i'm natalie morales in for brian on this memorial day.hile many think of it as the unofficial start of summer, this holiday is about remembering our military service members, those who have fallen and those who continue to fight to defend our freedoms. the president urged all americans not to forget our nation is still at war as he laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknowns at arlington national cemetery. while troop withdrawal is under way in afghanistan after nearly 12 years at war, 60,000 service members remain there still, risking their lives. nbc's john yang begins our coverage tonight. >> reporter: at arlington national cemetery, president obama laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknowns. with first lady michelle obama the president paused at section 60, the final resting place of fallen warriors from iraq and afghanistan, conflicts that for many may seem distant. >> not all americans may see or fully grasp the depths of sacrifice, the profound costs that are made in our name. >> reporter: at the world war ii memorial in washington, n

inside studio 1a, i'm willie geist along with natalie morales. to liberace. unbelievable, the transformation. >> it's called "behind the

i'm willie geist along with natalie morales.drinking. >> surfing. canoeing. we've done it all. you were in tennessee yesterday and hawaii today. >> i know. >> quite a turn. >> i was at a wedding to are a good friend of mine, a long planned wedding and i got in here last night. it's a travesty to be in hawaii for 12 hours. >> at least you're here and you get to sample some of the fineries of hawaii. >> al was here but obviously some big news happening in the midwest as tornado blowing through oklahoma, he's there this morning. >> more weather expected as well. >> more weather as well. al, good morning to you. what's the latest there? >> well, guys the latest is that people are on edge because we're looking for a repeat of what everybody here saw yesterday happening again today. three states under the gun yesterday, the tornado warnings went up, and people were hunkering counsel. we've been talking about this since last week that there was going to be a massive outbreak over the weekend, and in fact, this is the bricker family hom

. >> i'm savannah guthrie alongside matt lauer, al roker and natalie morales.ents ago we showed a picture of a little boy along the jersey shore and we can now reveal who it is, brian williams, 1965, 6 years old, taken right here on the beach of seaside heights. >> part of a body building contest, brian was the runner-up that year but he really hit the gym after that and you can tell how he looks now. >> just as shy as ever in that picture. >> no question. >> and then we're going to go along the boardwalk and sample some of the great food here and we have a five-mile-long ribbon and get that cut with the governor and mary pat christie they're going to officially open up the beaches for summer. >> a lot of people headed to the beaches and questions about how to apply sunscreen and reapply and are you getting what you pay for when it comes to sunscreen. we'll talk about that coming up as well. >> more on the official opening of the boardwalk, five-mile-long ribbon, the longest ribbon cutting in the world, 1,000 volunteers holding that ribbon through some of the c

i'm savannah guthrie inside studio 1a alongside natalie morales.real legend around here, ten-time grand slam winner jimmy connors is here, saying hi to some of his fans on the plaza. he confirms it is a beautiful day in new york. we're going to talk to jimmy, he's written an interesting, candid memoir about his life on and off the court, including, yes, his past romance with his fellow tennis star chris evert. jimmy has a lot to talk about. we'll catch up with him in just a couple of moments. >>> also, who is in the mood to shop? we always are, but our crews rolling out amazing steals and deals products. we'll run through the discounts coming up. >>> first a check of the day's top stories. >> we do, cleveland kidnapping suspect ariel castro spent the night under a suicide watch as new details emerge from his alleged confession. law enforcement sources told our cleveland affiliate that castro described him as cold blooded and addicted to sex and said he couldn't control his impulses. he's accused of raping three women he held captive for a decade, f

i'm willie geist along with natalie morales, just ahead, minding our manners. t to get a check of the weather from al once again who is whipping up some farm fresh breakfast with a lot of his friends there in college grove, tennessee, you're setting the table my friend. >> that's right, we're setting the table, charlie is doing the silverware and i'm doing the plates. we're going to get schooled how to make a great country breakfast from our friends from the lovelace cafe. first let's check your weather and tell you what we've got today a lot of wet weather in the northeast. it is going to really come down, risk of strong storms from texas on into the central plains, wet weather stretching back into the pacific northwest, gorgeous as we make our way through the gulf coast into the southeast. tomorrow, east coast mid-atlantic states going to be good morningious, risk strong storms from texas into the plains states and upper ohio river valley. western third of the country going to be spectacular, plenty of sunshine, mild and we're going to see warm weather through

i'm willie geist along with al roker and natalie morales. a good time to be reminded about the dangers of skin cancer. >>> also, do you have a treasure to grandpa or grandma hidden in your basement or attic? time to find out what it's really worth. >> i can't tell you what but one of these segment is a huge ticket item. somebody is going to be happy today. before we get to that al has a check of the weather. >> let's show you what we have as far as today is concerned, lots of sunshine in the northeast, a little on the chilly side, the heat is on in the southwest, 91 in l.a., 102 in phoenix, slight risk of strong storms back through the western plains with wet weather in the pacific northwest. tomorrow we're looking at wet weather making its way across the western central plains into the western great lakes, beautiful but cool weather in the northeast, sunny and warm through the gulf coast and the southwest continues to sizzle. that's wha >>> 9:31 on a monday morning. good morning, i'm meteorologist christina loren. taking a live look. mostly

willie geist along with al roker and natalie morales. it comes to taking care of your skin this summer. >>> we now also -- good news. we official have permission to break out the white, which i did right away. i didn't know -- i guess after memorial day, you can break out the white. that's the rule. >> that's the rule. i've been breaking it out for a long time. we're going to tell but that. also, last year's chunky wedges, we're going to tell you what's white. was white and what's wong. that's like -- that's a tongue twister. >> in high school, i used to get a chunky wedge. that's a different story. >>> also in the kitchen, one word, bacon, the american classic. the blt, giving it a makeover, everything from chipotle mayo to fig jam. >> i don't think it needs a makeover. >> in the kitchen, they had to drag us over here, we were pawing at it. >>> before we make our blts, a check of the weather with al. >> starting with today, risk of strong storms, texas on into the plains, we're looking at severe weather into western pennsylvania, rain i

i'm savannah guthrie with matt lauer and the dancing natalie morales.g off. >> coming up,i inspg more paren to can. will smith says he and jada pinkett smith do not discipline their kids. >> would it work in your home? we'll talk about it with today's professionals. tomorrow on "today" we'll have an interview with famed choreographer wade robson, part of michael jackson's inner circle. he testified on the singer's behalf at the 2005 child molestation trial. but now robson has filed suit claiming he was abused by michael jackson when he was a child. he'll speak out tomorrow only hear on "today." >> all right. we'll begin with more on angelina jo lie's stunning revelation that she underwent a double mastectomy. hoda? >> it's been 24 hours since angelina jolie shared the information in an op-ed piece. now everyone from brad pitt to her father are weighing in. after she rocked news about her double mastectomy it was brad pitt's turn to speak out. he told the evening standard of london having witnessed this decision first hand i find angie's choice as well a

i'm willie geist along with natalie morales.ere, we're so happy to be here with these people. i was born in evanston. it is just up the lake a couple towns. my dad is from champagne, my mom is from the northwest suburb. >> you have big roots here. >> incredible city. we're going to get to experience we want to take a turn right now and go to al roker, who is in moore, oklahoma, who has all the latest there on the tornado. >>> good morning, 48 hours after that ef-5. it is now officially an ef-5 tornado. after it touched down, people are coming back into these neighborhoods, trying to reclaim what they can of their lives. the death toll is scaled down. 24 people instead of upwards of 50 that we heard. 270 people injured, and many of those still in hospitals. but the good news is skies are clear, the bad weather is gone, and to put this in some p perspective, we prepared a timeline if you will, to give you a sense of what's going on. and at about 2:40, the first tornado warning was issued. 2:45, the tornado touches down to the nort

i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie, natalie morales and mr. they've got a performance coming up. that's not the only excitement we have coming up. we've set up a photo booth right here on our plaza so people could come in, take a picture, remember their moment here on the plaza. we love it when people come and visit us. and now we're making it a little bit easier. >> all right. >>> and then, calling all dads, we are looking for the best homemade burger recipe in the land. >> that's right. i love a good burger. we want you to go to today.com, send us a photo or video of your creation for a chance to compete in our father's day burger battle. and we'll grill it out here on the plaza on june 13th. >> remember that dinner in your patio you had the burgers? that was fantastic. >> we'll do that again. >> i know. >>> speaking of competition, it's heating up on "the voice," the field narrowed down to ten this week and 20-year-old r & b singer from atlanta was the singer sent home. vito, nice to see you. pleasure, good to have you here. >> hi. >> bold

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natalie morales? >> yes. >> as do we.ere today. >> i know. >> it's nice to be loved. thank you. starting off today. temperatures are way below normal. jet stream takes a dip to the south. denver, 34 degrees below normal. 20 degrees below normal in billings. nice and warm in texas and here in the east as well. afternoon highs in the northeast getting up into the 60s and 70s. 80s in the ohio river valley. hundreds in west texas. 90s into the southwest. we have a risk of strong storms p with that frontal system pushing into texas. look for a beauttle day in the pacific northwest and plenty of shine. 65 in seattle today. more rain from the gulf coast. louisiana, mississippi and on into florida. we are talking about anywhere from 3 to 5 inches of rain. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. 7:35 this wednesday morning. first day of may. we have an east wind still keeping it cool. but it is a crier wind than it was yesterday. so clouds just appeared. bright

. >> i'm willie geist along with al roker and natalie morales.illion albums worldwide, still hanging tough, coming up, new kids on the block performing that blockbuster hit on the plaza. >> all right, first lester has a look at what's going on in "weekend today." >> we're keeping a close eye on the severe weather from the heat wave expected to hit both coasts to flooding and dylan throws a dinner party, we are her guests and we behaved. preparing the food was only one of her challenges. what you need to know before entertaining this summer. >> she's a good cook apparently. >>> new judges in a new live season of "america's got talent" i take the stage to find out what it's like to audition. i thought i could do a newscast. >> is that what you were there for? >> how long did you last before you got the buzz? >> about 12 seconds. howard was like get out of here. >> should have brought the bass. >> yeah. >> you could have sang a bit. >> i think it works out well for you. >> good thing you have a kid in the business who can support you. >> exactly. >>

i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie and natalie morales. >>> the wild horses of the american westy are more of them living in captivity than in is the actual wild. >>> then, dan brown's new thriller "inferno" came out overnight to the delight of his fans. you got to chat with him exclusively. >> we chatted with him at his unique home filled with all kinds of secret passageways and codes on the floor. we will have our exclusive interview coming up and one more clue about brown's new book. this is a guy, when he releases a book, it is an event. >> it is. >> no question about it. >> very good reviews, it's true. >>> and then we're really excited because starting next monday, we are all hitting the road for "today's" great american adventure. first stop, hawaii, then yellowstone national park. windy city of chicago, sunny orlando and our final stop, the jersey shore. before we go, we would like to find out if you have taken any pictures at any of these great vacation destinations. please share your photo with us, #postamericanpictures. >>> we want to share, too. >>> we want to begin t

we want to get to natalie morales who's in the helicopter for our affiliate kfor. natalie, good morning to you. >> savannah, when you see the path of the destruction the best analogy that i can come up, as it's torched its own landing strip right through the center of the city of moore, a populated area, over 40,000, 50,000 people live in this area. you can see the ground completely pulled up. the earth, the debris, then it moves through neighborhoods and communities. as you know, two elementary schools completely leveled by this tornado in its path. the worst of the tragedy was at plaza towers, some of the worst casualties occurred. we also saw that briarwood elementary school, they were fortunately able to evacuate the children on time there and then as the storm continued right through the center of town, again, neighborhoods, homes, completely leveled, off their foundations. all that's left in some areas is just the foundations. you're looking at the highland east junior high school. part of the building still standing. off to the right-hand screen, that's where

that is our very own dancing queen miss natalie morales enjoying one of the interactive exhibits at thegetting in the swing >> oh, you look great. you sound great, and we are all spread out across the globe this morning. natalie in sweden, we can hear it here in los angeles and matt holding down the fort in rockefeller plaza. >> al, i'm just waiting for your dogs and cats living together. >> mass hysteria, oh, my gosh. >> come on. i'm not trying out for "the voice" or anything. >> there's a shock. >> that's good, natalie. loved it. also ahead, it was an evening of big surprises in last night's met costume gala here in new york. thanks to a punk theme. we're going to show you how the stars handled that in a little while. >> all right. and then maria shriver is here. she's going to introduce us to two women who were giving a voice to moms in need of love, support and, yes, a good laugh, so looking forward to catching up with maria. >> absolutely. >> and we need your help for an experiment. we need to synchronize watches, because at 8:07 we want you to take a picture of whatever you're doi

inside studio 1a i'm willie geist along with natalie morales.can be a scary thing for some people. >> for a lot of people. >> swimsuits that flatter everybody in the family. >> and joy bauer will show you how to start losing weight right now, up to five pound a week with five simple steps to follow every day, including just doing a little dance for a couple of minutes. apparently it's going to get you the results you want. keep dancing, joy, a solo dance party. >> she needs some help. and very excited about this. we'll talk to the man whose book became the hit movie "the social network" about the founder of facebook and the film "21." now he has a new one out about the thrilling and sometimes dark world of poker, and this could be his next big hit. it's about a group of guys who left montana, college kids. >> starting playing poker. >> started a empire, $1 million a day, built an empire and then lost it all. >> and al is outside with the weather. hey, roker. >> well, just so happens we wanted to say hello to amy belgard from the american cancer

natalie morales? >> yes. >> as do we.e today. >> i know. >> it's nice to be loved. thank you. let's see what we have for you starting off today. temperatures are way below normal. that jet stream takes a dip to the south. denver, 34 degrees below normal. 20 degrees below normal in billings. it's nice and warm in texas and here in the east as well. afternoon highs in the northeast getting up into the 60s and 70s. 80s in the ohio river valley. 100s in west texas. 90s into the southwest. a rick of thunderstorms as that frontal system pushes into texas. look for a beautiful day in the pacific northwest. plenty of sunshine. 65 in seattle. rain from the gulf coast, mississippi, louisiana, into florida. we're talking anywhere from 3 to 5 inches of >>> 7:35 now on a wednesday morning. good morning. i'm meteorologist christina loren. it's going to be a hot one. the dry northerly winds will continue to pump from land to sea today. 91 in livermore, 88 in santa theresa, 97 in gilroy. gusty winds in the east bay hills, the higher elev