good morning. pushing back. mitt romney tries to move past his secretly recorded comments at a fundraiser and goes on offense. unearthing a video of then state senator obama sharing his views on wealth in america. we'll talk about the dueling videotapes with one of romney's top advisers. nice view, now get me down, an amusement park ride malfunctions trapping people 300 feet in the air for three hours. the second time it's happened in two weeks. and jon stewart and bill o'reilly get set for an october showdown on pay per view. we'll ask the professionals and you. will you pay to watch it?

and who will win, today, ptember 20th, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a thursday morning. i'm savannah gurthrie. >> and i'm matt lauer. i'd pay to watch. >> i like the free debates. >> it'll be fun. withless than 50 days to go to the election, mitt romney's ramping up his campaign schedule. >> he's hoping to turn the page on the controversy over his leaked remarks that nearly half of americans see themselves as victims. it's the latest in a series of stumbles that have one influential columnist using the word incompetent to describe the romney campaign. we're going to get reaction from the governor's camp straight ahead. also ahead, will a former green beret convicted of

murdering his pregnant wife and daughters more than 30 years ago get a new trial? his story was made famous in "fatal vision." today the author of that could testify at a key hearing in this case. we're going to be there live. then a very interesting legal battle. one mother's emotional fight to bring her children back home. kelly rutherford who you know from "gossip girl" is locked in a bitter custody battle with her ex-husband. and a judge ruled their young kids will live with their dad in france. that's a decision she is now appealing. let us begin on a thursday morning with the dueling videotapes in the presidential race. peter alexander is in miami. he's following the romney campaign. peter, good morning. >> reporter: matt, good morning to you. mitt romney came here to south florida to make a direct appeal to hispanic americans. the president will come here later this afternoon to do the exact same. but right now, the romney campaign has aggressively been trying to change the subject from that video of romney that

was shot on hidden camera four months ago to another video that they say is critically revealing of barack obama shot 14 years ago. >> at his first public event since his private comments surfaced writing off 47% of voters, mitt romney tried to turn the page with a new message of inclusiveness. >> my campaign is about the 100% of america. and i'm concerned about them. >> reporter: and he counterattacked, furiously fighting back against his opponent. >> we've had a president who has been putting in place a political and economic program that a lot of us don't recognize. we haven't seen anything like this in america before. he said -- he said some years ago something which we're hearing about today on the internet. he said he believes in redistribution. all right. >> romney was seizing on comments made 14 years ago by then state senator obama during a conference on city government and public policy at chicago's

university where he discussed government efficiency. >> i think the trick is figuring out how do we structure governnt systems tha pool resources and hence facilitate some redistribution. because i actually believe in redistribution. at least at a certain level to make sure that everybody's got a shot. >> the obama campaign quickly responded. >> governor romney and congressman ryan would redistribute wealth from middle class families to the wealthiest americans. >> reporter: and the obama super pac attacked the comments in a new ad airing in six battleground states. >> and mitt romney will never convince us he's on our side. >> romney's aggressive new counterattacks follow three days of fierce criticism. "wall street journal" columnist peggy noonan blastinghe campaign as incompetent. an intervention is in order, she wrote. mitt, this isn't working. speaking out on the issue for

the first time, romney's wife ann says her husband's fundraiser remarks were misinterpreted and taken out of context. and the first lady alluded to the comments, as well. >> as president, you have to be driven by the struggles, hopes, and dreams of all of the people you serve. >> reporter: and both sides have been spending a lot of time fund raising in recent weeks, but there's been criticism within mitt romney's own party that he's spent too much time, matt, raising money, and not enough time with voters. the campaign is pushing back claiming they have big plans for a big battleground push. next week, picking up the tempo in other key battlegrounds. the states of ohio and colorado. >> peter alexander this morning in miami. thanks very much. ed galespie is a senior adviser to the romney campaign. good morning. >> good morning. thanks for having me. >> there's been a string of bad news on the economy, the jobs numbers, the deficit numbers, and yet, while the challenger in this race, mitt romney, should be taking advantage of that, by

just about every estimate, this was a bad week for his campaign, would you agree? >> well, i would actually argue the other side of that, matt. i think it was a bad week for president obama. if you look at the polling data, president obama dropped six points in the gallup poll over seven days from plus seven to plus one. we've seen him swing in the rasmussen to plus one to minus two. romney's up two. there's a lot of different polls out there. if you look at the target states. the fact is they're all very tight, very close. this is a tight election. >> how can you say it's a bad week for the president when key republicans -- >> look at the poll data i just cited. >> -- can't be a good week for mitt romney when key republicans come out and say things like this. this is david brooks. this comment talking about the taped comments, suggests he really doesn't know much about the country he inhabits. who are these free loaders? is it the iraq war veteran that goes to the v.a.? a student getting a loan to go to colleges, the retiree on

social security or medicare? here's mark mckinnon, it reveals a deeply cynical man who sees the country as completely divided, two completely different sets of people who would likely govern in a way that would only further divide us. these are republican voices. >> well, i don't know, david brooks is a columnist, i don't know if he would call himself a republican or not. but, matt, if you look at the full tape, the governor was asked about winning the election. and he said an election, the president starts with 47%, i start with 47%. i think most political analysts would agree that's pretty much the bottom line for most -- both parties' nominees. and you've got to fight for the 6% of undecided voters. that's political analysis. >> you're talking about numbers there and the comments were more disparaging -- it wasn't just being a numbers game. he made disparaging comments about their lack of responsibility. >> what he said was that -- he was talking about the folks -- it may not be as resonant if

people pay no income taxes. and if you're in favor of cutting federal spending, that may not be appealing to those who rely on government programs. and the fact is what he was talking about, matt, is the need for us to have an economy that is a growing economy that fosters upward mobility -- >> right. >> not an economy that is -- that has too much unemployment and that fosters government dependent on a stagnant economy like we have under president obama's policies, and that needs to change. >> let's get to the videotape you want to talk about. that is then state senator obama talking about redistribution -- saying i believe in redistribution at least at a certain level to make sure everybody's got a shot. why do you think this is damaging, ed? >> well, i think, matt, everybody supports a safety net. i believe when you have a philosophy of income redistribution as the goal of your economic policies -- and that wasn't the only time that president obama has said something like that. you remember in the last election he talked about spreading the wealth a little

bit. he talked about small business owners. and when you have a policy that's focused on spreading the wealth rather than an economy that generates wealth, that allows for upward mobility, that lifts people out of poverty, you do end up with an economy that results in unemployment above 8% for over three years and household -- household incomes dropping. we want a growth economy, household incomes rise and there's more jobs and take home pay. >> before i let you go, let me ask you about reporting. there is turmoil within the campaign, that there is dissension, there's infighting, there's people choosing sides. in some ways, maybe getting ready to protect their own reputation should this thing go south. peggy noonan says an intervention is necessary right now. you're in the middle -- actually you're close to the top of that campaign, is it true? >> it's not true, matt. and, look, these are process stories. they're going to come and go. i've been through a lot of campaigns, a lot of process stories, i've been through a lot of inner turmoil stories. i can tell you that this

campaign is very. it's a close-knit group. when people walk into a meeting with 12 people, you don't -- you can have a five-minute meeting and if everyone says yeah, we agree on that. there's back and forth, and there's recommendations to the governor, but we're in the trenches together in a cause we believe in. and someone we believe will be a great president of the united states. you know, we'll live with the process stories. the people in ohio and in these swing states, they're not reading this stuff. they're worried about are we going to be able to get a job? and we're telling them that mitt romney has a plan to create 12 million new ones if you elect him. >> senior adviser to the campaign, ed, thanks for your time. >> thanks for having me. a magazine in france is defending its decision to publish cartoons mocking the prophet muhammad in the wake of the riots over an anti-muslim film. french officials are preparing

for a potentially violent backlash. michelle, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. yeah. this morning, there are protests outside the french embassy in tehran. paris very visibly increased the police presence. we know the publishers chose the timing of this for a reason. after the protests and murders last week over the anti-islamic film, after the legal backlash of the photos of the duchess of cambridge. they said this is about free speech and standing up to any threats against it. it sold out in one day. featuring cartoons of the prophet muhammad saying one must not mock, in some he's naked. the editor defiant. it's okay to criticize the catholic extreme, but one isn't allowed to poke fun at muslim fundamentalist. clearly a new rule, but we won't respect it. they want to govern through

fear. the french foreign minister called it throwing oil on fire. after last week's violent protests in several countries, the murders of the u.s. ambassador and staff in libya. over an amateur-ish anti-islamic film trailer online. france is acting quickly, already closing some schools in tunisia, indonesia, planning on shutting down embassies, cultural centers on friday, and at least 20 consults appearing violent. wednesday, attackers threw a small bomb into a kosher grocery outside paris causing minor injuries. the editor of the cartoons has said if you don't like them, go to court over it, referencing what prince william and kate did through lawyers this week winning against a magazine that ran topless photos of kate. and that is what others are doing, at least two muslim groups have filed suit saying the images incited hate. >> how far can we go? can we, indeed, go too far? that's what this story is about.

>> reporter: in europe, running those cartoons can carry mortal risk. in denmark in 2005, over a period of years protests, arson, and embassy bombings, dozens killed, murder plots against the cartoonist. there was a murder plot and attack against a swedish cartoonist whom with others insist free expression cannot give in. >> reporter: some muslim leaders are calling for peaceful protests only. but two peaceful protests planned for this saturday in paris have been denied permits. and on the other free speech front, william and kate's courtroom victory here did only extend up to these borders because right now sweden and denmark are running those photos. savannah? >> we'll have to watch from paris, thank you. let us get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories. natalie, good morning. >> good morning, everyone. newly released forensic tests show that the only dna found on the gun used to shoot florida

teen trayvon martin belonged to george zimmerman. zimmerman is facing second-degree murder charges for the fatal shooting. he has pleaded not guilty and says he acted in self-defense. the new dna evidence could help prosecutors knock down that self-defense claim. new census data shows the u.s. economy may be on the road to recovery. figures from 2011 show more young americans are now moving out of their parents' homes to go to college or to hit the job market. but the unemployment rate remains elevated, and the number of americans on food stamps is at an all-time high. a new report on the botched fast and furious gun trafficking operation takes aim at the justice department. blaming the agency for letting hundreds of weapons reach mexican drug cartels. a congressional committee meets today on the report. but the report from the justice department inspector general does not fault attorneyeneral eric holder saying there was no evidence he was aware of the operation's critical flaws. a police officer in lubbock,

texas, is being called a hero today after this dash cam video surfaced showing the officer pushing a woman out of harm's way as a van smashed into his squad car and sent it flying toward them. the 26-year-old officer was seriously injured, but has since been released from the hospital. the woman suffered only minor scrapes and bruises. and the driver of the fan is now behind bars facing dwi and aggravated assault charges. the space shuttle "endeavor" takes to the sky for the last time today as it piggy backs on a 747 from houston, texas, to its retirement home at the california science center. during its 20-year career, "endeavor" traveled more than 122 million miles and spent 29 of days in space. and as "endeavor" retires, nasa's "curiosity" rover hard at work on mars snapping this amazing photo of a lunar eclipse as seen from the surface of the red planet. well, talk about a room with a view here in new york, the

statue of christopher columbus at columbus circle now has its own penthouse apartment erected on scaffolding some 70 feet above midtown manhattan. the 810-square foot living room installation was created by a japanese artist featuring pink wall paper and a flat screen tv big enough for the giant marble statue to appreciate. the exhibit is open to the public for the next two months. looks pretty cool there. it's 7:16 now. back over to matt, savannah, and al. >> cool. you like it? it's great until the pigeons find it. >> exactly. >> that is not good. >> columbus seems a little stiff about that. > thanks, natalie. that. >> thank, natalie. >> that is neat. chilly. we are talking cold, frost and freeze warnings from pennsylvania to new england with temperatures this morning into the 30s and 40s. saranac lake, 36. berlin, 32 degrees. bangor, maine, 35 degrees.

it will warm up a bit. we look for showers around the great lakes. temperatures in the 70s and low 80s. the heat continues in the southwest and look for more showers in southern florida with a stationary front across the southern part of that state. good morning, i'm storm team 4 meteorologist tom kierein. it is the chilliest morning in four months. look at that gorgeous sunrise over the potomac. 55 at reagan national. that's the warmer waters. elsewhere, we are in the 40s. later today with the bright september sun, we climb to the mid-70s with low humidity, a beautiful day. a gorgeous that's your latest weather. matt? >> al, thanks very much. thrill seekers at an amusement park in california got more than they bargained for last night. the ride they were on malfunctioned trapping them about 300 feet in the air for more than three hours.

nbc's diana alviar has details on that. good morning to you. >> good morning. the ride is called wind seeker and it was built last year. and this is the second time in just two weeks the riders have been left up in the air. >> reporter: they call it a towering monster. at 301 feet high, it's a favorite among park visitors and thrill seekers. but late wednesday afternoon, the wind seeker ride stopped, leaving some 20 people literally stuck in the air. for hours news choppers made the stranded riders stars on local tv. >> that poor guy's sitting by himself. unfortunately, there's really not a lot they can do but wait this out. >> reporter: waiting it out and enjoying the view. they wave to the cameras, texted, took pictures, took naps, and tried to keep warm as

the sun went down. >> i really was hyperventilating, i didn't know if the whole thing would plummet. >> reporter: 3 1/2 hours after it all started, park maintenance workers finally got the ride moving. slowly bringing everyone safely back down. some on the ride said they sensed trouble soon after they reached the top. >> there was no sudden jerks or anything like that, and it was on its way down when the swings stopped swinging, i knew there was something wrong. and yeah, i was panicked. >> yeah, very scared. >> for 12-year-old haley and her friend abby, this is a birthday they won't soon forget. >> yeah. >> yeah. >> like five times each. >> we were pretty scared. >> knott's berry farm said a safety security system activated causing the ride to come to a halt. they said workers followed safety procedures before finally getting the passengers down. many took it all in stride. >> the only bad thing was i

wasn't facing the sunset. so i had to look around and try and see that. >> reporter: ironically, donna said her husband took her on the ride to help her conquer her fear of heights. >> i have a fear of heights. so that first half an hour was a little bit, you know, daunting. but he's a great coach. he talked me through it. and by the end, i was like, i can do this again. >> donna's going to have to wait before she'll be able to ride wind seeker again. knott's berry says the attraction will remain close while they further investigate the cause of the incident. matt? >> thank you very much. >> there's a new ride called lawsuit seeker. >> damages seeker. >> when's the last time you went three hours without going to the bathroom? >> i didn't even think about that. >> last night. >> not good. anyway, on a much more serious note, coming up, a mother involved with an emotional battle with her children over a custody battle with her ex-husband who lives in

france. kelly rutherford shares her story in a live interview. but first, this is "today"

just ahead, the shadow scholar, a man who made a living helping thousands of college students cheat. means living with pain. it could also mean living with joint damage. help relieve the pain and stop the damage with humira, adalimumab. for many adults with moderate to severe ra, humira is clinically proven to help relieve pain and stop joint damage. so you can treat more than just the pain. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections or have symptoms such as

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use caution when driving or operating machinery. common side effects include nausea, trouble sleeping and unusual dreams. with chantix and with the support system it worked. it worked for me. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if chantix is right for you. good morning, it's 7:26 now on this thursday, september 20th. i'm aaron gilchrist. a chilly start to the morning but it's going to be a nice day, right, tom? >> yeah. it's the coldest morning we have had in four months going back to may. we are in the 40s most of the area. reagan national at 55. it's near 60 right by the bay. later today, a rapid warm up. we warm up 30 degrees into the mid-70s with lots of sun and low humidity. a beautiful night tonight and a gorgeous day. clouds saturday. might get a shower saturday afternoon or evening. great weather for sunday and

starting off through midweek next week. back to your aaron.

good morning. inbound route 50 at londover road in maryland, disabled vehicle there but it looks to be in the shoulder lane. i-270 at 370. a crash blocking the left side

♪ clr countless tributes to "call me maybe," not many like this, the orchestra doing the very unusual version of carly raejepsen's hit. the whole crew will be here to perform it live tomorrow on "today." inside studio 1-a, i'm matt lauer inside alongside savannah gurthrie. >> i can't wait to hear the heavy metal version. >> are you a little over this song by now? >> i still like it. >> i heard you humming it

earlier, actually. it gets stuck in your brain. just ahead, an interesting question in the wake of those topless sunbathing photos of kate middleton and the hidden camera video of mitt romney. is privacy dead in today's society? today's professionals will weigh in on that and other topics coming up in our next half hour. then we'll have the story of one mother's emotional custody battle. a judge recently ruled that kelly rutherford's two young children should live with their father in france. it's a decision she's determined to fight. she's going to share her story in a live interview coming up. let us begin this half hour with a guy who admits he helped thousands of college students across the country cheat. now he's revealing how in the new book "the shadow scholar," nbc's kerry sanders has details on this. good morning. >> well, good morning. for those who went to college, this is a familiar setting. professor down there, students sometimes hundreds of them up here, getting assignments to write academic research papers. but for some students, that's just too much work, so they decide to subcontract.

the author you're about to meet wrote more than 3,500 pages for students who decided to cheat rather than do the work themselves. >> reporter: for ten years, no one knew his name. and this anonymous 32-year-old liked it that way. with incense to set the mood and endless cups of caffeine, this philadelphia native worked a little known underworld from the keyboard in his apartment. now, for the first time, dave tomar is stepping out from the shadows revealing his identity and exposing a dirty little secret at some of our nation's colleges. >> very simply, i was paid to help students cheat. >> reporter: for up to $40 a page, dave tomar said he wrote college papers for students who either too lazy or too inept to do the work themselves. >> a comparative study of one

flew over the coo coo's nest and elephant man. >> in a just published book called "the shadow scholar," he's telling all. >> you're sarcastic, you're laughing. >> i am, but not at anybody in particular. >> reporter: alleged cheating scandals have been in the news at prestigious high schools, students accused of cheating to get into better colleges, even at harvard university. and according to experts, it's more common than you might think. >> it's maybe a maximum of 10% of the people that are doing it, but that's far too many. >> for those that are guilty of cheating, this is not an ethical question. it's a practical question. it's a practical question of how do i get through school? how do i get a leg up? and if you're in a better school, it's so competitive. how do i get a leg up on students that are so smart? >> tomar said he started writing papers for other students while he was in college. unemployed after graduating, he wrote papers for online companies who sold them to students who made specific

requests. the companies called them study guides with a disclaimer that the papers were not to be handed in. and he says students were not the only ones contacting him. >> i have interacted with a lot of parents, as well. >> parents completely aware. >> not only completely aware but completely complicit. >> he said he earned up to $50,000 a year writing other people's assignments. >> this was pure economics. and truthfully, i didn't even have the time to think about the moral implications. not only was i angry, i was scared. you get out of college and it's terrifying, you're paying your loans off immediately and nobody's handing you a job. and it was a scary experience. >> are you ashamed for what you've done? >> no, i'm not ashamed. >> because? >> i'm not proud of it either. but you know, it was what i had to do to get by. it was what i had to do to make a living as a writer. and when push comes to shove, it

also gave me the opportunity to look inside of our schools and see that a lot is wrong with them. >> he wrote papers for medical students, accounting majors, would be lawyers, which is all a little scary when you consider we may now be doing business with those people, matt. >> that's right. kerry sanders, what a fascinating story. thank you very much. it's now 35 after the hour, here's savannah. prosecutors will call more witnesses today at a hearing in a so-called fatal vision case. a former green beret accused of killing his wife and daughters. at the federal courthouse in wilmington, north carolina for us. tom, good morning to you. >> reporter: hi, savannah, good morning to you. the murders became infamous partly because of the best-selling book "fatal vision," which portrayed him as a killer. today the author is set to take the stand. >> reporter: the 1970 murders of

collette mcdonald and her two young daughters shocked the country. each had been bludgeoned and stabbed. the word "pig" written in blood in the family's home. >> i did not murder my family. >> reporter: jeffrey macdondald claimed crazed hippies broke into their apartment, knocked him unconscious and killed his family. nine years after the killings, a jury later convicted macdondald, but he's always maintained his innocence, for 42 years. >> he'll never admit he's wrong, he'll never admit defeat. >> author joe mcginnis was embedded with the defense through years of legal battles. he went on to write "fatal vision," a best seller that spawned the nbc mini series by the same name. >> they're dead aren't they? >> reporter: the book and movie portrayed macdondald as a cunning liar and killer. macdondald mentioned it by name while trying to appeal his conviction. >> i think a second trial would be an appropriate way for me to clear at least clear legally my name if not in the public

perception because of "fatal vision." >> reporter: 42 years later, macdondald's defense is back in court trying to present evidence to clear his name. >> evidence is coming in. >> reporter: they point to what they're calling unsourced hairs found at the bloody scene. macdondald's lawyers also presented sworn statements claiming the former prosecutor intimidated a known drug user to testify that she could not recall being in the house on the night of the murders. claims the prosecution and victim's brother say are baseless. >> there was no new evidence, there never was any new evidence and they'll keep trying until the day he dies. >> in a strange twist, sarah palin is sounding off about the case and joe mcginnis who moved beside the palins to write his book "rogue." palin supports a new book backing macdondald's innocence by famed documenttarian. palin also had harsh words for

her ex-neighbor writing, i sympathize with macdondald and his defense team because i saw firsthand the twisted way mcginnis operates. >> i love it. i love it. i think sarah palin and jeffrey macdondald, they all make great bedfellows. >> reporter: he is expected to be the final witness in this hearing. then in closing arguments, both sides will argue their respective cases about those unsourced hairs, and then it'll be in the judge's hands. savannah. >> thank you. and now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> thank you so much, savannah. >> team challenge. >> what is that? >> we help support the foundation of america to help raise funds. >> through a half marathon program. >> a lot of folks dealing with that. thanks. let's see what we've got. temperatures making a big jump up out west. feel like fall. upper level ridge in the

southwest. look at these temperatures above normal conditions. phoenix, 105. amarillo, 91. yakima, washington, 15 degrees above normal with a high of 91 today. the east coast is going to feel like fall. frost and freeze warnings in new york to new england. plenty of sunshine through the southwest. 105 in phoenix today. 84 and sunny in new orleans. good morning, no frost here. it's cold. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist tom kierein. most of the region is in the 40s. holding steady in the mid-40s. we'll rapidly warm up to 70 by noontime hitting the mid-70s. lots of sun throughout the day with low humidity. tomorrow morning, afternoon highs near 80. low humidity on friday. over the weekend, saturday any time you need that weather, check out the weather

channel on cable. weather.com online. savannah? >> al, thank you. coming up next, an international custody struggle after kelly rutherford opens up in a live interview about her real life battle for her kids right after this. [ female announcer ] quaker yogurt granola bars. they're whole grain good... and yummy good. real fruit pieces. 12 grams of whole grains and a creamy yogurt flavored coating. quaker yogurt granola bars. treat yourself good.

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[ female announcer ] sometimes, all you need is the smooth, creamy taste of werther's original caramel to remind you that you're someone very special. ♪ werther's original caramels. back now at 7:42 with one mother's emotional custody struggle. kelly rutherford is involved in a very personal drama. and we're going to talk to her in a moment. but first, nbc's stephanie gosk has this story. good morning to you. >> good morning. you know custody disputes can get ugly quickly, even with parents living in the same city, but in this case, kelly rutherford and her ex-husband live in different countries, an ocean apart. and for now, at least, a court has decided it's in the

children's best interest to live with their father. >> you are so beautiful. >> reporter: on tv like real life kelly rutherford is a mother of two. but unlike her character on the hit show "gossip girl," rutherford is now long distance parenting. in august, a los angeles superior court judge ruled that her 3-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son both u.s. citizens will live with their german father in monaco and france. last week, the actress made an emotional appearance on abc's "the view." >> my little girl said, you know, i want to come home, mama, i want to come back to new york. and my son who has been brainwashed that where he is so much better. >> reporter: she's looking into fighting the court's decision. >> i do think that the children are at risk. because i'm now -- i was the primary parent, now i'm the visitor.

>> reporter: he married rutherford in 2006, but the relationship fell apart two years later and ended in a bitter divorce battle. the couple still share legal, joint custody, but girsch had his visa revoked and could no longer travel to the u.s. for reasons that have not been disclosed. in the ruling, the judge said the best way to split parenting time is if the children live with their father while he pursues another visa. >> i've seen decisions where a foreign parent gets custody. i've never seen a decision where a father who was kicked out of the country for presumably good reasons gets custody from an american mother with her 3-year-old and 5-year-old children involved. >> reporter: while the judge commends both parents for "exceptional parenting," she does go on to criticize rutherford. daniel has facilitated the relationship of the children with kelly, particularly in the most recent years, and that

kelly simply has not done so. but the "gossip girl" actress worries it's girsch that can't be trusted. >> and what i was in court was trying to get to the bottom of is he might disappear tomorrow and i don't know where to look. >> the court's decision requires that he has to pay for six round trips for rutherford as well as a car and place to stay while she visits the kids. he says he won't be making any comment because he believes it's in the children's best interest not to. savannah? >> stephanie, thank you. kelly rutherford is with us along with star jones. ladies, good morning to both of you. let me ask about the kids, kelly, i understand you saw them a couple of weeks ago. how are they doing? >> yeah, i was in france two weeks ago and i'm going back at the end of the month. >> they're doing okay? >> they're doing okay. i talk to them on skype and i set my alarm in the morning and call them in the morning to hear their voices when they wake up. >> a lot of people when they hear this story think, wait a minute, you have an american mom, kids grew up in america

suddenly being moved to france where neither parent livesme. what was your reaction when you saw the ruling from the judge? >> well, it doesn't make sense to anybody, it doesn't make sense to minors counsel who has been appointed to the court. he thought they should stay in new york, as well. >> you're supposed to visit france where your ex-husband's parents live periodically through the year? >> yeah, she says 50/50, which makes no sense whatsoever. because i mean, if you were living in new jersey, maybe that would make sense, but we're living in two different countries. i have a job, i have a contract, it's not like i can hop on a plane every week and go and be there. >> one of the things that was confusing about this, i'll be honest, there's a part of the ruling that makes clear the judge intends this only to last until the end of the school year and then she expects your ex-husband to get his visa back somehow and move back to new york. but then she says if he can't, then he has another two years to try to get the visa back.

what's your basic concern here? that it won't be temporary? >> well, he has no motivation to get back in the country. she's given him absolutely no motivation from the beginning. she hasn't required him to show any information as to why his visa was revoked. we've seen one e-mail this entire time. so it's -- it's very odd. they're living in his mother's boyfriend's home in france. it's not even in his name. >> let me bring you in on this, star. first of all, is there any recourse? if he just decides, you know what? i can't get me visa, oh well. >> the court said all he has to do is make good faith efforts. and those are extremely subjective. and in this situation, american children for all practical purposes have had their rights stripped away from them. americans have rights of due process and equal protection. and her children are also american citizens, and they've been effectively deported to another country. >> and what if he did, as kelly fears, somehow went off with

these children, and there's no evidence he's done anything like that so far to be fair. >> there's no evidence of a lot of anything right now. i mean, one e-mail to say that your visa has been revoked? the actual revocation certificate was not submitted into evidence, they didn't take evidence on what was the reason for the supposed revocation. we don't know if it was financial, if it was medical, criminal, if it was for security clearance purposes. so, yes, her fears are for real. she does not know what her ex-husband may or may not do and she has very little recourse right now. >> kelly, i know you know that a lot of people watching will be very sympathetic to you. but they may also think do i really know the whole story here? is there something more? could she have done something that led to her children being taken away? the judge took pains to say both of you that are excellent parents, both of you. >> which is why it's more confusing to me. if i'm an excellent parent and i'm the mother and i've been the primary care giver of these children, i've given birth,

nursed, raised these children, financially supported these children, i've never gotten child support, i've followed every court order, everything this judge has asked me to do. >> what had you proposed? >> what happened? >> would these children have been able to see your ex-husband if you e kekept them in new yor? >> yes, we proposed a 60/40 schedule, which is the closest you can get if you're living in two different countries which is i would fly them there because he can't come in the u.s. for the school holidays, and that any other time that he was available, i would fly the children to let's say bermuda or any other close location. >> let me let you respond really quickly to something the judge said. while she was complimentary of your parenting style, she basically said in the piece that your ex-husband made efforts to facilitate your relationship with the kids but you had not reciprocated. >> he had verbally made those efforts, but i was accused of interfering for the mere reason that i inquired as to why his visa was revoked. i had gotten information saying

the visa had been fraudulent from the beginning and presented that to the court. so every time -- and then when i asked for a stay when she first was going to send them out of the country which is my legal right to find out more information, she threatened me and said i'm going to see that as you're interfering with your children's ability to see their father. i'm being accused of asking questions that i think any parent, a mother or father would want to know. >> i know it's been a long legal battle, i know there are many steps ahead. star jones, kelly rutherford, thank you for being here and sharing your story. really appreciate it. >> i appreciate it. >> and we'll have star back in a bit for "the professionals" too. imagine facing the day with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved to manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. one non-narcotic pill a day, every day, can help reduce this pain. tell your doctor right away if your mood worsens, you have unusual changes in mood or behavior

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7:56 is your time now on this thursday, september 20th, 2012. good morning to you. a cool start to the morning. meteorologist tom kierein with a look at the day. good morning. >> good morning, off to a beautiful start. still a chill in the air. much of the region, we are down still, in the 40s here. just before 8:00, it's in the upper 50s on the warmer water of the potomac. later today, a rapid warm up to the mid-70s with lots of sunshine, low humidity. a gorgeous day tomorrow. saturday, increasing clouds. might get a shower late afternoon into saturday evening and cooler sunday. >> thank you.

good morning, slow i-270 southbound. the crash at i-370 is taking up the left side of the roadway. they are sweeping up debris now. you are jammed in clarksburg. 395 as you go past duke street, had a crash, but it's gone. over 14th street bridge, the crash is in the left shoulder lane. you are jammed. 14 miles per

8:00 now on this thursday morning. it is the 20th of september 2012. we have a beautiful day. fall is not officially here. but you know what? it's here in my opinion. it's chilly outside. >> it's a little brisk. a little brisk. >> yeah. love it. i've got to tell you. i love this coat. >> thank you. >> it is very nice. very nice. >> the toggle look. >> the toggle. like paddington bear. the paddington casual. i'm savannah gurthrie alongside matt lauer and al roker. and just ahead, the professionals are here. >> they're in the studio right now. some of the things we'll talk about today.

for example, do you know there's an upcoming debate between bill o'reilly and jon stewart. raise your hand if you'll pay. wow. >> we've got one over there. >> whoa. funny, because i think a lot of people will. we're going to ask the professionals if they would pay to see that and who would win. also we're going to talk about this question, is privacy dead in our society today? >> and a little bit later on, have you ever wanted to know our deepest, darkest secrets here on the "today" show? >> no, you don't really want to know. >> well, guess what, ask away today. that's right. matt, natalie, savannah, myself, we're going to answer those questions, whether it's the most embarrassing tv moments, our fashion choices, nothing off the table. go to today.com and watch all next week. >> some things are off the table. >> that's right. okay. and don't forget, she's going to be here to help you reveal some of her rules to live by. >> okay. cool. >> we'll get to all that.

let's go inside. natalie's standing by at the news desk with a check of all the headlines. >> good morning, everyone. a newly surfaced videotape has become the latest flash point in the presidential campaign. the 14-year-old video shows barack obama as a state senator saying that he believes in some redistribution of resources to make sure in his words that everybody's got a shot. mitt romney stung earlier this week by secretly taped remarks, seized on the president's words saying his opponent is putting in place a political and economic program unlike anything we've seen in america before. the obama campaign then shot back that romney would redistribute wealth from the middle class families to the wealthiest americans. the french government is bracing for a possible backlash after a magazine published caricatures of the prophet muhammad. a few hours after the cartoon appeared, a small bomb exploded in a jewish grocery store

injuring at least one person. a prosecutor said it was too early to draw any conclusions about the motives. a thrill ride that left 20 people stranded high above a california amusement park will remain closed while the cause of the malfunction is investigated. riders at knott's berry farm dangled for as long as four hours until maintenance workers brought them down after nightfall. a $7.2 million settlement for a denver man diagnosed with popcorn lung. he argued that regularly inhaling the artificial butter scent of microwave popcorn gave him respiratory problems and said that food companies should've warned consumers. a lung specialist testified that a chemical in the artificial butter sickened him and that additive has been pulled from the snack food. now taking a look at what is trending today, our quick round-up of what has you talking online. singer shakira confirmed on her facebook that she is pregnant.

it'll be the first baby for the belly dancing 35-year-old and her 25-year-old boyfriend, spanish soccer star. the elderly spanish visitor whose botched touch-up made her an internet laughing stock is looking for pay back. claiming tourists flocking to see her mistake have donated thousands of euros to the church. she hired a lawyer to claim a share of the windfall. and youtube all stars decided to take linel ritchie's song "all night long" literally by singing it all night long. they did it more than 11 hours. ♪ once you get started you can't sit down ♪ ♪ come join the fun it's a merry-go-round ♪ ♪ everyone's dancing

♪ come join our party see how we play ♪ >> well, you may remember al roker performed his own duet with linel ritchie last month, but i think even al will be hard-pressed to sing that song 158 times. al, do you want to get started right now and we'll check back tomorrow morning? >> no, hoda, on the other hand, and savannah certainly could do it. thanks so much. we don't want him to come back and slap us around for doing that. we've got nice friends here. what's going on? you guys from mackinaw? >> actually, we're from jefferson, ohio. >> oh. >> we made a trip to mackinaw. >> all right, then. >> i'd like to say happy birthday to my son marcus who is 40 today. >> i'm sorry, you can't say that. >> thank you. >> happy birthday, marcus. let's see what we've got for you. and our pick city of the day, hartford, connecticut,

hartford, connecticut, nbc sunny, pleasant, 60 degrees. a nice one on tap for today. as we show you what else we have on tap, showers across the great lakes. we are looking at wet weather draped across southern florida. beautiful in the pacific northwest. portland, 80. showers around the western great lakes. los angeles looking at a high of 84 degrees. you're celebrating ten years. what's your name? >> jerry. >> dane. >> you have never had a fight? >> never. >> that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. it is the chilliest morning we have had since last may, four months ago. it's down in the 40s, still. it's 58 at reagan national and 50s at the bay. away from the waters, mid and upper 40s. later, we hit the low to mid-70s with lots of sun and low

humidity. beautiful day tomorrow. a bit milder. still low humidity. increasing clouds saturday. low 80s. and that's your latest weather. >> all right, al, thanks. coming up next, is privacy dead? anyway, we'll talk about it with the professionals coming up right after this. i love my extrabucks rewards, and right now, they're doubling! so, when i shop -- i earn twice as much with double extrabucks rewards. that's two times the rewards! yeah, that's what double is. i know. i was agreeing with you. it's two times. act fast and sign up at cvs.com/doublebucks for double quarterly extrabucks rewards. don't miss getting double quarterly extrabucks rewards. i love 'em!

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and stop further joint damage before they stop you. ♪ back now at 8:10 with today's professionals. star jones, dr. nancy snyderman, here to tackle the hottest headlines. good to see you. >> hello, matt. >> first two subjects, the privacy block. we start with these comments, secretly recorded from mitt romney at a fundraiser, private fundraiser, private home,

several months ago in florida. forget what he said. does mitt romney deserve an expectation of privacy when he takes to an event like that? star? >> well, legally in florida it's a two-party state, which requires both parties to a recording to actually know and consent to the recording. so that's number one. >> violation of his privacy then? >> and going into courtroom, he could say it was a violation of his privacy. >> all right. but he is a declared candidate for the presidency of the united states. should he assume that from the moment he declares, everything he says is on the record? >> everybody should assume that. >> the law is a contradiction. i'm giving you that. >> right now, there's a picture on facebook of a 20-year-old probably smoking a bong who is going to be running for president in the year 2040 and nobody's going to care. there's a reality today i think we've become a new generation, desensitized to what we will all be exposed to as a portfolio of quotes, pictures, and every politician and every college

student and every royal should understand that. >> even if you're in someone's home and you are running for president, those aren't your intimate friends, they're people you want money from. and with every flip cam and every phone today, no one's safe. >> is there a real downside to this? don't we want our politicians to be able to have private conversations at some point? >> yeah, but if you sit around and look at that particular tape, you have the waiters and the waitresses who are the people that he's talking about in it. wait a minute, no, don't interrupt me right now. >> i'm not interrupting, i was making a thought. >> go ahead. go ahead. >> go ahead. >> what i was saying is that the waiters and waitresses don't have the same motivation as the big-money guys that are sitting in that room. >> it's not a question of right or wrong, it's reality, that every human being, every politician has to incorporate into their lives. >> let's take that privacy question and apply it to the next situation. the duchess of cambridge, is on a private trip with her husband in the south of france at a private home. she's out by the pool and

decides at some moment enjoying herself, she's going to take her top off. a photographer a kilometer away, that's more than 1/2 mile away takes her picture. does she deserve privacy in that situation? >> of course we all deserve privacy. the reality is, the picture's going to be out there. whether we deserve it, don't deserve it, that's the reality we all have to live with. you can't raise your hand and go, oops, unfair. >> we're not saying it's not the reality. but the question is, does she deserve it? and yes, that's a private moment versus romney talking to people soliciting money. you asked the question a second ago about politicians. i want politicians who are willing to say, hey, look, i changed my mind from 20 years ago. or let me readjust that thought. because smart people learn things and change therefore. does she in that moment deserve privacy? yeah, i think she did. >> as a public figure, do you have to always assume unless you're in the most private room in your house, everything you do

could be seen or heard. >> yes, the answer to the question, is privacy dead? yes, it is. deal with it. >> the big problem is there's a big difference between privacy and the expectation of privacy. mitt romney should never have expected privacy, kate middleton should. >> real quickly, the french courts are starting an investigation. is it a criminal invasion of privacy in your opinion? >> i would like to know exactly where those photo grasps were taken from. if it was, indeed, a private road that's not for public, yes, indeed. >> every street in manhattan, every elevator you're ever on, there is a camera watching you at all time. there is no privacy. >> let's move on. how about these comments. these come in a political race, a senate race between orrin hatch and his challenger scott howell. orrin hatch is 78 years old, here's what he said in an e-mail to supporters. look, orrin hatch is not a bad guy, but he's an old guy. we cannot risk the possibility of an 80-year-old man taking office only to retire or die

before his term is through. the hatch campaign called those words outrageous and offensive. is age fair game in a campaign like this? >> absolutely. is it a smart thing to say? i don't know. is it a true thing to say? yes. how many 80-year-olds do we have executive producers of the "today" show, heads of advertising agency. i believe this will be an ageist statement that 99% of the time an 80-year-old is probably for all the physiological reasons we understand not going to be as up as a 50-year-old. >> well, it was crudely stated, fair game, and as much as we retroactively talk about ronald reagan, we do remember that there were early signs of dementia. so the 80-year-old brain is not the same as a 40-year-old brain. >> by the way, let's mention, there are a lot of people who have served in congress well into their 80s. >> and they weren't necessarily doing well. >> and here's the thing -- look at the constituency. if his constituency would rather have an old orrin hatch than a

young new guy in there, they may get more done. >> as an image guy, donny, does this backfire? >> that's my point. it's a strategically bad thing, makes him look unempathetic. a bad strategic thing. >> raise your hand if you would vote for an 80-year-old man or woman to start in the senate? >> i would. if orrin hatch is qualified, i would vote for him. >> absolutely. depends on the person. >> i mean, it would depend on who it is, and it certainly wouldn't be for orrin hatch i would be voting for. >> let's move on. let's move on. that was my fault. let's move on. a lot of anticipation for the big debate coming up. i'm not talking about romney, i'm not talking about ryan/biden, i'm talking about jon stewart versus bill o'reilly. who here thinks this is going to generate a lot of interest? >> i do. i'm looking forward to it, actually. >> yeah. two really smart guys who both use their words impeccably.

you can tell they like each other even though their politics are very different. i think this is going to be one of the great sparring matches. it's an intellectual thing. >> here's what it is. news equals entertainment, the line continues to get blurred and this is a tremendous demonstration of it. >> we have so many talking heads on television. it's nice to see talking heads that actually know something about what they're speaking about. >> let me put up the tale of the tape. there it is, 63/49, o'reilly 6'4", john stewart 5'7". >> you going to vote for the old guy? >> who's going to win? who's most likely to come out on top? or will it simply be in the eyes of their beholders? >> in the eyes of the beholders, as will be the actual presidential debate. that's the reality. >> i think the presidential debate can switch people from side to side. those middle ground people. >> nancy? >> o'reilly. >> stewart. >> i've got stewart's back. >> that was interesting. by the way, we want to know what you think.

would you pay to see that debate? and who do you think will win? weigh in on today.com. we'll share the results over the next couple of weeks. up next, success secrets that every woman should know from the woman who ran "cosmopolitan" for the last 14 years right after this. ♪ ♪ ♪ whoa-oh, yeah, yeah ♪ well, she goes the extra mile ♪ ♪ she's gonna make you smile, yes, she will ♪ [ female announcer ] from special occasions to unplanned thursdays, it's one good time after another. town house®. where good times reside™.

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successful years, kate stepped down as editor in chief at "cosmopolitan" magazine. and now she's out with her latest book, "i shouldn't be telling you this." good to see you. >> thank you. >> a lot of good advice in this book. >> i hope so. >> i want to ask about leaving "cosmo," what made you want to go? >> i felt ready for a change. you can only write so many articles about guys. it was just good to try something new and different. i think we should all think that way in our careers to know when it's time to take a risk. >> i know. you said in your book, you've got to know when it's time to leave. did you leave at the right time? or did you stay a little long? >> i think i did. i paid attention to the restlessness, feeling a little bored sometimes and those are the signals. or even if you're feeling really comfy, start looking out into the world. >> now you've written this advice book and it's getting really good reviews. everybody thinks they're good at giving advice, how do you think

you actually are? >> well, i feel like i've paid attention to a lot of things. i'm a virgo. as i found success, i always felt i want to analyze and understand why. and i love the notion of strategizing for your success and paying attention to it. >> one of your big lessons is, wait for it, drain the swamp as you slay the alligator. please translate. >> what it means is you can't just focus on the day-to-day in your work and your career, you have to save time every week to think about the big picture and strategizing for the future. we get caught up in the day-to-day too much. >> you say go big or go home. >> you're never going to get ahead if you do what you're told to do well. you've got to do more than what your boss tells you to do. >> don't do basically the job requirements, do more. >> if you're in charge of pulling research together, offer a report with it, analyze what you found and give your boss that memo. >> i really got my attention raised when you said -- we all know that colleague at work who

maybe rhymes with "witch," you used the real word. you say people need to get in touch with their envy with those people. >> you think you can't stand her because she brownnoses the boss or brags, but really it's because she's doing something you should be doing. so you've got to think, hey, i want some of what she's having. >> you said as a boss some of your employees said once, don't you know that one girl? she's a brownnoser and you said -- >> yeah, hey, i know it and i like it. because the good employee knows bosses like to be stroked, do not hesitate to kiss a little butt. >> you should said we should perfect our meeting face. what does this mean? how have i gotten through life without having a meeting face? >> you probably do. because you can shine at meetings and this is your opportunity to do it. and too many people sit there slack jaw like this and drain the energy out of the room. but if you look engaged, your boss is going to love it. >> there's lots of advice here on how to act at work but even how to dress. i died when i read this.

do not wear a puffer jacket to work. why? what's wrong with a puffer jacket? >> well, maybe in some climates on some days you'll have to if you want to stay warm, but i believe you dress for the job you aspire to and you want to look buttoned up and polished and really great killer outfits. >> real quickly, not every woman has these go-getter personalities. some people are shy. does this advice work for them too? >> absolutely. the great thing about asking for what you want and going big or going home is that as you do it, you get used to it, you see the results and you go for it. >> and last piece of advice, savor the success. thank you so much and the book is called "i shouldn't be telling you this." just ahead, the foods you should be eating to get more energy.

it is 8:26 on this thursday, september 20th. i'm aaron gilchrist. bundle up, it's one of the koeldest mornings. >> the coldest morning in four months, going back to last may. we are in the 40s throughout the region. past 8:30, it's beginning to climb into the 50s around the metro area. later, low to mid-70s. lots of sun with low humidity. a gorgeous day on friday. warmer. not very humid. saturday, increasing clouds, low 80s. afternoon or evening shower. sunday, partly cloudy.

pleasant into next week. aaron? >> thank you. we'll get a check on the roads

good morning. if you are traveling sbds route 4 the crash there is blocking all southbound lanes. heading back to i-270, a crash

blocking the left lane. stick to the right to get by it. delays out of germantown are heavy. i-370 where the crash blocks the lanes. back to you. >> thank you.

it is 8:30 now on a thursday morning, it's the 20th of september of 2012. crystal clear here in new york city. and a great crowd down out on the plaza. thanks to them for stopping by. andoining them this morning, savannah gurthrie, al roker, natalie morales. i'm matt lauer, and welcome to this half hour of "today." and coming up, a question for a lot of us. what happens if you don't have

as much pep in your step as you used to. >> everyone can relate to that. sometimes it's not the lack of sleep, it may be your diet. good tips on the foods you can eat to really energize you. and yes, many of them are green. all right. it can also be exhausting keeping up with the new beauty products on the market every day. coming up, though, we're going to cut through the ones that actually really work. we're going to show you the new beauty products that promise everything from better-looking skin to longer lashes, we're going to show you which ones are worth putting your money into according to our friends from "in style" magazine. >> and jill rappaport has a group of beauties, bow to wows, and she's going to share them with us in a little bit as we continue our 100% success rate. >> are we still there? >> yeah, we are. >> did you see that face? did you see that face, al? >> might have some news here. >> mr. roker, how about a check >> mr. roker, how about a check of the weather.

>> starting with today, the east coast looks fantastic. a few showers in florida. wet weather in the upper mississippi and ohio river valleys, sizzling out west. for saturday, a risk of strong storms in the northeast. the western two-thirds of the country looking hot. sunday, sunday, we look for showers in new england. a few showers in the southern great lakes. plenty of sunshine in the southern tier states. a few showers left over in florida. that's what's going on around the country. good morning. still a chill in the air. not as chilly as it was a couple hours ago. we were in the 40s in much of the region. it's beginning to climb into the 50 z. later today, a rapid warm up by noontime. mid-70s by mid afternoon. i'm tom kierein. here is the four-day forecast into the weekend. tomorrow, lots of sun, low humidity with highs near 80. saturday, increasing clouds and might have an afternoon or evening shower. then it

make sure to get that weather when you need it, go to weather channel on cable or weather.com. the latest and greatest beauty products put to the test. but first, this is "today" on nbc. [ male announcer ] for the dreamers...

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back now at 8:35 with today's beauty. and this morning, head to toe fixes. new products hit the market all the time. but how well do they really work? the folks at "in style" magazine put them to the test to find out. the senior beauty market editor. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> you did all the hard work for us. >> we did. >> how did you figure out here? >> well, we get so many amazing beauty products at "in style" that makes claims that sound too good to be true. and today i'm going to tell you about eight that really work. >> okay. lashes. lash extensions are kind of the trendy thing but they're expensive. tell me about the product. >> this is an eyelash system

that how it works you put a coat of activating mascara and put nylon fibers on to thicken the lashes and another coat of mascara and really makes your lashes voluminous. her right eye has the system and the left eye has regular mascara. >> and what's the degree of difficulty? >> it takes two minutes. you have to be precise and work the mascara. >> not as hard as fake eyelashes? >> not at all. >> you like them? they feel okay? good. this is the -- we all love the bun. >> yeah, the top knot. >> how do you do it? >> so a hair stylist created this amazing tool called the wrap-up. and how it works, you put your hair in a ponytail and you can do it high/low. put the tool, bring it down to the end and wrap it almost as if you're wrapping your hair in a roller. so you can wrap it down. >> good job, bridget. no pressure. >> no pressure. and then you just clamp it

around. >> yeah. >> there you go. and then you just spread your hair around the tool to hide it. >> that's cute. >> and there you have it, the perfect bun, $12 easy. >> are you good at hair? you did a good job there with that. what do we have over here? >> oh, my gosh. >> taste it. >> i'm going to taste it. >> does it work? >> it does work. the ingredient in this product stabilizes seratonin so you're less likely to snack. this you chew a piece for five minutes twice a day and it does curb your appetite and doesn't contain any artificial food dyes. >> i've got a pretty big appetite. i'm going to chew this in the next segment and tell you how it works. >> this is the bamboo volume spray and a miracle product for any woman with fine hair. you can go to town and spray this in your hair, it won't weigh it down at all. it'll make your hair twice as thick for 48 hours. >> okay. >> it really works. >> another problem, a beauty

problem, lip gloss that we eat off. >> yes, we drink our morning coffee and it's gone. this is the honey lip lacquer and contains honey and it absorbs moisture so lip gloss stays in place for eight hours, doesn't disappear. >> not all sticky? >> not sticky at all. the shine will wear down, but the color will stay put. >> deodorant, it's supposed to lighten up if you get dark spots -- >> right. a lot of times women shave under their arms, the area gets inflamed and causes discoloration, so this is a deodorant by dove, it contains moisturizers to combat the darkness. and we tried it for two weeks and it brightened the area. >> foundation is a tricky one. why do you think this is good? >> well, because it's moisturizing. it's oxygen foundation and it really, really doesn't feel like you're wearing foundation at all. it has vitamins, peptides, minerals, to bring oxygen in the skin. you don't feel like you're wearing foundation at all. >> and you noticed after a few weeks the skin felt better?

>> feels better. doesn't feel like foundation but covers the imperfections. >> and a good spf. >> 25. yeah. >> and finally the gel manicure. you're saying try this at home? >> try it at home, but you have to give your nails a break. do it a couple weeks, give your nails a break. but it does create a long-lasting manicure. so this is from mally beauty and has everything you need to create a perfect gel nail at home. it comes with a variety of perfect pink nail polish shades, also an l.e.d. lamp to help set the polish. she put on seven days ago, one of her hands has the gel and the other hand has regular nail polish. and you'll note this is -- >> wait, let me try to guess. >> you can guess. >> this is the gel. >> no, look at the chip. >> oh, shoot. >> that's the regular nail polish, this is the gel. perfect. >> we did not plan that.

so bottom line, you say this really works. >> i say try it. >> all right. >> and i'm not that hungry, i guess. thanks, ladies, appreciate it. coming up next, small changes you can make to your diet to get more energy. first, this is "today" on nbc.

we are back now 8:42. and this morning on "today's" kitchen, step-by-step energy. if you're feeling a little sluggish, what you're eating could be to blame. peggy is a registered wholistic nutritionist and the author of the brand new book called "must have been something i ate." good morning. nice to see you. >> nice to see you. >> before we go any further, wholistic nutritionist. >> we basically take a natural approach to wellness and we use whole foods to feel your absolute best. it's very natural, whole food ingredients. >> you want to give people more energy. you're not asking them to go

cold turkey and give up things they love. but you're swapping out ingredients. >> adding whole foods and nutrient-dense foods that will make you feel awesome. >> you've got savvy -- >> right. these are savvy seeds. >> can i eat one raw? >> yeah, these are -- i call them the happy seeds because they help to boost your mood. they're one of the highest source of omega-3 fatty acids. it helps to increase your happy neurotransmitter in your brain. really good. and you can get them from a health food store or online. >> how are you working that into your diet? >> you can add these as a snack. it's a seed, not a nut, so they're great for kids at school if they want a protein, fiber rich snack. we have some hemp seeds here, kelp, kelp is really energy boosting if we're looking to boost energy. it has an amino acid that promotes energy and drive. >> how are we going to get to

the recipe? >> we're going to make a lenguini. i'm going to get you to make zucchini noodles. we have a slicer, we put in the zucchini here, give that a turn. >> can we use other vegetables. >> yes, beets, parsnip. >> this is cool. >> look at that, you have little noodles like pasta. so dump that in the bowl here. >> how do you cook that? >> this is actually, we're going to eat it raw because it's zucchini. but let's say you use a butter nut squash, you want to throw it in boiling water like a pasta, it would take that long, really simple and easy. so we're starting with a pesto. we're going to do an omega rich energy boosting pesto. >> what's the difference from normal pesto? >> we have the basil, lemon oil and garlic, that's normal. we're going to add that into the food processor if you want to dump that in. >> sure. >> but we're going to add the savvy seeds to this.

>> same savvy seeds. >> yeah. and hemp seeds. hemp seeds really high in omega-3 fastty acids, as well. give us a little blend, just like so. and we have some already done here. so what we're going to do is if you just want to pour that in to our pasta here. and some other ingredients. i have some sunflower sprouts. these have anywhere between 100 to 600 times the amount of nutrients than spinach and tastes really good if you want to try some. really fresh-tasting, high in chlorophyll, which is energy boosting. >> sun dried tomatoes. >> love olives and tomatoes. >> this is served room temperature or cold? >> you can do cold, room temperature, just want to give it a little toss up. you have a little pasta going on. >> all right. that's a great idea. and here's what it looks like all finished as you serve it. >> yeah, we can throw it in a serving dish here just like that. see all these little noodles?

well, you want to cut your pasta a little bit. >> you're messy. you're kind of a messy -- >> i'm messy. >> i love that about you. >> i love it. you should see my kitchen when i'm done with stuff. i love to cook, don't like to clean. >> for people who love chocolate chip cookies, this is an energy-boosting version and you're using -- >> yes, this is one of my favorite recipes. so very simple. you need a bowl, very, very simple. we're going to add it to mashed up bananas. so it is a complete protein source, really energy boosting. it's actually a grain so it's gluten-free. >> what's the white stuff? >> and adding coconut flakes. i'm going to dump that in. and if you want to give this a stir. >> people who like chocolate chip cookies like chocolate chip cookies, is this going to fool them? >> i've been making this for years. i used to make this for years and they would eat them up like

nobody's business. i'm stirring in coconut sugar. it's a low glioseemic sweetener. it's almost comparable to an apple. a little bit of vanilla, almond butter. heart healthy fast. and got that. >> kind of. okay. >> incorporate it together. and just a tiny bit of sea salt and, of course, what are chocolate chip cookies without a little bit of chocolate chip. >> is that real chocolate? >> that's real chocolate. >> and that is allowed? >> we're just making small substitutions and using whole food really nutrient-dense, energy-boosting ingredients. >> how long do you bake those? >> around 25 minutes, 25 to 30 minutes, they're going to take longer because there's no refined sugar, no flour, no butter, allergen free. >> just tell me quickly about the substitute for the chocolate mousse. >> made out of pumpkin puree and it is actually delicious, you have to try it. it's energy-boosting, helps to

combat stress, really low calorie. >> these cookies, i didn't tell you i don't like coconut. it's okay. they're really good. >> but they are good, radight? >> yeah. thank you so much. >> thank you so much for having me. >> our pleasure. from bow to wow, five great dogs coming up next looking for new and happy homes. you'll meet them right after this. this is "today" on nbc.

♪ bow wow wow >> we are back now from bow to wow. we take shelter dogs, give them a makeover and find them new homes. we still have 100% success rate. >> something were so proud to keep bragging about, savannah. and today in our fall installment, we have five fabulous fellows all boys all with bronze, brain, and beauty. >> and to kick off our macho week, who is more manly than this little guy poncho? >> little tough guy. he's a 1 1/2-year-old chihuahua mix, the owner had to give him up. >> talk about a sweet little angel. look at this little guy. he met me minutes ago and he is just the cuddliest, sweetest thing. where are those eyes? there they are. this little fur ball is lupo.

>> 1 1/2-year-old and came in as a stray. >> very sweet and he's in great shape and has a lot of energy although you can't tell now. he's being exceptionally mellow for the camera. >> and very, very friendly. >> yes. very friendly, yeah. oh, someone's a big smoocher to boot. and the brawny boys continue. this is paco. oh, he's an alert little boy, isn't he? >> he's really attentive, a miniature pincher and the owner's wife was very sick and they could no longer -- another sad story. >> it's exceptionally sad because these guys have known a family and now they're displaced. so they really need a home. oh, another smoocher. paco's a big kisser. this guy reminds me of an ice cream parfait. i named him bosco. a beagle mix with the sweetest eyes. >> and 3 years old, probably a little basset hound, as well. >> are you a hound dog. >> rescued as a stray. >> very, very well-behaved and a

sweetheart. and finally, we've got mr. fancy. this is gizmo. what a beautiful dog. >> 2-year-old mix. also rescued as a stray, believe it or not. >> i don't even think gizmo needs a grooming. he is in beautiful shape. >> really is in beautiful shape. his coat is really, really nice. >> and we've never had this breed before. >> nope. >> he is a lover. >> all right. with us as always, animal care and control in new york. good to see you. let's get our first guy out here. we've got the chihuahua held by natalie. >> poor guy. >> inside the house, he's a sleep a lot, outside, he loves to go to the park and very, very playful when he's outside. loves, loves, loves to be outside. >> he loves to have someone hold him as beautiful as natalie. >> all right.

our next dog is lupo being handled or mishandled here by donny. >> he's the energetic one. very, very well-trained and housebroken, but, again, very, very playful, very very energet energetic. >> how old is this one? >> a year and a half. >> like him, donny? >> love him. >> he's cute. got a lot to say. a lot of energy. thank you. our next guy is paco. dr. nancy's got paco. come on, paco. >> paco and lupo. >> paco is a miniature pincher. >> he loves other dogs. >> he's back there playing, playing, playing, playing. >> he jumps up really high, loves to have his picture taken. he'll look right in the camera. >> come here, paco. >> i love these dogs are good for kids. >> they are. >> yep, very good, very affectiona affectionate. >> thank you. >> i have to say, i'm very partial to bosco.

by our stage director. >> boscoe, sit. good boy. good boy. >> great to share your bed with. >> there's nothing like a beagle. >> loves to snuggle. loves to be in your arms. >> he looks a little bigger than most beagles. >> yeah, he's on the larger side of beagles, he's a mix. >> a little basset hound in him? >> that's what we thought. but, yeah. it's hard to say. >> okay. >> hi, boscoe. >> and last but not least, gizmo. >> gizmo. >> the show dog. >> he's also very intelligent, easily trained, give him a treat, he dances around, dances around. he's very, very smart, house-trained, and he's been getting along well with the other dogs. >> very fancy dog. >> okay. >> so sweet. >> let's bring all these cute guys out. all guys today. >> all guys. >> one more time. and if you want to get information to adopt a dog --

>> yeah. don't shop, adopt. that's my motto. >> keep up that 100% success rate. thank you -- oh, boy, what's going on? we're back after this.

8:56 is the time. good morning. if you haven't stepped outside, you may be in for a chilly surprise. tom kierein is here with the forecast. good morning. >> your dog will, too. as you get going, it is chilly.

almost at 9:00, it's still in the 50s much of the region. a couple hours ago, we were in the 40s over the entire region. still in the 40s over the mountains. later today, low and mid-70s. lots of sun and blue sky. terrific day coming up. a gorgeous day on friday with low humidity. over the weekend, a shower saturday afternoon and evening. back to

good morning. in maryland traveling pennsylvania avenue southbound lanes still blocked at woodyard road. let's head to i-95. looking like an eight mile back up there out of dell city. solid delays if you continue on to 395 across the 14th street bridge, northbound, 11 miles per hour. over to you. >> thank you so