Transcripts For WBAL Today 20110209

on probation already for a dui will be charged for felony grand theft for allegedly stealing a necklace. will the judge send her back to jail? we're live at the courthouse today, wednesday, february 9, we're live at the courthouse today, wednesday, february 9, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm meredith vieira. we are thrilled around here because the first lady is making her first visit to our studio this morning. >> probably more people than normal here. the visit comes at a pivotal moment for her and her husband. they are getting set for what could be a gruelling re-election campaign. >> she made news on tuesday telling reporters the president has not smoked a cigarette in nearly a year. she'll fill us in on that and her campaign to end childhood obesity, which is her great passion. >> also news for women with breast cancer. scientists say a painful procedure that has long been routine may not be necessary in some cases. dr. nancy snyderman will have details on that. >> plus, the problems with the broadway production of "spider-man" have been well documented. now it is being blasted by critics. lame, depressing, disaster, a national joke, just some of the reviews. all the bad press could spell box office gold for the show. we'll explain. >> we begin with the winter storm in oklahoma, texas and the south. mike seidel from the weather channel is in oklahoma city. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. for the second time in a week, another round of bitter cold and big snows already this morning north of tulsa. a foot of snow and three to four-foot drifts in oklahoma city. 25 miles per hour wind gusts. it's 7 degrees and the wind chills are 15 to 20 below zero. last night, 50 miles per hour wind gusts in amarillo and seven inches of snow. heavy snows yesterday in kansas. the southwest part of the state had up to 15 inches. in wichita, the daily record of seven inches of snow. today in tulsa they will likely break two records -- their snowiest month and snowiest season on record. schools are closed for the seventh consecutive day. down in texas, temperatures in the teens, matt. they are urging customers and people to conserve energy today and tonight with the bitter cold temperatures. matt, back to you. >> mike seidel in oklahoma city for us. thank you very much. we'll get al's forecast. coming up. >> first a check of the other top stories. ann curry is at the news desk. good morning. >> good morning to you this morning. we begin with increasing signs that egypt's government is losing patience with the protesters in tahrir square. egypt's vice president is now warning the government doesn't want to use force against its citizens. ron allen has the latest on the protests from chi rochlt ron, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. yes. it's a work day here, but the square is filling up yet again following one of the biggest days of protest yet on tuesday. the government is continuing to insist that the president will not resign and it is warning the protesters to back off, but the opposition is re-energizing as well. [ chanting ] >> reporter: this morning a massive egyptian flag signals the start of another day of protest. ignited by victories like the release of an executive from 12 days in jail. you are all heroes he told the crowds. >> i don't think there is ever going to be a reversal. we are not going back to the old ways. >> reporter: other high profile recruits joined the protest including a top news anchor who left her job, angered by the government's crackdown against demonstrators. >> i said a regime that does this to its own people, how can i? i would have the blood of innocent dead people on my hands. >> reporter: the government's response has been a warning. it won't put up with the protests for long. one reason the demonstrators insist america should do more to force mubarak out. >> that was a big disappointment to hear president obama give the green light for mubarak to stay on. >> reporter: the obama administration has given the egyptians a list of demands. at the top of the list, lift the state of emergency that's been in place here for some 30 years. meanwhile, tens of thousands of protesters fill up the square again trying to keep pressure on mubarak to quit. ann? >> that's a pretty amazing image. thank you, ron. also, three car bombs exploded in iraq. one blast caught on tape. officials say seven people were killed, 80 others wounded. most were police officers. a republican-led effort to extend provisions of the patriot act failed last night. several house republicans voted against the bill to extend key parts of counter terrorism surveillance law. an investigation by the associated press found that a culture of unpunished errors at the cia has led to wrongful imprisonment and death over the past decade. serious errors were left undisciplined and officers were ultimately promoted. there's been no response yet from the agency. finally an 83-year-old california man was caught on tape driving the wrong way on interstate 5 last week. he eventually ran out of road. >> oh, my god! >> reporter: and slammed into a guardrail. he survived with no serious injuries but caused a four-vehicle accident and a traffic jam. he was confused and couldn't explain what happened. now back to matt, meredith and al. >> that's a long way to drive the long way on the highway. >> thankfully nobody else was injured. >> exactly. > we have another busy weath morning. >> exactly. bitterly cold air and lots of snow in the south as we show you what's happening. there is the snow right now up from oklahoma, northern texas into arkansas. rain is moving out. as we take the path of the storm it comes across the gulf spreading snow into tennessee and parts of west virginia. it exits out into the atlantic changing energy off the coast, off the north carolina coast. snowfall amounts back through texas and oklahoma anywhere from 6 to 9 inches of snow and as we move through the east it's mostly rain. maybe one to two inches in parts >> we are off to a quiet start. it is cold. the temperatures in the single digits and teams to start the day. we expect a high temperature of and that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you. a new study is out that could change the way doctors treat many women with breast cancer. it shows early stage breast cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes may require less extensive surgery than previously thought. dr. snyderman has details. >> hi, meredith. >> for decades it's been a common medical procedure for a woman with early stage breast cancer and doctors find a couple nodes are cancerous they remove them all. >> right. all the lymph nodes in the armpit. >> this procedure turns that on its head. >> it's a real step forward in how we treat breast cancer. this is really for people who -- the 30% of women who present with early stage breast cancer, but the graphic shows what the lymph nodes look like as they drain tumor cells away from the breast. as you said, we used to take them all out. now doctors know if even one or two closest to the tumor are positive, because most women with early stage breast cancer get a lumpectomy, radiation and systemic treatment even with microscopic cells in there. they will be treated anyway. so this is one of those times when less surgery, less aggressive treatment is, in fact, better for women. quality of life is better and there is no change in survival rate. >> it's a scary thought, i think, for doctors and patients, no matter what the study shows. >> it's funny you say scary. less sounds frightening. but doctors got together and you are slowly seeing the really good surgeons adopt this. why? because the complications from having this extensive surgery are significant. women can have swelling of the arms, pain, neuralgia, infection, fluid build-up. all of those things. talk to a woman who's had breast cancer surgery and those are real complications. we can limit those, maybe even prevent them and still afford the same cure rates. >> all right. dr. nancy snyderman, thank you so much. once again, here's matt. >> thank you. the nation's second largest bank is being called before congress today. lawmakers want executives from jpmorgan chase to talk about how it overcharged or wrongfully foreclosed on servicemen and women on active duty. it is a story you saw first here on "today." lisa myers has an update. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. the bank is being called to account for seemingly violating a federal law designed to protect troops from financial stress while they are in harm's way. so far, chase admits overcharging 4,000 troops and wrongfully foreclosuring on 14 of them. that doesn't count a family we talked to -- foreclosed on while the mother was in iraq. >> hey, whose job is dishes this week? >> reporter: sarah is a california mother of four. >> did you practice your trumpet? >> reporter: and a lieutenant-colonel in the army reserve. in 2008 smith went on active duty to iraq. while she was there her husband rory lost his job in the economic downturn. they quickly contacted the mortgage company and asked for a modification or temporary help. >> i was being proactive, and put it in writing that sarah was on active orders in iraq. they came back and said, well, really, we have nothing to do for you. >> reporter: at that point, their lender, washington mutual was taken over by jp morgan chase. matters only got worse. sarah said when she wasn't on a mission in iraq she kept doing battle to save her home. >> we tried on numerous occasions to reach somebody at chase or wamu who could make a decision on our behalf. we told them in writing that i was mobilized and in the military. >> reporter: then came the collection calls. even when she was home briefly for christmas. >> on a busy day it would be six or eight calls. >> it was harassment. >> reporter: finally this letter arrived saying their home was about to be foreclosed on. >> we just made the decision to stop fighting. >> reporter: the law generally prohibits banks from foreclosuring on military families until six months after they return from active duty. >> we were making extraordinary sacrifices on behalf of our country. i don't think it would have cost chase much to make the sacrifice to leave us alone, let us be, let us get our feet back on the ground and keep our home. >> reporter: today, a house committee will grill chase on its overall treatment of the troops. >> it was hard to believe that a financial institution in this country would, in any way, try to take advantage of somebody on active duty. >> reporter: a chase spokesman said the bank doesn't yet know what happened in the case of sarah lett-smith who lost her home. the bank said if it made a mistake it will fix it. chase is already refunding money to those overcharged and, matt, says most are getting their homes back. >> lisa, thank you for the update. it's 13 minutes after the hour. once again here's meredith. >> matt, thank you. lindsay lohan is set to face her most serious legal problem to date. los angeles prosecutors say she'll be charged with felony grand theft today for allegedly stealing a necklace. kristin welker is outside the courthouse with details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. lindsay lohan will appear for her arraignment this afternoon here at this l.a. county superior courthouse. the actress has been in trouble in the past, but this is the first time she will be charged with a felony. lindsay lohan getting pretty at a beverly hills hair salon on the eve of her latest court appearance. according to the l.a. county district attorney the starlet will be charged with grand theft today for allegedly stealing this $2500 necklace she was photographed wearing several weeks ago. >> everyone around her is in crisis mode, including lindsay. >> reporter: news cameras line the sidewalks outside the store where the theft allegedly occurred. one of her aids returned the necklace to police just as authorities were about to search lohan's home. in a statement her attorney says, we deny these allegations. >> lindsay said she was lent the jewelry, she didn'tle steal anything but the store says they have video and believe she did steal it. >> reporter: veteran defense attorney mark garagos says two things will happen today. first, lohan will be charged with theft and asked to enter a plea. >> i think you will probably see a not guilty plea. >> reporter: then he says the judge will have to decide what to do about the fact that lohan is still on probation for a 2007 dui arrest. >> some judge could say, okay, this is a felony. you're on probation. i'm going to revoke probation again. >> reporter: if lohan's probation is revoked she could wind up back in jail. garagos defended actress winona rider when she was convicted of shoplifting more than $5,000 worth of clothes in 2002. surveillance video captured the crime. she got probation and community service. garagos says things could be different for lohan. >> you have the same d.a., john lynch who supervised that case, potentially the same judge. you have two people who are both actresses. the difference is that winona had absolutely no record. >> reporter: and lohan does. she's been in and out of jail and rehab for violating her probation. hollywood insiders say even fans are starting to lose faith. >> a lot of people are wondering today, does this mean it's over for lindsay? it's not. but it is definitely a pause button on her life and her career. >> reporter: now legal analysts also say even if lohan is ordered tole jail today, she will likely post jail and they say a felony theft conviction carries a possible three-year prison sentence but say it is highly unlikely the actress would spend that much time behind bars. meredith? >> kristen, thank you so much. >> good morning. >> this charge of felony grand theft, how serious is it when it comes to lindsay lohan given the fact that she's on probation. >> it is serious for two reasons. ub it's a felony and it has a three-year maximum. she's on record with a judge that's given her every break he could. there is a status on her probationary status and he's got to look at this carefully and think about whether or not at that time he wants to revoke it. >> the fact that she's been charged or will be, not found guilty of it, is that enough for the judge to say that's a violation of probation -- the charge itself? >> that's the question. yes, it is enough as a charge. but judge fox is a fair man with an excellent reputation. he may be the kind of judge who would say, okay, just the charge, you are presumed innocent. perhaps we continue probation until this is resolved. we know that lindsay's lawyer has been firm. she's not fighting it in the press. she's going to fight it in court. perhaps the prudent thing to do is have lindsay post bail, go to the hearing on february 25 on a possible revocation and extend this probation. but, meredith, we all know the problem with lindsay and long probations. it gives her more time to get into trouble. >> on the other hand, after she got out of rehab in january the judge said, if you mess up again, you're going to jail for six months. >> he did. we have two things pending. we have the looming charge of a possible assault in riverside county for what happened at the betty ford clinic. that may go nowhere. now we have this. she may have a defense. she may be able to say, look, one of my handlers took it, a manager took it. i thought they wanted me to wear it. after all, people pay me to wear it. maybe it should be heard before it gets yanked. >> thank you. it's 7:18. here's matt. >> now the highs and lows of broadway's most expensive show ever. after months of delays and on-stage accidents the critics are weighing in on "spider-man: turn off the dark." it's not pretty. is it a good thing for ticket sales? jeff rossen is in times square. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. we have heard about the celebrities and actors who say, oh, i don't read the reviews. i just focus on the work. the reviews are getting hard to ignore. a new batch out this week. the new york times say it is show is hanging on by a thread. the new york post call it is show laughable. these are the good ones. the show doesn't officially open until next month but when people get hurt -- remember this cable snap and tumble? it's hard to stay under the radar. >> it's a mess. >> reporter: the new york times calls it a depressing disaster, a national joke. spider-man is so broken in every respect that it is beyond repair. seemingly bad news for broadway's most expensive production ever. $65 million and counting. it may also rank among the worst, says the times. >> it's a mess. just a total mess. it unravels before your eyes and you wonder, where did all that money go? >> reporter: and this tangled web keeps getting stickier. four actors have been injured on stage. spidey's stunt man broke his ribs. another actor broke his foot. another broke his wrist and the lead actress natalie mendoza suffered a concussion when a cable hit her in the head. she quit the show. >> there are things we are fixing, getting better. it's way better than it was two months ago. >> reporter: other reviews have been equally vicious from blumberg news, dull and unmemorable. from the new york post, inconsistent, maddening, lame. from the chicago tribune, an incoherent story. and from the l.a. times, a circus spectacle. >> reporter: some of the reports called it erratic, laughable, a mess. what's it like to read that? >> nobody likes to read a review that says, oh, that's crap. you look at sales and go, oh, okay. good. there are different opinions. >> reporter: in fact, sales are way up. last week it overtook "wicked" for the top spot at the box office. even the critics admit their reviews may not matter. the show's problems are fuelling sales. >> it doesn't have great long-term sales. people are buying it on the instant hoping that they will see a boy fall from the sky, literally. >> reporter: you know what they say. no such thing as bad press. shows like this are often looking for buzz and "spider-man" has it. critics usually wait until shows officially open to post reviews but many of the critics got so sick of waiting because the previews have been extended, the show opening delayed so many times they felt they had to do it. if you want to see the show it costs between $67 on the low end up to $135. you be the judge if you want to come or not. >> lots of people are signing up. jeff rossen, thank you very much. just ahead, first lady michelle obama's first live morning show interview. we're happy to have her with us. we'll get to that. first this is "today" on nbc. hey, what are you drinkin'? i'm drinkin' dunkin'. coffee -- black, straight up. extra cream, three sugars. iced coffee french vanilla. for me. iced coffee with a turbo shot. i'm drinkin' dunkin'. i'm drinkin' dunkin'. i'm drinkin' dunkin'. drinkin' dunkin'. america runs on dunk. straight ahead first lady michelle obama has made it to our studio. her first live interview on a morning news program. >> we have a lot to talk about. we'll get to that. first, these messages and a look at your local news and weather. 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[ squawking ] ♪ [ squawking ] this is my band from the 80's, looker. hair and mascara, a lethal combo. i'm jon haber of alto music. my business is all about getting music into people's hands. and the plum card from american express open helps me do that. you name it, i can buy it. and the savings that we get from the early pay discount has given us money to reinvest back into our business and help quadruple our floor space. how can the plum card's trade terms get your business booming? booming is putting more music in more people's hands. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore >> > good morning. i am stan stovall. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> in the southbound direction towards howard county, southbound at 32, we have the disabled vehicle on the shoulder there. accident off to the side creating delays. guilford road, watch for friday that activity. partial roof collapse in that area. eastbound route 40 at the beltway, getting rid of a truck fire. -- getting word of a truck fire. as 5 drive tavis, 15 minutes on the outer loop web site, so not too bad. quick allied looked outside showing you what it looks like on southbound 95. the delays are getting better there. starting to dissipate at 32. at the west side, outer loop slow going. >> a quiet start for us, but it is cold. the temperatures have dropped into the single digits in the northern suburbs. six in cockeysville, three in parkton. the forecast for today, a mixture of clouds and a little sunshine. it will thicken up to mostly cloudy by the afternoon. high temperature of only 34 degrees. storm will pass saw the bus tomorrow. slight chance of light snow or flurries early in the morning. friday and saturday, dry and chilly. >> as always, you can check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information. we are back at 7:55 with another live update. 7:30 now on this wednesday morning, february 9, 2011. let's hope our crowd is bundled up tight because the big chill is in new york and across much of the nation. 15 degrees on the plaza now. meanwhile, inside studio 1a i'm meredith vieira. matt is with our very special guest. >> very special indeed, meredith. we are with the first lady, michelle obama. it's her first trip to studio 1a. good to have you here. >> good to be here. >> we have a lot to talk about, meredith. everything from her campaign against childhood obesity which is very important to her husband. how about this news -- kicking the habit. and the 2012 presidential race and how she feels about that including -- and she'll shake her head on this -- how she feels about being a fashion icon as well. we'll talk to the first lady for a full half hour ahead. first a check on the weather from mr.rokeroker. good morning, everybody. got a nice group of kids here from long branch middle school. talking about stopping bullying. very nice. let's check the weather. man, this is brutally cold air. temperatures well below freezing. in the 20s in texas. teens and 20s in new england. tomorrow, the cold air starts to moderate a bit in the south but heads into the great lakes and the northeast. as it moves into friday you can see the cold air bunched around the great lakes into the northeast. warmer through the southwest, but 20s and 30s in the rockies. chilly in the southeast. >> we are off to a quiet start this wednesday. we will make it into the 30's this afternoon. we lost the winner from yesterday. thickening c and that's your latest weather. matt? >> al, thank you very much. as we said, we are pleased to welcome the first lady, michelle obama, to our studio to talk about a variety of subjects. mrs. obama, it's great to see you. welcome. >> it's good to be here. >> i have a potpourri for you. >> okay. >> let's start with egypt. your husband spoke forcefully during the early days of this saying a transition needs to begin now. the egyptians are still protesting in cairo. president mubarak is still in office some week or so later and it appears the white house softened its stance, not calling for his immediate departure. has his husband softened his stance? >> i'm not going to comment on his policy. the entire west wing has focused a lot of energy on this. when i look at what's going on in egypt it reminds me how grateful we are to live in a democracy. i wish the people of egypt the best and i know that america will be working to do the right thing. >> do you get the sense that it's a tough line to walk for your husband between his spoken desires of all people in the world living with freedom and democracy and the realities of foreign policy and dealing with a friend of this country for over 30 years? >> i don't think there is an issue that my husband deals with that isn't tough. it's hard being president of the united states. he's doing a great job and i know he's focused on this issue. >> i want to talk about re-election in a moment. you made news yesterday. >> i know. >> you revealed in an interview that your husband, after decades of smoking, was kicked the habit. >> well, i was asked. i didn't volunteer it, in case my husband is watching. >> he hasn't had a cigarette, according to you, in almost a year. robert gibbs said you probably had more than a little to do with this. was there tough love at the white house concerning this? >> of course. from all of the women in my husband's life. we want him to be healthy. he's worked hard and i'm proud he's been able to kick the habit. >> a lot of people in this country want to know how. people say every day, i want to quit smoking, but it is a coping mechanism. i live with stress, i li under long hours. so does your husband. how did he do it? >> you know, i don't know. once he made the commitment to quit, i left him alone. it's a very personal thing. i don't think there is one right way to do it. i know once a person makes the decision they have to find the best path. i think i said when a person is doing the right thing, you leave them alone. >> are you leaving him alone to the point you're not checking? is it possible he's going into the lincoln bedroom to sneak a smoke? >> no, no. you can tell. >> you can smell it. >> you can tell. >> the state of the union address, a lot of people thought, okay, this is the unofficial start of the 2012 presidential campaign. you know what campaigns can be like. they are gruelling. they are brutal at times. are you up for it? >> sure, yeah. i'm not thinking about it right now. it's not on my radar screen, but when it's time to get out on the road and talk to the american people, it's something that i enjoy doing. >> will you campaign aggressively? >> i will do whatever i'm asked to do. >> i was trying to do the math. if your husband is fortunate enough to win re-election, that means six more years in the white house for your family. sasha will be 15 -- >> don't, don't. you're killing me. >> malia will be 18. >> how old will i be? >> not only ready to leave the white house, but to leave the house. there is their only childhood. >> yeah. >> you said you have been making it as normal as possible, but you don't get a redo. you can't redo it in a quieter way. does it concern you? >> i think about it all the time. barack and i try to keep them out of it. i think we have done a good job. if you talk to our kids they are very normal. we recognize them. but friend who is come to visit they look and say, these are the little girls we have known. we're just going to stay vigilant. >> six more years is a long time to raise children in the spotlight. >> there are a lot of great kid who is have come out of the white house. so the tradition is great. the bush girls are magnificent. chelsea clinton, she's a solid young woman. we are all proud of them. folks have done -- caroline kennedy. we have a pretty good track record. so the obama girls hopefully will be among -- >> in that group of positive outcomes. >> that's what we are going to hope and pray and ask the country to keep them in their prayers. >> before the super bowl your husband gave an interview to bill o'reilly and was asked if it disturbed him that so many people hated him. first of all, i think the word "hate" is a very powerful word. do you think people hate your husband, even those on the far right? >> i'm sure that there are some people who don't like my husband. any president of the united states -- this is a tough job. you're not going to please everybody all the time. that's not why you do this job. there are tough decisions that have to be made. so i'm sure there are people who don't like my husband. there are people who have had strong feelings about every single president that's ever held the office. >> taking "hate" out of it, there is obviously extreme criticism. i think you made the comment that you don't think your husband has changed dramatically as a result of that criticism. is he the same guy today that he was two years ago as he entered the white house? >> he is. he really is. he is, i think -- one of his gifts is consistency. emotionally, he doesn't get too high or too low unless it has to do with his family. who he is as a president and who he is as a dad and a husband are two different things. he's got a thick skin. he's focused on a set of goals. he wants to do the best job he can in office. i think he's doing a great job. he's remained steady through it all. i think that's a good thing. >> tough challenges facing him. >> absolutely. >> last time we spoke, he said the economy was in tough shape. unemployment was a major concern. a lot of republicans have criticized your husband saying he hasn't focused enough on creating jobs. we asked our viewers to submit e-mail questions. mrs. obama, so many concerned the economy and jobs. if there is someone out there watching right now who is unemployed and is having a very difficult time finding a new job, do you expect that person to support your husband in 2012? >> yes, absolutely. >> why? >> because we are seeing some significant improvements in the economy. i mean, if we look at where we were two years ago when barack took office, we are definitely moving in the right direction. it's a slow growth and that's something barack has said throughout. change doesn't happen overnight. it takes time. but if you look at the accomplishments over this year, he has kept every single promise that he's made. it doesn't always feel good when you're down and out. but i think we are on the right path. >> and so to kitty from ft. worth, texas, who wrote and said, what is your advice, mrs. obama, for someone out there looking for a job? what would you say? >> i think this is why in the state of the union address, my husband focused on investment in the future, education, community colleges. many people are going to have to get retrained. because the economic structure of this country has just changed significantly. some jobs that were there are just gone. so my advice is to find the sectors that are growing. find a way to retrain. look at community colleges and use this time to recharge skills and keep growing. we are at the point in this country where all careers are fluid. i think the days of working in that company for 20 years are gone and young people kind of know that already. they're coming in and they are thinking, i'm here two years. where is my next step? how do i get my next -- you know, training certificate? how do i keep moving and growing? >> keep improving themselves. >> that's how we have to focus. >> i want to congratulate you on an anniversary. it's a year into "let's move" a campaign to improve our nation's children, to get them active and eating healthier. what's been the most important success over that year? >> i think seeing the broad-based coalition of people who are stepping up. we are getting involvement from every sector. from businesses, from the medical profession, from teachers, parents. you know, i had hoped when we started this that this would be a unifying issue because we all care about our kids. and i have seen that positive momentum that people are ready to make some hard changes in their lives in the way we live. we fundamentally started shifting the conversation in this country and that's been a very good thing. >> one of the things you talk a lot about is school lunches. >> absolutely. >> i have three kids in public schools. by the time you leave the white house in two years or six, how will what my kids and other kids in public schools in this country is served in the school cafeteria have changed? what will be the big difference? >> with the passing of the child nutrition legislation this year, we are seeing some of the most sweeping changes in school lunches that we have seen in generations. that was a surprise to me. i would have thought of all the changes that we would have improvements in school lunches but we haven't, but now we'll start seeing that. >> your n're not going to take kids tater-tots, though? >> do you want them to have the tater-tots? >> i want the tater-tots. but you will see dramatic changes? >> you wille s see it improve a focused on education. that's just as important, understanding how to eat. >> what's amazing is when you set out on a project like this you are held to a very tight set of guidelines. you threw a super bowl party on sunday and the menu got out. let me read things. the buffalo wings, deep dish pizza -- >> they were all good. >> people say, wait, this is the lady trying to fight obesity and they put your feet to the fire on this. how did you respond? >> you know, i have always talked about balance in this campaign. we are really trying to make some changes. if you go at a parent and say, you can never take your kid to get a burger, you have lost them. that's not the reality we live in. it's not my reality. i do talk openly about my obsession with french fries. i want people to understand the changes we have to make in our lives are not wholesale changes. many of the changes for kids are small changes, things like adding fruits and vegetables, getting kids moving, putting more water in the diet. these are doable things. >> if you have a day like super bowl sunday, the next day, go back to balance. >> that's what i tell the kids. you can have birthday cake and everything else, have your vegetables and get your exercise. it's important for families not to get caught up, not to think i can never indulge. life is about good food. at least in america. >> a couple of topics before i let you go. we talked about this last time at the white house. i said the stress takes a toll. you said he still looks good, but people are wondering whether your husband is dyeing his hair. >> oh, josh. >> january 19th. on the left, something from early in the morning. this is a day the chinese president visited. in the afternoon, his hair looks darker. what is it? is he dying his hair? >> no. he's pretty gray. >> so it's lighting? >> yeah. it's lighting. i think if he had known he would be president he would have started dying his hair ten years ago. >> grecian formula? >> right. it's too late. >> is he vain about his appearance? >> oh, no. >> not at all? >> gosh, not at all. i wish he would focus more on a different color suit. a new shirt. sasha and malia and i cheer when he puts on a bright-colored shirt. yeah! he cares very little about his appearance. >> for all you were trying to accomplish as first lady, you know what's on google. your style. >> mm-hmm. >> frustrating or compliment? >> i take it as a compliment. it's not something that i focus on. you know. >> you are who you are and let people decide what they want? >> yeah. everybody's got to get dressed in the morning and put on something. i hope people find it nice. but it's not something i focus on. >> real quickly at the end, are sasha and malia on facebook? >> no. >> because of who they are or you're not in favor of it? >> i think we are lucky that there are real constraints, things like secret service and stuff like that. i'm not a big fan of young kids having facebook. so, you know, it's not something they need. it's not necessary right now. >> when you leave the white house they will want to be on facebook and you're okay with that? >> depends on when we leave and how old they are. >> if they're 40? you can let them out of the bubble? >> we'll talk about it. >> michelle obama. mrs. obama, great to have you in the studio. continued success. >> thank you so much, matt. >> it's 46 after the hour. we'll be right back after this. - in all the years we've been coming here, i've never seen a storm like this. 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[ female announcer ] lactaid®. the original lactose-free milk. host: could switching to geico 15% or more on car insurance?. host: what, do you live under a rock? man: no way! man: hey rick check this out! anncr: geico. 15 minutes could save 15% or more on car insurance. always nice to have the first lady join us. of course this is the fist tirs time. >> i like what she said about leaving her husband alone when he quit smoking. i would be all over my husband. you let him do his thing. >> until you smell lingering smoke. >> when you brought up the lincoln bedroom -- >> it's a tough thing to quit smoking. a lot of people struggle with it. it would be nice to know how exactly he accomplished it. >> i think in taking on obesity, it's a major -- as we have been talking about on a daily basis -- issue in this country and it feels as though she's beginning to change the tone of the conversation we were talking about. >> her work with let's move as handed her on the grio's 100 history makers in the making list. >> we'll be right back after this. it was a mystery to me. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and with less pain, i can do more of what matters to me. [ female announcer ] lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior or any swelling or affected breathing, or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. i found answers about fibromyalgia. then i found lyrica. ask your doctor about lyrica today. [ crowd cheering ] it's for saying, "i love us." ♪ i love who we are together, how we've grown, from our nervous conversations to the one we two have become. valentine's day is for taking the time to say i love us. ♪ valentine's day is for taking the time to say i love us. everybody's talking about honey bunches of oats. whoa...with cinnamon! it's got warm, freshly baked cinnamon in one delicious heart healthy cereal. mmmm. can't you just taste it? try honey bunches of oats with cinnamon. heck, try 'em all. just ahead, the dog with the world's largest vocabulary. >> that's right. this is chaser in our studio. 1,022 nouns. we'll put the dog to her test, but first we'll take a look at your local news and weather. i have to be in a bathing suit in a month, and i figured i would take these... "dietary...supplement... weight-loss...pills." ooh! 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>> yeah. got some friends over there that don't seem to be bothered by the cold. >> in a toga no less. >> reminds me of the "cheers" episode. hey, norm, what's up? don't say it. did you hear about the super granny? she apparently foiled a robbery using her purse. look at her going after this guy? we're going to find out more about the story coming up. >> plus, a familiar face cable news viewers will know including time at nbc. last week during what she thought was a private event she opened up about her secret battle with alcoholism admitting there were times she dragged herself to work hung over. this morning she'll share her story in an exclusive live interview. she wants to help a lot of other people. >> i think she will. >> good for her. >> a lot of dogs can obey simple commands. just ahead we'll meet a dog -- this is chaser. chaser understands more than a thousand words. more than most anchors. chaser will show off her amazing abilities live in studio. >> she's a cutie. >> ann is standing by at the news desk. she has all the headlines. >> thanks, guys. come on inside, meredith. in the news today protesters in egypt are defying a government warning to disband and enter into negotiations. massive demonstrations in cairo are in their 16th day and they will not join talks until president mubarak steps down. prosecutors in italy have asked for the prime minister to be put on trial immediately. he's accused of paying for sex with an underaged girl and pressuring police to release her. the government has cleared toyota following a ten-month investigation into reports of sudden acceleration problems that caused some 12 million vehicles to be recalled. the transportation department found that electronic glitches were not to blame. now to wall street as erin burnett is at the new york stock exchange. >> good morning. we'll have a lower open, but the markets have been inching higher. if you bought in 2009, the worst day of all you would have doubled your money. we are a couple points shy of a full double. thatle milestone may surprise people who say weal still don't have jobs. all eyes will be on washington today as ben bernanke testifies in front of a committee on the house of representatives. he'll talk about the fed, jobs, inflation in front of paul ryan's budget committee. that will be the big story of the session. >> all right. thanks for the heads-up. erin burnett, thank you very much. an update now on a guest we have had on the broadcast several times. al irki babeneau had a heart transplant tuesday and we are happy to report the family says the surgery went well and doctors are removing the pump today. we wish her luck. finally a grandmother who battled thieves with her handbag is britain's new hero. we have nbc's stephanie gosk with the story from london. stephanie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. this is a cautionary tale for would be thieves. watch your back. the granny vigilante could be anywhere. [ "superman" theme plays ] ♪ >> reporter: the papers are calling her "supergran." ann simpson, 71 years old, tears across the street, worried a young man is being beat up. she realizes the crew is actually robbing the store and then she gets mad. i hit one with my shopping, she said, wielding her purse with the skill that only comes from decades and decades of experience. she landed several blows against one lad on a bike which brought him to the ground. the thiefs had sledge hammers. she had a handbag. >> amazing. the courage to do that. >> reporter: there has been a spate of jewel heists in britain. >> i think she was brave. i certainly wouldn't have done the same. >> reporter: very few people would have. very few people are supergran. four of the thieves are in court today and ann is resting at home. she said it's her purse that needs the rest, ann. >> stephanie gosk this morning, thank you very much for bringing us the story. i need a bigger handbag. it's 8:05. now a check of the weather with al outside. hey, al. >> thanks, ann. we have friends here from monroe. and just west of there we have folks from west monroe. are you all together? >> yeah. >> what's different about west monroe? >> we're all from west monroe. >> there you go. let's check your weather for west monroe, east, central and downtown monroe. albany, georgia, rainshowers, 39 degrees. as you look on the satellite you will see we have the system coming through texas, oklahoma, whe where they could pick up six to nine inches of snow. snowshowers around the great lakes. mountain snows in idaho. breezy in california. 76 in los angeles today. >> we are off to a quiet start this wednesday. it is cold right now. clouds will be picked it up as we had to the day. 34 this afternoon. in the words of our good friend bryant gumbel, why? matt? >> when we come back, former news anchor lori dew opens up about her secret battle with alcoholism. first, these messages. try this. ♪ ♪ it's that chocolate ♪ it's that whipped cream ♪ it's that caramel, and espresso you mix in ♪ ♪ i must be, i must be, i must be, i must be ♪ ♪ i must be dreamin' [ male announcer ] for the first time at mcdonald's -- your two favorite flavors together. new mccafé caramel mocha. well? what do you guys think? perfect. 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was just voted product of the year? in a national consumer survey on production innovation thousands of americans voted. aquafresh iso-active was the clear winner! we guarantee it will be your favorite, too, or your money back. try aquafresh iso-active. amazing. back now with a surprising admission from former nbc anchor laurie dhue. she revealed her battle withal alcoholism publically for the first time. we'll talk to her in a moment. first, natalie morales has her story. >> reporter: hlaurie was a risig star but was struggling with a serious addiction. >> a frightening night in the skies over south carolina. >> reporter: laurie dhue was a beautiful and accomplished broadcaster. her career began in her 20s in atlanta where she rose quickly through the ranks at cnn. from there she moved to msnbc. and then on to fox news. she remains the only anchor to have hosted shows on all three major cable news networks. >> good morning, everyone. >> reporter: dhue also spent time at nbc news as a fill-in news anchor on "weekend today." >> hello, everybody. uh >> reporter: she developed a following, especially from men who posted comments and put tributes of her online. looking back she admits she had it all, a career in full swing, traveling the world interviewing political leaders and news makers and enjoying friends and family. at an event last week she made a shocking admission. her confidence in public was a facade to what she was battling internally. she spent years struggling with alcoholism and admitted, i wouldle drag myself in to work deeply hungover. i had to drink myself into oblivion receive times a week. i felt inside i was dying to the point i didn't recognize the woman looking back at me. >> those are not uncommon things to hear from someone with an alcohol problem. alcohol dependence is quite common in the population. lifetime prevalence rates can be as high as 35% of the population. >> reporter: dhue began on the road to recovery almost four years ago. after two more stints on tv she launched her own media training company and said she's exactly where she needs to be. dhue said she hopes other people sufferi ining in silence can ta something positive from her experience, as i'm sure you will hear, meredith. >> thank you very much. laurie dhue is with us exclusively. good morning. >> good morning. i'm so happy to be here. >> i know you are. the reason you are here is precisely what natalie said. you want to help other people. >> i do. there are more than 30 million people suffering from addiction whether it's alcohol like me, drugs, shopping, food, or gambling. so many people don't know they have a problem and once they realize they have the problem, they don't know what to do. they suffer in silence as i did. i lived in a lot of fear and i didn't know that first i had to admit that i had a problem. then i had to seek help and help is everywhere. >> let's go to the dinner where you revealed you were an alcoholic. this was a week ago at a private dinner hosted by a conservative columnist. you didn't know going in there that there would be anybody who might report this to the public. >> right. this was a private dinner. i knew i would be speaking to 80 to 100 people. i knew i would be talking about my battle with alcoholism and thele role of faith in my life. i did not know there was a reporter in the room. i certainly didn't know anyone would be writing about it. so next morning when i was at the prayer breakfast my blackberry start eed going off saying, laurie, have you seen this? i was surprised because i didn't want to out myself but now that the genie is out of the bottle i want to help people. >> what about the reaction of people? you had friends and family members and colleagues in the industry who knew, but most did not. what has the reaction been? >> that's right. well, i hid my alcoholism for many, many years. i was probably a high functioning alcoholic as many people are. but there were cracks certainly. there were definitely times where people asked me what was wrong and i just didn't even know myself. so once i decided to take this big step of saying, i need to change my life. i need to get my life back. everyone was unbelievably supportive, including fox news channel. they know about my struggle with this and have been stroupportiv >> you said you were an alcoholic for at least 15 years. >> at least. >> what was the moment you realized, i can't do this anymore? i can't live like this? >> there was a moment one morning on march 14, 2007 where i looked in the mirror and i did not recognize the woman who was looking back at me. i was sick and tired of being sick and tired. so i literally woke up and said, that's it. it's over. i called an addiction specialist who then helped me through early sobriety. i have a program of recovery that has helped me tremendously in the last several years. it's literally one day at a time. >> i was going to ask you, how much of a struggle is it? >> for me, i was so tired when i decided to make my decision. i was so physically, emotionally and spiritually exhausted that for me making the decision to stop drinking was easy. if there is a message i want to get out today it's that you don't have to suffer in silence. for people who are hurting out there -- and there are tens of millions of people -- there is help available. and this is not a journey that you have to make alone. you don't have to be isolated. there is so much help out there. i'm on facebook. if anyone wants to talk to me about it, i'm more than willing to talk. >> for four years as you have been recovering you have chosen not to talk about it. were you afraid people would judge you? >> i did. there is such a stigma attached to alcoholism in this country. it shouldn't be a dirty little secret but it is a closeted issue. so i think that's why i held off on telling people and i also thought, well, i'm never going to get a job again if people know i'm a recovering alcoholic that may help me. now i'm a small business owner and occasionally on tv trimt from time to time. i have never been more at peace and the peace is out there for people who are struggling. >> laurie, thank you for sharing your story. >> thank you. >> up next, on a much different note we'll meet chaser, the dog with the thousand-word vocabulary right after this. mpletely blocked artery, another heart attack could be lurking, waiting to strike. a heart attack that's caused by a clot, one that could be fatal. but plavix helps save lives. plavix, taken with other heart medicines, goes beyond what other heart medicines do alone, to provide greater protection against heart attack or stroke and even death by helping to keep blood platelets from sticking together and forming dangerous clots. ask your doctor if plavix is right for you. protection that helps save lives. 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[click] that's still meatloaf. - very good. moving on. - we are insurance. - ♪ we are farmers ♪ bum di bum bum bum bum bum ♪ so you think your dog is smart because he can sit, stay or fetch? meet chaser, the border collie with an astonishing 1,022-noun vocabulary. here with her trainer and alison reed who co-authored a story on chaser. this isn't dog tricks here. what did you set out to prove? >> we think it's science. our primary goal is to try to teach the dog language. we don't call it human. she'll never get that close, but we're trying to teach her words and learn how to teach her words. >> so nouns and verbs, actions. so you can give chaser two different commands and she can operate under both. >> correct. >> is chaser a one in a million dog or do you think this is something any dog could learn? >> i think any border collie could learn this. the real issue is how much training john put into the dog. four, five hours per day for three years. >> you had to take the training and turn it into scientific fact which is a hard thing to do. >> chaser's vocabulary even makes a statement about what chaser understood about words. >> we have 1,022 nouns that chaser understands. we brought 25 items with us -- or you have -- here to the studio. i understand if i kneel next to chaser i can give her commands. she doesn't know what items i will ask her to fetch, correct? >> correct. >> i know the names of the things i want her to fetch. chaser, fetch tennis. fetch tennis. chaser, fetch tennis. chaser, fetch tennis. put it in the tub. good dog! in the tub. she's using my voice which she's never heard before. good girl. in the tub. in tub. good girl. chaser, fetch peppermint. that's exactly what the peppermint is. in tub. chaser, fetch spongebob. fetch spongebob. >> spongebob is not out there. >> no. here it is right here. >> here is spongebob right there. >> she sees better than i do. >> in tub. chaser, in tub. this is incredible. what else do you want to learn from chaser? what else can you accomplish with her? >> speak. >> you're good at that. >> we are interested in syntax. for example, do the order of the words matter? >> do you think we can learn something quickly about human learning from this? >> it's hard to know whether we can apply it to humans or not. we are trying to understand what dogs understand when we are talking to them and how extensive their vocabularies can become if they are given training. >> that's great. not just tricks. this is real science. john, allister, thank you very much. chaser, thank you very much. john and chaser are featured in nova science now episode called "how smart are animals." now to meredith who knows 300 nouns. >> now a look at the film "hop" from universal. it tells the story of the easter bunny as he travels to hollywood and runs into fred o'hare. >> e.b.! you're about to be crowned the easter bunny. >> look, dad. i want to drum in a band in hollywood. >> announcer: april 1 -- from the creators of "despicable me". >> look how cute this stuffed bunny is. he's so cute, cuddly and -- warm. >> is she seeing anyone? >> no. she's single. she's looking for a rabbit. >> hard to follow a dog act. >> watching chaser, i thought, that's easy. >> you play an animal in the movie. e.b., the easter bunny. >> you're a blood professional. how you linked those things together. >> how did you know what the easter bunny sounds like? >> i just used intuition, really, and my own voice. it's a combination. >> and you have to play against nothing. >> no. >> not that you don't have tale talent. hard? >> he wasn't physically there, but his essence was. >> you'll be back >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is the traffic with sarah caldwell. >> on the eastern shore, southbound 13, all lanes are closed in the southbound direction. if you travel there, watch for delays. southbound robert byrd -- southbound harrisburg expressway approaching belfast road. liberty road and oakland mills road, watch for a crash. another one that went out and liberty -- number one at been a hoax and security boulevard. once you get on to the outer loop, looking at westside delays. southbound j.f.x. from the beltway all the way to 28 hall,er road ant perry water main break there. it is going to be about 20 minutes to get through the west side stretch. 11 minutes on southbound 95 from the beltway southwest to 32. website delay. that is the pace of things towards edmondson. on the harrisburg expressway, a big mess from middletown to mount carmel. >> we are off to a quiet but cold start. the temperatures managed to drop into the single digits in the northern suburbs. nine and a parked it right now. 18 at a catonsville. at least we've lost to the winds that we had yesterday. clouds will be thickening up this afternoon. a little bit of sunshine this morning. high temperature of like 34 degrees. there could be light snow or flurries. mosely south of baltimore,. and dry and cool on saturd 8:30 on this wednesday morning the 9th of february, 2011. have we mentioned that it is cold here in manhattan? it feels like it's 4 degrees, but, you know, at least it's not snowing here. just ahead, more of the series on obsessions. this morning the neverending pursuit of the fountain of youth. women will do anything to not look their age. are we too obsessed with looking younger? >> we all know the answer to that. >> yes. >> also ahead, valentine's day around the corner. if you are thinking of buying your sweetie a box of chocolates? martha stewart says, wait a minute, you can make great treats at home to show that significant person how much you care. martha will share those with us in a little while. >> also ahead, we have geoffrey rush. he's won an oscar already and is up for another for "the king's speech." he has talent. >> makes his own clothes, too. we'd like to bring back mr. russell brand and james marsden, stars of the upcoming film "hop" from universal. unlike a lot of animated films you got to work together to do some of the recording. >> we did work together. >> yeah, we did. when russell did preliminary records and then i asked him to dress up as a bunny. he was gracious to do that. >> i would also dress up for james' children and sometimes his wife. >> i heard about that actually. >> it's so nice to be here promoting our film. >> and the film is for children actually. >> what? it's a family film. directed at families. >> there are a lot of easter movies. it's been a holiday that's been ignored. i'm glad you're representing it. >> we thought we'd jump on that. >> and there are not a lot of children's films with russell brand. >> i'm quite a family-oriented man now since i have been become wed and my adventures with james' wife in the rabbit costume. >> how about "saturday night live." >> you're going to host. here's what you tweeted. i am hosting "saturday night live" february 12. if you have any sketches, jokes, please send. remember, i will only play drug addicts. >> my limited career. >> before you were married. >> looking forward to "snl"? >> i'm excited about doing something live. >> are you nervous? >> are you chilly, darling? >> oh! >> james, it's cold. >> "saturday night live" this weekend. "hop" coming out as well. >> april 1. >> good luck. congratulations. >> now we have a check of the weather from you. >> all right. let's show you what's happening. >> it's cold out! it's bloody cold! >> yes. it's bloody cold. rain down through the gulf coast. snow through the mid mississippi river valley. mountain snows in idaho and parts of montana. snow will continue. the frigid weather will continue into new england. rain in central and southern florida. sunny and mild through the southwest. >> we are off to a quiet start this wednesday. we will make it into the 30's this afternoon. we lost the winner from yesterday. thickening clo russell brand warming up the crowd right now. look at that. one audience member at a time. hey, don't forget. if you want to check out where it's warm or where it's bloody cold go to the weather channel on cable, weather.com. >> when we come back, why as a culture are we so obsessed with looking good and staying younger? back now at 8:37 with more of our special series, why are we so obsessed with --. this morning our obsession with looking younger. >> how did they get these age defying results? with the neckline slimmer. >> press your fingers on the cheekbone. >> reporter: the quest for youth and beauty may be a centuries-old obsession but today the reality is getting ugly. the lure of the fresh, young face is stronger than ever. >> we live in a culture that's celebrity-obse celebrity-obsessed. what we are looking at is the idealized version of getting older. >> reporter: chasing the ideal used to be just for those who could afford to pay the price. now you can find hope in a jar on any drugstore shelf. >> women look at celebrities and love what they see. they don't factor in that these women make almost a full-time job out of looking good. >> reporter: your appearance can impact your work and whether you are working at all. researchers looking at whether there is a beauty premium in the work place find those looking more youthful are likely to be hired and paid up to 12% more. >> that's a shame. the wisdom and experience that go with age should be valued. there should be inherent attractiveness that comes with that. >> reporter: inherently attractive or not, 13% of the same plain janes said they'd consider cosmetic surgery to stay competitive, especially when it makes them competitive in other areas. >> there have been a number of studies that show that beautiful, youthful-looking people, you know, get fewer traffic tickets, rate higher on intelligence tests, get better grades from teachers. >> reporter: and get this -- even live longer, according to a recent danish study. >> there is this adage that by 60 you have the face you deserve. now you can have the face you don't deserve. it's an achieving mechanism. >> reporter: when answering the question to cheat or not, some should be asking how much is too much. >> it's very difficult to find the line where you slip from vanity into obsession. >> women increasingly stop looking like themselves. that's the sign that something is on the unhealthy side. >> reporter: here to talk more about the obsession with looking younger, bobbi brown, galin galina espinoza and kathie lee gifford. >> i don't know why i'm here. good morning, everyone. >> why do we perceive younger as better? >> younger is beautiful. there is no question. it's about resetting your brain. it's not object how you look. it's how you feel and think. >> that's the ideal we strive for, but unfortunately the reality is we are such a youth-oriented culture. we place so much value on youth. that's the american way and it's hard for women to feel they can age with dignity and grace in this country. >> you're in your 40s. the rest of us are in our 50s. are you treated differently kathie lee? >> sure. but that's part of the whole journey. i look at it through a spiritual lens. for me, the women i see -- is that me? see, that's me. the women who are obsessed with staying young are women who do not understand or believe that they are already incredibly valued. >> you don't get that value back. >> you get it from god. you may not get it from people. but if you understand there is a purpose for you right now then you are not looking backwards and mourning what's past. you're excited about the possibilities of today. that doesn't mean you don't want to look good. it's all about your purpose. if the purpose is to look good that's an empty life. >> i feel i'll become invisible as i get older. when you're young, people pay attention. >> the heads stop turning. >> you don't become invisible to the people who love you. your husband, family, friends, me. >> it's about yourself and i think as a woman gets older it's not about microscoping what's wrong with your face. it's about taking care of yourself, eating well, exercising and it's about how you feel. stop worrying about the little things that are wrong. >> you purposely don't look in mirrors. >> i don't. i have a tall mirror at home and i always look before i go out. i think i'm 5'10". >> right. >> if you're not having a good beauty day, do something. wear big jewelry, buy a pair of shoes, exercise. >> and look for other things that make you feel good. let's stop thinking about ourselves in terms of family, community, intelligence. let's start valuing other aspects of ourselves. >> you see a number of teenagers getting plastic surgery has doubled. >> teenagers. >> teenagers. >> right. and 20-something starlets in hollywood are going in for botox and lip injections. >> there is a desperation to it. first of all they don't appreciate their youth. >> nobody does. i bet in the bikini you thought, i need to lose ten pounds. >> no, i didn't. we need great role models. for me, annette bening and julianne moore are great role models. >> you're not opposed to getting work done? >> don't now know something who get something fixed and they think, that bothers me, too. it's never enough. people who have had way too much don't seem to realize it. >> it's like bobbi said. it's about taking pride in your appearance. feeling good helps you look good but you don't want to take it to the extreme where you are so unhappy because of what you look like. >> be in the present. that's the hardest thing. >> how do you know when you cross the line from wanting to look good to being out there? >> when your constantly looking at what you could do and thinking about it. wear blush. there are so many things you can do. >> get a blowout. >> or have a good friend who will tell you the truth. do one more thing and i won't recognize you coming down the street. and your lips shouldn't enter the room before you do. >> never. >> or your stomach, by the way. >> thank you so much. tomorrow on "today" we'll tackle our obsession with gossip. up next, chocolate treats for your valentine from martha stewart. first, this is "today" on nbc. back now at 8:45. this morning on martha an "today," hot and cold chocolate desserts. if the way too yo your loved on heart is paved with chocolate, martha stewart has decadent desserts they will love. >> we have been talking about valentine's day for two weeks already. >> chocolate is great. people talk about comfort food. this is the ultimate comfort food. >> chocolate, everyone seems to love it. and that cover of the magazine has really appealed to a lot of people. there is also an ipad version where the chocolate is pouring down over the ice cream. >> what will you think of next? >> hot and cold is really conducive to emotions. so i thought of a wonderful baked alaska with chocolate ice cream, chocolate cake and merengue. >> i was reading the recipe. sounds difficult. >> it's not. bake a rich chocolate cake on a cookie sheet, almost like a brownie. cut it out with cookie cutters. these are individual-sized baked alaska. you can make them small or bigger. >> line them with saran wrap? >> and vegetable spray. this is the chocolate ice cream. you have a layer of ice cream. >> does it have to be all chocolate? i'll just take a little. >> just put a little bit of ice cream. then the next layer of cake. >> okay. you want the chocolate ice cream at a consistency to work with it. >> a little bit soft, but not real runny. you will put it right back in the freezer. you have to have it frozen before you put the merengue on it. we have beaten it up with sugar and cream of tartar. >> is the top layer ice cream? >> no. you wrap it up, put it in the freezer. we have one that's already frozen. >> i have one for you, too. >> now turn this out. turn it out on the baking sheet, by the way. this has to go either under a broiler just to brown the meringue or a little kitchen propane torch. do you have one? >> yes. >> you know, to make creme brulee and brown the meringue. use this if you like and just cover this with -- look how pretty. you can do it if you don't have a pastry bag, you can do it with a spatula. just cover it. put it back in the freezer to get it really cold, the meringue. then brown it. when it comes out, it will look like this. look how pretty? >> you will be mad at me, but if you don't have time to bake the cake from scratch, could you use a box mix? >> get a good one. >> another thing, we have made three different kinds of hot chocolate. this is a white hot chocolate. we'll make popsicles out of it. you can drink it as is or put it in these. do you have them? >> they're cool. >> they are really cool. >> you throw the stick in there? >> no. put the top back on. >> so it gives you a guide. >> it keeps the stick upright in the center. these make the best popsicles. you can do fresh orange juice or something richer for valentine's day. this is a hot chocolate with milk and a little cream. >> and peanut butter. >> lots of chocolate. >> we'll put the recipe on the website. it has chocolate and peanut butter. sounds delicious. happy valentine's day. >> enjoy. make something for your family. >> i will. up next, academy award winner geoffrey rush on his oscar nomination. first this is "today" on nbc. geoffrey rush has won the triple crown of acting awards, an oscar for shine, an emmy for "the life and death of peter sellers" and a tony. he's nominated for best supporting actor for his role in "the king's speech." >> get up. you can't sit there. >> why not? it's a chair. >> that is not a chair -- that is st. edwards chair. >> people have carved their names on it. >> listen to me. >> by what right? >> my divine right. >> you said you didn't want it. why should i waste my time listening -- >> because i have a right and i have a voice! >> yes, you do. >> geoffrey rush, what a pleasure to have you here. so nice to see you. fourth oscar nomination. how sweet is it the fourth time around? >> looking gorgeous. doing this film was such a pleasurable experience. >> the queen apparently recently saw it. >> the queen has given us a review. >> she said "moving". >> colin and i were debating whether the posters should say "dazzling, new york times, moving, the queen". >> why not? >> she could be on netflix. >> were you surprised by the reaction the film is getting? >> look. we knew we had a very interesting, potent story. two men from such different class backgrounds and continent backgrounds. interesting to see how they became friends. but it was only at telluride when we went to the festival and the audience just went feral, ballistic. they were applauding lines of dialogue. there was a potency we hadn't expected. >> you play the speech therapist. >> i thought it should be called "the king's speech therapist." they wouldn't buy it. >> maybe colin wouldn't. colin is obviously the king in this. >> yes. >> you're an executive producer. this idea came to you in a brown paper bag that was dropped off at your house. >> it was like an orphan at my doorstep. >> it was. >> the producer of the play in london had the rights. her friend lived two doors away. she broke all the protocol and left it on my doorstep. i dutifully read it because i knew about that period of history but i knew nothing about lionel. he was an unknown figure. the fact that he was an australian figure was so appealing and an unpredictable australian character. he didn't play sports. >> there were a lot of things you say were very much like you beyond australian. you both love the theater. >> he was a fairly erudite man. he was an elocution teacher and got into speech therapy and started helping shell-shocked soldiers from the first world war and then the duke of york who accidentally became the king. >> are you the kind of guy, do you prepare a speech for when you win or in case? what do you do? >> you know you're nominated and you are one of five people. there is a remote chance -- i don't know what the odds are. someone's keeping tabs on favorites and all that stuff. you just don't know. i think it's worth having -- because having been up there, you do go into a sort of strange zombified state. you don't want to chew up 45 seconds of screen time with nothing. that's bad television. >> for those wondering about the cap, you shaved your head because you will be in "diary of a mad man." >> there couldn't be a higher point in my career. we did broadway and we are now doing "diary of a mad man". >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i met mindy basara. 50 years -- i am mindy basara. 50 years in prison. that is the sentence handed down to this man for a stabbing death in severna park ridge prosecutors argued that he got into an argument with a 52-year- old last may. he then followed her and her boyfriend to the apartment and stabbed her while she sat in >> now let's look at the forecast with tony pann. >> we are off to a cold start this wednesday. the cloud seven thickening up and that trend will continue as we head into the afternoon. variable clouds. high temperature of only 34 degrees. storm will pass saw the bus late tonight and tomorrow morning. -- will pass out the bus late tonight and tomorrow morning. ffriday and saturday it warms up to near 50. >> another weather update at 9:25.