Transcripts For WBAL Today 20091112

good morning. breaking news. coastal flood warnings this morning from the carolinas to new jersey as the remnants of ida bring strong winds and heavy rains on the east coast. this morning we are live on virginia beach. death toll rising. the cdc now says about 4,000 americans have died of swine flu, a jump nearly four times higher than the last estimate. what's going on? and remarkable spirit. the connecticut woman viciously mauled by her friend's pet chimpanzee speaks out and reveals her face for the first time. charla nash in her own words today, thursday, november 12th, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this thursday morning. i'm meredith vieira. >> and i'm ann curry in for matt this morning. good morning, everybody. ida's not even a named storm anymore, but it appears more dangerous than it did when it first made landfall along the gulf coast on tuesday, meredith. >> that's right. just take a look at these conditions this morning along the virginia shoreline. we're going to get to a live report and also al's forecast in just a moment. that surf is really, really bad this morning. >> mm-hmm. and also ahead this morning, startling, new claims, meredith, that army doctors and supervisors who worked alongside the alleged ft. hood gunman reportedly harbored longstanding concerns about his mental stability but that they never filed complaints. we're going to get the latest on that in a live report and talk to the two people being credited with ending the rampage, both being called heroes this morning. plus, we've got another story. >> yeah, talk about a story that struck a chord with our viewers. we met lauren johnson on wednesday. she's the girl that can't stop sneezing. thousands of you reached out with suggestions that could help her stop. we'll share some of the best and find out what's next for her. all right, but let's begin with the flood watches and warnings up and down the east coast. the weather channel's mike bettis is in virginia beach this morning, virginia beach, virginia. hey, mike, good morning. >> reporter: hey. good morning to you. even though we don't have a named storm, no longer ida, just the remnants of ida, don't tell the folks here in coastal virginia that it's not an impactful storm. we've got significant wind this morning, significant waves. the atlantic ocean has been churned up all morning long. the breakers out there right now running about 15 feet. so much flooding occurring in around hampton roads, including in the norfolk area, governor tim kaine has declared a state of emergency for virginia in anticipation of this storm, which is only going to get worse before it gets better. there are many schools that are closed this morning. there are many roadways that are shut down. some of the tunnels have been closed here in the virginia beach/norfolk area. and with the next high tide cycle that comes in later this afternoon, anticipating water rise and tidal flooding that could rival hurricane isabel back in 2003. so, a significant, very impactful storm all day long today, in coastal carolina and virginia. and of course, the worst conditions may actually come later this afternoon. hard to believe, considering what we're dealing with this morning, which is a very cold, wind-driven rain and sand. >> wow. mike bettis, thanks for standing out in the rain for us this morning, but do get inside and be careful. >> let's go upstairs where al roker has the latest on the forecast. al, good morning. >> guys, the reason why this storm system is really kicking up and causing more problems when it came on shore, it's interacting with high pressure up in the canadian maritimes, and that's bringing in a strong pressure gradient. look at the winds already. not only do we have the rain as you saw with mike bettis, but wind gusts 21 miles per hour along the carolina coast. up near new york and new jersey, 41-mile-per-hour wind gusts. we also have coastal flood watches and warnings up and down the eastern seaboard for wind gusts of up to 65 miles per hour, water level rises of three to six feet above normal, offshore waves 24 feet possible. we are looking for beach erosion, massive beach erosion from the carolinas all the way up to new jersey. and then there's the rain. this is going to be about a 72-hour event, slow-moving low pressure. generally, we're looking at anywhere from two to three inches of rain, but look at this bull's eye along the delmarva peninsula. we're talking anywhere from 10 to 15 inches of rain right along the coast. if you don't think that's not going to cause massive flooding, well, we are looking at big problems over the next 72 hours along the coast and this slowly makes its way up towards new england as we get on into saturday. meredith? >> all right, al, thank you. and now to that new estimate from the cdc that 4,000 people have died of swine flu. a number nearly four times higher than the 1,200 deaths announced in the past. dr. nancy snyderman is nbc's chief medical editor. good morning to you. >> hi, meredith. >> what do you make of this discrepancy? >> well, i make that we're catching up with the numbers. a lot of people in small communities or over the summer may have died of pneumonia or organ failure, and it's sort of been hard to keep on top of this because a lot of people didn't expect flu over the summer, so i think this is really the first accurate estimate, 4,000 deaths from h1n1. >> but i bet there are people watching who, you know, it doesn't build confidence, because first they had all the numbers with the cdc with the vaccine we were going to get. that was way off. now the death numbers in the u.s. are way off. >> i would argue this should build confidence, we're getting our arms around it. look, there's frustration from everyone that we're not getting the vaccine in time and we're seeing a window where people infected are sort of waiting to get their shots. but this tells us that the reporting data is catching up with what we've seen, and we've never been through a spring, summer, fall flu hiccups. so, it's a little -- it's a little harder this year, but we should feel comfortable that the numbers are real. and remember, at one point, we were saying maybe 70,000, 90,000 people might die. this is more in line with what appears to be a very efficient infectious flu, not necessarily a great killer. >> so, it should not raise red flags or should it? >> well, it raises red flags to me, that, because it's so efficient, we have already had 4,000 people die and we haven't even really gotten into cold weather yet. the numbers are going to increase. and as you know from me, i think this is one more reason why people need to get vaccinated. >> well, i wonder, because so many people have been waiting in line and were unable to get the vaccine, did that contribute to this? >> absolutely. any time you cannot vaccinate your populous, there will be people at risk. there will be more doses out this week and you'll continue to see a rollout of more vaccine. and a very important reminder for people -- call around, get it. it's a very inefficient way of getting vaccine to people this year, but the vaccine is safe and it works. and remember, those 4,000 deaths, those are not the elderly and the frail. those are young people who are otherwise okay. so, pregnant women, people under the age of 24, people with compromised immune systems, if you're a caretaker you jump to the front of the line. >> okay, dr. nancy, thank you very much. >> you bet. >> sobering news. let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories from natalie morales, in for me at the news desk. >> good morning to you. today, president obama heads to asia on a trip that will focus largely on the world economy. the president, meantime, wants revisions to all of the options being offered on afghanistan. the u.s. ambassador to afghanistan, karl elken berry, reportedly is against deploying more u.s. troops there. the top u.s. commander wants 40,000 more troops. today, an arkansas jury is considering whether a man convicted of killing little rock anchorwoman anne pressly should get the death penalty. curtis vance was found guilty on wednesday. the lawyer for an american man imprisoned in japan today said all charges against christopher savoie have been dropped. savoie had been arrested after going to japan to get his children back from his ex-wife. tragedy wednesday in california following a wing suit skydiving event. one of the participants later jumped again with three other people and died after apparently hitting the tail of the aircraft. new figures show the number of home foreclosures dropped in october for the third month in a row. the group realtytrac says foreclosures are still up 14% from a year ago. overseas markets are mostly lower this morning, and as for u.s. markets, cnbc's becky quick joins us with the forecast. becky, what are you watching there today? >> you know, we are watching the world's largest retailer, natalie, out with earnings today that were a little better than wall street was expecting. they also say, walmart says that sales, it's a very difficult environment right now. they do say that the customer traffic is up, but when it comes to the stores that have been open at least a year, over the course of the next few months, through the end of january, they're only looking for same-store sales to be about flat with last year. that compares with last year when you were talking about gains of 2.4%. so it still leaves questions of what we can see from the customer during this holiday shopping period. looking at broader markets, the dow is at its highest level in a year right now. gold is at its highest level ever. and two investors who will be watching that closely today are warren buffett and bill gates. they'll be joining us here for a cnbc special event. that's coming up at 9:00 p.m. tonight. natalie, back to you. >> we'll be watching you. becky quick, thank you so much. former boxing champ mike tyson and a photographer are both accusing the other of starting a scuffle wednesday at the los angeles international airport. both men were arrested. it is 7:09. let's turn it back over to meredith, ann and al. apparently, according to the l.a.x. police, a lot of different versions about what happened there, so they're investigating. meanwhile, ida, my gosh. >> yeah. >> causing a lot of trouble. >> that's right, and as we look at our maps, we'll show you, of course, the reason for this -- not only do you have the low, the remnants of ida, but you have the big area of high pressure up over canada causing problems. we've also got rain moving through the central plains, mountain snows in the pacific northwest. plenty of sunshine from the gulf coast down into texas and parts of florida. high surf advisories alo >> and that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thanks. now to new information coming to light about the alleged ft. hood gunman. apparently, colleagues had concerns about his mental stability months ago. nbc's justice correspondent pete williams now has the latest. pete, good morning. >> ann, good morning to you. on paper, officials say, nidal malik hasan was not a standout, but apparently good enough to be promoted this past spring to major. now, new information suggests that those who worked most closely with him seriously questioned his mental status but never filed formal complaints about him. at the defense department's uniformed services medical school in washington and later at walter reed medical center, officials said nidal hasan's fellow army psychologists and supervisors had doubts about his competence as a doctor. now national public radio says some discussed amongst themselves as long as a year ago, whether he had serious mental problems. npr says they talked about him as "disconnected, aloof, paranoid, belligerent and schizoid." a source familiar with the conversation said "you would not want nidal hasan in your foxhole," and once wondered aloud if he might be capable of killing fellow soldiers. but they never filed complaints, fearing the process to get him removed was too cumbersome, afraid they might be discriminating against him because of his extremist muslim believes, and hoping he'd have more supervision at ft. hood. in texas wednesday, authorities allowed photographers into hasan's apartment, where he left behind a prayer rug. despite reports that he gave away many belongst before the rampage, it shows many items left behind, including books and prescription medications. authorities also found a box for a laser aiming device. witnesses report seeing it attached to the gun involved in the shootings, explaining why it was accurate enough to produce a high number of casualties. and at a mosque near ft. hood, an army veteran who worshipped there said he did not agree with hasan's complaints that the army depressed its muslim soldiers. >> i have been dealing with the muslims here since 2001. so, i would probably have just a little bit more knowledge than he does about any muslim soldiers being depressed. >> army officials had no comment this morning on the npr report, and after going through hasan's computer, his e-mails and phone call records, investigators say the evidence so far suggested he acted entirely alone with no outside help or direction, ann. >> all right. pete williams this morning. pete, thanks. now to the heroes on that tragic day. two people in particular are being singled out for their actions. sergeant kimberly munley, a 5'2", 125-pound mother of two and senior sergeant mark todd. both are credited with ending the shooting rampage. we spoke with them last night in a morning exclusive along with kimberly's husband matthew, her father, dennis barber, and her doctor, freddy morales, and we began by asking sergeant munley what she experienced when she first arrived on the scene. >> i got out of my patrol car and ran up the hill and immediately looked to my left and saw sergeant todd, and that's when gunfire started to emerge and we started to take action. >> you say you saw the gunman firing at sergeant todd, your partner. you didn't have any time to make a call. you had to do something immediately. describe exactly those moments. what led to your shooting? >> i myself heard gunfire and saw him fire upon my partner, and then he retreated behind another building, which i predicted that he would come out on the other side, so i took initiative to counteract him and possibly stop him from retreating to the other side and coming in the direction to the rest of the soldiers. >> did you put yourself between the rest of the soldiers and the suspect? >> yes, ma'am, i did. a lot of people were running because they saw him running and firing towards them, and yes, i put myself between him and the rest of the bystanders out there. >> and how many times were you hit and where? >> i was hit three times. once, the first one in the right knuckle of my right hand, and then the second time and the third time, which i do not know which came first, one went into my knee, out of my knee on my left leg, and then into my right leg. and then the other one went into the top of my thigh and through my femoral and then into my right leg as well. >> and sergeant todd, until that day, you had actually never fired a gun on someone in all your 25 years in law enforcement and in the military after that. describe what was going through your mind, sergeant. >> we go through extensive training, and i remember my firearms instructor. he was in my ear the whole time, just telling me, mark, relax, shoot, take your time. you know what you're doing. take your time, shoot. and that was it. >> how surprised were you that you were not hit? >> i was very surprised. i thank god to this day that i wasn't hit. i looked down. there was no holes. you know, it's a miracle, but you just fight through it and react and do what you have to do. >> meantime, sergeant munley, i'm wondering at what point did the images of your children, your 2-year-old and your 12-year-old come into your mind? >> well, immediately after some great other heroes that happened to be on scene to help save many other lives as well as my own came up, and i knew exactly i needed some pressure added to my wound. the next thing was that i needed to retrieve my cell phone to make arrangements for my daughter to be picked up from daycare. >> so, the balancing act of moth moth motherhood and being a police officer did not end even at that moment for you. >> absolutely not. it never does. >> and matthew munley, i understand that even before all this, your wife was called mighty mouse. so, i'm wondering what kind of nicknames you might be thinking you'll have to contend with now and what you think about what your wife has done. >> she sets the example as far as how to respond in a situation like that, because there's a lot of people that wear uniforms, but when it comes down to it, they don't actually respond the way she would, and i'm very, very proud of her. as far as the mighty mouse thing, that was something that was never supposed to come out, and it was something never to be mentioned, and i'm definitely -- it's out there, so i'm sure she's never going to live that down. >> dennis barber, what do you want to say about your little girl, kimberly? >> well, we're very proud of her. you can't be any prouder that i know of. >> is your little girl, sir, a hero in your book? >> absolutely. absolutely. without a shadow of a doubt. >> kimberly -- i mean, sergeant munley, you're going to have to cop to this. everybody's calling you a hero, including your daddy. are you going to take it? >> i will as long as we can make sure that there's many morihie r heroes out there other than me and sergeant todd. >> dr. morales, can you tell us if medically there is a chance that sergeant munley will be able to recover fully and how soon that might be from her injuries? >> i could tell why they call her mighty mouse. i mean, in spite of a great deal of pain, she was trying to do her best. but i could tell it's probably going to take six, eight weeks of physical therapy before she will be able to go back. >> sergeant todd, i understand that given the chaos of the situation -- and i think it'd be surprising for most people to understand this -- that you actually, once you turned your gun on the suspect and he was down and he was under arrest and no longer a threat, you actually worked to save his life. >> yes, that's part of our training. we just have to rely back on our training. even though they're a threat at one moment, once they're neutralized from being a threat, they're in police custody and we have to protect their life as though they were just -- be them a victim or a subject, we have to treat them equally in saving their life. >> sergeant munley, is it true that after you regained consciousness after your surgery that the first question you asked is if anyone died? >> yes, ma'am. i was very concerned as to who had pulled through and who had not. >> and when you got the news that there were 13 people killed, what was your reaction, ma'am? >> it was devastating. i wish that we would have gotten there faster to prevent anyone's life from being lost because i know there's a lot of families out there suffering right now. >> is there anything you would like to say to those families, sergeant munley? >> i just, you know, i pray every day that they can have closure with this and get through it, and as a group, for the deceased and the injured -- i don't know really how to put out there and how to help except for that i'm truly sorry. >> you just said something just now that gave me a little pause, because you said "i wish we could have gotten there faster." sounds like you got there as fast as you could. >> yeah, pretty much. >> given the -- yeah. the amount of time it took for us to get there was very quick. i just wish the call would have came even quicker. >> you can see the pain in her face. >> oh, my gosh. >> she did everything she could, and just to lose people. >> feel that burden, you know, of that. you know, i also found out that one of the bullets hit a major artery on her leg, and had she not applied -- had she not instructed, had the presence of mind to instruct the other soldiers who came to her aid how to apply a tourniquet, she would have likely died, in fact. >> oh, my gosh. >> so, there is also that to contend with. sergeants munley and sergeant todd, fantastic. >> and the fact that she immediately went into mommy mode, when it was, i've got to call the kids, make sure they're taken care of. >> we can all identify. by the way, a fund has been set up for the ft. hood victims today learn more about that, head to our website, todayshow.com. and just ahead this morning, the victim of last february's violent chimp attack in connecticut speaks out for the first time and reveals her injuries, and they're pretty shocking. charla nash in her just ahead, your outpouring of advice for the girl who can't stop sneezing. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. a whole lot going on with weather and traffic. >> motorists certainly have their work cut out for them this morning. what roads and high winds creating problems around the area. the good news is the accident is clear on southbound 895 at the harbor tunnel. we are still dealing with heavy delays at the harbor tunnel, but all traffic is getting by. southbound 95, if you are heading towards fort mchenry, just getting word of accident there. you can see delays developing quickly towards mcdonnell. we'll continue to keep you posted on that. maryland, 32, foxchase road, another crashed there. heavy delays on the north and west side. timonium, another accident location to watch for. the biggest problem is concentrated right on southbound 95 and 895. again, recovering from an earlier accident at the harbor tunnel. big delays there. you might want to use the exit at the keybridge. take the east side of the beltway towards the keybridge this morning. when the warnings are in effect at the key bridge and the rest of the area bridges. >> let's start with the rain. we have a solid area of modern -- moderate rain towards the eastern shore. this will stick around all day today. take a look at the temperatures. we are in the low-to-mid- forties. we might be able to add five, maybe six degrees. shooting for a high temperature of 49. rainy and chilly all day today. same thing on friday. rainy and windy in chilly, with high temperatures in the upper 40's to around 50. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information. our next live update, 7:55. who says lightning never strikes twice? introducing the supercharged new blackberry storm2. wi-fi enabled. ultra responsive. tons of apps. and because it runs on the network with 5 times more 3g coverage than at&t, it just may be the perfect storm. ♪ this is the sound 7:30 now on this thursday morning, november 12th, 2009, and you are looking live at the rough conditions this morning in nags head, north carolina, as the remnants of ida bring relentless rains and strong wind to a big chunk of the east coast. and it is a blustery day here in the northeast as well. we'll get to al with the latest on the forecast in just a moment. folks here on the plaza bundled up today. i'm meredith vieira alongside ann curry, who is in for matt this morning. and just ahead, the connecticut woman brutally mauled by her friend's pet chimpanzee speaks out for the first time and bravely shows the extent of her injuries. also this morning, it sounds like a typical story, a couple very much in love, but now they're divorced. but you might be surprised when you find out why they are still actually in love but were forced to get divorced to get their daughter the care she needs. more coming up. plus, we met lauren johnson on friday. she is the girl who has not stopped sneezing for more than two weeks. a lot of you reached out to her offering suggestions on our website. we'll get to those and also talk to dr. nancy snyderman about what is next in lauren and her family's search for answers. but we are going to begin with charla nash speaking out for the first time nine months after being savagely mauled in that chimp attack in connecticut. nbc's jeff rossen has details. jeff, good morning. >> hi, meredith, good morning to you. charla nash lost almost everything in that attack -- her face, her eyes, her hands, her way of life, but she never lost her spirit, her will to live. travis the chimp mauled her last winter in connecticut. now for the first time, you're going to see her and you're going to hear her, too, but we should warn you, it was a brutal attack and some of the images are difficult and disturbing. charla nash spoke with oprah at the cleveland clinic where doctors performed a miracle and saved her life. >> are you in pain? >> no. >> you're in no pain? >> no pain. >> no pain. so, why do you wear the veil? >> so i don't scare people. >> mm-hmm. >> reporter: charla was an energetic woman, a loving mother who lived for her teenage daughter, breanna, but in a single moment, she'd never see her daughter again. >> he's killing my friend! >> who's killing your friend? >> my chimp! my chimpanzee! >> oh, your chimpanzee is killing your friend. >> yes! he ripped her apart. hurry up! hurry up, please! >> reporter: it was nine months ago, charla went over to her friend sandy herald's house in connecticut. she had a pet chimp, travis, who suddenly snapped on charla. >> i don't remember anything, and they told the doctor that i don't want to remember because i couldn't imagine what it was like. >> because you don't want to remember. >> i don't want to. i want to get healthy. i don't want to wake up with nightmares. >> reporter: travis the chimp nearly killed her. he ripped off her mouth, her nose, lips, hands and ears. when paramedics arrived, they couldn't tell if charla was a man or a woman. >> but the eye doctor came in a couple weeks ago and said that it's a shame they had to remove my eyes. and that's when i really knew my eyes are not there. and i said, no wonder why they said i'd never see. >> reporter: charla's family is now suing the chimp's owner, sandra herold, for $50 million and the state of connecticut for $150 million, claiming officials missed the warning signs. he was able to open doors by himself. >> he could drive. he took off with the car a couple times. >> reporter: in an exclusive interview just after the attack, sandy herold told me this was a freak accident and defended her chimp, who she raised like a child. >> he couldn't have been more my son than if i gave birth to him. >> reporter: police still haven't ruled out criminal charges against herold. after what you've been through with this, your friend is in the hospital fighting for her life -- do you still think chimps should be pets? >> would i have done it again? yes. >> these exotic animals are very dangerous. >> mm-hmm. >> and they shouldn't be around. >> reporter: charla's daughter brianna is 17 now and visits her mom often, as she told meredith on "today." >> i think the thing about her is she's kind of my best friend. >> reporter: the light in charla's life when everything seemed so dark. >> her prom is coming up, and i can't pick out her gown. she gets in bed with me. >> she gets in bed? >> yeah, we lay next to each other and we hold each other and we talk about things. i want her to have the best. >> reporter: but the most dramatic moment came toward the end of the show, when charla nash took the veil off. we should warn you, her facial injuries are difficult to look at, a warning oprah issued herself. >> her injuries are extremely, extremely severe. i have never seen anything like this in my life. >> you can take the hat off. >> oh, the hat comes off. >> yep. >> all right. all right. so, the veil is lifted. >> reporter: brave woman to come forward like that. charla says she was always scared of travis the chimp, but believe it or not, she says she's not angry. we requested a new interview with the chimp's owner, sandy herold, but she declined. instead, her lawyer told us -- "sandy herold hopes and prays for a speedy recovery for her friend, charla nash. sandy's intervention on behalf of charla at the time of the attack was a courageous act that helped prevent an even greater tragedy from occurring." of course, meredith, our thoughts and prayers go out to charla and her family as well this morning. >> absolutely. jeff rossen, thank you. and this weekend we'll sit down with charla nash to learn more about her amazing spirit in light of such a life-altering and painful attack, and we'll have that for you monday on "today." and i think what jeff said is so true, that the chimpanzee took so much from her but not her spirit. and i credit her brothers, michael and steve, who have been there for her, and brianna, from the very beginning, caring for her. and the outpouring they talked about -- they sent out a regular e-mail, a newsletter -- the outpouring of support from around the country and around the world of people sending her e-mails that they read to her, and i think that's helped a lot in her healing process. >> i think you're right, based on what we heard and her response. >> given the severity of the wounds, it's hard to believe that she can even talk. >> yeah. >> it's amazing. >> but then again, it's the mother we saw with the police officer, too. she's thinking about her daughter's prom. what's she going to wear? wants to make sure she wears something that's correct for her prom for her age, so. >> that's sweet. >> the power of the human spirit. >> give her our thoughts and prayers. let's see what's been happening weatherwise for you. we've been talking about the southeast with the low pressure along there, but we've got heat to talk about. temperatures anywhere from 18 to 25 degrees above normal, especially through the central plains. why? well, we've basically got a big upper level ridge in the southeast and on into the mid-atlantic states. the jet stream way up to the north, and that's allowing >> that's your latest weather. a lot going on today, so check out the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. meredith? >> al, thank you. and up next, your advice for the girl who can't stop sneezing. we'll talk to dr. nancy snyderman right after this. back now at 7:41. now to the latest on the 12-year-old virginia girl who was with us on wednesday who can't stop sneezing. it all started more than two weeks ago when lauren caught a head cold and the sneezing only stops when she sleeps. well, we asked for your suggestions and the response is overwhelming. now the search for a cure is taking a new direction. chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman is with us this morning. >> hi, ann. >> let's talk about the response. thousands of e-mails. >> thousands of responses. >> from all over the world with a response. >> right. >> describe it. >> well, a lot of people said i've seen things like this before. a lot of people had antidotal experiences, suggestions from vaseline up the nose to jump rope to chiropractic. but we really wanted to make sure that before -- because we really walked to the edge yesterday talking about this little girl in front of this little girl -- >> about psychological issues. >> exactly. >> which was -- >> and i had spoken to her mother a little bit before we came on the air, but nonetheless, you have to be very careful when you're talking about a 12-year-old that you don't talk about her and say things that are insensitive. and remember, we don't have a diagnosis. so, to treat without a diagnosis is quite imprudent. so, after yesterday and getting lots of responses, we then started to hook her up with a few people who we thought might have some real answers for her. >> which is terrific news. we'll get to that in a second. let's talk about the e-mail suggestions. alex from spokane washington wrote "send her to a chiropractor for an adjustment." a lot of people had this suggestion. what do you think about this? >> well, i don't love it, and here's why -- we don't know what we're adjusting for. i'm not convinced today, wasn't convinced yesterday that this is a sneeze at all. i think it's more tick-like. so, to adjust somebody without knowing what we're working on doesn't make sense to me. >> glenn wrote in "i know the cure, massive quantities of vitamin a, just below the toxic level." >> no. >> and you talked about jumping rope. sue from illinois said "my daughter sneezed for almost a month. in desperation, we had her jump rope. she jumped for about half an hour, and magically, she stopped!" >> now, this is an interesting thing, because when children jump rope or jump on the trampoline or play the piano, there is a rhythmic nature to that, and if, in fact, this is a tick, that rhythmic, repetitive motion can sometimes make children stop. it can be a clue to the doctor as, all right, perhaps there is an anxiety aspect to this, and when you find that rhythm and it calms you, this tick or, you know, this impulsion that she can't controlling might go away. >> okay. we also got a lot of e-mails about something called pandas -- >> yes. >> which are related to a strep strep infection? >> the doctor was on talking about pandas. the question of whether you can get exposed strep cookus, it hurts your immune system and you get obsessive compulsive disorder. interestingly, she has not had a throat swab, so it's one of the first things we'll have her do and also get strep antibodies. it is one of the avenues we're exploring. >> here's the good news, since yesterday's broadcast, because of the overwhelming e-mails and also because it was on the front page in london and all over the world, there has been kind of a feeling by the mom and by lauren that they're being shored up a bit. so, now they're going to undergo a bunch of -- for example -- >> well, shored up a bit -- >> an mri being planned? >> okay, but dial up a second. shored up and very transparent. and yesterday we spent a lot of time with them. daddy is uber smart, have some ticks. mom says obsessive compulsive disorder, so did the sister. so we connected with the yale child study center and dr. lechman. he spent a lot of time with them on the phone yesterday going over the social history, the genetic history. and so, we have hooked her up at yale and we've hooked her up with dr. nicolitis and they are putting together a treatment plan. the important thing is get the right diagnosis, get the right tests, which might include a ct scan, mri, throat culture, various tests, and then we'll continue to treat her. we'll continue to follow her and report back. >> you're saying these behaviors can be inherited -- >> yes. >> and you're also saying this is treatable and fixable? >> yes, yes. so, we don't know if this can be a strep-induced ocd and tick. could she have tourette's, which manifests itself in ticks like this? could this, perhaps, not be the first time she's had some repetitive behavior, but it's been the most noticeable? so, in the hands of a good physician and neuro psychiatrist, in the hands of people who see these oddities and know what these look like, and they're not just antidotes, they are interesting manifestations of other disease, that's why you have to go to a center of excellence, and there are people in this country who do this very well. we are not diagnosing, we are facilitating. >> but you're saying that you think that based on what you've learned and what you know that this is possible that she could really, this can be ended? >> oh, i have high hopes for her and i think she's going to be on medication and she's going to get some help, but i have very high hopes. >> wonderful news. thank you, dr. nancy. >> this is a brave family. >> yes. >> very brave girl. lauren's a pretty cool kid. >> yes, she is. thank you, dr. nancy. coming up next, a very happy couple forced to divorce so they could afford their daughter's soaring medical bills. as the intense debate over health care reform wages in washington, many families have had to make wrenching decisions to make sure their loved ones get the care they need. nbc's miguel almaguer has the story of a loving marriage sacrificed for a daughter's care. >> -- the agency within the behavior health system. >> reporter: cinder and brian mcdonald fell in love years ago. their bond is stronger than ever, but their marriage is over. in 2005, the mcdonalds divorced, a split to keep their family together when their daughter's medical bills threatened to rip them apart. when she was 7 years old, kyla was diagnosed as bipolar. two years later, doctors discovered she was also functionally autistic. as a couple, the mcdonalds made too much money to qualify for state-run health care in arizona. as individuals, their personal insurance wouldn't cover kyla's soaring health care costs. facing a growing mound of medical bills, the mcdonalds lost their home, declared bankruptcy, then as a last option, decided to get a divorce. >> we were told to get a divorce and become a household of two. >> you want orange juice? >> reporter: as a single parent, cinder qualified for health care coverage her daughter needed. although the mcdonalds share a life, a home and a daughter, on paper they're forced to lead separate lives. brian is technically considered a roommate, stripped of his title as a husband. he'll always be her dad. >> i'm going to do whatever i have to do for my family, so that's what i needed to do, so we did it. >> reporter: health care experts say the mcdonalds are part of a growing and troubling trend. >> sadly, i'm not surprised that a family had to get divorced to continue coverage under medicaid. if we don't see serious health reform in the near future, all the problems are only going to get worse. >> they made a big sacrifice for me. >> reporter: four years after the divorce, kyla is doing remarkably better, getting the health care she needs, thanks to the parents she has. a husband and wife happily married until health care made them part. for "today," miguel almaguer, nbc news, phoenix, arizona. >> you know, you hope that members of congress are watching this piece and realize, this shouldn't be happening in this country. >> no. >> it's ridiculous. >> i agree. >> we really need reform. they have to get a divorce? it's insane. >> i hope some day that she's so much better that she doesn't need the health care as much as they can get married again, which would be nice. >> which would be great. >> wouldn't that be nice? >> and that we have reform. >> yes! >> that would be great, too. just ahead, are police any closer to catching somer thompson's killer? and did that killer take souvenirs from the florida 7-year-old? >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. let's get a check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> a rough ride out there, with rain and wind. as created quite a difficult commute and problems around the area. some good news to report at 95 at a fort mchenry as pcb approach from o'donnell. everything is starting to flow better and the accident is starting to clear a for mckendree southbound. it under 95 at the split northeast, we have an accident take up the right lane. live view of the west side -- volume-related delays here. the normal stuff happening there. we have accidents to mention on northbound 895 past lombard street. delays developing on the southbound j.f.x. dissed approaching 895, all lanes closed due to our crash there. of one under 29, watch for a crash scene. 38 minutes is your drive time on the outer loop north east side. 28 on the west side outer loop. all of our problems this morning are weather-related and it does not look like it is letting any time soon. ->> the rain will stay with us through the day and so will the wind. hd doppler confirming just waves of showers coming in from the east pit at the us look at the temperatures. the-to-mid-forties. -- low-to-mid-forties. high temperatures expected in the upper 40's. with the winds, it will feel like it is in the 30's. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information. our next live up ♪ it's beginning to look a lot like christmas ♪ 8:00 now on this thursday morning, the 12th of november, 2009. 43 days until christmas. look what has arrived here at 30 rock, the annual rockefeller center christmas tree, and there is a special guest on board. hey, al. >> hey, meredith! did anybody order a ten-ton, 76-foot norway spruce? well, in case you did, we've got one from easton, connecticut. that's right. and pretty soon, it's going to be strung with 30,000 lights, five miles of wire and then topped with a swarovski crystal star and we'll light this up on november 22nd on nbc. our musical guests include michael buble, shakira, alicia keys. you can watch it all here on "today." it's a beauty. remember yesterday, meredith, we were talking about does it look like a split at the top? >> yeah. >> well, this is one of those rare double trunk trees. >> wow. >> and when it was tied up, it was a lot more noticeable, but i'm told once they set it up and untie it, you won't really notice that, but in fact, it does have two tops. >> i love it, actually. it's part of its personality. >> it can have two stars. >> that would be fantastic! >> it could do that. >> it could set a whole new trend. >> thank you, al. >> we'll tell you why that particular tree was selected. and of course, we have cheer in the weeks to come, gift ideas, festive music and our 16th annual toy drive, where the people are always so generous. >> that's right. >> helping the kids out at christmastime. >> it's always exciting to see the tree every year. it's become part of our tradition here on the broadcast and it's very comforting. >> what people don't know is al goes and chops down the tree. something people do not know. >> that's why he's so muscly. it's a workout. also coming up this half hour -- we're getting silly now -- a serious spike -- it's a very serious story. a serious spike in the number of diabetes cases, specifically in children. in fact, it is now being reported that one in three, one in three child can develop the disease in their lifetime. so, we're going to find out why. and there apparently are certain ways you can prevent one type of diabetes, and dr. nancy snyderman will be back this morning. >> she's got a lot of good information this morning, dr. nancy. plus, it is bring your dog to work day, at least it is for me. that is jasper. >> look at him! >> who was really put through the paces recently in the quest for super stardom. a lady in the crowd goes, "god love him." yeah, you love with him! and then god love him. >> aww, natalie. >> we'll tell you if your pet has that certain star quality. he loves a woman, i'll tell you that. >> he does. >> adorable! first, a check of the top stories with natalie. be careful. he's sniffing around your leg. >> i'm okay. thank you, guys. good morning, everyone. president obama visits u.s. troops in alaska today on his way to a week-long tour of asia. on wednesday, he reportedly rejected his war council's latest scenarios for sending more u.s. troops to afghanistan. he wants to know when afghan forces might stand on their own, and there's also word that the american ambassador to afghanistan, karl eikenberry, has come out strongly against a major troop increase. secretary of state hillary clinton said today she's concerned about corruption and poor governance in afghanistan. she spoke after arriving in the philippines to review u.s.-funded disaster relief projects and to discuss the country's struggle against islamic militants. this week's arrest of a united airlines pilot in london is raising new questions about drinking and flying. nbc's tom costello's at reagan national airport just outside washington. good morning to you, tom. >> reporter: hey, natalie, good morning. the number of cases every year of crew members showing up having had too much to drink, rather low. 9 last year, 13 the year before, out of hundreds of thousands of flights. united airlines won't say which airline employee raised a red flag on pilot irwin washington, but london police say when he stepped off the plane and took a breathalyzer test, he failed. in the u.s., faa regulations prohibit any person from attempting to fly within eight hours of drinking, eight hours bottle to throttle, as pilots say, or with a blood alcohol level of 0.04. in britain, the blood alcohol limit is even lower at 0.02, about half a beer. >> everyone deserves a safe flight. everyone deserves a sober pilot. and i compromised that, so i was full of shame. >> reporter: 19 years ago, joseph balanceser was sent to prison for flying a northwest airlines flight drunk from minneapolis to fargo. he's now a recovering alcoholic flying for another airline and the author of "flying drunk," about his struggle with alcohol and his belief in second chances. >> when a person suffers from a 100% fatal disease, if it's not arrested, wouldn't they deserve a second chance? i believe they would. >> reporter: veteran pilot jonathan cox says in 25 years, he never flew with a drunk crew member. >> this is an extraordinarily rare occurrence, and here again, let's not lose sight of the fact, this is an allegation. >> reporter: out of hundreds of thousands of flights, irwin washington is just the third pilot in 13 months to be arrested for exceeding the limit. an american airlines pilot was arrested last may in london and another united pilot was arrested in october of '08. in denver, one of washington's neighbors had nothing but good things to say about him. >> he's just been courteous, kind, extremely gregarious. he's just the nicest gentleman. >> reporter: irwin washington will face trial in london, and if convicted, he would face up to two years in a british prison. natalie, back to you. >> nbc's tom costello, thank you. coastal flood warnings are in effect today from the carolinas to new jersey. a nor'easter is bringing heavy rain, wind and surf. virginia's governor declared a state of emergency. and now here's brian williams with a look at what's coming up tonight on nbc "nightly news." brian? >> hey, thanks, natalie, and good morning. you know, of course, about our "making a difference" series on "nightly news." this week we're concentrating on the americans with faces we already know. here's one. halle berry. we'll talk to her tonight about how she helps women in crisis as our series continues. join us for that tonight. natalie, for now, back to you. >> thank you, brian. it's 8:06. let's go across the plaza once again to al for another check of the weather with our tree. well, thanks a lot, natalie. joining me is the man responsible for putting this tree up for many years now. it's going to be windy. will that pose a problem for putting this bad boy up? >> it could. >> i mean, a 76-food norway spruce. what kind of precautions do you take in the wind like this? >> well, you have to be very careful, because it's sort of like sailing a big spinaker, and you need to have enough whips and controls on it so it doesn't get out of control. and if it gets too windy, we might have to delay putting up the tree until it gets a little calmer. >> wow. all right, we'll keep an eye on it. thanks for bringing this bad boy in. >> thanks, al. >> once again, we're going to be lighting the 77th annual >> it's a beauty. and within the next half house they're going to start trying to put her on up, ann. >> all right, al. you're doing a great job. thanks so much this morning. and coming up next, the search for somer thompson's killer. she's the florida 7-year-old who was found last month in a georgia landfill. we're going to be asking if police are any closer to an arrest because we'll be speaking to her mother, coming up right after this. and amping up the merry in your christmas. we're lowering prices on everything you need to make your home -- and the season -- more festive. adding more jingle to your pockets, and more happy... to your holidays. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. come in today and recycle any o christmas lights -- working or not -- for 3 bucks off energy-efficient led lights. it's been just short of a month since florida 7-year-old somer thompson disappeared on her walk home from school. her body later discovered in a georgia landfill and her killer remains at large. we're going to talk to somer's mother in just a moment, but first, nbc's kerry sanders has the latest on the investigation. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: well, meredith, there is no less attention by deputies and this community today than there was the day that somer disappeared, but increasingly, clues are leading to dead ends, which is frustrating both deputies and somer's devastated family. 7-year-old somer thompson loved the color pink. when she disappeared, she had her pink bag with black handles and the skull and crossbones design, and inside that, a pink lunchbox with a cute cartoonish pig stenciled on the lid. investigators have now released the sketches, hoping someone has seen the bag and lunchbox. their theory -- the kidnapper and murderer held onto them as some sort of twisted souvenir. >> there's the terrible chance that this person has either offended in the past or will commit a similar crime in the future that could lead law enforcement both to solve those crimes and find out the person responsible for the death of somer thompson. >> reporter: somer vanished 25 days ago. she was headed home from school when she ran ahead and out of sight of her older sister and other students also walking home. 48 hours later, investigators found her body in the trash dump, just over the state line in georgia. following standardized protocols in a child abduction, detectives set up a watch at the dump, recorded each garbage truck's arrival, noted where it had picked up its load, then combed the contents, finding somer's body so quickly suggested an arrest could soon follow. but now after more than 3,000 tips, detectives reportedly have few leads. >> this is the last place that we know for sure that she was on that monday afternoon. >> reporter: a special report on "america's most wanted" produced a few calls, but so far, detectives have announced nothing concrete. 50 officers are on the case full time. detectives are using a new, sophisticated computer program. it combs the internet looking for anyone who may boast online about somer's abduction and murder. >> the passage of time in and of itself doesn't suggest this is a cold case. there's still forensic evidence that has to be gone through, new tips, new names are coming up. >> reporter: and deputies here are following the fbi's experts who are weighing in on the case that say they believe the kidnapper/murderer has done this before and likely will do this again. meredith? >> kerry sanders, thank you. somer's mother, deiena thompson is with us this morning along with her lawyer. good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> you are living every parent's nightmare. i can't even begin to process how you're doing this. how are you holding up? >> every day's a roller coaster. it's up and down, up and down. i just try to keep staying strong for my family, for my other children, and to let this thing know that it has not won. we will. >> is that why you remain out in public? i know it would probably be a lot easier to stay private, and yet, you've decided to keep your face out there. >> yes, ma'am. i don't ever -- well, i know i can't say ever, but i hope that maybe i could help one parent not have to feel this pain, because it's truly unbearable. and i don't want people to forget about somer until this thing has been caught and justice has been served. >> i know you're also worried about your other children. you have three other children. your son andrew is 13, your daughter abby is 10, and somer's twin, samuel, is 7. abby and samuel were walking home with somer the day that she disappeared, and i know you don't want them to feel any guilt that they might have been able to do something. have you encouraged them to talk about that day, diena? >> i feel uncomfortable talking to them about that day because i don't know the right words to say. so, we pretty much let the counselors handle that. we do talk some, but i never want them to feel any guilt, because this is not their fault. >> i know you had talked to your children, or i heard that you had talked to your children in the past about stranger danger, and yet, when the police asked you if you thought somer was the kind of kid who might get into the car, or into a car with someone -- and we don't know if that's what happened -- but when asked that question, you paused and then you said yes. why? >> because when she would be at home and somebody would walk past with a dog, if she was inside and she saw them, she would run out there. she just loved everybody, very trusting, you know? she just trusted everyone and she just assumed that they wouldn't hurt her, and i think that that's exactly what happened. they lured her over and did what they did and she fought back once she realized that this was not a nice person. >> mike, if i could bring you in, how confident are you that investigators are doing everything they can to solve this case? >> we're very confident. beseler and the sheriff's office are putting a lot into this. it's a much longer process than diena wishes. it's torture for her to wait, but we do trust they're doing everything they can and we're very confident that with coverage like this and information coming in as a result of it, not finding this person is not an option. >> yeah, and i know, diena, you've received so much support from the community and outside the community, people who care deeply about what happened to your family, but you've also received hate mail. why? saying what? >> that basically, i should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for child abuse for letting my children walk. howev however, in my school district, if you live closer than two miles to the school, you have to walk, and i live 0.9 miles from the school. >> well, i'm sorry you have to endure that as well, diena, and our thoughts and our prayers are with you and your family, and hopefully, whoever did this will be apprehended very soon. diena thompson, mike freed, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> and for more information and updates on the search for somer and what is happening with the thompson family, please go to our website, todayshow.com. we'll be right back. 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>> reporter: the diabetes institute at winthrop university hospital in new york helps diabetics and those at risk by teaching them how to maintain a healthy lifestyle? >> i'm hoping i can help you today with managing your diet. people don't eat as a family anymore for dinner. people are running. the food choices have changed, processed foods, all of that has contributed. exercise now is something people have to plan and schedule. it used to be part of life. >> i thought that regular play would be enough for david. after his diagnosis of diabetes, i learned that he needs more exercise time in his life. >> reporter: so david has joined the ranks of 24 million americans learning to live with and manage diabetes. >> i'm never going to give up on myself because i have diabetes. >> david and i are in it together for a really long time. i can't think of a better support than my own son, and i hope vice versa for him. >> what a sweet family. and dr. snyderman is back with "today" nutritionist joy bauer. good morning to you. >> hi, ann. >> type 2 diabetes is something we can prevent. what are the risk factors for type 2 diabetes? >> as you saw in this family, family history is a big part of it, age makes a difference, putting on weight, whether you're a child or an adult, makes a difference. sometimes gestational diabetes can be an issue. then look for other things like high blood pressure, history, as i said, during pregnancy, and age. usually, and this is what's important -- we thought this was an older guys disease, 45, 50, 60. the concern now, i think the real threat for our children is now we're seeing it in kids. this was before an old man's, because you're fat disease. it's now a children's disease, too. >> okay. so, what we can really do, joy, is talk about the foods, think about the foods we're bringing into our house. what are the bad foods? what are the foods that we do not want in our house? >> well, the first thing to point out is that typically, kids and teenagers will eat at least 50% of the foods during the day at home. so, as parents, we've got to seize this opportunity, because we can control that. we can't necessarily control what they're not eating in the house, but we can control what comes into the house. so, i want to show foods that are not only healthy, but are well accepted by kids. >> which are the bad foods? >> well, the usually suspects. >> all the bad things. >> the sodas, the cakes, the cookies, the white stuff. but here are the good foods. >> okay. >> so, let's start with the reduced-fat dairy. skim milk and 1% low-fat milk. and guess what? all of those cheeses that our kids like -- the slices, the sticks, the grated cheese -- >> the pizza. >> the chunks. it comes in the 2% reduced fat versions, so check out the versions you buy and buy reduced fat. >> should you think about eliminating them? >> no. unless your child has a food allergy or a lactose intolerance, cheese is okay, and milk and yogurts are okay because they give you protein and calcium. >> just the low-fat. >> i always say with the dairy industry, you do not need anything more than 1% in your house, no exceptions. >> period. >> all you get is more fat, not nutrition. >> now, these are obviously all the great foods you need to have. >> but the reason i specifically have these produce items is because they have a sweet kick and they're very well accepted by kids. the green beans, the red and orange peppers, sweet potatoes, grapes of all colors, apples, oranges, pink grapefruits and bananas. >> the more color, the better. >> ground turkey meat. parents need to substitute full-fat beef in their favorite recipes by ground turkey meat. and in terms of pasta, it has to be a side dish and go for the whole grain varieties. >> you also say you should eliminate liquid calories that are bad liquid calories, like the ones you have here. and one of the major points you have is eat together as a >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get a final check on a busy morning commute with traffic pulse 11 and sarah caldwell. >> it has been busy thanks to the rain and wind around the area. we have two lanes closed at an accident there. a little bit of improvement. as we speak, and looks like the accident has cleared. eastbound 70, we have an accident taking up a plane there. backing up traffic pretty heavily. we have an accident in howard county. westbound 195, another accident location. we still got the downed tree at all hot club road. drive times are heavy this morning. about a 23-minute ride on the outer west side. 21 minutes on the inner loop from 795 towards the 83's. everywhere you go you will find it's slow going. greenspring is backing of heavily. once you get on to j.f.x., those delays continue into town. no sign of easing up towards edmondson. >> the rain is going to continue all the way through the evening commute. hd doppler is confirming that. ways of showers coming in across the eastern shore. let's look at temperatures. winds are gusting close to 30 miles per hour. it feels like this in the 30's. wendy and chilly at high temperatures only in the upper 40's. >> another update at 8:55. ♪ 8:30 now on this thursday morning, november 12th, 2009. the rockefeller center christmas tree is working its way into place, and then the tough work begins, stringing up the 30,000 or so lights that will be lit for the world to see, believe it or not in just a few short weeks. and just ahead, we're going to take you behind the branches, so to speak, to share the story of this year's tree and meet the special woman who is sharing it with the rest of the world. it is a beauty. >> it is. i think we should start a movement, however, that we do two stars on that tree. what do you think? >> well, they say once they unfurl it, you won't really notice the two -- >> it's got like little bunny ears. >> it does. it's very sweet. >> beautiful tree. and it was fun to see you ride in with it this morning. >> yee-haw! >> anyway, we're also going to be talking about our pets this morning. >> yes. >> specifically, one specific star pet. and basically, do you know if your pet has what it takes to be -- >> there he is. >> there is meredith's sweet little pooch jasper, and he's going to be showing off -- look at him -- his stuff. >> the most expressive face. >> as we show you how to put your pet on the road to stardom. >> jasper's saying, do you know what i put up with every day? >> exactly. >> he's actually saying where's natalie? he went crazy over natalie, so -- >> when i walked in this morning, he came right to me, so you're chopped liver now. he's mine! >> he also came to me, but i had food. >> he swings both ways. >> a little bacon. >> no, he's a very friendly dog. >> so, we'll see if he has what it takes. what else? >> what else is coming up? >> nothing. >> our kid reporter. >> oh, boy. >> anticipation is building. >> okay. >> we had four great finalists, and they all put together some great final reports this week, and we'll show you who america voted for. >> yes. >> they're very cool, those kids. also want to tell you about a really cool, new feature on our "today" show website, todayshow.com. it's called a "today" timeline. it's going to make your life a lot easier. if you're ever looking for a segment and you know roughly when it aired, you can go right to that segment on our website, todayshow.com. you can watch all four hours of the show, if you'd like, as well. >> boy. >> yes. a lot of updating and catching up to do. it is updated, by the way, at 9:30 eastern time every morning. so, if you missed anything, you can always go back to todayshow.com and scroll all week long as well. >> it's a nice feature. >> and if you missed ann's marilyn monroe moment. >> kicking up, that's a great way to toss to al. >> mr. roker. >> okay. i'm going to stand here for a minute. anyway, let's show you -- >> talk about the dirty dog in the crowd. it's not jasper. [ barking ] exactly. >> let's check your weather, see what's going on. for the weekend, more wet weather, remnants of ida in the northeast. rain and snow showers around the great lakes, snow in the rockies, clouds in the pacific northwest. then sunday, sunday! look for some morning rain in northern new england, wet weather through the central plains. >> and of course, whenever you need your weather, check out the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. and this nice lady brought pie! who doesn't like pie? i know willard likes pie, and he's got a special guest who probably likes pie. ♪ deck the halls with bows of holly, fa, la, la -- ♪ >> no, no "fa, la, la," we don't have time. the director goes crazy. we are here at the museum of national history, and it really is my favorite. i've been in here for many displays, but they have a nice not just christmas and hanukkah and all the special holidays this time of the year, but they have window displays from parades and activities, fourth of july, things like that. it opens today in washington, d.c., and goes through, i believe, september of next year. so, check it out. and santa, thank you. so good of you to come on. >> my pleasure, willard. >> how many miles for a quart of oats does your reindeer get to see? >> 74. >> that's not bad. >> not bad at all. >> mrs. claus, you're beautiful. and twinkle, will you marry me? >> oh, willard, don't be naughty! >> happy birthday to all of our thousands of fans out there from smuck smuckerville in orville, ohio, how sweet it is. and we will check them out because they're our friends. let me get my glasses first so i can see. uncle willie? well, we'll do the best we can. i don't know what i did with them. elizabeth lueke! we wish her a happy birthday. and she is 100 years old. happy birthday to you. how sweet it is. we have ruth o'bryan, evanston, illinois. is 100 years old, worked full time for a local trauma center and she also played the piano for the movie "cleopatra" when she was only 13. beulah mickens, washington, d.c., is 100. right here in town, a local lady. first african-american to work at the department of commerce. how about that? now, that's big time. dr. john johnstone of el paso, texas, is 100 years old. retired doctor who attended medical classes until he was 99. he finally got it right and helped take care of general eisenhower when he was sick. and frances hoehn from jeffersonville, indiana, 100. played the piano for john f. kennedy and then had dinner with him. how about that? right there on top of the piano, it was a buffet. max and lavere robinson of fresno, california. they've been married 80 years. happy anniversary. both are 97. secret to marital happiness is keeping the marriage a secret for six weeks from their parents. sly old fox. >> sure is. >> well, i've been a good boy and so has meredith and all the gang up in new york. she's not a good boy, but -- >> i'm glad you noticed, willard. >> thanks, willard, so much. well, coming up next -- >> sit up, honey. >> -- we've got jasper, meredith's dog. and we're going to find out whether jasper has what it takes to be a star. certainly is ready -- >> he's moaning. >> aww! >> first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪ you and you and you ought to be in pictures ♪ now to a special series we're calling "lights, camera, woof." for those of you who think your pet should be in pictures, myself included, i've always known my mixed breed jasper has potential. the question is -- hello -- does anyone else agree? come on, a little enthusiasm, puppy. ♪ bow, wow, wow, yippie yo, yippee yay ♪ >> i think jasper's a personable dog and has charm, but he has some serious issues that i think need to be addressed. jasper is a barker. if somebody walked by our house or somebody rings the doorbell, he goes from totally calm and quiet to this shrill bark that goes right through your body. [ barking ] and he jumps. he jumps on you and i don't think that's polite. i know, don't jump. is he listening? i think there's a chance he could be a star. but if you look at the face. [ barking ] i think you just heard problem number one. that's good. he's going to help you, honey, to be a better dog. bill verlony has an eye for talent. he's rescued more than 200 shelter dogs that with his nurture and training have gone on to star on the stage and the silver screen. could my jasper learn new tricks? first, bill interviewed me about jasper's issues and prospects. that's his come hither look. >> are you sucking up? >> i think he is. >> you've already got the job. >> then came a heartbreaking step. jasper would have to go with bill for doggie boot camp. you're going to be a better doggie. that's right. bye, baby. bye, baby. but at bill's, doggie boot camp is really more like doggie day camp. >> what we're teaching him to do now is sit, and sitting for affection only so that instead of jumping up on people, he learns to sit. good boy! >> reporter: jasper then graduated to outdoor training. >> the most important command that we have, which i'm so impressed with, is his ability to stay on command. so, i should be able to put him on a set and walk way far away and he's going to stay there. he's done this for up to three minutes without moving. good boy. and we've taught him to ignore distractions. ♪ na, na, na >> reporter: and one day, the call we were waiting for finally came. jasper got a gig. >> this particular story is about baking treats for your dog. and so, in this case, we needed a dog to model. >> oh, nice paw. thank you. >> what was so great about jasper coming today was that he didn't bark. he came in, was real confident, but was interested in what's going on. >> wardrobe, buddy. it's called wardrobe. >> good boy. stay. >> he seems to be very good at staying still and looking up when he needs to on command. >> good boy! good boy, jasper! >> reporter: a quick wardrobe change. look how well he's sitting. >> look up here, buddy. you've got to look up here. >> he is so good, jasper. >> aww! >> i mean, come on. he looks amazing. >> what's impressing me is that he's quiet. now he's posing. oh, he's such a ham bone. as the days ticked by, i started to worry whether he would remember me, whether i could do what bill did. because bill said, don't just drop off the perfect dog. you have to now assume responsibility. i just, i miss him. i miss him. hi! it was time to take this star back home. hi, how are you? hi! i was so scared he wouldn't remember me. he was great! >> yes. >> i'm impressed by how patient he is and calm. >> we've been doing it for two hours. he has a one-bark rule. because we can't stop him from having a voice. >> right, no, and i don't want to. >> we've taught him to bark once and he's done. >> thank you, bill. thank you so much. i can't wait to get him home. >> yes. >> you're going home! ♪ oh, you're the best friend that i ever had ♪ >> and bill verlony is with us now. bill, you are phenomenal, welcome. >> so good. >> thank you. thank you. >> he really has been good. i mean, he did start the barking again, and you warned me about that, that the care has to be consistent, and i'm not around during the day, and that doesn't help at all, but he's much better. he poopedehind the couch again. that was another issue we had in the living room. you said put the food dish there. if that's where he eats, he will not do his business there. that worked. >> what about jumping? is he still jumping up? >> no, jumping is pretty much not an issue at all. but the barking, as we were talking about during the piece, we want him to bark, because we want him to warn us people are there, but once he barks and hears "jasper, quiet," he will be quiet. >> you really feel like bill has changed your dog -- >> oh, huge. >> -- in a positive way. >> and he's an older dog, 6 years old. >> yes, 6. >> so an older dog can learn new tricks. >> i hope so. i hope so. >> and h was great in the photo shoot. >> impressive. >> in "good housekeeping" -- >> not that picture. >> in "good housekeeping." >> bill, you talked about how meredith has to continue to work with jasper. >> right. >> is it more that the parent is a little bit at fault than the dog? >> yeah. >> i mean, with all the busy lives people have, if you don't supervise your children, they're going to get in trouble. if you don't supervise your animals, they're going to get in trouble, you know? and particularly in show business. here we're taking a dog and asking it to do super things. >> right. >> so they really need more training. >> you earned this. you did too, bill. jer >> and tomorrow, how you can get your pets into the business if you think they have what it takes. you think they have what it takes. we are back, dunkin' donuts is your destination for delicious fall flavors. for a short time, we have all your seasonal favorites. try any of our authentic hot lattes, including our pumpkin latte, for just 99 cents. america runs on dunkin'. bby signing up for other thingst g- like homeowner's or renter's insurance. nice work, everyone. exec: well, it's easy for him. he's a cute little lizard. gecko: ah, gecko, actually - exec: with all due respect, if i was tiny and green and had a british accent i'd have more folks paying attention to me too... i mean - (faux english accent) "save money! pip pip cheerio!" exec 2: british? 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'cause actually, i'm from - anncr: geico. save even more with our new multi-policy discount. the whole gang will love -- six fresh, delicious donuts for just $3. affordable treats to share with friends, family, and co-workers. grab six donuts for only $3 today. america runs on dunkin'. ♪ now to the best inventions of 2009. every year, "time" magazine picks the top 50 innations that push the envope and change the way we live. well, josh teringale is "time's" deputy managing editor. josh, good morning. >> good morning, how are you? >> what are your criteria for picking the best innovations? >> so, we've been doing it ten years, and the idea is utility. we want to make sure peoplean use this in their daily lives at some point in the near future. we want it to be innovative, and it should look cool. >> okay. >> you should be able to say, that's a cool invention. >> i think your number one on the list is nasa's -- >> ares rocket. >> that is cool. you can't, however, have that in your home, but you can have this in your home, aike bike. what is a yike bike? >> this is the world's smallest and largest electric become. smallest because it folds down to this size and large because it's a rideable urban bike. >> you plug it in. >> you plug it in. battery-charged. it harkens back to the early design of bicycles, with a small wheel and a big wheel. and what's innovative is the handlebars are in theback. it goes up to 12 miles per hour. it's gotntilock brakes. you can ride it around the city. it's pretty cool. >> pretty amazing. now, what are these, foldables? >> foldable speakers. >> speakers. >> the ipod has been around and it was oneof-on-most innovative designs and inventions. >> look at that. >> you've got a travel stereo in your pocket, but stereo speakers have not followed. so, these are one-watt speakers that unfold like orr gaigami, t flat pack -- >> and the sound is not horrible. >> not horrible,nd it's $16. now we've got a smart thermostat. how does this work? >> this is the energyhub system. basically, you turn it on, you hook up all of your appliances -- your furnace. it's all set wi-fi. so, your house is suddenly wired through this one system. and what you can see here is it's tracking the energy use. the inventor of this system was inspired by the prius. if you haven't been in a prius, it shows you how much gas you're using as you're going. and if you're going to change behavior, you have to modify behavior. >> that is cool. >> everything is hooked in here. >> okay. >> let's say i'm leaving the house, tap away, turn off and the energy consumption goes down. it's a thermostat as well, so i set it leave it, go away. and the idea is that energy companies themselves are going to use this to monitor the grid, to make sure that you can save money for yourse. it's alrea testing, and you know, con ed is using it around new york and it's sort of testing around the country right now, and really, this is going to be in homes in 2010 and should have a huge impact. >> josh tyrengiel, thank you so much. for more on this, go to "time" magazine. my sunglasses. ( tires screeching ) ♪ people say i'm forgetful. ( horn honking ) maybe that's why we go to so many memorable places. love the road you're on. the all-new subaru outback. >> announcer: this portion of "today" is brought to you by zales. this morning on "leonard's look," the tree that arrived at rockefeller plaza. mike leonard looks at where it came from and the lady behind it all. ♪ >> reporter: they are people we would never meet, stories we would never know, were it not for that tree in their yard, a giant tree with the power to illuminate before it's ever lit, casting the glare of pubc attention on those not accustomed to the spotlight, those baffled by the notion that a national television audience would actually take interest in thr humbled story. and what is your story? >> my story is, um -- >> reporter: maria cordy of easton, connecticut, is a fifth grade schoolteacher. the whole idea of appearing on network tv was laughable until she moved into this home a little less than a year ago, gazed up at the huge, 76-foot norway spruce, and thought, hmm, this would make a nice rockefeller center christmas tree. but then, doesn't everybody with a big tree in their yard share the same thought? >> so, i just called and left a message, and i didn't really think anything of it, and then i guess at the same time, the person who goes out looking for trees pinpointed it on the horizon and knew it because of the horse trailer. >> reporter: an empty trailer once used to transport this single woman's pride and joy, a thoroughbred called dapper, purchased by maria when it was an unproven 4-year-old. after a few early competitions, however, some important heads started to turn. >> and you know, this top trainer asked me, like, you know, who's that horse that debbie's riding? whose baby is that? and i said, "that's my baby." >> reporter: maria had a star on her hands, and it wasn't long before people began offering big money for dapper, but she wouldn't sell. she couldn't sell. the bond was too strong. and through the years, they happily went, balancing the occasional competition with simple, joyous rides through the countryside. then in january of this year, dapper suddenly started losing weight. an underlying autoimmune deficiency was detected. but maria was optimistic, buying this property with the intent of giving her horse a peaceful environment in which to recover. and you cleared all this. >> right. i'm going to be, you know, with the hope of making it a paddock. >> reporter: her hse did not recover. >> and i pursued everything i could to, you know, second opinions and clinics. but ultimately, the veterinarian advised me that, you know, what i needed to do was make the humane decision, and notasy. >> reporter: dapper never made it tohis peaceful corner of southwestern connecticut, dying just a few months ago. >> i know thas part of life, but i think we all handle it in different ways. >> reporter: right. >> so, i mean, you know, it's -- i think about dapper every day. >> reporter: to maria, he was a gift right up until the end, and that is why she decided to offer this tree, which is nearing the end of its life, as her gift to anybody else who might be struggling with a loss. >> we're here. we pass through and we appreciate, and there's a natural beauty to that tree that i think everybody should see. >> reporter: for "today," mike leonard, nbc news, easton, connecticut. what a wonderful story. nice, yes. >> a great gift. >> we accept it on behalf of dapper and her owner. what a great piece. and remember, the 77th tree-lighting ceremony is wednesday, december 2nd right here on nbc. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. baltimore city police need your help locating a convicted murderer accused of killing a 15-year-old boy. the body was found in a closet tuesday morning. he had been raped and stabbed in the neck. police are looking for a man believed to be a friend of the family. anyone with information is >> now let's take a look at the forecast with tony pann. >> rain, wind, and called -- the operative words today. the rain will be with us off and on through the evening. high temperatures will be in the 40's but it will feel like it is in the 30's for most of the day to day. winds could be gusting over 40 miles per hour. there are going to be -- there is going to be minor coastal flooding on the shore. seven-day forecast, off and on which i was on friday. wendy, chilly. it should improve over the weekend. a chance for rain on saturday morning. >> we will have another update at at a top 25. -- 9:25.

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