everybody, hoda. you're so hot. >> thanks to kit. >> all right. last night was the finale of "the voice." the final three, team blake's jake worthington, team usher's josh kaufman and team adam's christina grimmie. >> okay. if you guys haven't seen it, we're about to tell you who you won. if you have, let's just enjoy the moment again together because it was a nail-biter.

hoda got involved. let's put it that way. >> i was just -- i was an innocent bystander while those two -- by the way, it just escalated. and it was tense on the set. it wasn't like a normal segment. we could feel it. so anyway, we decided we'd ask the viewers what they thought. and people really chimed in with facebook comments. okay. jan lang said, i'm sorry, but kathie was the automatic winner this morning on the redos of yards. christina taylor said kathie lee has much better taste in updating homes. jennifer rich said, i enjoyed the segment with barbara. it made me literally laugh out loud. and there were other comments that you can see for yourself on our facebook page that we didn't cherry pick. >> one person thought barbara should be sent to the big house. >> all right. so we decided -- we wanted to ask people whose house did you like better, kathie lee's or barbara's? here are the voting results. most of you thought that kathie lee's was better here. >> and i didn't spend $35,000. >> house numbe

hoda knows her smurfs. the name is azriel.el is the creepy guy who wears robes and is a monk maybe, or like an old lady. that series ran from 1981 to 1989, nbc. next question. which of these films about an animal won an oscar? a, marley and me, b, babe -- kathie? >> babe. >> yes, correct. >> did you know that? >> yes. >> james cromwell played the former in that. >> okay. >> i'm giving information! >> fine, whatever! what was the name of arnold's fish on different strokes, a, willy, b -- >> it was c, abraham. >> yes. hoda, who knew? >> i'm a different strokes person. i know that. >> different strokes, moved in with the drummonds, gary coleman. >> gosh, no one cares. number four, in the sitcom b.j. and the bear, what kind of animal was bear? a, a bear, b, a chimpanzee, c, a bird. kathie? >> bear. >> are you allowed to answer? >> yes. the correct answer is bird. >> i would like to go with the real correct answer, which is a chimpanzee. >> that is correct. >> you don't get a point for that. >> b.j. and the bear was a sitcom about

bye. >> hoda, are you sure you don't want it?s to get through. >> a lot of animals. this is one of my favorite animals. thank you, micah. >> this looks like a rabbit and a deer. >> this is a patagonian katy. they are actually a rodent. >> there you go. >> isn't that amazing? yes. he's only nine weeks old. he will get anywhere from 20, 35 pounds. they get pretty large. >> i can't believe this. don't you love to watch any little animal having a ba-ba? >> he's one of the only animals that's monogamous. they're monogamous. they stay in life partners. humans are not monogamous. >> oh, my gosh. get in there. come on. hey. >> you're putting it up his nose. he doesn't like it. we're going to bring out the last one. >> kathie lee. because we just had a rodent on, he might bite. that's why we're -- thanks, guys, for leaving. >> yes. thank you all very much. >> this is an albino burmese python. i would let you guys touch it, but like i said, we just had a rodent. found in the forests of southeast asia. isn't that cool? >> i've seen a lot of

>> get it, hoda. >> oh, yeah.rk. >> almost. >> so at night -- >> be careful you can poke your kid's eyes out. far away. >> hoda says they're fine. >> they're fine. >> what's this? >> i love from 4 to 94. anybody can do it. it's called rollers. you're each going to take it like horseshoes, bocce and bowling to the. 25 feet away the pyramids. can you do it on grass or sand. whoever gets closest to the pyramid wins. >> right there. >> and then they're going to fall down whatever points come up. >> great fun. >> these are great for kids. >> and they're not expensive. >> everything is under $40. >> kids love silly string. >> is that what this is? >> skinner spatter. shake it up. >> give it a little -- >> a lot of cleavage for a toy like this. >> so you're going to spray it. >> i'm totally into this. >> my husband's going to love this segment. >> and so, yeah. >> i love this. >> oh, my goodness. >> off your hair. >> and clothes. >> hopefully cameras. >> yeah, but cool. >> i love that. >> whoo. >> show us the last thing.

hoda -- >> gone. >> come in. come in. >> is that her in the middle?> that's her in the middle. >> unfortunately she looks fabulous these days. >> she looks so good. she was so skinny. she really was. i was, like, oh, my god, she was little. all is good. miranda and i are like that. so i'm very happy. >> you went to the sky box with carson. >> carson was there. you get up in this, like, right there, that's where it was. and he talks -- it was really fun. it was a fun place, a fun night. i'm glad to be home and they had some great acts, by the way. >> yeah, you said everybody -- your favorite was this josh kaufman. >> you know what the headline to me is, they're all so good all knotted up at the top. there is not somebody -- is that what you think? >> once you get to the end, it is so amazing, it is hard to pick. i love -- yeah, i like the gal on blake's team, who has the crazy powerhouse -- >> sisaundra. >> you're a singer yourself. a guitarist, a musician. >> yes. i almost brought the guitar today but i thought it would be too much. >> you didn't want

e-mail hoda because i don't do e-mail.. the results of our "ambush makeovers" just ahead. before that, neil patrick harris goes a little bit country for his latest role. he steals this movie. he saddles up next to us. right after this. avo: waves don't care what age you are. take them on the way you always have. live healthy and take one a day men's 50+. a complete multivitamin with 7 antioxidants to support cell health. age? who cares. socan go a long way. rt that's why there's resolve stain remover. it's designed to remove lots of messes on lots of fabrics. resolve. for stains on your carpet and even those above it. ugh. heartburn. did someone say burn? try alka seltzer reliefchews. they work just as fast and taste better than tums smoothies assorted fruit. mmm. amazing. yeah, i get that a lot. alka seltzer heartburn reliefchews. enjoy the relief. >>> he's won four emmys, nominated for four golden globes and up for a best actor tony award. he does it all. neil patrick harris is undoubtedly one of hollywood's greatest tal

everybody, hoda. you're so hot. >> thanks to kit. >> all right. last night was the finale of "the voice." the final three, team blake's jake worthington, team usher's josh kaufman and team adam's christina grimmie. >> okay. if you guys haven't seen it, we're about to tell you who you won. if you have, let's just enjoy the moment again together because it was a nail-biter. let's take a look. >> the finalist in third place is -- christina grimmie! that leaves jake worthington and josh kaufman. the winner of "the voice" is -- josh kaufman! wins it for team usher! >> look at usher. oh, wow! wow! >> with the kids and the family. >> he's got three little children. like 6, 4 and 2. they're real little ones. >> how awesome. they were all awesome. and we should reveal, because we don't really recall, we actually picked who we thought was going to win. and josh is actually on the show with us. >> this could be awkward. >> josh, we love you, josh. we love you. okay. that was mine. >> you called it. >> hoda picked jake. >> but let me tell you, josh, josh, if

hoda, take this away. we're going make a crepe better.tle bit of milk. add a little bit of water. you're doing good. >> thank you. >> we have a little sugar. a little bit of salt. good job on the filling. >> what we do now, we add flour. here is the hint. a little cocoa powder. then a little bit of red food coloring like that. >> to make it red. and you make the crepe better. >> comes together like this. then we'll slide it together and build it. >> dump the whole thing. have a little pan here, the key trick is to make sure that you go all the way around. if this wasn't a three-minute segment i could build a crepe in an hour and a half. >> so smoosh it all around. >> what is your secret, tell me. >> the nonstick pan, everybody needs one. >> here it is. just like this. you set it right here. come and build the crepes. this is fun. bring the kids in the house, stop doing the yard work and the gardening. that's chocolate. hazelnut chocolate filling. anywhere in the middle, like so. yours doesn't get cream cheese. but kathie lee -- you take a

we have -- >> what does hoda get?s usual. >> the woman who worked way more than 9 to 5, dolly parton. she's been here since 4:00 this morning. she'll sing for us. first this is "today" on nbc. >>> the toyota concert series on "today" brought to you by toyota". >> tomorrow, the daughter of francis ford coppola and jack kilmer, the son of val kilmer, will be here tomorrow. >> here is our precious dolly parton singing "home." i love this, off her brand-new cd "blue smoke". >> have a great day, everybody. >> see you for wines day, wednesday. when is that coming up? >> i think tomorrow. ♪ ♪ looking out of my window pane i'm so alone i could cry ♪ ♪ staring down the city street ♪ there is a place i need to be ♪ ♪ to feel my pain ♪ a place where i can go to be free ♪ a place where i can just be me ♪ ♪ home where the warm winds blow and the rivers flow ♪ ♪ home like a lazy frog home always welcome home ♪ ♪ i left home i was 17 ♪ i had a lot of ambition and dreams ♪ ♪ i got a lot to be thankful for ♪ ♪ one of those dreams is a

keep eating, hoda.fan of the emmy-winning series "mad men" you're going to have to hold tight until next season for the final episode. >> harry hamlin is one part of the amazing ensemble cast. he received an emmy nomination for playing ad exec. jim cutler, a performance which one critic called "nothing short of outstanding." hello. >> and he's not impressed by the dashing don draper at all played by jon hamm. take a look. >> your agency was involved. we'd always be so intimidated. what was that man up to? such a cloud of mystery. now that i've been backstage, i'm deeply unimpressed, don. you're just a bully and a drunk. >> finally, somebody tells it like it is. >> yes. and he got no lines. we loved it. >> oh, man. i got so much hate mail for that. >> did you? >> oh, yeah. people love don draper. he is beloved. >> he is. >> i told the truth. i did. the guy is a drunk and a bully. so -- but people do not like that. >> did they not realize you were an actor reading somebody's lines, acting? it's a script.

fleet week. >> that is also hoda's favorite week. memories. >> stop. it is fun watching them wander the streets with their hats and uniforms. >> uniform does it for her, doesn't it? >> we're also getting a preview of the biggest blockbuster movies of the summer. >> we'll show you how to make your own ice cream at home and how to help your new graduate get their first job, which used to be a given and now is almost -- very hard. >> people are very panicky when they graduate. i remember i did, i graduated without a job, and you get very scared because your friends start getting jobs and you think, my god what's wrong with me? >> they had one waiting for them. you don't plan real well. >> i just assume it is going to be there. >> it was. you're going to see here that you won't see anywhere else, a dancing scientist. that's right. we're going to have him and he's going to amaze you. you make fun and you shouldn't. >> i can't wait to see him with the test tubes doing whatever it is he does. shazzam predicts every year their songs of the summer. last year th

>> how can they fall for it, hoda?'t know. >> you explained to me beforehand, this made more sense, we find it hard to believe that the girls couldn't figure this out before even coming, you were somewhere in england and that you got -- it was for a short amount of time and all of their social media was taken away. >> no cell phones, no anything. >> they didn't even know who they were meeting. they weren't told they were meeting harry. they were just told they were meet an eligible bachelor -- >> there is hope for civilization. >> we wish you good luck. thank you for coming to see us. >> you're actually quite adorable. come back and see us when you're blonde. >>> the latest members of the joy fit club drop a lot of weight right after this. >>> okay. we're back on this fun day monday and it is time for our "today's buzz". >> here to fill us in on the latest hollywood scoop is "entertainment weekly" senior writer tim stack. >> we love our stackable. >> we're so ready for whatever you are to say. >> kerry washington, moth

it's tuesday for hoda. it is may 27th for the rest of us. hope you had a great holiday this weekend. >> we have a huge show. it is humongous. howie mandel is here. "the blacklist" is back with a guitar and singing for us. >> terrific new movie. he is with toni collette and wrote the movies in the play. just adorable. >> that's what he said. >>> also, teen sensation. gather around, gather your kids around. austin is with us. lovely weekend, my hoda? >> gorgeous. family. sun splashed. everyone worried about the rain, whatever. we did a saturday morning selfie. >> i like that one. >> we woke up and went click click and ate at the place that we love called go fish. there they are in the sand. and this is someone won the bear and we didn't so i just asked the people to get out of the way so i could get a picture of them but i confessed that we didn't win it, okay? and this is something weird. i was in college and one of my roommates, her husband asked me, look, it's her 50th birthday, can we do a meeting? she's going to be in cape may right nearb

let's go to hoda abdel-hamid right now. let's go, instead to nick spicer, reporting from kiev. >> reporter: there's a high turn out here at this polling station in kiev as there is in polling stations across the capital. lines going outside, voters here see the election as a chance to stablilize the country after almost six months of unrest beginning with street protests, once the government decided not to join an association agreement in europe, leading to the fleeing of the president, the annexation of crimea, tension with russia, unrest in the east. these are all changes that the president will have to face. and polls suggest that the new president will be petero poroshenko, a billionaire chocolatier, serving as economy and foreign minister. he said he wants to stablilize the economy and provide jobs and get closer to europe. >> let's go to hoda abdel-hamid, who is live in the north-west of donetsk. what is the turn out so far in that area, given the threat of violence by pro-russian groups? >> reporter: well, we don't h

so it's hard for me to even look at the images, hoda. don't know i'm ready to go down to -- i haven't been able -- i tried to go three times since it all happened. i've gotten close, and i've just said not ready. it's a very personal thing. >> and a lot of people who are survivors too who were down there, they feel that way. there is a guy who i interviewed who lost two people in separate planes by chance. >> yeah. >> up above. >> and he always avoids it, especially on the anniversary day. so anyway, here is our column, if you want to lighten the load a little bit. in the "daily news" column. by the way, at the barbara walters function, the head honcho here. the editor. he was looking good and smart. as he tends to do. >> i like british men. >> me too. here's the thing. you know what you'll like today too? you'll like my ihoda. >> then it's going to spoil it. it's only great when i -- >> i know. i don't know why i did it. but i was feeling mellow and chill and i was feeling bette midler and i was feeling "beaches" and remembering the mov

>> hug thing again. >> hoda? line. >> he does smell good. >> the young kid that plays with you in this -- >> benjamin. oh, benjamin, yeah. i'm not allowed to hug him a lot. >> exactly. >> no, he is such a sweet, smart kid, very, very talented. we're very lucky to have him. >> you got a great little rapport with him on the show. do you hang out with him off set? >> yeah, i mean -- he does have a lot of homework, he has to do homework, like on stage, but he gives me a lot of -- he's a very good smack talker. >> he is? >> yeah. >> how old is he? >> he's 26. yeah. he's 13, yeah. >> and you -- what about your personal life? you got kids yourself? >> yes, almost 2-year-old and 5-month-old. >> oh, my god. >> we have -- and my daughter is so big, she's honestly the size of a 4-year-old, literally she's off the charts that people think she's in school, like, hey, little girl, how are you doing? what grade are you in? she'll look at them like blah, blah, blah. >> and your wife is also very successful actress, right? >> yes

okay. >> okay. >> is it okay or not okay, hoda, to wear google glasses.aying it's over between mariah carey and nick cannon. they say it. >> what did we have to say about the google glasses? >> am i crazy or does this sound like an accident waiting to happen, hoda? one more thing to obstruct your vision and distract your attention from the real world around you. >> here's what i have to say about this. i guess it's okay. but why, oh why do you always need to be connected? >> so you' not really saying okay, okay? >> i guess it's okay i said. >> no, but -- >> okay? >> no, it's not okay. >> okay. >> what is that? >> i love our cartoons. >> i love watching those little cartoons. >> coming up, we brought in two women from the rain, gave them brand new looks. >> don't miss the big reveal of our "ambush makeover." >> plus award-winning actress swoosie kurtz is with us. >> that's not her. >> she's coming up. we're going to catch up with her. >> there she is. how cute is she? >> adorable. what's my advice for healthy looking, radiant skin? a good night's sleep...

>> narrator: from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> am i live? >> hello, everybody. guess what? it's boozeday tuesday. a beautiful may 20. and guess what else it is? >> what. >> cher's 68th birthday today. we love our cher. that picture was taken at her concert and she said that famous saying that said hey, i'm 68 years old, what is your grandma doing tonight? >> well, we don't have cher with us, but we do have oscar winner charlize theron. great actress. plus amy breneman. two movies coming out that could not be more different and i loved them both. >> and dierks bentley will be singing a song for us. >> and matthew will answer all your relationship questions. but first, breaking news.

you know him, hoda. >> who is it? >> he's a big cyclist and had an accident and -- >> his tooth fell out. >> yeah. but it takes time to get a tooth made like that. >> a temporary. >> i'll see him again today and i hope his tooth is in. >> there is a new craze. >> he has a temporary, but they hurt. they start to ache all day long. >> i know. here's the thing. just pulled it out? >> why are you laughing at his pain? >> you heard the selfie. now there is something called the shelfie. it is a social media trend. wall street journal talks -- it is a photo of one's possessions arrayed on a surface. >> people are starting to think we can't get more self-absorbed. >> our producers, they said they were going to come and surprise us in our dressing room and take a shelfie. okay. >> like some people do with their book cases and -- >> yes. so this is kathie lee is probably first, i'm sure it is nice and perfect. >> oh, shut up. >> whatever. okay. i like it. yours is really good. >> messy for me. usually i like to have my shoes go

>>> from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >>ello, everybody. welcome to thirsty thursday, may 8th. we're so happy you're here with us today. we have a very, very, very special guest with us today. >> mm-hmm. >> we love him. our donny osmond is here. >> oh, he is here. >> on the same day that lou manfredini. >> i will be right there. >> all right! >> we can't wait. i knew was right there. >> i've got a chance to know her a little bit over the years, and she is his wife of 36 years, debbie, can you believe it? he looks like he's still 30. >> 36 years. 36 years today. >> yes. >> 36 years today. thank you for spending your anniversary with us. >> can i give away the news too? what you just found out? >> no, we're going to tell you. >> all right. then i'm not going to. so be like that. >> but we are going to give away a lot of news. there's so much news on kim and kanye's wedding. you cannot believe how important the info is. >> remember when it was you, donny. remember when it was you on every cover? >> oh, yes. i do remem

was trying to negotiate of negotiate and didn't tell us where they were held. >> hoda, adjustment just a few o you were telling us about the standoff. does this indicate a new approach, a shift perhaps after the new president has taken over in ukraine? >> well, the new president hasn't taken over yet. the old president is still in place. an escalation in the will of the ukrainian forces to use more fire power. certainly those battles in and around the airport, they were using air and ground power. certainly i.t it did welcome hoe the separatists, around 40, 45, some of them you speak to them, they say i think those numbers are much higher. the casualties on the ukrainian side of that front line and they are not able to retrieve those bodies. but certainly a very dangerous escalation in the conflict so close to the cities. >> okay thank you hodda for all the clarification. >>> no running water and there's been an outbreak of scabes. we understand the french authorities are threatening to bulldoze it and reports of police actually clearing the camp. >> we are actually next to the camp wh

>> get it, hoda. >> oh, yeah.ids. >> and they're not expensive. >> everything is under $40. >> kids love silly string. >> is that what this is? >> skinner spatter. shake it up. >> give it a little -- >> for a toy like this. >> oh. >> so you're going to spray it. >> i'm totally into this. >> my husband's going to love this segment. >> and so, yeah. >> i love this. >> oh, my goodness. >> off your hair. >> and clothes. >> hopefully cameras. >> yeah, but cool. >> i love that. >> whoo. >> show us the last thing. >> favorite thing, right? xano makes these. you put through the little hoop, you want to try it? >> okay. >> 30 seconds. >> the target. put it back lie katniss and let it rip. >> okay. >> there you go. >> there you go. >> go for it. >> we got to go -- >> our funny man howie mandel and the blacklist's ryan eggles. >> he's going to sing for us, everybody. grab the kids. >> enjoy your day, and remember, our fallen veterans, everybody. god bless you all. have a great day. >> happy memorial day. >>> nbc bay area new

hoda abdel hamid is in donetsk. >> reporter: it was certainly the most aggressive offensive carried outy the ukrainians ever since they said that they would carry out an anti terror operation in slaviansk. now they didn't get inside this -- the town, but they managed to capture some of those check points that were manned by the pro-russians. they also took over the tv antenna that had been used to air only russian channels, so certainly on that sense there is a -- a -- a win for them. they put a sort of a loose blockade around the town, but the challenges ahead are extremely complicated, and they have to make sure that as they carry out their anti-terror operation, maybe probably in a more aggressive way, they minimize casualties. you were asking about how many casualties there are today. that's very difficult to figure out. we hear different numbers from both sides. but we can confirm that there have been casualties. on the ukrainian side there were two hoerpts that were downed. one poll lot was killed the other was taken away. the prorussians also said they have suffered many casualti

>> how can they fall for it, hoda?efore even coming, you were somewhere in england and that you got -- it was for a short amount of time and all of their social media was taken away. >> no cell phones, no anything. >> they didn't even know who they were meeting. they weren't told they were meeting harry. they were just told they were meet an eligible bachelor -- >> there is hope for civilization. >> we wish you good luck. thank you for coming to see us. >> you're actual therely quite adorable. >> you're actual therely quite activia tummies, happy people when you feel good inside. you live life with a smile. but when you feel bloated, with discomfort, gas, not to mention the rumbling... you feel totally knocked out. eat activia. twice a day for four weeks. it could help you get back to feeling like yourself again. activia may reduce the frequency of minor digestive issues like bloating, gas, discomfort and rumbling. and when your tummy is smiling, it shows. activia, feeling good starts from the inside. ♪ dannon. have ma

let's first go to hoda abdel-hamid who is standing by in the north-west of donetsk. now, hoda abdel-hamid, are you seeing people turning out despite threats of violence from pro-russian groups in this volatile region? >> reporter: it's early, but we have seen people voting, not in the numbers that could have happened if this region was not so tense. just to give you an indication, here in the donetsk region, a third of the district commissions are open, and in the nearby lugansk region two out of 12 are operating today. we won't have a victor. in the places where there are polling stations, like where i am here, people are coming, others are scared. the run-off to the election has been quite bloody, at least 20 died over the past few days. there has been a lot of threats, election commissioners have been abducted. early in the morning some decided not to turn up to work. that's how scared they are. one can't say that the east here is voting. >> give us an idea of the sort of security that is being set up there, for those that do want to vote. >> reporter: well, you d

>> there is only one solution here, hoda. it's to suck it up.situations going on. it's impossible to do the seating and have everyone be happy. so no matter who you are, if you're unhappy with your table, you only sit there for a short period of time. >> that's just it. nobody stays seated very long. >> yeah. just dance the night away. that's your job. >> and the tension's always so high. everybody's on edge. >> what else would the bride do in that situation? maybe the mom has no one to sit with. you always have to try to understand the bride. >> if you're the bride, okay, and you get a stain on your dress, you're putting your dress on and you get makeup in the collar or you're having a glass of wine for the nerves, and splash. what should you do? >> this is every bride's biggest nightmare. first of all, do not let red wine anywhere near you and your wedding dress. and so there are some quick solutions. one, you want to have a bridal emergency kit on hand because it has things like talcum powder or chalk in it. and those are secrets. >> cover it

. >>> hoda abdel hamid joins us live from donetsk.oda what else can you tell us about this incident? and is it a sign that violence is increasing across the area? >> i think it is a worrying sign about the developments here on the ground in the sense that until recently you had two parties fighting, the ukrainian forces on one side and the pro-russian separatists, now you have the third-party which are these pro-ukrainian groups. they are also armed militias roaming around this area. and what we have seen that happened earlier today is there was this fight between the two, both sides are armed. the prore-russians are better equipped than the pro-ukrainians, but both sides are willing to take on each other. and both of them seem under the control of absolutely nobody. we have heard a lot of these pro-russian groups say they operate alone. they don't take orders from anyone. they deny there is a chain of commanding, and the pro-ukrainian groups say the same thing. they don't say who is backing them, but the government seems to say they

hoda what is the latest from the town?> well, this town is on edge, and there's a lot of tensions inside the town among both the pro-russian gunmen and the civilians. there has been since this morning sporadic gunfire mostly in the north part of the city. from what he understand from the office of the self proclaimed mayor, the ukrainian forces have managed to destroy several check points of the separatists and retaken the tv at ten that there. now that tv antenna has been taken over by the pro-russian camp to make sure none of the ukrainian channels were seen in that town and surrounding areas. so certainly from the ukrainian side the most aggressive push so far into slaviansk not inside the city from what we understand they are trying to impose a blockade around it, but this is one little success compared to what we have seen over the past two weeks. >> how hoda would you describe the risks to the ukrainians if they enter slaviansk? >> i think one of the biggest risks is that they have to manage casualties on the civilia

we'll be live with hoda abdel-hamid who is close to donetsk. first, this report from nick schifrin, from the ukranian capital kiev. >> reporter: a record turn out is expected for a vote, deciding not just the state of ukraine, but the state of relations between russia and the west. 17 candidates are in the running. the ones in the lead want closer ties to the european union, not something that russia wants. these elections were called after viktor yanukovych fled the country and was deposed by parliament, and it is about what ukrainians want. >> translation: this election means a lot. the fate of the country is being decided today. we have never had a more important election. we kicked out viktor yanukovych, and we hope to have justice and peace now. petero poroshenko, a former economy minister was far ahead in the opinion polls and could win outright with 50% of ballots cast on sunday. the challenges the next president faces are enormous, fixing an economy, fighting corruption and closer times with europe. russia annexed crimea and its citizen

thank you very much indeed now let's go to hoda hamid and hoda, we have seen brisk voting in the west en part of ukraine. what's been the situation where you are? you are at a polling station, i can see. interior some people -- there are some people voting. the ballot boxes are pretty empty. about 20% of the registered voters for example in this polling station have actually made their way tubprobably for several reasons, the first being security, the lead up to this day has been quite bloody. there has not only been confrontation between the separatists and the ukrainian forces but there has also been confrontations between militias basically, pro-ukrainian or pro-russia militias. there has been intimidation and the leaders said that it was illegal to vote here because this was an independent state and you could not cast your ballot here in the donetsk people's republic or by thel lunask: so all of this made people stay at home in a lot of places, there are no polling stations that are open. specially in the big hubs like donetsk, the capitol region and lunask. their separatists made

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hoda knows her smurfs. the name is azriel.r, in the sitcom b.j. and the bear, what kind of animal was bear? a, a bear, b, a chimpanzee, c, a bird. kathie? >> bear. >> are you allowed to answer? >> yes. the correct answer is bird. >> i would like to go with the real correct answer, which is a chimpanzee. >> that is correct. >> you don't get a point for that. >> b.j. and the pear wbear was sitcom about a trucker who -- turner and hooch was a movie with tom hanks in 1989. what kind of dog was hooch? a french mat istiff, a bulldog, a bernese mountain dog. >> bernese mountain dog. >> bulldog. >> french mastiff. >> he was a french mastiff, yes. >> i know my stuff. >> tom hank es helped him. >> what was the dog's name on "frazier". >> good luck with that. >> eddie. >> you are correct, yes. >> that was a good show. >> what do you mean? b.j. and the bear was good. >> b.j. and the bear. >> he was the dog -- >> all right. >> what was the name of the pet alligator -- i don't even know what the score is because i'm being yelled at so much.

we have -- >> what does hoda get?, the son of val kilmer, will be here tomorrow. >> here is our precious dolly parton singing "home." i love this, off her brand-new cd "blue smoke". >> have a great day, everybody. >> see you for wines day, wednesday. when is that coming up? >> i think tomorrow. ♪ ♪ looking out of my window pane i'm so alone i could cry ♪ ♪ staring down the city street ♪ ♪ there is a place i need to be ♪ ♪ to feel my pain ♪ home where the warm winds blow and the rivers flow ♪ ♪ home like a lazy frog ♪ home always welcome home ♪ ♪ i left home i was 17 ♪ ♪ i had a lot of ambition and dreams ♪ ♪ i got a lot to be thankful for ♪ ♪ one of those dreams is a magic door that opened up ♪ ♪ home with the church bells ringing ♪ ♪ home i want to go home ♪ i often think about where i have been ♪ ♪ where i am going and that's about it ♪ ♪ i think about home home ♪ ♪ i think about home i hear you calling i hear you call iing ♪ ♪ the place i call home home ♪ ♪ home i'm going home ♪ ♪ back to the hills home ♪ ♪ with th

>>> from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb, from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> and it is try day friday, may 16th. how do we get on the air? >> how do we? >> more importantly, why do they keep us here? actress kim raver from "24" is here. >> we're both decked out in mauve, purple. >> it is put on purple day to bring attention to lupus. it affects more than 1.5 million people in this country. we're in solidarity today. >> we certainly are. cindy crawford, you know, is famous for a lot of reasons. one is for her trademark beauty mark. >> she's got, the mole. >> the mole. okay. so -- >> why is her mole adorable? >> right. other people can have a mole and maybe it is not as cute. aaron neville has a mole. >> he has several. >> he has one big one. i think it is cute, but -- >> wouldn't be aaron neville without it, would he? >> she did an interview with intothegloss.com. she said she used to hate it but her mom was instrumental in what was it? >> she said, you know what, don't have it removed because you know what your mole looks like. but you don't know wha

it says 365 days until i can drink with klg and hoda. so today is her 20th birthday.group is watching. always nice to know. >> she and her mother. but, yes, thank you so much. >> thanks for coming to see us from chicago. >> do you have a baby goat? do we have the baby goat? things are looking up. you have to see this adorable and inspiring video. >> this is frosty, from australia. the baby has some sort of a life threatening infection and it makes the back legs unusable. so do you know what these wonderful people at this sanctuary did? >> look at it. >> they hooked him up and they say the more he moves, he's wheeling that cart, it may actually beat the infection. he's on antibiotics and need to get him exercising. look what is happening. he's, like, what up? keep going. look at this. >> the more he exercises, the more -- >> he's saying thank you. >> oh, my gosh. >> it breaks your heart. so sweet. >> but, you know what, that's -- the good news is the more he exercises, the more antibiotics work through the system and the infection -- >> we'll follow up on this. aren't

hoda hami drvemid isid reports. >> blue and yellow flag of ukraine. the intensity of the smoke sent some people jumping for their lives out of windows. dozens of others died suffocating. the building had been the headquarters of pro-russian protesters for over a month. earlier in the day were unable to restrain either side. the clashes in odessa underline the challenges that face the interim government. happened the same day the corey ukrainians, odessa in the south of the country ukrainian paratroopers continued their operation slorches throughout thslovyansk throughoutthe night. the minister of defense confirmed two of its helicopters were shut down. proof of moscow's involvement on the ground. this plan is said to be a ukrainian pilot who survived from one of the helicopters. he's apparently being cared for by produce separatists in this this -- pro-russian separatists in this town. >> he was abandoned by his own people. >> ukrainian forces managed to retake this television antenna. it was seized by moscow supporters in a bid to control the forces.

hoda ahmid reports. >> leluhansk is in the control f the pro-russian forces. points a finger at its own police forces. >> departments of police and security services in these regions first of all are in the donetske and luhansk region are under duty to protect these regions. they're uneffective and in cooperation with terrorist groups. >> reporter: the interim government's failure to retake buildings seems to only embolden pro-moscow militants. not any more isolated pockets of pro-russian supporters. >> it is clear these are organized people and organized groups. they gather people and these buildings are just handed to them. >> reporter: police have been unable or unwilling to stop them. they're often seen standing around the barricades while pro-moscow protesters vow to bring down the government they are forced to. and here in donetske a rally was supposed to be held in this park. it was cancelled after no one could guarantee the safety of those who support a united ukraine. just a few days ago, police stood idle. hoda hamid al jazeera donetske. >> president

zena hoda reports. >> the government targeting rebel controlled areas, particularly in the northern part of the area, aleppo province and itlip. up to 2,000 people killed in aleppo province alone. the weapon the government is using is barrel bombs, improvised weapons cheaply made, and they're indiscriminant weapons, what is the military strategy? what is the government gaining? they are pushing rebels back, depopulating, and more importantly, they're trying to throw a wedge between the people and the rebels. they're saying, if you want to support the rebels you will be punished. govern the territory that they're winning in order to not cease an alternative. so the upsurge in violence just a few days before presidential elections are being held, both sides are trying to gain the upper hand but nobody is winning this war. and in the interim civilians are caught in the cross fire and they are the ones who are dying. >> hundreds of syrians are on the move. these since are from the city of idlip. it is surrounded by rebel control territory and it seems armed opposition fighters have made it t

fleet week. >> that is also hoda's favorite week. memories. >> stop.bs and you think, my god what's wrong with me? >> they had one waiting for them. you don't plan real well. >> i just assume it is going to be there. >> it was. you're going to see here that you won't see anywhere else, a dancing scientist. that's right. we're going to have him and he's going to amaze you. you make fun and you shouldn't. >> i can't wait to see him with the test tubes doing whatever it is he does. shazzam prezidicts every year their songs of the summer. last year they were right on, they picked blurred lines by robin thicke. and get lucky by daft punk and picked "let her go" by passenger. i want to point out something, i picked those too. i picked all three of those songs. here they are. the hot picks, the hits for this summer, ready for the summer songs. first up, number four, luke bryant's "play it again." ♪ oh, my god this is my song ♪ ♪ listening to the radio all night long ♪ ♪ sitting around waiting for her to come home ♪ >> picture yourself in the car with the wind

let's talk about other wedding news. >> thank you, hoda.- had a beautiful, beautiful marriage. patrick died four years ago from pancreatic cancer. so she married julia albert. they dated a year and a half. got engaged in december. and we are very happy for her. that was a horrible, horrible thing to go through. she loved him until the end. and you know, i'm sure there are times she thought i'll never be happy again, i'll never breathe again, i'll never know joy again. she will. she will. >> she will. >> this is a weird story, guys. >> if you guys are fans of "bachelorette," last not got a little strange. andi, the bachelorette, looking for someone to choose for her first one-on-one date. she selected eric hill. i don't know if you guys have been reading about him. but eric hill actually passed away after filming the "bachelor." he was killed in a paragliding accident. this taping ran before that. so they ran almost a third of the two-hour bachelor series featuring them and a lot of twitter fans thought the video, the footage was unsettling.

one will have to wait until sunday to see what will happen. >> hoda abdel-hamid live in donetsk. thank you. >>> the european union promised to send aid to serbia following flooding there. the country will need more than a billion dollars to rebuild its damned infrastructure. we meet a family suddenly left homeless. >> reporter: in a shelter in belgrade this man is waiting. he lost everything in the floods, except his family. they are among 35,000 people with nowhere to live. it will cost him thousands of dollars to rebuild his home. that is money he davis cup have. >> literally everything, our entire lives, has been destroyed. it is the same for all of us here. we have been reduced to nothing. the only thing we can cling to is that we save our families and our children. >> it will cost more than a billion dollars to help the families. this is a country already in a deep financial crisis. the scars of the n.a.t.o. bombing are visible in belgrade, 15 years after the war. the economy minister belongs to a new government elected in march. he says this is another setback. >> it's not

and hoda, they are very exciting.thbound 101 and northbound 101 with a little slowing and look at the south bay, the build is on, not so bad for our friday. capital expressway and 87 and look at that 85 at the bottom of your screen and rest of your bay moves smoothly. crash has cleared to the shoulder and slowing hayward in towards union city and mild for this friday and a crash at 24 and watch it there. back to you. >> thank you, mike. >>> 6:58. one final check of the top stories. getting word of a really big fire on bright street in san francisco kind of near san francisco state university. firefighter husband to call for backup and a helicopteren the way and we'll bring you updates during "today" show. >> not too far from the san francisco golf club. >>> a south korean distance control system may have malfunctioned before it slammed into the back of another train this morning. as many as 200 people were hurt. all the injuries, however, were considered minor. >>> experts say gas prices could drop as much as 50 cents

. >> hoda abdel hamid joining us live from ukraine.nk you very much. >> again, three more people dying gen today. >>> the united states is imposing sanctions against boko haram. they are declaring that group a terrorist group. they can seize the assets of members and close off any avenues of funding. boko haram is accused of killing hundreds of people in he correct months. >>> there are also new developments in the case of l.a. clippers owner donald sterling. sterling has been banned for life from the nba, but his wife could end up being a different story. ross this has a lot of people in the nba scratching their heads. >> a surprising development no doubt. donald sterling has agreed to allow his wife, shelley sterling to negotiate the for-sale of the l.a. clippers. and it's surprising because he hired a lawyer in hopes of keeping the clipper team in the family, and so did shelley. the league formally filed charges against donald on monday to terminate his ownership of the clippers. and they have a vote where the other owners could vot