Transcripts For WBAL Today 20100715

threatening to burn down his house. but this morning reports that gibson's camp will argue they have proof the recordings were edited. what does our expert think? we'll tell you "today," what does our expert think? we'll tell you "today," thursday, july 15th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this thursday morning, i'm meredith vieira. >> and i'm matt lauer. this morning bp is dealing with yet another setback. we don't know just how big it is. but another setback at the site of that devastating oil leak in the gulf of mexico. >> shorting after getting the green light to go ahead with tests on a new tighter fitting cap those tests had to be put off yet again because of an isolated leak in the equipment. we're going to get the latest on that in a live report. we're also going to talk about that startling allegation being leveled against bp that the company successfully pressured the british government to release the pan am bomber, the only man connected in the terror attack that killed 270 people, including 189 americans, in exchange for a $900 million oil deal with libya. this morning, two senators are calling for an immediate investigation, and they will speak out. >> also ahead, a popular and extremely dangerous prank that's being pulled by a growing number of teenagers. coming up, an honor student sent to jail for setting off what are called bottle bombs. we'll deliver a warning to parents and teenagers about the dangers and consequences of those actions. >> scary stuff. plus the fallout from wednesday's surprising news that bristol palin and levi johnson are engaged. why do they say they want to get married in just a few short weeks? and will sarah palin show up at their wedding? >> but we want to begin on this thursday morning with some new problems facing bp this morning. we've got two reports, beginning in the gulf with nbc's chief environmental affairs correspondent anne thompson. anne, good morning. >> good morning, matt. bp never even got a chance to start this test. last night, as it was doing preparations, it found the leak, and we've been told all along that this would be a very slow and deliberate process, because there are concerns that when bp did the top kill procedure, that's the procedure where it sent thousands of gallons of mud down into the well to try to kill it, it may have actually weakened the well, causing some unknown fissures beneath the sea floor. as an anxious nation waited for the complicated test to begin, crews found a leak in one of the lines. robotic vehicles worked overnight to repair it. bp wants to close each of the five outlets on the cap and blowout preventer to stop the rush of oil. at each step, scientists will get a clue about the condition of the well. making sure there are no leaks based on key readings of pressure levels. >> the pressure readings stay low, that will tell us that the oil is probably going someplace else, and we need to consider the fact we may have a breach. >> reporter: the tests got the green light after a 24-hour delay requested by the government. its scientists wanted to make sure the tests would not make the situation worse. >> in other words, this is a first, "do no harm" to the well. >> reporter: the risk is substantial. >> you would have a situation where you have an enormous amount of pressure coming to a halt immediately, very much like a train running into a brick wall. and that would send a shock wave down the well bore, which could cause problems anywhere from the surface of the wellbore to deep in the well. >> reporter: but if it works, if they can shut the well, the rewards are enormous. finally stopping the flow of crude that has washed ashore in five states. the cap was designed to contain oil, and send it to ships on the surface while relief wells are drilled. actually shutting down the well, bp says, was long an unspoken possibility. >> we actually have always had in mind that if we put the capping stack in place that we might have the opportunity to shut in the well. but, we had to continue to do a lot of the analysis that we did to give ourselves confidence. >> reporter: well, that confidence has been rocked this morning. rovs, those remote operated vehicles, worked overnight to repair that leak. if they can get it solved and start those tests, the tests could run for as long as 48 hours, and then bp and government officials will look at the results, and decide what steps to take next. matt? >> all right, anne, thank you very much. that's anne thompson down in louisiana for us this morning. it's now five after the hour. once again here's meredith. >> matt, thank you. that leaking oil is not the only problem facing bp this morning. there are also serious questions about whether the company played a role in last year's release of the only man convicted in the 1988 bombing of pan am flight 103. nbc's chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell is in washington with details. good morning, andrea. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. yes, there are new questions today about whether bp pressured the british government to release the lockerbie bomber in exchange for a $900 million oil deal with libya. the outrage over the hero's welcome last year in libya for the only man convicted of the pan am 103 bombing. abdel basset al megrahi. a bombing that killed 270 people in 1988, including 189 americans. many were students at syracuse university. megrahi was left free because libyan doctors said he only had three months to live, advanced prostate cancer. now a year later he is still alive and thriving, and bp is being accused of pressuring the british government for his release in exchange for an oil deal with libya. u.s. lawmakers are outraged. >> if bp is found to have gained access to libyan oil reserves by using a mass murderer as a bargaining chip, then make no mistake, any money it makes off of that oil is blood money, pure and simple. >> reporter: secretary of state hillary clinton was asked about the tradeoff. >> i've received a letter. >> reporter: she said she'd look into it. but her spokesman suggested there is not much the u.s. can do. >> there are some practical questions of exactly what they would be asking us to do, and what would be our ability to -- to inquire as to, you know, any conversation that might -- alleged to have taken place between a private company, a government, and another devolved government. >> reporter: bp acknowledges that it did talk to the british government in 2007 about what bp calls, quote, the slow progress of the prisoner transfer agreement. and that a delay could have, quote, a negative impact on british commercial interests. including its oil exploration. and that certainly raises more questions than it answers. meredith? >> absolutely. andrea mitchell, thank you very much. new york senators chuck schumer and kirsten gillebrand have called on the state department to launch an investigation. senators, good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> senator schumer if i could start with you. the fact that bp may have been involved in the release of the pan am bomber, lobbied for the release of the pam am bomber is not really news. that's been discussed in past months. so why are you launching the investigation now? >> well, the revelation that the official reason that this terrorist was released, because he had three months to live, has now been shattered by the very doctor who said he's going to live ten years. and this is just, the whole thing, has deep circumstantial evidence that points to the fact that there was a tradeoff. release the terrorist in exchange for an oil contract. that is a horrible slap in the face to the families. i knew one of the young men, a young man from syracuse university, i knew his family, who died in this flight. but it also says that our war on terrorism, here's one of the worst terrorists of the last century, can be traded off for blood money. >> senator gillebrand, the british government has already declined a request to review the decision to release megrahi and as andrea mitchell pointed out in her piece, the state department says there isn't much they can do about this, so what do you hope to accomplish? >> well, two things. we want the uk to reopen an investigation. the earlier investigation that was done by scotland, even said they were extremely concerned with some of the facts underlying this release. they did not think there was a lot of clarity for the reasons given for the release and they were asked to visit the terrorist in prison. >> hasn't the uk already said that they will not do that? >> right, we're now asking them to reconsider that decision. we would like them to do a further investigation, in light of the fact that this terrorist is still alive after eleven months. that's new evidence when they said he was going to be dead within three. and how do you come out and say he'll live ten years is very serious and grave concerns. the second thing we're asking is we want a moratorium on drilling off the libyan coast. we do not think bp should be allowed to drill until we have resolution of this issue. >> do we have any power to make that happen, a moratorium on drilling? >> well, we are calling the uk government to assist us in this. and we want them to do that review. and we are very good allies with the uk government, and hopefully we will be able to be persuasive in getting more light and clarity and the truth as to what happened here. >> i think, meredith, the only pressure we have is public pressure. gut this is so outrageous, so beyond the pale, and they are a freely elected government, that i think if public pressure mounts, they will be forced to do something. this has to -- this just has to turn the stomach of every citizen of the uk and of scotland. >> when most people look at bp these days they think of what's happening down in the golf, the oil problem going on for 87 days, and even if we contain the oil within the next few weeks or months people there are going to be dealing with this for years to come. i guess my question to you is are we diverting our focus from that by trying to investigate something that happened, you know, in the british isles? >> yeah, i think we can do two things at once here, meredith. and i think -- but it also shows, you know, bp has had a series of charges of not behaving properly. whether it's in the gulf, whether it's here, whether it's in previous exploration, that it calls into question how the company performed in general, and what its general ethical compass was. >> the letter that you sent to secretary clinton, you write, evidence in the deepwater horizon disaster seems to suggest that bp put profit ahead of people. are you worried that they're not going to fulfill their obligation tolls pay the people in the gulf what is their due rights? >> we're going to do everything we can to assure that bp pays all the costs for the cleanup. not just the cleanup, but also all the costs to the businesses and families, and all of the interests in the region. and we're going to do everything we can do to make sure that they do pay those full costs. but this, again, goes to character. that's why these two issues are both incredibly relevant. you know, what is the character of this company? are they putting profits before people? >> all right, senators chuck schumer and kerstin gillibrand. >> thanks, meredith. >> let's get a check of the top stories. for that we'll swing over to ann at the news desk. >> good morning, everybody. we begin with a warning today from a group linked to al qaeda. the leader of the group which claimed responsibility for sunday's bombings in uganda is now threatening further attacks. he also said the bombings are revenge for uganda's deployment of peacekeepers in somalia. sunday's attack killed 76 people, including one american. former vice president dick cheney is recovering now at a north virginia hospital after undergoing major heart surgery. "today" national correspondent jamie gangel joins us with more on this story. jamie, good morning. >> good morning, ann. the surgery was to implant a mechanical heart assist device, called an l-vat and it was done because former vice president cheney was suffering from late-stage congestive heart failure. as we all know, mr. cheney has been battling serious coronary disease for 30 years. he's had five heart attacks. the first one he was just 37 years old. the most recent, in february. and i'm told a few weeks ago, his doctors told him that the surgery had to be done to save his life. this device is a mechanical pump that works with a patient's heart. it is cutting-edge technology, and while in the past it was used as a bridge to a heart transplant, now more and more patients are able to use these mechanical pumps for years as an alternative to a transplant. so it really is a life saver. the good news is, while this was major surgery, and doctors say the former vice president is doing very well, he is still in the icu, but i'm told he is up. he's starting to walk around. he's been watching the news, baseball, and some old john wayne movies. ann? >> all right. jamie gangel who first broke the story. thanks so much for your reporting this morning. federal health experts voted on wednesday to keep the diabetes drug avandia on the market but with restrictions because it increases the risk of heart attacks. the final decision is up to the fda. overseas markets are mostly lower this morning. cnbc's trish regan is at the new york stock exchange where the focus today is on jobs and earnings. trish? >> yeah, we're still in the swing of things here, ann, for earnings. so investors will be paying very close attention to that. a little bit of good news this morning, that they're getting in the way of jpmorgan, which had a very positive earnings report. so that's lending a little bit of confidence to things right now. but still, people are concerned about jobs. you had the fed releasing its fomc minutes, and basically what they said from the latest meeting, what they said was that the fed's concerned about growth. it could take five, six years before we really start to see some significant growth in this economy. that unemployment could remain high for the foreseeable future, ann. >> all right, on that sobering note, trish regan, thank you so much. people in parts of the upper midwest are assessing the damage there some severe weather that tore through the area on wednesday. there were at least 10 reports of tornadoes in minnesota, and wisconsin, including one near canyon falls, minnesota. and roy rogers' stuffed and mounted horse trigger sold at auction on wednesday in new york. a nebraska cable tv network ponied up more than $266,000 for trigger. that's not horsing around. it is now 7:14. let's now go back to meredith, matt and al. i know you wanted it, al. >> yeah. >> movie posters i thought were pretty cool. >> all right. >> we are looking hot today put dry. 77 downtown, 74 at the airport. had it for a high in the low 90s today. chan that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al, thank you very much. the teenage fugitive dubbed the barefoot bandit remains in a miami jail this morning following his first u.s. court appearance tied to his alleged string of crimes in at least eight states. nbc's peter alexander is in miami with the latest on this. peter, good morning. >> matt, good morning to you. we were in that courtroom wednesday when colton harris-moore arrived. not barefoot but wearing jail issued white socks and plastic sandals. the 19-year-old fugitive will have to wait at least one more day to find out when a judge will send him back to seattle, and whether he can be released on bond. the so-called barefoot bandit is cooling his heels here in this miami jail for at least another day. on tuesday, he was paraded to a bahamian court. wednesday it was u.s. federal court, where colton harris-moore in his jumpsuit told the judge his mother hired an attorney for him, but said he hasn't talked to the laureate, and doesn't even know his name. i'd have to speak with my mom first, he said. late wednesday, nbc news learned that harris-moore told his federal public defender that he now wants to be represented by seattle attorney john henry brown, who spoke to matt earlier this week. >> i think there's proof on some of these that is quite clear, and then there are some other alleged crimes that we don't know that he's really involved in at all. >> reporter: court documents show harris-moore faces federal prosecution for unlawfully transporting a stolen aircraft from idaho to washington in the fall of 2009. barefoot prints were found at both the airports and the crash site. us is pebted of a two-year crime spree across at least eight states harris-moore could face a harsh sentence. >> nobody's going to want to give this kid a discount because he's 19 and has that boy next door look to him. once you see the types of things he's been accused of, it's hard to conceive of him not being severely punished. >> reporter: but the young outlaw isn't accused of any violent crimes. and some suggest what this troubled teen really needs is help. >> this is the perfect opportunity for him to examine his life, and get the psychiatric care that he deserves. >> reporter: back in washington state, harris-moore's mother, who authorities have long suggested is at least partly to blame for his behavior, is facing growing scorn from neighbors who suspect she's trying to profit from her son's story. >> the fact that we glorify what he's done as some sort of, you know, folk hero or whatever you want to call him. he's nothing more than a thief. >> reporter: back in the bahamas on exclusive harbor island, one of harris-moore's alleged victims is just trying to break even. >> the fbi said, told the bahamian police to stop him at any cost. the cost to this boat is about $300,000. >> reporter: his sports fishing boat was shot up by bahamian authorities when they stopped harris-moore's final effort to escape. he tells nbc news that boat, bullet holes and all, is now for sale on ebay. certainly was a nice boat. we spoke to the lawyer representing colton harris-moore's mother who says that she, pam koehler, is now going into see clugs. he said that harris-moore hasn't spoken to his mom yet. he also hasn't spoken to his new lawyer directly. >> peter alexander in miami this morning. thanks a lot. it's now 19 after the hour. once again here's meredith. >> matt, thank you. one day after the stunning news that bristol palin and levi johnston are engaged, we're learning more about their plans for a wedding and sarah palin's reaction to it all. nbc's norah o'donnell is in washington with more. good morning, norah. >> good morning, meredith. bristol palin says she's praying her mother will want to attend her wedding. but bristol, remember, chose to break the news to "us weekly" first and sarah palin so far has only put out a very terse statement. not welcoming the news, only saying that she wants what's best for her children. bristol palin and levi johnston now claim they are meant to be together. but the surprising news of their engagement is raising a lot of questions. like, why they want to get married so quickly, and whether sarah palin approves. >> sarah has not given their blessing to this wedding. we asked levi did you ask for bristol's hand? and he said no. i know that if i had, sarah and todd would have said no. >> reporter: todd and sarah palin's statement about the ebb gaugement was lukewarm at best saying they pray bristol and levi's relationship would mature for the benefit of their son tripp. bristol is just 19 years old. levi, 20. but already they tell "us weekly" we definitely want more kids. they've been engaged just two weeks, and want to marry in the next month. but insist bristol is not pregnant. >> but she says no, she's practicing abstinence, they don't want to have sex before marriage, so she's not pregnant. >> reporter: already they are dreaming of an unusual summer wedding outside. >> bristol definitely has some interesting ideas for her wedding. she wants to wear a carolina herary ra gown like the one she wore in harper's bazaar but this time in white. she would like levi to wear camo vest. >> sarah palin has made no secret of her disgust with levi calling him a liar. >> i hear he goes by ricky hollywood now. >> reporter: levi recently apologized for his behavior. but what does this latest bombshell mean for sarah palin? >> there are increasing signs that sarah palin is serious and wants to be taken seriously. this closes up a messy family matter, and gives her the chance to show grace and forgiveness. >> reporter: now, sarah palin won't say if she will attend the wedding. and she won't comment. she calls it a personal and private matter. but the fact is, her teenage daughter asked for, and invited "us weekly" to make this a very public issue. and "us weekly" even admits that they paid for the photo shoot. meredith? >> norah o'donnell, thank you very much. just this morning "us weekly" magazine has released new video of their interview with bristol palin and levi johnston talking about that proposal. and they shared it with us. take a look. >> he proposed, let's see. i came home from work one day, and there was tons of flowers all over my room. there was the flowers like rose petals in the shape of a heart on my bed. with a box and then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. there was no hesitation at all. is your face getting red? >> i really haven't -- i wasn't there for tripp and bristol. and now i am, and it feels great. i love them both very much, and you know, as a father, i can't explain it all. i missed out on a lot of his life and i can't get that back. probably just seeing him crawl and walking for the first time, his first words, you know, i missed all that. but, more importantly, i guess now is i'm here now, and i'm going to make it right. >> whenever we're even just like in a car driving together, it's like all just feels right. or just watching tv together. when we took tripp fishing the other day, it just feels right to be a family. >> well, they look happy. i guess. >> fingers crossed. best wishes. >> just ahead the tale of the mel gibson tapes and the fourth new recording surfaces. how do we actually know they are authentic? one of the country's leading audio experts will weigh in. first this is "today" on nbc. coming up, "today" investigates bottle bombs. sending some to jail. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. time to get a check on the morning commute. you're a sarah caldwell. >> it as -- here is sarah caldwell. >> it is a nice morning commute. we don't have incidents to report. we have the lays out of the north east, but not quite as heavy as usual. if you are on the north side, 27 miles per hour on average. harrisburg expressway in great shape. 15 minutes to get you from top to bottom of the west side. 11-minute ride on southbound 95 from the southwest. live look you a quick outside. harford wrote, you can see a outer loop traffic. once again past providence, you are in good shape. no delays from the harbor tunnel, and fort mchenry tunnel looks great, too. >> hope you are doing well today. we're going to have a dry forecast what is going to be caught. mid-70's at the airport and 70's on the eastern shore. still humid, but not quite as tropical best feeling as the last several days. today, we will see sunshine. 90 to 93 is the forecast high. a high your heat index. heat index on friday near 100. more sunshine in the store. more clouds on saturday. slight chance for a storm on sunday lake. monday, partly cloudy and dry. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information. back in 25 minutes for another live update. ♪ 7:30 now on a thursday morning. the 15th of july, 2010. nice view in the distance, the statue of liberty. lady liberty, the new york harbor, as taken from the top of the rock above our theater in rockefeller center. that was a nice, warm, muggy day here in manhattan. we'll go outside to say hi to those people in just a little while. the music, by the way, is our way of reminding you that grammy winner will be here for a live concert tomorrow morning in our 8:30 half hour. inside studio 1a i'm matt lauer along with meredith vieira. and coming up, they're shocking, their offensive, but are they the real thing? there are reports that mel gibson's camp now claims to have proof that those much talked about audio recordings we've been hearing so much of were edited or altered. we'll have an expert on audio listen to them. we did that. we're going to tell you what that expert thinks straight ahead. also ahead, you search bottle bomb on the internet and thousands of videos will pop up. while it might seem like a harmless prank it could land your teen in the hospital or even behind bars. coming up several teens share their cautionary tales. plus the dirty little secret of parenthood. why even though they love them with all their hearts, raising kids can make some parents very unhappy. >> but let us begin this half hour with the fourth mel gibson tape that's been released. we should warn you it contains more harsh language. the question is how authentic is this tape and the others that preceded it. nbc's jeff rossen has been looking into that. jeff, good morning to you. >> hey, matt, good morning to you. everyone talking about these tapes, it seems, not only how offensive they are with racist sexual rants, but also how real they seem. why is her voice so clear while his isn't? are the tapes evidence? this morning we go to one of the country's leading audio experts for answers as that new tape number four is released. >> how dare you! how [ bleep ] dare you! >> reporter: in the new tape, the man radar online says is mel gibson is on a tear, again. this time telling the mother of his child oksana greg or yefva he deserves sex you'll favors. >> i deserve to be [ bleep ] first the [ bleep ] jacuzzi. i'll tear -- i'll burn the house down. but [ bleep ] first. >> reporter: while mel gibson hasn't denied it's him on the tapes this morning tmz reports his lawyers claim the recordings were altered. paul ginsberg is a forensic audio analysts who's examined thousands of tapes for the fbi and cia. >> you need medication. >> [ bleep ] up side the head. >> reporter: he analyzed the tapes for us and disagrees with the gibson camp. saying the recordings are the real deal. does this sound authentic to you? >> it does. >> what kind of man is that? hitting a woman when she's holding a child in her hands? breaking her teeth twice in the face. what kind of man is that? >> oh, you're all angry now. >> you're going to get to it. you know what? >> [ bleep ] deserved it. >> reporter: what strikes me listening to this is how clear she is. and that's what seems weird. he has that phone quality and she sounds so clear, why? >> well, because he is the remote party, that is he is far away coming over a little speaker phone, whereas she's talking in to this equivalent of a broadcast microphone. ♪ >> reporter: a broadcast microphone, something oksana knows well. as a professional singer and songwriter. >> you wanted the number of my therapist? don't you ever speak to him! find your own therapist. cause you've got problems, more than me. you're not a [ bleep ] to push my buttons and it is not going to work with us. >> reporter: does it sound to you like this was edited at all, where he was made to sound worse? she edited her own worse later to make herself sound better? >> no. his voice is continuous in tone, and her voice is continuous in tone, level amount of distortion, and there's no evidence of any editing or erasures. i have examined this in minute detail down to the 10,000th of a cycle. >> reporter: authorities in california have opened an investigation into mel gibson. now the website tmz reports oksana's son, whose father is former james bond star timothy dalton, has witnessed some of the heated blowups. as oksana's dentist may testify, too, about her broken teeth, allegedly at the hands of mel gibson. >> how dare you act like such a [ bleep ] when i'm being so [ bleep ] nice. >> i did not blame you. >> you said i was mean. >> reporter: you listen to the tapes, the male face is breathing heavy, agitated, cursing. she is incredibly calm, cool, collected, almost babying him. what do you make of that? >> well, it's confirmation that the recording is being done on her end. she is controlling the situation. she's controlling her voice. she's controlling the recorder. >> reporter: in a new website report out this morning, mel gibson's lawyers say they can provide concrete forensic evidence that the tapes are doctored. but still no word, matt, on what that evidence is. we should mention, we tried reaching out to mel gibson and his people again, but so far no response. >> all right, jeff rossen. jeff, thanks very much. dan abrams is nbc's chief legal analyst. dan, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. >> the only word that comes to mind for me is not exactly a legal term, it's oui. what do you think of this? >> even if they -- let's even assume for a moment that they were, quote, doctored, in some way. that matters legally. but it still doesn't change the fact that he may have uttered many of these words. i mean, just to simply say they were doctored is not to say it's not true. it never happened. >> however, if you go into a court with tapes you claim to be legitimate and it turns out you've altered them or doctored them you shoot yourself in the foot. >> absolutely, as a legal matter, of course it matters. if there's any, quote, doctoring. but remember, editing is different from doctoring. meaning, let's assume -- >> take out boring parts. >> assuming she has hours and hours of tapes and she's cut it up. but in a legal sense can these tapes be admissible in a court of law, either in a criminal case if there's assault here or in a custody hearing which, apparently, they're just about to enter? >> probably. california is one of these states where is called the two-party consent state. means generally you need both parties to agree to make an audiotape like this legal to make. but there are exceptions. there are exceptions, for example, if someone fears violence. >> if, in fact, it turns out, and he does not deny it in this tape, that he hit her while the child was in her arms, in a custody case that's a big deal. >> she could absolutely argue that's the reason that there's an exception here. that's the reason that the general rule doesn't apply here, and that's what could ultimately make it admissible. and that's going to be crucial here. i mean, when you talk about this investigation, the authorities may take evidence, bring it to the d.a., say to the d.a., look, we've got him. look at this, listen to this. the d.a. could say, yep, i hear you, i see this, but we may not believe that that ultimately will be admissible. i don't think that will be the case. but we'll see. >> audio evidence, for example, these tapes, when combined with possible physical evidence, if there is a dentist who treated this woman for broken veneers or veneers that fell off, and pictures of her teeth are presented, i mean, are we moving in the direction here of possible criminal charges? >> possible, yeah. one of the big questions, though, the very thing people are talking about is whether she really wants criminal charges pursued here. we're sort of assuming that. the authorities could move forward without her cooperation, even if they wanted to. but in this kind of case, they would need her cooperation in the criminal investigation. she could be using it to try to say, look, i want to resolve custody. i want to resolve our divorce proceedings. she could be using this potentially as ammunition in that regard. >> what surprises me a little bit, dan, and maybe it's just because we're so used to the pr spin that takes place around any case like this, but we have not really heard much from mel gibson's side, or his lawyers. here there is this daily flood of horrible audiotapes, and yet we've only heard that they may release a statement at the end of the week. are you surprised they're not out there more pro-actively? >> no. i think they want to see everything first. meaning, this is probably just one, quote, series of tapes. and this website has decided to release them piece by piece, and as a result, mel gibson, the world, we, react to it piece by piece. i think it's very smart of mel gibson's team to wait, see what is out. imagine them making some sweeping statement that blank never happened. >> and getting blindsided by another tape. >> reporter: exactly and then the next day a new tape comes out that disproves everything they just said. they have to wait. they have to be careful. but this is really bad news for mel gibson in any regard. put aside custody. the potential criminal investigation, serious stuff. >> dan abrams. as always, appreciate it. 7:39. let's get a check of the weather from al. >> thank you, matt. got a cutie here. where are you guys from? >> florida. >> and who is this? >> olivia. >> very sweet. let's take a look at the weather. not too sweet, stretching from the great lakes all the way back into the rockies. from flint, michigan, to denver. damaging winds, isolated tornadoes, hail, and a lot of downpours. look at the rain speeching from michigan all the way back into texas. rainfall amounts anywhere from one to two inches. up into michigan, we're going to be looking >> sunny skies, high in central maryland of 93 degrees. on the beach, a little bit better, at 84 degrees. better, at 84 degrees. and don't forget you can check your weather any time of the day or night on weather channel on cable, and the brand-new weather.com online. matt? >> all right, al, got it. thanks very much. up next, a warning to parents and teens about a popular teen prank known as bottle bombs. it's not a laughing matter. we'll talk about it right after this. @q pw,c @$p?p? we're back at 7:44 and this morning on "today investigates" a new kind of teen prank that could land kids in jail, or even worse. "today" national correspondent natalie morales is here with details. natalie, good morning to you. >> good morning to you, meredith. yes, my neighborhood actually recently got a warning about this prank, as have a lot of neighborhoods across the country. they're called bottle bombs. devices that kids make at home, then set off as jokes. but as you're about to see, the consequences are anything but funny. they start as simple teen mischief. easy to make devices called bottle bombs. all kids need are some common household cleaners, mixed in a plastic bottle, and voila. bottle bombs are now so popular teens have posted thousands of videos online showing how to make them and blow them up for fun. >> to a teenage boy, that's very appealing. simple, easy, and big, big aftereffect. >> reporter: so big it destroyed your life? >> definitely. >> reporter: san diego last spring, he was graduating high school at the top of his class. an honor student, mvp football player, and going to college with an rotc scholarship. that's when he discovered bottle bombs on youtube. and thought they'd make a harmless senior prank. >> the video i saw, it was basically a video to sequentially show you how to do it. >> and based on what you saw, did you see how dangerous they could be? >> the videos were done right in public. my perception was it wasn't too dangerous. >> reporter: hoping for some laughs, elsburg set off some bottle bombs in school trash cans. but the reaction was no joke. immediately police and fire were called in, and the school went into lockdown. though no one was hurt, elsburg was arrested, and charged with multiple counts of felony bombmaking. this straight-a student with no record would spend the next five days in jail. >> i really didn't think it was that bad. >> reporter: to be booked as a criminal in county jail. it's still a hard thing for you to live up to? it's a painful price authorities say more and more teens are paying. across the country, bottle bomb pranks are on the rise. but in a post-9/11 world, no one is laughing. >> teenage mischief turn nothing felony charges. >> reporter: in austin, texas, high school senior luke mallet and four friends from this christian prep school were arrested as felons after leaving bottle bombs at teachers' homes as a joke. ann arbor, michigan, 17-year-old dwayne cochran was caught on surveillance tape pulling a bottle bomb prank at a local gas station. he was sentenced to a year in jail. >> the felony charge would be the same as if we were to catch a terrorist with a bomb. >> reporter: massachusetts bomb investigator paul horgan say most kids think these devices are safe because there's no fire. but when the ingredients are mixed in a bottle and sealed, they create a high pressure explosion of acid and shrapnel. >> let me see it. >> reporter: that can go off when you least expect it. >> just the slightest movement can trigger the reaction that cause it to blow up in someone's hand and cause injury. >> reporter: watch what happens in this demonstration when horgan puts a bottle bomb in a mailbox. it's a common teen prank. but in less than a minute. imagine if you were there getting your mail. that would have been pretty disastrous, right? >> oh, yeah, sure. the whole mailbox would have hit you in the face first of all. the laud bang would have done damage to your ears and then the chemicals coming out of there into your face, burning your skin and causing potential blindness. >> reporter: 15-year-old jaren richard nearly lost his sight. the massachusetts teen was making a bottle bomb when it blew up without warning, spraying burning chemicals into his eyes. >> got like white, shadowy, and just like everyone was like help him, help him. >> reporter: sergeant horgan says he was lucky. >> these caps that you see on the top. that cap could blow off and become a projectile. if it hits you in the right spot, it could kill you. >> reporter: consequences elsburg never thought of. in the end a plea deal kept him out of prison but this star student still faces years of probation and a future on hold. your college scholarship was taken away, you lost your acceptance to college. so what is the lesson for kids who may think, oh, this is just a harmless prank, i'm not going to hurt anyone, i'm not going to do anything bad. >> reporter: the lesson is simple, don't do it. learn from me. you have to know, it's not a joke. >> very, very tough lesson. he is now at summer school. he hopes to go to college in the fall. his parents say they had no idea he was playing with bottle bombs, and they hope that other families talk to their kids about the dangers and the serious legal consequences, meredith. >> yeah, kids listen to him. natalie, thank you very much. still to come, is there such a thing as male menopause? n@b@c@t@v@sús@3 3 3 just ahead, love your kids but hate your life? why becoming a mother and father may not lead to happiness. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. time to get another check on the morning commute. >> it was fine half an hour ago but now we are looking at several accidents, including this one on the west side. we are getting reports that several lanes are closed. you can see delays developing as a result of that. in the meantime, detective traffic lights at reisterstown road in the area of owings mills. in any of the major roadways, and normal volume-related delays. a lot of red showing here. it looks like the delays continue toward the 895 split. slow-up beginning at belair road towards dulaney valley. 20 minutes to get to the northeast outer loop stretch. seven minutes on southbound 895. let's give you a live view outside. harford road, there is the backup on the outer loop. switching over to a live view of traffic on the west side. that is where things are jammed up. outer loop accident in the area of baltimore national pike. also of an accident on the eastern shore. eastbound sippy at racetrack road. that was just in to us. -- eastbound 50 at racetrack wrote, that one just in to us. >> it is heating up quickly already. upper seventies across the board. heading for a high of about 20 degrees above that this afternoon. 98 to 93 today. calm winds. tomorrow, mid-90's. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information. back in 25 minutes with another live update. live update. he inherited a $1.7 billion budget deficit... then an economic crisis. but martin o'malley went to work. cutting $5 billion in waste and government spending, while also making opportunities for middle class families a priority. freezing college tuition four years in a row, record investments in our schools, and tax credits for small businesses to create jobs. while other states are still struggling, martin o'malley is making the tough choices... to move maryland forward. ♪ 8:00 now on this thursday morning. july 15th, 2010. we welcome the crowd on the plaza this morning. come back tomorrow and you'll be treated to a special concert from enrique iglesias. meanwhile outside on the plaza i'm meredith vieira alongside matt lauer. thank you very much. ahead in this half hour, i love my children, i hate my life. that is the provocative title of a new article detailing why many parents feel so stressed out and miserable. so, have the pressures of modern parenting become too much to bear? we're going to have more on that coming up. >> can both of those things really be true? can you love your children and hate your life when your kids are such a big part of your life? >> because you get caught up in the minutia of it and you can't stand all the things you have to do. >> some of the things around you -- >> also ahead here's a question i'm sure you ponder all the time, do men go through menopause? >> it got warm out here all of a sudden. >> and if we do go through menopause, what are the symptoms, and when does it start? we're going to get some answers on that from dr. nancy synderman coming up. >> and you know, for years, we have -- our crew has been chowing down on some of the gourmet grub that celebrity chefs who come through make here on the program. guess what, some of our crew have picked up some great tips on this, and they are cooking fools. >> look at them. >> three guys face off for the title of "today's" top crew chef, live on the plaza. look out. >> one of them brought along home made wine. >> that's right. >> and it's chunky. >> ew. but first we're going to get a check of the top stories from ann curry, who actually said she wanted some of that wine. >> thanks a lot, meredith. let's get to something serious this morning. good morning once again. in the news, bp is still heying groundwork this morning for a test of that new containment cap over its leaking oil well in the gulf. the worry now is whether the well can handle the increased pressure. once the valves on the cap are closed. but first the company is having to deal with a leak in the line attached to one of the valves. today the u.s. surgeon general dr. regina benjamin is studying the impact or watching studies rather of the oil spill's impact on the mental and physical health of people in alabama. dr. benjamin once ran a free community clinic in that area. president obama's heading to michigan today, a state where the unemployment rate now tops 13%. nbc's chief white house correspondent chuck todd joins us now from grand rapids. and chuck, what's the president's message there today? >> reporter: well, it's becoming a familiar scene, ann. the president going out on the road, touting something that has to do with the economic stimulus. in this case, it's about money from that $800 billion government stimulus that's been used to jump-start a car battery industry. and he in holland michigan, just outside of grand rapids, the president's going to be there for this ground breaking. he's done it last week. you're going to see him do this a lot. he's trying to essentially still trying to sell the recovery and sell the public that while the economy is not doing so hot, it will take time, and that he's got the right prescription. by the way, ann, later today i'll be interviewing the president about the problems with the economy, and some other political issues, and you'll see that on "nightly news" tonight and the "today" show tomorrow morning. >> all right, chuck todd, thanks so much. a girl abducted from her california foster parents almost seven years ago is back in los angeles this morning. police say the unidentified girl was abducted by three aunts when she was just a baby. she was found wednesday in a phoenix home hidden under a pile of clothing. officials say a huge brushfire on the grounds of the idaho national laboratory, a nuclear research complex, is now about 50% contained. they don't know how it started, but say the fire has not threatened any storage areas for nuclear materials. three firefighters were injured on wednesday, as fire and explosions destroyed a block of buildings in los angeles. the fire started at a metal recycling plant and showered firefighters with hot, jagged pieces of metal. and a specialist will visit the world trader site in new york city today to examine the remains of a wooden ship unearthed by construction workers on tuesday. archaeologists are already on the site and they believe this ship dates back to the 1700s. it is now 8:04. let's go back outside. >> that's really cool stuff, ann. very cool stuff. all right. what's the matter? >> nothing. >> you weren't paying attention. >> i wasn't. >> i was talking to people. >> hey! now, here's a sign with a bad idea. matt for president or al for president. that's not a good idea. where are you guys from? what are you doing in town? >> feeding the homeless, food banks. >> god bless you. thank you for coming here. enjoy that. we appreciate that. let's check your weather, see what's happening. rockford, illinois, nbc 13, showers and storms. the temperature about 90 degrees. and as you'll see, we've got a pretty good line of storms firing up from wisconsin all the way back down into texas. some of these storms could be severe. we're also looking at some really hot weather today throughout the midsection of the country. up and down the eastern seaboard temperatures 80s to 90s. 81, beautiful in seattle. lots of sunshine there. 100 degrees in las vegas. and we've got >> drive thursday for us but a hot thursday. mostly sunny skies. hotter on friday. 96, with triple digit heat index. just married. what's your name? >> stacy. >> and jamie. >> that's the last word you'll ever get in. now back to matt. >> all right, al, thanks very much. still ahead, what you can do now sins like smoking, drinking, and eating too much junk food. but up next, do you love your kids but sometimes hate parenting? how to deal with those unhappy thoughts that creep up from time to time. we'll talk about that right after this. ♪ this is our pool. ♪ our fireworks. ♪ and our slip and slide. you have your idea of summer fun, and we have ours. now during the summer event get an exceptionally engineered e-class for 1.9 percent apr or lease one for $689 a month. that's why neutrogena® created new spectrum plus with helioplex 360. for the most best lotion protection against skin burning, aging, and deeper damage called oxidative damage. spectrum plus. neutrogena®. we get double miles on every purchase. so we earned an l.a. getaway twice as fast. we get double miles every time we use our card. no matter what we're buying. and since double miles add up quick... romans! get em! 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[ female announcer ] discover the power of aveeno positively radiant. with total soy, it's clinically proven to visibly reduce past damage while advanced spf 30 helps prevent future damage. aveeno positively radiant. back at now at 8:10 this morning on "today's family" why some parents hate parenting. it's not that you don't love your kids, it's all those other things that come along with the job. tiny toes, little smiles, heartwarming laughter. the simple joys of parenthood, images proving that being a mom or dad must make you happy. >> you want to throw up? >> okay. >> you want to relate to him? >> no more! >> reporter: or maybe not. studies show that a bundle of joy might not bring the happiness many parents expect to feel. in a 2004 survey of 900 working women, a majority ranked napping, preparing food, and housework as substantially more pleasurable than child care. last year the journal of happiness published a study which found that the effects of children on the life satisfaction of married individuals is small, often negative, and never statistically significant. this sentiment of discontent is broadly echoed by mothers on the web, at urbanbaby.com, a post reads, i swear, i feel like i'm surrounded by women who were once smart and interesting. but have become zombies who only talk about soccer and coupons. >> reporter: at happyhourmom.com another writes -- >> i'm sad to admit that being a stay at home mom doesn't complete me. >> reporter: stephanie taylor, the author of "sippy cups are not for chardonnay" and a mom of three believes that motherhood with be weighed down by unreasonable expectations. >> i think the problem is how you go in to parenting with these high expectations it's supposed to be fun every minute of the day. and it's such a rude awakening. getting those kids dressed in the morning can sometimes be an extremely tedious experience. unlike other jobs, you don't ever really punch out. >> reporter: in fact, 71% of moms say they crave more time for themselves. but at the same time, 85% think they don't spend enough time with their kids. >> you can love your kids, and dislike parenting at the same time. >> reporter: so what makes it all worth it? >> these little moments that are transcended. you know, when my little 2-year-old puts her arms around my neck, and says "i love you, mommy," there's nothing like that feeling. >> jennifer, contributing editor for new york magazine and the single woman of a 3 1/2-year-old boy wrote this cover story called "i love my children, i hate my life." >> i'm not single. >> oh, i'm sorry. i'm so sorry to you and your husband. >> we just -- yeah. >> okay, well married, very happily married. here along with "today" contributor and psychiatrist gail salt. good morning to you both miss married lady. >> we're partners. that's probably what the confusion was. we are together. but you are a parent. >> i'm a parent and there are two of us raising the kids. >> and what -- >> i actually knew about this body of data before i became a parent and i thought, you know what, i'd like to write about this, but it would be way more interesting to write about it once i actually had instincts about it. so after i had my kid i thought, okay -- >> time to do it? >> yes. >> reading the article there is a quote possibility that parents don't much enjoy parenting because the experience of raising children has fundamentally changed. >> yeah. >> in what way has it changed for your generation? >> yeah, there are a couple of things. and, look, every generation has discovered the difficulties of parenting. i don't want to act like i've discovered something new and amazing. but a couple of things. first of all, the kind of child-centered universe that we live in now. i think that that makes things different. where i think that, you know, living on the other side of the economic divide is so striking to parents, that this aggressive kind of cultivation that we do of our children is a lot of work, and creates a lot of needless stress, i would say. >> so that's why you -- >> i think it's a contributor. if you have to make every moment a teachable moment, i think that that's, you know. the other thing, this is a generation child rearing, when there's a distinct difference between the before and the after it turns out that people tend to be less happy, at least in your relationships, once the kid comes along. >> gail, what is it we want everything to be perfect, because there are all these how-to books out there? >> absolutely. parenting has become a competitive sport. and in the fact that we are such individualistic nation of wanting to be perfect, and it's all about me, to a degree, we forget that ambivalence is part of parenting. part of loving. part of everything that's valuable in your life, you feel some ambivalence about. that is normal. it is okay. and frankly every mother before, every mother now, and every mother going forward will feel somewhat ambivalently about her child, about the parenting experience, and if we could accept that -- >> talk about it? >> talk about it, therefore not have to feel so guilty about it or suppress it so much that we act out on it, like stuff it down. yeah, happy, happy, until we explode. then we'll be in better shape. >> there's a difference between the day-to-day minutia of parenting and the overall experience. >> oh, yeah, absolutely. and that's, i think one of the things that the studies, it might be deceptive about the studies, right. that, yes, your mood as a parent, i mean, as a moment-to-moment matter might not be as good as a single person, or a nonparent who has kind of, you know, free-wheeling social life and all these things. but, i think the question is, if you think of happiness not as being about sort of, you know, your moment-to-moment state, but, how rewarding are things and whether they give you a sense of purpose, thern parents do well. i mean in studies and it's a different way to look at it. >> part of the problem with it, happiness doesn't happen by definition. people who study this try to come up with definitions. but happy, looking back, happy in the moment, happy about something in the future, these are different, and fulfillment and feeling whole and all these are different definitions that you do get. >> i'm happy because my kids are almost all out of the house. >> i hear that a lot. >> does male menopause exist? we're going to ask dr. synderman right after this. there you go. okay, i'm gonna work on the roof. dad, i'll be right back! 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[ female announcer ] one a day women's. vegetables are naturally low in calories. v8 juice gives you 3 of your 5 daily servings. it's a tasty, nutritious way to make this number go up... and help this one go down. v8. what's your number? we are back now at 8:20. this morning on "today's health," male menopause. according to researchers, it's not just women who have to worry about that ticking biological clock. here's nbc's chief medical editor dr. nancy synderman. >> reporter: when most of us think of menopause, we think of hot flashes, night sweats, moodiness, and, of course, women. but can men go through menopause, too? ♪ >> you can call it the male biological clock. and women age and as men age, same things happen. fertility levels go down, hormone levels go down, and genetic consequences go up when you have children. ♪ >> reporter: while some women experience symptoms from lower estrogen levels as they age, doctors say that men have a gradual decrease of testosterone, which is also known as andropause. dr. harry fish is a chemical professor of urology at weill cornell medical college. he says the male biological clock has two major culprits, age and body fat. >> the bigger the belly, the lower the testosterone level. the reason is men make testosterone from the testicles but it's broken down in the fat cells of the body. >> reporter: so we decided to put the theory to an unscientific test, choosing two random men and checking their testosterone. patient 1, a 26-year-old fit male who weighs 158 pounds. patient 2, a 42-year-old overweight male who weighs 228 pounds. doctor fish conducted blood tests on both men to determine their testosterone levels. the results, as expected. patient 1 had an average testosterone level, and patient 2 had an extremely low level. >> today we really compared somebody who is young, fit, doesn't have a big belly, exercises a lot, has a high sex drive, compared to somebody in their 40s, who in this particular situation has a lower testosterone, a bigger belly, is tired, lower sex drive, and also has trouble having children. >> reporter: so when does the male biological clock start ticking? >> after age 30. testosterone levels begin to decline about 1% per year. >> reporter: and that's a normal part of the aging process. ♪ the boys are back in town >> nancy, good morning. nice to see you. >> hi, matt. >> i guess this idea of lowering testosterone levels or lessening, but are we really something that can be called technically menopause or andropause? >> i think technically the answer is yes. but it goes to the core question is it biologically significant? i think the answer is yes. is it being overdiagnosed and overprescribed, i think the answer is yes. >> would you say when we talk about menopause in women we're talking about something more physiological and when we talk about men we're talking about something perhaps a little more on the emotional side? >> probably a little bit. we know that menopause is defined. women are born with a certain number of eggs. during menopause fertility decreases, it is a natural part of life, and it signals the end of fertility. but men make sperm continuay all through life. that's why tony randall could have a baby well into his 70s. >> father a child. >> that's right. well, yeah, he fathered, he had this baby. >> right, exactly. so it redefines it somewhat. do those hormone levels drop in middle age? the answer is yes. and men will describe certain symptoms accordingly. >> and some of those symptoms, changes in sexual function, insomnia, sleep disturbances, increased body fat, reduced muscle and bone density, depression, trouble with concentration. >> those all go towards low testosterone levels but a lot of guys are going to look at that and go wait a minute, i'm not fat, i'm 50, i have a lot of those things which i think goes to the core that this is part of the aging process. the problem is, guys don't like it. >> and when you say that men can actually slow down the onset of male menopause, is that by keepg your weight in check and being physically active? >> right. you know the best course, thing to do, is exercise. because when you exercise, it's not only good for your sleep and your brain but obviously increases your muscle mass. the biggest culprit, really, is that belly fat. >> if you have a number of the symptoms we ran through a second ago there is a medical course you can have testosterone treatment? >> here's the reality of what you can get and here's my buyer beware. can you get testing. and, in fact, this kind of works. giving prescriptions, and diagnosing this problem has increased 400% since '99. this is a big market. it is not a -- >> is it because of financial -- >> oh, it's a heyday. so this is out-of-pocket payment but men will do that if it's going to increase their sex drive, decrease down their fat, increase their muscle mass, and frankly make them seem more virile. >> does it work? >> it can. but here'sed downside. it can increase problems with prostate problems. it can increase problems with muscle mass in a weird way. and we don't know if it's safe for your heart. so honest to god, buyer beware. you have to be smart about this. >> good information. as always, nanc >> 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 the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> looking at a busy ride for motorists on the west side on the out of the past baltimore national pike. accident still clearing from the shoulder, look at the delays that have resulted there. this delay begins at reisterstown road in continues all the way down to the earlier accident scene. inner loop delays developing as well. belair road and moravia, accident and the city, and another at 33rd and st. paul. we are still experiencing delays from white marsh to the beltway. once you get on the beltway, you are and the red towards harford, and then back to dulaney valley, typical delays there. 21 minutes on outer loop north east side. if you are going to travel on the inner loop from 95 on the south side, it is going to take to 17 minutes. let's give you a quick life look -- quick a live look at the cameras on the west side. traffic inching along on the outer loop. we can switch over to a live view out baltimore national pike. we are looking at delays in both directions this morning. you might want to wait and delay your departure. now we want a check in with john collins for a look at the forecast. >> the rain is finally off shore, but we still have a warm and humid air mass. let's look at the current conditions outside. 76% humidity. you see the red filtering into the area. those are temperatures in the 90's. 90 to 93, hot, humid, mostly sunny. >> we will have another update dry, rough, cracked? gold bond therapeutic foot cream. penetrates the deepest layers like others can't. look for the healing seal. gold bond foot cream. serious relief for dry, cracked feet. ♪ we're back now, 8:30 on a thursday morning. the 15th day of july, 2010. it's kind of a, i don't know, overcast morning here. 77 degrees. a nice crowd of people gathered on our plaza. we're going to heat things up tomorrow considerably when enrique iglesias joins us for our summer concert series, our 8:30 half hour. if you're in the neighborhood, come on down and check out. meanwhile, out here on the plaza, matt lauer, along with meredith vieira, al roker, ann curry and natalie morales. you guys have heard about these new running sneakers? some of us are wearing them right now. >> you and me. >> yes, i'm wearing them. and then there's these other sneakers that are very popular, the kind of nonsneaker sneaker like you're walking in bare feet. the companies claim they can help you get in shape without even going to the gym, just by walking in them. we're going to find out more about that in just a couple of minutes. >> also we know that our crew loves to eat, obviously. >> and to drink. >> but do you know that some of them can also cook? >> oh, yeah. >> this morning three guys who normally toil behind the scenes step in front of the cameras for the first-ever "today" crew cookoff. >> one of the best chefs ever will judge this, dan you'll boulud. >> that has got to be intimidating, daniel boulud judging the foot. >> antoine has a little bit of an advantage because he's french. >> ooh-la-la. >> mark yeager brings his own wine. >> also this morning, when it comes to people asking when you why younger, you drank too much beer, you smoked maybe, maybe you're out in the sun too much, you know, can you actually make up for the sins of your youth? we're going to be talking to an expert about that and you might be surprised how self-healing the body is. what you can overcome there. >> all right. before we go even further, mr. roker, how about a check of the weather in your fancy shoes? >> that's right. i feel like i dipped my feet in latex. let's take a look at your weekend ahead. saturday, risk of some strong storms in the upper midwest. warm out west, sizzling through the southwest. wet through the gulf coast and the southeast. then sunday -- sunday! -- sunny and warm up and down the eastern seaboard, rain in the central great lakes back l >> sunny skies, high in central maryland of 93 degrees. on the beach, a little bit better, at 84 degrees. better, at 84 degrees. >> and don't forget if you want to check your weather any time of the day or night go to the weather channel or check out the brand-new, redesigned weather.com online. oh, yes, cool stuff. >> coming up, do the sneakers really work? you've grotto jam. >> oh! >> but first this is "today" on nbc. he inherited a $1.7 billion budget deficit... then an economic crisis. but martin o'malley went to work. cutting $5 billion in waste and government spending, while also making opportunities for middle class families a priority. freezing college tuition four years in a row, record investments in our schools, and tax credits for small businesses to create jobs. while other states are still struggling, martin o'malley is making the tough choices... to move maryland forward. can you really get your body in shape by changing the sneakers you wear? well these new toning sneakers are all the rage. but do they actually deliver results? here's nbc's peter alexander. >> reporter: from fashion to sport, athletic shoes have exploded into a $12 billion a year industry. footwear makers looking to capitalize on our insatiable appetite for the best new pair. >> better legs and a better butt with every step. >> reporter: the latest trend is nearly impossible to miss, toning shoes with those oversized, curved soles. promising to help you tone muscles, burn more calories, and improve your posture. >> it's a $325 million business just this year alone. >> reporter: and it's exploding. with sales expected to top $1 billion next year. everything from running shoes to sandals, with 9 brands already in the game from reebok to sketchers. the claims, get in shape without setting foot in a gym. the primary market, women? accounting for 90% of sales. like jen white. >> if you can get a workout by just walking around doing errands, then that's fantastic. it's like the miracle shoe. >> reporter: the gist is they do the workout for you. >> that's what they say. >> reporter: so, do they work? >> to really build up muscle mass, you need to put it in tension that far exceed anything that's going to be produced by wearing these shoes. >> everybody looking for a magic bullet, unfortunately, it's not. you're better off eating one less extra cookie in the course of the day than investing in a shoe like this and thinking it's going to give you significant results. >> reporter: still, millions of women are giving it a shot. >> it's worth a try. >> reporter: toning shoes aren't the only recent footwear fad hitting the streets. here, less is more. with these adventure athletes seeking the closest thing to going barefoot. >> it's more fun, you're less likely to get injured, and you get great looks from passersby. >> reporter: this minimalist movement is growing, thanks to the book "born to run," that trumpets the virtues of running with no shoes at all. you look around at runners with shoes on and what to say to them, what? >> you'd be able to remove that knee brace if you would just try something radical like barefoot running. >> reporter: in new york city's central park, i gave it a try. i feel like i'm going to feel this. my feet didn't hurt at all, but i'm still feeling my calfs burn. as for those toning shoes, the debate is on. but for now, they're clearly picking up speed. >> if it gets people walking in a very sedentary and very overweight copulation, that's some up side there. if it gets people interested in going out and moving, that's good. >> reporter: for "today," peter alexander, nbc news, new york. >> we showed you a little bit earlier, we're all wearing different versions of these. al, you've got the separate toe little barefoot model. how do they feel? >> it's a little weird getting used to. i think on the weekends around the house i might wear them. >> you've been running a lot lately. would you run in those? >> i don't think so. my knee surgeon said he wants me to have a lot of support. >> these are the ones you could feel off of. >> you feel like you're drunk. but if you were drunk you might be stable. so there you go. >> reverse psychology. >> exactly. >> you've got those minimal shoes on. >> yeah, these are actually for running. they're very, very light so they don't -- you don't have to pick up a lot when you're running with them. i would give these a try. they've got the stability on the sides. but they don't have the same amount of support if you have knee problems. >> you said you're going to try yours today? >> i'm a runner. al's been running. i think i'm going to try these today. i think the key with these though is not to go long distance. you need to condition your body to finally get to the point where you can eventually run -- >> i'm not going to do these. i would wear those for a short run like to run from here to the cooking stand over there. where we're going to go in just a second as the "today" show crew takes part in a cooking competition. judged by none other than daniel boulud. we'll get to that. but first this is "today" on nbc. this morning on "today's kitchen," "today's" crew cookoff. three of them are going to show us what they have learned, competing for the title of the "today" crew's top chef. our chefs are overnight stage hand dave. cameraman bob. and stage hand. very nice all three of you here to join us chef daniel boulud of the famed daniel restaurant here in new york. daniel, thank you for doing this. all right we're going to get the competition going, all right? we're going to start with dave, our overnight stage hand. you are making what? >> i'm cooking tomato, fennel, onion, garlic, salt, pepper. >> this is fish you might have caught? >> yes, this is very local fish. a lot around this area. and really this is a great summertime thing, because it can be done even on the barbecue or the oven. i'm just going to get started with this. do a little fennel, do a little onion. do a little tomato. very simple. very fresh ingredients. little fresh herbs. >> excellent. >> little butter. put a little bit on there. lemon slice, little olive oil. go salt, pepper. give it a wrap. drop of lemon juice. >> okay. >> and then how long do you cook it for? >> we're going to cook this at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes either in the barbecue or the oven. >> all right. >> seal it up. open it up >> looks beautiful. now how would you rate this recipe? >> i would rate this recipe very high. you can use this recipe with any type of fish. >> all right. >> we open it up. beautiful. >> all right. let's go to our judges. daniel. you going to take it -- >> all right. >> you try that one. >> then we'll get his decision later on. all right. let's go to bob yeager. around here we call him rope. we don't know why. he's the funniest guy on the entire show. nice to have you by. >> nice to be here. >> you actually got this recipe, a version from martha stewart. >> i saw her making it one day with shrimp. my family didn't like shrimp. i made it with chicken. >> you're making chicken and past ka with beer. >> no, only wine. >> you're making a recipe without beer? >> i know. started with onions, cold pan. cooked in a cold pan. then i did that with some garlic, a little thyme and oregano and hot peppers and then i added chicken. >> okay. >> then i put a little tomato paste in. michael lomonaco said put it in. >> throwing all the big names in here. >> you hear that? he's trying to sway the judges. >> unfortunately he's not a french chef. after this cooks for awhile, you dump in a can of tomatoes. >> hope you're enjoying this. >> put it in the pan. >> then add mushrooms, i put a little more oregano, a little more thyme. >> they like this recipe? >> their favorite recipe. put a little wine in there. >> is that your homemade one? >> this is not. >> how long do you cook this? >> for about an hour or so. you can cook it longer. >> you serve it with penne, correct? >> correct. i think it goes well with chicken, the right size. >> you have homemade wine? >> homemade wine. a chianti which you're going to try and a cabernet. >> it's good. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> all right, rope. daniel you're going to taste this. >> we're chowing down. don't worry. >> one of our stage manager and stage hands. antoine you're doing a french dish, something native. >> a cassouillet. it normally takes a long time to prepare. we're doing a quick and easy version. we're going to start with the bacon, we rendered that. now we're going to add to that, now going to take some sweet sauces, some andouille sausage, sweet pork and duck breast. throw that right in the pan. we stir that together. normally you're going to let this cook for 10 to 15 minutes depending on how much you have. >> right. >> now to this we're now going to add our, we have mushrooms. we're going to add onions. a bouquet garni, which is rosemary, thyme -- >> i love it when you speak french. >> and oregano. and then a little garlic. we get that all in there, give that a nice little gentle stir. you'll cook that again for just a few minutes, and the piece de resistance, a summer ale to this. which has got a little lemon flavor to it. we throw that in there for our juice. give that a little start, which would normally cook now, you know, 20 minutes or so. then to that we're going to now add our cannellini beans. >> those are just canned beans? >> you drain them and strain them. that's all you do. and at the very end, what we would do, once it's all cooked, you just add, throw in your spinach, and you don't worry about that it's going to take a lot of room because it will wilt down as you're serving it. squeeze a half a lemon into it, and serve it with -- serve it with a toasted bread with a little cheese and tomato. >> oh, man! >> walk away. walk away. >> lemon in your eye, matt. i've got to tell you these three gentlemen did such a great job doing a cooking segment for goodness sake. which one is your favorite? have you tasted the others? >> i have not. >> how about you -- we'll find out later what you think of the others. first i'll get to what you think, daniel. you tasted every single one of them. >> absolutely. and i think i was absolutely amazed by the fish. the flavor no doubt. but i would have to finish it with a little more olive oil. i think it was very interesting the technique of the papillot to get all the flavors into that. but it's very dangerous, also, because he could overcook. >> right, okay. >> okay, okay, okay. >> but that's good. >> so the flavor is wonderful, dave. >> great combination of herbs and the tomato. the pasta from rob, very interesting, putting honey inside instead of sugar to sweeten the tomatoes. he has also interestingly enough a little get of vinegar. the chicken, i would have to add a little bit more tomato sauce would help a little bit more. but it is delicious, the seasoning is fantastic. the hot pepper inside is very good, too. >> how about the wine? >> the wine amazing. i'm very impressed. >> that's homemade wine. that's homemade wine. for sure. >> now for antonio, what are your thoughts? you were chowing down. >> i said how did he come up with this by himself? and i learned that he was inspired by jacques pepin. i am amazingly impressed by all the flavor inside. the boost of flavor. it's a very meaty dish. this is better than jacques can do. >> whoa. >> oh. >> whoa. >> wow. >> i'm impressed. >> okay so which one of these three do you think is the best of the three? for today. >> well, for today, for me, the most aggressive in flavor, in soul, and certainly in complexity is the cassoullet. >> oh. >> good job. >> thank you. >> come on, guys. >> thank you. >> but i have a consolation prize. they are all invited in my kitchen, at daniel's. >> all right. >> and for dave and rob, they will be -- they will have a meal cooked by me and by antoine because he won. that's included. >> whoa. >> bob, antoine, dave. >> congratulations. >> thank you. >> thank y ♪ i'll never forget the date i read a book ♪ ♪ it was constageious >> this morning on "today's" hot summer reads, a novel that lends majesty to the olympics with romance and intrigue. "the list remembered" is the latest author. takes place in berlin, 1936. germany has risen from the ashes of a depression and is hosting the olympics under the rule of adolf hitler. a young american swimmer falls in love with a handsome german student but can their love survive what lies ahead. frank, good to see you. >> nice to see you. >> i have followed your career for a very long time. i believe this was the first time you've done romance like this. are you a chick writer now? >> i'm hoping to move into that territory. >> you're going to start hanging out with jackie collins? >> yeah, it's sort of fun being a woman for a change. >> did you have any trouble getting into terms of a woman's voice in terms of writing in a woman's voice? >> people talk about every bad sitcom is we don't understand them, they don't understand us. really, i've known a lot of women in my life, and inhabiting the mind and body of a 20th century woman was in many respects easier than, say, trying to get inside the mind of a 1930s german man. who was my other hero. >> in the book. >> yeah. and so, yeah, it was fun being a woman. >> from what i understand you realized that a novel had never been set against the backdrop of the olympics, and so that was an interesting take for you. but why 1936. why those olympics? >> first of all, it's amazing because, you know, a love story, you want to bring people together from different places. you don't want the boy next door and the girl next door. that's love but it's not a love story. so it's great having the olympics. and the 36 olympics are classic. and all the more so, that i knew a couple of people who were very prominent, first of all, the great and notorious film director who filmed "olympia" there and then eleanor holmes who had the 1932 games and was thrown out of the olympics for being naughty. >> interestingly you take those real-life characters that you just mentioned and you weave them into this fictional plot. the protagonist of your story is an elderly woman, sydney, who decides as her health is failing, to share some of the secrets of her life. >> yeah. not only the love story, but what turns out to be because of the love story, some rather amazing things happened to her. and she's trying to tell her son about that before she dies. so on the one hand, it's this "bliss, remembered" but it's also things that she thinks she better pass on before she goes. >> how does this all-american girl come to terms with falling in love with this young german at a time where nazi germany was rising? did she not see the ramifications of that? >> she saw it, but 1936 was kind of a lever year. you read the contrary accounts, people are still prepared to give germany a little bit of a benefit of the doubt. and particularly for the young man that she falls in love with. he's been through the war. people didn't like him. it's been chaos. there's been poverty. and all of a sudden, he sees this wonderful dream, this showcase city, and he's thinking, this is the germany that i can love, and i can love it with this beautiful young american. >> it may be a new genre for you >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. police are asking robbery and burglary victims in baltimore city to come forward. this after the search a man's home and found a lot of stuff, including laptop computers and printers and various gaming systems. police have arrested a suspect and are asking victims to come forward and reclaim the items. if you think they may have recovered your stuff, give them a call. back in a minute with a >> now let's take a look at the forecast with the john collins. >> we are going to trade one whether feature for another. all the rainy weather, the last remnant of it, has moved offshore. we just have tropical temperatures and humidity this morning. we have a couple of days of good weather but mostly sunny skies in the forecast. hot and humid. 90 to 93 for the high temperatures. we stay hot and humid right into the weekend. 96 on friday. another weather system coming in on saturday. we increase the rain chances once again. heat and humidity. >> i think everything tastes better in the summer. my grandparents, they had a huge garden, with tomatoes and cucumbers and green beans. nothing beats the taste of fruits and vegetables in the summer. they're juicier. more colorful. they're perfect. that's why at giant, you'll find farm-stand quality fruits and vegetables,