natalie morales will replace ann as morning news anchor, and savannah guthrie leaves the white house beat to host the third hour of "today" each morning, so we managed to keep it all in the family. we'll take a break. >>> when we come back, what parents can learn from a major new study of autism. >>> and later, helping girls get a headstart in a field dominated by men in our "education nation." >>> back here tonight with news on a new study that is going to add to the debate over a disorder than seems to be surging and causes so much anxiety for families who wonder if their child has it. talking about the spectrum of autism disorders. tonight, a new study overseas seems to show the instance could be even higher than anybody first thought. our report from robert bazell. >> are you ready to listen? >> reporter: autism interrupts social interactions and covers a broad spectrum from terribly severe to mild. today finds the mild form might afflict many more students that assumed. the incidence of autism could be as high as 1 in 38 in children, twice as high as most previous estimates. >>

. >> i'm natalie morales in more meredith. more on the breaking news. the coordinated suicide bombings are the first major militant attacks in pakistan since bin laden's death. >> recruits were targeted as they were leaving a training center and the taliban said it was payback for the u.s. raid on bin laden's compound last week. we'll get a live report from pakistan in a couple of minutes. >> there are new problems with the jury selection for the casey anthony case that could delay the start of the murder trial. it is supposed to start next tuesday. we'll have the latest from there. >> when you hire someone to work in your home you want that person to be honest and knowledgeable, but finding a home repairman that meets that description could be easier said than done. we'll show you what happened when unsuspecting plumbers were given a problem that should have taken just minutes to fix. >>> the deadly suicide attack in pakistan. peter alexander is in islamabad with details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. this was an awful early morning a

. >> and i'm natalie morales. good to be with you. today may be the unofficial start of summer, but it will feel like the middle of july across the country. in new york city, we're going for the record. >> we had lightning and rain. >> our crowds are hanging tough. we appreciate them being here. >> with the heat comes a threat of more severe weather in some states. we'll get to the forecast in just a moment. >> also ahead, new developments in the cassie anthony murder trial. her mother took the stand over the weekend as a series of text messages were introduced as evidence. and legal experts say those texts could pose a big problem for the defense. we'll have the latest coming up. >> sad news involving hip hop star sean kingston. the rapper best known for hits "beautiful girls" and "fire burning" was rushed to a hospital last night after crashing a jet ski in miami. we'll get more on that just ahead. >> all right. plus, we begin right now with presidential politics. as president obama toured the devastation in joplin on sunday, sarah

i'm natalie morales here with david gregory and tamron hill.running of the kentucky derby. >> he's having fun there. also over the next hour we'll take a look at lessons our moms have taught us over the years. al, ann and natalie will kick things off by talking about the special role their moms played in their lives. >> and jean chatzky will be here with her mom to talk about the influence mothers have, especially when it comes to our financial future. and giada de laurentiis shares entertaining tips her mom taught her. first a look at the top stories. >> in the news, al qaeda confirmed that osama bin laden is dead. this as we learn more from the documents seized at the terror leader's hideout in pakistan. the cia says al qaeda considered a strike on america on the upcoming 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. a plot was in the works to derail passenger trains but according to counter terrorism officials the attack never progressed beyond initial planning stages. other documents obtained in sunday's raid indicate al qaeda's desire to strike th

i'm natalie morales alongside tamron hall.olt and amy robach with us as well as al roker at churchill downs and a great hat. you look like the mad hatter, al. all right. just ahead we'll have more on the lessons we learned from our mothers. >> and how our moms impact our style choices. bobby thomas is here with her mom and a few mom/daughter teams. they look cute. >> beautiful mom. plus from fashion to entertaining giada and her daughter jade will share tips on entertaining guests. >> they come with their own music and lester and amy are here. >> coming up this weekend on "today" jury selection in the casey anthonile trial begins. we'll tell you why her defense team fears she won't get a fair shake in the courtroom. >> also, boomer parents are still paying for their kids even after the kids have grown up and move out and many are asking mom to help cover costs. what should you do if you are in that boat? >> much more on the build-township the kentucky derby. we'll preview the front-runners and have reaction from the winning jo

natalie morales in for ann. >> good morning.astonishing 81 tornados in 24 hours brought more destruction to the nation's heartland overnight. this latest round of violent weather uprooted trees, damages homes and overturned vehicles in indiana, illinois and missouri. meantime, before and after satellite photos show the pact of a tornado that killed more than 120 people in joplin, missouri. >>> europe's most wanted war crimes fugitive ratko mladic has been arrested in serbia. he's evaded capture since 1995 when he was indicted for organizing and masterminding the srebenica genocide. servia has been told that it cannot join the european union until mladic is arrested. >>> the state department is ordering all nonessential u.s. diplomats to leave yemen. it's also advising private american citizens to leave. political violence there has killed dozens of people this week. >>> a tragic accident has overshadowed the start of this year's fleet week in new york. police say a u.s. marine was struck and killed by a car as he was crossing a

i'm ann curry here with al roker and natalie morales. learning more about why arnold schwarzenegger and maria shriver separated a week ago. >> the governor revealed he secretly fathered a child with a long time member of the household staff more than a decade ago, before he was elected. apparently he's provided financial support to the woman and the child. we'll get the latest in a few minutes. >> also on a different note, answers to your diet dilemmas. can you change your metabolism to burn calories? and what's the truth about, quote, added sugar. and if you're going to exercise what to eat before and after the workout. joy bauer has advice. >> you know what's going on. >> i have no idea. >> you're fantastic. >> also ahead we'll get ready for another steals & deals, our popular segment. we have a wide variety of products at deeply discounted prices for "today" viewers. today's theme is father's day. >> yes! >> just a month away. jill martin has ideas to get you started. order now. >> we are trying to make sure she doesn't lose her head

inside the studio i'm matt lauer along with al roker and natalie morales.n we're going to talk about how to enjoy it safely. this morning we're going to talk to a dermatologist about how to protect your skin and how to recognize a problem, a little spot that you perhaps would say is not the kind you should have and how to know what's a good mark on your skin versus a bad mark. sometimes it's a very subtle difference. >> melanoma is one of the cancers that causes the most deaths. >> it goes undetected. >> plus, bristol palin in the headlines, sporting a new look these days. some have suggested she's had plastic surgery and what bristol is saying about the change in her appearance. she's finally speaking out. we'll take a look at bristol before and after. >>> and the top five places to retire according to "money" magazine from wyoming to the eastern shore of maryland, they look at places with senior economics, especially when it comes to tacks. we're going to run down the list for you. >>> first we're going to get a check of the headlines. ann had to leave a

out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales and al roker. are starting to think about people who live all along the mississippi river. that river expected in places like memphis, tennessee, to crest above 14 feet above flood stage today. other cities and towns along the river in trouble as well. we're going to have a report on that coming up in just a couple of minutes. also coming up, natalee holloway, the 18-year-old disappeared on a senior trip to aruba some six years ago. her family has been trying to keep the investigation going, keep attention focused on where she might be, what might have happened to her, her mom beth holloway is going to join us for a live interview in a couple of minutes. i was thinking of yesterday being mother's day. imagine what she goes through every day of her life. on that day it must be more painful. we'll talk to beth holloway in a few minutes. >> and did you know medical mistakes are the eighth leading cause of death, higher than car accidents or breast cancer? so we are going over five commonly misdiagnose

natalie morales is at the news desk. >> good morning. good morning, everyone. >>> missing al jazeera journalist dorothy parvaz is now free. she was deported to iran where officials released her today. the iranian-born woman has american and canadian citizenship. she's now at al jazeera headquarters and has been in contact with her family. >>> there may be a new interim al qaeda leader today. according to a former militant and al qaeda expert. saif al adel is acting as al qaeda's leader in the wake of osama bin ladens's death. he's a former special forces officer from egypt. >>> with her husband high above earth at the international space station, gabrielle giffords undergoes surgery to replace a piece of her skull with a plastic implant. once healed she will no longer have to wear a protective helmet she's needed since she was shot in the head in january. >>> traffic is moving slowly on the busiest waterway in the country as the coast guard re-opened part of the mississippi river to cargo vessels. the ships must move one at a time at the

natalie morales filling in for ann, who is in pakistan. hey, nat. >> good morning, everyone.nding his decision not to release photos of osama bin laden's body. the president said the images are graphic and could insight future violence against americans. meantime, officials now say there was no prolonged firefight and that although bin laden was not armed, there were weapons within his reach. >>> president obama honors bin laden's victims today at ground zero where he will lay a wreath in memory of the 9/11 victims. it will be his first visit to the site as president. >>> the threat of record flooding could force thousands of people from their homes along the mississippi and ohio rivers. the mississippi is still rising and officials fear it could break high water marks set back in the 1920s. engineers are using explosives to breach levees and reduce river levels. >>> the republican-led house passed a bill wednesday that would limit tax breaks for insurance policies that cover abortions and prevent people from deducting the cost of an abortion on their taxed. it's the latest a

matt lauer along with natalie morales and al roker. more on former governor arnold swars knicker.housekeeper days after he had a son with maria shriver. more coming. we'll talk a lot about this. >> i was going to say. there are two certain things in life, death and taxes. speaking of taxes, with property taxes based on appraised home values, it's estimated that two-thirds of us actually may be paying too much. we're going to tell you what every homeowner should know to cut their property taxes. >> escape. for those of you who have seen the -- we've done the segments on it. there's shows about hoarding. you look at this and kind of cringe. imagine in the hoarder was your mom or dad. what would it be like growing up in a home like that? we're going to find out. and what are the impacts? how does it impact children? >> it's a new disease. >> yeah. lots to get to. let's go inside. ann's standing by at the news desk. >>> once again in the news, a new audio message believes to be from osama bin laden has been released, the first since the raid that killed him on may 2nd, reportedly reco

. >> i'm matt lauer on the plaza along with natalie morales and al roker.souri, where you witnessed the devastating tornado. >> i have never seen anything like it, matt, especially from the air. incredible and this being one of the deadliest tornado seasons we have seen in a generation. this twister we are going to show you is near cole, oklahoma. it was brutal. a violent storm causing widespread damage on tuesday. more than a dozen people died. hundreds of families homeless from oklahoma to arkansas. we'll go live to oklahoma in a few minutes to look at what's ahead as far as the severe weather. in fact the national weather service expanding the high risk area for parts of the ohio river valley. >> it continues. all right. also coming up, it's wednesday so our money 911 panel is here to answer your financial questions. everything from maintaining your credit rating to whether you should rent or buy when you retire. our experts have advice for money emergencies. on the health front it's critical for women to have the latest medical information before going

out on the plaza i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales and al roker.on to kill osama bin laden. obviously enormous tension inside the room. we are learning more details of the operation. we'll be talking about those coming up. >> you can see hillary clinton with her hand over her mouth there. >> long 40 minutes for them. >> exactly. we'll switch gears to talk about the look and legacy of the late alexander mcqueen. very well known in the fashion industry before the royal wedding of kate middleton to prince william. but she of course wore the alexander dress designed by sarah burton. the designer was honored last night at a star-studded gala in new york. we'll get a glimpse at some of the famous faces there to honor the mcqueen house. >> right. three american women were living it up in london on our tab. they won the once in a lifetime chance to enjoy "today's" royal treatment. they will share their memories of that special week. later on in the program, it's often imitated, never duplica duplicated. we have the one, the only, the original jill's steals

i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales and msnbc's tamron hall. nice to have you with us.down on flood watch along the swollen mississippi river in historic vicksburg, mississippi. we understand the worst may be yet to come for that town and towns south of where he is as that river continues to rise. al will have the latest on that in just a couple of minutes. >> also ahead on money 911, answers to your most pressing financial questions including how to build your credit history, the strategy for paying off crushing student debt -- a lot of people can relate. our experts will have answers for you. >> okay. >> and natural remedies that some work, others may be myths. we'll separate fact that fiction, tell you which ones are surprisingly effective. for example, for ladies with pms problems, calcium supplements. do they work, not work? we'll let you know. >> come on. there are people trying to go to work. >> okay. it works! next up, with the newlywed royals on their honeymoon, the location undisclosed the spotlight is on the hot sister, pippa. she's stealing the spotlight her

inside the studio i'm matt lauer along with ann curry and natalie morales. they had in the aftermath of the tornado that tore through town around 5:30 in the afternoon on sunday. by the time it was over dozens were killed. 25 to 30% of the town was damaged including the regional hospital. that was evacuated moments before it took a direct hit. >> missouri's governor declared a state of emergency and activated the national guard to help with a search for survivors. they could be facing more severe weather today which is unbelievable. al is there. we'll check in with him in a few minutes. >> the sky is so ominous. meanwhile, coming up, a guide to summer health. we'll help you separate fact from myth when it comes to enjoying the summer months ahead. later on, does your high schooler need help choosing a university and you don't know where to take the family this summer? we have five college towns that double as great family vacation destinations. >> that's two for the price of one. it works out well. first let's get to al in joplin, missouri. al, what's the la

al roker, natalie morales are up in studio 1a about 30 or 40 blocks from me. the morning commute here. we have probably as many members of the media here as we do lookere lookers lookers-on and people going to work. some people gathered to celebrate the fact that osama bin laden is dead. others are stopping to share memories of loved ones they lost during the terror attacks. >> coming up in this half hour, matt, the entire world is reacting to the news this morning. the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks was killed and it holds special meaning for the families of those who lost loved ones that day. we'll talk to one family about their thoughts on the death of bin laden. >> happens to be a member of our family. >> exactly. lost his sister. >> absolutely. then we'll get a royal wedding update. prince william and kate middleton drove off in wedded bliss. where are they now? we'll get the latest on their honeymoon plans which were put off because william has to go back to work. >> he'll be flying r.a.f. rescue operations right away. plus, interesting designs inspi

natalie morales has details on this. good morning. >> good morning.y can be a way to stand out in a crowd, but to a kid being teased at school a nose job, liposuction or breast augmentation can be a way to blend in. >> they said i had a big nose. >> so what? i do, too. >> buck teeth. i had them fixed. i got thrown in a trash can. >> reporter: monday, lady gaga told the hosts of "the view" she was bullied because of her appearance. >> are you suggesting i get a nose job? >> reporter: on a recent episode of "glee," rachel considered plastic surgery to get in. in the real world 13-year-old aubrey is considering plastic surgery. >> i'm self-conscious about what i wear, how my hair looks. when you add in my ears, something i have no control over it makes me feel really bad. >> reporter: she says her protruding ear made her a target at school. >> this tip, instead of going back a little it sticks out. >> reporter: with their parents' blessing aubrey and brooke met with plastic surgeon robert anderson to consider having their ears pinned back. >> parents are

out on the plaza i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales and we are joined by savannah guthrie.gs to come in the very near future. >> what do you think? >> some of the changes going on here at "today," savannah will be a permanent fixture. you will become a regular part of the third hour here on "today." >> hopefully a little more lively than a potted plant but i will be here. natalie will show me the ropes. >> we'll have a good time in the 9:00. >> al is down in memphis, tennessee, covering terrible flooding hitting people all along the mississippi river. that river expected to crest at 48 feet, i think, a little later today. that's very close to a record. al will give us a little bit more of a report in a couple of minutes. obviously a difficult situation for people in that area. >> our thoughts are with them in the next couple of days. >>> also, hollywood and the world of politics were shocked to learn arnold schwarzenegger and maria shriver after 25 years of marriage are going their separate ways. they are living apart but call the split amicable. we'll get the latest detail

i'm natalie morales along with al roker. one of the most influential bankers in the world and a possible candidate for the presidency of france is set to arraigned on charges that he sexually assaulted a hotel maid here in new york city. we'll get the latest details on that. >> on a different note, we have answers to your real estate questions, courtesy of our own real estate expert barbara coccoran, from the smartest place to sell a home and finding a house in a great school district. we'll get expert advice from her. >> it's a little soggy right now to talk about gardening, but we're actually going to be out here in our garden in our little plot of grass talking about ways that gardening has gone high-tech. how would you like an automatic lawn mower? >> i would love it. >> sounds like a dream come true. >> i would actually like an automatic weeder. >> that would be good too. maybe there's something for that. there's an app for everything, it turns out now, too, including in the garden. we'll check in on that. >>> a little