pretty brilliant kids. that is a great sight to see. >> if you're learning the alphabet and how to count, rg3, you have that down. >> i know. it's just been so long. 2007 since we've good morning, breaking news. a bombshell new report out that claims lance armstrong is considering making a public admission that he used performance enhancing drugs. will it happen, and why now just months after he was stripped of his tour de france title. this morning the very latest. a pilot arrested. an american eagle pilot removed from a plane, taken into custody after reportedly failing a breathalyzer test as he prepared to fly. and rocking toddler. >> who's the drummer in the beatles? >> ringo. >> who's the drummer in the band? >> he's only 18 months old but seems to have decades of rock

trivia under his belt. he's quickly gaining fans on line. today, saturday, january 5, line. today, saturday, january 5, 2013. captions paid for by nbc-universal television still feels weird saying 2013. welcome to "today" on this saturday morning. i'm lester holt. >> i'm erica hill. nice to have you back. >> i was gone last weekend, you've been here every day. >> i'm making up for you since you have three jobs. >> nice to be here. i wrote 2013, first check of the year, did you mess it up? >> no, i didn't. i wrote it. happy new year. there's a blockbuster new report we're talking about in "the new york times" that claims that lance armstrong is thinking about admitting publicly that he used performance enhancing drugs

and blood transfusions during his cycling career. as you know, he's been dogged by allegations for years, but he's always denied them even as he was stripped of his title. we'll hear more including what his lawyer says. >> a lot of people talking about that. plus, he's in hawaii now, but president obama is leaving paradise today, headed back to another paradise known as washington where some big fights are coming. ahead, we'll look at the battles the president will face in 2013 and what they mean for you. plus, you've probably seen people sneezing, sniffling, and coughing all around you. the flu season is off to the strongest start in a decade. we'll tell you what you can do that might lower your risk of getting it. and speaking of staying healthy, i recently sat down with dr. mehmet oz to talk starting the year off by making resolutions you can actually keep. and you saw a little bit, he introduced me to the famous green drink. >> he's a big fan of that. >> doesn't look great. >> it tastes pretty good. >> we'll find out.

later, controversy surrounding the movie "zero dark thirty," about the raid that killed osama bin laden. lawmakers want to know if the cia misled the filmmakers about what really happened in the hunt for the terror leader. we want to get started this morning with lance armstrong and reports that he is considering making a public admission about using performance enhancing drugs. michelle franzen is here to tell us more about that. good morning. good morning. the cycling champion was long revered as an athlete and cancer survivor who inspired others to reach for their dreams. for years, armstrong has also been caught up in allegations he was involved in a doping scandal. this morning "the new york times" reports lance armstrong is weighing his options on whether or not he should admit to using banned performance enhancing drugs during his cycling career. the u.s. anti-doping agency, a body that certifies athletes for competition, issued a damaging report in august and said it had evidence armstrong used drugs. the agency banned armstrong from competition for life. he was stripped of his record seven tour de france titles and

quickly following the report, his biggest sponsors, nike, anheuser-busch, and trek bicycles dropped him. armstrong has strongly denied the allegations all along, and he has stepped down as chairman of livestrong, the cancer survivor charity he founded. in a statement to nbc news, armstrong's attorney said, "there are no ongoing discussions with usada and no contact with mr. howman as reported by "the new york times." and that is the extent of any comment at this time. the article states armstrong would like to clear the path to compete again and lessen the fallout for his charity. if armstrong is considering this as an option, there are some major legal hurdles to consider. federal prosecutors dropped their criminal investigation last year, but armstrong still faces several investigations including a case filed by his former teammate, floyd landis. any admission could bring new legal troubles and punishment by the anti-doping agency.

>> all right. michelle franzen, thanks. want to check now some of the other top stories from jenna wolfe. good morning. >> hey, good morning to you. police in minneapolis are waiting for blood test results before deciding whether to file charges against an american eagle pilot. the pilot is 48-year-old coley christiansen. he was suspended after failing a blood alcohol test before a flight to laguardia airport. agents smelled alcohol as they waved the pilot through a checkpoint. he was taken off the flight before any passengers boarded. the flight landed safely at laguardia. keep your checkbooks out. that's the message from northeast lawmakers to congress following a congressional approve of almost $10 billion. the money slated to help pay flood insurance claims to 115,000 people and businesses hurt by superstorm sandy. lawmakers from the region also want speedy approval of about $52 billion in recovery aid. a vote on those funds is set for

january 15. a tsunami warning has been canceled for parts of southern alaska and coastal canada. it was posted after a strong earthquake shook the region. the u.s. geological survey says the magnitude 7.5 quake struck at midnight alaska time and was centered about 60 miles west of craig, alaska. the quake generated a wave but not big enough to pose a threat. the food and drug administration is proposing the most sweeping food safety rules in decades. that to help curtail foodborne illnesses that kill thousands every year. here's what the fda want. farmers will be required to take precautions against contamination on the farm. and food manufacturers will now have to submit food safety plans to the government. the new rules are open to public comment for the next 120 days. once they are final, farmers will have two years to get on board. the u.s. job market did hold its own in december despite fears the economy would tumble right over that fiscal cliff. the labor department reports

employers added 155,000 jobs, roughly matching the solid monthly pace for the past two years. that kept the unemployment rate at 7.8%. strong hiring in manufacturing and construction fueled those gains. and we just told you earlier about a pilot accused of being drunk. it was a passenger causing the stir in this case. so much of a stir that fellow passengers aboard an international flight bound for the u.s. actually subdued him with duct tape. check this out. it happened after he allegedly caused a commotion aboard an icelandic flight to new york. witnesses say the 46-year-old man had too much to drink, screamed that the plane was going to crash, and allegedly threatened to choke a woman sitting next to him. but the man isn't going to be charged because the witnesses were reluctant to speak with prosecutors. apparently no witnesses know what happened. that is the news. back to you. >> at least the seat was in the upright position. >> yes. he had that going for him. >> we're all good.

crazy. dylan dreyer has the forecast. good morning. >> good morning. still, duct tape can do all things, right? >> in the emergency kit. >> for sure. we are actually looking at some rain down in the gulf coast states. that's really all that's going on across the country.

good saturday morning to you. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell. the sky is clear outside this morning, but temperatures are chilly. in the upper 20s and lower 30s in most locations. windchills, a little on the low side. low to mid-20s today. bundle up on your way out the door. a pleasant day today. plenty of sunshine early on. high clouds coming back later this afternoon. temperatures in the upper 30s and low 40s. dry for the redskins game tomorrow too. >> and that is your latest forecast. erica? >> dylan, thanks. president obama is headed back to washington from his hawaiian vacation today. and given the fights he's about to face in washington, he may be wishing he could stay a little bit longer. our white house correspondent, kristin welker, is traveling with the president. she's in honolulu this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, erica. well, the president and congress may have resolved the fight over the fiscal cliff, but there are three more budget battles

looming, and analysts say that could sideline part of president obama's second term agenda which he will begin to map out soon after he leaves hawaii. president obama soaking up the final hours of vacation before he and congress engage in their next fiscal fight. at the top of the list, the debt ceiling which is like the nation's credit card, and it's about to max out. emboldened by his recent tax hike victory, president obama drew a hard line in his weekly address. >> as i said earlier this week, one thing i will not compromise over is whether or not congress should pay the tab for a bill they've already racked up. >> reporter: house speaker john boehner who won re-election to the speakership this week -- [ applause ] >> reporter: told his conference he plans to use the debt limit as leverage to cut spending. in the republican address, representative dave camp echoed boehner. >> our national debt is now over $16 trillion. we're crushing today's small businesses, and the next generation of americans under a mountain of dead.

>> reporter: if the fight sounds familiar, it is. during the summer of 2011, the country had its credit downgraded after the president and lawmakers had a bruising fight over the debt limit. on friday, cnbc's jim cramer told andrea mitchell the upcoming partisan battle could have an impact. >> look, first quarter could be difficult because of this. a lot of companies are going to report in theux next few weeksd say we are more cloudy because we don't know what cuts are coming. >> reporter: there are two other budget deadlines looming in the coming months which could complicate the president's second-term agenda which includes immigration reform, pressing for stiffer gun-control laws, and new energy policies. >> the state of the union will be critical here. >> reporter: joe lockhart served as press secretary to former president bill clinton. lockhart says in order to achieve his other policy goals, president obama should focus on building public support, a tactic he more heavily employed toward the end of his first term. >> the president has to lay out a program and a political game

plan for how he's going to sell this and then hit the road and go city to city, talk to republicans, talk to democrats, create an environment where it's very, very difficult for republicans to oppose him. >> reporter: now also on the horizon, according to multiple sources, president obama could announce his pick for secretary of defense as early as the beginning of next week. those who are close to the nominating process say former nebraska senator chuck hagel is the leading candidate. but white house officials stress the president has not yet made his final decision. lester? >> kristen welker thank you very much, thanks. mark halprin is a senior analyst for msnbc and "time" magazine. good morning, it's great that they're all getting along in 2013 in washington. >> out with the old, in with the new. >> all good. >> all that blood, sweat, and tears. >> my goodness. before we talk about where congress stands, let me get your thoughts on chuck hagel, former republican senator. if the president picks him, is he in for a confirmation fight in the senate? >> he's going to be in for some

sort of fight. there are some senators already opposing him. the president wants chuck hagel according to reports. chuck hagel is a former senator. he's got credentials. he's not a guy who's out of left field. he worked on national security. a lot of people on the right, some on the left, don't want him confirmed. it's a weird time to pick a fight because the president has a lot on his plate. if he wants chuck hagel, he's going to have to fight a little for him. >> let's talk about the fights. the fiscal cliff debate -- it doesn't end. >> the united states still faces huge debt and the need to raise the debt ceiling, more money can be borrowed. >> the last time they couldn't get the debt ceiling under, that's where we got to the fiscal cliff, right? >> that's right. that big fight over raising the debt ceiling. remember, the danger -- this is one reason the president wanted the first deal, the thing he's really thinking about when he says i am not negotiating, i'm not letting this in negotiations, raising the debt ceiling, he doesn't want the

worlds destabilized. he wants to get the united states' fiscal house in order. he doesn't want a fight. historically this has not been a big fight. if the republicans hold his ground and the president holds his ground, the fight we had over the fiscal cliff will look like child's play compared to this battle. >> john boehner re-elected speaker of the house this week but not without republican defections. if there are winners and losers -- hate using that term because it seems that everything is about winning and losing. but it there are winners and losers, did boehner come out roughed up? >> he's a little roughed up. there was token opposition to him. his problem is one of the lessons he says he learn sudden no more negotiations with the president, no more one on one with the president trying to work it out. boehner cast his lot saying we're going to fight the next battle -- they gave ground on the last battle. boehner is not destroyed but weakened. if he leads his troop successfully in this round, they will rally around. >> to the extent we saw the

fiscal -- fiscal cliff thing hammered out by the vice president and mitch mcconnell, has that represented a new way of guesting things done? >> not necessarily the vice president taking the lead. i think the model going forward on issues like the next round of fiscal negotiations, gun control, immigration, i think the model we did see is the senate makes a deal with the white house in a bipartisan way, then basically throws it to the house where republicans are in control and says to house republicans, you got stand in the way. if you vote this down, we start over, the problem doesn't get addressed. you basically have to take what the senate and the white house have come up with. that worked once, it rkd work again as messy and high stakes as that is. that's probably the best model we can see if we're going to deal with unemployment, high deficits, immigration, crime control, all the other issues the country needs to deal with now. >> mark, thank you for coming on. we'll have this discussion a lot, i have a funny feeling. eri erica? >> i week might. officials say the flu season is off to the most active start

in a decade. this is a particularly nasty one and has proven deadly in a number of cases including the young. more from robert bazell. you've had the flu shot before? >> yes. >> reporter: packed clinics across the country and the cdc's numbers confirm that what was already a bad flu season is quickly getting worse. >> we're seeing people with really high fever, severe body aches, nasal congestion, cough. >> reporter: doctors say the major strain circulating is making its victims especially sick. in some cases, it's proven deadly. high school senior max shalwart died the day after christmas. >> it started as flu, turned into pneumonia, and he had a staph infection on top of that. the three things took over quickly. >> reporter: he was one of 18 deaths in children and teenager this year. doctors say the best defense remains the flu vaccine. it's not perfect, but it's the best we've got. and there's time and vaccine left.

they urge people who are sick to stay away from work to avoid infecting others. the flu virus is often transmitted with coughs and sneezes, but it can live on all the surfaces we touch. think how many there are for up to eight hours. that's why frequent hand washing is so important. increasingly, hospitals are taking a big step, requiring health care workers to get vaccinated or lose their jobs. until recently, fewer than half got the vaccine. experts say that puts patients at risk and sets a very bad example. >> it's a perfectly reasonable thing for the public to say goodness, if my doctor or nurse don't get vaccinated, why should i. >> took notes -- >> reporter: sue schrock and joyce gingrich are among aide nurses fired from goshen hospital in indiana for refusing to get vaccinated. >> i have a right to put in my body what i feel is right for me under god. it's wrong, i believe, for employers to take away my rights. >> reporter: but the hospital says the nurses don't have the right to be around patients unless they are vaccinated.

this clash may ultimately be decided by the courts. one of the worst flu epidemics in many years continues to grow. for "today," robert bazell, nbc news, new york. dr. nisa goldberg is director of the joan tissch women's center. thank you for being here. >> good morning. >> the flu has been reported by all 50 states. in 38 states we know, there are moderate to high levels. we have probably been passing it around over the holidays. what are some of the symptoms that let us know this is really the flu? >> severe muscle aches, fever, cough, diarrhea, vomiting, you feel so exhausted like you've been hit by a truck. i think it's really important to take your temperature. most of us don't have thermometers once we're grown up, but you need one. right now we have medication for the flu, tamiflu which is really helping prevent some of the severest cases and keep people out of the hospital. it's not like your common cold with the scratchy throat and

runny nose. you have those symptoms, but it's worse. chicken soup and fluids are good but not enough. >> if you haven't gotten the flu shot yet, there are still plenty of shots available. i'm told the vaccine is very effective. >> this year's vaccine is a good match for the most severe strains of the flu. and it's not too late to get the flu shot. >> okay. good advice. we want to look at some of the other headlines this week. this is also the worst year for whooping cough in more than 50 years. why is that? why the resurgence? >> well, whooping cough is a severe cough which makes it very difficult for you to breathe. most of the cases are in adolescents and adults. the best prevention is vaccination. you really need to talk to your doctor, make sure your vaccination schedule is up to date. >> really it's adults and older kids not getting the booster. >> that's right. younger kids vaccinated before they go to school. >> something to keep in mind there. there's a new study from the cdc, had a lot of people scratching their heads, especially when they were

thinking of new year's resolutions. it found that slightly overweight people could actually live longer. >> before you get off the track of your continuing resolution lead a healthier life, it's important to understand the body mass index is only one indicator of the weight. really you have to look at where your weight's distributed. certainly those with belly fat are at increased risk for heart disease and diabetes. also, aerobic exercise helps you live longer. even if you don't lose weight, as long as you keep doing it, i think you need to combine that with a good diet, lowering your fat intake and eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. you prevent diabetes and heart disease. two diseases that decrease your survival. >> right. good reason to stay healthy and stick with the new year's resolution. >> right. >> also from the cdc, fructose could lead to overeating. >> fructose, a type of sugar found in high fructose corn syrup, seems to impair the brain's ability to recognize that you're full. you keep eating.

gaining weight. >> got it. >> you know -- >> check the labels for that one. >> you need to check the labels. i had a patient lost 30 pounds decreasing her soda intake. amazing. >> good to know especially as we're making resolution this time of year. thank you. up next, stunning images you won't want to miss from the 2012 "national geographic" photo contest.

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heads up. everything you love about geico, now mobile . download the geico app today. i think we can all agree when we think of "national geographic" we think of those amazing photographs, snapshots from around the globe that grace the magazine covers each month. what happens when they ask their readers to show them their best photos? >> the answer is you get thousands of stunning image of nature, places and people like most of us have never seen before. this week, "national geographic" announced the winners of its annual photo contest. the finalists were chosen from

over 22,000 photos submitted by both professionals and amateur photographers. and here's a look at the grand prize winner. it's called "the explosion." the tiger's name is busada. i think that's how you pronounce it. lives in a thailand zoo. it was taken by ashley vincent after the tiger took a bath in one of the pools in her habitat. >> the preattack look. >> the photographer took like 30 pictures. like, this is awful, i'm never going to get it. then the tiger did this whole thing, in one picture she wins the grand prize. not bad. >> better than me coming out of the shower -- oh! this next photo is a viewer's choice in the nature category. you see why this is a popular picture, taken in kenya. it shows a cheetah and her cub sharing a tender moment. on a related note, cheetahs can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in less than three seconds. i thought i'd throw that in there. >> amazing when you see the tender moments and throw in a

fun fact. >> yeah. i'm here for your fun fact. >> thank you. the next photo was the winner in the "places" category. it's switzerland's most famous peak, the matter homeowne-- mat homeowne horn. like a wisp of clouds. i think the cloud is just right from the full moon to make it beautiful. >> the next shows one of the most recognizable landmarks but in an entirely different way. it's the eerie eiffel. taken on a glmy day. you can see the photos at nationalgeographic.com. why don't our pictures come out like that? >> i don't have that kind of eye.

good morning. it is 7:26 on this saturday, january 5th. i'm richard jordan. topping our headlines this morning, police and firefighters are investigating a fire that tore through a home where a woman had to be rescued. chopper 4 flew over that home just off the expressway. the woman was flown to the hospital with critical injuries. there's still no word on how that fire started. a warning for dominion virginia customers. if you get a call saying you have two hours to pay up or else lose power, it could be a scam. dominion says the scammers tell people they oweundreds of

dollars, telling them to load the money on a greed dot prepaid card and call back. a spokesperson for the company says they'll never ask for a payment over the phone. if you feel you may be a victim, they want to hear from you.

good saturday morning, everybody. i'm chuck bell. the sun is just now coming up in our eastern sky. a beautiful day on the way today. plenty of sunshine on tap for your saturday afternoon. temperatures are chilly. 20s to low 30s around the area with windchills in the low 20s area wide. for the afternoon, mostly sunshine for the morning hours. some cloudiness later on this afternoon. but it will be dry today. temperatures in the low 40s for most. tomorrow, a flip. we'll have clouds around in the

morning and turning sunny and dry tomorrow afternoon. perfect weather for the redskins to win it. >> chuck, thanks. the redskins take on seattle tomorrow. we want to see your redskins spirit. send us your pictures to back now on a saturday morning, january 5, 2013. nice to see our friends on the plaza. chilly in new york, but it always keep it warmer when you've got the crowd of people to cuddle up alongside with. i'm erica hill alongside lester holt. coming up, it's a new year. for a lot of people that means it's time for a new you. we'll look at how to emotionally jump-start your life and stop sabotaging your success. are you yawning or did you get a good night of sleep? >> we'll take the fifth on that. >> dr. oz on why sleep and other

healthy habits could be a lifesaver and what he thinks we should drink. >> it's dwra aep's green. >> it doesn't look good. and another way to stay healthy, losing weight. the most popular new year's resolution around. many people seem to lose interest by february. this morning, we'll meet one woman who has shed 100 pounds and kept it off. and later on, the best-selling author who's offering a novel reward to the person who helps him find his missing dog. we'll have the story coming up. we begin this half-hour with the growing backlash over the movie "zero dark thirty." the film details the hunt for osama bin laden. did the cia intentionally mislead the movie's makers? as national investigative correspondent michael issikoff reports, senators on capitol hill want answers. 60% probability he's there. >> i'd say a soft 60, sir. >> reporter: "zero dark thirty," the "oscar contender, is based

on the accounts of the raid that killed osama bin laden. >> i'm not your friend. not going to help you, i'm going to break you. >> reporter: scenes of harsh interrogation seem to yield a breakthrough, ultimately leading to bin laden's hideout in pakistan. but that narrative is being sharply questioned by u.s. senators. >> they make it appear as if this brutal interrogation techniques obtain useful information. fact is, they didn't. >> reporter: in just-released letter, mccain and senate intelligence chair dianne feinstein along with armed services chair carl levin charged the cia may have misled filmmakers about what really happened. they want acting director mike morrell to set the record straight. morrell, on president obama's short list to replace general petraeus, released this statement. "the film creates the strong impression that the enhanced interrogation techniques were the key to finding bin laden.

that impression is false." then he added, "some intel came from detainees subjected to enhanced techniques. but there were many other sources, as well." while nobody disputes there were many sources tapped in the ten-year hunt for bin laden, the senators say a recently concluded and still classified investigation by the senate intelligence committee found that aggressive tactics such as water boarding played no role at all in finding him. >> the leadership at the cia should make very, very clear none of this ambiguous language about we'll never know, we know. >> reporter: the cia which declined further comment about its tactics cooperated with the makers of "zero dark thirty," arranging meetings with top agency official. even turning over the floor plan of bin laden's compound. >> we know they met with morrell. we know that they met with people from the counterterrorism center. >> reporter: now the senators want to see everything the cia provided filmmakers, making it likely the accuracy of "zero

dark thirty" could become a confirmation issue if morrell is nominated to run the cia. for "today," michael issikoff, nbc news, washington. we'll check on weather with dylan. >> good morning. we have lynn lou here, your first trip. what do you think? >> this is my first time. we're from cleveland. >> love cleveland, too. a nice morning in new york city. there's not that much wind, that makes it so much better. for januari, this is a nice thing to see.

a good saturday morning to you. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell. our city camera view shows the early morning light bouncing directly off the southeast and east facing of the u.s. capital building there. beautiful way to get your weekend started this morning. it's chilly outside. temperatures in the low to mid-30s with a little bit of a northwesterly breeze. little bit of a bundle-up factor for you today. temperatures will reach in the low 40s under dry conditions. dry for the redskins tomorrow. >> we're celebrating a 13th birthday. what's your name? >> julie. >> from minneapolis? >> right. >> happy birthday to you.

lester? this morning, a new year, new you, 2013. controlling your emotions to get the most out of life. founder of life choice psychology is also the author of the book "your killer emotions," and happens to be my agent. and agent to a number of news anchors. and psychiatrist dr. gail saltz, a "today" contributor. nice to have you with us. ken, let's start with you. you have given advice to countless number of people over the years. it almost seems like it's our nature to make decision when was we're stressed. how destructive is it? >> it's very destructive if the emotions lead you to make a toxic, self-sabotaging decision. lester, you can be the very smartest individual, you can have the greatest aspirations and goals, new year, new you. but if you make decisions when you're angry, when you're enraged, when you're sad, when

you're resentful, when you feel disrespected, oftentimes you opt for an emotional quick fix. you want to do something now. and oftentimes that's that decision -- >> short term. >> short term, you make a decision counter to what you would want in the long term or would have done in cognitively clear moment. >> and gale, what role do emotions have in making our big decisions? back to the question, is it -- our default position? >> it's always present. in a sense, you can't get around it because all the parts of our brain are connected to each other. emotional centers are always connected to cognitive centers on one hand. on the other hand, some people are more emotionally ruled. it's when you don't know what's going on emotionally when you're not as in touch with it. you're angry, but you don't realize how angry you are or what's driving the story. the story that's emotional isn't so conscious to you that you're in the worst shape. and you're absolutely right that it will drive you to make a purely emotionally based

decision. we know this from like data about, say, money and investing. >> the speciinteresting thing, of times you know. you know you're making this in a stressed, emotional time. ken, in the book you calk about consequence cognizant. how do we step out of ourselves knowing this? how do we step out of ourselves and make the proper choice? >> first of all, picking up what gail said, you need to objectively identify that there is a flaw with your past decisionmaking. if you don't identify it, you're not going to want to try to fix it. you want to identify it. the second thing is, when i talk about cognitive or being consequence cognitive, it's important to think about either the heinous consequences of the act that you're thinking about doing. for example, if ex-cia director david petraeus had fraught about the effects of what he allegedly did, that his career, potentially his family could have been ruined, he might not

have made that decision. conversely, if you could think about all the wonderful things that making a positive life choice can bring you, that can motivate you. you need to find your personal emotional trigger. so things that motivate you the very most to make a great life choice. that's what your killer emotions talks about. >> and gail, at what point is it a bigger problem in which you'll need counseling, someone to really kind of call you on the carpet emotionally and say you need to step outside this? >> as ken's saying, you can do self-analysis if you step by step look at where emotions a problem and try to think more analytically. sometimes you keep making the same bad decision over and over. if you keep blowing up relationships, if you keep getting fired from jobs or doing something that's essentially shooting yourself in the foot in any one realm of life or certainly across more than one, then that's sometimes the sign that you need actually more help than you can provide yourself. and sometimes an objective other party, a therapist, can make a big difference because they can

spot things that sometimes you have blinders for if you're very emotionally consumed. some is work we can do on our own and looking at a step-by-step guide to uncovering the stories that we seem to be repeating and take a different path by being more analytical about decisions can make a personal difference. >> thankfully the beginning of a new year. i think we have open minds to this discussion, making the right choices. we've got to end there. ken and gail, thank you very much. great to have you on this morning. still to come on "today," dr. mehmet oz with great tips on staying healthy in the new year. plus, why you should expect to spend more, maybe a lot more if you want to travel this year. first, these messages. do you ever wish we had ipads... to practice math more? i love math! but two ipads means two data plans? that's crazy. maybe not. with at&t mobile share, adding an ipad is just $10 a month. but honestly, mom and dad's love is all i really need.

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[ male announcer ] the capital one cash rewards card gives you 1% cash back on every purchase plus a 50% annual bonus on the cash you earn. it's the card for people who like more cash. what's in your wallet? i usually say that. maybe you're still unpacking from your holiday break but already thinking about your next getaway. gas prices are lower, but when it comes to your next trip, turn out your wallet may not get much of a break. here's more. ♪ >> reporter: from fun in the sound to the slopes, on planes, trains, and automobiles. travel in the new year may bring new headaches. >> travel companies are still feeling the pinch from the last few years, and they're looking to increase their revenue. so you're going to see things like additional fees, rising prices. >> reporter: when it comes to air fares, prices will continue to fly high. analysts say jetsetters should expect to pay even more mofor a plane ticket. at this time in 2011, air fare

was $356 rising to $373 in twiftwif2012. expect $388 this year. and with seats remaining scarce because of flight schedules, this trend won't be grounded any time soon. it's not just the fares but the fees. airlines made an estimated $652 million from change fees in 2012 and $924 million in bag fees for the last few months of the year alone. travelers can expect more airline fees in 2013, even from fee-friendly carriers like southwest airlines who just announced plans to charge a no-show fee for passengers who don't cancel their tickets. enough to make travelers want to throw in the towel. >> i try to travel by plane as little as possible. >> surprise me all the time with new fees i wouldn't have dreamed of like the leg room fees. >> reporter: flyers aren't the only ones facing add-ons. rental car companies are charging extra for everything

from satellite radio to gps. it's called a la carte pricing. cruise companies and hotels are increasingly using the pricing tactic. look out for charges that creep unexpectedly into your bill. that newspaper outside your room door may not be free. you may want to think twice before reaching for that mini bar snack. you could be charged for the item and a mandatory restocking fee. what's a traveler to do? resign one's self to a stay-indicatiostay hie stay-cation? >> ask at the time the reservation is made. say to the agent in addition to the ram and tax charges -- the room and tax charges, will there be fees or surcharges automatically added? >> reporter: more mobile apps will be added to make traveling easier. paper tickets are slowly disappearing, and gas prices are expected to drop from $3.63 a gallon in 2012 to $3.43 a gallon this year, giving travelers at least one road to savings.

for "today," nbc news, new york. up next, from getting enough shuteye to his signature green drink, dr. oz shares his secrets for staying healthy. [ rosa ] i'm rosa and i quit smoking with chantix. when the doctor told me that i could smoke for the first week... i'm like...yeah, ok... little did i know that one week later i wasn't smoking. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix. don't take chantix if you've had a serious allergic or skin reaction to it. if you develop these stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away as some can be life-threatening. if you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems, tell your doctor if you have new or worse symptoms. get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack. use caution when driving or operating machinery.

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the beginning of the year can be a great time to lay out plans to get fit and feel better. i recently sat down with dr. mehmet oz to discuss the simple steps we think all -- we can take it live healthy in 2013. my 2012 resolution was to get more sleep. you know, i haven't done a good job. how detrimental is lack of sleep? >> lester, the most underappreciated health tool we have is sleep. sleep is the main way we generate growth hormone in our body. growth hormone gives us vitality, especially as we age. >> after a good night's sleep, it's important to fuel up, says dr. oz. >> have protein for breakfast. egg is my favorite choice. inexpensive, so darn good for you. >> and dr. oz's next resolution confirms what your mother has been saying all along -- you've got to eat your vegetables. >> i would make sure half my plate at every meal i eat is full of vegetables. >> dr. oz gets much of his vegetable servings each day

through his signature green drink. a cocktail of fruits, vegetables, and even herbs which he promised me tasted better than it looked. >> 11 ingredients total, simple to do. when you're done, you have liquid gold. >> there we go. >> be honest. >> no lie. it's good. >> i think i saw a smile on his face. >> i did. >> this is incredible. >> the key to making resolutions work, says dr. oz, is to make them as specific and realistic as possible. >> a big fan of new year's resolutions. a lot of folks think they're hokey. but half the time roughly you'll still be doing the resolution by summer. they actually do work. >> spending time with dr. oz is like watching a bunch of shows at once. very inspiring guy. >> what's in the green drink? >> let me see if i can remember -- 11 things. spinach, celery, mint, parsley, cucumber, i think lemon, lime, orange, something else, something else -- >> pear?

>> no, pineapple. he actually likes ginger, but it's sharp tasting. he puts pineapple in it. and it overrides it a bit. it makes a good tasting drink and pretty much everything you need is in there. carrots, that was another one in there. you can see more on "dateline" sunday, tomorrow night, 7:00, 6:00 central time on nbc. ahead, a pint-sized music fan who probably knows more about rock and roll than the rest of us. first, this issed itted ed i-- on nbc. wheeeeeeeeeeeee!

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7:56 on this saturday, january 5th. good morning, everyone. a teenager is recovering after a driv drive-by shooting that happened last night. a car pulled up to three teens on the street when someone inside that vehicle started shooting. the 15-year-old suffered nonlife threatening injuries. firefighters are investigating after a woman had to be rescued from her burning home. chopper 4 flew over the home just off the expressway last night. the woman went to the hospital with critical injuries. and it is a football weekend

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we are waking up to a chilly start. no doubt fans will be fired up for tomorrow's redskins game. let's see how the temperatures will hold up. here's meteorologist chuck bell. >> good morning. welcome to your weekend. off to a bright and sunny but somewhat chilly start. temperatures mostly in the 20s and 30s early on your saturday morning. we'll reach into the upper 30s to low and mid-40s for a time this afternoon under plenty of sunshine. there will be a chance for some precipitation this weekend. it won't be during the day today, and it won't be during the day tomorrow but late tonight into the overnight hours. might be able to pick up a

little bit of light snow. richard. >> sounds good, chuck. ♪ welcome back to "today," saturday morning, the 5th day of january, 2013. it is a typical january day which means these folks are bundled up outside on the plaza. we'll go out and say hey to them in a bit. our thanks to them for spending part of their saturday with us. i'm lester holt along with erica hill. coming up, will lance armstrong admit to using performance enhancing drugs? "the new york times" out with a story reporting armstrong, who has been stripped of his seven tour de france titles, is considering making a public admission. question is, why would he do it and why now. >> a lot of questions out there. also ahead, a pilot arrested in the cockpit of a commercial

airplane on suspicion of being drunk. we'll tell you how authorities were tipped off and also what the airline, american airlines, is saying about that arrest. and a teenager in iceland is fighting for the right to use her given name. for years she's been severed to as "girl" in official documents because her name was not on the approved list. we'll have a story. that country has an approved list of names. >> it's not the only one. a lot of countries sensor what you can and can't name your children. >> i'm guessing lester is not on there. >> i believe it's okay. >> believe it or not, elvis is okay. we'll talk more about this. ahead, author dennis lahain known for his book "shutter island" is asking for your help finding his missing dog. he's offering an unusual reward for anyone who can help return his beloved beagle. they're tough, got those noses. >> they're cute. losing weight tops the list of new year's resolutions, but many people never reach their goals. we'll look at why -- why we

should not give up in the battle of the bulge. we'll meet a woman who lost 100 pounds and kept it off. we'll begin with the story of lance armstrong and the report that he's thinking of admitting to the doping allegations that cost him his seven tour de france titles. michelle franzen with more. good morning. good morning, lester. he is the cycling champion and cancer survivor who inspired others with his competitive spirit and perseverance. lance armstrong has also faced and long denied he was part of a doping scandal. "the new york times" is reporting armstrong may be weighing his options on whether or not to make a stunning admission. lance armstrong is used to competing and winning. but since faced with dogged allegations and evidence of drug use by the u.s. anti-doping association, the cycling champion has found himself backpedaling. armstrong was stripped of his seven tour de france titles and banned from competing in any olympic events. big-name sponsors, nike,

anheuser-busch, and trek bicycles, dropped him. >> i've been better, but i've also been worse. >> reporter: in october he told the crowd at the 15th anniversary of livestrong, the cancer survivor charity he founded, he was stepping down as chairman. >> it's been an interesting couple of weeks. it's been a difficult couple of weeks for me, for my family, for my friends, for this foundation. >> reporte difficult but all along, armstrong denied the doping charges. now according to "the new york times," armstrong may be interested in talks with anti-doping officials, including world anti-doping agency director general david howman. the article says armstrong is considering admitting publicly he used banned performance enhancing drugs throughout his career. armstrong's attorney, tim herman, wouldn't confirm any talks have taken place. in a statement to nbc news, herman said, "there are no ongoing discussions with usada and no contact with mr. howman

as reported by "the new york times." that is the extent of any comment at this time." according to "the new york times," armstrong discussed the possibility of an admission in the hopes of being allowed to compete again. but there could also be fallout. armstrong could face further punishment from the body that certifies athletes for competition, a federal criminal investigation was dropped last year. but armstrong still faces several other investigations, including a case filed by former cycling teammate floyd landis. the legal hurdles he faces are a big factor in his next step. and the investigations into possible wrongdoing could further impact his career and his brand. >> all right. michelle franzen. thank you very much. here's erica. >> thanks. a pilot in minnesota who was preparing to fly a commercial jet halfway across the country was arrested friday morning after failing a preliminary breathalyzer test. we have this report. >> reporter: it was early friday morning in minneapolis.

passengers were waiting to board americle fan eagght 4590 bound for new york. the police boarded first, heading straight to the cockpit to find the pilot. according to the arrest report, officers and a tsa worker smelled alcohol as they passed by 48-year-old colburn christiansen who was waiting by the elevator. police confronted the pilot as he was doing preflight checks. conducted a breathalyzer test, and arrested him of being under the influence of alcohol. it's not the first time we've seen pilots in trouble for substance abuse. in 2002, two americawest pilots drank 14 beers between them in a bar hours before takeoff. even hit the big screen as part of the recent denzel washington film "flight." >> you had alcohol in your system. >> reporter: federal aviation regulation 91-17, commonly known as the bottle to throttle rule, says no person may operate or attempt to operate an aircraft

within eight hours of having consumed alcohol. while under the influence of alcohol or with a blood alcohol content of .04 or greater. most major airlines are even tougher on their pilots, requiring a 12-hour period between consumption of alcohol and flying. in friday's case, american airlines, the parent company of american eagle, issued a statement saying, "american eagle has a well-established substance abuse policy that is designed to put the safety of our customers and employees first. we are cooperating with authorities and conducting a full internal investigation. the pilot will be withheld from service pending the outcome of the investigation." charges are pending against christiansen, who was released on his own recognizance. while the passengers landed safely in new york, two hours after their scheduled takeoff. for "today," diana alvear, nbc news, los angeles. time for a check of the other top stories. jenna, good morning. >> good morning to you. too many american are spending

this first week of the new year in bed. and not because of that. they are being taken down by the flu in numbers we typically wouldn't see until much later in the winter. the centers for disease control reports flu cases are wide instead 41 states. health officials say we haven't even seen the peak yet. this year's strain appears to be a particularly nasty one and has proven deadly in a handful of cases involving younger people. federal aid is on the way to victims of superstorm sandy. congress has approved almost $10 billion to help pay flood insurance claims to 115,000 people and businesses hurt by the hurricane. northeast lawmakers are now seeking speedy approval of about $52 billion in recovery aid. a vote for that is set for january 15. the fda says enough is enough with the number of foodborne illnesses in the u.s. they want to do something about it. proposing new food safety rules for farmers and manufacturers, illnesses tied to salmonella and

e. coli cause an estimated,000 deaths each year. manufacturers will have to submit food safety plans to the government, and farmers will be required to take precautions against contamination on the farm. large farms would have two years to comply. former arizona congresswoman gabrielle giffords has met with relatives of the victims of last month's school shootings in connecticut. it's been nearly two years now since giffords herself was wounded in a mass shooting in tucson. she met privately with lawmakers and officials in newtown. they talked about the need for change in gun laws and greater awareness of mental health issues. general motors is recalling nearly 55,000 trucks because they can roll away unexpectedly. that is never a good thing. the recall affects the number of 2013 vehicles that may have been built with faulty park lock cables or bad steering column lock gears. so far there are no reports of any accidents or injuries caused by that problem. finally, file this under "my baby, my source of classic rock

information." while most of us rely on the google for help, here's a baby who probably knows more about classic rock and roll than most of us. >> it's only rock and -- you yes yes -- and i say no. >> take a load off -- who's the drummer in the beatles? >> ringo. >> who's the drummer in the band? >> we are told that little leon is only 18 months old. for reference, at 18 months old i was still trying to eat my clothes. it's nice to see the younger generation keeping the classics oh, so alive. that is the news. guys? >> could he be any cuter? >> yeah. actually a -- >> i thought -- i'm sorry, leah, you're adorable. >> i don't want to rain on this, but i think the dog is whispering the answers. >> take that act on the road. babies and pets -- >> want to see what that kid will turn into 20 years from now. >> yeah. >> wasn't sure about the dog. >> we'll stay on that.

yeah. >> dylan dreyer is on the plaza now. she's got a check of the forecast. dylan? good morning, guys. you know, you said you've been out here for four hours. >> yes. >> were you worried you would miss something? >> a little bit. i guess we didn't know that off to see wait that long. >> thanks for being here. now you can go inside and warm up. that's important. good saturday morning to you. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell. our weekend is off to a

wonderful and sunshine filled start. temperatures in the chilly 20s and 30s for now. don't you worry, a nice northwesterly breeze and all that sunshine will easily allow temperatures today to climb up into the low 40s for a time. still feeling a little breezy and chilly but not all that terribly cold by january standards. here's your four-day forecast. 40s today and tomorrow. plenty of sunshine for most of the early next week. >> that is your latest forecast. lester? >> thanks. what is a proud moment for housing minority leader nancy pelosi is also a bit of an awkward one. all 61 democratic women of the house were invited to take a photo c kelly o'donnell report, what happened next had critics' tongues wagging. >> reporter: picture this -- washington welcomed a new congress to town. a day made for the snapshot of a lifetime. all across the capitol, hundreds of individual photo ops on thursday.

some ended up with squirming children, others a surprising squeeze from the vice president. but this class photo made many ask what's wrong with this picture? >> i think leader pelosi would have been better off to say it's a photograph, get over it. >> reporter: the call had gone out to all 61 democratic women of the house. >> one, two, three, one more -- >> reporter: a group shot meant to frame the democrats' record number of women. well, shudder to think there had been stragglers. and in just 33 degrees, the rest were too cold to count heads. funny thing is, no one was missing when the official portrait went out. >> it was a historical record of who the democratic women of congress are. >> check out the back row. a few faces were added. their shots taken after the group rushed to the next event. >> wasn't like we had the rest of the day to stand there. >> reporter: did a little

photoshopping break any rules? more for political spin than historical record. >> politicians are acting by a different standard. and unless this is supposed to be for the national archives, then the democrats are entitled to photoshop in a nice hawaiian backdrop if they like. >> reporter: in washington, a doctored photo is worth a thousand words from critics. for "today," kelly o'donnell, nbc news, the capitol. 13 minutes past the hour. erica? >> thanks. you could consider her the girl with no name for now. a teenager in iceland has a name, but the government doesn't recognize it. she's now taking her case to court. annabel roberts with the story. >> reporter: her official name is simply "girl. "that's what's on her passport. she was baptized blair, icelandic. a government committee which must approve all first names has rejected blaer because it's a

masculine name. she says she wants to keep it so she and her mother are suing the government. no last names are used in this small country. first names have added importance. so it's perhaps all the more surprising that elvis, yes, elvis, is allowed in iceland. but strangely in sweden where the government also controls names, it's banned. another name that won't fly in sweden, superman. but on the other side of the world in new zealand, it's fine to name your child after the man of steel. over in egypt, could be a way to make friends, facebook is okay as a name. celebrities led the way, of course, long ago turning away from nice, traditional names like lester or erica. instead brooklyn, beckham, blue ivy, the daughter of jay-z and beyonce. gwyneth paltrow picked apple for her girl.

and how about dweezil and moon unit? >> unconventional names are the new norm. in my son's kindergarten class there are 25 names i've not heard of before. parents want a name that will stand out. they want their child to be original and be different from their peers. >> reporter: shakespeare may have thought a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. ♪ >> reporter: but the artist formerly known as prince disagreed and changed his. kate winslet's husband ned switched his last name to rock and roll. in iceland, blaer is hoping the authorities will allow her to drop plain "girl" and use the name her mother chose. for "today," nbc news, london. >> makes you think. still to come, dolphins, sting rays, and an octopus, oh, my. i'll show you some of the new friends i made at the national aquarium in baltimore. next, a well-known author needs some help finding his missing dog. wait until you hear about the reward he's offering. [ female announcer ] mcdonald's dollar menu.

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author dennis lehane is best known for his books "mystic river" and "gone baby gone." now he's working on a mystery closer to home, trying to find his dog. he's offering a novel reward for her return. mark potter has details. >> reporter: in and around boston, searchers are putting up posters and scouring the streets hoping to find tessa, a

4-year-old beagle, who sprayed from her home christmas eve. >> thank you very much. >> reporter: her anxious owner is famous novelist dennis lehane. >> she's one of those dogs. she walked into our lives and took over. just unequivocally sweet, sweet dog. >> reporter: lehane's books, read worldwide, have been turned into movies. "mystic river," "shutter island," and "gone baby gone." in announcing tessa's disappearance on his facebook page and asking for help, he made an unusual offer to whomever finds his beloved pet. he wrote, "naming of character in the next book for anyone who gets her back to us. no, really." >> it would never just be a walk-on part. somebody who returned the dog and wanted their name in the book, i would give them lines, have them do something. i can't say here oregon villain but they would be noticeable. >> reporter: that offer has drawn lots of attention. >> i hope i find the dog. fame, my 15 minutes as it were. >> anything to get your dog

back. if that does it, good for him. >> reporter: lehane's current work, a screen adaptation of his short story "animal rescue," has become a bitter irony. >> i'm in the midst of writing the script every morning about a guy and his relationship with his dog that he found. this stray dog. and then while i'm out looking for my own stray dog. >> reporter: lehane said tessa escaped through an unlocked gate and took off not wearing her collar. she was last seen in this parking lot. >> i think she got picked up. i think she either found somebody's house or she met somebody here who took her in. >> reporter: lehane says he is humbled by the outpouring of public support for a family pet that needs to come home. for "today," mark potter, nbc news. >> great way to get attention. >> yes. i think the best attention would be if the beagle came home. they're tough, though. my parents had a beagle. the noses just follow them and go. >> you can hear them coming. >> yeah. >> howling at the moon. ahead, the man of steel is in a head-turner.

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still to come, it's one of the most popular resolutions each year -- losing weight. we'll look at why some efforts to shed pounds work better than others. and you'll meet a woman who has lost 100 pounds and kept it off now for more than five years. how did she do it and how is she still doing it? she'll tell us. the naturally sweet monk fruit, something this delicious could only come from nature. now from the maker of splenda sweeteners, discover nectresse. the only 100% natural, no-calorie sweetener made from the goodness of fruit. the rich, sweet taste of sugar. nothing artificial. ♪ it's all that sweet ever needs to be. new nectresse. sweetness naturally.

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it is 8:26 on this saturday, january 5th, 2013. good morning, everyone. i'm richard jordan. making headlines this morning, a woman is dead after being rescued from her burning home. chopper 4 flew over the home. no word yet on how that fire started. if you're taking metro this weekend, you might need extra time on the orange line. buses are replacing trains between vienna and west falls. on the red line, trains are single tracking between shady grove and twinbrook and between judiciary square and rhode

island avenue. all that work should be done in time for the monday morning rush. and one day away until the battle with seattle. we want to see your redskins spirit. send us your pictures to skinsfans@n skinsfans@nbcwashington.com. you can also tweet us. make sure to get the #skinsfans.

it is a cold, dry start to the weekend, but there's a chance some people could actually see some flakes before the weekend is through. we've got a find out more about this. let's go to meteorologist chuck bell. >> good morning to you. a good saturday morning, everybody. off to a bright and quiet start right now. temperatures are mostly still in the 20s and 30s with a northwesterly breeze keeping windchills in the low and mid-20s. so definitely need your winter jackets and your scarves and gloves this morning. it is going to be a beautiful day to be outside today. plenty of sunshine early on. we'll pick up some mid and high level clouds into this evening. no chance for rain or snow today. overnight tonight into early tomorrow, we could see snowflakes. doesn't look like any more than maybe an inch. redskins game for tomorrow, temperatures in the upper 30s and low 40s at fedex field between 4:and 8:00 tomorrow night. just a little quick chance of light snow late tonight before

the dry weather returns tomorrow afternoon. richard, back to you. >> all right, chuck. thanks. stay with us for a full hour of news coming up in a half an hour. for now, back to the "today" show. [ cheers ] we are back on this saturday morning, january 5, 2013. great crowd outside with us. helping keep everybody a little toasty here. i'm erica hill alongside lester holt, jenna wolfe, and dylan dreyer. still to come, it's the most popular new year's resolution -- you'll get in shape, lose weight. which explains why the gym is so full this weekend anyway. >> and it usually works for a week or two. >> sometimes a month. >> life takes over. things don't always work out. we'll meet a woman who lost over 100 pounds. more importantly, she figured

out how to keep it off. that's the biggest challenge. she's going share her story coming up. then, what was spotted off the skies of california -- it was super man. that's not a typo. we'll look back at what had you guys talking on line. plus, hundreds of animals, thousands of species, really cute dolphins. get an up-close, personal look at the 24/7 operation behind the scenes at the national aquarium in baltimore. it was a really fun day, and it made me realize i am not cut out for working with animals. >> you looked good putting the bird up. >> it was a real bird. i can do it. >> making sure. >> not like the fake ones -- >> no. it was a real bird. >> we'll look forward to that. first, dylan has a final check of the weather. quiet in new york city. not a lot going on today in the northeast for that matter. we are actually going to see

some rain across the gulf coast states. that's our only trouble spot so

good morning, everybody. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist chuck bell. your weekend is off to a very pleasant start. plenty of sunshine for now. these are your current windchills. 17 the current windchill in culpepper, virginia. 22 in hagerstown, maryland. still feels like 28 here in downtown washington and 29 alongside the chesapeake bay. a bundle-up factor for sure. sunshine for today and for tomorrow, but overnight tonight into early tomorrow morning, we could get a little chance of some light snowflakes and snow showers. and today's a big day for football. we've got two games to talk about on nbc. i can't predict if the dome will be open our not. but the bengals playing, mostly cloudy, 53 degrees. after, that the vikings are headed to lambeau field to take on the packers. cloudy and cold, light winds, 19 to 23 degrees. we were hoping for more interesting weather, but it looks quiet. for the latest forecast, check

out weather and traffic on line. >> love the playoffs. thanks. it's that time of year when mean people make a new year's resolution to lose weight. for many, those efforts to shed pounds sadly never seemed to pay off. >> losing weight as we know takes hard work and perseverance. making a resolution, of course, doesn't really take quite as much effort which may be why so many people just talk about getting in shape. >> my resolution is to go to the gym more. >> my resolution is to gain weight. every other year i wanted to lose weight and i gained. >> it's that time of year again, promises of self-improvement and a better life. topping the chart this year, weight loss. >> people start resolutions out of guilt. they've gone from the binge to thanksgiving to new year's and are looking for a change. >> reporter: no-holds-barred in the dieting game. weight loss commercials fill the airwaves. >> shake, shake -- >> slim-fast controls your hunger. >> lose over 50 pounds. >> i invite you -- >> i lost 30 pounds just like that. >> reporter: health clubs

promote discounts, new books, products, apps flood the marketplace just in time for resolution makers to tame their temptations. >> it's a resolution i love. they're about 8% at the end of the year. >> i hate when i come to the gym in january. you see these resolution people are kind of like people who only go to church on the holidays. >> reporter: nearly half of americans make new year's resolutions. of those, almost 40% are related to weight loss. >> i really want to get here every day. >> reporter: studies show the only thing that's dropped in the end is usually the resolution. one way to try to combat that, by involving others. web sites like hoytwage diet bet and stick have tried to make it fun and competitive. >> okay. everybody, i'm inviting you to -- >> reporter: they offer dieters a chance to milk a game out of weight loss. putting cash up to keep their weight down. >> no one in this office wants to lose.

♪ >> reporter: but losing at least for now is exactly what's on the mind of millions of americans as they work to keep those resolutions well into the new year. >> you know what we need, a good inspiration story. we've got just that for you. want to introduce 28-year-old michelle moore. >> first this is her "before" picture at her heaviest. michelle was 210 pound. she is now just 110 pounds. come on out. >> michelle used to wear a size 18 pants. now she's a size 0. how much of a difference? right there. >> wow. >> come on over. >> thank you. good morning. >> can i tell you something, i'd only seen your before pictures. and you passed us in the hall when we were ready to go out. was only after you walked past, i thought that must be michelle. congratulations. >> thank you very much. the biggest comment i get, people don't believe they was ever heavy. >> and -- you're this itty-bitty thing now. we know you've kept it off for more than five years.

for most people, even if they lose it, the hardest part is maintaining. how did you do it? >> really my own diet and exercise plan. i kind of did my own research on the internet, came up, tailored a plan that worked to me. i just -- that was my biggest thing. >> you didn't set out saying i'm going to lose 100 pounds. >> no, i didn't. it's really small goals you set for yourself. 100 pounds seems daunting. so just small goals, then once you hit your small goals, you make more goals. >> talk about maintaining. that is often the hard thing for people. they can see those first five or ten pounds go away. then maintaining is hard. >> absolutely. but it's a lifestyle change for sure. you make the small changes, but then they become habits. my lifestyle's completely different from what it used to be. i'm much more active and eat healthier. >> and this has to be -- so many teams people say -- you're an inspiration for keeping it off. people have to make that decision on their own. you hit a breaking point.

>> absolutely. absolutely. i remember at one point, just laying on the couch and bawling, i'm never going to be thin. you know. but it was -- i got to the point where in a group of friends, i felt invisible. i really felt like no one listened to what i had to say. no one knew whether or not i was there in the room. i didn't want to be invisible anymore. >> conversely, did you ever find people not in a mean way but trying to sabotage your weight loss at a certain point? >> no, to be honest they were very supportive. what kept me motivated was the compliments i would receive. you know, michelle, you're looking so great, or good job. things like that. >> you made this lifestyle choice now, and do you still have to think about every meal? >> i do. i do think about all of the -- my choices. but like i said, it's become a habit. so it gets easier. >> 100 pounds is a lot for folks. i wonder what advice you would

give folks who -- that's a daunting number. i know that wasn't the number you had in mind. what's the best advice for folks? >> the best advice is if i can do it, you can do it. and just, you know, it's a lifestyle change. don't think of it as a diet, a temporary. >> a full lifestyle -- you did it in small steps. and the fact that it's inspirational to people, you didn't have a personal trainer. you didn't have a personal chef. you did this on your own. >> absolutely. >> well it can be done. >> it can be done. >> you look fantastic. you're inspiring me. i'm going to the gym today. >> thank you. >> michelle moore, thanks for being with us. ahead, quirky questions on college essays, and a recent grad goes all out to find a job. part of our "weekly rewind." first, these message. at jennie-o we think some things are worth getting up early for like a better breakfast so on august eighth we woke up a sleepy town to show that eating well can be easy and delicious with jennie-o turkey bacon and sausage cooked thoroughly to 165

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♪ this morning on "weekly rewind," we'll look back at some of the most clicked on, talked about, and simply unbelievable stories. jenna is here to run them down. >> guys, we've got good ones today. let me set a scene. you're hanging out at the beach, enjoying a beautiful day. out of nowhere superman flies by. and no, you're not not wearing your glasses. that is indeed superman, however, as the video will show, it is a remote-controlled superman. yes, this week this amateur video downloaded on youtube of a life-sized version of the man of steel zipping around the beech caused california beach-goers to question the water they were drinking that day. there have been more than 400,000 views on line. do you have any idea how much fun you could have with this on the plaza downstairs here? >> awesome. >> i love that idea. >> we've never seen it. we've seen remote-controlled everything else. haven't seen superman. >> flying around the city would

be hilarious. >> i'm sensing a plan hatching here. >> that's right. >> although these people put this on line and shot video. i would have run so far the other direction. you couldn't even see. yeah, fun. >> very cool. >> what's ex-? >> you ever feel like getting into college is getting harder these days? back when we were applying 50 years ago, the entrance essay was something like what do you want to be when you grow up and why. today those same essay questions, call them considerably more creative. here are a few examples of what i'm talking about. keep in mind, these are from top universities. university of chicago asking perspective students where is waldo, really? at caltech, they're asking applicants to please describe an unusual way this which you have fun. >> careful with that one. >> and then -- right? and wake forest, think of things that fascinated you when you were 10-years-old. what has endured? >> seriously? >> how would you answer the where's waldo question? >> for the privilege of spending $50,000 -- waldo question? probably trying to figure out

what do they want. >> exactly. >> i base my whole college application process on which schools didn't need an essay. >> she admitted it which is better. part of why we love dylan. >> and how is correspondents school working out? >> pretty well. look where she is. >> right? >> very well. >> this next story is mildly disturbing, ever slightly entertaining. do you have any extra scotch tape left from the holidays? let's continue. a naum-based photographer has come -- new mexico-based photographer has come up with an yus unusual way to use scotch tape. it is not pretty. scotch tape portraits. they've become an internet phenomenon with the series including 33 men and women with w tee-- with teeth around their faces. offering expression was hilarious to downright terrifying. i know, i had a hard time

watching it. i didn't want to see it. i did -- i brought this for lester. i wondered how many things he would do on live television. this being one, would you do it? >> the operative term is live television. we don't tape the show. >> wow! >> i -- did not practice. that came out of my brain. >> where are you on scotching tape -- >> no, i think that is -- first of all, i don't mean to be the downer, but someone's going to suffocate. say i'm a parent -- >> you are clearly a parent. >> they're going to suffocate. >> is that a no? >> be careful. don't put it over the nostrils, be fine. >> put a couple of straws there. that remind me back in the day, we liked to put our faces in the xerox machine. that was easier, much more sane. >> yes. >> next week on "weekly rewind," the faces in the xerox copy -- i'll bring one and hold it here. then this guy will be -- doing that thing. perfect. nice. i like it. up next, i make a new friend t national aquarium. before we introduce you, this is "today." [ male announcer ] now at your neighborhood subway: the big hot pastrami melt.

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subway. eat fresh. ♪ under the sea i love dolphins. my kind of animal. when i was invited to a behind-the-scenes invite to the national aquarium in baltimore which included time with dolphins, i jumped at the chance. it turns out it wasn't the only thing that made me jump that day. they jump, they twirl, a lot. it turns out they like making new friends, too. go! ve very nice! helping out with the dolphins was everything i'd imagined and more. but to get to the dolphins, i first had to master the okay puss. why is the octopus the only one

with a lid? >> because octopus is somewhat of an escape artist. we're finding fish missing out another exhibit, they've figured out -- at night, it was hauling itself out -- >> you're sure we have nothing to worry about? >>ing to to worry about -- nothing to worry about, exactly. >> meet the giant pacific octopus. ready for a tasty fish-sicle treat. >> place it on one of his arms. >> anyway? hello there. >> as long as you touch the suction cups, he can taste anything he's touching. if you want to touch him, go ahead. >> i'm not really good with these things. that arm's coming after me. or maybe just a nibble on my arm. you'll save me, right? >> i will save you. ah! >> i don't think you got it there. >> i didn't. that's the whole part -- i have to try again. oh! wow! wow! having finally bonded with the octopus, it was time to try my

skills in australia. or a slice of it at least. they put me to work feeding some of the 1,800 animals who call the river gorge exhibit home. mm, black worms for the black wing. perfect, you can take it -- s>> move it around a little bit. you don't have to touch the worms. perfect. >> maybe fruit salads are more my speed. >> look at this -- >> the national aquarium's goal is simple -- educate and inspire conservation. it's no surprise there's a heavy emphasis here on helping wild animals thrive. >> i feel like we're little miracle workers. >> the marine animal rescue program has brought in more than 270 animals. mainly seals and turtles like this little guy. >> it's really rare to see a sea turtle nest up this far north. we brought it here, and sadly out of 162 eggs, he is the one that survived.

>> he's the only one? >> he's about a month old. a little over a month. >> he can probably get upwards of 300 to 400 pounds. >> and all of these turtles will go back to the wild. that's always the goal? >> that is always the goal. >> unless they can't survive. >> right. being able to see the final product and release these animals is the best experience ever. >> with 16,000 species to care for at the national aquarium, it's no surprise this is a 24/7 operation. >> this is not a 9 to 5 job. this is a lifestyle. i can turn my computer off at night. i can't turn them off. usually we get up in the middle of the night. we're here. and it's a blessing to get to be here and watch the animals. not a burden, it's amazing. >> amazing, too, even when you're just here for a day. they were wonderful. big thanks to all the folks at

the national aquarium. it's interesting to see the behind-the-scenes stuff. there's so much work that goes into, it preparing all of these specific foods to keep it as close as possible to their normal habitats -- >> you loved the experience so much, we want to bring in an octopus -- >> let me tell you, i am such a ninny -- i jumped back, i hit my head. i didn't swear, i was proud of myself. it's -- a suction cup, it sucks on to your hand. it's creepy. so i'm totally not cut out for that. i did promise that i will never again eat octopus. >> how long did it take for you to break that promise? >> no, i haven't. and i won't. no. >> really? >> no. >> good for you. >> yeah. i mean, that one didn't eat me. why am i going to eat the octopus? >> wow. thoughtful. >> thank you. that's my new year's resolution. no octopus. >> i think she'll keep. it we'll be right back. first these messages. rns the nee into john stamos for five seconds. honey! i think i'm getting burned! heh! eat.

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good morning. i'm angie goff. >> and i'm richard jordan. straight ahead on news 4 today, the battle with seattle takes over the area.

let's go to derek. >> checking in with some of the redskins faithful at an area institution. details coming up on news 4. back by popular demand, the amateur singer with a booming voice getting another chance to win over football fans at tomorrow's game. let's head over to chuck. thank, angie. the sun is shining brightly now on your saturday morning. believe it or not, there's an opportunity that some of us might see a snowflake or two. the forecast straight ahead. also, extreme measures. this is no practical joke. how a passenger ended up wrapped up in tape on board an international flight. >> i would never do that. >> that and more when you join us next. >> we are back in 90 seconds.

we're counting down to the battle with seattle as the redskins prepare to take on the seahawks. this morning, players make a request to fans as football fever takes over the redskins region. and something to cheer about as we get ready for a nice weather weekend on tap. off to a cold start, but looking beautiful out there. good morning, everyone. i'm richard jordan. >> and i'm angie goff. welcome to news 4 today. thanks so much for joining us on this saturday, january 5th, 2013. we're startihi