i'm meredith vieira. >> i'm matt lauer. >>> we have 4500 people aboard carnival's cruise ship. do you think they will be happy today? >> i think they will be very happy. they're waiting for them to pull off the delicate docking operations and we will hear about the challenges they have had to face straight ahead. >>> outrage over an e-book listed on amazon's list. the bed file's guide to love and pleasure. and we'll tell you what amazon is saying about this controversy. >>> smokers to quit amid a graphic controversy. will it work? coming up. >>> on a much lighter note, the entire dugger family will join us for an exclusive live interview and yet again, they have a big announcement to make. >>> the carnival cruise liner, a fire left it without power and miguel is in san diego. good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning. right now, that ship is 15 miles off the coastline. at first light, it will begin the slow tow process to the dock behind me. that will take several hours. for the several thousand sand passengers on board, the end of their trip is finally in sight. >>

. >>> and meredith vieira sits down with tea party candidate christine o'donnell in a live interview.>> and now keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports and spore. i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of the day today, on your nbc station. have a good one. we believe keeping kids healthy can start with healthy hands. with the lysol no-touch hand soap system healthy hands can be automatic. for healthy tips and more, visit lysol.com/missionforhealth.

you can watch our special coverage of the macy's thanksgiving day parade hosted by matt lauer, meredith vieira and al roker beginning at 9:00 a.m. right here on this nbc station. >>> well, now here's a look at some other stories making news early today in america. in missouri, police are looking for a suspect who tried to steal a car with a 6-month-old baby inside. surveillance video shows the man approach the vehicle, which was left running with the baby strapped in the back. when the suspect backs out, the terrified mom sprints towards the car and ends up getting dragged for several feet. eventually the dad caught up with the carjacker who then ran off. aside from a few cuts and bruises, no one was hurt. >>> in california, 150 firefighters battled massive flames that engulfed a furniture manufacturing plant. officials aren't sure what started the fire, but say two explosions were heard. at least one firefighter was hospitalized with heat exhaustion. >>> in west virginia, a hearing is scheduled for high school football players suspended after allegedly taking part in a playoff brawl. it threa

six of the jurors joined meredith vieira on "today" this morning and one of them, herbert graham, described the deliberations. >> how 12 people just came together and worked out the problems of taking another person's life and at the same time, realizing that our founding fathers gave us this tool to be used with great care and we deliberated in great care. and, yes, we did use this form of punishment. this man has nothing positive to contribute to the face of this earth. >> another juror talked about how difficult it was to keep her emotions in check in what was a heart-breaking and deeply disturbing case. >>> when our broadcast continues in a moment, education nation. what we learned today about what's known as "the achievement gap" and what it's doing to our country. >>> and later, our series here, "back to basics" how to slim down an entire area of your life from some women that have taken that to a whole new level. >>> back with a lot of news to report on "education nation". the high-profile and well-regarded chancellor of the new york city schools, joel klein, announced he's stepping

that would be al roker and meredith vieira. >>> when we come back, passing the torch, 50 years ago this torch. 50 years ago this very evening. i like to make my own investment decisions. excuse me, what is that? oh, i'm a fidelity customer. okay, but what does it do? well, it gets me the tools and research i need to help me make informed decisions. with fidelity, i can invest in stocks, bonds, all at a great price. wow. yeah, wow. ♪ [ male announcer ] fidelity investments. turn here. [ male announcer ] every day thousands of people are switching from tylenol to advil. to learn more and get your special offer, go to takeadvil.com. take action. take advil. go to takeadvil.com. ah, this is hey guys. what the eightsorry we're late. milk looks warm. finally got the whole gang together. maple brown sugar, strawberry delight, blueberry muffin. yeah, a little family reunion. [ wind rushes ] whoa! whoa! whoa! whoa! we're cereal here! what? just cooling it down. enough said. gotcha. safety first. whoo-hoo! watch the whole grain! [ female announcer ] try kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats® hot. just a

here is meredith vieira for a look at what is coming up next on the "today" show. >> good morning. a big announcement from the royal family on prince william's wedding. also, a school bus rolls over and injures several children. this is in illinois. a strong snowstorm out west causing problems for the holiday travel rush. we will have the latest. sarah palin and her new book. on running for the presidency. and susan boyle. >> 47 degrees on tv hill. >> we will come back and check the weather and traffic together before you head out to start your day. >> how does a look for folks out on the road? >> it looks okay now. we talk about potential delays on 95 in delaware. at the delaware toll plaza, there is construction northbound. that may impact your ride. eastern avenue, there is some fire activity in bel air. normal delays on southbound 95. also on the west side. the heavy spot, 27 miles per hour from 75 towards 70. a nice ride into the whys. >> great weather. >> we could see a few showers this afternoon. it should not be anything potentially harmful. no big deal. a mostly cloudy typ

here is meredith vieira for a look at what is coming up next on the "today" show. >> good morning.sing girl was found alive and gagged in the basement of a home. her mother, brother, and a friend are still missing. do new airport screening methods go too far? we have -- will find out if we have what it takes to become internet sensation. we'll sing an entire song of capella when we get started on a monday morning. >> that should be interesting. can your pets played the piano? or speak? see the amazing animal tracks we have uncovered add wbaltv.com and send in your pet questions. it is 50 degrees on tv hill. >> we will come back and check the weather and traffic together before you head out to start your day. your day. ♪ [ dad ] yeah! [ cheers and applause ] [ male announcer ] achievement gets points for living life. earn pnc points for your credit and debit card purchases. ♪ find out more at pnc.com/getpoints. pnc. for the achiever in us all. >> a very good morning to you. all the pious are ready. the turkeys will be ready soon. are ready.pioues it is all about the fog. we see the

i'm meredith vieira. >> i'm matt lauer. >> the results are not official but looks like lisa murkowski will become the first u.s. senate candidate to win a campaign in 50 years. >> what appears to be a long shot to save her senate seat, that after she was defeated by sarah palin endorsee, joe miller in the state's gop primary. we will talk to lisa murkowski straight ahead. >>> and the food you eat at the local mall food court, how safe are the items served, "today"'s investigation uncovered health violations inside some of the most popular malls in the country. >>> new details of the most bitter custody between mel gibson and his girlfriend and she sits down for an interview and describes in detail the night mel gibson allegedly hit her and why she started her private phone conversations. >> we will hear from ann curry standing by with the day's headlines. >> good morning, everybody. in the news this morning, in the first ever civilian trial of a former guantanamo detainee, he has been found not guilty on all but one count against him and the decision could undermine president obama's

here is meredith vieira for a look at what is coming up next on the "today" show. >> good morning.ident george bush will join us for an exclusive live interview. we'll get his thoughts on a host of topics and on how this new memoir is being received. an update on the carnival cruise ship stranded. is now slipping towed back to shore. a special live reunion 45 years in the making. we'll catch up but actually enters and all kids from "the sound of music" as we get started here on it was the money -- on a wednesday morning on the today show. >> >> a very good wednesday morning to you. 40 degrees downtown. the winds are calm and we should see sunshine. we have some great health the dishes. we are talking about class is offered here for tweens and their parents and children and get them interested in fruits and vegetables. we have a number of dishes. you can check on our website for more. >> teaching kids how to cut. >> every child needs to learn how to cope. >> we have been displaying these ties all morning long. they are on sale at jos. a. banks. they're designed by the kids who are b

i'm meredith vieira. >> i'm matt lauer. we want to say right off the bat fortunately no one was injured during that emergency landing of that qantas jet, but when you see pictures like this one we're going to put up of the damaged engine on that jet, you realize that this was a very, very serious situation. >> the plane was an a-380 and qantas has now suspended all of its flights involving the super jumbo. ahead we'll hear from one of the passengers on the flight. >>> also, a powerful tropical storm, tomas, is expected to cause more problems on haiti which was devastated by the earthquake in january. we'll have the latest on that developing story coming up. >>> plus, on a much different note, new developments tied to charlie sheen's rampage at a new york hotel. the actor has now hired a sober coach to live with him. we'll have details just ahead. >>> let's begin with that breaking news. a qantas jet forced to make an emergency landing. nbc's jim maceda has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. since its launc

let's check in with meredith vieira to see what they're working on today. >>> good morning to you, eunsident george w. bush will join us for an exclusive live interview. thoughts on a host of topics, including the xheshgs the rise of the teaparty, and how his new memoir is being received. >>> and new details on the carnival cruise ship stranded in the pacific ocean with thousands of passengers on board. it is being towed slowly back to shore. >>> a special live reunion 45 years in the making. we will catch up with julianne drews and all seven kids from the sound of music when we get started on a wednesday morning here on "today." back to you, eun. >> one of th best movies ever. thank you very much. see you soon. >>> cities and states keep cracking down on smoking. the new proposal that could mean money out of your pocket. >>> hot or not. what "travel & leisure" magazine think back seat pele in d.c. >>> 6:37, 49 degrees. betiful day out there. weather ask traffic togeer on the ones coming up. >>> 6:40 is ourtime. 49 degrees. such beautiful fall weather. the sun is about to come up in th

speaking of running, al roker and meredith vieira did something incredible as you guys probably know.a sound bite. ♪ >> it is just -- i'm really so proud of them. >> i mean -- >> so proud. that's -- to see them that day, when you think about it, think about -- i guess meredith took six and al took about seven hours, think about what you do in the course of six hours, you wake up, read the paper, do stuff, clean around the house. all that time they were running, running, running. >> and the preparation for it. look at al, he's had one knee replaced and think how far he's come with the weight loss. >> the kids. >> it is so great. >> it was so cool to watch them finish and meredith said, hold on -- meredith is never -- it is never about meredith. >> it is never about meredith. for first time, i love she said that, she looked up and she said i'm just so proud. she did something that was monumental for her. and look at deborah, she's -- anyway, the chilean miner finished too. he did very well. and congrats to everybody. just makes you want to do that. >> you were having brunch all day long

al roker and meredith vieira are running.them all the best. [ cheers and applause ] >> still to come this morning we'll talk about the final farewell in colorado for david hear hartley, allegedly murdered by pirates. a service will be held today. his wife tiffany sat down with me. >> plus, we'll talk about college-bound tips. this is the time of year where seniors are getting ready. millions of high school seniors and their parents decide which school is the best choice for them. before you begin the application process listen to what the experts have to say. that's ahead. >> and you had an interesting adventure. >> this is a heart-warming and inspiring story of how scuba diving is helping paraplegic and quadriplegics. it's an incredible program known as adaptive handicapped diving. we'll look at the experience underwater. it's become a game-changer for remarkable people, these wonderful people who wouldn't otherwise be able to be free and watch their legs move are under water, feeling freedom for the first time. >> terrific.

i'm meredith vieira along with matt lauer and al roker.y into the world of viral videos. >> what we did is go "okay go" free creative freedom. they can do with us whatever they wanted to do to create a video, and they had some fun. we have cubes there that create clauser phobia in any person. we'll show you how this all turned out later on. cubes that create claus strophobia and lots of ping-pong balls as we go on later on. >> i was actually a little freaked-out by it. >> plus, we ask you, our viewers, to create some "today" show themed viral videos. >> and we catch up with actors gyllenhaal and he describes the scene as an nude-fest. hard to recognize them in clothes. >> ann is at the newsdesk with the headlines. >> hi. in the news, president obama is stepping up pressure on senate republicans to approve the nuclear arms treaty he signed with russia. today, he is hosting henry kissinger and madeleine albright and other former secretary of the state of defense why it's in the u.s. interests to have it ratified this year. >>> and a mosque i

i'm meredith vieira along with matt lauer and al roker.vior everywhere. people talking loudly on cell phones. people not holding a door open for others. people not saying thank you. when someone doesn't hold a door for me and lets it slam, i just stand there. it doesn't bother them, but it makes me feel better. anyway, we're going to talk about the death of civility in this half hour. >> okay. also ahead, robert downey jr. on his new cross-country comedy "due date." we'll talk about that, and also the potential for second chances in hollywood. he knows all about that. >> also, i think he is one of my favorite actors of all time. >> you told me tham yesterday. >> he is really is. he is amazing. >> he is in a very good place. >> in the today show tudeau. >> best place. we have a situation on our hand. literally. we have the situation, mike "the situation". he has a guide to all things jersey shore. he has a thing with glass there's. robert downey jr. does. >> who do you think took longer to do their hair this morning? robert downey jr. or "t

. >> and i'm meredith vieira. this morning, an estimated 64 million americans are starting the trek to their thanksgiving destinations by road, rail, and sky. here is what it looks like right now at reagan national airport, where those new tsa screening procedures are in place. >> so those new rules could mean longer lines and bigger delays at airports all across the country. and that call for passengers to actually boycott full-body scans could only add to the problems. that's not the only concern. at least a dozen states from michigan to utah are dealing with winter weather advisories and blizzard warnings. the latest on the travel rush and al's forecast coming up straight ahead. >>> also ahead, if you're geerg up to hit the malls on black friday, where should you go first to grab the biggest deals? coming up, three experts will tell you exactly where to go. that didn't sound right. sounded bad. >> that's okay. >>> plus, these days, just about every parent with an infant owns a baby monitor. did you know if you

. >> and i'm meredith vieira. 24 million americans are expected to fly to their thanksgiving destination this week and those controversial new screening guidelines could make the wait at airports even longer than they thought. >> that's right. but now the tsa seems to be signaling that some potential changes could be made to those controversial techniques being used by its agents. we're going to talk about that with the head of the tsa straight ahead. >>> also ahead, the latest on the wedding of prince william to kate middleton. how much say will the prince have when it comes to the big day? who's going to make kate's wedding dress? coming up, we'll ask one of her best friends. >>> and as you get ready to do your holiday shopping, we'll show you the companies "consumer reports" say are naughty and the ones it says are nice when it comes to customer service policies. >>> and later, a tragic yet courageous story. rachael friedman was enjoying her bachelorette party when a friend pushed her into a pool. ra rachelle hit her head and suffered a spinal cord injury that has left her paralyzed.

. >> and i'm meredith vieira. that 13-year-old ohio girl is now talking to investigators, but so far the suspect arrested on kidnapping charges is not working with police. >> sarah maynard was discovered bound and gagged near a raid near her home, but her mother, 10-year-old brother, and a family friend have not been seen since last wednesday. that's when sarah's mother did not show up to work. we'll get the latest on that story and details on that in just a couple of minutes. >>> also ahead, president obama returned from his trip to asia over the weekend and will have to jump right back into the fray in washington as congress begins its lame-duck session today. and the president is also facing criticism from the republican governor of louisiana, bobby jindal. in his new book, he takes the president to task for his handling of that big oil spill in the gulf. we'll talk to the governor, coming up. >>> also ahead, sarah palin's new reality show debuted last night, at a time when a new survey shows 52% of americans h

>>> out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer along with meredith vieira and al roker and ann curry. half hour. >> what do you think of young girls and body image, sadly, often their own worst critics. an astonishing 81% of 10 year-olds think they are fat. >> no kidding. >> coming up, we will hear from teens about this important weight obsession and advice for parents how to talk to their kids about it. >> on a much lighter note, tomorrow, guess who arrives? >> who? >> bon jovi. >> bigger than bon jovi, the rock rock rockefeller christmas tree shows up and the touching story behind this tree. >> they're so good and careful how they pick those trees. also on a lighter note, you want to go for a tour of the wine country in italy? we have one coming up. >>> before we get to all of that, could we please say good morning to jeff? >> i want a bear hug. >> whoa! >> it is morning tv. >> i understand, i understand. >> you're a network executive in this movie. you're the kind of executive i want to work for. you would be fun. >> thank you very much. >> did you like it? >> in this movie, i'm a

. >> and i'm meredith vieira. and matt's been giggling nonstop since the announcement of this engagement. look at you! look at you! >> i can barely contain myself. there's no question about it. this is going to be the biggest event in the uk in nearly 30 years, of course, since prince william's parents, charles and diana, were married. so how do william and kate feel about finally sharing their news with the world? and are they ready for the spotlight to shine even brighter, if that's possible, on their relationship? we're going to hear from them, straight ahead. >> of course, everyone is talking about that ring. an 18 carat surrounded by diamonds, and it was princess diana's. >> we'll get much more on the story on how william decided to give it to kate and talk to one of their friends who knew about the engagement long before the rest of the world. >> but let us begin, where else, buckingham palace. natalie morales made her way over there overnight. good morning, nat. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. could th

. >> and i'm meredith vieira. literally, the calm before the storm in port-au-prince, haiti, as now hurricane tomas bears down. >> the big, big concern this morning is the safety of the 1.3 million people who are still living in tent cities following january's earthquake there. up to 10 inches of rain is expected in some areas of that n nation. emergency crewsear that combined with high winds could produce dangerous mud slides. we're going to go live to haiti for the very latest in just a couple of minutes. >>> then to politics. the latest fallout over that big win for republicans in tuesday. they picked up at least 60 seats in the house and at least six in the senate, but could that number of republican gains in the senate been even higher? this woman, christine o'donnell, lost in delaware. a lot of people say the people she beat in the primary could have won. we'll talk to her a little later. >>> and an up close and personal look at the world's most expensive. it's valued at a billion -- that's with a "b," $1 bi

al roker, meredith vieira. spot them in the crowd, hopefully they'll be running fast. 9:00 a.m.s going to be cool for all the runners. as we go into the afternoon hours it will warm up to 50. that's good for marathoners. they don't like it too hot. forecast for the rest of today looks really nice in the middle of the country, in the northwest, that's where the rain will be moving in. >>> good morning to you. welcome to the weekend. we get to sleep in a little later tomorrow morning, set the clocks back one hour. waking up to 50s this morning. low to mid-50s, cloud cover, mist and drizzle. through tomorrow, late tomorrow, showers start to come in. rainy around the bay tomorrow. raiders at home. wet for their game after that remaining cool for next week. >>> and if you happen to turn 40 and you want to know your hour by hour forecast you can always get that at weather.com. >> all right, bill, thank you. coming up next, my son's choice. how one mom defended her son for dressing up as daphne from scooby-doo for halloween. we're going to talk to that mom live. >> and bargain buys. ba

meanwhile, on the plaza i'm matt lauer along withç meredith vieira, al roker and cameron. >> anotheree rocker kings of leon will be here live on the plaza. >> it's going to be awfully good. >> also awfully good, we're talking about dessert. of course well, love our desserts on thanksgiving. if you want to take a calorie count, you might want to think about menny-desserts. giada is going to show us how to down size the desserts without giving up any flavor. >> and we're going to giver you a reason to enjoy extra dessert. we have some tips on -- >> what was that? >> we're going to teach you how to celebrate the holidays without regret. >> i like that. >> all right. before we go any further, can we please welcome in jessica, the latest contestant to be voted off the ranch on "the biggest loser." how are you? >> good. nice so see you. >> the bad news is voted off. >> yes. >> the good news is, though, you've continued to do well at home. you started "the biggest loser." you weighed 282 pounds. >> i did. >> how are you doing? >> i'm doing great. i'm doing fantastic. you know mishgs goal --

. >> and i'm meredith vieira. we are very pleased to have the 43rd president of the united states, george w. bush, with us live in our studio this morning, already cracking jokes over there. >> he has kept a very low profile since leaving the white house. now he's out with his memoir, it's called "decision points." he's opening up about the tough choices that defined his presidency. it is making headlines from everything from his handling the economy, the wars in iraq and afghanistan, and even kanye west. and he's going to react to them when we sit down, straight ahead. >> looking forward to that. and straight ahead, the latest on that carnival cruise ship stranded in the pacific for two d d days. it is now being slowly tugged back to shore. and rations have now arrived. we'll have details in a live report. >>> and one of my favorite things is the film, "the sound of music." >> that's right. it became an instant classic when it was released 45 years ago. in honor of its anniversary, all seven actors who played the

and matt lauer along with meredith vieira and al roker.orget the backup dancers we had. >> we thought we were livering on the edge of what was acceptable there. >> yeah, i am focusing on him. he talks about his sexuality and he is a father of twin boys, and that's ahead. >>> and then is civility dead. we hear the words less and less. why is it so important to bring them back into the daily conversation. >>> and don't forget about today, our viral video challenge. we want to you create your own "today" show-themed viral video. >> tell us how it works. >> pick a video and use it to create -- >> not that one. >> yeah, make us say wow. matt is doing his uncle. we're playing the winning video right here on "today." so log on to todayshow.com for all the rules and details. >> we have final say. >> let's get the latest on last night's election results. we have a new divided government. good morning to you, kelly. >> reporter: republicans do pick up the gavel in the new year but they begin to show off their new power today with a news conference t