Transcripts For WRC Today 20100323

good morning. signed, sealed and repealed? as president obama prepares to put his signature on health care reform, republicans are lining up challenges to block or repeal the landmark legislation. this morning white house senior advisor david axelrod and republican party chief michael steele weigh in. shocking allegations. a man who was in michael jackson's bedroom on the morning of the singer's death claims he saw dr. conrad murray stop cpr to collect drug vials scattered around the room. did that alleged delay play a role in the pop star's death? and look out. a texas police officer chasing down a suspect when another driver pulls out in front of him. he swerves to avoid a crash but ended up in the woods and he's nursing his injuries "today," ended up in the woods and he's nursing his injuries "today," tuesday, march 23rd, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning. i'm meredith vieira. >> i'm lester holt, in for matt this morning. president obama made health care reform a cornerstone of his administration. this morning he's signing it into law. >> but at what cost to the remainder of his presidency. on monday, a furious senator john mccain said he will stop cooperating with the obama administration as a result of the health care negotiations. mccain also joined fellow senate republicans who say they will move to repeal the historic legislation when the senate takes up a package of changes this week. we'll talk about all of that with senior obama advisor david axelrod and michael steele, the chairman of the republica national committee. also ahead this morning, how could two high-profile attacks on teenagers happen at the very same floor at a school? we told you about a student monday nearly beaten to death last week allegedly by a 15-year-old boy, all this over the exchange of text messages. five months ago, another school same school, was doused with rubbing alcohol and lit on fire by some of his classmates. coming up, the latest on what parents can teach their children about the dangers of kids. this morning, you'll hear from the woman trapped inside her car as it was pushed 60 miles an hour down a highway by a trucker who had no idea that car was under his bumper. >> so frightening. we want to begin this morning with the historic signing of health care legislation and hostility that comes along with it. nbc's kelly o'donnell is on capitol hill for us this morning. kelly, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, lester. there is very little signs the intensity or hostility around this issue will let up. today the president gives the okay for health care reform to take another lap around the trap. get ready for more debates and possible changes. >> the bill is passed. >> reporter: from democrats' midnight burst of applause celebrating on the house floor late sunday, to an angry outburst from conservative talker rush limbaugh on the air. >> every single democrat who voted for this needs to know, safe district or not, they are going to be exposed and hassled and chased from office. >> reporter: the health care debate remains a raw nerve. so raw, one republican shouted "baby killer!" while democrat bart stupak, a prominent opponents of rights was speaking. third-term republican randy neugebauer said he was only venting about the bill. >> some people thought those passionate remarks were directed at congressman stupak. they were not. >> reporter: some turned the wind into a sales pitch. a labor union is running ads to support 14 democrats considered politically at risk. >> congressman allen boyd said no to big insurance and yes to standing up for us. >> reporter: former house speaker, republican newt gingrich, strongly criticized democrats and their bl as too partisan. gingrich reacted while overseas. >> this is a ruthlessly chicago machine kind of approach that is i think fundamentally wrong and fundamentally against the american tradition. >> reporter: and now, it's the senate's turn to launch one more debate. >> a strategy of delay, myth and fear might slow progress but cannot stop it. >> reporter: senate republicans have their own strategy and can offer dozens of amendments and try to strike whole sections of the bill. john mccain argues a bigger strategy -- repeal the bill. >> we will challenge this all over america and the will of the people will be heard. >> reporter: and there are some senate democrats who come from more conservative-leaning states who say they will not vote along with their party on some of these next steps. but, majority leader harry reid says that he will hold together because in this space he will only need 51 votes. he'll try to encourage his democrats to hold together. meredith? >> kelly o'donnell, thank you very much. david axelrod is the senior advisor to president obama. mr. axelrod, good morning to you. call it hostility, intensity, whatever you want, emotions are running high on capitol hill this morning. yesterday you had your own back-and-forth with senator mccain after he said that he will stop cooperating with the administration you responded that that was a disappointing attitude, to which one of his spokes people said, senator john mccain will always stand on the side of the american people. "get used to it, mr. axelrod. that's what strong independent members do. you know that if you had ever worked for one." your reaction to that? >> i'm not going to get into a contest of jibes with senator mccain's spokesperson. what i said i meant. i respect senator mccain. he has shown independence in the past. he did have the most partisan voting record in the senate last year, but when he says we're not going to cooperate on anything because we're unhappy about health insurance reform, i don't think that's the attitude the american people want. we've seen that time and again, republicans trying to tie up the senate. senator mcconnell said in the newspaper a couple of weeks ago that they want to oppose everything because they feel if the president fails, the country will succeed. i don't think that's what the american people want. they want us to work together to solve problems. >> the president i going to sign this bill into law today at 11:15. after that the senate will start debating fixes to the bill. i know that some senate democrats met with the president yesterday. what assurances, if any, did they give him that they are going to pass this bill as it is? >> oh, i'm very confident that the changes, the improvements, in this bill will pass. but understand we are signing this bill into law today. and while i understand the fascination and back-and-forth and political implications and so on, the important thing is today, kids with pre-existing conditions and their families will have the assurance of knowing that they can get coverage. small businesses all over this country will get this year tax credit, 35%, for health care so they can give health coverage to their employees. lifetime caps will come off insurance so that if you get seriously ill, you won't go bankrupt. u can't be thrown off your insurance if you get seriously ill. these are fundamental things that are going to improve the lives of the american people and give them greater security. that's what we're focused on today. >> yesterday you said to chuck todd, health insurance reform is passed, the american people are ready to move on. but on thursday the president will travel to iowa to speak about health care reform. if the white house is so convinced that the american people want this bill, then why is it necessary for the president to keep going out there an selling it? >> well, meredith, he's going back to iowa where he's made his first speech on health reform to talk to people at the grassroots who really gave the impetus for this bill. the impetus for this bill were the hundreds of thousands of people who wrote the president and told him of their personal experiences, going bankrupt because of medical -- >> but isn't he still trying to sell this bill out in public? >> -- people are existing conditions who couldn't get health care. he wants to go and celebrate with those who helped give the impetus for this bill. and mark the fact that we have greater health security now and for the future in this country. >> so he's not trying to sell this bill to those people in the country, and they aren't divided about whether this is a good thing? >> meredith, i know there is a fascination with polls. every poll you look at says when you look at the individual components of what this bill is, people embrace it. and now it is a reality. now those small businesses will get those tax credits. now kids with pre-existing conditions will get coverage and adults with pre-existing conditions ultimately will get coverage so we'll end that stain on our health care system. that is the reality, and as people become familiar with it, it will sell itself. >> is it also a reality that if the president -- he's got an ambition domestic agenda in front of him still -- if he can't get that partisanship, he's learned through this, i can do it by myself, i don't need you? >> look, we're willing to work with anyone that wants to work with us. this health care reform bill was put together by all of us. we can't stall our progress because of political decisions made by one party or the other that we're going to try and shut the whole process down. we can't allow that to happen. >> david axelrod, thank you for your perspective this morning. i know where you'll be at 11:15 for sure. 7:09. for more, here's lester. meredith, thanks. now from the perspective from the other side, michael steele is the chairman of the republican national committee. mr. steele, good morning, thanks for joining us. let me pick right up on this movement to repeal the bill. what parts of the health care bill would you like to repeal and why? >> i think overall, most americans would like to see the whole thing undone at this point and start over with, as they said throughout the last couple of months, a bill that's more bottom-up, patient-doctor centered. we're looking for our legislative leadership to take the first step and approach on that. overall, the general mood is the bottom line on this bill is too expensive, it creates too much of aax burden on small businesses. it certainly has -- it's a definite impact on medicare. so these things are going to be looked at almost immediately by the republican leadership. >> that's a bigger picture. the fact of the matter is while americans are divided on this, a lot of them have now looked at paper, looked at some of the things in the bill and say, hey, hey that applies to my situation, i'll take it. by now trying to repeal it, are republicans in the position of trying to take something away and isn't it a lot harder than opposing a bill in the first place? >> first of all, i disagree with your premise that a lot of americans have now taken a look at the bill. taken a look at what bill? they're still writing the thing. so there is nothing to take a look at. we've been told about provisions, largely watered-down provisions with respect to portability and the like. the details of those provisions have not been vetted o yet. as you know, this is a shelf a bill that will be written largely through a regulatory process that is of great concern as well. >> do you want to be in a position of taking something away? >> look. look. you can set up this straw dog argument which i know the left is starting to do that says, there's all this great stuff that republicans wanted in this bill and they want to repeal the bill? they're taking something away from you. >> let's talk about what republicans hope to gain from this, certainly looking down towards november. fy click on to your websitehis morning, i see an image of nancy pelosi surround by flames, "fire nancy pelosi." you've raised about $800,000 according to what's on that website right now. >> that's right. >> why target her? why is she the villain when it was the president who came out and said this will be a priority? does this do anything to increase the civil dialogue on capitol hill? >> well, the president -- i find it amusing now that everybody's all of a sudden now this thing has passed, is interested in civil dialogue. i mean the reality of it is, no one paid attention to the american people for the past year. the american people have been to the point of outrage on this issue. but having said that, i think the president took his legislative -- his key legislative agenda item and gave it to nancy pelosi to run, so this is, in effect, her bill. she crafted it, this is what she wanted, she's the one who pulled this out of the fire for the president after the scott brown election, not the white house. so nancy pelosi owns this, as much as anyone else. and i think that the fact that the way she's run the house, the way that a lot of the republican leadership was not a part in crafting this bill in the house, and certainly working with the senate leadership trying to get some things done, very difficult. she i think more than most has a greater hand in what weaw passed the other night than anyone else. the bottom line is, if you want to try to undo a lot of the daniel that's being done or being planned to be done in this bill, nancy pelosi's got to get fired. i've called for that. i called for that the first night this thing was signed and i've asked folks to go to firenancypelosi.com and help me do it. >> we have to end there. rnc chairman michael steele, thanks for your time. nbc news will have live coverage of president obama's signing of the health care bill anchored by brian williams this morning at 11:15 eastern time right here on nbc. now once again, here's meredith. lester, thank you. could michael jackson's death have been prevented? there are startling new allegations that his doctor stopped cpr on the superstar. nbc's jeff rossen has been following that investigation and is here with the latest. >> reporter: hi, meredith. the new revelations come from a jackson insider. they're pretty stunning. he says while michael jackson was dieing in bed in his mansion, dr. conrad murray was running around the room trying to hide all the drugs instead of saving jackson's life. if true, it is a bombshell. new evidence about what really happened inside michael jackson's home the day he died. according to new documents obtained by the ap, a witness says jackson's personal physician, dr. conrad murray, stopped cpr on the singer and delayed calling 911 so he could collect drug vials in the room. >> we have a personal doctor here with hwith him somebody si. but he's not responding to cpr or anything. >> reporter: dr. murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter. prosecutors say he gave jackson a lethal dose of propofol just before he died. >> we're going to waive the reading of the complaint, judge, just enter our plea of not guilty. >> it makes dr. murray look really bad in front of the jury. he looks highly reckless. he looks like he puts his own legal interest above the well being of his patient. >> reporter: the new information comes from a jackson employee who claims he watched it happen. but now dr. murray's attorney says the employee's accusation is inconsistent with the statement he gave to the police the day after mr. jackson was taken to the hospital. the website tmz is now reporting that even when paramedics arrived at the house, dr. murray withheld information failing to tell them that he gave jackson paro propofol. this morning the california attorney general jerry brown wants dr. murray's medical license suspended calling his actions reprehensible. >> jeff rossen, thank you very much. we want to get a checkf the rest of the morning's top stories. natalie morales is at the news desk for ann. good morning, everyone. today president obama meets with israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu, their first meeting since israel's controversial decision to build more settlements in east jerusalem. last night netanyahu said, in his words, jerusalem is not a settlement, it's our capital. the u.s. calls its commitment to israel rock solid but on monday secretary of state hillary clinton warned the obama administration would stand firm when it disagreed with israeli policy. the community activist group a.c.o.r.n. is shutting down. the group's announcement comes six months after video emerged showing some a.c.o.r.n. workers giving tax advice to people posing as a pimp and a prostitute. it appears a crash of a toyota prius in harrison, new york this month was a case of driver error and not an acceleration problem. that finding by local police agreed with the assessment by federal investigators. harrison police say the driver apparently had her foot on the gas pedal the entire time. overseas markets are mostly high they are morning on wall street. trish regan is at the new york stock exchange for us. >> good morning, natalie. investors are keeping their eye on the housing sector. there is key data due out on home prices. the other big thing is the u.s. dollar. we've actually seen it hit a three-week high against the euro. that's the good news. the bad news perhaps here is that it is really not unperceived strength of the u.s. economy. instead, it's on weakness in europe. nonetheless, the u.s. dollar getting stronger is good for all of us because it acts effectively like a tax cut. back to you. >> trish regan at the new york stock exchange, thank you. a texas police officer is recovering after a frightening crash caught on tape. take a look at this. he was chasing a speeding car near dallas when another car pulled right u in front of him, his own car then went out of control. the officer and the driver whose car he hit were both injured. they are very lucky to be alive given what you see on that dash ram video. 7:17 right now. you're up to date. back over to meredith, lester and al. unbelievable. how are you, mr. roker? >> i'm doing pretty good. >> are we going to have better weather? >> eventually. right now here in the northeast, we have a pesky double-barrel low to get out of here. you see the rain working its way through the northeast. snow in new england. ground's already saturated, nowhere for that rain to go. flood watches for much of new york, connecticut, new england and parts of massachusetts as well, looking at one to three inches of rain for new england. out west, another storm system is getting itself together through the rockies. that's going to bring some snow. in fact we have winter storm watches, warnings and winter weather advisories throughout much of the good morning. sun has been up now for about ten minutes. live picture from our sky watcher camera. showing the sunrise under way this hour. temperatures around are chilly, just in the low and mid 40s. now 46 in washington and we'll see it, though, climb back into the 50s later on today as a blustery northwest wind develops later this afternoon. this afternoon and int mid afternoon, a chance of a passing shower. sunny tomorrow, mid 40, near 60 on thur >> and that's your latest weather. lefter? >> al, thanks. imagine riding in a small plane when the pilot dies. it happened in florida and thanks to some quick thinking air traffic controllers, the plane landed safely. now those controllers and more than a dozen others nationwide are being honored for their outstanding work. nbc's tom costello is at reagan national airport to tell us more about it. tom, good morning. >> reporter: hi, lester, good morning. we all know this is one of the most stressful jobs. now 17 controllers nationwide are being honored for their work over the past year, including those controllers in south florida who made all the difference about a year ago. it was easter sunday, 2009, in south florida when a new voice urgently cut across the air traffic control frequency. >> i got to declare emergency. my pilot's unconscious. i need help up here. >> reporter: doug white, his wife and teenage daughters were headed home to georgia after attending his brother's funeral. now, suddenly the pilot of their private plane was dead and the plane was climbing at 2,000 feet per minute. >> i need to get this thing on the ground. my pilot's deceased and i need help. i need a king air pilot to talk to. >> stand by. >> reporter: just four months earlier, doug white had started learning to fly a small cessna. now he was in the pilot's seat of a much larger twin-engine king air. if it kept climbing, it would stall and crash. >> it looks like the space shuttle. i mean there's dials and instruments i don't even know what they are. >> i'm steady climbing. i need to stop the climb. >> stay with it, man. >> reporter: that's when controller lisa grim stepped in. >> we'll have you hand-fly the plane. >> find me the longest and widest runway you can, ma'am. >> reporter: while a controller for just a few months, lisa grim was an experienced pilot and instructor. >> pull back. pull back slightly on the throttle. >> reporter: she knew doug white's cessna experience was nothing like the king air he was suddenly flying. >> it would be like taking a teenager that has a learner's permit with their driver's license and putting them in a manual stick schick in a nascar race. >> whatever you're comfortable with, we'll just try to make a nice shallow, 500-feet-per minute descent. >> reporter: lisa grim slowly talked doug white down from 17,000 feet. then handed him over to controllers at ft. meyers airport. >> they've got the longer runway and we're going to get you the most available runway for your landing. you're going to do fine. >> she my angel. she always will be. that's what she sounded to me like up there. >> reporter: lisa grimm was 1 of 7 controllers in south florida who made all the difference. as for doug white, he got hooked on flying. went on to get his instrument rating, his commercial pilot's license, and lester, guess what? he's been flying relief flights into haiti. back to you. >> what a great outcome, tom costello, thanks very much. just ahead as we continue here this morning, two shocking cases of teen-on-teen violence at the same florida school. one boy lit on fire over a video game. now a girl savagely beaten allegedly by a 15-year-old boy beginning with a text just ahead, how life has changed for that killer whale that killed a trainer last month. we have new video. plus, a woman's terrified ride on the 18-wheeler's bumper speaks out. but first, a check of your local news and weather. [ man ] i've seen beautiful things. ♪ i've seen the sunrise paint the desert. ♪ witnessed snowfall on the first day of spring. ♪ watched fireflies dance about the evening sky. but the most beautiful thing i've ever seen was the image on a screen that helped our doctor see my wife's cancer was treatable. [ male announcer ] ge technologies help doctors detect cancer early so they can save more lives. bringing better health to more people. ♪ our time right now is 7:26. we have 48 degrees here in the nation's capital on this tuesday, the 23rd day of march. good morning. i'm joe krebs. metro will present a plan to buy more than 600 new rail cars and replace the oldest ones. the train involved in june's deadly crash was made up of those old rail cars. if passed the plan will cost $2 billion and the first of the new cars could be used on the silver line, currently under construction up to dulles airport. we'll take a break and come back and look at our weather and good morning. your four-day forecast. partly cloudy today, passing shower this afternoon. 40s right now. highs today mid to upper 50s. chilly, warming into the mid 60s tomorrow afternoon with quite a bit of sunshine. near 60 thursday. chilly rain possible friday. how is the traffic, jerry? quite the mess along 395 northbound, still dealing with that accident northbound 395 in the hov lanes right before the 14th street bridge. now we'll be jammed most of the way coming up from the capital beltway. be forewarned. 270 lanes open crawling out of germantown. joe? >> thank you, jerry. nbc news special report on it is tuesday morning, march 2rd, 2010. we've got this great looking crowd gathered outside our window on the world. we'll go out and say hello to them in just a bit. meanwhile, inside studio 1a, meredith vieira along with lester holt in for matt this morning. an 18-wheeler speeding down a highway with a car tpped under its bumper. the truck driver apparently had no idea what was happening but the woman in the car sure did. >> she's got quite a story to tell. if tiger woods is really trying to put his sex scandal behind him, some are asking why wasn't he more forthcoming in some of these interviews since the scandal erupted and where was his wife elin on sunday. plus, actress jennifer love hewitt opens up about love and her looks. why is that always fodder for the headlines? she's here to talk about that and her new book. two shocking crimes at the same florida school. the late sst is a 15-year-old gl beaten into a coma by a boy allegedly over a text message dispute. michelle kosinski has more. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. you hear this happening among children. it is hard to comprehend that level of violence. police are calling this attempted murder. but the fact that it happened twice in months in the same town to kids from the same school makes for some serious questions here. their parents want you to see these pictures and look closely. that this is what kids are doing to other kids. in one town. students in the same school. october, mikie brewer doused with alcohol and set on fire over a video game. >> he said i told you, gram. that was his reaction. "i told you, gram." that it is difficult. that it goes on all the time. >> reporter: his grandmother says that was his reaction to this. classmate josie ratley beaten nearly to death here last week by a boy she had never met. police say over a text message. one that mentioned his brother who committed suicide. sparking, they say, a sort of snap text rage that sent the 15-year-old pedaling three miles to "kill her." snap her next and stomp her head, according to their report. >> i don't know nothing. all i know is my baby's in a hospital. >> reporter: also charged, josie's 13-year-old friend. police say she pointed josie out to her attacker, then watched. so what is going on in deerfield beach? according to the school district, a big drop in mightle sin fighting shins la ining in the . nothing anyone can put their finger on. >> there probably were warning signs that went unnoticed. poor anger management skills. inability to have an outlet. anywhere else. and so you just snap. >> reporter: something that even young kids are worrying about. >> could have been me getting beat up, my friend. killed, shot. >> i'm just like i got to watch out. >> you worry a lot. you have to watch yourself in what you say around other people and how you say stuff. >> reporter: school administrators tasked with trying to help say their latest efforts involve stepping beyond those school house doors and actually trying to strengthen families here. >> everyone needs to be engaged in this conversation. it can't be just a spot on the evening news. >> reporter: i think it is natural to hea this and say, oh, my gosh, it's spreading. but it's not. again, violent juvenile crime is down, way down, not just here but nationwide. the lowest it's been in 20 years. still, some experts worry that kids are now more desensitized to violence. there's little comfort for victims' families. only good news here is that josie ratley, while still in a medically induced coma, is showing signs of improvement. >> for more on those two attacks and the mood in deerfield beach, let's bring in a bullying expert and author, rachel simmons, as well as the sheriff of that county. sheriff, you have these two horrific incidents in a five-month period both involving students from the same middle school. i understand michelle said violence overall is down but i'm sure some people in your community are scratching heads saying, why here? can you make any sense out of this? >> well, there's really no explanation and you can't rationalize it. just five months ago with the michael brewer case we thought we'd seen anything. here five months later we have another horrific event. you just can't explain it. you can't rationalize it. >> you told the press, "we have a culture of callousness going on with kids. we really have to get to the bottom of it." what do you mean by "culture of callousness"? >> i know when i grew up, my dad told me, you don't hit girls. that's why i called it a culture of callousness. last time it was over a stolen bicycle and a video game. now it is over a text message with a person that he never even met, never even saw. seems like kids are n communicating like we used to. it is either the internet, it's text messages. it's just that art of communication isn't there. i think that callousness, well, hey, there's no interpersonal relationships anymore and it's very easy when you don't know the person. >> it's also being reported that this suspect, wayne treacy, didn't show any remorse after allegedly beating josie ratley into a coma. if no remorse, what did he show? anything at all? >> absolutely not. in fact, he sent another text message to someone saying, hey, i think i'm going to prison, i think i just killed someone. so it just was a matter of fact thing like, oh, well, that's just what it is. >> let my bring in rachel. you are an expert in bullying. what do you make of these incidents? they certainly go well beyond what we think of typical bullying. >> i think like the sheriff is saying, we're talking about relationship skills and an absence of it. some of the reason i think we see these tragic situations, students don't have the skills to begin with, to navigate conflicts. >> who's responsible? >> i don't think it is fair to assume families are doing it because they don't know how to do it. to say school's the only place where you learn math, science and english is not realistic. relationships are the fourth "r." we have toeach kids that in school, too. >> could this and profile of a teen or could it be any kid? >> i think it could be any kid. obviously the family and community you come from could play a role, but also the school you come from, what kind of emphasis on communication is there? do kids feel like they can speak up, falk to an adult without being punished for it? those things are crucial. >> sheriff, what's the mood right now in your community? you had the case of michael brewer five months ago and there was outrage then, and now you have this. >> well, like i said, too, we can't arrest our way out of the problem. law enforcement, we're reactive. something happens, we react to it. like mr. treacy, he's in custody but that doesn't help josie. it's what can we do before these problems occur, whether it's at home, school, churches, that's where we need to focus our efforts. again, by the time law enforcement gets involves, it is usually too late. we can't arrest our way out of the problem. we need to start early. >> the suspect and this young woman beaten into a coma were exchanging text messages. can you be any more specific about what was in those messages that might have set treacy off? >> well, originally it was the relationship with the 13-year-old, that josie objected to, that the two of them were romantically involved. she objected to that. that's what started the text messaging back and forth. she didn't think the relationship was appropriate. it then went on to comments about treacy's brother having committed suicide. he sent another message saying, hey, i'm coming over there and i'm going to snap your next. so obviously it was premeditated. he was thinking about it all along. but it just degenerated and something snapped and that's what put him over the edge and, unfortunately, he reacted viently which that should never happen. it was too late for josie. the question is how can we stop these things from happening with our kids. i also call it a new era -- >> go ahead, sheriff. >> the other thing, this is a new era of senseless violence. we've all dealt with road rage in the past and now we have text rage. it's just got to stop somewhere. >> broward county sheriff al lamberti, thank you for joining us this morning. rachel, thank you as well. now let's switch gears and get a check of the weather from al. >> thanks, meredith. temperatures are warming up finally here in the west from the great lakes all the way down into texas. but chilling offown through the rockies, temperatures 15 to 20 degrees below normal. also in the southeast, you'll see those temperatures getting up into the 70s and down in texas, on into the gulf coast, 80s an 70s down through southern lifornia. look for 40s through the plain states. we expect plenty of clouds and showers in the northeast. we're looking for sunshine along the west coast. lso in the southwest. snow showers, heavier snow throughout denut denver and good morning. sunrise and a partly cloudy skies. the air is fresh and chilly this morning. right now, just in the 40s. it's 46 in whington and 40s all around the region. we'll have highs today, climbing into the 50s, mid and upper 50s. might get a passing shower later this morning into mid afternoon. blustery northwest wind developing later on. overnight tonight, clearing out. near 40 tomorrow morning. mostly sunny wednesday, a >> that's your latest weather. if you want to keep track of your weather all day long, go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. coming up, the woman involved in this bizarre accident tells us what went through her mind as she was pushed along a highway at 60 miles an hour. but up next, new video of what life is like now for the killer whale that attacked and killed its trainer. killer whale that attacked and killed its trainer. right after this. let's go. 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(announcer) ask your doctor about pristiq. we're back now at 7:44 with new video of the killer whale that attacked and killed its trainer last month. a look at what its life is like these days. nbc's kerry sanders is at seaworld orlando with the latest for us. kerry, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lester. tilikum the whale no longer has any contact with humans. his trainers believe without that human action, woe actually suffer so they've come up with some rather inventive ways to keep him stimulated. tilikum the whale getting his teeth claimed. f in footage provided by seaworld, the orca is now reached from a distance. trainers used to scratch his belly and massage his dorsal fin but now they must make do with high-pressure hoses. the plainf fplayful interactionn tilikum and trainers are now avoided. since late last month when a 40-year-old animal trainer was attacked and killed, there's been no physical contact with the bull orca. >> with tilikum we've taken a big step back and we aren't going to put ourselves as proximal as we were before. >> reporter: seaworld says it is now rewriting all its rules. where trainers once swam in the tanks, they are now not in the water with any of the seven other orcas here. and on land, the trainers are kept back at a safer distance. critics say these changes should have come before the fatal attack, since seaworld knew tilikum was involved in two other hun deaths. >> well, the precautions are a little late. dawn's dead. they should have been taking those precautions before this. they knew this animal had the capacity to kill and they simply ignored it and put dawn in front of a loaded gun, played russian roulette and she lost. >> reporter: an official report of what went wrong last month is still in the works. much of the attention has focused on dawn's bouncing ponytail. witnesses say tilikum shot out of the water, grabbed her by her hair, pulled her into the water, and killed her. >> i'm pretty sure it might have been her ponytail and it was an opportunistic situion. >> reporter: orange county homicide investigators have a security videotape of the attack. a judge has temporarily sealed it from public view but media organizations are expected to challenge that order. why would they want the video public? >> could review red flags, could repeal malfeasance, could refeel sl sloppy practices. it could reveal nothing. we won't know until we see it. >> reporter: one other change -- all trainers with long hair now have to wrap it up and wear it up in a bun. will tilikum ever perform again for the public? seaworld says they aren't sure, they're moving on that decision very slowly. lefter? >> kerry sanders in florida for us, thank you. up next, the woman crashed her car as it sped down the highway attached to the bumper of an 18-wheeler. we'll hear from her right after this. they say kids can't keep anything nice. please. i say teach them when they're young, you know? when their brains are like sponges and they can learn things. you're doing such a good job. what's cool about my sienna? well, two things. the available dual-view entertainment center... so much fun. and the second thing is the styling. i mean, it's like they took my essence, bottled it, and then poured it all over the car. oops. i'm proud of you, honey. but get more sponges, ok? 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[ smack! ] [ smack! smack! ] [ smack! smack! ] [ smack! smack! ] [ smack! ] [ smack! smack! ] [ horn honking, car alarm blaring ] [ male announcer ] your favorite foods fighting you? fight back fast with tums. calcium rich tums goes to work in seconds. nothing works faster. ♪ tum ta tum tum tums [ male announcer ] fights heartburn fast. ♪ [ sniffs ] morning. you got in pretty late last night. dad, i'm not sixteen anymore. still, it was late. well... you're not gonna have to worry about that anymore. yeah, why's that? ♪ todd's a lucky man. ♪ the best part of wakin' up... ♪ that's what i told him when we talked last week. ♪ ...is folgers in your cup we showed you the incredible video yesterday. a woman's car pushed down a highway by an 18-wheeler following a bizarre accident. now that woman is speaking out. nbc's dawna friesen is in london with more. dawna, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. st commutes are pretty boring. this was death defying. as she merged on to a busy highway, her car got trapped in front of a tanker truck as it barreled down the road. the terrifying ordeal posted on youtube was captured by a passing motorist who watched horrified as a little blue car hurtled down the highway trapped on the grill of a tanker truck. at the wheel, 31-year-old rona williams, a veterinarian, who was on her way to work that morning. >> rona williams is really lucky to be alive. >> reporter: today she told britain's gmtv she doesn't know exactly how it happened. >> just terrifying. absolutely terrifying. at fst i thought, my god, he just hasn't seen me, he doesn't know i'm there. that was probably the most verifying bit. just thinking that no one knew what was going on. screamed for a bit. flashed my lights. beat my horn. put my hand brake on like that was going to do anything at all. >> reporter: other drivers did know but couldn't do anything to help. >> i've learned since that lots of people were trying to do their best to attract the driver's attention. >> reporter: figuring she had nothing to lose, williams picked up her cell phone and called the police screaming i'm going to die, can you do something? >> i tried to stress the urgency and tried to get them to send some police asap to try and warn the guy what was going on. >> reporter: but the truck kept going at about 60 miles an hour for about a minute. all the while, a nightmare scenario, the kind we've all seen in movies, was playing out inside williams' head. >> i was afraid i would crush into the barrier with a huge load on top of me. i think that was my biggest fear. >> reporter: when the driver finally realized what was happening, he pulled over. >> he managed to maneuver us both, still stuck together on to the high shoulder, then literally backed the truck off my car. >> reporter: the driver's reaction? williams says he didn't seem too upset. >> it was surreal. the driver did come over and asked if he had better wait around, which i advised, definitely, because obviously the police were on their way at that stage. but not hugely overly concerned. >> reporter: the clip on youtube has prompted police to re-open the investigation into the accident. williams wasn't injured at all but says she is nervous about driving on highways. now the truck driver has been suspended. >> dawna friesen, be thank you. i bet she's nervous. we'll talk about the tiger woods interview and did he say enough after this. worksheets. tips. strategies. ty got tools. tools? 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[ jazz horns blow ] because expressive is never excessive. i guess some women are destined to wear chico's. ♪ chicka boom boom boom, yeah, yeah ♪ - gps: turn left ahead. - ...i mean left. woman: but gps changed our lives. turbotax does the same thing for our taxes. it answers tough questions in simple language, getting us to our maximum refund. guaranteed. announcer: try turbotax now. 7:56 is our time right now. 48 degrees. some sunshine. lot of sunshine, matter of fact, up there. some clouds as well. good morning. i'm joe krebs. in the news today, heads up if you take metro's red line to work. your commute may take longer thannure today. trains are being restricted to 15 miles an hour between friendship heights and bethesda stations. trains will be single tracking between friendship heights and the medical center station for track maintenance. washington's world famous cherry blossoms will burst open earlier than expected after the recent warm weather. national park service now predicts the blossoms will be in peak bloom between april 1st and the 4th. national cherry blossom festival kicks off this coming saturday, march 27th. we'll take a break and come good morning. temperatures in the chilly 40s. partly cloudy, afternoon highs into the 50s. might have a passing shower this ternoon and a blustery northwest wind will increase this afternoon into tonight. sunny tomorrow. highs in the mid 60s. how's the traffic now, jerry? jammed 395 in all lanes from the beltway to downtown. earlier accident in the hov lanes appears to be completely cleared but we'll suffer the consequences for some time. montgomery county, 270 jammed from german town down to the split. problems are clear. history at the white house this morning. tunmidday for an nbc special news report on the 8:00 now on this tuesday morning, the 23rd of march, 2010. our crowd is packed with happy faces. i'm meredith vieira, lester holt and al roker. matt's home today. we'll talk about tiger woods' first interview since the sex scandal began. >> there have been quite a few questions. what exactly happened the night of the suv crash? why didn't he talk about that, why did he limit the interview to five questions and where was elin? we'll discuss it in a moment. actress jennifer love hewitt. you know her best from her roles on tv's "party of five" and "the ghost whisperer." recently single, she's always drawing the attention of the tabloids. she'll tell you about the title of her new called "the day i shot cupid." >> yikes! >> there is a reason. a little bit later on, we'll tell you a way to find those latest trends coming up for spring and not break the bank. we're talking about looks for 50 bucks or less. >> get out. >> okay. but first, let's get a check of the top stories from natalie morales who is in for ann. good morning, everyone. president obama today signs a landmark health care bill into law at an elaborate white house ceremony extending medical care coverage to millions of uninsured. republicans are fighting to repeal the law. president obama meanwhile visits iowa thursday as part of his own campaign to win over skeptics. the attorney for michael jackson's doctor is denying a report that his client tried to hide drugs as the pop star lay dying. according to the associated press, a jackson employee who called 911 told investigators dr. conrad murray stopped performing cpr so he could collect drug vials from jackson's bedroom, then put them in a bag. murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter accused of giving jackson a lethal overdose of a powerful anesthetic and other sedatives. two former u.s. presidents carried a message of hope and help to haiti on monday. they were chosen by president obama to head relief efforts and to encourage billions of dollars in international aid. nbc news chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman reports from haiti. >> reporter: protesters clearly frustrated by the pace of the recovery were among the sights and sounds experienced by presidents clinton and bush during their first joint trip to the area. >> this country has the best chance to escape this. >> reporter: two months after the earthquake these once-empty streets are starting to show some life again, but the country is still hurting and the real road to economic recovery is going to be long and hard. the presidents visit of the tent citi across the street from the presidential palace, now home to 60,000 people. we've seen the haitian people over and over again talk about hope, this deep sense of national pride and hope. you have the same? >> i believe there's no circumstance that will wipe out hope. the question is whether you've got a plan and the government and world to come together to make hope a reality. >> reporter: clinton and bush met with the haitian president as well, trying to make sure all the aid efforts are coordinated and to get people back to work. a hirt-and-run accident caught on tape has sent a woman to the hospital. police say the driver stopped to apologize but then took off. now here's brian williams with a look at what's coming up tonight on "nbc nightly news." >> tonight we'll look at exercise and weight loss and why the two of them don't always come together. why taking pounds off is a problem especially for some women. so we'll have that and much more when we join you on "nightly news" tonight. natalie, for now back to you. >> thank you, brian. 8:04 right now. let's get another check of the weather from al. thank you, natalie. got members of the memphis high school marching band. the blue devils. they've got about 80 members here, including the sock monkey. they're all here. look at that. that's a big marching band, ladies and gentlemen. let's take a look, show you what's happening. our pick city of the day -- baltimore, maryland. few showers, breezy conditio and a high of 56 degrees. low pressure along the mid-atlantic coast spinning around bringing that rain up into new england. we're looking at sunny skies though out west. showers in the southwest. some heavier snow today in the central and southern rockies. sunny skies through the plains. sunny andand warmer good morning. live view from our sky watcher camera showing the sun up and a partly cloudy sky on this tuesday morning, getting a little sprinkle in the northern shenandoah valleyear page county. chilly morning. in the 40s around the area. 46 in washington. highs climbing into the 50s and a blustery northwest wind will develop later on today. we may have another passing shower later on is morning, perhaps through mid afternoon. >> got a sweet 16 here. what's your name? >> melanie. >> where from you? >> new jersey. >> happy birthday. still to come, jennifer love hewitt. but up next, where was tiger woods' wife when he gave that interview and questions woods left unanswered. interview and questions woods left unanswered. that's right after this. h prec open our throttle to even more selection. and turn that savings swagger up full tilt. ♪ so when the time comes to bust open a can of doing... we've got all the tools for all the things we need to make 'em happen. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. right now, get miracle gro garden soil for flowers and vegetables for just $3.97. would we eat better? 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[ female announcer ] splenda®. america's favorite no calorie sweetener. we're back now at 8:10 with fallout from tiger woods's first interview since his sex scandal exploded last november. a lot of questions went unanswered. nbc's peter alexander is here with the very latest. peter, good morning. >> lester, good morning nrning . this was the most highly sought after interview of the year. but it was brief hardly putting tiger's tale to rest. so many questions, so little time. >> were there moments you thought you should stop but didn't? >> yeah. i tried to stop and i couldn't stop and it was just horrific. >> reporter: tiger woods' minimedia tour lasted a total of ten minutes between two sports cable networks. for woods, a lot of questions were clearly out of bounds. what happened the night of the crash? >> everything's between elin and myself and that's private. >> reporter: what's the status of their marriage? >> it is a process that will remain private between her and i. >> and what was tiger treated for. >> that's a private matter as well. >> those who would rather gargle with gasoline than hear one more word with tiger woods and there are those who want their reality tv in the raw. they want every last detail, they want tiger to expose it all for the camera. the problem with tiger's media strategy is that he does neither. >> as i said, that's between elin and myself. >> reporter: he's practically taking the fifth amendment. so it is just going to satisfy nobody. >> reporter: among the questions that never came up -- the mistresses. were any of them paid off? how many were there? and has tiger apologized to any of them? former porn star and reported tiger mistress jocelyn james says she deserves that. >> i would be open to a telephone apology from tiger but i really feel that i deserve to look at him in person, face to face. >> reporter: so what's next for tiger? the 34-year-old father of two insists he's still working on his marriage to the woman he loves. >> how do you reconcile what you've done with that love? >> we work at it. >> when a couple discovers that there's been infidelity, there is anger, rage, sadness, grieving. they need to decide whether they want to stay together. if they do, they need to figure out how not to blame one another, how to be friends, how to figure out what the affair meant in the fabric of their life together. where with barely two weeks to the masters, tiger hopes soon enough it is his clubs that do the talking. we do know the answer to at least one other question, that's where was elin when her husband was speaking to reporters. this new photo was taken, this weekend. it shows elin with her 1-year-old son -- that's charlie in her arms -- walking out of the family's $22 million yacht "privacy" from north palm beach florida where she spent the weekend with both kids. we don't know whether tiger's wife will accompany him to the masters beginni april 8th. >> peter alexander. we're joined now by psychiatrist dr. janet taylor and the author of "what were they thinking?" good to see you guys. as i watched those intervuts, the inner tabloid in me wanted every last detail. the other part of me said it's none of my business what goes on between this husband and wife. steve, what more do we need to hear from tiger woods? >> what we want to hear and what we need to hear are two different things. i'm a golfer, a bad one. love tiger woods as a golfer. but as good a golfer as he is, is as bad of a communicator he is. he is horrible. what i mean by that, they had to keep him so under control, none of hisnswers lasted more than ten seconds. which is why he had to give a five-minute interview. >> he's not an emotional guy. >> i don't get into the psychology part of it but i'm not convinced doing this was the right thing for therapy. it was the right thing for the masters, right thing for the networks, right thing for golf. maybe for tiger. but i don't know about the therapy part. >> it is kind of a dangerous trap we get into sometimes trying to read, want people to emote the way we emote. is that a dangerous route to go down? >> exactly. what we read is emotion. tiger's emotion is all on the course. that's when you see the most, when he talks about his fans, when he talks about the game. what we reall want to know i think as fans and not knowing him, what was he treated for, what's his plan. because the one thing about an addict -- we don't know what his addiction was -- when you successfully treat an addict they tell the truth. those five minutes we still don't feel like we got the truth. >> he goes back and forth. almost impossible situation. listen, let's admit it,e had to do something before he went to the masters. it just doesn't make it go away. why does he say it was a 45-day thing in rehab but i can't tell you what it was about. what's the situation? well, it's all in the police report. why do the interview if you're not really going to say anything? it is not going to go away. >> is it rehab important for our curiosity and for his treatment, saying here is exactly why i went to rehab, here is exactly the struggle i have and it's not going away tomorrow. >> addicts i've treated are honest and open and i understand he is a brand, he lass to protect the brand, but there's inconsistency there. the other thing, what's the aftercare. he said something about his knee treatment and what would happen. you see how vested is he in his treatment? is he going to have a coach that's going to be there? what's his plan? >> clearly the priority is to get ready to play golf, win golf tournaments. there is a gender gap. my wife wanted to see more. i said what did you want to see, jennifer? she said something. guys don't see it that way. >> i was like, he's been beaten up. >> women want to see the emotion and "i'm sorry," maybe even more tears. i think guys are like just let him get back on the course and prove it. if it's gender lines, if you've been betrayed you want to see that angst. there are a lot of individual feelings that really color this. >> appreciate having both here this morning. up next, actress jennifer love hewitt's search for love and what she's learned along the way. right after this. my eyes water. but with new zyrtec® liquid gels, i get allergy relief at liquid speed. that's the fast, powerful relief of zyrtec®, now in a liquid gel. zyrtec® is the fastest 24-hour allergy medicine. it works on my worst symptoms so i'm ready by the time we get to the first hole. and that's good because the competition's steep today. new zyrtec® liquid gels work fast, so i can love the air.™ the bright, fresh scent of orange blossom. beautiful moments are born in the shower. a unique sensation in body wash. touch of happiness moisturizing body wash from nivea. touch and be touched. hmm...what's going on with dad? 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"the insurance institute for highway safety calls it a "2010 top safety pick." consumers digest has called it a "best buy" two years in a row. and with a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty... we call it...peace of mind. chevy malibu. now, qualified lessees get a low mileage lease on this 2010 malibu ls for around $199 a month. call for details. see your local chevy dealer. ♪ [ female announcer ] discover black silk from folgers... ♪ with bold rich flavor that's exceptionally smooth. wake up to black silk. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] you've wanted to quit smoking so many times, but those days came and went and the cigarettes remained. ♪ today's a new day. talk to your doctor about prescription treatment options and support. and this time, make it your time. because your census answers are more than just answers.rt. they're the first step toward a happier, healthier community. we can't move forward until you mail it back. 2010 census. who says there's nothing like the taste of cool whip? ♪ she does. obviously they do. ♪ oh, and her. at the ripe old age of 31, jennifer love hewitt is a busy actress, producer and director. she's also been lucky, and unlucky, in love. now she's sharing what she's learned about the dating world in a new book "the day i shot cupid. hello, my name is jennifer love hewitt and i'm a love aaholic." first things first, why did you shoot cupid? he's cute. was that necessary? >> i found out some information about cupid. i always thought cupid was this really cute little guy that wanted people to fall in love. then i googled cupid and i found out he was a sort of miserable guy who had his heart broken and he was shooting poisonous arrows out of people so they would fall out of love. that's why i shot him. >> you don't want him to have anything do with your love life. >> no, i don't. >> you talk about the term "serial dater." how did you get stuck with that tightle? >> i don't even know what it means. i feel like maybe i kill men after i date them? i'm not sure. >> or you eat them. >> exactly. like kellogg's, like, "ooh, boyfriend." but i think it's better than i am in relationship than i am going out with one guy on a monday, another on a wednesday, another on a saturday. it feels weird to me so i just spent time with people and have boyfriends versus dates. >> you don't like to date ultimately. >> i don't. no. huh-uh. >> you just wrote a whole book on dating. >> trying to make it easier. i don't think anyone truly enjoys dating. >> you say dating's taught me who i want and don't want, hey want to be. i look automatt you, beautiful, talented, funny. how come you haven't found mr. right? >> i think it's timing. it's figuring out who you are. i think it takes a lot of frogs to sort of find your prince. i think there is a reason that you sort of date. i think that every relationship you're in teaches you something different about yourself and i don't know, i feel like at 31 there's still so much more i need to know about myself bore i can completely give like the perfect version of me to somebody and visa versa. i just think it's -- >> will there ever be a perfect version? >> i'm hoping. i'm going to try. i'm going to get as close as possible. >> you also say women need to decide who they want to be in the relationship. do you want to be the woman, do you want to be the boss or do you want to be the equal. >> yes. >> what do you mean and which one do you want to be? >> in sort of looking at dating, men and women and where we are and everything, i kind of discovered maybe men have a point when they say we're incredibly complicated and they're not sure what we want. i think it is because women want to be really powerful but they also want to be the girl and that doesn't always mix well. you can't say sort of i want to wear the pants, but now buy me dinner and open the car door. it doesn't work that way. women have to sort of better figure out who they want to be in a relationship, sort of stick with that consistently andaybe the guy will figure out better how to deal with them. >> you just recently broke up with jamie kennedy, your co-star on "ghost whisperer." but you're still working with him. isn't that hard to do? >> no, it's okay. i think maybe earlier in my life that would have been a harder thing to do, but with age comes growing up and it's been okay. it's been fine. >> he even -- part of this book is from his perspective. he talks about -- i don't know how to put this delicately, big butts and his appreciation for them. why did you feel that was necessary to stick that in there, so to speak? >> who doesn't want to talk about big butts? yeah. he wrote what i like to call the "badonkadonk chapter." in what men really look for in the back side of a girl. it was just a fun chapter, i thought it was important for women to know from a guy's perspective what they really think about us. it is a very funny chapter. >> so women don't feel so bad about their bodies. he said he doesn't want a stick by any means. speaking of butts, let's talk about that picture. >> let's talk about mine. >> we can talk about yours. in that picture a few years ago that was not flattering. the press just had a heyday with that. it was very hurtful. you wrote, "i finally cam to the conclusion it would be a small though painful moment in my long exist tense. i would leave it in the past and move on." by the way, you joke, the whole situation made me hungry. what did you learn from that experience, jennifer? >> for me, the hardest part -- first of all, i never had body image issues. i really feel like it was other people who had issued with my body. beuse i was happy that day, having a good time. didn't really ever think about it until the pictures sort of showed up, i was like, oh, maybe i could get in the gym possibly. that was fine. part that really bothered me was that young girls were sitting out there thinking i was the version of what wasn't acceptable in society and i just felt like that was a wrong message and i didn't want to be associated with sending such an awful viewpoint to young girls that might look up to me or other actresses like that and have them think that there was something wrong with them. it was sort of the hardest part for me. but you know, it was fine. and people came out in support and that part was really lovely. it was like i said, just a moment and i sort of moved on from it. >> in the book you mention 25 things that even the press doesn't know about you. including your love for office supply equipment. what is that? i don't understand that. it makes you hot and heavy? we have some right here. >> and a margarita. is that because i talked about my butt we have to have a margarita? oh, office supplies. sunshine outside right now. considerably cooler, compared to yesterday. theberly suiters. on the bw parkway, a sooersz accident. >> the accident happened just minutes ago. chopper 4 over the scene, southbound side of the baltimore washington parkway below route 198. authorities are on the scene right now. one vehicle into the woods. working to get the driver out of the vehicle right now. southbound bw parkway, all traffic being taken off at route 198. plan accordingly. it looks like you're going to be tied up. you can get a little bit of a perspective. route 1 has better alternates. kimberly? your weather forecast is good morning. your storm center 4 four-day forecast. partly sunny day today, temperatures climbing into the 50s. we're in the 40s now. gusty winds later on this afternoon into tonight. perhaps a passing shower late this morning into mid afternoon. clearing tonight. near 40 tomorrowmorning. ne in the 50s tomorrow. nbc special report of the 8:30 now on this tuesday morning, march 23rd, 2010. beautiful day out here on rockefeller plaza. just ahead, easter is a week from this sunday. >> the easiest easter dinner ever. why should you spend all your time away from your guests in make it easy. plus, switching gears a little bit, a tough story we've been talking about, that young girl in deerfield, florida who was beaten by another teen over a text message brings up the questions about bullying. a lot of parents have certainly heard horrific stories about this. we'll talk about it with the experts, a signs you should be looking for if you are parent and how the community can get involved. >> it is a scary concept. on a much lighter note, as a reminder, there are just a few days left in our wizarding world at universal orlando resort contest. deadline to enter is this friday. have your kid's class record why they are extraordinary and get those tapes in. head to todayshow.com. now let's bring in jane who plays jenna on kw9 "30 rock." >> i need a kiss now, too. four seasons. my gosh. how are you feeling? >> great. we just had an amazing party. still recovering. >> can you talk about it? >> we went bowling. it was really, really fun. always good to see our crew members with a little alcohol and a heavy ball. >> where does the rest of the season go in terms of storylines? >> lester, you're one of our guest stars. >> what does lester do? anything embarrassing? >> he does his latest lester. >> i just do my news thing. it just works into the show. >> the season finale is coming up in a little while, too. >> we met jenna's mom this season. anything -- any other surprises you can tell us about? >> the mothers will all be coming back because we have such brilliant ladies playing all of our moms. it seemed like an opportunity not to be missed to have them all in one episode. >> would that be around mother's day? >>he mother lode episode. >> do you guys have to do a million takes to keep a straight face? >> we do do a bunch of takes and we laugh. but it is good for the soul. it is really fun. we're there for a lot of hours so to keep us laughing is a great thing. >> you just got engaged in december? congratulations. who's the lucky man. >> i'll have to apply for the wedding on the "today" show. >> we've never done a celebrity wedding! you could be our first! >> yeah! >> jim bell, i think you should come up here and talk to this lady. >> that would be hilarious. >> you're thinking in your mind, not a chance. >> jenna would do it. >> we could roll that into a "30 rock" episode. >> he's a very lucky guy, that's for sure. >> i'm very lucky with him as well. he designed that ring as well. right? >> he did. >> man! wow! >> don't throw him away. >> designed your sing. >> i have a terrible time making decisions so i was actually happy he left me out of the process. i would never know what to pick, something you're supposed to wear for the rest of your life. >> just pick a date and show up. he has it all planned out. >> i'll let america choose my wedding. >> i'm telling you! there is our wedding show. >> jane krakowski, great to see you. "30 rock" airs thursdays, 9:30, 8:30 central. >> i love the theme. let's show you what's going on for today. sunny skies up and down the eastern seaboard. rain continues in the northeast with maybe some flooding. sunshine through the gulf coast. snow in the rockies. tomorrow the rain moves out of the northeast. snow showers in new england. rain late in the day as you move into parts of the pacific partly sunny and chilly on this tuesday morning. in the 40s. it's 46 in washington and we'll have afternoon highs in the 50s. might have a passing shower later on this morning through mid afternoon and a blustery northwest wind will increase this afternoon and into this evening. highs should reach the mid and upper 50s and then clearing and quite chilly tomorrow morning, near 40 starting off wednesday morning. with sunshine tomorrow, we should make it into the low to mid 60s. thursday, high upper >> that's your latest weather. now let's say hello to the latest contestant sent packing on nbc's "biggest loser" couples. sherri, good morning. so tell me what happened. >> they just decided that i wasn't the strongest contestant but i actually can put my numbers up on the scale. maybe it was a good decision. maybe it was not. >> how much have you lost so far? >> so far i've lost about 85 pounds. >> that's terrific! >> i feel great. >> so how's your daughter doing? >> she's doing well. she's really doing great. i'm real excited for her. she's really doing what she needs to do. >> how have you put what you learned on the ranch to work in life? >> you know, being at home, i've gone back to work full time so i'm working out early in the mornings. packing my lunch. doing the job, and doing a little after work. really staying focused. you can do it but you have to stay focused, as you well know. >> the hardest part is after you get done with the work, you have to keep the work up. sherry johnson, thanks so much. coming up next, the easiest easter dinner you will ever make courtesy of the barefoot contessa. >> announcer: today's kitchen" is brought to you by cool whip. there's nothing like the taste of cool whip. it's america's favorite. this morning in "today's kitchen," we're going back to basics with ina garden. she says she has the easiest easter dinner. featured in "barefoot contessa parties." good morning. i love the title. >> i'm all about easy and fun all at the same time. >> what's the first approach to any holiday dining or cooking? >> make is really simple so you can have fun with your friends and family. easter's perfect for that. >> you don't want to spend all day in the kitchen. >> i don't. do you? >> no. >> we're going to do rack of lamb. i immediately think, it's hard. >> it is really easy. watch this. i'll make a marinade. five ingredients. i mince them up in a little food processor. 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of rosemary. watch this, this is so fabulous. i love this little machine. just grind it up. just put it right into the mustard. >> what kind of mustard? >> dijon. try not to put the little thing in there. that doesn't add any flavor. a little bit of balsamic vinegar. i love things that have like an edge. just about a tablespoon. that's t marinade. i've got two racks of lamb. spread it right on the top. this whole thing goes into the oven, 450 degrees, really hot oven. >> slather it on thick. >> i love lots of flavor. don't you? just pour it right on. 45 degrees for 25 minutes. exactly. that's it. >> it took about 30 seconds to make the marinade. very easy. >> this goes into the oven, and by the magic of television. one of the key things is let it rest. put it on a board and just cover it with foil, let it rest. after it's rested for 15 minutes, all the juices come back in and it is so moist and tender and perfect to cut. >> don't start slicing it right away. few minutes, then start. >> then you can start slicing it. >> what are we putting on the side? >> i made orzo with roasted vegetables. i have a sheet pan with roasted vegetables -- eggplant, peppers, garlic, onions, just roast them all together and just pour them right into a big bowl of cooked orzo. >> could you have done this ahead of time. >> this is great, even better, at rm temperature. make it early in the day. try and get most of the vegetables into the bowl. that's a key thing. mix that together. i have a vinaigrette that's just lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. just pour it over. it is nice to have the orzo warm when you do it because it really absorbs the lemon juice. >> so cooking this ahead of time -- >> you just want the orzo hot when the sauce goes on. then it can sit. pinoles, toasted. they have more flavor. scallions. give it lots of flavor. basil. feta. fold it in. you don't want it all crumpled up. you always want to finish cooking with something, some salt, something that's in the dish so you really taste it so it has lots of lemon juice but it is the squeeze at the end that just gives it that sort of -- brightens the flavor. >> that's a nice, fresh salad. >> a little salt. you've got fabulous orzo with roasted vegetables. want a taste? >> i thought you would never ask. yeah. >> so i have lamb, and -- >> this is -- i know simple is what you said, but my goodness, that took no time at all. >> i'll give you a fork. >> you don't mind if i eat in front of you at home there? what's for dessert? >> coconut cupcakes. it's easter. these are actually from my first cookbook. it is one of the iconic being recipes from "barefoot contessa." coconut cupcakes. everybody loves them. i just put easter eggs on top for easter. >> do you look forward to cooking for the holidays or would you rather sit back and lissen? >> no. i love cooking. it brings everybody to your table and people have a really good time. >> the theme of this book is simple. obviously some meals require a lot of preparation but do we sometimes overdo it and make it harder than it needs to be? >> the irony is the simpler it is the more fun have you. everybody thinks if you invite somebody over, it should be over the top. the hostess is like sweating and crying. >> i hope you have a great easter. a visit to the birthplace of some of the oddest items americans can't get enough of. that's coming up. but first, this is "today" on nbc. back now at 8:46. this morning, our mike leonard goes where no man has gone before -- the land of the gnomes and other fascinating creatures. >> reporter: no other network news reporter has ever been granted the kind of shined-en had the scenes access i was given to preserve and record the kind of things behind this company's success. no ever news reporter has ever asked to see what goes on here which is shocking to me given the huge variety of products sold and how carefully each product is positioned. >> these guys are peeping. >> it's a back story. >> reporter: a back story merging peeping tom raccoons with horse-teamed bedspreads, deerhead welcome mats, cat-shaped telephones, cow-faced vacuum cleaner covers, festoon toilet paper holders, t-shirts signalling when you're in the mood for remans, omance, as wel when you're not, as well as catalogs filled with a stock of garden and household items that sometimes cause even the company designers to wonder -- >> who's going to buy that? >> reporter: the answer, millions and millions of americans from every vast corner of this country. the company collections et cetera will satisfy their cravings for dog-shaped cell phone holders. seem i seemingly anything that bears the picture of a cat, or oddly enough, an outhouse tlp creative types know that any idea is fair game as long as it fits within the company's philosophical mantra. >> unie products at affordable prices that make you smile. >> reporter: collection et cetera's president, todd, has final say on every product and often pitches in with ideas of his own as did he with this threesome of. ing raccoons. >> this will definitely do well. put your money on it. >> reporter: put your money on frogs, too. considering how easily they transition from playing golf to playing guitar, to jumping rope, to measuring raindrops, to lounging on a park bench. as to why people like frogs -- >> it just gives people a sense that they've got -- i don't know. >> why are gnomes big? >> why is john wayne still big? who knows. >> why are outhouses big? >> i have no idea. >> but they are big, correct. >> outhouses are very big. >> reporter: so are the numbers this companies has generated, with an estimated 50 million items in homes and gardens across the land. >> i think we're doing something right. >> reporter: one of the ways they do it right is by taking a product that may seem over the top, then aing something to the top. that frog with "welcome" on his behind. >> that would have worked with "welcome" on his butt but there are also three birds above his butt. >> so would that have been in a meeting, something's missing on his butt. how about birds on his butt? >> you have to have three, it is more of a trio. >> reporter: oh, i know. i think. for "today," mike leonard, nbc news, elk grove village, illinois. >> christmas list is all finished. >> i would like the raccoon set. the three raccoons? what? >> had you that squirrel, mr. nuts. >> he was a real squirrel. our senior producer, don nash, wants some. >> send some our way. up next, we'll catch up with "american idol's" finalist we are back at 8:51 with lacey brown, the first finalist to be voted on season nine on "american idol." lacey, good morning. that doesn't sound very good. >> a lot of people were surprised. tim urban, who had been in the bottom three, had a pretty disastrous performance. yet it was you who got the hook. >> yeah, i know. i thinwhen you're not great and nobody votes for you as the underdog you kind of fall in the middle there. i think that the votes kind of, you know, can get you if you're in the middle that week. >> you had a gut feeling. >> i really did. i woke up that morning and thought, this is a strange feeling. i haven't said this on any of the previous weeks, i really feel like i'm going home. i said it to my roommate, paige. when it was down to us two being in the bottom, i have to remind myself, i am the one going home, don't worry, don't cry, you'll be great next week. just kind of told you how i thought it was going to go. that's how it ended up. >> this is your second time on "american idol." you made it to the hollywood round last year. if nothing, you are apersistent. are you going to per sue it? >> i probably won't try out again for "american idol." but definitely will keep pursuing a music career because i mean that's what i love to do so why would i stop. that and on top of whatever doors "american idol" has, you know, being on "american idol" has opened for me entertainmentwise or commercialwise. >> you don't have to win to have it help you. >> you don't have to. number 12 is a great spot to be in. i'm proud of myself and that i got that far. >> do you think you got conflicting advice from the judges? it seemsike a lot of the advice they're giving you, really try to find that connection with the audience and you have a different sort of voice more so than a commercial voice. did they give you anything that really worked for you? >> only two critiques that really stood out is the ones that conflicts, one week simon said you know how to work the cameras and you're great on film, blah blah blah. the next week he was like, you're trying to be an actress, you're working those cameras too hard. i don't know the balance and i didn't do anything different between the two weeks. i'm definitely taking acting lessons after this. i'll just do something positive with it. >> what do you think of ellen degeneres in not a musician. >> doesn't really have anything to do with the music industry but she is entertainment industry and i think that she represents someone on the panel that represents the viewer back at home. i think that's very important to the contestants as someone who's giving us chris teaks. we need that point of view as well. >> crystal ball here. who do you think will make it to the top three? >> that question is really close to home because they're all my friends. it is very hard to just say who i think it is. i think it's the people that are very consistent and the people that want it and they can rock it on stage every week. cool spring day on tap for you this tuesday. it's 8:56 right now. i'm kimberly suiters. breaking news. a serious accident has shut down bw parkway. jerry edwards has the details. jerry? >> live pictures, chopper 4 over the scene right now. southbound bw parkway remains closed. copter about to take off with a patient right now. all occurred within the hour. south around 198 where the point authorities are taking all traffic off while they clean the accident up and investigate. right now, we're waiting for the helicopter to get out of the roadway. northbound traffic on the roadway, last report was getting by, but it is going to be very slow. let's take a live look early this morning from chopper 4. you see the vehicle went off the roadway into the tree. that was the vehicle that the passenger was in -- or the driver was in right now, they're in the process of lifting off. let's go to maryland, top se of the capital beltway, heavy and slow as you head to college park and silver spring. >> your weather is next. 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[ phew! ] delicious dunkin' donuts coffee. pick some up to brew at home. mmm! america runs on dunkin'. now available -- new dunkin' turbo. visit dunkinathome.com for a free sample. how about over here? n-- let's go back to the left. waffling is back at dunkin' donuts. for a short time only, enjoy the return of the delicious oven-toasted waffle breakfast sandwich. america runs on dunkin'. chance of a passing shower today, partly sunny with highs in the 50s. blustery northwest wind. sunny tomorrow in the mid 60s. kimberly? history will be made at the white house this morning. tune in during news 4 mid day for an nbc news special report of the historic we're back now with more of "today" on a tuesday morning, the 23rd of march, 2010. some off and on spring break in this part of the country. i'm sure it will be flowers somewhere down the line. we're glad these fine people stopped by. nice to have you here. lester holt, along with al roker and natalie morales. matt and ann are off but it is fun to be here with you guys. this morning, al, you'll discuss the very serious issue of bullying. >> it is a problem that never seems to go away. there have been two recent really disturbing violence inciden incidents. how to talk to your kids and help them if you think they could be target of bullies. we'll have helpful advice for common knew trig and indict problems. if you've hit a diet speed bump and the scale won't budge anymore, joy bauer will be here with some tips to help you start dropping pounds again in our "diet s.o.s." later, if you want a new look for spring but don't think you can afford all the latest trends, where to get some of the best looks from head to toe all for under 50 bucks. >> i think you'd look good in those jeans. >> anything but dad jeans. natalie's got a check of the headlines. in the news this morning, today at the white house, after a year-long effort by the president, the historic signing of the landmark health care reform bill. the measure that passed sunday in the house is designed to extend health coverage to 32 million uninsured americans but opponents say they will fight to repeal the bill even if it means going to court. today the president meets with israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu. it is their first meeting since israel's controversial decision to build more settlements in east jerusalem. last night netanyahu said, in his words, jerusalem is not a settlement, it is our capital. for its part, the u.s. calls its commitment to israel rock-solid. the community activist group a.c.o.r.n. is shutting down. the group's announcement comes six months after video emerged showing some a.c.o.r.n. workers giving tax advice to people posing as a pimp and a prostitute. officials in eastern china say a man armed with a knife killed eight children today at an elementary school. five others were wounded. the man is in custody. after a two-month. censorship battle with beijing, google today began redirecting users to its uncensored search engine in hong kong. china's government expressed regret and anger over the move. a case of a prius crash was driver error. harrison police say the driver apparently had her foot on the gas pedal the entire time. a police officer hurt in a harrowing crash caught on dash cam video in ohio is speaking publicly for the first time since the accident. nbc's kevin tibbles reports. >> reporter: it's hard to forget this dash cam video. lieutenant john lambert, seen on the right here, literally pushing a teenaged motorist out of harm's way as an out-of-control car slammed into them. the impact sent both men flying. lambert had stopped to help the teenager alongside an icy highway ramp outside cleveland. within a second and a half, lambert had saved a life but his own was in serious jeopardy. >> after viewing the dash cam video i realized that i am lucky to bealive. >> reporter: lambert, who is a 22-year veteran of the force, talked publicly for the first time monday. >> i do not remember much from the accident itself but the next thing i remember is waking up in the ambulance. >> reporter: doctors at cleveland's metro health medical center who treated lambert used a skeleton to explain his multiple injuries. >> fracture in this bone here, as well as fractures in this bone. >> reporter: lambert, who is 43, also suffered a fractured eye socket. the teenaged motorist miraculously suffered only minor cuts and spoke just days after the accident. >> i was positive i was dead because you just see a car flying at you going 40 miles an hour, you think you're done. >> it is not unlike john to think of someone else first before he thought of himself. >> reporter: doctors say lamrt will need 12 to 18 months of physical rehabilitation. >> though this incident was captured on my vehicle's dash cam, i was just doing my job. >> reporter: and he hopes to be back on the job as soon as possible. kevin tibbles, nbc news, chicago. >> you're up to date now at four minutes past the hour. unbelievable. >> mr. roker, have you another check of our weather. the storm system in the northet moving out but we'll see flood watches from new york up into new england. rainfall amounts, one to three inches in eastern new england. we've got another storm getting itself together back through the rockies. we've got winter storm warnings, watches and advisories there as well. snowfall amounts anywhere from six to eight inches of snow in and around denver but heaviest snow will be just south of denver where good morning. after quite a bit of sunshine earlier this morning, it's now clouding up. we'll likely be mostly cloudy the rest of the day now. chilly. mid to upper 40s, 48 in washington. highs just into the 50s. we'll have blustery wind developing later on this afternoon. we could have a passing shower late this morning and into mid afternoon. then clearing out tonight. we should be down near 40 tomorrow morning, partly cloudy to sunny at times on wednesday, into the mid 60s. partly cloudy thursday and a bit cooler. could get chilly rain friday. >> and that's your latest weather. natalie? al, thank you. this morning on "joy's diet s.o.s.o s.o.s.," diet and nutrition editor joy bauer has answers to get you back on the path to better health. joy, good morning. lot of good questions here. first off, a skype question. jennifer in bedford, texas. what's your question for joy? >> i've worked really hard. i've lost about 75 pounds so far but lately i really have been struggling with my motivation and some of those old food cravings have kind of been popping back up and it is getting harder to get back into the gym. what can i do to help myself remote vat a remoteivate and get back on track. >> first, my gosh -- you've lost 75 pounds! that's unbelievable. in 25 more pounds send me an e-mail game and we'll induct you into the "joy fit club" right here on national television. >> there's motivation! >> that's huge inspiration right there. i had gotten your e-mail earlier this morning and i thought it was anticipapropos to reach out three of my pals who have walked in your shoes, lisa lynn and john. the first thing, obviously remember this is a mental challenge as well as a physical challenge and every morning you want to start your day with positive self-talk. tell yourself that you're worth this, and you are a priority. next, you want to journ your weight loss journey. you want to write down your food and exercise, but i think most importantly, make a list of all the reasons that led you to lose weight in the beginning. remind yourself about that. and also, list the perks that you've received from losing already 75 pounds. maybe it's all the compliments. maybe it is that you're able to move with greater ease, you can tie your shoes, you can play with your kids. in terms of your exercise, it's nice outside right now. so forget the gym if it is a drag and take it outdoors and change up your walking routine so that you have different scenery as you walk. and i think, also, depending upon how much you have to lose, break it up into small increments. every five pounds is a new goal and then you get a reward for that. whether it's a book, or a manicure or fuzzy pair of pajamas, something that gives you a pat on the back. the last thing is going to sound a little bit funny, but go shopping. i want you to go to the clothing store and i want you to pick out an item of clothing that is the size that you used to be, 75 pounds heavier. then pick out an item of clothing that's your current size. you go into inn that fitting room and you look at yourself in the mirror, because that is the ultimate inspirational moment. you're going to prevail and you're going to be inducted into the fit club. >> i can feel it! 25 more pounds, jennifer. you've got major motivation right there. next, a question from karen who is on the phone from us from new jersey. karen, good morning. >> good morning. i was just wondering, how important is it to include fiber in your diet? >> it's incredibly important. i'm really glad that karen asked this question. a diet that's high in fiber can reduce your risk of heart disease, it keeps things moving along, which is always a great thing, it aids in weight loss because fiber swells in your belly and it keeps you feeling fuller longer. it is all good. the absolute best way to insure that you're getting a high-fiber diet is to eat well. that's because fiber comes packaged in vegetables, and in fruits, in whole grains, in beans, and lentils. all of the good stuff. women need about 25 grams, men need about 38 grams. because fiber's such a buzzword right now, you see it added to a lot of foods, even things like ice cream and fruit juice and yogurts. we don't know ifhat added fiber tests as brilliantly as the naturally occurring iron. the big take-away, get it from the natural whole foods, then fill in with some of the other fiber. >> let's head outside to our crowd. erica joins us from west memphis, arkansas. good morning. what's your question for joy. >> is it healthier to be a vegetarian or just say it and eat meat. >> that's a good question. >> i'm going to say that if you are a responsible vegetarian, meaning that you eat colorful fruits and vegetables and get your protein from soy and beans and lentils, the vegetarians have it. you can't and vegetarian though and eat noodles and pretzels and bagels and white pasta. that doesn't mean you can't and responsible meat eater. full disclosure, i can't live without chicken and fish. my husband loves steak. if you are a meat eater, choose the leaner portions, then you fill it in with all of those great vegetarian options. but we do find that vegetarians have lower cholesterol and they have lower blood pressure and they tend to be leaner. so at the end of the day, a responsible vegetarian is going to win out over a meat eater. >>ext e-mail from jenny in rhode island. "i know that diet and exercise is the best way to lose weight. i have a problem with the exercise part. i have lupus which has made movement extremely painful. i weigh 350 pounds and need to lose the excess. i am naturally depressed because of everything i'm going through. help." this woman really needs your help. >> that's a really, really sad story. i'm so sorry for her. the good news is that you can lose weight without exercise. i assure jenny that if she just curbs her food, she eats a little less, the weight is going to come off. she can meet with a physical therapist, recommended by her physician and see if there is anything, low-impact activity, that she could do. if for anything else, for her mood. it is a real mood booster. >> she needs the emotional support as well. >> but she can lose weight, this is not a heless case. >> good luck to her. thanks to all who sent in questions. >> every tuesday we're going to be here. >> get your questions answered by joy bauer. thank you. up next, a serious look at teen violence. we'll talk about how to protect your kids and talk to them to about bullying. we'll get some expert advice. also later, bringing the outdoors in. some affordable decorating ideas inspired by mother nature. but first, these messages. choosing the freshest ingredients... is key. but then, you have to balance the flavors just right. vo: secrets like how to blend four artisanal cheeses to create our new creamy fonduta sauce that perfectly enhances seasoned steak medallions in our new grilled steak fonduta. and grilled chicken in our new chicken fonduta. everything we learn here we're bringing back to you. vo: share their perience tonight with our new fonduta dishes. at your olive garden. engaged? puppies? broken? alternator? study where? fender bender? leaking where? it's kaput. kaput? [ male announcer ] life is full of unexpected expenses. twins? how much water?! ignition coil? france? both fenders? how deep?! ahhhh! [ male announcer ] be ready, build a cushion, with automic transfers to savings. twins. [ male announcer ] get started at bank of america. ♪ it's not ready yet. (announcer) every smucker learns to wait for fruit to reach the peak of perfection to make extra delicious jam. can you believe how fast kids grow these days? that's why there's new danonino. new danonino has twice the calcium of milk, ounce per ounce, with vitamin d. so it's power packed for healthy growth. yummy! new danonino from dannon. power packed to help kids grow. the community of deerfield beach, florida has been rocked by two horrific cases of teen violence. five months ago a 15-year-old boy was doused in rubbing alcohol, then set on fire by his classmates. now a 15-year-old girl is fighting for her life after allegedly being savagely beaten by a boy she'd never met after an apparent case of text rage. how can you protect your children from bullying and violence? >> here with some advice, rachel simmons and jeff gardere, welcome. such an important topic. we should point out, it is not necessarily a trend. we've actually seen teen violence apparently dropping. but these are extreme cases. and jeff, why do you think we are starting to see more of these? >> i think the reason -- we think that about 30% of teens have either bullied or been bullied. statistics are still very high. i think part of it has to do with a lot of these kids may have some emotional issues going on. but more than anything else, what we're seeing in the schools, there's a lack of supervision, especially during breaks. there's no culture against bullying, no set rules against bullying. and those are the things that are causing kids to come from troubled homes or who have personal issues to act out. >> rachel, in this case of josie ratley, it is hard to really understand that a text message could send a young boy like this into such an alleged murdering rage. what do we see going on here? >> i think when you aren't looking someone in the eye you really disconnect from the consequences because you are not actually seeing that person's face. what we see with kids is that they get into huge amounts of trouble when they type things that they would never say. that's how conflicts escalate. the same is true with the response. >> this is a kid that didn't even know her. >> exactly. and this person didn't have to think about her feelings. he got on his bicycle and simply acted on his rage. >> except what we know about this particular boy -- i'm sorry -- what we know about this boy is that his brother committed suicide. this was a kid who was already emotionally aroused and had some issues going on. >> and the text message had something to do with that. >> she saw permission to insult him on that level, in part because she didn't have to look him in the eye. >> you mentioned there is a lack of supervision, there's a lack -- whether within the community, at the schools. also a lot of this has to do with parenting though. and really having that connection with your child. i think sometimes as a parent, part of you wants to back off and let your kids resolve a crisis, as we heard in the case -- the other case at that same school, michael brewer, he was burned by his classmates. he told his grandmother that he felt -- he feared for his life and he actually stayed home from school that day but it still happened. so the question is when do parents get involved? >> i think you have to layer your response. you can't just jump in like a ton of bricks, call the school. we do have to give kids tools to respond on their own. if you are kid's not responding, that's when you step in. if parents don't keep that channel open by letting their kids know you can come to me no matter what, that's where disconnects happen. i think that's where often tragic incidents occur. >> rachel, you're absolutely correct. kids should feel comfortable to be able to reach out to teachers and their parents, someone that they can trust, to let them know what's going on because it is not just about their own conflict resolution skills. >> wt aut -- where do you draw the line privacy wise? my daughter has an e-mail account but she knows that i monitor her. at what point do you -- spy. >> yes. >> i think if parents start from spying, then they communicate to their kids i don't trust you. i think actually parents need to say to their kids, i have permission to come up behind you and see what you're doing. i can know your password but to tell your kid straight off the bat i'm just going to be spying on you doesn't set your kid up for a feeling of success in your family. >> at the end of the day it is really about the communication you have on a deeper level about all other things which then allows you to be able to work with your child on those internet issues. >> rachel, what's interesting is you say that girls actually are much more physically aggressive than boys. is that true? why? >> recently we saw some research that now about 25% of girls have been involved in a violent altercation. i think it is a combination of things. i think they're consuming a lot of media, that shows violence as a form of power. >> you're seeing these clips on youtube. >> these girls fighting. >> youtube, type in the words "girl fight" and you will see spectacle after spectacle. >> what do we do as a parent if i suspect my kid's being bullied. what do i do? >> i think you just have to first talk to your kid. you have to ask questions. >> that's right. you have to have that conversation as to what's going on and you have to be involved in their social life. but more importantly, al, you ask them, what is it that i can do to help? how much do you want me to get involved? and between you and that child, you negotiate a stance that works for everybody. >> do we go to the schools? >> let's talk about that. if are you going to go to the school, don't be the crazy parent at your school. if you are fired up, don't pick up the phone because that school has to deal with lots of people. if you're not respectful, if you become accusatory, the school can tune you out. >> a friend told me the other day her kid in first grade was in a cast, had broken his arm, had kids like hitting his cast. i was like that's the beginning to me, the kids who are going up to this kid who's already injured and starting to hit him and laughing about it. >> that is the beginning. we see that. that's where the adults, teachers, step in. the schools can do as much, if not more than the parents. they should have programs that are in place that address bullying, how to prevent bullying and how to in many ways avoid those situations from the very beginning by setting up a social norm that bullying will not be allowed and that you can't have innocent bystanders just avoiding it and not stepping in to help. >> and can't let parents off the hook. >> no. they should be involved with the school. and parents should be involved with the schooling of their kids anyway. >> for its part, that school in deerfield beach id they have been involved and they have been doing that but apparently -- obviously there is more work to be done and definitely need that even line of communication. >> thank you both so much. we'll be right back after these messages. is about getting in early to smoke your ribs low and slow over pecan wood chips for a sweet, smoky flavor. then i triple-baste them till they're fall-off-the-bone tender. this is shiner bock barbecue sauce i'm using. come in now for baby back ribs. choose 1 of 10 freshly prepared entrées plus an appetizer for just $9.99. only at chili's. it's all in the pepperation. wouldn't softer feel better? 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[ barks ] that's why purina fit & trim is specially formulated... with high-quality protein, including delicious real chicken, to help him maintain lean muscle and a healthy weight, so he can make the most of every day. long live your buddy. long live your dog. purina fit & trim. can you believe how fast kids grow these days? and since 90% of bone strength is developed before adulthood... it's so important that they get enough calcium every day. that's why there's new danonino. danonino! unlike leading kids yogurts, danonino has twice the calcium of milk, ounce per ounce, with vitamin d. so it's power packed for healthy growth. and its rich creamy taste is... yummy! so they can start building strong bones today... for stronger bodies tomorrow. new danonino from dannon. power packed to help kids grow. it looks as tugh clouds and cooler weather have definitely moved into our area. 9:26 is our time. i'm kimberly suiters. heads up if you take metro's red line. commute may take longer than usual today. 15 miles per hour trains are being restricted to. you'll have to wait longer this weekend. trains will be single tracking between friendship heights and the medical center station for track maintenance. you'll want to add 30 minutes to that trip. good morning. clouds moving in the last hour. temperatures still in the 40s. we'll reach the 50s this afternoon, chance of a passing shower couple of hours and into mid afternoon. tomorrow, sunny, mid 60s. how is the traffic now, jerry? serious crash, chopper 4 over the scene within the hour, bw parkway southbound. the accident has cleared out of the roadway. still backed up as you come down from 32, but things are beginning to improve. we'll show you where the accident was, i-95 southbound, probably better bet as an alternate. history will be made at the white house this morning. tune in during news 4 midday for actor and director ben stiller is playing a 40-something one-time musician suffering a mid life crisis in his new movie "greenburg." we'll hear from him tomorrow on "today." coming up in this half-hour, we're bringing spring inside with easy and affordable home decor ideas inspired by mother nature. if you've got family coming over for easter or graduation party in a couple of months, these design tips will impress any guest. they've already impressed natalie. >> they're very colorful, which i like. also you'll need some outfits for all of these celebrations. where to find flirty, fun outfits for spring for less than $50. a bargain. plus, is your dog bad to the bone like happy here who apparently likes to ride a harley? or is he like riley who has a great heart and volunteers his spare time? whatever your dog's talents are, we want to hear from you. >> aulg tll the info is at todayshow.com. we're taking submissions through the end of april. let's check your weather, see what's happening. for today, we've got sunshine in the southeast. lots of shower activity in the southwest. snow in the rockies. sunny out west and then for tomorrow, the rain moves out of the northeast, thankfully. showers in the midsection of the country. sunny and warm into the southeast. gulf coast, rain moves in good morning. we've had the clouds return after some sunshine this morning. it's still quite chilly. temperatures are in the 40s. and radar showing a shower at madison county, panhandle of west virginia, they're also getting a show. for the rest of the period, we'll have that temperature right now in the upper 40s climb into the 50s this afternoon with a blustery northwest wind and we'll have maybe a passing shower later on this morning into the mid afternoon. sun returns tomorrow, highs >> and that's your latest weather. al, thank you. coming up next, high-fashion at low prices. looks for under 50 bucks. right after this. can you believe how fast kids grow these days? that's why there's new danonino. new danonino has twice the calcium of milk, ounce per ounce, with vitamin d. so it's power packed for healthy growth. yummy! new danonino from dannon. power packed to help kids grow. - uh-huh. - ( rope creaking ) - ( rope snaps ) - ( piano clangs ) - ( crashes ) - glad forceflex trash bags are so strong, one bag is all you need to pick up the pieces from even your biggest disasters. - ( doorbell rings ) - where do you want the piano? for stretchable strength get glad forceflex. would we eat better? at hellmann's, we make our mayonnaise with eggs, vinegar and oil rich in omega 3. for the quality that could only be hellmann's. hellmann's. it's time for real. this morning on "today's style," warm weather finds for 50 bucks or less. want a new look for spring and summer but don't have a lot of money to spend in you can pick up some of the hottest trends at bargain prices. lori, good morning. nobody wants to spend a lot of money onriends because you know what's in this year may not be in next year. you're going to do it for 50 bucks or less for us. >> the great thing is there are so many things available now less than you can get a whole pizza for. >> start off with flirty and girly. that's the trend from the runway to real live. you start off with the flats. >> flirty and feminine is so much fun for spring. think about things that are floral. we have some ruffles here. rosettes. these are from h&m. they're $14.50. that's from their garden collection, that's organic cotton. for $14.50. we also have from layla rose, a designer, and you usually can't get designer things for under $100. those are only $29.99. pay less. we love the way that the little flower on the top really just makes this feminine. the thing to remember something that's girly or feminine, if you want to anchor it, like you've anchored your ruffles here with black pants. i've anchored the rosettes with black. anchor it with something that's structured so it is not too precious. >> not too girly. >> these jewelry pieces are from j. crew. >> you see a lot of ribbon with pearls. >> mix it up a little bit. it adds a really feminine vibe to whatever you're wearing. this is from the loft, ann taylor loft. we love that. and american eagle. those are great. >> here's the look on the manikin. tell us about this. >> again, make sure you're not getting too girly. we paired this forever 21 skirt here, $24.50 -- >> it is like a little underpinning. >> it is very frilly. a little skirt with lace tiers, very cute, very feminine. we just paired it with this t-shirt from j. crew, gave her some necklaces from j. crew. this is perfect for a brunch, day with your girls. >> add these shoes, you're ready to go. >> all under $50. >> great. our next look, the new other hot trend, the new denim. >> denim really adds a casual but polished look to whatever you're wearing. >> and it goes with anything. >> now it is the hot fabric of the season. it is not just for jeans anymore. >> talk about footwear. another great example of different kinds of collections for really good prices -- >> exactly. these are from miss me. they're a strappy sandal for $34.19 from endless.com. i know you are a fan of these. >> i thought these were so cute! >> they have the little frilly thing. from madden girl. $39.50. guess how much these are? >> i'd say 15 bucks. >> $19.50. but youere close. for under $20, to get a pair of flats like this that you can wear with everything. perfect. >> now carry-alls, these bags are so popular right now. >> they are. we love this sort of washed out, white-washed denim. this is from forever 2$21. $26. this is from the gap, we love the tote. for $34, you can't beat it. >> gwyneth paltrow is also a fan of the denim bag. >> she loves denim. we actually have seen her in some designer denim that can cost upwards of $200. we found a similar pair for $29. >> it's the faded denim that's back now. >> the new thing this year is either a sand-washed or white-washed denim like these. these are a skinny jean from soundgirl.com. we paired with this sort of sequined shirt to dress it up. you can totally wear this for a night out. i have to show you this bag, love this. >> that looks like a chanel. >> it's very high-end designer look but it is for $34. this is from victoria's secret pink. the chain link here is -- these are the sort of things to look for. the chain link really elevates it, makes it looks designery. the quilted fabric gives it a designer elevated look. >> next trend, black and white. you're seeing it everywhere as well. >> this is one of my personal favorites because it is really a very classic color combination and -- >> never goes out of style. >> it never gs out of style but this season it is all about turning it on its head a little bit and giving it a really graphic look so it packs a big style punch. this purse, $50. it's modern day, could wear this with anything for 50 bucks. this is from express. we've seen a lot of celebrities wearing things like this. they're really into this trend. i love these sunglasses. they're only $20. this is a really good way to play with accessories. play with the trends. those are the trends for sunglasses. >> the black and white jewelry. >> these will please you. $4. can you believe that? charlotte russe. $4. this is from forever 21, their inkblot dress. whole outfit for under $25? you can't beat it. >> lori, you saved us some money today. thank you! coming up next, nature-inspired decorating ideas that you can do yourself right after this. they're discovering the first self-injectable ra medicine you take just once a month. it's simponi™, and taken with methotrexate, it helps relieve the pain, stiffness, and swelling of ra with one dose a month. visit 4simponi.com to see if you qualify for a full year of cost support. simponi™ can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious and sometimes fatal events can occur, such as infections, cancer in children and adults, heart failure, nervous systedisorders, liver or blood problems, and allergic reactions. before starting simponi™, your doctor should test you for tb and assess your risk of infections, including fungal infections and hepatitis b. ask your doctor if you've been to a region where certain ngal infections are common. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, or develop symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start simponi™ if you have an infection. 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[ male announcer ] effortlessly removes more grime per swipe. with the mr. clean magic eraser extra power. try the first great-tasting, zero-calorie... natural sweetener borne from the leaves of the stevia plant. truvía. honestly sweet. find it at your grocery store. truvía. honestly sweet. why do women like you love activia light? sometimes i have no choice but to eat heavy greasy food that's hard on my diet... and my digestive system. so i eat activia light every day. it helps me feel good and look good too! ♪ activia! - uh-huh. - ( rope creaking ) - ( rope snaps ) - ( piano clangs ) - ( crashes ) - glad forceflex trash bags are so strong, one bag is all you need to pick up the pieces from even your biggest disasters. - ( doorbell rings ) - where do you want the piano? for stretchable strength get glad forceflex. this morning on "today's home," we're bringing the outdoors in with all the colors of spring. a lifestyle expert with some fun affordable entertaining ideas, good morning. >> good morning, al. >> this is an exens expeninexpeo ing the outside in. >> i know this is something really up your alley. >> i have been waiting all day. for this segment. >> i know you have. we'll teach you everything you need to do so you can take over spring decorating duties for deborah. >> you're saying now these flowers. >> yes. now these are mexican paper flowers. i've always been obsessed with these. they're so beautiful but i thought -- >> you've been obsessed with these? >> obsessed, al! look at these things. they're a lot of bang for your buck. they're just some tissue paper. i thought how will i do this? import them from mexico? >> no. no! >> believe it or not, al, they are so easy to make. just a couple pieces of tissue paper. fold it up. put a little bit piece of wire down here. >> do you have to cut it with those edges? >> cut a round edge and pull them apart. anybody can do this. then it becomes these gorgeous bouqu bouquet. >> these branches, you actually had earlier here in december for holiday decorating. you kept the branches, you have the holiday stuff on and you put this on it. >> totally. and this is one of my secret weapons. if you come to my house, any event at my house, i'll have some version of this. the beauty is you just keep these branches, put it in a vase, then change the decorations. now we've got these great technicolor butterflies. craft websites are a bonanza for things you never thought you'd need. these are fantastic and fun. i know. for christmas we just did christmas ornaments. >> now these -- >> this, al. this stuff is amazing. check out this pinata. >> is therenything in it? >> no. it's so beautiful you would not want to hit it with a bat. but these are really fun garlands and pinatas from a company called confetti system. you can get them at urban outfitters. they are sort of a modern version. >> the pinatas come plain and you decorate them? >> they come like this. you can open them up and put in any kind of candy or fun -- >> liquor? >> liquor. whatever you want in here. then the garlands are just sort of like a neotake on the evergreen garlands. then these party hats. so chic. >> that's really nice. >> i know! >> i don't know what neighborhood you live in. >> i know. so next, we have the liberty of london collection from target. it's all about florals. you can either use them in your house, or you can wear them as our beautiful male models are displaying over here. guys, florals are macho. i promise. >> the underwear go inside the pant. wow. >> we've got shirts, ties, boxer shorts, all at target prices. >> i don't know how many they're going to sell. but good luck with that. >> i know! >> target just called. they want you guys to strip. okay. >> well, al, i notice that you're wearing a brightly colored tie yourself. you dressed for the segment. >> i tried. >> so next, we've heard of christmas wreaths. why not an easter egg wreath? so fun. plastic eggs have never looked so good. these are from the folks at southerncharms.com. these little topiaries are from h hayneedle.com. >> i've seen these before. >> these are so cool. al, candlelight, it's all about good lighting when you're entertaining. the lower the light, the better people like it. >> everyone looks better. >> yeah. i love these little votive candles. when i entertain, you'll see a ton of these spreads all throughout house, inside and out. these inside are these little fake candles. they're battery operated. these are from amazon. these votives are by cultural intrigue. you can get them at lunabizarre.com. they start at 25 cents. mix and match. these lanterns are fantastic. they are generally outside. look at our mood lighting! >> see, i do look better. >> as do i. these are from z gallery. >> you guys would look better in a blackout. >> these are from z gallery. $7 and $14. now it is all about capie shell. they're luminous and they make any table look pretty glam ruz. they're from the philippines. we have these fun placemats. >> how muc are these? >> this is $39. which is pretty good. these are $17. these little guys, these toasrs? $2.50. coasters. u can make a great gift. it will look like you spent a lot. >> you these in old-time drugstores, these apothecarieap. >> these are totally versatile. you use them here on the "today" show to decoratechristmas. easter, candy. >> got these from jerry. can we burn these? >> you can get these at saveoncrafts.com. they're the lowest prices i've found starting at just 10 bucks. >> thank you so much. we're back in a moment. in case you want to put your eyes out, take another look. but first, this is "today" on nbc. the gang is all here. good morning, kathie lee. what do you guys have coming up? >> very mixed bag. >> you're getting spackleded. >> it takes a lot of work. >> we'll also decorate some cakes. lots of fun stuff. >> yes, we do. coming up after your local news and weather. early morning sun is mostly gone. clouds and cooler temperatures moving in. time now is 9:56 on this tuesday, march 23rd, 2010. good morning, i'm kimberly suiters. in the news for today, metro is giving riders a chance to sound off on its option for closing a $189 million budget deficit. the transit agency held its first of six public hearings in vienna. customers were able to voice their opinions on several alternatives, including a fair hike. another option called for service cuts. they will hold five more hearings in the coming weeks. the next one is tomorrow night in southeast shington. attending this year's white house easter egg roll, education secretary arne duncan will announce a ticket giveaway to one of the most popular easter egg hunts in the country. this year's roll will take place april 5th. let's get a check of your weather with meteorologist tom kierein. >> temperatures in the upper 40s, now near 50 degrees, climbing into the mid 50s later on today with clouds mostly covering the sky. may see a few peeks of sunshine and chance of late passing shower this afternoon. blustery wind will develop as well. how is the traffic? american eastern bridge, slow on the outer loop. crews come by, patching the potholes on their way into virginia. one more stop quickly, 395 loaded up to the 14th street bridge where the lanes are open. history will be made to the white house this morning. tune in to news 4 midday for a special report of the from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> ahead, everybody. it is tuesday, usually booze day, but today we're going to call it shoes day. >> yes we are. yesterday was fs steven sonde him's 80th birthday, and they're renaming a theater after him. the henry miller i think is being changed. long past due. >> you know, it's funny, i woke up this morning real quick. >> that's a good thing. >>my eye's funky, because i scratched it, but here's the thing, i didn't put a contact lens in, because i was afraid to put it in. but i don't know about, i'm legally blind. i know that's a camera, but everything is fuzzy, so you have to get everything over on this way. >> between the eye thing and your right arm -- >> i'm a mess. i'm one hot mess. >> yes, you are. i wish sometimes people wouldn't give us these things. i don't want to destroy their business -- what happened to my hair? >> back to you. >> what are they called? >> bandals. >> i don't know, this is $120 at endless.com. i don't know if anybody would like them. sarah -- see, that takes ugly to a whole new level to me. i'm sorry. >> you're not going to put these on? >> i don't know. we would love to know what you think. >> these are called the idaho, $75. >> what's the point of them? what do they accomplish? >> that is not cute. >> i think you look confused in life. you can't decide abt the weather. i'm sorry, that's something out of ben-hur. >> no, no, that's not cute. >> i've never felt sexier, honestly. >> are they comfy? >> i don't know. you have to stay home. i'm sorry, everybody, at endless.com. they're probably lovely people. >> we are on "nightly news" last night. we're serious journalists. bob bazell was doing a great piece. look what's on in the background. now, look, we're there, yes, and i'm glad that we're in a hospital. that's good to know. >> that had to be real, because nbc news would never then just -- >> look at the time, it's 10 after 10:00. the time is right. >> i'm sure people in the hospital turn us on. it's a tough time for a lot of people, and we t to make people giggle a bit. >> yes, we do, and apparently it's working for the 2-year-olds. one sent in a picture of their 2-year-olds, kyra and lydia, having a playdate. wow, that's a nice big old screen. >> i like that house. >> that's hoda and kathie lee in training. >> i hope it's on mute when they're watching is what i'm saying. they're very young and impressionable. >> learning what's important in life from us, and that's frightening. it could be worse. it could be from the lady who is gardening in her thong. >> a woman from new jersey, kathleen pierce, she hayes a pink thong she likes. >> who doesn't? >> last year she guardened in a thong and pasties. this year she decided to go sans pasties, she set it all free, and apparently in that area it's not illegal to show your. >> nipples. >> nips. >> the words you struggle with. even men with nipples. it's not a bad word. >> but it's risque for the 2-year-olds watching. >> they're going we have nipples. everybody has nipples, hoda, get over it. they're from boulder, colorado? >> no, no. >> the gardener. >> okay. >> very free thinking out there. >> yes, very one with nature. >> why do you think one would want to be out there gardening in their thong. >> to be seen. >> oh, sure. >> unless they have a big hedge around their property. i told you i don't even go out in a spacesuit in my own backyard. too many people watching from the sky. >> it's getting to be bathing suit. >> apparently she looks pretty darn good for a 52-year-old. the police came to see if you're guilty of something, and they said, no, you're not guilty of anything. keep gardening, honey. this is not something we haven't heard before. a new thing that says that men take risks around pretty girls. more risks. they studied a group of skateboarders, and did it with regular people like us, and then with a hot 18-year-old, and apparently they risked life and limb to show off. >> i think that's cute. >> i've been almost married to frank, and every time i walk by him, he flexes it in. and cody can do the thing with the chest. >> he's going to hate that you said that. >> totally talented in our family. that's just the way men are. >> we both read a book that we loved the milt albom new book called having have a little faith." >> if you want to read a book that inspiring you, i didn't know you had read it. a friend gave it to me. i was sobbing my eyes out. i love it. it's called "have a little faith." for families, kids, teens, young teens, a terrific new book called "cosmic." that is just adorable. >> really? >> yeah, yeah. i forget the publisher, but i think it will be made into a film by walden, that does the great family movies. check that out. >> it's about a boy in his early young teens, but very tall and already has facial hair, so people are confusing him with a man. >> no, no. >> it's a good thing. it's a good thing. i just picked up the ann rice book, the new one. >> true story? >> no, this is the one where she finds her faith again in her 50s, because you spend all that time writing those books, adult fiction. >> but that one is about 3 years old. >> is it? it's really inspiring, just shows how even in your 50s how your life can change and transform again. i've just started it. it's in paperback, so it's been out. >> the closer we get to the grave, we start thinking about what do i think is on the other side of the grave? no pasties, i'm telling you. this is a "new york post" today, and there's a guy, a psychiatrist in his 80s, and his theory is that some men cheat, because when they were younger they had a nanny. his theory is -- >> i'm looking at the one my kids had. i'm going to blame it all on her, for sure. >> he says your nanny fulfills some of your needs like putting band-aids on you. >> your mother does that, too. >> and your mom fulfills another need. you're so used to two women giving you different things that you need when you're older. >> this guy is in his 80s when he wrote it. it's just his theory. maybe he's feeling guilty about his fill landering, and men have to blame it on somebody. we all know that. >> look at jane. >> he didn't admit? >> no, so stop accusing the man of cheating. >> then how does he have this theory? >> because he thought of it. he's a psychiatrist. look at jane over there. she's thinking why do i have to be on with these bimbos here? >> we are not bimbos. >> i didn't mean you. apparently jane has the world's greatest shoes on. jane, would you ever wear one of these? >> in the house? >> while cleaning. >> let's see her shoes. she has the sexiest shoes on. jane can't walk, so we're going to do the interview over there. just in time for the fourths season of "30 rock." >> and she's got a big rock on her hand. >> is it 30 carats to go with 30 rocks? >> yes. >> don't hide it, darling. sarah, what's up, toots? >> jackie says she likes the brown sandal. these are naughty monkey women gladiators. >> naughty monkey, what we all want to in life. >> in regard to the study on the nannies, laurie says sloers it's a male psychiatrist, he's probably looking for an excuse. coming up next, jane drakowski. >> is it real or another epis e episode? we'll find out after this. . the tax professional told me that my refund was $2000 more than what i had found on my own. surprise ! and i was thinking, how could i miss something so big ? taxes can be complicated. so doing tes alone isn't for everyone. choose the pros who have completed over a half billion returns already. you don't know what you don't know, and that's why you go to h&r block. h&r block. get it right. that, on the list of things kids love, our party pizzas have just passed toy robots. awkward. kids love totino's party pizzas. ♪ mmm... hot fudge sundae. ♪ ooh! frosted blueberry?!? ♪ over 25 flavors of kellogg's pop-tarts®. and they're all for fun and fun for all. pop-tarts®. made f fun. it's the address of our headquarters and the name of an emmy award-winning tv show. >> it's "30 rock" where the workplace exists behind the scenes of a live variety show. take a look. >> good morning, ladies. >> um-hmm. >>ood morning. >> last night i had a very graphic dream about kenneth. >> what? >> i know, it's disgusting, but we had to listen to him talk for hours yesterday. he must have gone into my subconscious, then he and i did it. >> i don't want to hear it. la, la, la, la, no. >> that's like in the dressing room every morning. don't tell me. >> or you're having sexual dreams about kenneth. >> got to have a little fun in life. >> ahead, girl. >> how are you? >> everything's good. glad to be here. >> over christmas the big news. >> yes, a few days before christmas, we got engaged. >> does she have a name? >> robt godly. >> oh, a godly man. that's been your problem in the past, they weren't godly. >> weren't godly enough. >> how did he propose? >> well, he had it all very planned out. it was meant to be. we were flying to london to see his family, and it was meant to the on the airplane, but it was one of those big snowstorms in new york and we ended up being grounded at jfk for about 14 hours, the most romantic sett g setting, so when we finally got home, he took me out in the snowstorm and asked me there. >> how sweet. >> how long have you been going with him? >> a little over a year now. but you know, i always thought it was going to be a rental. somebody finally decided to buy. >> you are so cute. >> it's kind of exciting. i've left the rental area. >> but you also have to be careful when you're a well-known person that somebody is really in love with you and not the celeity aspect. >> that's interesting. we were set up by a mutual friend. he actually knew none of my work. >> and you liked him anyway. >> i think it was pretty clear he wasn't just dating me because he likes my work. >> he's not in the usins. >> no, he's a designer of menswear. >> you wrapped up taping season 4. >> they didn't use us again. >> what's it like? you seem to have so much fun. is that being fun around the group? >> it is. we're having the best time. we wrapped up season 4, definitely we'll be back for season 5. we're thrilled. >> that must be the hardest part, not being able to contain your laughter when thingser happening, time is clicking, and you've got to get the scene. is it hard for you control? >> it's good the writing is so well done. it's good for us to laugh throughout it and acknowledge when the jokes are funny. we have the best crew, i swear. it will be 11 p.m., and we've been there 15 hours and they still laugh. >> who cracks you up the most? >> god, everyone does at different times. tracy is probably the one that cracks me up. he's entertaining all the time. >> do you love that you get to use your singing skills? you were on broadway, won a tony for "nine." dancing. >> it's really great that they add that in, and that they let me send up that stuff. when i do it way too much. i love that. it's fun to be jenna that way. >> what did you think of the movie "nine"? >> i'm such a huge fan of rob marshall. it's absolutely stunning to look at. >> we loved it. >> yeah. yeah. >> alec was great on the oscars. i'm really proud of him. they worked hard on that. those two are really funny together. >> we wish you the best of luck with everything. >> can i say one more thing? i made a video with jergens, i've been working with engineeringens to get a natural flow. for every time you watch this video on youtube, you can -- a dollar will be donated every time you watch it. every time you watch the video we made, they'll donate a dollar to the skin cancer foundation. >> you're a paid spokeswoman? >> yes, i'm working with them for the skin care foundation. >> awesome. >> congratulations. >> we're glad you came on. >> i'm so happy for you. >> thank you. you can watch "30 rock" thursdays. why all the single ladies aren't who you might thing you are. >> no, it's like this. >> pick it up. what is this? guy: it's a special paste i invented to replace socks. we're dipping our feet in it. wife: why? guy: because we can't find socks that shape to our feet. we're sick of it! son: sick of it! wife: that's really stupid. guy: that's the future. announcer: hanes makes better-fitting socks the whole family will love. guaranteed, or your money back. yes, are we covered. rex ate chips, ice cream, tapioca, and, of course, dog treats. oh, sorry, miss. we don't cover dogs. no. charlie is my dog. rex is my husband. [ moans ] [ male announcer ] pepto-bismol. yup, you're covered. but there's one that makes your skin look better even after you take it off. 98% of women who tried neutrogena healthy skin makeup thought so. does your makeup do that? neutrogena cosmetics. the bright, fresh scent of orange blossom. beautiful moments are born in the shower. a unique sensation in body wash. touch of happiness moisturizing body wash from nivea. touch and be touched. wouldn't be better in small amounts. - like yard work! - and exercising! and your casserole... would not be one of those things. exclusive kmart layaway lets you plan ahead, pay a little over time and pick up everhing you need, when you need it! there's smart, and there's kmart smart. can you believe how fast kids grow the days? and since 90% of bone strength is developed before adulthood... it's so important that they get enough calcium every day. that's why there's new danonino. danonino! unlike leading kids yogurts, danonino has twice the calcium of milk, ounce per ounce, with vitamin d. so it's power packed for healthy growth. and its rich creamy taste is... yummy! so they can start building strong bones today... for stronger bodies tomorrow. new danonino from dannon. power packed to help kids grow. in today's relationships and the growing number of women who are lacking a serious one and loving it. >> according to "more" the face of the single woman is changing. it's getting older. >> careful. >> imagine that, and wiser and enjoying every minute of it. leslie jane seymour, and jane scandora is featured in the magazine. we had more fun yesterday talking about the article are women happier 40 years later. >> it's interesting. when you talk about the number of women living alone, whether divorced, widowed or single, 27 million seemed big to me. >> going up, too. >> and our moms are among those. you think of a widow not really as single, but they are. >> and most of us may end up alone in the end because of our life stages. we're living longer than men. even if you're in a relationship, they're gone. it's a different way of looking at single women. that was a big eye opener for me. >> there's a stigma, obviously when it comes to women who weren't married or maybe aren't. is it changing? what's the story? >> i think it's changing a bit for the younger demographic, but there's a no-win answer to, why have you never been married? you say i'm having a great life, great family, friends, whatever, but then you get you must have self-absorbed, gay, commitmentphobic. but you say i would love to be in a committed relationship, and then they say, ah, you poor thing. >> a lot of women we talk to say it's not that they never want to be in a relationship, but they're not sitting around everybody away mooning for it. >> they would rather be alone than be in a bad situation with somebody. >> it really is true. i was in a bad marriage. i would have rather been single for the rest of my life than stay unhappy in a bad marriage. >> that's the good news about the piece, there is a future for you. i was interested in how people build families, what happens when you're older, you need help, someone to take care of you. and these women talk about building a community around them of friends who, they spend chstmawith them, they spend holidays with them. it's not a terrible thing. >> you produced a film, i thought was interesting. tell us the takeaway. >> i was tired of people asking me why aren't i married? i can now hand them a dvd. >> but when you say that, do they try to set you up? >> is this where you flash my phone number on the bottom? i got tired of the stereotypes and stigmas. i really wanted to help people to understand it's okay to be single. just because you're single doesn't mean you're alone or unhappy, not in relationships. >> i'm comfortable being single, but i think i'm better in the right relationship. >> but you also had been through a bad marriage, but would rather be single. >> you can't help it, you do get the eyes like, i might have someone for you. what's the best way to react in that situation? >> well, find out who he is, first. >> it only takes one. >> don't shut the door until you see what's on the other side. >> you never know. there's an optimism, like perhaps in our mothers' generation, where it was considered over. >> you were an old maid, that was the worse thing to be called. >> you can build a life and community. that's what we were trying to put on the in the piece. >> i'm looking forward to reading it. >> thank you very much. >> and we've got a guy for you. >> i'm first, not you. see how competitive she? how to put the brakes on the second most common killer cancer. plus the places you'll go for the prices you will not believe, after your local news. vo: you know the feeling. the thrill of the save. that secret high from stretching a dollar. that little rush in finding what you need for less. and now, it's rollback time at walmart. which means thousands of rollbacks all over the store. it's another way to master your budget. and another great day for the savers. save money. live better. walmart. special live coverage from the white house as president obama signs the health care bill into law. loading buses at the u.s. capitol right now to be part of the ceremony. president obama is preparing a speech hoping to get americans in on the plan. from canada to alaska, what [ male announcer ] it's our hottest offer of the season, but it's melting fast. so hurry, act now to get fios tv, internet and phone at the super low price of $99.99 a month -- guaranteed for 2 years! call now and you'll also get a multi-room dvr d set top box -- free for six months. with 100% fiber optics straight to your home you'll get an amazing hd picture, america's top rated internet and phone. all for just $99.99 a month. enjoy tons of your favorite shows and channels. fios brings facebook and twitter right to your tv. also, check sports, weather and traffic without interrupting your show. you'll get tv with three times more very satisfied customers than cox. get it all for just $99.99 a month -- guaranteed for 2 years! plus a multi-room dvr and set top box -- free for six months. don't wait. this incredible offer ends soon. call 1-866-932-fios. that's 1-866-932-fios. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v. this is beyond cable. this is fios. we're back on this tuesday, booze day tuesday. with "today's travel" and the affordable vacation. >> you want to hop on the back of a camel or visit the taj mahal or twirl spaghetti in italy? we'll show you how you can. we have deals that are too good to be true. >> hello. we think they are too good to be true, but this time they are. >> at budget travel, we believe that travel is a birthrite, now a luxury, to develop our 100th anniversary of the magazine, we published the -- >> now you give them a way to afford it. >> the taj mahal, is in agra, about two hours from delhi by train, called the jewel of one of my favorite places on the planet, the coastline of california. >> there's an 88-mile stretch that goes through four state parks. >> that's beautiful. >> is that near big sur? >> you start in carmel, go to san simeon, smell the fragrant sage bushes. you can stop. >> the seals in the water off the -- >> yeah, what's great about it is it's right where hearst castle is, and there's a secret hotel. >> it's called -- well, it's called the hunting lodge. what happens is, you know, also designed by julia morgan who designs hearth hearst castle, 11 rooms, $50 a night, right in the center of it. >> it was for marrian davies. >> juicy. >> nina, thank you. >> you just made us dream a bit. coming up next, we have some health advice to keep you traveling for a long time to come. ) - ( rope snaps ) - ( piano clangs ) - ( crashes ) - glad forceflex trash bags are so strong, one bag is all you need to pick up the pieces from even your biggest disasters. - ( doorbell rings ) - where do you want the piano? 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[ announcer ] it's amazing what one can do. we're back with "today's health." one good reason you want to make sure the people you love you are screened for colon cancer. >> because it's the second leading cause of cancer death in the united states. >> however, catching it early can often save your life. >> dr. fritz francois is a member of the nyu cancer institute, and they'ra wilson was diagnosed with colon cancer a year ago, but we're awfully glad she's here with us today. welcome to you both. >> thank you. >> a lot of people get their clonescopies at 50. tell us how you discovered your cancer? >> well, initially i thought mine was gynecological in origin, my symptoms. my menstrual cycles were coming closer together and having back pain and cramping, which i had never had before with that. thankfully my gynecologist pursued testing and did the fecal cult testing and said your screening came back positive for this, and you turned 50 this year, this would be the year for you to get a colonoscopy. i had no family history. >> wasn't it stage 4 at that point? >> no, after my colonoscopy was when it appeared to be stage 4. i had the colonoscopy done after i had the fecal stool cult testing. >> there's some symptoms that she's talking about, doctor. what are some common symptoms of colon cancer? >> it's important to remember that colon cancer can be asymptomatic. however, it is possible to have symptoms, and you should not ignore them. abdominal pain, abdominal cramps, constipation or changes in your bowel habits, where you develop dirhea, maybe thin stools or bleeding from the rectum. >> i might thing minus the last cupeling, a lot of things are things we all have every now and then? >> when it doubt, see your doctor. you know your body, and you can actually be a very good partner with your health care provider to get screened. when it doubt, get screened. >> do you think that age 50 is the right age? do you think it should be earlier? >> well, i'll tell you, there are individuals who can develop colon cancer at earlier age. we choose 50 at a starting point, but in fact we know that about 5% of individuals can develop colon cancer at an age younger than that. so again, you have to consider the individual. you have to consider if you have a family history, perhaps you have symptoms, and those factors actually may really should be taken into account. >> did you have a family history or anything? >> no family history. with the size of my colon tumor by the time i got diagnosed, this had some time to grow, because add no cars noma is not fast growing. >> it had been there a while. >> i would venture to say in my 40s, 42, 43, it probably started at that point. >> what stage was your cancer ultimately? was it stage 3? >> it started out as a stage 4 initially off colonoscopy and p.e.t. scan, but after the scan i was downgraded to a stage 3. >> how are you now? >> good. i'm in remission. had the last surgery four weeks ago. >> you wanted to live for your daughter, who is here today. she was 9 years old at the time. >> eight. >> so you just -- how much of a factor did that play for you, you know, in giving you the strength you needed to be here for this beautiful daughter. >> encouragement every day. >> she's precious. >> she's right there with her husband, who are beaming. >> you do go through canceras an individual. your whole family goes through it with you. >> my mother and sister came -- >> you had so much support from your family. >> we wouldn't have made it without them. >> we think your message is a strong one. we know that people are listening. thea, doctor, thank you. >> please don't be afraid of a colonoscopy, guys. it's nothing. it's nothing. it can save your life. >> thank you. we're going to have a cookoff in the kitchen. >> i'm going to win. >> oh, i don't think so. nice! follow me, the missouri river is this way! lewis and clark expedition of 1804. oh, he'll never get this. magellan, 1520. awww, my 8 layers must've given it away. help keep your kid full and focused with 8 filling layers... of whole grain fiber found in kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal. this is one giant leap for mini-kind. keeps 'em full. keeps 'em focused. hoo hooo! should we order panda blossom, panda moon... how about chinese at home with new wanchai ferry? 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>> my goal today is to have one of you two lick from froing from my finger. >> how do we know where that finger has been? >> we don't know where it's been, and he wouldn't boil it. >> get in line, buddy, is the way i see it. >> ultimate cakeoff is a place where three teams compete, usually with six feet tall, with motorization lights. >> these are artists. look what they're doing. >> sometime they have to put the stuff, it comes up the ramp. reali it's a wonderful, exciting thing to watch. >> i've been learning how to decorate cae. believe it or not, it's not as difficult as you thing. when you go to a shop, you have a professional cake made for you. the piping on t. the icing is very difficult to accomplish, actually, but i learned some interesting things. if you look at they star tips and dao though "c" motion, just like that, you do it over and over again. make sure you have the green one. >> that looks more like a "w". >> no, i'm doing my own "c." >> it's about the pressure in your hands. >> yeah. >> and very good. i'm using this -- this is called the seashell. >> what are you doing this? >> just circles. once you do that, i'm telling you, all you have to do is buy these tips. you are very good. >> you didn't say anything about me. >> my goodness, that's gorgeous. >> daddy is telling us we're good. >> all you do is go right from the top and let go. just like that. just beautifully like that. honestly, this is a very simple thing to do. but, you know, i have a feeling that i want to you you -- that's what "ultimate cakeoff"s all about. try to go complete these cakes in about nine hours. >> the first one usually isn't very good. >> it's the right amount the pressure and staying consistent with the borders of your cake. >> have you done this before? you can put the sugar flowers on it. >> i'm going to write mine. can i write wos on mine? i'm going to do "happy birthday joann." >> this is a pearl tip right there. >> one of our producers has a birthday. >> mine is for steven sonde him. >> lk at that. my goodness -- >> how did you already do it? >> fantastic. don't be afraid to use side sugars over here. we have some pearls, gold, all this stuff. >> look at that. where's joann? >> come here, come here. >> mine has a problem. >> let me lick your hand. >> go ahead, i know wher my hands have been. oh, lighten up. >> a little tangy here. >> this is her birthday. >> happy birthday. >> i'm not licking anything. >> mine is so ugly. >> what a surprise. >> let me write "happy birthday." hold on. do you like your cake? >> i love it. >> joann is one of our producers, she does our chat every day. >> if you don't like it, blame her. >> how about "hap"? b-day. >> i have too much to right. >> and it's 26. >> wow, you look -- no. okay. very nice. very good. you know what? i think i have to judge your cakes and see which is the nicest? i'm one of the judges. >> yeah, you do it. >> yours is good. like day, day. >> so much fun, you get into this. >> look at this one. joann is decorating her own cake. >> thank you, george. >> very nice. >> thank you. awesome. awesome. >> live it off my hand. >> too much. too much. i can't handle it. we'll be back with more of "today" on nbc. okay. we're going to pick the winner. who is the winning cake? >> ready? the winning cake is joann's sclam gorgeous. >> happy birthday. >> you get a fantastic prize. >> a give bag. tomorrow "dancing with the stars" will be with us. >> we'll talk to you tomorrow. >> have a great day. god bless.