find the scientology soul mate he needs to be the number two most important person in the religion, which is what he was called by the head of scientology. >> it has to be a woman that meets his standards but also meets the church's standards. >> correct. >> the church did not approve, according to your sources in the

article, of nicole kidman. >> for a long time tom cruise andole kidman had drifted amp from the church. it was the charge to bring him back in the church. he audited them, which is their confessional, every day for a year. >> you write in the article staff members in tom cruise and nicole kidman's home were spying on them and reporting back to church officials. >> that's what i was told, every single thing that went on in that house between them was reported back by their assistants, who were a married couple in the house. >> when it comes to this auditioning process you write it was conducted under the guys of a special project done with tom cruise. the women who auditioned had no idea really what that project was. this is how the church ended up coming up with this woman

nazan nazanin. >> she was a beautiful woman born in iran, graduated with honors from the university of california at irvine and wanted to be a doctor. she was applying to medical school. >> she goes through this audition process, doesn't know what she's auditioning for except she's been asked about tom cruise. >> yes. she's been asked about every part of her life. she had to write a 20-package single spaced paper about hopes, dreams, aspirations, all of her sex life was asked about. she was being audited for hours every day. because she was being told she would meet world leaders and a very special mission for the church. >> she was told a couple of things had to change. she had to change her hair, lose her braces and dump her boyfriend. >> that was hard for her. she was very much in love with this young man. >> but she agreed to it. >> he also was in scientology.

i was told the confidential audits of him, some of that material in there was leaked to her that caused her to break up with him. >> by the way, you did not talk to nazanin boniadi. >> i'm not talking about my source. >> if she is part of the article wouldn't we want to know. >> you you might want to know but i'm not going to tell you my sources. >> she was told this was a dating situation with tom cruise. she fell head over heels in love with him. >> he turned on the charm, shut down rockefeller center. she was asked her dream date. she said sushi and ice skating. she got it all. >> eventually not long into this relationship, things soured. she was basically sent away to a scientology center, according to your sources, in florida.

when she finally broke down and told a friend of hers, who was a scientologist about what happened with tom cruise, which you say was secret, she was punished. >> she was being -- my sources told me she was being told the fact she was heart broken was her problem. she should be able to get over this. she was crying all the time. this woman also there said why are you crying all the time. she broke down. she was forbidden to mention this thing happened or talk about tom cruise but she did. as a result she had to get down on her hands and knees and scrub toilets what toothbrush. >> why would she put up with that? >> why would she put up with that? she believed she was in a church that was saving mankind. she was a true believer. >> this young lady is an actress, right? she's no longer a member of the church of scientology. >> no, she's not. no, she's not. >> clearly her name is going to be in all the headlines right

now. would you expect she would come forward just to clear the record and set the record straight in one direction or another. >> she was very, very deeply traumatized by this whole experience. plus i think for a long time, according to what i understood, she really did not want to be defined in hollywood by this particular -- >> do you know if she objects to what you've written here? >> i think if she would have objected i would have heard about it and i haven't heard. i've heard a very good friend of hers paul haggis, the director stand up to what i've written. >> did you talk to nicole kidman or katie holmes about your research? >> i tried. there's a very few people willing to talk. by the way, we asked tom cruise and the head of the church of scientology several times for interviews and they refused. >> marreen orth, the article can be seen in this edition of "vanity fair" magazine. still ahead demi lovato on joining simon cowell and britney

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with more birthdays. join the american cancer society making strides against breast cancer walk and help us get there faster. sign up at makingstrideswalk.org. back now at 8:22. football teams here with teams suiting up and hitting the field all across the country.

one high school in florida features a very remarkable player. tamron hall is here with her story. >> good morning. south plantation high school has a quarterback who is throwing passes and breaking down barriers. it looks like a regular friday night high school football warm-up before the game. but number 13 is no ordinary quarterback. 17-year-old erin is south plantation's third string quarterback. and yes, she's a girl. >> when i first came out, i just came out to play. i've always wanted to play. >> reporter: she's not the first teenager girl to play football but she may be the first to play quarterback in a high school game. >> erin was my quarterback for the flag football team. she did a really good job. >> reporter: so coach gatewood asked her to join the boys.

>> i said come with the boys, workout with them. she picked up boys ball pretty well. >> reporter: she's athletic, also plays point guard on the girls basketball team. at 5'5", 140 pounds, there's some concern for her safety on the field. her coach felt confident putting her on the team. >> a lot of people feel as though she's more apt to get hurt. she's not the smallest kid i have on this varsity team. >> reporter: and erin's teammates don't have an issue playing with a girl. >> i'm not anything special. i'm just another player on the team. just because my gender is different doesn't mean they treat me differently. >> reporter: the only difference, erin suits up in the girlsst locker room, then joins the boys. erin's coach is adamant she has earned her stripes to play. >> most years i'm hoping itch a kid that knows the plays, doesn't fall over his hands and feet when he throws it off and can get me through the game.

erin is by far better than that. >> last friday erin's team was up in the fourth quarter in their first regular season game. for her coach and other quarterbacks see some action. she gained ground making everyone proud, including her parents. >> we're so proud of her and her determination and her courage. i think it takes a lot of bravery for a young lady to step onto a field. >> there's no really word to describe it. it's just sheer joy. she's living the dream. >> reporter: for erin, it was a moment she will never forget. >> i want to send out a message to girls to try that. if you're good at football, why not just try it. just because you're a girl doesn't mean you can't play. >> reporter: i love that. erin has already applied to several colleges. but instead of football, she's hoping to play basketball at the

next level. matt, if erin is not enough for you, there's rachel evans in my home state of texas, the first female to play football for the high school. her debut as kicker, she 8:26 on this wednesday, september 5th. the group responsible for the metro silver line project will meet to discuss new ethics rules. the washington metropolitan airport authority faced stiff scrutiny that the lavish spending for travel and questionable contracts. good morning, everybody. i'm aaron gilchrist. we're also seeing some delays on the road. danella has your traffic report. >> major delays at father hurley boulevard. a disabled tractor trailer on the right shoulder lane, but the big problem is all the way from frederick to the beltway, steady delays just like this. let's head over to 50 in maryland as you make your way

past landover road. >> thank you,

storm team 4 meteorologist veronica johnson. some very light showers and wind just west of dulles and look at

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8:30 men's morning, the 5th day of august, 2012. you know the music, this means it's time for football in the early fall, late summer. kick off the celebration on nbc, got a concert on rockefeller

plaza, mariah carey, gwen stefani, a big event. some fans of the new york giants, dallas cowboys in our area this morning. i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales. savannah guthrie is in charlotte, north carolina covering the democratic national convention. coming up, a guy whose name apparently i've been mispronouncing for years. guy fieri. he's going to school us on tailgating for the big game tonight with some spicy recipes. >> we look forward to that. singer actress demi lot of, a has a new gig. her new gig on the "x factor" alongside simon cowell and britney spears this next season. we'll be catching up with her in a little bit. >> since a lot of kids are heading back to school or already heading back to school, if your family is having trouble

get into that routine again, some great ideas, resolutions to make things go a little smoother. >> bedtime last night not easy at my house. later "today's" professionals are back on "today" to talk about a lot of things including a story -- there's a lot of love and happiness in the studio as well. one of the things they were talking about, parents on a flight with newborn, had an interesting way, newborn twins, how they were able to keep the peace. talk about that. >> first, though, let's go to al. al is over in the channel gardens in rockefeller plaza. what have you got? >> not as much as donny deutsch does obviously. a new meaning to scoring. very nice. let's show you what we've got as far as t as far as today's weather is concerned. strong torms in the upper mississippi river valley and sunshine in the midwest and toasty from the southwest into texas and wet weather in northern new england. tomorrow, we have a risk of strong storms, mid-plains, beautiful weather in the pacific

northwest and sizzling down in texas and gulf coast looking at hit and miss showers and thunderstorms. sunny and warm, not quite as humid here in the northeast. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning, storm team 4 meteorologist veronica johnson. here's what awaits you when you step out your door. low hanging clouds, it looks like rain, right? on the radar a few showers and temperature now at 79 degrees reagan national airport and humidity up there and a little bit of a breeze helping it feel a little better. the showers that i'm seeing, those keep drying up. a little shower in frederick, maryland, and a better chance later today of getting rain and could get heavy downpours. your high to tonight all will be right with the world. that's because it's time for the nfl kickoff special on nbc. starting at 7:30 when the cowboys fly into metlife stadium. yeehaw. partly cloudy skies and warm as they take on the giants,

temperatures upper 70s, low 80s with high humidity and just a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. that's on the nbc kickoff special tonight at 7:30. keeping in that theme, let's bring in travi mccoy, front man for the group. good to see you. >> good to be here. >> you guys have taken part a new song, all in. >> all in. it's the official giants. hopefully get them pumped to destroy the cowboys. >> destroy the cowboys? >> destroy. >> gone. you've got -- not only do you have this anthem but also when you're writing something like this, what's the inspiration? what do you go for? >> go to the stadium and hang out with some of the players. all across the stadium there's motivational like phrases and stuff these guys see every day to get them pumped. it actually helped me as far as going in and having inspiration to write the song. >> you're going to be there tonight to perform and get in

the crowd. as a giant fan what's that like. >> yesterday, it was surreal, nobody in the stadium. the fact i wrote the song for them, tailor made and today before 80,000 people, it's ridiculous. my heart is beating right now. >> congratulations, "the fighter" up for the best video. >> best video with a message. means a lot. >> travie mccoy. have a great time. >> thank you so much. >> miss demi lovato has been in the spotlight every since her days on barney and then disney. at the age of 20 she's taking on a new role as judge alongside simon cowell, britney spears on the "x factor." >> you do not look 40 at all. >> i eat a lot of fish. >> simon, you should start eating a lot of fish.

>> i have a teeny, tiny crush on you. >> how old are you? >> 22. >> we should meet in 10 years. >> or 30. >> demi lovato, good morning. i see season two starting off with fireworks between you and simon cowell. >> yeah, we've been having a lot of fun. >> what's it like working with him, britney spears, reed. >> working on this panel is absolutely incredible. i never thought i'd be sitting next to britney spears for anything in my life let alone working with her all the time. so that's amazing. then simon cowell and l.a. reid. i'm a big fan. >> he did call you, using his words here, a brat. >> that's okay. he's just intimidated by my responses. >> that's good. you give it right back to him. there was a lot of speculation

that paula abdul, they would go because they were too boring and too easy as judges. do you have to try harder to be confrontational? are you trying to be confrontational at all? >> i'm not trying to be anything. when i sit on that panel and they ask for my opinion, i will be very honest. sometimes it may seem a little harsh, but i try to say it as nicely as possible. sometimes it does come off harsh just because it's brutally honest and they don't want to hear it. we're ultimately looking for someone to invest $5 million on. that's what the prize is. so if we're going to spend $5 million on somebody, they have to be ready to go. >> britney spears is also a huge fan of yours. she says she thinks you are, quote, cooler than she is and you inspire her to raise her game. that's pretty cool. she's a fan. >> yeah, that's crazy. i don't know why she thinks i'm cooler than her because she's

britney frickin' spears. when i heard that, i was like oh my god. >> is she an idol of yours. >> she's one of the first concerts i ever went to. i've grown up listening to her music. i was very honored to get to sit next to her, let alone become cool with her. >> no cat fights that's going to be happening there? >> no way. >> a lot of speculation about special guest mentors on the show. for example, nick jonas. i know you can't confirm a lot of things. nick jonas, maybe marc anthony, justin bieber. you go back, toured with the jonas brothers and also with him in the disney days. >> yes. >> can you say he taped with you? >> i will just tell you that you'll have to wait and see. >> have to wait and see. that's it. >> yes, you'll have to wait and see. >> you seem like you're doing so great right now. have you a great week ahead of you. you have a preshow for the vmas, part of that, nominated as well. your song, "give your heart a

break" hit song. things are going good in your life right now? >> i can't complain at all. it's amazing. i'm living in a dream right now. >> you talked last time you were here in march you talked very publicly about the struggles you had faced including eating disorder, bipolar, cutting. a lot of people really sympathized and reached out to you, some of your young fans who may be experiencing the same things. what's the advice you give to them? >> the advice i give to anybody, people i know, family, friends, if they are dealing with these issues, if it's not an eating disorder or bipolar or an addiction, if it's just bullying, they are all very serious issues which can be potentially life threatening. so the most important thing you can do for yourself is to get help and to tell somebody. it can ultimately change your life or save yours. >> that's what it did -- how you sought treatment and you're doing great. >> yes. >> can't wait for season two. looks great. >> thank you.

>> good luck with everything. demi lovato. so great to have you back again. >> thank you so much. coming up, resolutions for the new year to make your home happier with the school year starting off. first this is "today" on nbc. anncr: it'll start out as concrete and steel... but it'll become so much more. a new world-class resort casino in prince george's county. two thousand construction jobs to build it. four thousand permanent, good-paying jobs when it's done. hundreds of millions for maryland schools... real oversight to make sure the money goes... where it's supposed to. but none of it will happen unless we vote for... question seven this november. vote for question seven. and help build a better future for maryland.

back now at 8:42. this morning on "today's" moms, new school year resolutions. september often a very hectic time with new routines filled with homework and after school activities. we asked moms to open up about what might make their homes a little happier. >> when i think of september, i think of transition. >> a lot of excitement. >> i call it going from 0 to 60. >> i'm really ready for them to get back into a routine. >> to make myself a little happier this school year, i would really like to do less

screaming. >> underreacting to situations that arise at home would be a great resolution. >> i'm not sure how realistic. >> you yell, they don't really hear you. >> my resolution for this school year is to have smoother mornings with less drama. >> my house, what would make a big difference would be wake up half an hour earlier, but it's hard for us because we love to sleep. >> i think about do i have a happy home. i think you want your children to be happy. >> the house is in order, i'm in control. >> one thing would make me a happier mom is having an hour, two hours to myself. read a magazine without being interrupted. >> i control the temperament of the household. if i could be a happier mom, my family could be happier. >> gretchen reuben is the author of the best seller "happiness project" now she's out with a follow up called "happier at

home." good morning. >> good morning to you. >> this is the busy month, kids heading back to school. why start a happiness project now and why kind of try to uproot your life now. >> to get to the holdover of our own school days, september feels like the other january, new beginning, new notebooks, fresh pencils. we feel like even as adults, there's a chance to make a new beginning and new start, new routine, new possibilities. >> we heard a lot of moms say, if i can be a happier mom, my family can be happier. is that what set you off on this second happiness project? >> absolutely. one of the things that's interesting is how much we in effect each other, emotional contagion. if i'm happier, my family is happier. if i'm calm, everyone is is more cheerful, too. >> did you get your husband and two daughters to sign up as well. were they always able to play along? >> no, they don't play along. i only change myself. when i change, atmosphere of the house changes. i change the way they behave by

changing myself. i don't get them to sign up for resolutions. >> when you talk about changing the temperament and tone in the house, that's what we heard in the piece, a lot of moms saying i find migration yelling, the craziness adds to the tension. one of the things you say first is try to underreact to problems. >> it's interesting. the way that we act really influences the way we feel. if you can control your action, keep your voice down. if you can maybe even joke around a little bit, which is very, very hard to do. >> hard to do when you're frustrated. >> i find when i do control my reaction to something, i feel calmer and then the whole moment becomes calmer and easier. it's a way it take the level down. >> you also talk about possessions and sort of sorting through your possessions. >> yes. >> you actually say that in this case simplicity may not be the key, right? >> i think we can overvalue the idea of just getting rid of everything. the important thing is do we need it in do we use it? do we love it? if not, get rid of it. it's true, all that stuff just

weighs us down. if we can keep the things we love, we have very important emotional attachments to things. they are important reminders of people, places, activities we love. it's very easy to get overwhelmed with junk. getting rid of that makes you feel lighter and more calm. >> one of the things i love, great advice. you hear this a lot. you're more mindful about hellos, good-byes in the morning. say hello, good-bye to your daughters, make sure it really counts. >> this is one of the things, so small, so much changed the atmosphere of our home. every time somebody comes and goes, everybody puts down their stuff and really says hello and good-bye. it makes you feel more tender, more attentive. it really does make a difference. >> a couple of things in this second book of yours did not necessarily make you so happy, for example, learning how to drive and tackling some of the thing, including sorting through your photo albums and pictures, 15 minutes of suffering you called it. >> i was overwhelmed with my digital photos, just thousands

and thousands of images. i stuck to it, 15 minutes a day, chipped away at it. i have a whole bunch of photo albums and i'm much happier. >> that creates more happiness in life. thanks so much. the book again is called "happier at home." coming up next guy fieri is cooking up a last-minute tailgating party for us for tonight's

this morning on "today's" kitchen we're spicing things up for tonight's start of the nfl season here on nbc. this is the perfect occasion to throw a little get together with friends. we've got the right guy to tackle the job. guy fieri, author and tv personality. >> how did i know this was going to happen.

>> first new york restaurant, guy's new york kitchen and bar in the heart of times square. >> hi, guys. >> fieri. >> say it however you want it. that's why i have the name guy. fieri. >> your first restaurant in new york. why did you come to the dark side? >> i've got seven restaurants in cali. i've always wanted to come to new york. if you're not a new yorker, don't know somebody, have the connections or inside, you should really kind of have warning. i met a great guy who owns brewery, interested in doing it, 16,000 square feet and opens this week. >> let's tailgate. >> let's talk about tailgating. i like burgers and dogs at a tailgate but i really like to take it to the next level. you guys know great food. you can make this at home, take it to the tate gate, heat it on the cue. >> great with a family of 63. >> have pork will travel. >> here what is we've got pork loin, belly. all this beautiful meat inside

of it and we're going to roll it up. we take a combination. toasted fennel, fresh cracked black pepper, oregano, salt, parsley, all this here into the panko. when you bread something, have you onhave something that will soak up the fat. a little olive oil, half cup into that. >> do you do this well in advance or game day? >> that's the great thing about it. do this in advance, let flavors marry together and that's how it really -- that's when you really start to bring out the great flavor inside. the salt will help that. sprinkle this on top. sorry, al. >> that's okay. >> i know a great dry cleaner now that i'm here in new york. you get this here, spread it out. also going to dress the outside of it. i made this fantastic glaze with honey, some milk and some of the beer we brewed from my restaurant called morgan's red

ale named after my sister. >> you're going to roll this up. >> by the way fred flintstone called. he wants his meat back. >> ready? >> over. it's going to get on your suit. you're going to kill me. >> >> keep going. always great to have a friend in the kitchen. >> how much does this weigh? >> about 40 pounds, believe it or not. >> 40 pounds of pork. >> isn't that what you guys bring to your tailgate? >> absolutely. >> tie it like that. >> we get the idea of the tying. >> okay. now we come over here. about an hour to start it off, pull it off, about 100 degrees. hit it with the fantastic glaze we have here. then get in underneath the skin and give it a little slice. >> you're not waist thanksgiving skin, are you? >> no, that's for you. i have that going back tower room. >> let me taste that. >> agents glaze, honey, milk. >> got it.

>> there you are. sir? >> thank you, sir. >> that's good pork. that really is. >> you bring that to a tailgate, people will give you free tickets. we're going to do this as guy's american kitchen and bar on 44th. we're going this, great oysters. another thing you can tailgate with. >> oysters at a tailgate. >> barbecue, shuck oysters, parts of the south, on the coast, even in new york, you've got the abundance of fresh seafood. great way to go. tacos. >> does seafood travel well when you take it -- >> you should be bringing enough ice. that's the thing. we've moved beyond. now with all these great food shows and everybody that knows how to cook, we're starting to expect more when we go there. these are items you can do. >> sandwiches. >> take that pork, slice it down. you and i would eat it like this, drink the beer, some want it in a sandwich form. >> in new york, go out on a limb, who wins, giants or cowboys. >> a great time hanging out with

you guys. of course it's new york. all my dallas restaurants are getting me. >> welcome to the big apple. >> fieri. >> said that right? >> perfect. >> a reminder, catch the nfl season opener between the dallas cowboys and guy's new york giants tonight starting at 7:30 eastern right here on nbc. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. [ fingers tapping ]

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8:56 on this wednesday, september 5th. today a maryland navy s.e.a.l. killed in afghanistan will be laid to rest at arlington national cemetery. petty officer first class patrick feeks died in a helicopter crash last month. good morning, everybody. i'm aaron gilchrist.

i'm aaron gilchrist. now sink your teeth into that big n' toasted if you're ready to soar. good. exits are here, here, and here. a big day calls for the big n' toasted breakfast sandwich. grab yours at dunkin' donuts.

welcome back. storm team 4 meteorologist veronica johnson. 80 degrees your temperature now.

88 your expected high. cloud cover, yes, but the showers we had earlier have kind of dried up. a better chance coming back after lunchtime today and right until 5:00 for the afternoon we could see some downpours. some heat for thursday and friday. danella? >> heading out of the house now, expect delays on many of our area roads. look at the beltway. inner loop very slow as you head towards braddock road, 27 miles per hour all the way to the dulles toll road and taking the beltway in montgomery county. you know how it goes. i-95 all the way to georgia avenue. very slow. underspeed at about 29 miles per hour. aaron? >> thank you,

we're back on wednesday morning, the 5th of september, 2012, taking a look outside you can see it has begun to rain out there. it's been predicted. mr. roker get it right again. >> i had no idea. you set them up -- >> here in the studio i'm matt lauer along with al roker and tamron hall helping us out when savannah is at the democratic convention in sharyl. still ahead "today's" professionals in the studio. >> prince harry, a cheating

scandal and harvard and much more. fun finds for fall. matt and i were wondering where to get hip velvet jeans, cool nail colors and hottest looks in jewelry from our pal jill. >> in our next half hour the year's best hair products as well. first let's get a check of the morning's top stories. natalie standing by at the news desk. natalie. >> good morning, matt and al, tamron, everyone. tonight president clinton speaks at the democratic national convention formally placing the president's name in for the nomination. last night michelle obama gave a personal plea for her husband's re-election calling him the man we can trust, saying success isn't about how much money you make but the difference you make in people's lives. she also said her most important title is mom in chief. in brussels this morning, the u.s. embassy was evacuated while police and bomb disposal experts suspected one suspicious vehicle that contained a gas canister. police closed several main routes of the city and secured

off the security zone around the embassy. today jury deliberations began in illinois in the case of police sergeant drew peterson. he's charged with first degree murder in the death of his third wife kathleen savio, three years before his fourth wife disappeared. the defense said prosecutors offered garbage evidence in the case. a new study finds many doctors may be giving up too soon when it comes to cpr. it finds giving cpr for just nine more minutes than the average amount gives patients a better chance of surviving. there are currently no clear guidelines for hospitals about how long to continue cpr. the study because published in the lancet. walmart is rolling back the fee for its holiday layaway program from $15 to $5 after customers complained the $15 fee it announced two weeks ago was too high. the nation's largest retailer says the fee will be refunded with a gift card when shoppers

complete their payments. an unusual offer from a jewelry who says his stores are where atlanta gets engaged. the offer aimed at people who like to hunt, buy a diamond, buy a gun, a hunting rifle for free. the owner says if you want to stand out in this economy you have to make it fun. one longtime wedding planner says she's never seen anything like it. scientists say they are guardedly optimistic about four young pilot whales found stranded over the weekend on florida's east coast. they are getting round-the-clock care at florida atlantic's university's harbor branch institute for stress and respiratory problems. and the rolling stones announced plans to release a greatest hits collection to mark the group's upcoming 50th anniversary entitled g rcrrr. it will include four cd selection with 80 songs.

include classics with new songs, including grrr. comes out november 13th. a new star on the hollywood walk of fame. ellen degeneres honored with her own star. she joked she spent her career trying to get people not to walk all over her. michelle obama nailed it at the convention. focus on her gray blue nails. some calling the shade unexpected, trendy. one person said it is sure to spark a craze if we ever figure out the shade and the brand she chose. matt, al, tamron, i'm going to take a stab at the name, "50 shades of grey." just putting it out there. one of the nail salons can call it. >> it's called fair and balanced. i'm not kidding. >> you can only put it on your right hand.

>> wow. wow. wow. we went from bedroom reading to -- >> grrr. >> i've got a new album coming out. >> the older you get, you. a risk of strong storms today in the upper midwest from green bay, as far east as detroit and far south as st. louis and super cell thunderstorms and hail and damaging winds. you can see they are already firing up from wisconsin all the way down to st. louis. rainfall amounts we're talking anywhere from one to three, as much as four inches of rain from rochester, minnesota, all the way to detroit. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> we won't see that today, the hail and damaging winds but we'll see pockets coming our way with a weather front. veronica johnson here is your temperature and 80 degrees right now. your high today 88.

as you look at the radar, you can see the early morning showers have dried up. but a better chance back after noontime today and up until 5:00, rain chances should end by 7:00 or and that's your latest weather. tamron. >> al, thank you. now to this morning's edition of "today's" professionals. here to weigh in star jones, donny deutsch and dr. nancy snyderman. good morning. >> i have my eyes closed. >> so rude. you leave it to her to dispose of it. >> like a man. >> moving on, like a woman, a strong woman, michelle obama's speech last night. i've read some of the reaction not just from democrats, not from liberals, republicans. michael steele said, quote, it was a hell of a speech. what do you say, star. >> i say 100%. my favorite line, women are more than capable of making decisions

about their bodies and their health care. >> that's her political response to the speech. it was not supposed to be a partisan speech. it was supposed to be about emotions. >> that is emotional for me especially when it comes to health care. for a woman to be able to make choices about her own health care in every aspect, that's one of the most important things to me. >> what struck me she walked out a very different person four years ago, she was somewhat reluctant, accepted this, talking about her hesitation about the white house. this was a confident woman who strode onto that set podium very aware of who she was, what she needed to do. it was an electrifying speech. my only concern is that why she's a phenomenal orator. i don't want this to be two moms battling it out. the stay at home mom, wealthy, with five boys.

these are two women who do what they have to do. the dnc choreographed better. >> i didn't see one person who tried to juxtapose it as ann versus michelle. >> i have to tell you, i'm going to sound a little jaded here. if i'm somebody who is going to maybe going to lose my home, worried about my choice of my body. nobody is voting for first ladies. >> you're wrong. >> you're wrong. >> you're wrong. >> can i just finished. >> no. >> are you being star? >> yes. >> this is a 1950s sensibility. he is the ceo of the united states. nobody is -- no boards are electing ceos based on their wife. it's one thing if it's a horrible wife, horrible man. guys, this is such a clear choice. they are both wonderful women. you're not voting for a first lady. >> no, we're not voting for a first lady but you're voting for a situation that says to america, this is my vision and this is my partner. >> that's not the woman.

>> this is -- >> i disagree with you. i think people do vote for the partnership, whether you want to intellectualize it or not. if you believe there's pillow osmosis, and i believe there is pillow osmosis, people, they talk. >> on both sides, republican and democrat we saw first ladies criticized, nancy reagan criticized for being too involved, we know hillary clinton was criticized for being too involved. there is something to be said about the person on your side. if she can't tell you, no one can sell you. >> both great ladies. the choices for the presidents are very stark, not based on the first lady. >> i disagree. >> i think most people disagree with you. >> so much is said by the person you choose to live your life with. bye. you can go. >> i'm visiting and i say bye. >> the woman knows her man. >> donny could not be more wrong. another popular woman, betty

white, dnc's golden girl. an online petition. they want betty white to be the counter to clint eastwood. this guy is concerned clint eastwood gave elderly people a bad name with what he did. you're the elderly one, go ahead, donny. >> i don't think they will do it. i think the republicans fell on their face with the clint eastwood thing. it looks like a stunt. trivialized it. betty white is beloved. if i was producing i would not do it. >> too much going on, too many issues to discuss, too many people we want to discuss them. as much as i want to see betty white, i don't want to see her at the dnc. >> i would not counter something that didn't go well. i wouldn't enter that space. >> i think that's why there's only 12,000 figures on it. >> prince harry. >> bless his heart. >> what does that mean? >> it's in the south when somebody says bless his heart. >> i know what it means. it's a backhanded compliment.

you messed up but we still like you. >> i'm going to reference alec baldwin, he did the ridiculous thing at the airport in the stewardess, he turned it around. >> they call them flight attendants now. >> someone got too much estrogen. >> makes him human, the fact he can make fun of it. this the road map to how to come back electric something. reference it and say oops and have fun with it. >> comes back at a charity event. the little boy said he was going to bring it up and said i'm glad you've got your clothes on, prince harry, he offsided them. >> there's no way for these young men to act like young men and be rabble-rousers. they have a double life. >> you're the best of both worlds you're the prince and don't have to worry about being

king. get your party on. don't worry about it. >> this is a bawdy bunch of women today. >> what you asked for. >> harvard cheat sheet, a cheating scandal at harvard, "time" magazine talking about it as well. the pressure so many students are under to perform at a high level. many resorting to cheating on tests. as many as 200 kids at harvard under investigation. >> this was a take home test, 125 kids charged. the question is are the rules antiquated, should there be collaboration. this seems to be an issue of cheating. the concern everyone should have is what kind of template this serves as later in life when you take credit for other people's work. >> an issue about lying in our society. >> you look at the med yarks television movies, sometimes we romanticize cheating. the rebel is looking at the pretty girl's test and whatnot. we romanticize gangsters in our society, bonnie and clyde.

it happens in real life. obviously it's wrong. i'm not surprised though. >> the rules are the rules. the rules say this is a take home test. you may look at anything you want but you may not collaborate with someone else. what part of that did you not get? >> cheating didn't start yesterday. people used to write answers on their home. >> take home test. >> you're asking to cheat. >> there are codes of ethics, honor codes these kids have to sign. i think the really interesting thing is what does harvard do with 125 kids who may have cheated. do you send them home? do you want to keep the tuition, yes. >> one-year sprenuspension. >> not going to happen. >> speaking of harvard, mark zuckerberg screwed his partner, cheated him out of it and he's the entrepreneur of society. >> i'm happy you're sitting next to a lawyer. >> thank you donny, dr. nancy. >> you're not going to be basing your opinion on a movie because you're not going to get the rest of us sued.

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ah, sounds good! i thought you'd say that. ah. ♪ the best part of wakin' up... ♪ you're the best! wake up to the mountain grown aroma of folgers. ♪ ... is folgers in your cup! >> on jill's fun finds, fall fashion ideas both trendy and functional. a contributor to "today" and "us weekly" out with its annual style issue this week. jill, good morning. >> good morning. >> starting off fall fun finds you look fall cas with this funky vest. >> i'm going to show you muff things as staples, i think a puffy vest is one of them. under $100 most of the things i'm showing. i think it's a great transitional item, cute to throw on day to night. >> looks very good on you. okay. you can pair that with a cool pair of velvet or corduroy

jeans. >> need dark jeans, velvet, corduroy, $98, velvet or corduroy, a great second pair of jeans. pick your favorite color. if you don't love midsection wear a bright colored jeans, wear a tunic. >> love these colors here. fun with polka dots. another trend we're seeing these days. >> we saw michelle obama in polka dot dress and j. crews. polka dots aren't for everyone. there's a way to get in on this with a cell phone case or socks. just get in on it a little bit. if it's not your thing pick up a scarf, sweater, blouse. >> hats are making a comeback. >> i love hats. hat attack starting at $70. >> how do we wear it, like that so i can see. let's cover your eyes. >> how cute you look on the wild side. >> it's fun. >> that's hat attack. >> that is a way to have fun and

make a statement. now take it off your head. >> next trend here, great bags. satchels. >> rachel roy. clutches are very big for during the day. if you want to pick up an oversized clutch, $69 to $89, a great way to make your statement with purse or bag. these are great also, under $100 for the day. another way to pop your outfit. >> okay. what should we be looking for when it comes to jewelry, tortoise. >> i want to show tortoise shell jewelry very in, starting at $42. pick up a little piece. i love this as a transitional jewelry as well. you're able to wear it summer into fall to winter. >> leopard with tortoise? >> yes. >> okay. now for the little ones. look how cute. >> this is burt's bees baby, they launched at target 100% organic cotton line. feel this. it's great.

look at the onesies, at target 100% organic target, comes packaged. also a beautiful gift. you can pick it up at target which i love. >> fantastic. over here some shoes for the little ones, too. toms has gone smaller. >> tiny toms, $29. these are really big. my friends kids are picking up their toms. this is new for the fall. >> sweet. >> okay. nail polish trends. let's talk about michelle osh's, have you figured out what she's wearing? everybody wants to know. >> blueish gray, these are by essie. >> i think it will be obama mama. you said "50 shades of grey." >> a bluish tint. >> another way to make it pop. that's from last night. >> we'll find out soon enough. whoever put out the nail polish. >> very soon. >> from your body to your home.

>> this is one of my favorites and a huge celebrity favorite, kai. they are launching a shampoo and conditioner. this is fabulous. this is launching for fall nicole kidman, mila, now shampoo and conditioner out for the fall. >> lotion or shampoo. >> that's shampoo on your hands. a little washing after my segment. who knows. >> like to end our fun finds with something sweet. >> let me give you this. there's red velvet in here somewhere and chocolate chips. sprinkles known for their cupcakes now starting in july started shipping ice cream. it got here right before the segment. starting at $10, ice cream, dry ice. what a great gift. now cupcakes. >> that's yummy, mint chocolate chip. jill martin as always, thank you. thanks for everything. >> thank you. >> more tile tips. if you want more style tips, be

sure to check out special issue of "us weekly." still ahead our money 911 team is here to answer pressing questions when it comes to saving for retirement. first these messages. ♪ [ female announcer ] with depression, simple pleasures can simply hurt. the sadness, anxiety, the loss of interest. the aches and pains and fatigue. depression hurts. cymbalta can help with many symptoms of depression. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens, you have unusual changes in behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles

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good morning. it's 9:26 on this wednesday, september 5th. plans are set for a public memorial service for astronaut neil armstrong next thursday at 10:00 at the national cathedral. more rain is headed our way today. storm team 4 meteorologist veronica johnson here now with a look at the forecast. >> that it is, aaron. a few sprinkles and light showers this morning. those have now kind of dried up and after noon rain coming back and neighborhood to get the heavier rain and we're at 80 degrees now and the radar is quiet and we take it up to 88 with spots of heavier rain, maybe even a thunderstorm or two and the rain should end about 7:00 or 8:00 p.m. and then just

a few showers expected tomorrow. president clinton: this election to me is about which... candidate is more likely to return us to full employment. this is a clear choice. the republican plan is to cut more taxes on upper-income... people and go back to deregulation. that's what got us in trouble in the first place. president obama has a plan to rebuild america from... the ground up, investing in innovation, education... and job training. it only works if there is a strong middle class. that's what happened when i was president. we need to keep going with his plan. president obama: i'm barack obama and... i approve this message. take this fascinating muller yogurt. frut up. means "fruit up." creamy yogurt down below. delectable, layer of fruity, moussey, uppiness on top.

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dealing with some delays this morning as you work your way north on 395 towards the pentagon. you can look for traffic speeds to be about 35 miles per hour in that area. now, back to "today."

>> i find what we have is a show that's really out there saying, hey, if you're looking for something different, give us a shot. >> he survived 25 seasons of "survivor," now jeff probst is track ling daytime tv tackling everything from relationships to hollywood. we'll talk to him tomorrow on "today." i'm natalie morales along with al roker and tamron hall. hard to believe 25 seasons of "survivor." >> a number of his audience gets voted off the island. it's kind of rough. coming up internet style sensations, the fowler sisters are here. millions logon to to get their

fashion and beauty tips. this morning they will share fall fashion tips for us. then are you saving enough for your retirement? what can you do today if you're not. advice on the money 911 team. >> all about the hair. how do you feel about that? >> i love it. i love it. >> i can't talk. i've got barely as much as you do. going to look at hair products of the year including the help for the pixie cut and long, lovely the weather for us. >> let's show you first of all for today, we're expecting to see some strong storms firing up from the upper midwest all the way down into lower illinois and indiana. we're expecting plenty of heat out west from texas into the southwest, beautiful in the pacific northwest and looking ahead towards tomorrow, risk of strong storms in the plains and sunny and warm in the northeast and new england and sizzling texas into the gulf coast and southwest looking pretty warm and we expect to see beautiful weather, again, in the pacific

northwest. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> right here we have cloud cover, just a tad bit of sunshine. warm, humid start for us, again. 80 degrees your temperature. storm team 4 meteorologist veronica johnson here and highs going up into the 80s and the radar is now quiet from the early morning showers we'll see it fill back in this afternoon. after the lunch hour today, afternoon time more showers and even some storms coming through early today. so, the rain, most of which will be ending about 7:00 or 8:00 p.m. 88 is your high, again, could are you feeling something tingly, something electric? that's because, that's right, that's because it's time for the nfl kickoff special on nbc. tamron is all tingly right now. metlife stadium partly cloudy skies and warm as they come in to take on the giants. temperature up to 70 to the low 80s. get your tingle on boys and

girls, it's nbc nfl kickoff night in america. >> i don't know what to say to that. >> i think that's been obvious for a while. >> thank god the cowboys are playing. that explains the tingle for me anyway. up next -- >> fashion forecast. >> first these messages. [ female announcer ] back to school means back to busy mornings.

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at the hottest trends for the fall. beauty and style experts, youtube channel is viewed each month. author of this novel. good morning. >> good morning. >> before weg to the fashion forecast let's talk about the book, "beneath the glitter" getting out of your comfort zone but still deals with the fashion world. why did you want to write a novel together? >> i've always been a huge reader. writing a novel was a dream of mine that wasn't really tangible. we thought it would be a fun project, we're sisters, work together, live together. why not write a book about our travels and fantasize and make things up as well. >> a little bit of a west coast gossip girl. >> gossip for the hollywood intern life a little bit. >> good.

i like that description. sounds fun. let's talk about fall fashion trends. a color we're seeing a lot of is yellow. not sort of that sunshiny yellow. right? what are you seeing? >> it's a little more in the mustard tones. this fall we are going to see a little bit of the bright yellow. most of the time you think spring and summer for that. but this fall we're actually seeing a little bit of a brighter look. >> as we see on some of the celebrities there, that is a bright color. looks good paired with gray, other tones. jennifer hudson, nicole ritchie in gorgeous yellow. any other favorites there? i guess we just see this top is really cute. >> it's a structure and silhouette that's really this season. >> also has texture with that shirt, which for fall is all about the rich textures, velvets, for that one pulls the

trends in together and brings a summery yellow shirt into the fall. >> another thing we're seeing talking about hair trends is the fishtail braid which sounds complicated to do but a lot of celebrities sporting the style. >> it's not complicated. >> if you have long hair like you, you can pull it off. >> it's not that complicated. i think it gives you a little bit of a different texture than the typical three-strand braid we've been seeing for years and years and years. we like it's a little more unique. you can keep it a little more sleek for a dressy look or do it kind of wild for a casual date. >> very pretty. leona lewis in that picture. >> yes. >> another trend is western instead of bo ho. is the bohemian trend over now? >> i don't think bo ho is gone. we're just seeing more western inspired pieces this fall and a little more toned down. we're seeing picking one thing or two tiny accessories and

taking a dress or top maybe you wouldn't think is necessarily western inspired and kind of making it a little western instead of going completely bo ho like we've seen in the past. >> on miley cyrus, just the top and some accessories perhaps and reese witherspoon here, i guess, the boots. you can take parts of the trend and go full on trend. >> you don't have to go all the way down to the boots. >> unless you're a cowboy. >> as we see on the mannequins here. more subtle ways to work the trend in there. >> yes. >> all right. thank you girls so much. >> thank you. coming up next, worried you're not putting away enough money for retirement. our 911 team is here to help us out right after this. want to give your family more vitamins, omega 3s,

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i love you, james. don't you love me? i'm a robot. i know. i know you're a robot! but there's more in you than just circuits and wires! uhhh. (cries) a machine can't give you what a person can. that's why ally has knowledgeable people there for you, night and day. ally bank. your money needs an ally. now all general mills big g kid cereals have more whole grain than any other ingredient in cereals like lucky charms and cinnamon toast crunch, the delicious way to help them grow up strong.

the next generation and then countless more. how do you kill them? frontline plus. it uses two ingredients. one to kill adult fleas and ticks. plus another to eliminate flea eggs and larvae, annihilating the next generation of fleas. and, frontline plus works non-stop for thirty days. no wonder it's the number one choice of vets for their pets and yours. ask your vet about frontline plus. accept nothing less. time for "today's" money 911 where we answer some of your biggest unanswered questions. we'll focus on retirement. jean chatzky, money editor and

author of "money rules." david bach, "debt free for life." and host of financially fit on yahoo!.com. good to see everybody. let's start off on the phones. we'll head to livingston, new jersey. we've got elise on the line. good morning, elise. >> good morning. >> what's your retirement question? >> i'm in my mid-30s with two young children. i was wondering what percentage of my salary i should start putting away every month for retirement. >> all right. that's a pretty darn good question. we're going to have jean take that one. >> all righty, terrific. if you can get to 10% in your mid-30s you're going to be doing a really good job. the good news is if you work for a company that has matching dollars, those count to the 10%. it's not as if -- if your company puts away 5 and you put away 5, you're there. you don't have to worry about doing more.

a lot of people get stuck and say, whoa, i can't do 10% right away. start with 2%. that's the amount people don't notice. then every six months nudge it up by another 2%. eventually you'll get to the 10% and you'll be there. >> thanks so much. good luck, elyse, thank you. we're going to skype now. let's check in with tiffany skyping in from kirkland, washington. good morning, tiffany. >> good morning. >> hi, what's your question? >> yeah. my husband works as a contractor and he doesn't have options currently for a 401(k). i was wondering what is the best way to capitalize on the little bit of money we have in an i.r.a. >> david, how do you build on that. >> because he's a contractor, what i would recommend is instead of an ira, open up a self-employed retirement account, accept i.r.a.

he's self-employed, a huge advantage being a contractor. he can put up to $50,000 away tax deductible. with i.r.a., only $5,000 tax deductible. as jean said, 10% of his gross in corks upwards of 25%. i would roll over i.r.a. to accept, put more than $5,000 away. >> thanks for the question, tiffany. we're going to the phone lines now, beverly checking in. she's calling out west from california. hi, beverly. >> hi, how are you? >> i'm going great. how are you and what's your question? >> as a retired senior i'm looking for a legitimate online business or part-time job that can be done outside of the home. what resources or companies can you recommend? >> this is a really popular question. we get this all the time on financially fit. did you know people over the age

of 65, one in five are either work are or looking for work. she is like many americans right now. legitimate websites i think you should check out, one is retirementjobs.com. beverly, this is a site that's constantly updating its database for senior friendly companies and postings there. also depending on what you want to do, be a little entrepreneurial, a great site is tutor.com. if you want to tutor people on your own time, video chats, make between $10 and $14 at home. run tasks for your neighbors, as you're running around doing tasks for yourself. task.com pays $40 to $50 per task. if you want something more technical at home at the computer, data entry, fact checking, elance.com is a great source as well for finding pay, great paying jobs from the convenience of your home. i think it's great that's where you are mind-set is at. let's face it, when you're in

your 60s you're not ready to throw in the towel and you need money. >> and you've got to stay active. back to the phones. sharita calling in from binghamton new york. hi, sharita. >> hi, al, good morning. >> good morning. >> i'm from new york and want to know what independent retirement savings plan should i invest in for future security since i do not work a traditional job. >> all right, sharita, david talked about the accept i.r.a. the other one to look at is a solo 401(k). again, unlike a roth i.r.a. or traditional i.r.a., these allow you to put away more money than you can put into those accounts. the difference is if you have employees or if you don't have employees. so if you don't have employees, then you want to look at the solo 401(k). if you do the accept i.r.a.

get going so it will add up and work for you. >> thanks so much. thanks to everybody. for those of you on the east coast. she's sticking around for a live web chat on today.com. she's sticking around for a live web chat on today.com. up

i'm barack obama, and i approve this message. she's sticking around for a live mitt romney's position on women's health...it's dangerous. vo:mitt romney and paul ryan would get rid of planned parenthood funding. and allow employers to deny coverage for cancer screenings and birth control. we can't afford to let him take away our choices... to take away basic health care. vo: both backed proposals to outlaw abortions...even in cases of rape and incest. i don't think that women's health issues have faced a crisis like this in decades.

this morning on "today's" beauty, this year's best products for your hair, "prevention" magazine has done the legwork for you annual beauty awards. prevention beauty director, jennifer, good morning. >> good morning. >> time to whip our hair back and forth. i love it. you went through 1700 products and six were standouts. that's a long list to go through. >> we narrowed down finalists with chemists, dermatologists and sent some of these products to independent testing labs where they put them on the hair, showers and combing to see which ones really help keep your hair

healthy as well as beautiful. >> what they promised. let's start out with the best hairspray. why is this the best? >> l'oreal ever style is neat because it doesn't have alcohol. a lot have alcohol so it's drying. the more you use it, the frizzier it gets, ends dried out. this is moisturizing. we sent this to prevention readers at home. they use it in the morning and lasted all day. stayed put. >> keep spritzing through the day. love that. next up, shampoo, this says super shiny. that is the case? >> yes, it will make your hair super shiny. the key is it doesn't have sulfates. you probably hear a lot about sulfates. surfactants that cleanse hair but make color fade. it's without those, helps keep it moisturized. also mango nut oil. >> what does that do. >> shiny, moisturized, hydrated. all natural.

>> still smell good. >> a fruit scent but from natural sources. >> citrus clean. very nice. moving on to conditioners. why did this one stand out? >> this clear scalp and hair therapy conditioner is neat. a zink complex. this the kind of conditioner you put throughout, massage your scalp and make it healthier. >> a treatment with that in it makes it grow as well. >> promotes scalp health, sunflower oil. put it through the lab, a comb through it 100 times to see how it does, makes combing hair four to five times easier, that means no shedding, hair loss. >> home color, a real pain if you don't get the right thing. >> there's lots of things to choose from with couture colors. ammonia-free, great for allergies.

an oil from the brazilian rain forest helps the color last longer, wraps around the hair strands. it had 45% less color loss than other dyes. the more you wash your hair, the color will stay. >> which is the hard thing. you wish it, two washings later you're doomed. volumizer. >> this is great. a lot of old mousses were crunchy and had alcohol. this one is like -- squirt it and see how it goes. like a whipped cream, a creamy fixture, polymers that wrap around strands and makes them thicker. builds at the root, lots of volume. >> working for you. i like it. >> porcupine. moving on my sticking up hair to smooth it out. >> that's the thing, volume or smooth. for the women with frizzies,

want to smooth, this nexus is great. what it does, wraps around the ends and seals split ends together. 86% of split end. somebody counted, i met him, i know. >> what would you use it for specifically. >> put this on damp hair, smooth it out so before you below dry it won't frizz. if you have split ends they can look fried. this smooth them down so it's shiny. >> thank you. got music ending the show. just ahead kathie lee and hoda cook up some $10. anncr: it'll start out as concrete and steel...

but it'll become so much more. a new world-class resort casino in prince george's county. two thousand construction jobs to build it. four thousand permanent, good-paying jobs when it's done. hundreds of millions for maryland schools... real oversight to make sure the money goes... where it's supposed to. but none of it will happen unless we vote for... question seven this november. vote for question seven. and help build a better future for maryland.

good morning, everyone. 9:57 on this wednesday, september 5th. today a maryland navy s.e.a.l. killed in afghanistan will be laid to rest at arlington national cemetery. petty officer first class patrick feeks died in a blackhawk helicopter crash in afghanistan last month. well, more rain is headed our way. storm team 4 meteorologist veronica johnson is here with a look at the day's forecast.

>> that's right, angie. at least we have a bit of a break right now from the early morning little sprinkles and light showers we had and getting a break, too, we have some sunshine, too, coming our way. 82 still overall mostly cloudy sky and humidity still remains high and while the radar is quiet, we have rain on tap, high 88. danella? >> from twitter breaks news in wisconsin avenue because wisconsin avenue southbound at 35th street is closed because of the crash there. also tweeted a picture of the accident and it is involving a metro bus. heading to the district, angie, still slow in this area. back over to you. >> president clinton: this election to me is about which... candidate is more likely to return us to full employment. this is a clear choice. the republican plan is to cut more taxes on upper-income... people and go back to deregulation. that's what got us in trouble in the first place. president obama has a plan to rebuild america from... the ground up, investing in innovation, education... and job training. it only works if there is a strong middle class.

that's what happened when i was president. we need to keep going with his plan. president obama: i'm barack obama and... i approve this message.

it's september 5th. the good news is it's wines-day wednesday. we're already for kick-off of the nfl season. thank you very much. >> we have on our jerseys. >> and frank gifford is upset. his is at home and i have to wear eli manning! >> and i'm wearing this one!

>> we're also doing something they never do on this show. wearing pants. >> there are certain people who shall remain nameless, who will not be happy. >> we wanted to wear jeans today because we're doing a jeans segment. these are not your mother's jeans. >> the sexiest. >> these jeans are like leggings. >> they're like velvet leggings. yea yeah. >> oh, good, you shaved. >> and i love these. >> these are cute, too, aren't they. >> let's see. cute cute, i love these. >> this is wines-day wednesday and you're not supposed to take any kind of wine into sporting even events, we have this! look at my new purse. >> that's a beautiful bag. where did you get it? >> i got it at bvolari. >> what's so unique about it?

>> it's wine and has a nozzle here. >> come on. you will get me in trouble. >> you know this is going to be a disaster. i'm scared. how do you do it? >> i don't know. >> oh! >> this is the best thing ever! >> i'm afraid. >> hold it up and squeeze this. push the top, i think. >> oh. or maybe push the button on the to top. >> this is a catastrophe. i can't get it open. >> push the button. hang on. >> oh! >> hodie, hodie. we pride ourselves here at nbc news in letting the public in on the newest and most wonderful gadgets that are available. >> that is awesome. >> for a small fee. >> by the way, it's 15 bucks, by the way. >> it was a gag, like i'm really -- never mind. >> we have something that's coming up, very exciting for all

of the college students. >> it's the college thing? >> speaking of wine and alcohol. we are going to do something really fun. we're going back to college for a keg party. we might be coming to your college. >> it depends on you. >> here's the deal. we want you guys, at different universities, to go on our twitter page, okay, and do a hashtag. this is extremely important. please take notes with your notepad. klgandho klgandhodau. >> like university. send us pictures and we will pick six colleges. >> show your school pride. we will pick the schools with the most spirit on twitter. >> let me tell you something else. when we're done, it's narrowed down to six. you guys will vote and the single college that is the winner with the most votes, we're going to do our show from there in october. >> we are? am i going to be there, too? >> i don't know. >> have a little thing called

scandalous i'm trying to put on broadway. >> this will be scandalous, too. can you imagine on your campus, our show? you know what i'm saying? >> so much for an education. >> this is why your parents are spending 35 to $50,000 a semester for you, or a year, whatever it is. who cares? >> carnival cruise, your -- >> my alma mater? ♪ in the mornings, in the evening, we've got fun ♪ >> they're sick and tired -- >> of me. that's why after 20 years i don't work there anymore. >> they were sick and tired of people waking up super early and taking their towels on the deck chairs and marking their spot and going to have breakfast and doing everything else and leaving an empty chair sitting hours upon end. they decided it's not fair to hog a seat you're not sitting in. >> i think like much of what carnival does, they listened to their customers. they had a lot of people complain. i think it's rude to go and grab

something and then not use it, like you do all the time. >> let me say this. they have 40 minutes. they have a timer. if you're not back in 40 minutes, they take your stuff and cast it aside. >> they're not going to throw it overboard. >> and then your seat's open. i'm one of those people at the beach, i wake up early,i do stuff, you know, i want to make sure we have chairs. i put towels and magazines and sunglasses, whatever, on chairs, go have breakfast leisurely. >> i know you do. >> come back. >> a beach is different. >> there's limited chairs down there, you know what i mean. >> you can leave it on the sand, hoda. get a little sand where the sun don't shine, what's the problem? >> i sort of like the idea the early bird gets the worm, too bad. >> i do, too, then use it, beat the worm, don't let it sit there while other people are -- i got up this morning to try to do what you do and try to get on the treadmill at the apartment

building. >> how -- >> at the gym. i thought i was nice and early. every single machine was taken up. i did a few weights. i looked like the biggest wimp because the treadmill was busy. out of order. >> people line up early. they are right when it opens. >> i know. >> you were already busy last night, the first day of rehearsals. >> it went until 7:00. i rewrote until 10:00, and it will be like that the next few months. >> was it thrilling? >> it was invigorating. i looked at our cast, they're extraordinary people, the most talented on broadway. there's george hearn, four time nominee and two time winner, he's brilliant in it. it's thrilling. i will try not to bore you to death with it. >> you probably will. >> i probably already have. >> this is the weirdest proposal you will ever hear. >> this is strange. >> that's good.

>> this guy in russia wanted to propose to his girlfriend. he didn't know whether she would say yes or no. he wanted her to realize how life would be without him. >> to convince her of the magnitude of that. >> he decided to stage a fake car accident -- >> he hired -- he went to great expense. >> make jun artist, scriptwriter, stuntman. there he was, strewn out on the street and she thought he was dead. >> he abilitied dead. >> he acted dead. >> and then he rose from the dead and proposed. and she said, yes! >> yes! how do you say yes in russian? >> da! >> i can't believe she said yes. >> that is so creepy and sick. >> it's the most romantic thing i've ever heard. [ crash ]. >> terrible. >> can you imagine what their life is going to be like? >> it won't be boring. a lot of marriages die of

boredom, hodie. >> this is the part of the show i hate. anyway, so phil galanos is a friend of ours and writes the social column of the "new york times." a man wrote in recently and he was saying they were at a party and his wife was showing off a diamond ring. okay. what was the story? another guy -- >> a man who happened to be a jeweler saw it and realized that it was a cubic zirconia. >> it was a fake. >> it was a fake. the question was, should the jeweler let the woman know that the ring is a fake? >> or -- >> should he just zip it? sn>> galanos says he should lett go, not his concern or business and let her go on with her life thinking she has a diamond. >> thinking her husband is a really great guy. >> it is a weird thing people do sometime

sometimes. >> what's weirder is when people say, is that real? >> they do it all the time. >> i love your earrings, are those real? >> i don't wear many real things because i lose things. >> really, hoda? everything you ever lost is in your purse. >> if things look good, who cares? do you care? >> you know what, i used to care, then frank gave me a beautiful diamond engagement ring, it was just beautiful and it was stolen about 10 years ago or something. after that, i didn't. i only wanted it because i wanted to some day give it to my daughter. that stuff doesn't mean anything. nothing means the same as it used to. i was talking with this reporter and he sits with me, he was here with us. he has some four books i've written over the years. one when i was 21 years old, i said, i'm not her anymore so don't take anything out of that. the next one was just when i thought -- no, no, i can't

believe i said that, from 1993, i said -- take the one with the eggs. i'm out of eggs, that's the one that's me now. >> you're evolving. >> i'm evolving to the cheeriest person on the planet is the person no longer growing. >> we have a big show coming up. >> but enough about my rear end. >> she has a new album and new show. >> we catch up with the grammy award winning songwriter, ashanti after this. so... [ gasps ] these are sandra's "homemade" yummy, scrumptious bars. hmm?

i just wanted you to eat more fiber. chewy, oatie, gooeyness... and fraudulence. i'm in deep, babe. you certainly are. [ male announcer ] fiber one. like a squirrel stashes nuts, you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec® liquid gels. nothing starts working faster than zyrtec® at relieving your allergy symptoms for 24 hours. zyrtec®. love the air. prego?! but i've been buying ragu for years. thinking ] i wonder what other questionable choices i've made? [ club scene music ] [ sigh of relief ] [ male announcer ] choose taste. choose prego.

that's grammy award winning artist, ashanti. featuring the woman you love, "bu "bust with buster rhymes. >> she is also an author and actor and get this, executive producer and co-host of fuse news, a new show launching this fall. what's up, ashanti? >> miss fancy. >> got a lot going. >> have a lot of stuff going. i'm grateful. >> let's talk about fuse news. this is a new hat you're wearing. >> hoda has a show called booze news. >> absolutely amazing. i'm so exciting. >> tell us about. >> it it's filling the void. we used to have mtv and they kind of went towards reality tv. this is something we will pioneer and inject something back into music. i'm very excited about it. it's music news and talking

about album sales and itunes and what's going on and maybe into relationships who's dating who, maybe, but more about musical content, things we want to know, watching videos, news videos, new artists. really cool. >> speaking of who's dating who, who are you dating? what's your story? i don't know if i know. >> my album, "brave heart," has an amazing heart. >> do you know something i know? >> i don't know. i don't know. don' "brave heart," shall we? >> amazing film. >> i kind of took the metaphor of that film and why i named the album "brave heart." it's about women being empowering and very deep. with my record level in rtainment and this newsh it's about building the woman

and building the brand and hope it's inspiring women and keep going forward. the album is amazing, i'm excited about it. i work with producers. it's kind of deep and going everywhere i haven't gone. >> did you write all the music? >> yes. written entertainment. >> i can't believe it's been 10 years. >> isn't that crazy? my first album came out in 2002. >> you talk about how tough this business is. >> yes. that's why it's so cutthroat. >> is that why it's important to exec produce this so you have control? >> absolutely. it's important to have your hand in it. 10 years ago, my god. my gosh, it is so important to be hands on with everything you're doing, you know. the world perceives you as who you are, your image. you have to have everything to do it. you have to take the responsibility, be a part of your brand. >> how has your style changed over 10 years, your music style?

>> obviously growing up, growing through so many different experiences in love and knowing myself and growing as a woman especially in this music industry, ups and downs. it's a character builder. when bad things happen, it's about being a survivor. >> your mom is here videotaping you. she's your manager. how important was it to have her with you along the way? >> my mom is absolutely my backbone. i couldn't do it without her. having someone that genuinely cares about you and supports you and for your personal being, really protecting you. i don't have to worry about my mom stealing from me. >> the only person on the entire planet you trust, isn't she? >> yeah. i have a top five. she's definitely number one. >> it's true, though. when you look at musical artists, who do you look at and say, that's the kind of career i'd like to have. >> my gosh, longevity, someone who has graced us with amazing music.

i'm trying to think of a pioneer that has really done, like going way back to ella fitzgerald and, you know, the big huge icons, aretha franklin, having passion. stevie wonder still alive and kicking and having fun with it. after a while sometimes you go through things and you get a little discouraged or disheartened. >> or bored. >> absolutely. >> keep on with the passion. >> absolutely. ♪ ashanti whoa >> thank you. thanks for being with us. >> next, off the wall photos, you love this, that make you say what the what? but i love sara. donut!

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it is that time to take a look at all those hysterical photos that make you say what the what? >> sara has looked at these pictures for years and here with this week's topic. >> i barely get by, honestly. our first photo is from karen from connecticut. >> that's great! >> that was taken at a resort, she walk out and saw him drinking the martini. >> seriously. >> my gosh, he won't find his -- never mind. >> he will have trouble finding his way home. >> he will have trouble finding his way home is what she meant. >> from spring branch, texas, submitted this photo, missing black cow. she drove by a few days later and noticed -- that really happened. >> these are good, sara!

>> i think we should stop right now. >> why don't we just wrap it, go to commercial. we have a photo from cindy atkins. in case you weren't sure, that pole was there and we will warn you about the bigger pole in case you missed that. this photo was named because it was near the sulfur. it really did smell. >> that's a terrible smell. >> they could have been more creative. >> stinking creek road. >> think about putting that on an nfl. >> imagine living on it. >> finally, rachel blackwell from virginia submitted this phot photo. >> your number 2 is my number 1. >> that's going to leave a mark. >> that's disgusting. stinking creek road! >> oh, my gosh. >> i must say that was quite ill

lumina luminatiing and entertaining as well. a picture worthy of our "what the what"? go to our website and you can enter. are u raed you ready for so? we will find out about tonight's big kickoff, when we play your favorite game, "who new"? thank god it's wines-day wednesday. and we will look at the latest trends for the fall and to the dining table with our mouths watering, you can do it for less than 10 bucks. after the local news. hmm, it says here that cheerios helps lower cholesterol

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these are sandra's "homemade" yummy, scrumptious bars. hmm? maybe. rich chocolate chips... i just wanted you to eat more fiber. chewy, oatie, gooeyness... and, and...and then the awards started coming in, and i became addicted to the fame. topped with chocolaty drizzle... and fraudulence. i'm in deep, babe. you certainly are. [ male announcer ] fiber one. fiber beyond recognition. anncr: it'll start out as concrete and steel... but it'll become so much more. a new world-class resort casino in prince george's county. two thousand construction jobs to build it. four thousand permanent, good-paying jobs when it's done. hundreds of millions for maryland schools... real oversight to make sure the money goes... where it's supposed to. but none of it will happen unless we vote for... question seven this november. vote for question seven. and help build a better future for maryland.

we are back with more to play the weekly trivia game called "who new." and the defending super bowl champions, dallas and the new york giants. and we're brushing up on everything football. kathie lee is next door and ready to give out 100 bucks to those who get the questions right and an nfl new jersey to those who don't. >> i'm not happy because people want my cd! >> and here to discuss it and they don't even get a kathie lee

cd. >> i don't like your tone. i don't like it at all. why is a football sometimes called a pigskin, mr. denver? please stand up. the first balls were made from the skin of pigs. the first balls reminded people of the way a pig's skin looks. the earliest footballs in soccer were made of inflated pig bladders. >> yikes. >> or players are so big, like hogs. >> i'll go with one, the first one. >> you're wrong, mr. denver. >> what is it? >> oh, oh. well -- >> it's definitely not the skin of pigs. >> okay. so the correct answer is? >> the pig bladder. earliest -- the earliest footballs were for soccer balls and sewn from pig's bladders and also used human skulls for soccer balls. >> are you making that up about the skulls? >> no. >> back across the street to t

kathie. >> when was the last time the nfl played a game on a wednesday? last season, 1948, 1980 or never. >> i'm going to say never. >> no, so sad. >> this would have been a great day for kathie lee's cd. the right answer is 1948. >> back then they played them any day. >> the rams beat which proves on any given wednesday -- >> anything can happen. you never know. back across to kathie. >> okay. you are from? sn>> from -- >> i'm just testing you. the top price for a super bowl ticket last year was $1200. what did the top ticket cost for the first super bowl in 1967, $12, 25, $50 or $100? >> bababooey! >> okay. >> i will go with $25. >> it's a bashar assad day.

oh! >> the correct -- ah. >> she's happy. >> the correct answer -- they're making out, is $12. >> and at the l.a. coliseum, the game was not sold out. i guess the prices were pretty steep. >> $1200 they say at a super bowl tick, if you were to scalp it -- >> if it's your team, a small team such as green bay, $5,000 or $10,000. >> everybody's terrified of leslie, except this big guy from denver. all right, sir. approximately, how many footballs are used per game? 24, 48, 50, or 100? >> can you say that one more time? >> i've got the car. >> take your time. it's just an hour show. >> i will go with 50. >> you're wrong as well. >> a nice dainty toss for him. >> the correct answer, 48. >> they want to keep them going

if it's bad weather. 12 of the 48 are just for the kickers. they have special kicking balls. did you know that? >> no, i didn't. >> in the old days they rough them up and scuff them up and now try to level it out and make it a level playing field. >> beautiful family from hudson, ohio with us today. which team has won the most super bowls? the baltimore ravens, pittsburgh steelers? green bay packers or new york giants? >> the pittsburgh steelers. >> like a champ. like a champ! >> look at this kid. he probably wants the jersey. the steelers, how many? >> the steelers and dallas were both in eight super bowls. they've been in the most. pittsburgh, they have a chance, six-pack. >> who holds the giants' all time record for the most touchdowns scored, phil simms, eli manning, alex webster or frank gifford? >> frank gifford? >> what a great answer.

>> that is the best answer. >> still all time record. what did he have, 78 touchdowns? 10 extra points and two field goals. as kathie lee knows, he can do it all. >> that's the best picture of frank ever. doesn't he still hold a record at usc? >> honey, he holds lots of records. >> all right. len, thank you so much. love having you. love love love. >> thanks. >> you can watch the dallas cowboys play the new york giants tonight at 7:30 eastern on nbc. how to avoid the blues, when you are wearing denim. kat is coming from across the street and we will talk about it. ood. just trying to look our best. gonna take more than looks. from what i hear, ms. haskins is a toughy. oh we had a good breakfast, so we're ready. gonna be another great year, huh guys?! you bet your 8 layers! yeah! long distance high 5. whoa! oh, careful. hey, watch it. [ female announcer ] packed with fiber and nearly a day's worth of whole grains, kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal helps keep your kids full

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(in her head) that's wassup. famous brands. famously easy. famous footwear. victory is yours. chips, chips,...! silence those tempting thoughts with new light & fit greek. its creamy-thick texture helps satisfy you. and at 80 calories, it's the lightest greek yogurt with fruit. new light & fit greek. be light and fit and satisfied. parebut not on your face. juvéderm® xc is the gel filler your doctor uses to instantly smooth out lines right here.

temporary side effects include redness, pain, firmness, swelling, bumps, or risk of infection. ask your doctor about juvéderm® xc. tomato, obviously. haha. there's more than that though, there's a kick to it. there's a pop. wahlalalalallala! pepper, but not pepper, i'm getting like, pep-pepper. it's kind of like drinking a food that's a drink, or a drink that's a food, zip zip zip zip zip! i'm literally getting zinged by the flavor. smooth, but crisp. velvety. kind of makes me feel like a dah zing yah woooooh! [ male announcer ] taste it and describe the indescribable. could've had a v8. woooo! now on today's style, wearing denim but avoiding basic blue. here the latest denim trends all of us can wear is self-fashion editor, lindsey huggins.

>> hey, lindsey. >> yours are darling. >> isn't it cute? i am mixing the trend of metallic and gold. >> she's wearing a page jean, paisley front. what woman doesn't want that? we all want our legs velvety. >> these are like velvet. >> i could not get over. >> super soft jeans. >> we have models coming out. first up is amy. she's not in your typical blue jean. she has a wax jean. he has a wax jean. it's meant to look like leather. they're actually coated to look exactly like leather. what i love about this also is get this, they're reversible. they're two for one. $175, reversible and it's a total steal. >> we should point out you are a pro. look what's happening to her right now. she was getting miked up and you were beautiful at it.

beautiful. >> what i love about the styling is you want the attention to really be on the jeans. you want to keep the look very clean, very polished and she looks lovely. >> you look great, amy. next up is leah. she has the florals on. >> floral is something we did see in spring and summer and transitioning into fall. it has a nice dark background. lc jean, available at macy's, $78. >> are they comfy? you like them? jeans when they cut you in a weird place, you don't want to wear them because they don't feel good. >> you definitely want to be comfortable. >> thank you. come on, irene. she is next. she is wearing houndstooth. >> irene is in our menswear trend. houndstooth is what we will focus on. we can find this in plaids, herges bone and houndstooth is the most flattering.

this is something she can wear on a casual friday, and she can transition this into tonight, throw on a jacket and ready for boot night. >> they' boots are $179, and th same designer as kathie lee. >> very nice. we have a special model coming out. hi, sara. she's in an h & m metallic jean, $34. total steal. this is something she can wear date night, girl's night out and transitions into holidays, wonderful, too. >> those are fun. >> instead of wearing your basic black pants to a holiday. >> would you wear those? >> i would have never picked them but when i put them on, i like them. >> they match your hair. >> they sure do. let's bring everybody out. >> thank you, everybody and thank you, lindsey.

>> all right. marriage, children, work and everything else in your busy life kind of wearing you down? >> you think? how to bring happiness back into your life. i know how. hungry for the best? it's eb. want to give your family the very best in taste, freshness, and nutrition? it's eb. want to give them more vitamins, omega 3s, and less saturated fat? it's eb. eggland's best eggs. eb's. the only eggs that make better taste and better nutrition... easy. eggland's best eggs. better taste. better nutrition. better eggs. it's eb. [ female announcer ] for everything your face has to face. face it with puffs facial tissues. puffs has air-fluffed pillows for 40% more cushiony thickness. face every day with puffs softness.

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anncr: it'll start out as concrete and steel.... but it'll become so much more. a new world-class resort casino in prince george's county. two thousand construction jobs to build it. four thousand permanent, good-paying jobs when it's done. hundreds of millions for maryland schools... real oversight to make sure the money goes... where it's supposed to. but none of it will happen unless we vote for... question seven this november. vote for question seven. and help build a better future for maryland.

who wouldn't want to be a little happier? something gretchen ruben has taken to heart. her project takes on monthly resolutions designed to improve lives. >> now she has a new follow-up book called "happier at home." read samuel johnson and my other experiments in the practice of everyday life. >> it's been nice having you. >> i know, i went a little nuts on that and got it all end. >> why did you decide to write another follow-up? >> i had such great experience with my happiness project, i realized i wanted to go more narrow and deeper into this idea

of home. so many elements of the happy life for me and most people converge at home. once i had the idea to do it, i became preoccupied with what could i do to be preoccupied at home. that's what matters most. >> let's go through that list and tell us why samuel johnson will make us happier? sn>> samuel johnson, when i rea him, i feel like i understand myself better. people have this person they read that resonates for them. >> "soup for the soul." >> samuel johnson isn't for everyone but -- >> defines that person for you. >> it's interesting. people say possessions don't make you happier it's not what you have but who you have. you say there are some possessions that make you happy. >> for some possessions make you happier. they are precious to us, look like old warm mugs or old tattered chair but remind us of the people and activities and places we love and allow us to project ourselves into our

environment and remind us what's important to us. getting rid of everything you don't use, don't love -- >> that can make you happier. >> it is, right. >> especially if somebody else could use it, that's the greatest feeling. >> what i found, if you know who you can give something to, it's easier to get it out of your house. don't go and live a happier life somewhere else. >> and like the salvation army. amazing. >> so many things are little things. you pay attention to your good-byes. when leaving a family gathering, don't say, did so-and-so leave? i sneak out. >> hoda does drive buy s. >> i want the atmosphere in my home to be attentive engaged feeling. hello and good-bye is a way to check in every time you come and

go. it's easy. doesn't take time and money. give it a shot. >> do you believe some people are in it aately happy? >> 50% is hardwired and the other percent is controlled by what we do and how we think. >> some of it, you're born a tig gore or eore. hardwired. >> you say abandon a project. >> i thought this was my private pathology. turns out a lot of people have this. you start something and lose interest, it's harder than you thought. >> dump it? >> dump it. that knitting project and have beer in your bathroom, i will do that scrapbook for my daughter's senior year and now she's out of college. >> it doesn't matter. if you don't have the passion for it, it doesn't matter.

>> you keep it and it weighs on your conscious and on the shelves. i had it with oragami, we're not going to do it. give it to my daughter's art teacher. >> thanks for coming to see us. >> okay, mom, what's for dinner? >> how to make a memorable meal for a family of four for just $10. you heard me right. first, this is "today" on nbc.

i'm barack obama, and i approve this message. mitt romney's position on women's health...it's dangerous. vo:mitt romney and paul ryan would get rid of planned parenthood funding. and allow employers to deny coverage for cancer screenings and birth control. we can't afford to let him take away our choices... to take away basic health care. vo: both backed proposals to outlaw abortions...even in cases of rape and incest. i don't think that women's health issues have faced a crisis like this in decades.

on "today's" kitchen, what's cooking? it's dinnertime and you have to whip up something quick and healthy your family like without spending a lot of dough. the author of "10 dollar dinners." she is here. she is melissa! >> are you serious about the $10 for this entire meal?

>> i couldn't be more serious. there are some tricks. for instance, we are going to take the classic stand by inexpensive maeal, meatloaf and give it an ethic twist. we will go in with ginger, cinnamon and cumin. >> what is cumin? >> cumin is going to give it a lot of earthy notes. >> hoda, hold up -- you're funny telling me. that is funny, hoda. er that. >> what's great about this is you're going to get some interesting new flavors into a package that your kids will already know and love. this is a great way to introduce a new flavor. >> i find my kids don't like new stuff, you know, you have to sneak it in. >> you have to give them something they can identify with, like a meatloaf or meatba meatballs. then put in the new flavor. >> coagulating. >> we're adding in cilantro and

instead of breadcrumbs, i'm using oats. >> look, she pulsed out some oats. >> a little bit of oats for heart health. >> it's coagulating. why is that happening? >> why are you saying that word. >> coagulating is not of used on cooking shows. >> i just used it. i will use it again. coagulating! >> i tell you what, i will stop you. at home, just go ahead and dig your hands in it. >> not now. >> or now. now is good. >> now, what do we do? >> here is my trick. you know on meatloaf, you get the great crust on the top and the rest is a little bit soggy. here is my trick. i line a meatloaf plan with the plastic. look. i flip it over, i pull it out. look. now, i've got three sides of crust and fabulousness. it's a perfect shape. >> see. >> you know, there's the stuff my mother use, i'm trying to remember the name, kitchen

bouquet. have you ever used kitchen bouquet? it makes such a great crust. try that on the top. you can learn something too once in a while. >> you know what, i would try kitchen bouquet. >> it gives such a great crust, honestly. >> this is kind of ketchupy glaze except i added in a little bit of cinnamon and lemon zest. and glaze it up, into the oven. on the side, i'm making stuffed veggies. take any veggies you get at the farmer's market, scoop out the inside, cook up the inside. here's what's great. just moisten it with boiling water or broth. >> what is bolger? >> a grain. super cheap, in the grain aisle. mix it up in here and then stuff it in. you know. that's also an option. >> let's eat. >> when you bake it, let me show you what it comes out to be. look at that.

inexpensive, perfect $10 dinner, the meatloaf, my bread pudding, my secret is raspberry jam instead of fresh raspberries. >> look at that! we are searching for a college campus with spirit. tweet the name of your school telling us why we should pick your campus, everybody. >> hashtag, klgandhodau. [ harry umlaut ] that's one creamy muller. [ sally umlaut ] it's greek-style yogurt.

this greek style yogurt has style. you can say that again. why thank you. this greek style yogurt has style. okay. stop saying it now. you're sending me mixed messages. [ male announcer ] muller. the european for yummy.