Transcripts For WRC Today 20100419

former president bill clinton. >> i was thinking, you know, if your family fed him questions, that would be good. >> candid conversation on the bond between their families, chelsea's wedding and much more, bond between their families, chelsea's wedding and much more, "today," april 19th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a monday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm ann curry in for meredith this morning. good morning, everybody. there were some successful test flights over the weekend and there was a lot of hope that 50% of air travel would be restored today over europe but already that number has been reduced significantly. >> that's right. officials now estimate about 30% of flights into and out of europe, roughly 9,000 of the usual 28,000, will be able to take off today, and all 63,000 flights have been canceled in the past three days, a cost of about $1 billion to the airline industry. and there is word the ash cloud will arrive above parts of north america today. some flights in canada have already been canceled. just ahead, the latest on the situation. get this, ann, a new concern that a second, much larger volcano could -- and i want to emphasize, could erupt. >> really something. new details in the investigation of the murder of monica beresford redman, the wife of a successful television producer. right now, he is the only person identified as a possible suspect in her murder. this morning, his wife's family will be joining us. they've got a lot to say about what happened to their girl. what was michelle obama like as a child? her brother, craig robinson, knows better than anyone and what it's like to visit his sister at their new address, 1600 pennsylvania avenue. let's begin with that volcanic ash cloud hanging over europe. first, let's start with nbc's chris jansing, who is in iceland, where there is growing concern about that potential of a second, more powerful eruption. chris, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. there really is a double threat that's being posed here tonight because under there are rumblings. that second ash plume that settled down because of rain and hail activated again overnight. this is really a volcano that is active and unpredictable. for 400 years, generations of this family have lived in the shadow of the ejjafjoll volcano, the last big eruption in 1981. now, explosions have blanketed miles of countryside into volcanic grit, turning day into night. >> i felt like american horror movie. >> reporter: a story being repeated again and again as mothers and children evacuate while farmers stay behind to rescue animals from the choking ash. >> we did not expect it in our life it would happen. >> reporter: the volume kcano p a show of ferocious intensity saturday, dramatic explosions that created a billowing plume 30,000 feet high. but by sunday, a surprising shift. at 8:00 am, clouds moved in, the plume diminished, but seismic activity increased. the question is, what does it all mean? >> what we do is we do a simple measurement. >> reporter: this man and his team of volcanologists are gathering clues in the debris. >> we are trying to estimate what's coming out of the volcano to allow us to foresee what it will do. >> reporter: as they are trying to decide what eyjafjoll will do outside the volcano, that they could travel across miles and trigger a much larger val cano, katla. what are the chances that the seismic activity underneath this volcano could trigger katla? >> the only thing that we know is that this one has gone off three times and in all cases katla has done so as well. >> reporter: in addition to seismologists, who are working on the ground right now, there is a plane up in the air with a team of volcanologiszs checking on that ash plume. later today, it is, indeed, going to move over north america, but is not expected to hit the u.s. matt? >> chris jansing in iceland for us. thank you so much. now the impact of all of this on air travel and what's being done to get thousands of stranded passengers home. dawna friesen has that part of the story. good morning to you. >> reporter: britain and parts of europe remain a no fly zone for the fifth straight day, there's growing anger, especially from the airlines, that the authorities may have overreacted and closed the skies unnecessarily. for a fifth day, iceland's volcano is creating havoc in the skies. more than 300 airports across britain and europe were closed over the weekend, more than 63,000 flights have been canceled since thursday. almost 7 million passengers affected. it's a financial nightmare for those who are stranded, many of whom are running out of money. >> i have no money and i must keep me alive, you know. >> reporter: and it's costing airlines an estimated $200 million a day, with corporate travel and air freight grounded, the european economy has suffered millions in lost business. >> every day that an airline is not in the sky costs about a quarter of a percent of their annual sales. on a day-to-day basis if you total it, it's about $200 million. >> reporter: airlines are increasingly angry, several, including british airways, sent up their own test flights. they landed showing no damage. but officials say its test flight did encounter dangerous levels of ash and it's still unpredictable enough to allow flights. >> over uk and northwestern parts of europe, that's still up there in the although moss fear now. >> reporter: groups have blasted european governments for a lack of leadership. britain's emergency team met to consider con continui consider contingencies. >> everything is being done, to look for windows of opportunity where flights are possible. >> reporter: there are predictions that as many as half the usual european flights may make it into the air today, as pressure on governments mounts to ease restrictions that have thrown global travel and commerce into chaos. european transport ministers are holding an emergency video conference meeting this afternoon to try to come up with contingency plans. british airways has announced it will ask the european union for compensation. matt? >> dawna friesen in london this morning. thank you very much. nbc news transportation analyst mark rosenberg. >> good to see you, matt. >> what did we learn from these test flights conducted by several airlines over the weekend? you have to assume they didn't send their jets up into the heart of any kind of volcanic ash cloud and we know that cloud moves around unpredictably. was this useful at all? >> i think it was useful. they found they could get into gaps where the plume was not there. this is not the final answer. you really have to take a look at where this plume is going, the movement that it is taking and you have to do this with data and a good kedeal of scien. >> we know why those test flights were conducted. the airlines want to say here is what we can do. they're saying that because this situation is getting desperate, financially. are you worried that pressure will be placed on aviation officials to get these airlines back in the air strictly for financial reasons? >> i don't believe so, matt. look, we enjoy a very, very high grade of safety in the aviation community. and because they make the right decisions. safety will not be compromised, in my judgment. >> the volcanic ash cloud, this volcano could belch ash for weeks to come. i mean, when it comes right down to it, if that does continue over the long period of time, mark, are we running the risk of losing some airlines? >> well, i can't tell you about where they're going to end up financially, being put out of business or not. i just don't believe that will happen either. but this is mother nature 've got to take the safe do approach, because that is the only approach which will maintain the high level of safety we've enjoyed throughout the world. >> let's bring this back to the consumers now. you've got people stranded at airports for the better part of five days now. if, as i said, this continues for several more days, a lot of hardship there. what's your best advice to consumers who may either be stranded now or have flights booked in the near future? >> everyone is eager to get into the air, carriers, passengers, aviation authorities are attempting to do the best they can in making the right decisions. matt, let me just say this. this is an old aviation say iin. it is better to be on the ground wishing you were up in the air than being up in the air, wishing you were on the ground. >> i'll leave it at that. thank you. >> i like that point. >> it's a little bit like better safe than sorry. let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories. natalie morales is in for me at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. today, toyota is agreeing to pay a record fine stemming from its gas pedal problems. tom costello is in washington with more. good morning. >> reporter: today is the deadline for toyota to accept or fight a $16.4 million fine. the company is expected to pay up, the largest fine ever assessed by the government against a car maker. the government alleges toyota knew about sticking gas pedals last september, but hid the effects and issued a recall. toyota is facing mounting civil lawsuits as well as criminal investigations. a $16 million fine for toyota is really not significant, but it is yet another strike against the company's reputation. toyota recalled 2.3 million vehicles in january for the sticking accelerator. the company has recalled more than 8 million vehicles worldwide because of acceleration problems and braking problems. a government official tells nbc news by paying the full civil penalty, toyota is accepting responsibility for hiding this safety defect from nhtsa, the national highway safety administration, in violation of the law. it now has 30 days to write the check. natalie? >> tom costello in our washington bureau. thank you, tom. dramatic rescues more than five days after western china was rocked by a devastating earthquake a 4-year-old girl and a 68-year-old woman were found under the rubble of a house. thousands turned out for the funeral of the polish president and his wife. the president has a busy week ahead. chuck todd joins us. chuck, good morning. what's on the agenda? >> reporter: good morning, natalie. number one on the agenda is finding one senate republican to go along with 59 democrats on financial regulatory reform or wall street reform in the wake of the whole goldman sachs business last week, the administration believes they have some momentum. treasury secretary tim geithner will be on the hill to try to get one republican. at least to get a bill to be brought to the floor. that's what could be filibustered today. not the legislation itself, just the ability to begin that. the president will overnight tonight in los angeles, flying out there later this afternoon for three fund-raisers for an increasingly vulnerable democratic senator out there, barbara boxer. natalie? >> chuck todd at the white house for us this morning. five major airlines have agreed not to charge passengers for carry-on bags. responding to spirit to charge $35 for each carry-on, american, united, delta and jet blue told chuck schumer they won't do the same, at least for now. now back over to matt, ann and al. >> at least for now? >> knock on wood that that >> and that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thanks. for the first time, the government is going after a company that helped some investors profit from the collapse of the housing market. securities and exchange commission filed a civil lawsuit friday against powerhouse goldman sachs. we've got msnbc's dylan ratigan here to talk about this. good morning. >> good morning to you. >> walk us through exactly what the shenanigans specifically were. >> here's an accusation. as with anything with wall street, you have one group of people who believe that a bunch of home mortgages were going to be worthless and you have another group of people who maybe didn't know. goldman sachs was called by an individual who believed that these mortgages were going to become worthless and goldman was asked to package them together and sell them to another goldman customer. if i came to you and said these six mortgages are all going to collapse. can you assemble them into a single device and find somebody else to buy them so that i can bet they're going to decline? here is the concern. the accusation is that goldman sachs, when they did this, misrepresented what they were selling to their customers, so that they didn't disclose to their customers that the basket that they were selling had been selected specifically to become worthless. they told -- the accusation is that they told those who were investing in it that this was selected by a third party and this could have any variety of things. >> this really accounts for why there's so much outrage over this. >> it's the evidence of fraud is what it is. >> you're using a very harsh word. >> well, that's the accusations. >> the accusations are coming from the sec. the sec has been widely criticized for not having done enough to prevent the financial meltdown. it didn't stop bernie madoff. >> sure. >> why these charges now, a week before the senate banking -- excuse me, the senate takes up these issues? >> sure. couple of things. one, under the bush administration, funding for the executor securities and exchange commission was hugely cut. it was as if all of a sudden the budget for the "today" show was cut and everybody wondered why al was no longer being sent to iceland, it's because there was no money for anybody to do anything and they were gutted over the past ten years. as a result, you've seen very little enforcement. at this point, we've watched billions of dollars in direct support, trillions of dollars in indirect support and billions of dollars in compensation paid out in our banking system over the past year, year and a half. at the same time, our government owns 80% or 90% of a variety of these banks and refuses to release information about what those banks were doing when they made this money in the first place, puts us in a situation where the government appears to be covering up or suppressing information on behalf of the banks at the expense of our students, our retirees and middle-class taxpayers. what you're seeing from the sec here is a compulsion to act, in some way, that appears to be active when faced with a menu of failures over the past ten years. >> obviously, we're not going to hear the end of this. >> no. >> a big week coming up where the senate is taking this up. dylan ratigan, thank you so much. catch the dylan ratigan show weekdays at 4:00 pm eastern on msnbc. it is now 7:19. once again, here is matt. >> ann, thank you. an appeal has been filed against the murder conviction and 26-year prison sentence of american college student amanda knox. keith miller has the details. >> reporter: amanda knox, the 22-year-old student from is going back to court. an appeal for her conviction of murder and violent sexual assault. at almost the same time, the prosecutor in the case announced he will also file an appeal, to increase knox's prison sentence from 26 years to life behind bars. knox's former boyfriend, sentenced to 25 years in prison, is also appealing. the two were convicted by two judges and a six-member jury last year for the killing of kno x's roommate, meredith kucher, an exchange student from england. knox's lawyer says they will introduce new evidence and request an independent review of the forensic evidence. >> in the room where meredith lost her life, there was not one spec of amanda in that room. and how they can say that she was a part of this crime is beyond me. >> reporter: cold and calculated killers is how the prosecutor describes knox and her former boyfriend. he has also charged knox and her parents were slander. >> we're, of course, hugely disappointed. it's -- you know, he's already got his conviction. he got a long sentence and he's since then also added -- charged her with a new crime. he has charged her with slander. >> it's almost a vendetta he has against her. >> reporter: knox is allowed one phone call a week to her parents. >> we hopefully like to hear she's in an upbeat mode. >> reporter: served almost three years in prison for a crime she claims she didn't commit. >> i saw her a week ago. she was doing good, trying to stay busy and stay upbeat. >> reporter: the conviction last december created a sensation in italy, where knox is still called by the press angel face. she will be back in court and on the front page of newspapers as early as september. for "today," keith miller, nbc news. still to come, are police closer to arresting a hollywood producer in connection with his wife's brutal murder in cancun? her family speaks out in an exclusiv just ahead, the mother of josie ratley, the florida teen severely beaten i a case of text rage shares exclusive new video of her daughter's recovery. jenna bush-haeger, on one-on-one with former president bill clinton. oh, that's not six yet. whoa. where's the pan? both: over there. ( laughter ) push it down. push it down. thank you for helping. it's amazing what you can make out of a rainy day. childhood is calling. something funny happens when you cross over from land to sea. you beco a different person. ♪ are you ready? you taste foods you've never tried. ♪ i want to bang on the drum all day ♪ you swim with animals you've only seen in aquariums. and somewhere out on the high seas, you get your first water wedgie. ♪ i don't want to play ♪ i just want to bang on the drum all day ♪ [ ship horn blows ] it is 7:30 now on a monday morning. it's the 19th of april, 2010. a little chillier than we've been used to. out on the plaza this morning, we have a big crowd there. we'll take a second to let them get their faces on tv. there's lenny and other friends. we'll be outside to greet everyone in a couple of minutes. >> several layers did deep out there. >> very big crowd. we'll say hi. i'm matt lauer, alongside ann curry. ann is filling in while meredith is off today. just ahead, a grieving family speaks out. >> really sad story, matt. that's right. monica beresford redman was murdered two weeks ago in c cancun. her husband, a former produce forefor "survivor" is the only suspect. her mother and sisters will be joining us for an exclusive interview, matt. also, jenna bush hager sits down with president bill clinton, the man her father replaced in the white house, to talk about everything from the unique bond their families share to chelsea's upcoming wedding and president clinton's global initiative. that should be an interesting discussion. speaking of the white house, what was our nation's current first lady like as a child? michelle obama's older brother, craig robinson, will be here to tell us all about that. let's begin with new details of the murder of a tv reality producer's wife in cancun. we'll talk to her family exclusively in a moment. first, miguel almaguer is in cancun. >> reporter: police say they won't rush this case, methodically going over the evidence. it's a high-profile murder with a suspect, but still no arrests. shortly after police discovered monica beresford redman's body dumped in a sewer, investigators focused their attention on her husband, bruce. he remains their only suspect, but hasn't been seen by police in cancun for over a week. >> translator: me? i haven't heard from him. i don't know if you've talked to him. no? nothing. not a call. no word at all. >> reporter: questioned once by detectives, mexican authorities have said beresford redman can't leave the country until forensic tests are complete. police say evidence found on monica's body and in the couple's hotel room could lead to an arrest. >> translator: we sent the tests to our lab in mexico city. the experts are examining it now. >> reporter: as they wait for scientific evidence, detectives are building a case, focusing on bruce beresford redman's time line the night his wife was murdered. police say he was heard arguing with monica inside the couple's hotel room hours after he claimed he saw her. the coroner's report estimates she died a short time later. hotel records show that someone went in and out of the couple's room at least a dozen times between midnight and 6:00 am. two weeks later, monica's body was discovered not far from the couple's room. >> who will be voted out tonight? >> reporter: a producer for cbs' hit show "survivor," bruce beresford redman hasn't made any statements but has support from a friend and former cast member. >> this happened a week ago and they still haven't arrested him or charged him with a crime i think really tells you something. >> reporter: after accusations of infidelity, friends say bruce and monica traveled to cancun to work on their marriage. detectives haven't released a motive for murder but monica's family is demanding answers >> translator: obviously, they want justice and that the person responsible is found, tried and convicted. >> reporter: two weeks old, a person who is a suspect hasn't been charged with the crime. they'll decide whether bruce beresford redman will be charged with murder after tests come back or whether he will be alloweded to have his passport back. ann? >> thank you. we are joined by monica's mother and her sisters and attorney and translator. good morning to all of you. >> good morning. >> let me begin with you, mrs. bergos. what do you want to say about your daughter, monica, and what happens happened to her? >> translator: i would like to say that my daughter was a winner. she came to the united states and won. she was a wonderful mother, a fighter and a woman full of lif life. >> do you -- >> translator: and the way she was murdered, she finds herself numbed and desperate. she doesn't know what to do. >> carla, you say that monica was your best friend. what do you want to tell us about her? >> well, she was the strongest and smartest and fun, the life of the party. she was always happy. everybody liked her. she was just a wonderful person, you know. it was not fair the way it was -- she died and we need justice for this. >> let's talk about that. were you concerned, gianni, when you heard she was going to travel to cancun with her husband? what were your concerns? >> i told her that wasn't the right time. he wasn't ready for that. he wasn't ready to give to my sister what she needed. they were having serious problems and she was trying to save her marriage, because her family was the most important thing for her. but i told her he wasn't committed and it wasn't the time for her to do that. she needed to take care of herself and let him take care of himself, because he needed help, but she was concerned with the family and with the kids, because that was the most important thing for her. >> mrs. bergos, let me ask you this. you say you believe your son-in-law, bruce, should be arrested. what makes you so sure that he is involved in your daughter's murder? >> translator: i think there should be justice. everything indicates that it should be so. >> and your -- are you -- sorry. go right ahead. >> translator: the form with which the crime was committed was terrible. it was horrible, horrific. there should be justice, whether here or in mexico. she was an american citizen. mexico has to show that there is justice, there is the law and the laws to do so. nobody has the right to destroy a family & in the way that they did it. no one has that right. >> we should probably mention that bruce has not been charged with any crime so far. i also need to mention that your family wants to bring monica's body back to los angeles for burial and, as a result, you're having a memorial so that you can raise the money to do that. carla, gianni, ellie bergos and andrea ferros, thank you for joining us as well. now let's get if you want to keep track of your weather, check out the weather channel or click on weather.com. ann? >> al, thanks. coming up next, "today's" jenna bush hager sits down with former president bill clinton to talk about their families and chelsea's wedding. 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[ male announcer ] trugreen. go greener. we're back now at 7:42. only a handful of people know what it's like to live in the white house. on sunday, two of them got together for a chat. contributing correspondent jenna bush hager caught up with president bill clinton at cgiu, the clinton global initiative university in miami. >> well, thank you so much, president clinton. i'm sure this is a rarity, at least for me, a bush interviewing a clinton. >> i know. i was thinking, you know, if your family fed him questions, that would be good. >> no. they love you. they joked that you're my grandfather's stepson. have you heard that? >> i have. >> he talks about you more than he talks about anyone else in the family. >> your grandmother always says every family has one, a black sheep. >> how do you balance everything, the stress of rebuilding haiti, your global initiative, your foundation, travel, family? >> well, sometimes i don't. it's a constant struggle, you know, even at my age. when i had my serious surgery five years ago, almost six years ago now, i realized that i had been given like a new lease on life. so, i felt like i should do more of the things i'm doing now. >> so, this year at cgiu, you have 1,300 participants. what strikes you about some of these kids? >> there's this understanding that they live in an interdependent world and that they have to find ways to get along, work together, do things together. it's very different than people a generation older. >> and six students from haiti, too, what have they added this year? >> they put a human face on the compassion people feel for haiti. i also think seeing those young people and listening to them, it became impossible for people to believe that haiti's future was going to be dictated by its past, that the political problems of the past or the fact that by far its the poorest country in our hemisphere cannot possibly mean it's fated to be that way forever. >> you said that you want young people to know that they can do thing that is make a real difference in other people's lives even if they don't have a lot of money. >> because of technology, you don't have to have a lot of money. look at haiti. more than half of american households gave money over the internet or text message systems on the phone. you're automatically capped out at $10. >> president obama appointed you and my dad to head up fund-raising efforts there. why do you think this bipartisan approach works? >> first of all, people like it in america. they just get sick of all of us fighting all the time. you know, it reminds them that there are some things that are just beyond politics, that are human and personal. they know that your father and i, our political days are over. we're doing this because we think it's the right thing to do. >> schools just reopened in haiti. as a teacher, i'm thrilled about that. why is that so important? >> first of all, it's bad for young people who have -- particularly those who have lost family members, to be trapped in these miserable, uncomfortable tents, have nothing to do all day, nothing to look forward to. secondly, the country needs it to start educating its people. so, what we're trying to do now is use this as the beginning to total universal enrollment. it's hugely important. the country cannot escape its system. thank you all. sorry you're wet. >> not the perfect day, but -- you're very busy and your daughter is getting married this summer. so, are you helping with any of the wedding planner? >> absolutely. not the planning. i do -- the only planning is to pay the bill. >> you sound like my dad. >> i am participating. chelsea has been good enough to include me in the decisions they're making about how to do it. so, i love that, but -- >> how do you think you're going to feel when you watch her walk down that aisle? >> proud, grateful, wishful. i'll be thinking about the day she was born. >> so sweet. >> i'll be thinking about the first day of school. i like and i admire my perspective son-in-law. i feel grateful they have been such close friends for half of chelsea's life. i look forward to what they do together and i'm happy about that. that doesn't mean it will be all that easy, you know. i just hope i can keep it together till i walk her down the aisle and do the hand-off. >> good luck. >> what i'm supposed to do. >> good luck. >> like your dad was telling me with you, you know, you know it proves you've done what you were supposed to do, but it doesn't make it entirely easy. >> still ahead, exclusive new video of 15-year-old josie ratley. she's the one recovering from that savaged text rage beating. up next, causing misery for air travelers around the globe. we'll look at the more breathtaking side of that volcano in iceland. so it's a special place for me. i'm so comfortable in my jeans. i love the progress. looking back and saying, "wow, look at the difference." and it makes me love myself that much more. i win. and you can, too. ♪ win, win, i win ♪ i win and you can join for free. weight watchers. because it works. i want a product with the best decongestant. my choice is clear: claritin-d. 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[ male announcer ] chevy traverse. a consumers digest best buy. with a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty. it seats eight comfortably -- not that it always has to. back now at 7:50. now to some powerful images of the volcano erupting in iceland that's wreaked havoc on travel worldwide. take a look. ♪ ♪ >> don't you just wish you were on the edge of that volcano with your camera? >> not in the slightest. not even close. how can something so stunning make such a mess of things around the world? just ahead, we'll talk to jennifer lopez about her kids, her new movie and an album in the works. >> first, your news. re you real? a shiny coat of paint? a list of features? what about the strength of the steel? the integrity of its design... or how it responds... in extreme situations? the deeper you look, the more you see the real differences. and the more you understand what it means to own a mercedes-benz. the c-class. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial. ♪ 8:00 now on a monday morning, the 19th day of april, 2010. 47 degrees here on the plaza. so, a little chilly, but we have a massive crowd gathered here in rockefeller center. a little crazy, actually. >> this is the rebound rolling spring break. >> what happened here? spring break this week? >> yeah. >> i'm matt lauer along with ann curry, while meredith has the day off and al roker is with us. coming up, the lucky recovery of a young lady. >> after allegedly getting into a text messaging dispute with a 15-year-old boy. just ahead, her mother shares exclusive new images of her daughter, who is now preparing for her third brain surgery since the attack. >> wow! that's josie ratley. my goodness. also ahead on a much, much lighter note, do you know who i saw walking into the building a second ago? >> who? who? >> jennifer lopez is here. >> there she is. >> brand new movie coming out called "the backup plan." she has an album in the works, a family to talk about, and she was just happy -- although, nothing about you people, but she's wearing something that wouldn't have been conducive to being out here in 47-degree weather. so, she's happy she gets to stay in the studio. >> i was on "saturday night live" when she hosted. she was fantastic. >> go press your nose up against the glass. >> sorry they're so disappointed. >> michelle obama's big brother, craig robinson, will be here to talk about his little sister and how her life has changed. >> cool. look forward to that. can we also say hello to sharon osbourne? >> yes. >> one of the stars on "the apprentice" this season. how are you? >> fabulous. >> i was worried about you. you were off the show last week because kind of a cold, cough type thing. >> i had, actually, swine flu. >> no. >> but we didn't tell anyone. no, that was november. >> the show was on tape. >> you're feeling better now? >> i've never been so sick in my life. and then i had bronchitis. it was the worst. >> and donald gave you a pass. he said take a week off, which -- he has a heart. who knew? >> he does. he's a good guy. >> before you got sick with the swine flu, the women won three challenges in a row. when you were absent, they lost. coincidence? >> i don't think so. >> i don't think it was a coincidence. >> have you had fun with this? >> she says with all humility. >> i tell you what, it was the hardest thing i have ever done in my entire career, but also the best. >> hardest? >> hardest, hardest. >> why? >> it's such hard work. it's constant mental pressure and you've got such a short time to do each challenge. and there's so much pressure on you the whole time. it's really tough. >> is there any friction between you and your teammates? it seems like you've been quoted as saying holly robinson-pete and summer sanders is like watching ice melt. >> you have to stick up for yourself. i love them both, but you have to stick up for yourself, because it's business. >> right. >> i have to ask you about this crazy story. this may be completely wrong. >> go ahead. >> there's a crazy story that you're planning to have -- forgive me, your implants removed this summer and will be giving them to ozzie as a paperweight. is that true or false? >> it's true. >> true? >> yes, it's true. >> why would you give them to ozzie as a paperweight? >> they're better on his desk than on my chest, because they're awful. >> okay. >> wow! wow! i just don't even have anything to say after that. >> speaking of "america's got talent" -- >> yes. >> how is this season going to look? >> we're here all week auditioning. it gets better and better. it's fantastic. >> all right. okay. >> my papers are blowing around all of a sudden. i don't know what happened. >> hold on a minute. >> stay healthy, dear. to see you. >> bless you. >> and any other parts. >> i'll send them over. >> you need a paper weight? >> there it is, sunday 9:00, 8:00 central time. natalie has the headlines of the morning. natalie? good morning to you all. good morning once again. major airports in europe and great britain canceled flights for the fifth day because of the giant ash cloud from the volume can cano in iceland. britain said it was sending navy ships to bring travelers home. erin burnett is at the stock exchange. having a major impact on airlines. >> it certainly is, natalie. from the very beginning, it was clear this was a big story for the airlines and entire economies. airlines are the backbone of any modern economy, as we all know. flow flowers come via plane as well as people. it seems that that $200 million a day number we keep hearing in terms of how much the airlines are losing could actually be a little bit low. we found out this morning that british airways alone is losing about $30 million a day due to what they have dubbed the ash crisis. that means some of europe's 100 or so airlines, gnnatalie, coul go out of business. the european union's transport commissioner at this moment, natalie, is saying the shutdown in flights have already done more damage to the overall economy of europe than the attacks on the u.s. of september 11th, 2001. gives you a sense of magnitude of shutting down air space of what it can do to an economy. >> we're just begin ining to scratch the surface, too. erin burnett at the new york stock exchange, thank you. after a two-day trip to malta, he met privately with eight men who said they were abused by priests as boys in a catholic orphanage. he expressed his shame and sorrow at the pain the men and their families suffered. classes resumed with grief counselors available at a washington, d.c. school stunned last week by tragedy. nbc's norah o'donnell has more. norah, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. students here are devastated and mourning the loss of their beloved principal. brian betts was 42 years old and hailed as a hero in the d.c. public school system. >> all right, folks. 8:35. let's start to move in, please. >> reporter: he was a principal who changed children's lives. >> i used to get into a lot of fights and be very negative. >> reporter: what changed? >> what changed that? >> mr. betts. >> reporter: his message to kids was simple as he told tom brokaw last year. >> if you come to this school and do what we're instructing you to do, you can pick whatever path you want in your life. >> reporter: hand picked to transform the under-performing middle school at garnett patterson. thursday, he was found shot to death inside her silver spring, maryland, home. >> a senseless tragedy that is just a tremendous loss. >> reporter: in a strange twist, betts' house has a separate tragic history. in 2002, a father and his 9-year-old daughter were brutally murdered in the same house, by an intruder who is now behind bars. police don't believe there's a connection. >> there's no sign of forced entry into the house. >> reporter: still, at betts' school, there is a deep sense of loss. >> i don't know why anybody would want to kill him or harm him in any way. he was a good person. he was a good man. >> reporter: there's still no break in the case, but investigators say they have a good lead. his suv from his home in maryland was found abandoned here in d.c. natalie? >> norah o'donnell, such a sad story. we feel for his family and for the kids, of course. it's 8:08 right now. let's get another check of the weather right now from al roker, who is outside. >> thank you very much, natalie. you guys are trying to get -- you got a class trip to london? >> you'we're supposed to leave today. >> you'll enjoy new york. >> we . good morning. a spring chill on this monday morning. temperatures now in the 40s. it's 48 in washington and climbing to the 60s by later with lots of sun and the mid 40s tomorrow morning and no frost and on tuesday into the mid 60s. clouds on wednesday and should be a bit cooler and a few sprinkles. partly sunno thursday and afternoon highs in the >> and they've come full circle. you guys announced your engagement on the "today" show and now you're married? >> we got married in central park. >> we froze for you. we froze. >> now let's head back down to matt. >> al, thank you very much. when we come back, exclusive new video of 15-year-old josie ratley, as she discovers from that savaged text rage beating. we'll show you more and talk to her mother, right after this. have you tried honey bunches of oats yet? 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(guitar music) back now at 8:12 with the latest on josie ratley, the 15-year-old florida teen who was nearly beaten to death out of text rage. we'll speak to her mom in just a moment but first here is nbc's michelle kosinski. >> reporter: 15-year-old josie ratley has the constant, careful attention of her mother. in the hospital where she's been now for a month. >> feels good to get out of bed, doesn't it? >> reporter: she's sitting up, responding, though unable to speak or communicate and in intensive care. still, a remarkable change from only a few weeks ago. in a medically induced coma, her brain so swollen she needed two surgeries to remove part of her skull. not from a car crash or tragic accident, but a beating by another teenager, a boy police say became so enraged over a text message josie had sent him, making reference to his older brother's recent suicide, that they say wayne treacy rode his bike to her school, asked other kids to point her out because he didn't even know her and kicked and stomped her with steel-toed boots until a teacher pulled him away. in court over the weekend, the boyish looking treacy was charged as an adult with premeditated murder, moved into an adult jail. through his family and his attorney, wayne treacy has said he's sorry. they tell us the boy who is devastated by the loss of his brother is now devastated by this. on "today," they described him as a caring young man, who must have just snapped. >> he's real remorseful about it. >> reporter: now josie, who had dreams of being an artist, can barely move her right arm. she can't walk. >> you're just fine, okay? >> reporter: it's day by day and today for josie will bring another surgery. the doctors say her traumatic brain injury at the hands of a boy is basically a stranger will be a long-term struggle. both families changed forever by a text message. for "today," michelle kosinski, nbc news, miami. >> josie's mother, hilda gotay is joining us exclusively along with the family's attorney. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> good morning, ann. >> hilda, let me ask you first. it was a week ago today that your daughter, joedsy, was able to recognize you. can you describe that moment? >> it was fantastic. it just took my breath away when she was able to actually look at me and took her left hand to reach me, to hug me. i mean, it was a great, great feeling. >> i understand that she has been crying a lot. can you talk to us about how she is dealing with her injuries and also does she understand what has happened to her? >> no. she's confused and she does not know why she's there. and that's why when the crying comes in, because she doesn't know why she's there, you know. and, of course, she has a lot of headaches, too. >> she has brain surgery for a third time later on today. what are doctors telling you, h hilda, about her prognosis? >> well, they say she's a good candidate, that it's going to take a long haul, you know, but little by little. we don't really know what she's going to be able to be capable of yet, but it's all been a positive, you know, thinking. >> you know and i know you know, rick, that on friday the court ruled that wayne treacy, the young man who is charged with attempted first-degree murder for allegedly beating josie will be tried as an adult and the 13-year-old girl who has been named will be tried as a juvenile in the case. what is your reaction to those decisions, rick? >> well, i spoke to hilda. of course, we're going to leave it in the hands of the criminal justice system. so far, i think they've made the right decisions in terms of charging. and now we're going to wait and see what happens with the entire court system. but we're going to leave it in their hands and we're sure that they're going to make the right decisions and ultimately that mr. treacy will get what he deser deserves. >> do you want to say anything, hilda, about wayne treacy, the accusations? >> well, it's in god's hands, you know. and so far, so good. >> part of the part that's good is that you've had an outpouring of support for josie, including car washes, bowling night. and this weekend there's a walk-a-thon, i understand. why are you trying to raise money -- so much money? and where will this money go? >> we've set up a trust for josie. it's a restricted trust here in south florida through our law firm, gordon and donner. it will go to any expenses that are not covered by the medicaid insurance that she has, any of the incidentals at all. the community has been unbelievable. the outpouring of support has been amazing. john espinoza, a gentleman in town, called me. he has three daughters and he was so touched by this, one of his daughters go to the school where this happened. he wanted to put together this walk for josie. it's turned into a huge event. there's going to be probably thousands of people showing up this sunday in deerfield beach. and everybody is going to come together from different locations. it will be an amazing event. >> rick friedman, thank you so much. hilda gotay, our best wishes to you. you have a long road ahead but at least you have your daughter out of her coma now. best wishes to you, dear. thank you. >> thank you very much. >> thank you, ann. coming up next, we'll lighten things up with jennifer lopez. but that's coming up right after this. to grow a great garden. liquafeed makes feeding as easy as watering. no measuring, mixing or guessing. just attach, insert and feed. plants get the perfect balance... of water and nutrients... to grow twice as big. liquafeed from miracle-gro. and prevent weeds up to 3 months with miracle-gro garden weed preventer. when it comes to constipation relief... miralax is the one. it's the one. the one recommended by more doctors. only miralax is clinically proven to relieve constipation with no harsh side effects. miralax is the only one. restore your body's natural rhythm with miralax. medication to lower your bad cholesterol but your good cholesterol and triglycerides are still out of line? 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>> that makes this the longest maternity leave in the history of the "today" show. welcome back. >> thank you very much. >> how is mommyhood? >> it's good. i love it. >> the twins are -- >> they're 2 now. they're walking and talking and telling me what to do. >> do you have new appreciation of terrible twos or is it kind of a myth? >> they're good. they're just into their twos. they turned 2 at the end of february. i have a whole year to go. >> "the backup plan," romantic comedy. you like this genre, point blank. >> i do. i love watching it. i force marc to watch it with me, the good ones and the bad ones. i love doing them. i really do. >> when you decided to do this movie -- you play zoe. >> yeah. >> the character is pregnant for a good portion of this movie. >> yeah. >> i'm thinking you just got done being pregnant with twins. what made you say okay i'm going to go do a movie where i am going to be pregnant again. >> i read the script i had just gone through all this stuff so it was funny to me. i knew it would be funny to other people, anybody who has ever had a baby and understands what that is. >> i mentioned she gets artificially inseminated and then meet this is guy, who could be the guy. she is taking control of her own life. >> a very modern woman, kind of used to being on her own because she's been on her own since she was very young. so, you know, it's not like a crazy thing to her. she's independent and she's like, you know what? i'm at a point in my life, i have everything i want and now i'm going to do this. >> you're playing a character who is about to be a mom. for the first time as a mom yourself, this sounds like one of those weird hollywood questions, but if you could give zoe one piece of advice about motherhood, what would it be? >> oh, god. one piece of -- >> what didn't you expect? >> i don't know. i guess the lack of sleep is the worst part, but even that, i'm so used to that, being in this business, it wasn't even that bad. i don't know what advice i would give her. i don't know. >> the lack of sleep is a good one. >> oh, gosh. >> nobody quite understands. >> just get ready for that, mentally prepare. >> speaking of that, you're acting again. you're a mom, twins. you're recording again, i understand. >> yes. >> when is this new album expected out? >> probably the end of the summer. i'm working on it now. >> how are you squeezing in time for that? how does the day -- how does the weekly calendar work out? >> when you have kids, they just become number one. everything else just falls into the number two, three to ten spot, you know what i mean? those spots. >> right. >> once you have that priority and once you have that perspective, everything else just kind of falls into place after that. as long as they're happy and kind of taken care of, everything else kind of comes after that. >> we know you're busy. matter of fact, you're so busy that i understand you have to kind of run from this interview. so, i'm supposed to actually -- being a gentleman. >> thank you. >> i'm supposed to actually escort you out. >> walk me to my car. >> because you have a cab waiting -- actually, you have like ten cabs waiting. i understand one of the things, as part of the movie, there will be taxis around manhattan today offering, what, free rides? >> the best way to get around new york. here is the thing. anybody gets into a backup plan cab today -- >> yeah. >> we're picking up the cab. you get a free ride. >> it's a free taxi ride? this one over here? >> free taxi ride. let me give you a free entrance to the taxi. >> thank you. it's good to see you. >> good to see 8:26. students will return to a dc middle school for the first time since the middle school principal was murdered. he was shot to death in his home. counsellors will be at the school to talk to students. chopper 4 is live over breaking news. reports of a gas leak in gaithersburg. the school has been evacuated as crews search for the leak. we will bring you updates throughout morning. we will have we if i had to sit on a bench during the middle of a game due to diabetes it would frustrate me. in a basketball game a couple minutes could mean a big momentum shift. my bayer meter is very important. 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(announcer) the contour meter, only from bayer. >> sunny and chilly and climbing into the 60s with a lot of sun. clouds on around with maybe sprinkles. >> a live look along the outer loop. fender bender is the reason for the back up. loaded up to the 14th street bridge. >> we're waking up even earlier these days. get your news, 8:30 now on a monday morning, 19th day of april, 2010. another nice start to the workweek, even if it is a little colder than we would all like. these people managing to sneak in an extra day on the weekend, which is always a good thing. out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry, al roker and natalie morales. here is a question for you. what was first lady michelle obama like as a young girl? well, few people would know better than her older brother, craig robinson. now he has written a new book about his life and their lives, and we're going to talk to him about that and much more, coming up in a couple of minutes. basketball coach there. >> i know. i shook his hand. he's a tall drink of water, i'll tell you that. also, a serious topic. there's a new book that has come out about eliot spitzer, and the new governor and the rise and self-inflicted fall, some would say. he was forced to resign after being caught up in a scandal involving prostitution. the question that the book may raise is why was it that he fell so fast? and were there other reasons besides his own undoing? >> okay. also, today is the 15th anniversary of the oklahoma city bombing, shocking case of domestic terrorism. you'll hear for the first time the actual voice of timothy mcveigh, the man who was executed for carrying out the attack talk about how and why he did it. >> it's haunting to hear him speak about that. >> in his own voice. >> yeah. let's say hello to the future of television. >> shall we sachet? >> new york women and communications foundation scholarsh scholarships. >> i don't want to stand in front of you guys, though. >> they'll accept their awards today. emily o'brien and natifia gains are two of thoo this year's winners. ladies, nice to have you. congratulations to you. what's the idea behind the scholarships? >> new york women in communications foundation provides education, career development, mentoring and scholarships for the next generation of communications professionals. so, these 19 young women are the 2010 scholarship recipients. in total, the foundation is giving them more than $100,000 to help them advance their careers so they can some day have your jobs. >> we can't do them forever, you guys. what were the criteria? they were pretty high for these students to meet. >> a very rigorous review process, based not only on academic achievement, but achievement in and outside of the classroom. some of these students are already writing for daily newspapers, appearing on cable spo sports television programs and more. >> you won the woman nbcu scholarship. as an aspiring film maker, how do you see the way people are going to be taking in media in the future? >> for filmmakers, it's really exciting right now. it's so easy to create and share your work. for audiences, they have great access to a whole variety of works right now. so, i think one of the main challenges is going to be to keep up that original content in this digital age. that's definitely something that i want to work on as a filmmaker, to use that innovative technology to then advance innovative content. >> oh, man. you're freaking me out. >> and you're also a winner from gonzaga university. lot of big shoes to fill when you look at the women who have won, our own meredith vieira, barbara walters. what is your game plan going forward? >> i definitely hope to become in the future. just to belong on a list with meredith vieira and tina fey, we've all shown that we have the ability to kind of contribute to the communications industry and if we continue on this path and continue to grow with the amazing women, it's a vision we all can kind of fulfill. >> let's step out of this way. >> i don't want to block anyone else. >> here you are. congratulations. >> good luck at the luncheon. great good morning. a beautiful blue sky. there is a live view from the sky watcher camera. american university in the distance and tyson's corner. mid-and upper 40s around the regions and shenandoah valley is melting and highs into the 60s with lots of sun. clouds around wednesday might have a sprinkle i >> don't forget. keep track of your weather all day long on the weather channel or weather.com online. we're kicking off earth week here at nbc universal, going green across our family of networks to help raise awareness with our programming about the iss issues facing our planet and how you can help. >> okay, al. thank you so much. coming up, michelle obama's big brother. we'll be talking to craig robinson. we are back now. 8:37, with the big brother of the first lady, michelle obama. craig robinson is the head coach of oregon state university's men's bask ball team. he also had the honor of introducing his sister to the world at the 2008 democratic national convention. >> they'll stand by you, the american people, now and in the future. so, please join me in welcoming an impassioned public servant, a loving daughter, wife and mother, my little sister and our nation's next first lady, michelle obama. >> craig robinson has now written a new memoir called "the game of character." good to see you. good morning. >> good morning. >> that had to be a freak-out moment. standing in front of that convention, introducing your sister. >> matt, it was a freak-out moment. i was so honored and so grateful to have been asked. i actually thought that they should have asked someone other than a basketball coach, but they thought i would do a decent job. >> you hung in there. you did a really good job. this, i want people to know about this book. this is not a tell all. if they're looking for dirt on the first family, they've got the wrong book here. even so, based on the fact that this is all pretty wholesome stuff, do you have to ask permission of the white house when you set out to write a book like this? >> well, i did ask permission. "a game of character" is a book that i've been dying to write even before my family got to the stage they were at. i thought about what makes people memorable, whether they're a tv host, a coach, a leader. >> politician, yeah. >> a parent. and it all boils down to character. and a game of character is -- it's a love letter to my parents. >> yeah. one thing that struck me, craig, you know the expression you can't choose your parents? if you could choose, you probably would have chosen frazier and marion. >> absolutely. >> you had great parents. >> i had great parents and they taught it resonates in the board room, on the basketball court, on the playing field and at the dinner table. >> you write lovingly in the book about your dad, who was kind of like the philospher in chief. he said you learn a lot about a guy watching him play basketball or play basketball with him. you got to put that to test when michelle introduce the family to a man named barack obama. >> exactly. michelle said you've met this guy i've been dating and it's getting serious. would you mind, since you and dad think you can tell a guy's personality based on how he plays, take him to play ball with you. i was like, you don't want me to take him to play ball. i didn't want that pressure because i liked him and i didn't want to be the one who says this guy is a bad guy. lo and behold, it all worked out just as my dad said it would. >> you also write something at that time. when your family met barack, you thought it was the kind of guy your sister wouldn't run over, but your mom and dad, after meeting him, felt she would eat him alive. was she tough on guys? >> she didn't suffer many fools. so, you know, she's -- i wouldn't say she's -- she was overly tough. she was just discerning. and it would take a strong person to be able to relate to my sister. >> you talk about the fact that growing up -- you were a stand-out basketball player in high school and in college and there was, for a long period of time in your family, it was michelle who was proud to be craig robinson's little sister. >> right. >> and now, in many ways -- although, you're doing very well -- the shoe is on the other foot. and how do you like it? >> i love it, as a matter of fact. and she spent so many years coming behind me, whether it was sports, school -- we went to the same grammar school together. she was always craig robinson's little sister. i tell you, being michelle obama's big brother is a real treat and not just because she's the first lady. she's just -- she's turned into a wonderful person and that's why she's one of the people of character who have really moved me in my life, albeit being a little sister. >> having the opportunity to live in the white house is a huge honor. it's a huge honor. it comes with a downside too. enormous scrutiny. critics are everywhere. it's hard to have a normal life. are you at all worried for your sister and their little girls about how this might impact them? >> no. you know, i think that my sister and brother-in-law are doing a great job at trying to give their life some normalcy outside of the obvious. so, i don't worry about them from that standpoint at all. you know, what i worry about is that the cousins see each other enough times, but that would be something you would worry about if they were still in chicago and we were out in oregon. >> most commuting families and widespread families worry about that anyway. great to see you, coach. >> thanks for having me. >> good luck with the book. >> thank you. >> the book is called "the game of character." rise and fall, a strange segue, of here's to the believers. the risk-takers. the visionaries. the entrepreneurs... who put it all on the line to build and run their own businesses. at at&t, we know something about that. our company started out in a small lab, with not much more than a dream. and today, we know it's small businesses that can create the jobs america needs. that's why at&t is investing billions to upgrade and build out our wired and wireless networks. making them faster, smarter, and more secure. connecting small businesses to markets across the country, and around the world. we invest now, because we know it will pay off... with new jobs, new growth, from a new generation, putting their belief in the future on the line. now is the time for investment and innovation. the future is waiting. and the future has always the future is waiting. and the future has always been our business. at&t. back at 8:45, eliot spitzer with a high-price prostitution scandal were exposed. now we're learning more about his life and career in a book by peter elkind, called "rough justice." good morning. >> good morning. >> lot of buzz about this book. let's start with talking about before his fall from grace, eliot spitzer was known as the sheriff of wall street when he was new york's attorney general. >> yes. >> describe for us -- remind us of his power at that time and why he was so revialed by the financial institutions he tried to police. >> sure, sure. he was an enormous force, probably the most powerful public official outside of washington. and he had turned the second tier job of attorney general into a very powerful position by going after wall street at a time when the sec and the federal government was peeling back on deregulation. >> he reeled so fast that people were talking about him being the first jewish president. >> yes. >> you say that no politician has soared so high or has fallen so fast. >> that's right. that's right. in four years -- if you think about it, six years ago, he was better known and considered as much a presidential contender as barack obama. so, he was a rising star. he was headed who knows where. suddenly, overnight, it disappeared. >> it disappeared because of a scandal of his own making. >> yes. >> his wife believes him to be a, quote, casualty of the powerful forces he has courageously taken on. >> yes. >> is there any evidence to support his takedown was in part because he had enemies? >> there's not proof. we don't know for sure what happened. it remains a mystery. there are a lot of unanswered questions about why his enemies, who deplored him, despised him and who were intent on bringing him down, there's questions about how they knew some things they claim to have known. >> does eliot spitzer buy into this sense of conspiracy? >> he basically suspects they played a part in the whole thing but does acknowledge -- ultimately, it's obviously his fault. he is the one who chose to sell prostitutes. was i set up? i was set up by the human psyche. >> he was also maybe, one might argue, reckless. >> no question about it. >> at one point he asks a bank executive for an anonymous wire to pay for his activity. >> yes. >> that was going to send up a big red -- it did, in fact? it had to be reported? >> it had to be reported. sitting governor of new york, one of the most recognizable faces in politics, followed by state police escorts around the clock. it was absolute lunacy. yet he increasingly took very risky steps to get money to the prostitution service to keep doing this. when he got turned back when something didn't work, he didn't give up on trying to see escorts. he found some other way to do it. >> you go into details in this book about how you allege that he actually went to this particular club, emperor's club much longer than he actually has publicly acknowledged. you talk about these women in detail individually. you also talk about how eliot spitzer actually arrived in puerto rico on the same day as one of the escorts left. so, you understand having spoken to eliot spitzer why -- what was it in his makeup -- what allowed him to take these kinds of risks, to engage in these kinds of risks? >> an extraordinary thing. he acknowledged starting to see prostitutes in march of 2006 in the conversations i had with him. somehow he rationalized this. he saw as seeing prostitutes as not the same kind of betrayal as having an affair. he said if i had an affair instead of doing what i had done, i might still be governor, but i wouldn't still be married. he somehow compartmentalized this. some rational for what he was doing. >> meanwhile he still wanted power. >> he very much wanted to remain in government and politics. >> he might even run again? >> he might run again. striking thing about the puerto rico episode, he was juggling politics at the same time he was juggling his private life. >> the book is called "rough it was 15 years ago today that a huge bomb ripped through the alfred p. murray federal building in oklahoma city, the worst act of domestic terrorism the u.s. has ever experienced. rachel maddow takes a closer look at the man behind the bomb i ings, timothy mcveigh, in a special that airs tonight. good to see you. >> good morning, matt. thanks. msnbc obtained 45 hours of audiotaped interviews in which timothy mcveigh describes the planning, execution and motivation behind this horrific attack. we used cutting-edge technology, able to re-create some of the very scenes he describes in these tapes. in this never-before heard detailed account, it's all told to us by the terrorists himself. >> blast went off and i felt the concussion in both the area of my feet. >> it goes off and rattles all the buildings around him. he never goes back to look at his handy work. >> so i both heard it clearly through my earplugs and literally i was lifted off the ground. i know this may sound like i'm cold and detached but remember this is military training. i was never hyped up. i was always in complete control. the mission was accomplished. i knew it was accomplished. and it was over. >> fbi agents prepare to take mcveigh out of the noble county courthouse. it will be the first time the world gets a look at the oklahoma city bomber. >> there were steps leading out of the courthouse. i had to concentrate on where those steps were going to be without dipping my head down and looking down because people would take dipping my head down as a sign of defeat or something. and i'm in leg chains. in leg chains, if you've ever tried walking down the stairs and your stride is too long, you'll fall down because the chap chain catches on the middle step. those are the little things i was thinking of. >> outside the courthouse, mcveigh comes face to face with a crowd that grows unruly. >> reporter: it was hard to pick out individual things. because they're all yelling at once, right? but i do distinctly remember one, i heard look over here [ bleep ]. look me in the face. my immediate thought was i'm not going to give you the pleasure of looking over there. this is something i saw as a larger good and i know that as i analyzed the history of not just the u.s., but all nations throughout the history of mankind, people have killed for what they believed was the greater good. and -- and it's accepted. sometimes killing is accepted. >> in these recordings, timothy mcveigh clearly comes across as a sociopath, by no means normal and well adjusted. it's important to note he didn't see himself as a lone wolf. he saw himself as part of a movement, guns-based patriot movement that was important to him. >> it's chilling to hear his voice describe these events. this movement you talked about, there were arrests recently in michigan, militia members plotting anti-government activities. do we know, have any idea how widespread this movement is right now? >> it's hard to quantify. when you talk to law enforcement sources i spoke with homeland security secretary janet napolitano about this on my show. it seems there's a resurgence of those. >> fueled by what? >> economic dislocation. that doesn't get enough credit as a cause. also by alienation from the government, feel that the government is on the other side, not on your side. and this is sort of the movement that ebbs and flows over american history. right now it's flowing. it doesn't mean that anybody in the movement right now is the next timothy mcveigh, but it does mean we ought to pay attention to the risk. >> rachel, thank you very much. >> thank you, matt. >> you can watch "the mcveigh tapes" at 8:55 approximate your time on this chilly monday morning. in the news, are you tired of sit income gridlock on i-66 for hours and hours each day? this is your chance to find out what v dot is doing to make it easier. there is a town hall meeting on solutions for easing traffic from 7:00 to 9:00.you can hear including hov use and bus ramps. we will have weather a 51 degrees in washington and afternoon highs into the mid 60s with lots of sunshine. it's clear and chilly now, but a mild afternoon and overnight tonight should be clear. mid 40s tomorrow afternoon and sunshine and mid 60s. clouds on wednesday and might have a sprinkle. highs in the low to mid 60s. >> we are doing well so far making the trip on the outer loop. an earlier accident that has cleared, but still looking at lingering slow downs. more sop. capitol bemt way at connecticut avenue. under the speed limit, but lanes are open. >> we'ric r waking up earlier these days. get your news, weather, and traffic at 4:30 a.m. join us tomorrow. back now with more of "today" on a monday morning, 19th day of april, 2010. bright and a little chilly here in the northeast. we've got a lot of people enjoying some vacation time, mabe day off from school or who knows. maybe these people are stranded because of that volcano. >> that's right. >> shutting down all those flights. we don't know. we'll talk about that. i'm matt lauer. >> in fact, those folks over there, right there, are stranded. >> wow! >> nice drawing of a volcano, which is named -- >> i forget. >> you knew it when you were there. >> i did. i've since dropped it. >> i'm matt lauer, along with ann curry and al roker. yeah, that volcano continues to ground flights now, five days after it erupted. there is a glimmer of hope, though. about 30% of the flights leaving the affected areas of europe did take off today. so, does that mean that we'll have more flights in the air by tomorrow and later in the week? we hope so. we'll talk more about it in a couple of minutes. also coming up, we're talking about when you want to go out without makeup. if you're one of those people who can't go out without makeup. >> yeah, right. >> you may want to check out the latest hollywood trends. cover girls like britney spears, demi moore and jessica simpson are going natural and look terrific in these glossy magazines without any retouching. i'm not sure any of them were on the cover of a magazine. >> unusual first picture. >> it was. whether young women will be influenced by this young trend to look more natural. will it change our ideas about beauty? i'm just kidding with you. okay. and then battling your money demons. these are things that could come back to bite you in the assets. >> oh! >> putting up retirement savings, charging everything instead of paying with cash on hand. five things you can do now to secure your financial future. >> that's good. while we're still on the air, let's get a check of the headlines from natalie, who is in while ann is out here. >> that's right. more travel distributions, as you heard, because of that erupting volcano in iceland. dawna friesen is at london's heathrow airport. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. europe and britain remain a no-fly zone for the fifth straight day, pressure is mounting to lift the ban. there's growing anger, especially from the airlines that authorities may have overreacted by closing the air space unnecessarily. for a fifth day, iceland's volcano is creating havoc in the skies. more than 300 airports across britain and europe were closed over the weekend. almost 7 million passengers have been affected. it's a financial nightmare for those who are stranded, many of whom are running out of money. >> i have no money. i must keep me alive, you know. >> reporter: and it's costing airlines an estimated $200 million a day. with corporate travel and air freight grounded, the european economy has suffered millions in lost business. >> every day that an airline is not in the sky costs about a quarter of a percent of their annual sales. on a day-to-day basis if you total it, it's about $200 million. >> reporter: airlines are increasingly angry, several, includes british airway, sent up their own test flights. the planes landed, showing no signs of damage. but britain's mt. office said its test flight did encounter dangerous levels of ash and ash cloud is still too unpredictable to allow commercial flights. >> volcanic ash is stagnated over uk and western parts of europe. that's still up there in the atmosphere now. >> reporter: groups representing airlines have blasted governments for a lack of leadership. britain's civilian emergency team met to consider contingencies. >> everything possible is being done, not just to protect the safety of the passenger, but to look for windows of opportunity where safe flying is possible. >> reporter: two royal navy s p ships have been deployed to ferry passengers back to britain and there are predictions that about a third of european flights may make it into the air today, as pressure on governments mounts to ease restrictions that have thrown global travel and commerce into chaos. europe's transport ministers are holding an emergency video conference meeting to see if there is some way they can get more planes up into the air. and spain is making plans to become a european hub so that people would be funneled in there from international destinations and try to make their way home. natalie? >> dawna friesen in london for us today. thank you, dawna. toyota today agreed to pay a record fine, stemming from its gas pedal problems, almost $16.4 million hiding safety defects, knew about gas pedal problems. five major airlines have agreed not to charge for carry-on bags, at least for now. responding to the plan by spirit airlines to charge $35 for each carry-on, american, delta, united, jet blue, us airways have all told senator chuck schumer they will not do the same. dramatic rescues more than five days after china was rocked by that devastating earthquake that killed more than 1,900 people, a 4-year-old girl and a 68-year-old woman were found alive under the rubble of a collapsed house. truly amazing. it is now five minutes past the hour. let's get another check of the weather from al. >> thanks a lot, natalie. let's check it out. again, we' we have a bit of a breeze out of the northwest in storm center 4. a live view with a blue sky and lots of sunshine and temperatures around 50 degrees. 51 in washington. we will have afternoon highs into the mid 60 wise lots of sun and tomorrow more of the same. lows a bit milder. highs low to mid 60s and a slight chance of a passing shower and sunny thursday into the mid 60s again. now to "today's" money and getting rid of your money demons for good. from constant credit card debt to frequent shopping sprees, bad spending habits are hard to break. there are things can you do right now to change your financial future. from redbook magazine, and jean chatzky writes a column for "more" magazine. good to see both of you. >> nice to see you. >> these are some habits, i think, all of us have one or more of them. allison, credit card debt. you say you can start small just by putting an extra 20 bucks to your bill? >> putting an extra $20 on your bill can give you a huge difference. if you have $5,000 in debt at 16% and you only pay the minimums, it will take you 18 years and $10,000 just in interest. >> yikes. >> if you only pay the minimums. add $20, you cut both those numbers by more than half. a small amount really does make a difference. credit card debt, when you're in it, it feels like you're never going to get out. a little bit and knowing a little bit can make such a huge difference can really make you motivated. >> jean, allison mentioned a 16% interest rate. it's really important to try to find the lowest interest rate possible. >> absolutely. the trick is to get yourself out of debt in the cheapest, fastest way possible. people think that there aren't any balance transfers available anymore. that's completely untrue. there's a website called lowcards.com. they list them all. generally if you can lock into a good one for six months, it's probably worth taking. >> savings, a lot of people really not doing well in the savings department. >> no. >> allison, how do you break that? >> one of the things that is recommended and that everybody names as a top financial goal is to have three to six months of an emergency fund ready, but most people don't have it. that, again, is something you can start to get to with just a small amount of money at a time. it's really important, especially right now with so much job and security to feel like you have that cushion. it cannot only protect you literally but make you feel more confident about your financial situation. >> the key is making sure that you only have to pull the trigger once. if you're just asking yourself to save every time you get paid, at some point you're going to give up. >> right. >> automate it. you have money flowing into your 401(k) or into a savings account. set up an automatic transfer with your bank. it happens date after you get paid and you don't spend the money. >> you have to look at it basically as pay iing yourself. >> it's paying yourself first is what we call it. >> do you save or pay down debt? >> you do both. in this economy, you do both. not having that emergency cushion, if you lose your job, you're going to float everything on your credit cards and everything is going to get completely messed up. split the difference. save a little bit, pay a little bit off that credit card debt. >> next one, retirement. a lot of folks just -- they think, okay, i've got this. it's way down the road. next thing you know, you're ten years away from retirement. so, what's this trick here, allison? >> you know, it's just get started with the savings. if you have an employer-sponsored 401(k), that's a great deal. there are often matching funds. if not, open your own ira. particular fear for women is ending up destitute. it's not completely irrational. women do come in and out of the workforce more, tend to earn a little less, tend to live longer. it's something you need to prepare for. the earlier you start, the more you can build up. a lot of people feel like it's too late. i didn't start in my 20s. it's never too late. >> can i put in a push for the word plan? we talk about the retirement plan. nobody plans. half of all people out there have never even run the numbers to figure out how much money you're going to have to have in order to retire. go to a website called choosetosave.org. run their retirement clarity. it's really easy. it will take about half an hour. you'll figure out, are you putting enough money away? are you not putting enough money away? you'll have some idea of what you have to do. >> you shouldn't be doing this by yourself, especially if you're in a relationship. you've got to -- this has to be a team effort, right? >> absolutely. if one person, man or woman, is taking their eye off the ball and something happens, you're going to be completely and totally lost. and especially where those retirement plans are concerned. you want to be making sure that your assets are allocated as a team, so that you're both not being too conservative or both not being too aggressive. >> now, a lot of people, both men and women -- i think men more than they admit -- >> yes, yes. >> do splurge shopping to kind of soothe whatever is going on. >> we call them collectors when they're men, right? they tend to invest in technology. give me a break. yes. >> wow, okay, jean. before jean comes off the chair here at me, what do you say to trying to cut down on the splurging? >> retail therapy cuts both ways. you shop when you don't feel great. you shop when you do feel great. main thing you can do to fight this is have a budget. it's like a diet. nobody wants to stick to it. if it's too rigid, you're going to binge. and undo all the hard work you've done. the key to making a budget you can stick with is to put in a little miscellaneous column. don't even say what it's for. another treat for the kids or an extra date night for you or a pair of shoes. make sure to leave that wiggle room so you don't feel deprived as you're trying to save. that's basically the best splurge prevention there is. >> little fun money? >> and a little stop, drop and roll when it comes to the shopping. you need to be able to just say, whoa. pump the brakes. what am i doing here? do i really need this? if you're not so sure, put it on hold for 24 hours, or leave it in your cart online. it will still be there when you come back the next day if you decide you want it, but chances are you won't. >> if you're hiding it from your spouse, chances are -- >> if it still has the tags on under the bed, not a good idea. >> both men and women basically ignore their finances. >> yeah. >> don't do that. >> well, ignore them and they'll completely go away. it's true. i think everyone has a lot of fear, especially if you've made mistakes in the past. it's easy to feel like i can't handle this. i don't know the answers. forget it. i'm just going to keep paying the minimums on my credit cards and that's all i'm going to do. the point of what we're talking about here, you can take one step in any area and you'll start to feel more empowered, motivated and more confident. the more good steps you take, the more control you'll feel over the whole situation. >> get a little help if you need it. if you're not doing it, you know you're ignoring it, call in a financial planner. doesn't have to be for years. call it in, have a session. be done with it. >> allison brower, jean chatzky, thank you. why some of the most famous celebrities are bearing it all. yikes! who will join our finalists in the search for "today's" top dog? we'll meet the next round of semi finalists. first -- that's one way to get the kid clean. first, these messages. so how long does it take a fresh vegetable to start losing essential nutrients? not long. in fact, green beans lose half their vitamin c in a week. that's why green giant freezes them within 8 hours to lock in nutrients. ho ho ho een giant nutri-grain -- one good decision... can lead to another. ♪ made with real fruit and now with more... of the whole grains your body needs. nutri-grain can help you eat better all day. of the whole grains your body needs. so kate you were stressed, a lot of junk food on the go and you were... a little irregular, sluggish. my daughter needed activia! so i gave it a try and wow. it works. now she has a spring on her step. i'm loving it, every morning. mmmm. avo: help get your system back on track. activia with bifidus regularis helps regulate your digestive system would you recommend activia? i already have. she recommends it. what are you waiting for? singer: activia. this morning on "today's" beauty, celebrities choosing to go au naturale, from jessica simpson to demi moore. is it a trend and is it here to stay? hollywoodlife.com, bonnie, good morning. >> good morning. >> is it really a trend? i've been seeing the magazine covers. are we starting to see that more? >> definitely. hollywoodlife.com, we think this is a really big trend, just the tip of the iceberg. just in the past month, we have seen celebrities like jessica simpson decide to go without makeup and retouch on a cover, as has kim kardashian. >> plenty more. demi moore, as we mentioned. are they taking a stance on air brushing and all the retouching? is that why they're doing this? >> they're absolutely taking a stance. they are saying, i look great. jessica simpson said she's tired of having people comment on how she looks and that's one of the reasons that she did this. and kim said that she wants women to see that she has cellulite and she's not perfect ly toned. >> let's talk about britney spears. we're seeing some untouched photos that she did of an ad for candies' shoes and you see the untouched pictures on the left, i believe. >> that's right, yes. >> retouched pictures on the right. really, she looks pretty much the same to me. it's pretty striking. >> she's a little bit thicker through the legs. in fact, she's more muscular, which makes sense. she's a dancer. >> right. >> and now there's other photos of her as well. and on her back, she has a tattoo in the unretouched photos and, listen, you can see a little bit of dimpling on the unretouched photo, but i think that's fantastic. >> and she's somebody who has come under so much attack when it comes to her looks and when she's gained weight. >> she has. >> some of the issues, emotional issues she has had over the years. so for her to do something like this, what do you think was the reasoning behind it? what is the risk of doing something like that? >> i don't think there's any risk at all for somebody like britney spears. as you say, she's already come under criticism. we've already seen her go up and down in weight. there's only positive. she said that she wanted to really speak out about the pressure to be perfect. >> uh-huh. >> and so for her to take that stance and say i am okay with my thicker, muscular legs and a bit of dimpling, it only makes women love her more. >> makes them more real, absolutely, to the people that look up to her. demi moore now. 47 years old. i mean, this woman is more spectacular, i think -- >> she is. >> without makeup and absolutely gorgeous. of course, she's in haiti on a volunteer mission. was that part of the reason she was not all glammed up? >> i'm sure it was. she probably felt it would be completely inappropriate to walk around haiti and to be helping children. she was there to promote the rebuilding of the education system. so, to walk around with miles of mascara wouldn't seem right. as you just said, look at her. she looks even more beautiful without makeup south florida she does not need a stitch of makeup, that's for sure. jessica simpson, another woman who has come under a lot of attack for her weight gain. we see her, as you mentioned, on marie claire. she did this photo shoot. i was looking at the issue you have. it's absolutely stunning. everything is nontouched, including her hair was air dried. >> that's right. >> why did she do that? >> i think also she was fed up of the criticism that she has had for her weight, for wearing mom jeans, which were unflattering. she also just went around the world and did a program called the price of beauty, looking at beauty around the world. >> looks amazing. kim kardashian. >> we walk around in real life without being retouched. >> kim kardashian, as you talked about, celebrating her curves in the harpar bizarre. it's revealing about her, not just the pictures, which she looks amazing. >> yes. >> she says growing up in hollywood, she talks about the pressures of being thin, skinni and blond, which she was none of that. >> that's right. she says i'm armenian. i have a natural big butt and i'm proud of it. and that is very empowering. she said she had to look back to women like sophia loren and raquel well. . lsh. to see these women being completely comfortable with their bodies, it is empowering. >> that you can be hollywood glamour without that typical hollywood body we've come to expect. >> exactly. women are tired of that. we're even seeing that in the fashion world. there was a move to pri back curvier models than the stick-thin figures. >> and those ad campaigns for dove, the real women campaigns. we love that around here. >> yes, we do. >> bonnie fuller, thank you so much. appreciate it. >> thank you. still to come on "today," he's lost nearly half his body weight, dropping 158 pounds. we'll introduce you to the newest member of the joy fit club be to tell us how he did it. first, these messages. nutri-grain -- one good decision... can lead to another. ♪ made with real fruit and now with more... of the whole grains your body needs. nutri-grain can help you eat better all day. bye-bye. you be careful on your way home. -happy mother's day. -okay. bye-bye. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] this mother's day, give her something she can hold on to. a card. it's the biggest little thing you can do. 4 varieties like meatball italiano made with delicious meats and melted cheeses on bakery fresh tasting bread that crisps in the microwave in minutes. the taste of your favorite sub shop without leaving home. new stouffer's toasted subs. bad cholesterol but your good cholesterol and triglycerides are still out of line? then you may not be seeing the whole picture. ask your doctor about trilipix. if you're at high risk of heart disease and taking a statin to lower bad cholesterol, along with diet, adding trilipix can lower fatty triglycerides and raise good cholesterol to help improve all three cholesterol numbers. trilipix has not been shown to prevent heart attacks or stroke more than a statin alone. trilipix is not for everyone, including people with liver, gallbladder, or severe kidney disease, or nursing women. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take and if you are pregnant or may become pregnant. blood tests are needed before and during treatment to check for liver problems. contact your doctor if you develop unexplained muscle pain or weakness, as this can be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. this risk may be increased when trilipix is used with a statin. if you cannot afford your medication, call 1-866-4-trilipix for more information. trilipix. there's more to cholesterol. get the picture. still to come, actress julian moore is taking on a role close to her heart. >> we like her. and this ain't your mom's meatloaf. south of the border with a mexican style meatloaf in "today's" kitchen. >> after your local news and weather. hi, ann. ♪ [ woman ] nine iron, it's almost tee-time. time for new zyrtec® liquid gels. they work fast. so i can get relief from the pollen that used to make me sneeze, my eyes water. 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. new zyrtec® liquid gels work fast, so i can love the air®. >>. >> 9:26 and a live look at reg around national airport. tom will have the forecast after the news. this is monday, april 19th e 2010. a community is in morning after a college student was shot and killed. the gunman was a fellow student. tyrone hall shot brandon carroll after an af campus party at the university early yesterday morning. hall was accused of shooting a fellow student from the district. we will take a break and have your duct system as the lungs of the house. expulsion of air. dust and dirt that helping the house to breathe. say i'm a doctor. not a doctor either. suction. ♪ call 1-800-steemer good morning. bright sunshine and a chilly morning and a bit of a chill in the air with temperatures near 50. high should make it into the mid 60s with lots of sun. mid 40s and upper 60s tomorrow afternoon. might get a few sprinkles and otherwise clouds and temperatures in the low 60s and on thursday partly sunny with highs into the 60s. let's check on the traffic. how is it looking? >> we take a live look and the right of the screen is heavy and slow as you leave springfield. travel lanes are open. one more stop in maryland. not bad. we must have an issue. it was moving well a moment ago. we will keep you updated. >> we are waking up earlier these days. get your news, weather, and traffic starting at 4:30 a.m. see you then. i come back in a couple of week, cook you a pot roast, drink too much wine and see how it goes? >> the ever-so lovely and talented julianne moore romancing alec baldwin on "30 rock." she'll tell us about all the fun she's having in this recurring role and all her other projects on "today." coming up this half hour with earth day this week, we thought it would be a good time to focus on going green. some cities, even the federal government, are offering incentives to homeowners to make their homes more eco friendly. we'll share one family's cautionary story that may make you think twice about some of the things people might do. that's coming up. speaking of green, we've going to a green chile meatloaf. >> green chile meatloaf? >> that's right, and chipotle glaze on top. >> makes it into a sauce. >> and a sandwich, broach, pteradactle. >> paper airplane. >> that's right. we've been asking for your vote for "today's" top dog. who will be the best in show to join them? we'll meet the newest batch of dogs. >> you have another check of the weather. i do, indeed. early part of the week, below-normal temperatures in the southeast, mid atlantic states. rain out west. big storm making its way onshore. sunshine and a northwest breeze. a bit of a chill on this monday morning. good morning. we are near 50 degrees and as we look at the forecast for the next few days, we have a settled pattern with highs in the 60s and we have a weak disturbance on wednesday with clouds and highs in the 60 wise a chance of a few sprinkles. on thursday, sunshine returns and morning lows 40s and highs into the mid 60s. sun as well friday. >> and that's your latest weather. >> thanks, al. >> al, thank you. up next, the pitfalls of going green. one family's caution ary story, after this. so i went back to my doctor again. we talked about choices in controller medicines. we chose symbicort to help control my asthma. [ man ] while it's not a rescue inhaler, symbicort improves my lung function, starting within 15 minutes. it helps give me the control to... [ inhales, exhales ] symbicort is a combination of two medicines. it will not replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms and should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort contains formoterol. medicines like formoterol may increase the chance of asthma-related death, so it is not for people whose asthma is well controlled on other asthma medicines. see your doctor if your asthma does not improve or gets worse. with symbicort, my lung function starts to improve within 15 minutes, helping me... all day. symbicort is a good choice to help control my asthma. [ inhales ] [ exhales ] ask your doctor if it's a good choice for you. i got my first prescription free. call or click to learn more. [ male announcer ] if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. and eating well means getting enough whole grain and calcium. general mills big g is the only leading line of kid cereals with at least 8 grams of whole grain and a good source of calcium. help your kids get more of what they need, with general mills kid cereals. our chefs learn secretse cookinof italian cooking., like how to blend four artisanal cheeses to create our new creamy fonduta sauce. in our new steak fonduta and grilled chicken fonduta. at olive garden. would we eat better? [ rewinding ] at hellmann's, we search for the best sources to make our mayonnaise. we use eggs, vinegar and oil rich in omega 3. ♪ for the quality that could only be hellmann's. hellmann's. it's time for real. and, now introducing hellmann's light. it's made with 100% cage free eggs. 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. wouldn't softer feel better? ultra downy softens fibers better than detergent alone... ♪ ...for a deep-down softness. get more. feel more. 100% natural nuts and granola in bite sized clusters. it's a little bit of nature... a little bit better. and nature approves. granola nut clusters from nature valley. >> announcer: "today" goes green is brought to you by walmart. save money. live better. walmart. this morning on "today" goes green, one family's story. some cities like jacksonville, florida, are helping residents go green by offering financial incentives, but as nbc's kerry sanders tells us now, trying to get through all the red tape can be the hard part. >> reporter: solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling, super insulation. building a so-called green home. it's what some of our nation's leaders have been preaching for years now. >> in the case of homeowners -- >> we can start right now. >> they will see more money in their pocket. >> using solar power, wind power and geothermal power. >> why wouldn't we want to make that kind of investment? >> reporter: why then is mikayla miller crying? >> it's been a long 20 months. >> reporter: let's begin with how this all started for mikayla and her husband, steve. unwanted guest who showed up and now won't leave. august 22nd, 2008, tropical storm fay hit north florida. mikayla and steve's house was a loss. rather than walk away, this husband and wife chose a path they never realized could be so difficult. they would rebuild, and everything would be green. first, what worked. recycling the old house for the new. >> it has a use. why not use it? >> reporter: steve salvaged some 8,000 bricks from the demolished home. >> part of it was not to fill up the landfill but also make as much use of the old material from the old house as much as we could. >> reporter: the old house's wood frame and other debris, now mulch in the yard. >> the old roof shingles and this is the old drywall from the house. it breaks up. it's underneath all these native plants. >> reporter: 99% of what was here before the storm has been reused. the recycling stats are impressive. >> 1.38 tons of glass. >> 1,920 pounds of combined metals. >> 1,600 pounds of aluminum. >> 280 pounds of insulated wire. >> reporter: now for the ugly. their green house has put them in the poor house. mostly because everything takes longer than it should and because government programs promise money to build green, but then won't send the homeowner a check until the house is finished. it's been almost two years since steve and mikayla began, and they're still waiting for the $95,000 they're supposed to get for doing all of this. >> there's just too much red tape around all of it. >> reporter: where is the disconnect then, the federal level, state level, local level? >> all levels. >> all levels. >> reporter: after all of this, and delays which sent the house from an estimated $500,000 to almost $800,000, would they do it all again? >> i used to have a full head of hair 20 months ago. >> reporter: for "today," kerry sanders, nbc news, jacksonville, florida. >> there's more information about this story at todayshow.com. coming up next, a new round of pooches, hoping to get your vote for "today's" top dog. that's coming up right after this. resilience. elasticity. imagine that kind of vitality... in your skin. aveeno introduces ageless vitality. as skin ages, elastin fibers break down. this exclusive biomineral concentrate system... has active naturals ingredients shown to multiply... elastin's elements. i'm impressed. the study showed improved firmness, texture, wrinkles, or spots in 100% of women. how uplifting is that? new ageless vitality. save $15 at aveeno.com. that's the beauty of nature and science. that, on the list of things kids love, our party pizzas have just passed toy robots. awkward. kids love totino's party pizzas. awkward. 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. from driving more fuel-efficient trucks... to using less packaging... and even using renewable energy at our stores. when we save, you save. that means thousands of rollbacks all over the store. my name is rickey, and i save people money so they can live better. with thousands of rollbacks, it's rollback time at walmart. ♪ >> announcer: "today's" top dog is brought to you by the makers of zyrtec. love the air. this morning on "today's" top dog, round three of our semi finalist competition. last friday, jake, the recycling dog, became our second finalist in the search for "today's" top dog, joining jami in the race to the finish. now it's time to give them some competition. >> good lord. >> first up, brandi from bedford, texas. she takes fetch to a whole new level. watch her dive into this nine-foot deep pool to retrieve a diving stick. >> stay. >> stay. >> stay. >> go get it! >> that is pretty impressive. >> that's amazing. >> man. next, we have picasso, a 3 1/2-year-old tibetan terrier who loves to sing and knows how to hit those high notes. her favorite -- his favorite? "amazing grace." ♪ >> kind of sang the lyrics there. >> finally, our third semi finalist is a 9-year-old. her name is emma. shepherd, rottweiler mix from worcester, pennsylvania. sorry. this talented pooch works for treats but still has a lot of tricks up her sleeve. >> i'm cold. i'm cold. it's dark in here, emma. be a lady. good girl. now you stand up. act like a man. act like a man. good girl. >> gee. >> act like a man, al. >> act like a man. that's right. so the dog went out, got drunk and watched the nfl. >> he got the rest down. >> anyway, it's up to you to decide which of these three will make a final round of "today's" top dog. three ways to vote. logon to todayshow.com or text your vote, one for brandee, two for picasso and three for emma. for all of you who still want to enter, we will still be taking submissions until this friday, april 23rd. >> there is an end in sight. >> yes. meanwhile, coming up are you taking a statin medication to lower your bad cholesterol but your good cholesterol and triglycerides are still out of line? then you may not be seeing the whole picture. ask your doctor about trilipix. if you're at high risk of heart disease and taking a statin to lower bad cholesterol, along with diet, adding trilipix can lower fatty triglycerides and raise good cholesterol to help improve all three cholesterol numbers. trilipix has not been shown to prevent heart attacks or stroke more than a statin alone. trilipix is not for everyone, including people with liver, gallbladder, or severe kidney disease, or nursing women. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take and if you are pregnant or may become pregnant. blood tests are needed before and during treatment to check for liver problems. contact your doctor if you develop unexplained muscle pain or weakness, as this can be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. this risk may be increased when trilipix is used with a statin. if you cannot afford your medication, call 1-866-4-trilipix for more information. trilipix. there's more to cholesterol. get the picture. i do 22 more inspections than the government requires. and my fresh, all-natural chickens are never given any hormones or steroids. ♪ ...and no candy, gladys. [ clucks ] [ male announcer ] perdue. extra inspections... extraordinary chicken. this morning in "today's" kitchen, meatloaf, for a lot of folks nothing tastes better than a slice of mom's meatloaf. there's more to this classic than just meat and ketchup. >> that's right. >> sam, his new book. >> awkward moment there. >> we're just getting started, sam. >> here is the deal. this book is about easy stuff. this book is about -- i think it's even easier. i'm trying to get people to, pardon the expression, think outside the recipe. don't look at things the same way you always have. >> okay. >> meatloaf, who doesn't love meatloaf? an easy mexican meatloaf. you'll add a couple of eggs, beaten, panco, japanese bread crumbs. >> you don't have to use ground beef? you can use turkey? >> pork, chicken, turkey. fajita seasoning. dump in the whole pack. you want to do that? >> no, but go ahead. >> you're supposed to use your hands. >> oh! >> don't get grossed out. >> are you from canada, dear? >> yes. >> you said out a couple of times. >> i'm a kitchen minimalist. i don't like a lot of things. i don't like clutter. i don't use a loaf pan. you don't need a loaf pan. it's going to take a lot of time to do this and mix it well. >> because it will keep its shape? why do we use loaf pans then? >> because we've been told that you should have one. >> it's thick enough to hold its own shape? >> absolutely. panco helps, the whole thing. >> thank you. >> you're welcome. >> apricot jam, diced up chipotle, big, chubby jalapenos that have been smoked. buy them in a can. >> what an unusual mix. >> it's very good. >> how did you come up with this? >> i have no idea. >> that's right. >> southern california kid. i'll want a little chipotle in a lot of the stuff i do. take this. put it on the meatloaf. >> before you cook it? >> yeah. put it in the oven about an hour, 350. it's cooked. it's great. who doesn't like meatloaf? >> everybody loves meatloaf. >> everybody goes back here. now you have some options. we can take some meatloaf, put it here for you guys to try some if you would like, right? >> uh-huh. >> you've got a recipe in your book for a meatloaf sandwich which, to me, that's one of the main reasons you make meatloaf. >> absolutely one of the reasons. one of the best things. one thing we do, it's really good. you take meatloaf -- i cook it three-quarters of the way through. let it cool. slice it. finish it on the barbecue. now you're talking. kick it up a notch but -- >> somebody else says that. >> emeril has ruin ed the way w speak. notch is like a small incremental change. it's like i want to make that really good? no, just kick it up -- no, i only want it a little bit good. >> that's sam who said that, emeril, not me. >> he's a nice guy. >> you have meatloaf. it's good, right? >> good. >> you can eat it the same way the next day or crumble it into a pan, add a little water. now make tacos with it. we've got soft tacos, right? one for you. move that plate. >> i don't want to give -- >> you can have everything. >> i want to keep it all on one plate. >> this is sour cream that's been mixed with green salsa. what's going on here? >> there's all kinds of levels of -- >> what's happening here? >> i don't know. i think there's therapy required. >> sour cream, mixed with green salsa, one of the easiest quick little salsas you can make. take the meatloaf. crumble it in a pan. add some right here. maybe too much. >> it's a little wetter consistency? >> a little bit of water to it to help bring the whole thing together. here is what we do. west coast tacos aren't very fancy, but very good. little white onion, little bit of cilantro, beautifully cut up cilantro. we don't do the cheese. you can but don't really need that. a little lime. you can eat that. you don't have to. >> or just look at it. >> don't worry about me. >> there's one more. >> wait. don't stop there. >> there's more. >> if you can do this, then you can add some tomato sauce and make tomato sauce. >> why didn't we come up with this beforehand? >> we didn't have sam's book. >> now we do. >> thank god for canada. >> one meatloaf, all these things you can do. i like to grill the meatloaf sandwich. >> if you made a big enough meatloaf, you could eat for a week. >> you would get sick of it, but it would still be good. >> that's right. >> just think differently. don't look at the same thing and say i have to make it like that because that's the way i grew up. >> no more uk ward moments. sam, good to see you. julianne moore stops by to chat with hoda and kathie lee. >> plus the newest member of the joy fit club. hello, this is our new ocean spray 100% fruit & veggie juice with no added sugar. just one glass equals two servings of fruits and vegetables. with tasty flavors like cranberry, strawberry, banana, it's like a farm stand in every bottle. the fruits you love mixed with the veggies you need. just, you know... demonstrating how we, uh, mix the fruits and the vegetables. ocean spray. grower owned since 1930. i'm nervous about her going away, but i know that she wants to be able to do things on her own. (sunny) the bayer meter helps me become more independent. (announcer) only bayer's contour meter has programmable personal high low settings. (sunny) the hi/lo settings gives you a good idea of where your blood sugars' at and what you need to do to control it. the bayer meter will give me peace of mind. i want you to be happy. don't cry. my name is sunny and independence is my simple win. (announcer) the contour meter, only from bayer. 9:56 is the time. tom will have the fore cav after the news. in the news this mortgage, are you tired of sitting in gridlock on i hch 66 for hours and hours? tonight is your chance to find out what they are doing to make it easier. head to the government center for a town hall ming for solutions for easing traffic. it's 7:00 to 9:00 in the board auditorium. you can hear about hov use and bus ramp. good morning to you, tom. >> the strong april sun is warming up and we hit the low and mid 50s. we should hit the 60s with lots much sunshine. a few clouds with highs reaching upper 60s and it will be cloudy. an increased chance of light rain and lie highs in the low 60s. partly sunny with highs and r into the 60s. highs in the 60s and could get showers. how is the traffic? >> the inner loop is heavy as you come north, leaving springfield towards 66. just volume. possibly construction. good news. the beltway is cleared out and both directions are looking good. >> you can get all you're news 4:30 now. join us for news 4 today. see you then. ♪ sprd little love today ♪ sprlittle somethin' to remember ♪ ♪ spread a little joy and see ♪ need a little has be ♪ ♪ living the life with me philadelphia cream cheese and i are looking for the next big cooking stars! four y'all will get $25,000 each. so send in those cooking videos. go to the real women of philadelphia on pauladeen.com and spread a little cooking love! from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. live from studio 1a in rock felter plaza. >> hay, everybody. it is fun day, april 19th. >> yes, it is. this is the beginning of green week. >> hence the outfits. we're all in green today. we want to give a big shoutout to our senior producer, tammy, is at home resting. we told i she's pregnant and she's watching us right now. love you, tam. >> take care of yourself. she's not supposed to be working at all. >> she's probably pulling her hair out. >> everything is just fine here, just fine. what are your favorite things? >> let's get -- >> let's get them out of the way. >> we do this on monday. >> fun day. >> trish mcavoi makes a scent called trish mcavoy number 3. three's the only good one. i would rather rather this than earrin earrings. i love the scent. >> it's your spelled. it should be renamed hoda woman. >> here's the bad news, i went to sax, they didn't have it. i said, where is it? they said they're discontinuing it. why do they do that is it i'm going to start a campaign not to end the trish mcevoy. >> have you tried this gum? trident splash. when you bite in is bursts with this grape stuff. >> it's an explosion. >> i went down to my room to, but it's gone, and michael kors, they have a beautiful scent, but also add -- that's for you, hoda. >> darker -- >> does it come off on clue krots? >> no, at shimmer. it smells so nice. and then bounce thing. not only does it get the lint and everything off you but gives you that fabulous bounce smell. between michael kors, and the bounce -- >> we're all smelling so good. >> and kissing sweet as well. >> how was your weekend? >> i just laid there. i would fall asleep and read, and then -- i'm too old to be doing what i once did. it took two days for my voice to come back. thank you for everybody for coming to see me. i was in huntington. that book review went on. doug morris and his wife mo'nique came to see us. here's the most important man in the entire music industry, and there's a bunch of kids and i'm at a book signing at long island and there's doug and his wife. >> the book is very popular, by the way. first of all, it was my mom's birthday. we have a picture of my mom and my brother. and then hannah thought it was her birthday, why wouldn't it be? thank god i had your book. i gave her the book, i start reading her this book. 12 times she said, i want to read lucy goosy. wait a second. when she got to the park about the ants in the pants and rabbit and blab it. we had to go back laughing hysterically, so now it's the hot ticket in the house. >> thank you, thank you. we're going to have some fun. be sure to listen to the cdn back and pay attention to the special song. we'll have an announcement to make soon. >> this volcano is still wreaking havoc all over the place. >> semi getting back to normal? >> they're saying 30% are back. and the airlines are desperate to fly. british airways went to the european union and said you need to give us money. >> another bailout. >> i think they have lost a bill join over all airlines, and what can you do? >> what is this talk i hear about another bigger one close by? >> it might. i know. there's this interesting story, this british and australian couple, they had a wedding plan in britain. >> they had got married in brisbane. >> they did it officially, but they were going to have the big wedding, the ceremony -- they got stuck in dubai and couldn't make it, what did the folks at the dubai hotel do? they put the deal on skype. their read welding was taking place in london where the whole group could watch the vows. >> and the priest was initiating from london, right? >> i love that whole story. >> only in modern times could we do this. we wish them the most happiness in the world. >> the ice skating rink has dismantled. >> i'm so glad. i can't skate, but i can drink. >> they just took the ice out today. they're sweeping up the leftovers, and they're going to put tables and chairs -- >> it's a fun, fun place in good weather. hoda, you and i love to be outside. we used to call that al dente, but it's al fresco. >> we're upset about something. >> just when you think it's safe to go back to work. go ahead. >> this is being reported that there is a reality show in the works for two women, one of those women is michelle "bombshell" mcgee and the other is jamie jungers. the two of them supposedly are getting a reality show called "celebrity cheaters." >> no, no, "celebrity cheaters" i i think the producer is somebody named bobby goldstein. >> they had another one called "cheaters." this is now "celebrity cheaters." >> first of all, they're demanding apologies from the guys who they're having affairs with, then they're getting television shows, one of them, ashley dupree has a column in one of the papers and then in "playboy." and rachel uchitel, these are continuing into careers. >> what message is this to our young daughters. it's easier to do a sex tape and get ahead in this world. >> this is the first wave we're seeing of these women really profiting, not just getting paid -- not get paid off from the guy -- >> shame on us as a culture. it's a free country, we like it that way, and if there were not a tremendous market for it, there would not be an attempt to make these things into realities. if it bothers you, don't watch it and don't support advertisers that make those show. >> it will be a hit. >> of course it will. we have a magical mother's day context. tell us how your mom or mother figure makes magic in your life. we want you to write an essay, through april 28th send us year essay. this is what you get if you win. >> a winner and the guest gets a three-night stay at sanctuary on camelback mountain. thank goodness we don't have to go over the pole. >> provided by orbitz. >> dinners at the beautiful restaurant, and the spa treatment is worth more than $200, and it's a chance to say thank you to somebody who has been graekt in your life. there's still we want out there, hoda, like your mom and my mom, who take mothering seriously and raise young women to have a little more -- integrity is the word. sara, your mama did a great job. >> so far. there's still time. in honor of the favorite things, i brought my favorite thing. it's the daily facial, you know when you have so much makeup on, this is like it suddens up, and it takes everything off. it's the olay daily facial. >> see, i use that on my eye makeup. i didn't know there was a facial. up next, the lovely and talented julianne moore is here. >> and taking on a new role close to her heart. okay to lose the cover-up?e ant ♪ when you can. take the special k challenge... and lose an inch from your waist in two weeks. so lose your cover-up, and show off your confidence. design your plan at specialk.com. [ bottle two ] i'm pretty sure there's not much we can do about it. ugh. he's not even trying. he is actual magic. not impressed. [ gasps ] no! can we even clean a leather shoe? what do you mean? what is a shooee? he's cleaning things that we don't even know what they are. gloves? brush? chime in any time here. [ male announcer ] effortlessly removes more grime per swipe. with the mr. clean magic eraser extra power. now try our bigger and stronger bath scrubber with a built-in cleanser to easily cut through soap scum. [ bottle two ] that's new. key lime pie, pineapple upside down cake, raspberry cheesecake... ...yeah, every night it's something different. oh yeah yeah...she always keeps them in the house. no no no, i've actually lost weight... i just have a high metabolism or something... ...lucky. [ wife ] babe... ♪ umm, i gotta go. [ female announcer ] 28 delicious flavors at around 100 calories each. yoplait, it is so good. indulge in new blueberry pie and new red velvet cake. yoplait light. it is so good. now i've got to run, but what do you say i come back in a couple weeks, i cook you a pot roast, we drink too much wine, and see how it goes? >> that sounds amazing. >> it sure does. i want to come over, too. that's jewelian moor playing alex baldwin's object of desire on "30 rock." >> and she's also steaming up the film in "chloe." she now taking on a new project, helping underprivileged children. so nice to see you. >> nice to see you. >> you still have that beautiful fresh freckled face, and everybody who taunted you before, shame on them. >> the freckles are still there. >> i know you're here for a purpose, for a reason. >> i'm here to talk about the children's health fund, which is a program that provides medical care to disadvantaged children all throughout the united states with the mobile health units. even though we have health care reform, there are a lot of kids who can't get somewhere or have no access. so clorox is partnering with this organization, donating half a million to the program. also, if you go to clorox.com and make yourself a fan on the facebook page, they'll donate a dollar for each visit. basically it's a way to boost this incredible -- >> i loved your boston accent, by the way. where did you get that? >> i went to boston university and worked in a bar. that's where i picked it up. >> you have the two little kids. is there a plan for a third? >> the third one will come out i think in 2011. it's the same story, the same characters, so it continues. it's an awful lot of fun. i'm reading in the bronx today. >> where can people see you? >> it's up in the bronx or longworth -- does somebody have the address? it's where the mobile medical unit is. each kid gets a book when they come for like a checkup and stuff, too. >> the film you have out called "chloe" there are some very steamy scenes. you're not actually in the scene with your husband on the show, liam neeson, you're with someone else? >> right. it's kind of interesting. basically the movie is really a portrayed of people who have been married for a very long time. this woman begins to believe her husband is having an affair. she hired a woman to following him. a relationship develops between my character and the young woman. it's very much about the stories that women can tell ourselves when we believe that something is happening, which i think is very interesting. you hear this again and again, and you talk to your girl friends maybe about something rather than going to your husband. so that's what this is about. >> you get so many scripts, an actress of your stature. what is it that has to pop out at you to say i'm willing to give of my time. >> it's the story. eye attracted to stories. if it's something i feel like is compelling about who we are and how we live, what we think about, why we're married or why we pursue what we do, that's the stuff that intrigues me. mostly personal drama. >> there's a new one with annette bening called "the kids are all right." >> that's a story about two moms who have been together for 20-something years, the kids are old enough to find their sperm donor father. so they look him up, and hi jinx ensue. >> just another day in julianne moore's life. >> thank you for coming by. >> so nice to see you. >> she looks fantastic. a roundup of all that's hot in hollywood. >> there's a lot to talk about. >> never a loss for things to talk about, right after this. brushing leaves teeth looking clean, but millions of plaque and gingivitis germs are left behind. a quick 30-second rinse with listerine® antiseptic cleans deeper. 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[ slurping ] ♪ welcome bulk. in "today's buzz" the inside scoop. >> from kate hudson's reported larger cup size -- i hate this -- we've got it all covered, bonnie fuller is editor in chief of "hollywood life.com, and from gossip gram. >> last when we were here friday, he was hugs his soon to be ex-wife and it looked chummy. what's the story? >> it's incredible. the next day they were out walking arm in arm. now we hear they've hired a counselor to help them go through the divorce and dot best for their boys, which is good. >> they may want to remain friends in all of this after all this bad publicity. >> but there's some thought they may end up back together. larry has always felt it's important to keep the marriage going. >> if there's truth there's no prenup, then it behoofs them him to stay together. i love that word. >> i read somewhere that the alleged relationship wasn't a secret. >> they went to breakfast -- and you don't go through if you don't want to be seen, even if your friends keep it confidential. >> and apparently the sister went to the set, and apparently his wife was rarely there. if there was a relationship, it was an open secret. or maybe they're bffs. >> she's saying it's not, that he's been very good to all the family members. >> what what do you think about the reality show with these two mistresses. >> horrifying. >> is that what you you this? >> absolutely horrifying. >> but bonnie, people will probably watch it. >> is this the first wave of women like this actually profiting, making money and feeling emboldened enough to say, apologize to me. >> i don't think it's the first. the mayflower madam got her own book, she made money, she did do well. but the difference here is bombshell mcgee is covered in tattoos, some with nazi insignias. i don't think that will go over with the american public. >> i don't know -- >> you agree with me, people will watch? >> i'm nauseated by the fact there does and there's a huge market for it. can you imagine for elin -- not only will she never be able to get over all these women, now every time she turns the channel there's one of them and they're being applauded, and next they're on the "today" show. >> i don't know if they're applauded. i think the interest is maybe vicarious -- in a way, it's watching a train wreck. i don't know that they're applauded. >> certainly paid. >> what's going on -- >> one thing about this is they should pick. i think when the public watches, do you want to be apologized to or do you want to carry this and make a forting off of this? >> ikt believe they want to be apologized. >> the thing that's missing is shame. is anybody ashamed of anything anymore? or do they just go to rehab? >> joslyn james, one of tiger's mistresses wanted an apology. listen, i can also understand she felt misled -- >> come on, connie. >> come on, these women have lived. it's not like they were fresh out of the college. they've lived. >> thee lived, but did she know about the 16 other mistresses or know this would become public? >> she was with a married man. >> what is going on with tiger and elin? what's the latest? >> not good. apparently the silent treatment. they were both away on separate trips, back home on friday and not talking, so thingsing going from bad to worse. >> she hated that nike ad. >> she hated the fact he went back to masters and the golf so soon and spent more time worrying about his career than matching things up. >> there's been a change in kate hudson. >> her cup runneth over. >> isn't that part of feminism? if she wants to have that surgery she should be allowed to have it. >> i think what was so shocking, is she seemed to be one of the few actresses that was proud to be an a, quite out there, wore very low-cut tops. >> got it. >> thank you. we'll be back. and 92. 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! keeps 'em full. keeps 'em focused. and now, cheer presents: next time on "brighten bay"... who's the angel that saved sandy? and more importantly, how does he get his whites so bright? find out with cheer. surprisingly bright at a new lower price. kids are hungry after school. that's why i always have totino's pizza rolls. big pizza taste. in a bite size roll. kids can't resist their delicious pizza flavor. totino's pizza rolls. the pizza way to snack. let's go to last night's highlights. there's mom and dad cleaning up. and there's the meatloaf. yuck. look what sometimes happens with the ordinary bag. it slips, oh, bingo, it falls in. mom was mad. mom should have used glad forceflex with the new stretchable drawstring that grips the can and stays in place. plus, it has the stretchable strength of forceflex. that's all today for glad tv. both: don't get mad-- get glad! due to diabetes it would frustrate me. in a basketball game a couple minutes could mean a big momentum shift. my bayer meter is very important. 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(announcer) the contour meter, only from bayer. welcome back to "today" on this fun day. our newest joy fit club member has lost a whopping 158 pounds. >> it was at his heaviest he was 340, that's when patrick mccoy, who suffered from multiple medical issues decided to get serious about weight loss. >> my name is patrick mccoy, and i am 48 years old. i've always been an active and fit person, though i never kept track of what i ate. i assumed exercise burned off extra calories. i began gaining weight when i was 25, and then was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. due to a back injury sustained at work, i was unable to exercise the way i used to. i developed other several medical problems such as sleep apnea, diabetes and high blood pressure during this time. i was miserable and depressed. i didn't want to go out, because people looked at me with disgust. i had a heart time finding clothes that fit, so i had to stretch my clothes. i couldn't fit into chairs. i realized if i did not lose weight, i was checking myself out for an early grave. the first step was meeting with a dietitian, i purchased a food scale and measured everything. i kept a daily diet diary. it two 2 1/2 years to go from 340 pounds to my current weight of 182. i was able to get myself off my medications, except for treatment for my thyroid disease. even with my disability. i'm able to maintain a healthy weight. if i can do it, anyone can do it. >> let's bring in "today" contributor and nutritionist, joy bauer. >> aside from his extraordinary transformation that will knock your socks off, i think there's a much bigger story here. he was on medication for high blood issue area, high cholesterol, what else -- >> no, de bites? >> he had diabetes. he had sleep apnea, so on a machine at night at well. i want to show you what he's not taking now. >> so he's no longer taking 6 on pills for blood sugar. he's not longer taking 30 pills for blood pressure, no longer 30 pills for blood cholesterol. he only monitors his blood sugar one time a day. he used to do it up to four times a day. the sleep apnea machine is gone. he saves over $300 a month, about a savings of $3,700 a year just from being healthy. >> that's amazing. >> and he can have a life now. >> we are going to look at again, look at patrick before. let's see the new you. >> come on out, hon. >> oh, wow. >> oh, my gosh. look at you. >> you little hottie. >> wow. >> how long did it take you. >> 2 1/2 years. >> you look terrific. you're allowed to look at us. >> it's like i'm over here. >> how did you lose the weight? >> i weighed and measured everything that i ate. i used a calculator and food scale. that was my guidelines to getting everything right. >> what was the biggest thing you had to cut out? >> saturated fat. >> you can turn. >> somebody told him to stand -- >> me, i kept saying, look at the camera. >> it's okay. what did you cut out? >> saturated fat, i started eat ago lot of lean meat. i eat a lot of fish. vegetables and fruits, but i'm still limited to the fruits, because i am a diabetic. >> you said the reason you started gaining the weight is you thought exercise would burn it off, but you realized that wasn't enough. you were exercising during the time you were heavy? >> yes, and there's definitely a food connection. you have to make that connection to the food in order to get the results you're looking for. >> does the desires for things are different now? you don't look at the stuff and be tempted? >> i plan a splurge a day in my eating, where once every three to four weeks i take a day off the diet and i had pizza, whatever i want. >> just as long as you're back on track the next day. >> when you look at those pills, i can't believe you had to take all those. it must feel so much better not bothering with those. >> i was concerned about the medications, i was claustrophobic with the machine on. >> you sleep through the night now? >> i sleep great through the night. >> can i have the machine? >> it's all yew. >> that's your wife over there. she's sparkling. >> and they have three fit kids as well. >> congratulations, you look terrific. i'm glad you're off those meds. >> thank you very much. up next, accident housewife comes clean with tips for your home, but first these messages. mars is down...and... um, it's only 10am. who hasn't had their jimmy dean breakfast this morning? mmmm! now lets orbit i feel awesome. you're all awesome. jimmy dean breakfast sandwiches, fight the morning fade. you'd think it would be something out of your control. not necessarily. after menopause, when a woman has a fracture, the underlying cause could be osteoporosis, and that's a fracture that might have been prevented. if you have post-menopausal osteoporosis, you could be at high risk for fracture, which is why i hope you'll call now -- 1-800-316-4955, for this free information kit. in it, you'll see the difference between the inside of a strong bone and the inside of an osteoporotic bone, weakened and prone to fracture. you'll find ways to help reverse bone loss and to help prevent fractures, learn how to help maintain strong bones, and read about an effective treatment option. there's an even a guide to use when you talk to your doctor. osteoporosis is that important. another surgeon agrees with me -- the surgeon general. half of all women 50 or older will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime. call 1-800-316-4955. if you could help prevent a fracture, wouldn't you? for your free kit, call now. hey bets, can i borrow a quarter? sure, still not dry? i'm trying to shrink them. i lost weight and now some clothes are too big. how did you do it? simple stuff. eating right and i switched to whole grain. whole grain... [ female announcer ] people who eat more whole grain tend to have a healthier body weight. multigrain cheerios has five whole grains and 110 calories per serving. multigrain cheerios. try new chocolate cheerios with a touch of delicious chocolate taste in every bite. all right. did you know you could use a jar of mayonnaise to polish furniture or a bottle of liquor to clean your old books? >> if you want to be ecofriendly, you have to think out of the box or the bottle. accident housewife julie edleman, author of "the ultimate accidental housewife" has some tips to help kick off our green week. good to have you back. >> did you know thursday is the 40th anniversary of earth day? we were all in a non-biodegradable diapers back then, but everything changed. >> mayonnaise to polish everything? what's great about it is you can use it to polish furniture. if you have water rings on your furniture, can you try -- these are from your set, so they don't want us to -- they're all fine, but you put some on even water ring marks, leave it on for 20 minutes, it would remove the water ring marks, and great for removing the sticky labels. bring out that mayo, and i like toia an odd credit card so i don't go shopping, and it comes right off. extra virgin olive oil -- well, not this life, but next time. >> we can dream. >> this will polish your floors -- you have to be a little careful. you can put some powder or cornstarch. >> do you have to use extra virgin -- >> because it has no defect, honestly, and it's also good for taking off your makeup. >> i knew someone who used to wash her hair with it. >> and if you want to use any cooking spray that is the oil, it will be great for those creeks in the doors and hinges. >> like a wd-40. >> like if you have a zipper, use it. >> next rice, i love uses things around the house, the good old coffee grinder, the blades go, put a handful of rice in, for one minute, you let it go, uncooked rice. >> so it doesn't damage the blades. >> it will make it much sharper, then use a toothbrush to get in the crevices, unless you like rice in your coffee. >> this is a great trick. if you drop your phone in the tub. >> i've dropped mine in the toilet by accident. forgive me out there. >> blow dryer, first, on a cool setting, you totally cover it in uncooked rice. the rice absorbs the moisture in there. leave it in there for three days, five days, it won't matter. >> they do it at my pedicure place, like an hour or two. >> maybe a little longer than that. another favorite, kool-aid, what's great is you can use it to clean your -- washer. put a packet in there, it will clean it in the toilet. >> what kind of toilet? >> this is crystal light. you can use crystal light. >> unsweetened, and by the way, fido will probably drink out of bowl, which probably isn't so good. >> if you can use it to clean, it's okay to drink? >> sure. it's cleaning out any mineral deposits within. we'll get to that you know i have a surprise at the end. >> next, grain alcohol, of course, alcohol actually -- grain alcohol -- >> what are you looking at? >> i know, we're going to drink, i promise. >> grain alcohol has been shown to kill mold spores in books, particularly old books you've left in areas where they're more humid. vote your book wouldn't have mold, and yours can coming out, but for those who need it, you damping the cloth -- it has to go damp, you don't want to saturate the pages, but turn a handbag with a hepa filter, go ahead rid of the dust, and gently go over the pages and put it in the sunshine fully to dry. or put it in the microwave -- >> put what in? >> the book. make sure there are no lead-based inks in there. >> we've got to go. we have to get to the drinks, of course. >> ice, make ice cubes out of them. big or a big one like this, so you can stir this, and what's great is i hate to waste things, in honor of the 40th anniversary, cheers, happy birthday earth. >> thank you, julie. >> thank you. >> thank you, hon. all right. >> okay -- >> something's coming up. >> we are cooking. >> lamb chops are upstairs. go to our website for all of this information. wonder ? ♪ ♪ so sensory ♪ so satisfying ♪ the discovery ♪ never seems to stop ♪ ♪ it's the magic friskies ♪ ♪ makes happen ♪ every day ♪ in so many ways ♪ friskies ♪ feed the senses slim-fast gives you proven weight loss, not celebrities. introducing the new slim-fast 3-2-1 plan. the clinically proven way to lose weight now. slim-fast. who has time to slim slowly? the clinically proven way to lose weight now. 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( laughter ) push it down. push it down. thank you for helping. it's amazing what you can make out of a rainy day. childhood is calling. ♪ music plays ♪ [ sneezing ] ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] what are you gonna miss when you have an allergy attack? benadryl® is more effective than claritin® at relieving your worst symptoms -- runny nose, sneezing, and watery eyes -- and works when you need it most. benadryl®. you can't pause life. 100% fruit & veggie juice with no added sugar. just one glass equals two servings of fruits and vegetables. it's the fruit you love mixed with the veggies you need. this -- this is how we mix it. welcome back to "today's kitchen." we're getting saucy with chef bo miller. >> bo's executive chef at sanctuary on camelback mountain. it's a great spot. >> especially for taking your moms for a beautiful weekend. we're happy to be there. >> that's gorgeous. >> hoda, let's you and me go. >> what are we cooking up? >> some spring lamb. you have a beautiful rack there -- >> nice rack. >> beautiful. >> you just which you them into chops, and then you have some ingredients like soy, a little honey -- >> so we're not watching the weight or sodium content. >> it's a little marinade. salt, ginger, garlic. the key to this marinade is the asian twis at the end with the five spice. that's chinese five spice, that has -- it's really good. you stir this um, and these chops go in. you're rocking with that knife. >> you marinate them for a couple hours or overnight? >> just an half hour. they have a little sugar in there -- >> that's the sound. >> you didn't put the fat off? >> i did trim it off a bit. >> how long do you cook these? >> believe it or not, this marinade has a little sugar and sweetness in it, so it will caramelize quick, and then i like to put them in the oven about two minutes so they cook evenly and perfect. >> and you shoot keep flipping them. >> no, when they're done, they'll have a nice sear, caramelization, and they'll taste awesome. in the back -- >> we have a little time, beau. >> so you have put some of this on after? >> that's a bit of the reserved marinade. that becomes a glaze. they go into a little oefb at about 300 degrees for about two minutes. let the meat rest. when you pull it out of the often, you don't want to eat it right away. >> you want to put that in here? >> yes, pop it in. >> hoda's cooking. >> about two minutes, we brought some of these out already. >> look at these babies. >> they have a beautiful glaze. they look super good. >> what's this you have here? >> check this out. a mint cilantro vinaigrette. >> stop it, you didn't. >> just pop it on there too late on. >> no, no, you take that one. >> oh, my god. oh, my god. >> nice? >> come on, come on. let us live here. >> oh, my gosh. >> is that nice? >> very unusual. >> simple. you you can do this at home in half an hour. the beauty about this time of food, if you want to entertain, you can get some of it done ahead of time, have a glass of wine, put some music on. thinks crostinis, jam, beautiful blood owners action and basil. you can make those half an hour ahead of time and you're good to go. that's a killer crab salad with avocado and watermelon. springtime is coming around, the colors, moms gotta eat, it's got to be sexy, everybody is happy. >> i love that. >> enter our magical mother's day contest, write us in and tell us how your mother figure makes magic in your life. >> some fabulous prizes, a three-night stay at a luxury spa, and dinner for two at beau's restaurant. >> come see me. >> and a gift certificate. we're back in a moment. coming up tomorrow, actress melissa joan hart. plus the five most flattering styles for shorts. >> we love that. >> have a great fun day. thank you so much. >> bye-bye.