Transcripts For WRC Today 20100428

a sandra bullock and a bombshell. the baby that sandra says she adopted with her estranged husband jesse james and have been in the process of adopting since early this year. they've kept it secret all this time. she talks about him, the affair and what the future holds as she breaks her silence to "people" magazine. we'll have all the exclusive details "today," wednesday, april 28th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm meredith vieira. and, boy, did you watch those hearings? >> i watched parts of it. it got really heated at times. >> it sure did. they really grilled those executives. >> the grilling lasted some 11 hours filled with heated exchanges between lawmakers and those past and present leaders of goldman sachs. some of the executives expressed compassion for americans who lost money during the financial meltdown but they all seemed to feel they were operating within the rules of the game. just ahead, we'll talk to the head of the subcommittee that held the hearings, senator carl levin, about what he learned and about his use of that expletive while quoting a goldman sachs e-mail more than a dozen times. what investigators call a drug 'em and rob 'em scheme in florida. women are meeting men in bars, then slipping knock-out drugs in their drinks to steal their valuable jewelry. we'll get details from "people" magazine's exclusive interview with sandra bullock in which she reveals she's been in the process of adopting a son since january with her now-estranged husband jesse james. how did they keep that a secret for so long? how will that impact the little boy and their future? we'll have much more on that in just a bit. but let's begin this morning with that fiery hearing on capitol hill as senators grilled the top executives from goldman sachs. nbc's kelly o'donnell is on capitol hill this morning. kelly, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. this was an arm wrestling match in business suits that went all day and well into the evening. frustrated senators seemed to say they weren't getting straight answers. witnesses from goldman seem to suggest that the committee just didn't get how their business works. this was a tense interrogation and there was even some salty language flying. >> now answer my question. i'm going to ask you for the last time. if you don't want to answer it, you can say you don't want to answer it. it is a question. what was your answer? >> reporter: hour after hour of confrontation. >> mr. chairman, just trying to understand -- >> no, i think you understand. i don't think you want to answer. >> reporter: wall street executives from the prestigious firm goldman sachs at times appeared uneasy and resistant. >> could you give me a yes or no to whether or not you considered yourself to have a duty to act in the best interests of your clients? >> i believe we have a duty to serve our clients well. >> reporter: a senate committee armed with documents and outrage. >> you had less oversight than a pit boss in las vegas. >> reporter: investigators say goldman had a conflict of interest, that internal company e-mails show the firm knew it had been selling poor quality investments because in those e-mails, goldman employees themselves used profanity to disparage the deals. >> "boy, that timber wof was one [ bleep ] deal." >> context might be helpful. >> context, let me tell you, the context is mighty clear. >> reporter: senator carl levin kept using the quoted swear word. >> boy, that timberwof was one [ bleep ] deal. >> reporter: one big issue, goldman sold investors subprime mortgage packages but then made its own bet those same investments would lose value without telling investors. >> our clients' trust is not only important to us, it is essential to us. >> reporter: ceo lloyd blankfein said there is no ethical obligation to tell investors when the firm shorts their investment, making money if it loses value. >> you see a problem in the context of market making that is not a conflict? >> reporter: goldman's chief financial officer was asked about employees' privately calling their investments junk while they pushed clients to buy. >> when you hear your own employees or read about those in e-mails, do you feel anything? >> i think that's very unfortunate to have on e-mail. >> are you embarrass -- >> and very unfortunate -- >> on e-mails? how about feeling that way? >> i think it is very unfortunate for anyone to have said that. >> reporter: for one witness, 31-year-old fabrice tourre, there's been a lot of media attention on boastful personal e-mails he wrote on the company account. >> i regret, you know, these e-mails. they reflect very bad on the firm and on myself. i wish i hadn't sent those. >> reporter: a wish he probably repeated when a taunting crowd and media swirl followed him out the door after his testimony. >> you have no shame! >> reporter: this whole investigation is about unraveling causes of the financial collapse. executives acknowledge the far-reaching hardships and that their business bounced back with a return to bonuses. >> your bonus was? >> um -- um about $9 million. >> reporter: senators said goldman was not the only wall street firm that conducted business this way and goldman says it does support some of the ideas congress is talking about to change regulations involving financial institutions. now so far, democrats have tried twice and have not had enough votes to bring their bill forward. they'll try a third time today on negotiations to bring along some republicans making changes to the bill they're talking about right now continue. so financial regulatory reform is really the backdrop for that main event in the hearing yesterday. matt? >> kelly o'donnell on capitol hill this morning, kelly, thanks so much. senator carl levin, a democrat from michigan, chaired the panel that grilled the goldman executives. senator susan collins is republican from maine. she serves on that subcommittee as well. senators, good morning to both of you. thanks for being here. >> good morning. >> senator levin and senator collins, let me ask you both the same question, briefly if you can. these guys stood up yesterday, they raised their right hands and they swore to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. when they answered your questions, do you feel they told you, senator levin, the truth? >> i'm afraid on the key questions they did tell us the truth, and the truth is that wall street firms are willing to engage in significant conflicts of interest selling to their customers and to o their clients financial instruments that they themselves don't believe in and they bet against and make money actually betting against the very financial instrument that they're out there peddling to their customers. there is a conflict of interest there. they don't see anything wrong with it. they told us the truth when they said they don't see anything wrong with it. but we do and i think most of us are going to try to end that kind of conflict of interest. >> senator collins, did you feel you got the truth? >> i felt that they evaded a lot of the questions and did not -- were not very straightforward. they were extremely arrogant. i agree with senator levin that they were truthful, in a sense, but they also tried to avoid answering whenever they could. and most of all, i was struck by the fact they did not take responsibility for their actions, nor did they acknowledge their conflicts of interest. >> well, but they didn't take responsibility, it seemed to me after watching, because they feel as if they're playing within the accepted rules of the game. isn't that a fair statement? >> well, yeah, they think they can do anything they want and get away with it. that's the problem. rules have to be significantly tightened, we've got to reform wall street. we've got to put basically a cop back on the beat, a regulatory cop, on wall street. there is not one there that's adequately doing the job now. >> senator collins, that does bring up the irony here and the irony is that both of you agree, changes have to be made that this is an unacceptable situation and yet, for the second time yesterday, republicans blocked further debate on this financial reform bill. how can you say in one room "we have a major problem here," and how can republicans say in another room, "but we don't want to debate it openly on the floor of the senate right now"? >> look, i introduced a financial reform bill more than a year ago, and i know that the members of my caucus are committed to financial reform. there is good progress being made. both sides say that on negotiations behind the scenes. and i am confident that a financial reform bill will be brought to the floor. >> but senator collins, let me just jump in for a second. what strikes me is that during the health care reform debate, one of the major complaints from republicans was that there was no transparency, that too much was happening in rooms behind closed doors. isn't by saying we don't want open debate on the floor of the senate, isn't that what you're voting for? >> no, we're not saying that, and i'm sure there will be open debate on the senate floor. i hope that the senate democratic leader will not shut off amendments the way he did on the health care bill. so i'm confident that we can get there. we do need reform. these are complex issues and it is important that we work through them and it's much better to bring a bipartisan bill to the floor than continuing to have these divisive partisan votes. they should not be a partisan issue. >> i don't mean this as a personal comment but senator levin, it sounds a bit schizophrenic to me. does it sound that way to you? >> it is totally inconsistent to be arguing that there ought to be financial reform, and after all 2450these months of reviews studies, hearings, not allow a bill to come to the floor. fine, offer amendments. there were dozens and dozens of amendments in the health care bill. the leaders offered to have no limit on amendments. that's not the issue. the issue is that most republicans want to try to cut a deal before this comes to the floor and we can't get that done. so bring it to the floor and have amendments offered on both sides. there are a number of us that believe that bill can be strengthened. >> senator collins, there could be another vote in just a couple of hours on this same issue. senator collins, will you still vote against it? >> we still don't have an agreement on o going to the floor, so i will. but let me emphasize, republicans are trying to strengthen the financial reform bill. we want better protections against taxpayer funded bailouts. the bill right now is far too weak in that regard, so we're trying to strengthen the bill to bring a better bill to the floor. then i hope we will be allowed to amend it further and to draw on the investigation that senator levin and our subcommittee has conducted during the past 18 months. >> we will end it there and certainly stay tuned. senators, thanks to you both for your time this morning. i appreciate it. >> from what senator collins just said, i think today is going to be a replay of yesterday. now let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories from ann curry at news desk. good morning. good morning, everybody. in a related story, president obama travels today to illinois and missouri looking for support for that financial overhaul bill. nbc's chief white house correspondent chuck todd is in des moines, iowa with more on this. chuck, the president is lashing out at republicans and also at arizona's immigration law. >> reporter: he did, ann. he's in the midst of his second day of what this is a three-state, six-stop tour. yesterday at a town hall in iowa, he hit senate republicans for blocking, he said, wall street reform. we heard senator susan collins and senator levin just debate that. then he was also asked about arizona's new immigration law and he said the new law was probably going to make it so that hispanics were going to end up getting harassed even when they took their kids to get ice cream. so he hit it as hard as he's hit it yet. now today he's probably going to focus a little bit more on the economy and a lot more potentially on financial reform. one other note -- he never used the word goldman. he completely sort of ignored the mess that was going on in washington yesterday. >> that's interesting. chuck todd, thanks. a former air force serviceman is in custody this morning after allegedly claiming he had explosives on a transatlantic delta flight. nbc's justice correspondent pete williams is on this story. pete, what can you tell us? >> ann, this happened on-board delta airlines flight 273 from paris to atlanta on tuesday. about three hours before it was due to land, investigators say a male passenger passed a suspicious note to a flight attendant. the man then told federal air marshals on the plane that he was carrying explosives and a forged passport. the flight was diverted to the nearest u.s. airport in bangor, maine. the man was moved to the back of the plane and searched. so were his carry-ons but nothing was found. officials identify the passenger as derek stansberry. after a search no explosives were found on the plane. he took a tranquilizer and a sleeping bill before the flight which could have affected his behavior. he'll face charges today. crews are considering fighting that bill oil spill off louisiana with fire. so far they've not been able to stop the flow of oil at the site of this month's drilling platform explosion. they could therefore try to start burning the oil as early as today. the oil is heading toward an eke logically sensitive area on the louisiana coastline and officials say if they don't stop the leak soon, it will be one of the most significant spills in u.s. history. overseas markets are sharply lower this morning after the dow fell more than 213 points on tuesday. cnbc's trish regan is at the new york stock exchange. trish, why the big drop? >> hey there, ann. a couple things are going on. one, that overhang of financial regulation reform is sending some jitters throughout the street but the other real big issue here is europe. you look at greece, they just got their debt downgraded to junk status. it's essentially like they got a really bad report card, a really bad credit score. that's going to make it that much harder for them to borrow money, money that they really need in order to finance their debt right now. we also saw a downgrade for portugal. same kind of story there. and the other pig countries, as they are known, portugal, ireland, italy and spain are all suffering. keep your eye on it, europe's the big story. one more note about the president's midwest trip. on tuesday he stopped at a restaurant in iowa and met francis asher who is about to turn 107 years old. >> looking so good at 107. we got to send mr. willard scott on a birthday. smucker's. >> frances actually told the president her secret to a long life is eating a spoonful of garlic every day. it is now 7:16. let's go back to matt, meredith -- hey, why don't we all try that? >> apparently matt does try that. >> i do not do o that. >> the headline is willard got a shout out from the president -- yeah! >> mr. roker, how you doing? >> all right. we're getting some good news >> parts of new england may see up to eight inches of snow today as well. now to good news for everyone who flies. starting tomorrow, airlines can no longer keep passengers on planes for hours on end during long delays. nbc's tom costello is at reagan national airport with the details. tom, good morning to you. >> reporter: hi, meredith. these new passenger protection rules are coming just in time for the summer travel season. for years we've been hearing about passengers stuck out on the runway for hours on end. well, flight 2816 was the last straw. it was last august in rochester, minnesota. and yet another passenger nightmare. >> there was no food, there was no water. there was no bathroom. >> reporter: 47 passengers stuck for six hours overnight on a small continental express regional jet with crying babies and broken toilets. even the pilot pleaded to let her passengers enter the terminal. >> we just need to work out some way to get them off. >> you just get increasingly upset and bewildered by the lack of competence and the lack of compassion and the lack of consideration for the health and safety of all of us. >> reporter: it turns out, flight 2816 was the last straw. tomorrow, new passenger protection rules take effect. after two hours of delays, passengers must be offered clean water, some food, and working on-board toilets. after three hours, airlines must give passengers the option of getting off the plane. the transportation secretary says passengers deserve options. >> allow people to get off the plane, go back to the terminal, get off the plane, rebook their flight, go home, stay in the terminal and wait for another flight. >> reporter: youtube is now full of passenger horror story videos. >> we've had some people vomiting and passing out. >> reporter: six, seven, even ten-hour delays. after kate's 13-hour ordeal, she started fighting for a passenger bill of rights. today she's celebrating. >> the government finally acknowledged that airline passengers were in pain and that we deserved something better. >> reporter: for years the airlines fought against the new rules arguing they could actually lead to worse travel delays and force carriers to cancel more flights. some travel experts agree. >> they're going to pull those planes back into the gate and cancel those flights. and with the flights being so heavily booked these days, it is going to take a long time, one, two, maybe three days to get passengers out to their destinations. >> reporter: well, the secretary of transportation says the airlines are just going to have to figure it out. if they violate the new rules, they face a fine of $27,500 per passenger. that means a typical 737 to cost the airlines $3.5 million in fines. there are exceptions for air traffic control issues and safety and security as well. meredith, back to you. >> tom costello, thank you very much. 7:20. here's matt. police in south florida are warning men of a dangerous scheme. women who are targeting unsuspecting men in bars, spiking their drinks and then robbing them. here's nbc's michelle kosinski. >> definitely violated and vulnerable. definitely. >> reporter: not every day you hear a guy use those words after a date. but this embarrassed victim we'll call "mike" has good reason. >> next thing i know, it was 2:00 in the afternoon on friday and i woke up in my bed with all my clothes on and my cartier roadster watch missing off my wrist. >> reporter: that wasn't all. these two party girls, grinning and having a great old time with mike's credit cards on veins video while he's out cold in the cab are suspected of drugging his drink at a miami beach club, ringing up thousands of dollars on his cards, then going home with him where they stole a lifetime's worth of watches, jewelry, gifts and $15,000 cash. creepy? absolutely. but this has been happening all over this area. at least ten times in the last six weeks. this could be a ring of women, highly skilled at flattering older fellows wearing expensive watches. this woman suspected of talking her way on to a man's boat, drugging his drink there and robbing him. >> biggest danger is we're going to find out that the person was a victim of a robbery and he's also dead. that's our main concern. >> reporter: this isn't the first time women have date-robbed men. there was a similar gang drugging guys in austin, texas two years ago. in green bay, wisconsin, some bad girls were busted targeting already-drunk guys. now that some smooth operators have descended on social south florida, men are on guard. >> i haven't had anybody offer me a drink lately. you just got to watch out. >> reporter: as for "mike" -- >> now the police have released your photos, we're going to get you. whether i get my stuff back or not, we're going to get you. >> reporter: he'd like to see cops nab the smiling young ladies who bagged him. for "today," michelle kosinski, nbc news, miami. still ahead, sandra bullock talks about the son she's adopting and has been living with since early this year. new details from her exclusive interview with "people" tourr just ahead, websites set up by teenagers to torment and bully their classmates. we'll talk to three girls victimized in troubling new cases of cyber bullying. plus, the barrage of ads our kids see every day and what's being done to protect them from the urge to buy, buy, buy. being done to protect them from the urge to buy, buy, buy. after your local news. 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! good morning. it's 7:26 this 28th day of april, 2010. a bill that would weaken tough gun laws is introduced in in the senate and another one introduced in the house to lift the ban on semi automatic weapons and repeal storage laws and allow d.c. residents to buy guns and ammunition in maryland. senator is one of the sponsors of the senate bill. we will come back and look at the weath a spring chill in the air. temperatures in the 30s and low and mid 40s, climbing into the 60s and a blustery wind. tomorrow near 70 and a chilly start and feeling like summer friday and saturday. how is the traffic? >> we have a mess on the capitol beltway at eisenhower avenue. an accident is blocking and beltway delays start at oxen hill. college park to silver spring is heavy. heavy. >> our day starts early. i'm a fashion stylist. my secret? t.j.maxx. they buy directly from designers and you see the savings! i dress fashionistas. but i'm a maxxinista. t.j.maxx. morning, the 28th day of april, 2010, which means it is almost may but it doesn't feel that way, at least not here in new york where it is a chilly 42 degrees. as we check out the view from top of the rock. hopefully our crowd on the plaza is bundled up this morning. we'll go outside to say hello in just a bit. i'm meredith vieira, alongside matt lauer. just ahead, the bombshell dropped by sandra bullock in an exclusive new interview with "people" magazine that she is the adoptive mom of a baby boy who has lived with her since january. how did she keep that boy a secret? we'll get details and talk to "people's" managing editor in just a moment. also ahead, if you are a parent, you know how much influence a well-placed ad can have on your children. the right commercial can persuade them to want to buy just about anything. just ahead, we'll look at a new campaign aimed at making our kids more educated about the things they see on television and also on the internet. big thing in my household. >> absolutely. plus, a european princess has now called off her fairytale wedding. more on that coming up. but let us begin with "people" magazine's explosive new interview with sandra bullock. "today" correspondent natalie morales has all the details. >> good morning. in this day and age where everyone seems to know just about everything about celebrities, this is truly remarkable. sandra bullock is telling "people" that just weeks before the high of winning an oscar and the low of her husband's affair, she brought home a baby boy. she's in the final stages of adopting. it is a sandra bullock bombshell. in an exclusive interview with "people" magazine, bullock reveals the new love of her life, her adopted son louis. for bullock it's been a roller coaster of emotions in the last few months. >> sandra bullock, "blind side." >> reporter: in january she thanked her beaming husband jesse james as she won a golden globe. >> there is no surprise that my work got better when i met you because i never knew what it felt like for someone to have my back. >> this team is your family, michael. you have to protect them. >> reporter: then the oscar for the movie "blind side." >> i'm forever indebted for people who are good to me. i'll always be good back. >> reporter: but it all came crashing down just days after her oscar win. james, her husband of five years, had been caught cheating with a tattoo artist named michelle mcgee. bullock's personal life splashed across newspapers and magazines. but now the pain has turned to love for her adopted son. bullock tells "people" she and james began the process four years ago and. january secretly brought their son home from new orleans. bullock says the first time i met louis, it was like the whole outside world got quiet. it was like he'd always been a part of our lives. after her husband's infidelity, bullock says she took louis and moved out of their los angeles home and now plans to adopt as a single parent. she says she plans to file for divorce and says, "i'm sad and i'm scared." "i really don't know how our paths will intersect in the future but the father i have known jesse to be is one that i hope louis can experience one day no matter how jesse and i go on with our lives." as for james' other children, bullock says she can't imagine life without them and will continue to co-parent. >> larry is the managing editor of "people" magazine. what a scoop. she had been out of sight since word first surfaced about her husband's alleged infidelity -- maybe it isn't even alleged anymore. how did this interview come about? >> they contacted us. as she says in the story, this is something she wanted to tell people about. she'd leave her home during the award season particularly and as a mom you want to tell people about your child. once she got these other issues resolved and it was clear where her life was going forward, that is to say she was divorcing jesse, she decided it was time to come forward and tell people about it. >> why did they keep it secret for so long? >> they were notified during award season which is a crazy time. she decided i don't want this kid involved in that kind of thing. it's a madhouse. we're followed by suvs in paparazzi. i have to make these appearances, i don't want him involved in that kind of energy. let's keep it quiet. after the awards season i presume they were planning to tell people about it. they had always planned to keep it kwirt during the award season. >> let's talk about the boy, louis. named after louis armstrong. she says the first time she laid her eyes on him "it's a wonderful world" is what she heard. >> they were very moved in new orleans after katrina. they decided along the way it wouldn't necessarily be a new orleans child but the idea of bringing another child into the world wasn't what they wanted to do, let's take care of all these kids that are out there. echoed by sonny, jesse's daughter. they said why don't you think about taking in one of those. she thought it was the thing to do. they spent four years in the process. they were having home interviews, background checks. >> they were doing the process just like anybody else. >> just like anybody else. she insists it was just like anybody else. in december or january they were contacted that a baby was ready to be put in placement. again, crazy time but she said we have to do this. >> then in february she finds out that her husband has been cheating on her. all she thinks about is i'm getting enough clothes for me and this baby and get out of here. >> this is bad energy, the vultures are about to descend, i have to keep this baby safe like any mom would do. >> where was she this time? >> during a network of friends and family. basically in seclusion. but she did visit doctors and things like that. at one point when she was still with jesse they had all this attention on her, they managed to do it. it was quite a network. these people should perhaps be hired by the cia. >> very much so. what is her state of mind now? she's made it clear to "people" that she has filed for divorce. >> that's right. >> she's going to raise this child as a single parent. >> i was struck by she is obviously completely consumed by the joy of being a mom. she talks about the baby rolling over and the smell of a baby. she's very mag nam muss about jesse. invest's cleared worked through some things. she's bittersweet. the door is opened as to what their relationship will be like in the future but she's ready to move on as a single mom. i was struck by there's no rancor, or anger. there's sadness obviously but these are two people who are still trying to work things out. >> did she have any idea anything was going on? >> she said no. she had absolutely no idea anything was going on. she said i got to keep my kid safe, let's pack some clothes and get out of here. >> has jesse james given up any parental rights to the child? >> he has indeed. >> he says, "i know in my heart that i can be the best father possible to my four children and the best sandy deserves. and i realize this is an incredible mountain to climb but i believe the steps i've taken in the last 30 days are foundation to making this happen." did the reporter from "people" get the sense that she might at some point head toward reconciliation? >> he clearly seems to be looking for that and wants that and will do everything he can. she says she's taking it day by day. i think the reader will be the judge as to what happened. >> congratulations on this one. >> thank you very much. >> this issue of "people" hits newsstands on friday and includes this year's "most beautiful" list and someone very close to us here is on that list. we'll reveal the picks good morning. we have scattered frost reports in the rural areas of mareland, virginia and west virginia and the eastern shore. a live picture shows bright sun piercing the blue sky and pouring down on washington. it's in the low to mid 40s and we are near 40 notice and rapidly hit the mid 60s with a wind and lots of sunshine. sunny and wind and frost in the morning. >> and that's your latest weather. make sure you can get your weather any time of the day or night, do georgia go to weather cable or weather.com. three girls targeted in disturbing new cases about cyber bullying speak out about the growing problem. but up next, the purchasing power of kids and the new campaign aimed at protecting them from advertising gimmicks. right after this. [ female announcer ] introducing new all oxi-active, for all active families. our advanced 2-in-1 power cleans tough stains like grass better than the leading oxi detergent and helps get your family's wash incredibly white and bright. try new all oxi-active. it's all good. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ - good night, honey. - and they could fix... - all better? - almost anything. - yes. - thank mom with le vian chocolate diamonds from kay, the number one jewelry store in america. - i love you guys. - we know. back now at 7:43. tweens, kids between the ages of 8 and 12, now account for as much as $200 billion in purchasing power and marketing knows. that's why the federal trade commission has partnered with scholastic to help children understand the power of advertising and become more educated consumers. david vladdic is head of the bureau of consumer protection. i have one 8-year-old, one who's going to be in this age group soon. boy, the advertisements they see on tv captivate them and they want what they see. what's the message you are trying to send to kids an parents? >> well, for both we want to teach kids how this think critically about advertising and ask three questions -- who's responsible for the ad, what is the ad saying and what is the ad trying to tell me to do. once they get answers to those questions we be think they can move on to answer the next question which is, is this in my best interest, is this a product i need to have, is this the right product for me. >> what you're really doing is doing the opposite of what the advertisers are doing because the advertisers are trying to captivate these kids with something that doesn't even look like a advertisement. i think they're watching just entertainment, next thing you know there is a product almost being forced down their throats. >> right. which is why the first part of this game, first lesson plan is to teach kids to spot ads. ads are oftentimes product placements in movies or in television shows, or on the internet, integrated into video games. so it is not clear every time what's an ad and what isn't. >> i like the way you're going about it. admongo, this thing you've distributed to about 100,000 fourth, fifth and sixth grade teachers across the country is really a way for these kids to learn more about this. i want to show a couple of commercials, ads. okay? just jump in and tell me what you think parents and kids need to know. first one is for apple jacks. runs during an episode of spongebob square pants. as we see this, tell me what jumps out at you. >> sweet flavor of apples and cinnamon make a great taste. >> this is the ad that's typical of many ads directed at kids. it uses visuals and animated characters to convey a sense of happiness. now the ad doesn't tell you what's in the product. it doesn't tell you it's nutritious. it doesn't tell you it's good for you. but it does create an environment of happiness and so what the ad is trying to convey and what we're hoping students and parents will learn when they deconstruct this ad is to look at these techniques is, the message that the advertiser wants you to take away that this product will make you happy. then we want students to take a step back -- >> you mention there is no equivalent advertisement for broccoli. so they're only getting one side of the story. >> they're getting the advertiser's side of the story. >> roll this next piece of video downstairs. this ad is for axe body spray. you won't see it during spongebob square pants but you will see it on mtv. the message for young boys is, use this stuff, girls are going to dig you. >> it is even broader than that. this is an appeal to popularity which is a key tool in advertising. use our product and people will like you, you'll be popular. and so -- there is humor, sex appeal that drives home those messages and we want kids to understand that those are the techniques that advertisers use to convey that. >> real quickly, in some ways are you throwing in the towel here saying we can no longer regulate the ads, we simply have to try and deal with them because we know they're going to be out there no matter what? >> we don't want to take a position whether these ads are good or bad. the first amendment permits these advertisements. our goal here is to give kids the tools they need to navigate through this very intensely commercial environment they live in. >> good luck with it. i applaud it. thanks so much, david. to learn more, head to todayshow.com. up next, a beautiful princess calls off her wedding. the latest on the scandal rocking sweden this morning. that's right after this. ♪ ♪ ♪ do, do, do it together ♪ do, do it together ♪ ♪ it's all right, it's all right ♪ ♪ do, do it together ♪ do, do it together ♪ it's all right, it's all right ♪ ♪ it's all ri-i-i-ght [ female announcer ] why not bring the whole family together? visit royalcaribbean.com today. for all active families. our advanced 2-in-1 power cleans tough stains like grass better than the leading oxi detergent and helps get your family's wash incredibly white and bright. try new all oxi-active. it's all good. parents magazine and edmunds.com called it "one of the best family cars of 2009." the insurance institute for highway safety calls it a "2010 top safety pick." consumers digest has called it a "best buy" two years in a row. and with a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty... we call it peace of mind. chevy malibu. during the spring event, qualified lessees can get a low mileage lease on this new malibu ls for around $199 a month. call for details. see your local chevy dealer. now to a royal drama in sweden making headlines around the world. a princess there has suddenly canceled her wedding on the reports that her fiance had an affair. here's nbc's stephanie gosk. >> reporter: 27-year-old princess madelyn of sweden. beautiful, glamorous, and charming. "forbes" magazine ranked her among the world's hottest royals. she was set to marry her love of eight years, the dashing lawyer proposed on the mediterranean island of capri last june. a real-life fairytale romance. until the rumors started. swedish papers reported that he had a pension for partying hard in stockholm and a wandering eye. and then the proof. 21-year-old tora, a former professional handball player, told a popular magazine she was intimate with him while on a ski trip. >> to journalists in sweden, this does not come as a big surprise because there has been rumors around for weeks now, for months even. >> reporter: she claims she had no idea who he was. i could not foresee the kind of attention this would get. i feel sorry for madelyn. >> i think it was sad because i think they were great couple. >> reporter: amid a fury of press attention, princess madelyn fled to new york. the royal wedding was called off. madelyn is the youngest of three royal siblings. not the only one whose personal life has created something of a rough ride for the swedish royal court. her risk-taking older brother dumped his girlfriend of ten years for an often-scantily clad reality tv star. >> it just goes to show, even in the most well-to-do families with all the money and everything they'd ever want in the world, problems can still arise. >> reporter: but all is not lost. crown princess victoria, first in line to the swedish throne is set to marry in a $13 million wedding this june. princess madelyn will have her choice of royal young suitors. while the world waits for william and kate middleton's big announcement, this swedish royal romance is definitely over. for "today," stephanie gosk, nbc news, london. >> so she's somewhere here in new york. >> don't look at me. >> we'll have the real housewives of new jersey after >> we'll have the real housewives of new jersey after your local news. en that used to make me sneeze, my eyes water. with new zyrtec® liquid gels, i get allergy relief 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®. 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. give her something she can hold on to. to talk about our new blueberry juice drinks. they're made with my tasty, ripe blueberries, packed with those antioxidants. let's whip up a sample. or just try this. [ chuckles ] chances are your soil is like this: compacted, drained of nutrients. it'll hold your plants but it'll also hold 'em back. the solution: miracle-gro garden soil. the perfect mix of rich, organic ingredients, and miracle-gro plant food. just mix it in. and turn bad soil into great soil. helps plants grow twice as big. instead of holding 'em back, they'll leap ahead. miracle-gro garden soil. and moisture control garden soil. [ smack! ] [ smack! smack! smack! ] [ male announcer ] your favorite foods fighting you? fight back fast with tums. calcium rich tums goes to work in seconds. nothing works faster. ♪ tum ta tum tum tums trugreen lawns are easy to spot. that's the hasskamp house. great-looking lawn... hi, bobby. hi, bobby. ...better-looking daughters. i got a solid business plan, too. take the walker's. no trugreen. no thanks. trugreen treats every lawn special. they call it customized service. i call it my ticket to the cover of forbes. [ male announcer ] call 866-trugreen and get a customized plan for a healthy, green lawn, guaranteed. more green, means mo green. [ male announcer ] get a healthy, green lawn today. call trugreen. go greener. our time is 7 i'm time 56 and 45 degrees. a beautiful day here in washington. i'm joe krebs. we have breaking news to tell you about. major traffic problems in northern virginia. let's go to jerry edwards. good morning. >> the accident has been out there seems like a long time. moments ago cleared. if you were with us earlier, we had all but one lane closed. inner loop at eisenhower avenue. the lanes are open and that's good news. the bad news is delays begin in maryland on the beltway out of oxen hill. we had problems on the rails. on metro's green line, a ccked rail and as a result there single tracking on the green line between southern avenue and the nay lor stations. we will keep you updated. >> we will take a spring chill in the air on this wednesday morning. plenty of sunshine, but temperatures enl in the upper 30s and low and mid 40s. we will warm into the 60s accompanied by a wind, but lots of sunshine. maybe more scattered frost and near 40 degrees, but bright sun on thursday and make it to near 70. warming up on friday and saturday into the low 80s and a slight chance of a thundershower on saturday. >> our day starts even earlier. tune in for news 4 today beginning at 4:30. 8:00 now on a wednesday morning. the 28th day of april, 2010. the sun is shining brightly here in rockefeller plaza, but don't let that fool you. it is a cold day. throwback to winter in the midst of spring. we'll warm up a little today. >> we'll get up into the 70s by friday. low 80s here saturday. >> that's great. out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer, along with meredith vieira and al roker. in this half-hour, we'll talk about some new cases of cyber bullying being reported aimed at teens in small towns all across the country. just ahead, we're going to hear from three victims of cyber bullying who decided they wanted to speak out to try to help others. we'll have some important advice for both teens and parents coming up. also on a much lighter note, who will be "people" magazine's most beautiful person of 2010? one of the magazine's senior editors will join us exclusively to reveal who that person is. if you're looking for a little drama, look no further than "the real housewives of new jersey." there they are. the ladies are back for a brand-new season. we understand attitude and bitterness is back as well. that's a good recipe. >> people who watch the show will notice that one of the housewives is not there. but why? >> coincidence? i don't think spop. let's gin side. ann curry has a check of the headlines. thanks, matt. good morning, everybody. the fbi is investigating an air force veteran blamed for a bomb scare tuesday aboard a transatlantic flight. the delta airlines flight from paris to atlanta was diverted to maine after officials said that a passenger claimed he had explosives. officials said that 26-year-old derek stansberry of florida will face federal charges. no one was hurt and no explosives were found. the mexican government has issued what it called a first of its kind warning to mexican citizens visiting arizona where a new law targeting illegal immigrants takes effect this summer. the travel alert says that any mexican zi mexican citizen could be stopped by police in arizona at any time. u.s. attorney general eric holder says the federal government may challenge the law which lets police question anyone they reasonably suspect is in the united states illegally. president obama is in iowa tuesday cautioning that the arizona law could lead to harassment of hispanics. he said also that congress needs to fix the nation's immigration system. the labor department has raided three west virginia coal mines owned by the same company that lost 29 miners in an explosion this month and the inspectors ordered that all miners are out until safety violations are corrected and until mine operators fired eight employees. on tuesday the nation's top mine safety officer told congress he will start going to court to shut down mines that regularly violate safety rules. crews have failed to stop the oil that's gushing from a deep underwater well in the gulf of mexico. now the coast guard is trying to stop an environmental disaster on the louisiana coastline is considering a dramatic strategy. nbc's ron mott is in new orleans this morning with more on this story. ron, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. it is dramatic indeed. officials are thinking about setting this oil on fire as early as today. they think this may be their best shot at trying to dispose of a lot of this oil before it makes landfall. that landfall is expected in some coastal communities here now over the weekend. the winds have been mostly favorable over the past couple of days, blowing mostly from the north. that's expected to shift back to the south and already we're hearing from folks in florida that they can smell the oil. you can certainly smell it from the air. it has been carried now to florida. officials are expecting, again, some time saturday, sunday, with the wind -- for this oil to start coming ashore. they want to stop as much of it as they can. >> ron mott, what a problem. thank you so much this morning. and south korea has a new national hero, an inspiration to women everywhere. on tuesday, 44-year-old eu yun sun scaled the world's 14th highest mountain. she planted a flag and shouted good morning. sunny and chilly around the region. scattered frost earlier, but that's melting. a live view shows the bright sun on washington. 46 at reagan national and it's above freezing where we had the frosty areas into the mid 40s. high today is the mid-60 wise wind and lots of sun. more frost in the morning and afternoon highs near 70. sun again on friday and hit the 80s on friday and again saturday. >> and that's your latest weather. >> al, thank you very much. up next, disturbing websites created by teex ns to bully and harass their classmates. ♪ spread a little joy and see ♪ need a little happiness to 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! for all active families. our advanced 2-in-1 power cleans tough stains like grass better than the leading oxi detergent and helps get your family's wash incredibly white and bright. try new all oxi-active. it's all good. aveeno hair shines in real life. new aveeno nourish plus shine with active naturals wheat smooths damaged cuticles for 75% more shine in one use. real shine, for real life. yours. [ female announcer ] new aveeno nourish plus shine. - my mother used to say, "always keep your heart open." this mother's day, my wish is that my open hearts collection at kay jewelers becomes a universal symbol of hope and love, because if your heart is open, love will always find its way in. it can take so much out of you. i feel like i have to wind myself up just to get out of bed. then... well... i have to keep winding myself up to deal with the sadness, the loss of interest, the trouble concentrating, the lack of energy. if depression is taking so much out of you, ask your doctor about pristiq. (announcer) pristiq is a prescription medicine proven to treat depression. pristiq is thought to work by affecting the levels of two chemicals in the brain, serotonin and norepinephrine. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens or you have unusual changes in mood, behavior, or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teens and young adults. pristiq is not approved for children under 18. do not take pristiq with maois. taking pristiq with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. tell your doctor about all your medications, including those for migraine, to avoid a potentially life-threatening condition. pristiq may cause or worsen high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or glaucoma. telling your doctor if you have heart disease... or before you reduce or stop taking pristiq. side effects may include nausea, dizziness and sweating. (woman) for me, pristiq is a key in helping to treat my depression. (announcer) ask your doctor about pristiq. to treat my depression. [music, talking, laughing] what makes hershey's s'mores special? hershey's chocolate goodness that brings people together. pure hershey's. 0 to 60? or 60 to 0? [ tires screech ] how a car performs in a quarter-mile? [ engine revs ] or a quarter-century? is performance about the joy of driving? or the importance... of surviving. to us, performance is not about doing one thing well. it is about doing everything well. because in the end... everything matters. performance without compromise. that is what drives us. back at 8:09 with troubling new cases of cyber bullying aimed at teenagers that have caught the attention of both parents and the police. we want to warn you that some of the language used in the attacks is graphic. nbc's jeff rossen has details. jeff, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. graphic and disturbing. all the headlines, all the stories lately about bullies and suicides, like of course phoebe prince in massachusetts. and here we are again, it is still happening, and now it is getting even more vicious. this time, dozens of girls are attacked online and placed on the naughty list. >> they wrote that i was such a [ bleep ]. they put me on the wannabe whore list. >> they called me a mexican [ bleep ]. >> you were victimized twice. >> i was really hurt by that because they did not only have to victimize me as a whore, they also brought in my background, my ethnicity, where i came from. >> o-m-g. >> three friends breaking their silence to send a message, they won't be pushed around by bullies anymore. >> flying monkeys. consider carry, abby and renada are all good students. there is a page created by students to bash students. this website has a naughty list. what's that? >> it is a list of girls that are supposedly promiscuous. >> some of are you on that. >> me and abby were on the naughty list and i was on the wannabe naughty list. >> reporter: the cyber bullies went after dozens of girls at three different high schools, calling them out by name, slut, fat "expletive," whore, loose, "fat girls need loving, too." these facebook pages are often anonymous, the authors virtually untraceable. when you read that about yourself, that must have hurt. >> right. i mean it's hard in high school and every girl, especially girls, are trying to do the right thing and get through each day because it is hard. and to go home after school and see your name on a list like that is very, very embarrassing. >> reporter: enough to put a weaker girl possibly over the edge. >> any girl could say, i'm going to kill myself because of this. that's just really scary that a girl would have to go through that. it's really, really scary. >> reporter: and now we've learned of yet another new case at a high school in evanston, illinois just outside chicago. a group of students created a facebook page called "the evanston rats. same drill, same nasty messages. >> i had never seen anything like it at high school. i didn't know that that kind of thing was here. >> lot of people are taking it very seriously. >> reporter: what's so shocking is the timing here. in both houston and illinois, the bullies went on the attack. in the past few weeks. even after the tragic case of 15-year-old phoebe prince earlier this month. phoebe hanged herself at home in massachusetts after getting bullied in school. the so-called mean girls of south hadley high, along with two boys, have been charged. they've all pled not guilty. >> cyber bullying is a horrific epidemic and with the recent suicide of phoebe prince, the fact that that was not a wake-up call for these kids tells me they think that their behavior doesn't matter. >> reporter: in houston, school officials called the victims in for counseling. now they're trying to hunt down the bullies. in this case, they suspect other teenage girls from school. >> we can't eliminate the problem but we can help. main thing is we don't want kids feeling helpless. >> in terms of being able to go to the police or something like that, you find out that not always what's written on facebook or myspace is illegal. it is mean but it is not illegal. >> reporter: so now the victims are fighting back. carly, abby and renada are strong but they worry, what happened when another girl isn't? >> girls that have problems with their self-esteem could see this and this could be like the breaking point. and it is not fair. >> very brave of them to speak out. school officials in texas did a lot of right things here. they got the police involved immediately and called facebook to get that page taken down. they were success that. facebook is trying to regulate content, but as we've seen, matt, teenage bullies are often one step ahead of the law. >> jeff rossen, thank you ver. rachel simmons is a bullying expert and author of "the curse of the good girl." rachel, good morning to you. carly, abby, renada brave, i applaud them. but for everyone of them that comes forward, there are several girls sitting there suffering in silence. >> the problem with cyber bullying, you can't escape it. it used to be you could go home at 3:00 and hide. now there is no escape. >> because so many of these sites are anonymous, you can go online if you're a teenager, you can say vicious, awful things, or write vicious, awful things about another student. go to school the next day, sit right next to that student and pretend you're their friend. >> that's right. and it is poisoning communities. you don't know who you're with, you don't know who to trust. i think kids are starting to fight back against that. that's what we're seeing. kids are using technology now for one of its best purposes which is activism. i think we need to support the girls who are fighting back. >> i like what you say also, these people, these young girls, are not being hurt by the names they're being called. they're being hurt by the destruction of relationships, that lack of trust you just talked about. and relationships to teenage girls and boys is everything. >> here's the real violence of goss tip aip and rumors. fy walked around studio 1a and spread vicious rumors, people would treat you differently, give you weird looks. they wouldn't want to sit with you. that's what's happening to kids and that's the real violence about this. >> the good news as we heard in jeff's piece, there are some websites cropping up to combat this. i guess my fear about that is, are those people as patient as the bullies are are? because bullying's been around for an awfully long time. >> it's true. but i think we do need to support the kids that are fighting back. obviously we don't want them to replicate the same unethical behavior, but if they are taking charge of their lives, we can't just say, oh, kids bully all the time. if they're doing something good it fight back, let's support them. >> there was some talk in the piece about contacting police and that law enforcement looks into this. i know your personal feeling is that it's best handled by schools and parents as opposed to bringing police in. why? >> because oddly, our job as parents and as teachers is to help raise kids and help them be good citizens. if we throw the book at kids every time they make a mistake, we're not doing our jobs as parents. >> but when the consequences are as severe as what happened to phoebe prince, aren't there sometimes where law enforcement needs to get involved. >> law enforcement stepped in with phoebe prince because the parents and the schools failed to set limits on the individuals so the law had to come in and do it. >> that's one of the things, if we come up with messages and tips for parents, one is establish rules and establish consequences if those rules are broken. >> that's right. a lot of kids grow up in this country think technology is a right. parents need to communicate this is a privilege, this is something you earn because you're responsible, because you're mature, because you prove that you show the values of this family, not just online, but in real life. it's not just something you get. and if you don't use it ethically, there should be consequences. >> and you have to make sure that schools all across the country establish anti-bullying guidelines and then stick to those. rachel, thank you so much. appreciate it. up next, the real housewives of new jersey. we'll catch up with them right after this. y do at the beginnin? only air optix® contact lens materials have tricomfort™ technology. they let up to five times more oxygen through the lens than traditional soft contact lenses... ...are designed to retain moisture for comfort all day long... and have superior deposit resistance for cleaner lenses. air optix®, the lens you can survive a long day in. go to airoptix.com for a free one-month trial offer. air optix®, the lens you can survive a long day in. look in the glove box. [ children laughing ] suitcase? huh? ♪ where do gummy bears hide? under the seat. look! yeah! ♪ [ telephone rings ] [ male announcer ] the all new chevy equinox. [ man ] guess who? dad! [ man ] enjoy the trip! okay, daddy! [ laughter ] [ male announcer ] a consumers digest best buy. with a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty. it takes you farther... and brings you closer. with welcomerewards power from hotels.com. smart...you're staying at this resort for free? how? see when i accumulate 10 nights, i get one free. and...they let me choose where to use them. the loyalty program he signed us up for has all these restrictions, blackout dates, a crazy point system... and we couldn't stay here. so what am i getting for free? my undying love? [ yelps ] wendy. hole-in-one. [ male announcer ] accumulate 10 nights. and get a night free. welcomerewards from hotels.com. smart. so smart. to talk about our new blueberry juice drinks. they're made with my tasty, ripe blueberries, packed with those antioxidants. let's whip up a sample. or just try this. [ chuckles ] we helped keep your skin clear. now we have a solution for wrinkles. neutrogena anti wrinkle with retinol sa smoothes even deep wrinkles. it works...beautifully. neutrogena. we are back at 8:21. bravo's hit reality show "the real housewives of new jersey" is back for a new season, season number two. from the looks of it, the drama among these ladies is far from over. >> a burlesque dancer. seriously. >> do o not let that person tell you you cannot be what you want to be. >> oh, my god. >> hard to let your child into the world when you feel that they're not prepared. >> i worry about you. i love you. >> i hope she goes back to where she belongs. to hell. >> what are they putting in the water in new jersey? caroline, jacqueline, dino and teresa, good morning to all of you. i can't help noticing there's 4 of the 5 housewives here. danielle is not here. where is she? >> she was invited to come, as you well know, she decided not to. >> what did you do to her? >> she doesn't like us for some reason. >> ask meredith. >> i did nothing! there was an article that -- >> we didn't do anything either. >> i don't know, i suppose she might disagree with you. right? >> she's threatened by us. meanwhile, we don't even do anything to her. but she like acts like she's so afraid of us. >> let me tell you, the article in the ap about the new season says, the rift between her and her fellow leading ladies is now larger than a garden state hairdo. is she kind of iced out? >> yeah, to an extent. she made that bed. we stand by what we said and that's it. so definitely. >> there are threats and little things she does to provoke and -- she likes attention. >> she pushes the button. >> she plays the victim. >> but it's also very, very good for the ratings. last season a lot of it was about her past and digging up her past. it ends with that scene with you knocking over the table. >> that's thing. no one dug up her past. she chose -- >> she chose to put the book on the air and the whole time i already knew about it and she chose to put it out there. we didn't. >> i never even read the book. >> maybe we -- >> but this scene we're seeing right now, teresa, you go ballistic and you finally knock over the table. what provoked that and are we going to see anything like that in this season? >> you ain't seen nothing yet. >> i hope it plays out the way it happened. >> trust me. >> did you watch the trailer? >> all i know is that jacqueline, i understand that your daughter rips out danielle's hair extensions. >> yeah. you know? >> you know what my hair dresser was telling me, extensions fall out by themselves. they really do. i heard that. >> no. my husband and i were not happy with what she did. of course we're not. there was a lot danielle was doing behind the scenes, provoking my daughter. so the night that everything happened, i hope to plays out the way it really happened. but by the time that the chaos filtered down to my daughter, she had heard that danielle had hit me and she reacted horribly. >> there's no "kumbaya." >> no. >> she suffered the consequences of her actions. i just hope she learns from that. >> watch the show, watch what happens. bravo tagline is going to be amazing. i believe it is better than last year. you didn't think you could top last year but i think we did. >> let me talk about some of the positive things in season two. teresa, you have another baby. your fourth daughter. jackie, you have a little boy, nicholas. you talked a lot about the miscarriage that you went through. i've had that experience myself. it is very hard to get through. did you ever feel you were sharing too much information or is this a good thing to be able to share? >> no. for me, my life is an open book. i tell everybody anything anyway. if that's what's going on in my life, i'm on a show, reality show, then whatever is going on in my life i'm going to share it with everybody. it's not like i'm the only person that's gone through it. i've gotten a lot of good responses from women saying they've been through this whole same thing and given them hope that they, too, can have a baby. >> of all the housewives shows, yours is number one. that's pretty cool right there. ladies, thank you so much. new season premiers on bravo on monday. 8:is the time and a chilly start to the morning. we will have the forecast after the news. breaking news right now. major traffic problems in northern virginia. let's go to jer to find out what's going on. >> a miserable trip on the inner and outer loop between springfield and oxen hill. this is coming off the i-95 interchange. a major accident at eisenhower avenue at the inner loop out of oxen hill. because of rubbernecking and the sunshine, the outer loop is crawling as well. a lot of folks are going up 395. out on the rails, we have the green line because of a cracked rail, there going to be delays between nay lor and southern avenue. >> thank you. we will take a break and have the forecast when we come back. stay with us. a chilly start to this wednesday. highs into the mid 60 says with a blustery wind. tomorrow near 70 and low 80s friday and this is one thing 8:30 now on a wednesday morning, april 28th, th, 2010. a nice crowd heating up the plaza. just ahead, an ode to fatherhood and friendship. and she's walking and she's walking and she is walking, and walking, and she's here. >> bright sunshine warming up after a kwhily start. upper 40s to near 50. by later on this afternoon, temperatures should urn the blue sky into the mid 60s. right now 46 in washington. a blustery wind and tomorrow sunny and not as windy. chilly in the morning and highs near 70 and maybe into the low 80s. a slight chan >> that's your latest weather. can you get your weather any time of the day or night, weather channel on cable, weather.com online. now to the man who got the shout out from president obama, big willie scott. >> always a pleasure working with the finest crew in new york on the greatest show in all of television. yes, it is. happy birthday from smucker's. how sweet. we love to salute people's birthdays. may i have the card, please? and we have arthur dorazio from ontario, canada. we love people from canada and they love us. 102 years old. one of the oldest members of the sioux greyhound hockey league. happy birthday to you, arthur. we love you. and myrtle laabs. of springdale, arkansas. lives independently and still works. teaches water color classes and had two shows. m marcella strub, new albin, iowa. 103 years old. avid chicago cubs fan. you can't go wrong. carl walker, yakima, washington state. lives with his wife of 76 years which he claims is his secret to longevity. now that's a sweet sentiment. everybody should feel that way. eleanor hardgrove, 100. world war ii volunteer with the red cross. nicknamed "the rocket" for being able to kick her foot over her head like reita moreno. myrtle lou jennings of needham, mass. balances her own checkbook, does her own taxes and decided to remodel her home at 103. unreal, these people. it is all up here, the severity. now back to little new york city where we love everybody. >> thank you very much, willard. when we come back, martha stewart's in the kitchen. she'll give us her take on [ male announcer ] let's take the garden into our own hands. soak our yards in color. get our hands a little busier. our dollars a little stronger. and our thinking a little greener. let's grab all the bags and all the plants and all the latest tools out there. so we can turn all these savings into more colorful shades of doing. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. right now, get spectracide bug stop for the new lower price of just $4.98. >> announcer: "mar today on today," is brought to you by macy's. the martha stewart collection is now available only at macy's and on macys.com. we are back at 8:40. this morning on "martha on today," brushing up on bruschetta, served as a meal or a snack. a slice of bread never tasted so good. good morning to you, martha. i've always said bruschetta? >> it's brew-is thesketta. these are delicious open-faced sandwiches that can be served as hors d'oeuvres, as a lunch, as a sfl snack. i like italian loaf or french loaf. >> slice how thick? >> a quarter to a half. this is just starting to toast. >> can you do this on the grill? >> great under the broiler, whatever. just to get some marks. it is nice to have these marks on it for an authentic look. then matt loves garlic. >> i do like garlic. >> on the hot toast, just rub a clove of garlic like this so you aren't chopping garlic. doing anything like that. now smell. that gives you just enough garlic flavor. >> this is a savory brew shetus. >> i wouldn't do this with chocolate or sauce. >> you rub the garlic. anything else? >> a little bit of olive oil would be very nice. just a few little drops. get all your bread ready because not everything -- it doesn't have to be hot really. then you can also put a tiny bit of salt on the bread. you're going to make a bruschetta with a little bit of mint, lemon juice, a little red pepper if you like, pecorino cheese. the mint is so good. julienned mint. start mounding on your toast. matt, you have my favorite. >> we're going to do stackable here. mozzarella, pesto, arugula and parmesan. just layering? >> put the mozzarella on first if you already have your garlic toast. then a little bit of pesto. it can be homemade. >> you don't mind store-bought? >> you can use store-bought. that's a lot. >> generous. >> you like a dagger sandwich. >> little bit of arugula. >> then a little pecorino. that should be cut in half. it can be served as a little sandwich for an hors d'oeuvres. >> perfect. >> prosciutto and melon. we don't want to do the garlic or the olive oil first. >> you could, but as a sandwich, think it is really great to sort of ruffle up some prosciutto. >> just like this? too much? >> no. >> and then -- thin sliced. >> we've taken melon and used a potato peeler and just made ribbons. so easy. we can just make the ribbons. doesn't that look great? and a few drops of beautiful balsamic vinegar. >> find a really nice -- >> that's it. that's 5 years old. >> we don't want to use too much of it. >> no. now this is dessert. >> i like that! >> a little bit of melted chocolate. we've melted chocolate, really good chocolate. just mound it on. then a touch of salt. >> with chocolate? >> yeah. you want to try a tiny little taste, meredith? meredith is always on a fast. >> she's just trying to be healthy! come on! encourage her! >> we've got some others right here. >> this is also terribly expensive. look at these other ones. this is roasted carrots with ricotta cheese. we have roasted peppers. >> oh, the bread! >> oh, no! we have a fire! fire! >> turn it off. >> oh, meredith! >> now this one is olive capers, roasted peppers and this one is so good. avocado, mosh and walnuts. >> what's mosh? >> bad for your diet. >> when you jump into a mosh pit. >> thank you so much. >> thanks, martha. >> bruschetta from martha stewart. back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] achievement has its own patch of grass. ♪ achievement unleashes hidden potential. ♪ all right! achievement looks forward to dinner at home. achievement enjoys newfound freedom. i love you. [ male announcer ] mortgages, home equity loans, and lines of credit from pnc. helping achievers borrow with an eye towards the future. pnc. for the achiever in us all. helping achievers borrow with an eye towards the future. so i told the guy i wanted yeah. a convertible. and this is what he had in my budget. aw! well, the top is down. the top is gone! lots of head room... tons of head room! --careful! that's sharp. jeez! yeah...sorry. narrator: settling for less is not smart. what is smart is getting more car for your money at carmax. guaranteed-quality used cars can cost a lot less than new cars. so you can get more car for less money by shopping at carmax. now more than ever, the smart choice is carmax. the way car buying should be. family," we're talking about the council of dads. a very special group of men form by best-selling author bruce filer when he was diagnosed with cancer. here is their touching story in their own words. >> when i first found out i had cancer, i was worried about my daughters and what life would be like for them. would they wonder who i was, would they wonder what i thought. i reached out to six men from all passages of my life and asked them to be present for the passages of my daughter's lives. i called this group of men "the council of dads." >> i want the girls to remember their childhood. this t shapes the way they are the rest of their lives. >> i'm not likely to sit down and tell the girls what they should do, but it's dads with the honors to drag them on some of our adventures. >> my advice would be to live life to the fullest like their dad. if they can duplicate that, they'll be happy campers. >> the goal in life is to always have dreams. it's really important that no matter where you are in life, that you have something to dream for and something to dream about. >> i'd hope to impart to my daughters the idea that you should live the questions. >> there is very few times in your life where anybody will ask you to do anything as significant as what bruce asked each of us to do with the council. >> the six men are all very busy. each one burdened with his own challenges. but together collectively, they might have potentially a father and daughter. >> "the council of dads, my daughters, my illness and the men who could be me." is here with his wife. best news -- can i start with you're cancer-free? >> cancer-free, yes. full of hope and moving forward. >> which is great news and a good way to start this segment. you sat down when you got this diagnosis -- i can't even imagine that day. it's got to be awful. you thought my girls. how old? >> just turned 3, twin girls. >> what specifically were you worried about? >> you imagine all of these questions, what would daddy think about this and what would daddy say about that. so to me it was always about a voice. when i eventually settled on this six men, i wanted each of them to play a very specific role, one would teach them how to live, one how to travel, one how to think. >> you selected each one for their strengths and omitted others for their weaknesses? ? is that fair to say? >> i just want them to represent different sides of me, sort of like a team of godparents. i think one of the great moments in the whole process when i sat down and said, now what is the one piece of advice you would give to our girls? and so one said, okay, i want you to -- this is how you should travel. be a traveler, not a tourist. another talked about dreaming as we just heard in the piece. i remember seeing to linda, when you hear this advice, it's going to change how -- it is not just about our girls. it is not just going to change their lives, it is going to change our lives, too. >> linda, when he brought this idea to you and mentioned it to you, how did it sit with you in the very beginning? >> i instantly thought of our girls and thought whatever happens, this is a great way for them to see the real inside of their father. but the council of dads impacted me as well. i feel like i got this window into male friendship. i remember telling my girlfriends, you won't believe what these guys talk about, balancing work and family. a lot like what moms talk about. now women are saying men in their lives, go get you one of those councils. >> i want to talk about this relationship between men in a second, but bruce, when you go to ask your friends this, this is not like asking your friends to watch your dog for the weekend. this is a big responsibility and were you worried that in some ways they would have to say yes but it would be a burden on them? >> i was worried it would be a burden. but it was interesting when i actually sat down and asked them, there was a lot of tears. each one of them cried. but what was so striking about it, matt, was the simple act of sitting down with your closest friends and telling them what they mean to you. we don't do that. it is almost like we had this pact. >> did it come naturally? people always say men are not emotional in that way. because of the illness, did that break down the walls or do you think could you have done this under any circumstance? >> i now believe you can do it under any circumstance. i don't think this is about illness and i don't actually even think it is about parenting. i actually think it is about friendship, about building a bridge between your friends and your family. we talk about as parents of young kids in particular, we don't have time for our friends. this sort of welcomed our friends and kind of recreated that sense of an old-fashioned community that we all want but that we sort of have lost in this culture. >> community parenting. do you now have a council of moms? >> the other day the girls said, mommy, when are you getting a council of moms? but i've learned that you need to create a moment. bruce created six marriage proposals, i said. you don't just invite people over e-mail. so i'm taking my time. >> this council of dads is still in place because they can impart these pieces of advice for your girls? >> yeah, you saw the pictures there for the first time. we went around and one of the dads said, when you first told me i rejected, you're going to get better, we don't need this. but i now realize we all need this community. i say to people if you come on this journey with me, i think that you'll have the sense of being uplifted by friends and you'll be moved to reach out. i think in the end you'll be inspired by this feeling of security that you have and ultimately by love and by hope. >> most importantly, you're doing well. good to see you. appreciate it. the book is "the council of dads." 8:53. back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. we were just talking about that council of dads. what a great idea. again, you hate to have it happen when you're ill. he's okay. that's the good news. but it is interesting to stop and think about who in your life you would gather to help impart wisdom -- >> and why wait? >> the point that they made is, you know, when you have kids you often put your friends on the back burner. this is time to bring them in. >> just like extended family. >> i loved it! still to come, speaking about families, sandra bullock speaks exclusively to "people" magazine about secretly adopting a son, then filing for divorce from her husband jesse james. >> mor 7:55 is the type. a chilly start tolt morning and things are warming up. the forecast after the fews. we are following a developing story with a plane that took uf from our area. we learn that the small plane travel for example frederick, mare land to olive branch, mississippi crashed in kentucky. the wreckage was found in the mountainous area. it took hours to get to the scene. the beach craft 58 is registered to island trading of maryland. no word if anyone survived. we will take a break and have the weather and traffic when we come back. 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. tom joins us now. it felt like wind ther morning. >> it's warming up rapidly approaching 9:00. we see lots of sun. there is the live view from the sky watcher camera. a glorious day after the chilly start. quite a chill in the air and the blustery northwest wind. we are into the upper 40s and hit the mid 50 wise the wind gust. sunny and less wind and warmer for friday and saturday. how is the traffic in. >> it's quite a challenge. an earlier accident and that's cleared. we are looking at delays from the beltway to this point. one more stop around town. it is just crawling along i-270. no accidents and all volume and a lot of stop and go. >> our day starts earlier now. tune in tomorrow for news 4 today beginning at 4:30 back now with more of "today" on a wednesday morning, 28th of april, 2010. dry but very chilly morning here in the northeast. temperatures only in the low-40s. getting up a little bit better than that, but thanks to these pele for sticking around on a cold, spring morning. and inside the studio where it is nice and warm, i'm matt lauer, along with al roker and natalie morales. who won? >> me. >> coming up, sandra bullock speaks out for the first time since news of her husband's infidelity. >> that's right, matt. the oscar winner broke her silence to "people" magazine in an exclusive about her breakup from jesse james, her plans for divorce and she made a surprising revelation that she and james are adopting a baby -- or she's actually now going to be a single parent to the baby. we'll have all the exclusive details on how she felt when she found out about her husband's cheating and what she says now about her future. but really it is a spiritual article. she gives such profound and heartfelt responses in the interview. it is great. >> and astonishing in this celebrity culture we live in that she managed to keep this adoption so private over these last several months despite all the attention. >> since january. >> which is the way it should be. >> exactly right. it's wednesday, time for today's "money 911." this morning how to pay for college if your family doesn't qualify for financial aid and whether it is a good idea to dip into your 401(k) for anything. imagine the snookie situation on social security. senior citizens living out their golden years, "sunset days." has a lot of folks talking. >> getting good pubuzz. critics have liked it. >> why not? it's their turn. >> there is a reality show for everything these days. let's go over to the news desk. ann has the headlines of the morning. good morning, everybody. in the news, a former air force serviceman is facing federal charges after allegedly claiming he had explosives on a delta flight from paris to atlanta on tuesday. the plane landed instead in bangor, maine where federal officials arrested 26-year-old derek stansberry. no explosives were found. mexico's flagship air carrier says it is suspended many flights to arizona because of the new law targeting immigrants. the mexican government issued a travel alert to citizens visiting arizona. the new law will let police stop and question anyone suspected of being in the u.s. illegally. crews are considering fighting that bill oil spill off louisiana with fire. so far they've not been able to stop the flow of oil at the site of this month's drilling platform explosion and it is now just 20 miles away from the ecologically sensitive louisiana coastline. in a drastic move they may try to set that oil on fire as early as today. today the federal reserve is expected to announce it is holding interest rates steady for now and may indicate where rates may go in the future. people in parts of northern new york and new england are digging you the from up to a foot of snow that fell on tuesday. and more snow is expected there today. and the ring turned in by an unknown is apparently very generous donor at a good will distribution center in pennsylvania has now been appraised at more than $17,000. the center usually gets costume jewelry but this was one a diamond in the rough. talk about goodwill. it is three minutes past the hour. i wonder if it was a mistake. >> it must have been a very honest employee of that goodwill center who could look at that and say, that's mine. that's nice to see. >> it is going to go for good. >> good morning. it is sunny and breezy and chilly on this wednesday morning. the view from the sky watcher camera showing the blue sky over washington. the northwest in the foreground and way off in the horizon is prince george's county. temperatures in the upper 40s and the winds are gusting out of the north west to 25 miles an hour and stay blustery throughout the day with a few clouds. highs in the 60s and diminished wi >> and that's your latest weather. natalie? >> al, thank you. now to the sandra bullock bombshell. for the first time since her split with husband jesse james, after revelations he cheated, bullock is speaking out now saying she and james have secretly adopted a baby boy in january. she also says she has filed for divorce. all the details in the upcoming edition of "people" magazine. the senior editor is here. galina, good morning. wow. what a cover story and just the interview, photos, so beautiful, so touching. >> she really reveals a lot. and she talks about everything that she's been feeling. you can't even imagine the roller coaster of emotions she has been experiencing these last few months. first becoming a mom to an adopted boy from new orleans. and then discovering that her marriage was not what she thought it was. she was completely caught off guard by those revelations. and now just experiencing the joy that comes with having this baby in her life. >> the interview as much pain as she's gone through in the last couple of months, you do get a sense of just her enjoying the new -- being a new mom again and just enjoying those sleepless nights. but let's talk about why first she decided to adopt louis. how did this little boy come into her life? she adopted him from new orleans as a newborn. >> right. she had spent a lot of time in new orleans after hurricane katrina and just felt this real bond to that city. and she and jesse actually began this process of adoption about four years ago. so the baby has been a long time in coming. she said the timing was just insane. she got the call in january that we have an infant for you. of course she was in the middle of awards season. >> she kept it all a surprise. >> that's exactly why. >> it is unbelievable in this day and age where everything is for celebrities you're living your life in the public eye. she was able -- and they were able to really keep this under wraps. >> that was really important to her because of all the attention she was under during awards season. she didn't want that energy around the baby. she really felt so protective of him and didn't want him to be exposed to any of that. she was able to keep him safe from it. >> she describes it as sort of a cia covert operation with cars moving them around, only being able to leave the house to go for a doctor. >> when she was being fitted for gowns at the oscars, people she'd known for years, she'd say i'll just meet you down the street. they didn't understand why they couldn't come visit her. >> then in march the explosive news that her husband had been cheating. talk to me about how she found out. as you said, she was completely blind-sided. >> she got a phone call. >> from a tabloid reporter. >> she says up until that point she had had no idea. her first instinct was i have to get louis out of here. reacting like any mother would, my child comes first, this is not going to be a great environment for him because everyone's going to be -- she called it the vultures are going to descend, she put it. she packed a few clothes for herself, for the baby and she fled the house. >> she's been living i guess in the circle of friends, family, very loving circle of people. >> she says she's been in hiding basically because she wanted to stay isolated from everything that's been going on. she's been in this perfect little bubble. but of course she is excited to share the news with her family and friends. >> is that why she decided to do the interview? >> absolutely. she says she's looking forward to going outside in the sunshine with her baby, taking him to the park. she hasn't been able to have those experiences yet and she's finally ready to do so. >> she says she's going to be a single parent to louis. >> she does. >> but she's going to continue to be a co-parent to jesse james' three other children. what do we know about their relationship going forward? >> what's amaze sthag there is no bitterness in this interview. there is no anger. she talks very lovingly about jesse as a parent. he of course has three children from previous relationships and she feels like a mother to them and they will continue to co-parent those children and he will continue to have a role in lou louis' life. but she is finalizing the adoption as a single parent. >> as she also said in the interview, she's going through a divorce, too. she talked about that as being very sad and a very scary thing. >> she says my life is not what i expected it would be, not what i dreamed up. but i am moving forward and i have this incredible joy with louis. she talks about the timing initially being so crazy happening in january when her world was kind of out of control. >> about the ups and downs of life. >> yeah. but now she feels like it was all meant to be and she was meant to have this baby at this time in her life. >> the tone of the interview was amaze. "we wouldn't know the sweet moments in life unless i have the pain. and painfully, i'm going to miss so much." how is she really managing all of this now if. >> she admits she's forever changed by what has happened to her but she is really focused on o moving forward and she does have so many people who care about her. she said that was one of the wonderful discoveries, is that there are people who will take care of her when she needs to be taken care of. >> so if this weren't a blockbuster issue enough, than to top it off, you've got the most beautiful out as well. who's topping the list this year? co-cover girls. >> we've got julia roberts also on our cover. what's amazing is that it has been 20 years since "pretty woman." boy, she just looks exactly the same. she looks even better, in fact. she jokes about how at the ripe old age of 42 she's now a beauty ambassador for lancome. she says she never would have thought she'd have that kind of role in this point in her life. who better than that face? >> there you go. it is her fourth time as a cover girl, too. >> she's one of our perennial favorites. we've got lots of fresh faces, too. katy perry. kim kardashian, all faces who in the past year we just couldn't get enough of. >> as we pointed out a little bit earlier, we know of course she's absolutely drop-dead gorgeous but you all finally came to the realization that ann curry needs to be on that list again, too. >> i think she does the list, proud. she at the age of 53 is one of our "beauty at every age." my gosh, i hope we all look that good at 53. >> every time, i'm like are you sure the numbers aren't reversed, she's really. 35? she's gotten better with age, too, like julia roberts. she's going to knock julia off the cover one of these days. this issue of "people" goes on sale friday. expect it to be sold out everywhere. coming up next, help for your money emergencies from when to walk away from a mortgage to keeping up with credit card debt. and also, they're the new golden girls of television with a bit more edge. we'll meet stars of "sunset days." but first these messages. but it's perfectly cooked black beans, in a zesty "south of the border" chipotle sauce with red and green peppers, onion, and crisp corn. a bold new taste. i know. but i want people to think i'm a great cook. so hide. delicious! can i have your recipe? your secret is safe with me. hello... new bush's black bean fiesta. and try new texas ranchero, along with our other grillin' beans flavors. 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. begins with a balanced breakfast. country crock has 70% less saturated fat than butter, and 30% fewer calories. add multigrain toast, fresh fruit and low fat milk, and they're off to a good start. country crock. to help your skin get healthy and clear. fast forward a few years... ...and now that your problem is wrinkles we still have the solution dermatologists recommend most. neutrogena anti wrinkle moisturizer with pure retinol sa. in just 1 month it's clinically proven to smooth even the deepest wrinkles. so all you neutrogena girls it's time to become neutrogena women. neutrogena recommended most by dermatologists. ♪ [ female announcer ] these cookies aren't magic, but they make magic happen. that's because glad has partnered with cookies for kids' cancer. it's small bake sales like these that help raise big money for pediatric cancer research. together, we can make a difference... one container at a time. because with glad, the care that goes in is the care that comes out. ♪ this morning on today's "money 911," advice for your financial emergencies. our team of experts is here to help. jean chatzky, "today" financial editor and author of ""money 911," david bach author of "start over finish rich," and carmen wong ulrich is cnbc's personal finance expert. good morning to all of you. sue ellen from maryland is on skype for us this morning. good morning, sue ellen. what's your question? >> good morning. our son starts college in the fall and we don't qualify for any financial aid or subsidized loans. should we declare savings for the remainder of our bill after a tuition plan or should we take our commercial unsubsidized loans which are variable rate? >> jean? >> it is a really good question. the answer is, no, we don't deplete our savings, our emergency savings or our retirement funds in order to pay for college. your son has the ability to borrow for college. he can take out stafford loans for college and after that he can take out private loans for college and he can work while he's in college. >> why make him take on the debt? >> you know what? parents can't take on this debt. because if they take it on and they raid their retirement accounts, then the kids are going to have to support the parents when they are just getting their footing and getting the first job. student loans, even the unsubsidized form been are fairly reasonable debt for kids. we're talking about an interest rate of about 7%. those payments will be tax deductible in the first five years of repayment. i know you don't want to ask your son to take on a lot of debt, but this is why the choice of college becomes so important. maybe you don't go to the private school that's $40,000 a year. maybe you go to the public university that's $20,000. or maybe you spend the first couple of years at a community college that's even cheaper, then you transfer. it is a financial decision as much as it is an educational one and you make it as a family. but the answer is, no, do not raid your retirement account. >> that was a very strong no. patty from byron, illinois. standing by on the telephone. patty, good morning. >> good morning. i lost my job in december and i haven't been receiving unemployment so i've not been able to make any payments on my credit cards in five months. my unemployment has now been approved but my credit score has suffered severely. i could still only make minimum payments of around $600. is it better for my credit score to try and pay this debt or to file bankruptcy? >> david? >> this is a really good question with a simple answer. bankrupt's not going to get your credit score faster than paying those loans down. here's what you want to do. let me give you some good news. the fact is, if you can make $600 a month minimum payments, go online like to google, search debt calculator. $600 a month with your debt, you have $18,000 in debt. at an interest rate of 5%, can you pay that debt down in less than 33 months. at a really high rate, the rates as high as 30%, it will still be paid off in less than 57 months. so here's what i would focus on. focus on the interest rate. call the credit card company directly. the fact that you're now five months behind, they know you have a problem. tell them exactly what the problem is. ask them if they have a debt management plan that you can go and do directly. the credit card companies will often lower interest rates to, believe it or not, 0%. they'll close your credit card down but they've probably already gotten ready to do that anyway if they haven't. then they'll take the money out of your checking account automatically. but because the rate is down next to nothing, it will be much easier to get out of debt. if for some reason the credit card companies won't work with you, then go to a nonprofit organization. that's going to be your second step anyway. go to debtadvice.org, go meet with a counselor, then they'll go negotiate the better rate for you. that's where you should start. >> once she starts paying down the debts, the credit score will go back. you don't have to go through bankruptcy to make that happen. >> we have an anonymous e-mail. we don't have any debt other than our mortgage. we are trying to start a family and our insurance does not pay for ivf. my wife is not working and her 401(k) from a previous employer has $17,000. can we take the money out and use it to pay for ivf without being penalized? carmen. >> no. definitely not. unfortunately, ivf does not qualify as a medical emergency or hardship withdrawal. you will pay taxes and penalties and you'll lose about half the taxes and penalties. if you have no other debt besides your mortgage, of course i'd love if you could save this money instead but i know with ivf that the clock is really ticking. time is of essence here. what you can do is, go to a local community bank or credit union. shop around at bankrate.com. get a low-interest loan if you're really determined to do this right now. but make sure to calculate how much this is going to cost you a month. make sure you can handle this debt. binkytown.net. you can find a bunch of calculators. keep in mind with ivf, this may not be the first time, there may be a second, there may be a third. this is a very personal decision but it is a financial decision as well. >> one more question from pat on the phone in illinois. what's your question? >> my son is getting married in october, he's buying his home. he and his wife are going to live there after they're married. she's currently trying to sell her condo which she bought two years ago with no money down. she's up to date with her payments and both she and my son have decent credit and jobs. she owes $157,000 on the condo and it is worth only $135,000 in today's real estate market and if they happen to sell it, i don't know if they can afford to start the marriage taking this kind of loss plus real estate commission and fees which would amount to about $30,000, the way we figured it. is there any other recourse besides walking away from the mortgage and damaging your credit? they've been told they aren't eligible for any government plans since she isn't behind on her payments. >> we don't have a lot of time here but the answer is they should think about trying to rent out that place. if you can get a tenant in there and at least cover some of the expenses, then you can wait for the market to come back and live in the other place and just ride this out. but you're absolutely right, it is a tough situation and a lot of people are in it. >> jean, david, carmen, thank you so much. all three of you. thanks to everyone who asked questions. if you have any more questions, go to todayshow.com. still to come, staying slim without depriving yourself. joy has decadent recipes for the entire family. and who doesn't love brendan fraser? he's in a new movie that your family is going to love. he'll tell you all about it after these messages. bye momma. i love you. i love you. 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. key lime pie, pineapple upside down cake, raspberry cheesecake... ...yeah, every nightsomet. 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. in the new kid-friendly movie "furry vengeance," brendan fraser plays dan, a real estate developer, whose latest project in the oregon forest puts him at odds with the local wildlife and literal literally, soon the fur begins to fly. you're executive producer of this great kid's move. you got three kids yourself. it must be fun to do a movie that you know your kids can watch. >> they're looking forward to it more than their school friends are. they imitate all of the spots that have been on tv all the time. er that falling off of couches. my 4-year-old has a cat, he wanders around with like this and pretends that it is the raccoon that i fight in the movie. >> talk about suffering for your art, you gained 20 pounds -- >> oh, 25, 24? i don't know, 23? >> you said there was a lot of physical stuff, get you some padding on. >> let's call it 30. what the heck? why not! i need something to fall down on. i was wearing this like pink hot pink sweatsuit all the way through it, i admit, of my own design. i'm executive producer. i got to say that instead of "juicy" it says "yum-yum." i just gave it away. go see the movie. you'll find out why. >> they say never act with kids and animals. >> that's w.c. fields. he didn't know how to have a good time. look, brooke shields is in the movie! >> we don't get to see "yum-y . "yum-yum." >> that's okay. go see the movie. nobody believes that the animals are trying to take over the neighborhood until eventually they prove he's not a rock. >> was this fun to do? >> we surrounded the whole cast with just a rose gallery of comedians. we had brooke shields in this, kim jong from "the hangover." so folks, plenty of jokes will go over the kid' heads. >> "furry vengeance". why do women like you love activia light? sometimes i have no choice but to eat on the run... and to eat whatever happens to be around. heavy greasy food that's hard on my diet... and my digestive system. so i eat activia light every day. activia light, with bifidus regularis is clinically proven to help regulate your digestive system. mmmm. the new taste is better than ever. and with only 70 calories activia light helps make it easier to watch my weight. it helps me feel good and look good too! ♪ activia! >>. >> fine:26 is the time. things are warming up. we are learning more about the small plane that crashed in kentucky on the way to mississippi. a kentucky newspaper is reporting that the beach craft 58 is registered to island trading of maryland. that plane went down late yesterday in an area so remote it took hours to get to the scene. two people were believed to be on board and no word on if anyone survived. anyone survived. we will have the i'm lucy sykes. i'm a fashion stylist. what i do is dress people for magazines and tv. my job is to hunt down the best fashion and stay on budget. my secret? t.j.maxx. their buyers have their finger on the pulse of what's on trend. they buy directly from designers and you see the savings! i dress fashionistas. but i'm a maxxinista. t.j.maxx. let us make a maxxinista out of you! let's go to tom to see what the day looks like. >> chilly around 50 degrees now. the wind gusting around 25 to 30 miles per hour. a few clouds and lots of sun and highs in the 60s. the wind will diminish and we may have scattered frost. the diminished wind and climbing to near 70. sunny and warmer on friday and saturday and feels like summertime as we reach the low 80s. as we get into saturday evening, maybe a passing thundershower as well as sunday in the afternoon. cloudy sunday with highs around 80 degrees. as we get to monday and tuesday, subshine back and should be a bit cooler. that's the way it looks. >> our day starts even earlier now. tune if for news 4 today and get the day's news, weather, and traffic when you wake up. join us tomorrow morning at 4:30. back to the "today" show. ♪ okay, you guys. here's a question -- is lady gaga one of "time" magazine's most influential people? how about some of these other people we're taking a look at, these faces? who would you put on the list? all will be revealed tomorrow here on "today." coming up in this half-hour, mother's day is less than two weeks away. there is a lot of time still to get a gift for your mom. flowers are always nice but why not think outside the vase? for example, what about an aquarium? we have that as one of the ideas. also, preloaded mp3 players. and video cameras. >> was there somebody behind there? oh, no! >> he couldn't stay bent down very long. >> why not give them brian? take him off our hands! anyway, we'll talk about that coming up. >> ooh, okay. this thing called the mix between the jersey shore and the golden girls. "sunset days" follows the lives of senior reality stars, part of the senior set in arizona. we'll meet three of them coming up. >> god love them, they're great. if you're trying to keep your family healthy, you don't have to avoid chocolate or pasta. joy bauer will show you how to keep a full day of food for under $1,400 calories without sacrificing on flavor. >> what is she showing us there? >> chicken tenders and a dip. >> you can have your chicken fingers. we'll talk about "today's top dog" which is in its final days. we'll talk about the last chance you have to choose one of our semi-finalists. first up, bowty, an 8-year-old pekingese. next, a 7-year-old papillon from illinois. now we're looking at 22-month-old fluffy, a doberman pinscher a blustery win and northwest clouds developing. it's 48 in washington and in the 40s around the region to near 50. low 60s and maybe briefly mid 60 wise lots of sun and the winds diminish. warmer friday and saturday. >> and that's your latest weather. coming up next, al is going to meet the next generation of reality stars. the senior set of "sunset days." we're going to meet three of them coming up right after this. [ male announcer ] if we knew more about our food, would we eat better? at hellmann's, we make our mayonnaise with eggs, vinegar and oil rich in omega 3. for the quality that could only be hellmann's. hellmann's. it's time for real. ♪ spread a little somethin' to remember ♪ ♪ spread a little joy and see ♪ need a little happiness to 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! 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. with a touch of delicious as long as there's sun, you and your family can go have fun. because banana boat blocks up to 96% of harmful uva and uvb rays. so you can go, go, go, confident you're protected from sunburn and long-term skin damage. banana boat. we've got you covered. it's the senior citizens' answer to "the jersey shore" without all the hair gel. the new reality show "sunset days" follows a group of people living in the same senior community trying to live life to the fullest and break some stereotypes. >> i want you to shoot. >> yeah! >> that's way too easy! >> mark was very easy on the eyes. he seemed almost a cowboy look. >> i can say he's doable. >> ookey-dokey. good morning, ladies. when they came to you and said we want you to be reality show stars, what was your first reaction? >> you got to be kidding. >> yeah. >> me? >> we were i think all excited and stunned. but we thought, what a unique concept to have a reality show about senior citizens or retirees living in an active adult community. >> now you guys, sandy and jo ann, you guys were friends before this thing started. >> yes. >> did that help you along, having a buddy? >> i think so. i think so. >> i think so, too. but you know, we met really nice friends. >> that made it nice, too. >> lawanda, you started dancing six years ago at the age of 68. >> yes, i do. >> you're called "hot lips" on the show. >> there's a reason for that. last year we did a number and "hot legs" was the name of the song. that's my nickname. >> i'm told sandy you're on the prowl for a new guy. >> well, you know, there is -- i guess that's true. >> very true. >> "prowl" is a weird word. but you know, it's been fun. my husband died four years ago. and so getting back into the dating scene has been interesting. that's why my bff here jo ann is the match maker. >> i am. >> it has its challenges. like my dance card is not filled up yet. i'm just looking. >> do you hope this show does some stuff to dispel the myths about seniors? >> absolutely. >> in what way? >> well, just by what we do. by our activity. we're an adult active community. the things that we do, you step out of your comfort zone when you start dancing at 68 and you get on -- we're performing dance troupe. we sing, we dance. you know? who does that at that late in life? it gets people out there that are sitting around a new slant on life. you know? look what you can do. >> exactly. and i think people have a concept of once you retire, you have been one foot in the grave. and that is so not true in our -- >> what was your family's reaction to this? >> oh, absolutely thrilled. >> i have family on facebook. friends and family text me, "granny, i can't believe you're doing this!" and my youngest daughter said, "mom, can i be the president of your fan club?" >> there you go. you can't beat that. jo ann, lawanda and sandy, thanks very much. catch the series premier of "sunset days" tonight at 10:00, 9:00 central. unique gift ideas for mom 9:00 central. unique gift ideas for mom after these messages. sentin th. it's one smooth ride. it has lots of space for you... and all your things. i got mine with voice activated navigation. so we can get to the city. [ male announcer ] there's no finer way to travel. the new toyota avalon... comfort is back. ♪ bring me a dream comfort is back. as long as there's sun, you and your family can go have fun. because banana boat blocks up to 96% of harmful uva and uvb rays. so you can go, go, go, confident you're protected from sunburn and long-term skin damage. banana boat. we've got you covered. you stood in the basement gathering dust while i, sneezing, itching eyes kept you from our favorite stream. the one that runs through a field where pollen floats through the air. but now, with the strength of 24-hour zyrtec® to relieve my worst allergy symptoms, indoors and outdoors... let's go before the fish stop biting. they won't wait for us. but that's okay. zyrtec® is the fastest 24-hour allergy medicine. today, we battle wits with the trout. with zyrtec® i can love the air®. ♪ with zyrtec® i can love the air®. why do women like you love activia light? sometimes i have no choice but to eat on the run... and to eat whatever happens to be around. heavy greasy food that's hard on my diet... and my digestive system. so i eat activia light every day. activia light, with bifidus regularis is clinically proven to help regulate your digestive system. mmmm. the new taste is better than ever. and with only 70 calories activia light helps make it easier to watch my weight. it helps me feel good and look good too! ♪ activia! our chefs learn secrets 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. tech," finding the perfect gift for mother's day. think outside the box it year. we've got ebay's tech guru kat schwartz. she has some good ideas this morning. you suggest fish banks. these are fish tanks you don't have it clean every week. >> yes. i'd say the filtration system on them is awesome so maybe every two months? they have intelligent lighting. it senses lighting happening throughout the day and changes accordingly. >> they are relaxing. they are pretty to look at. really, vacuum cleaner? >> yes. it makes a difference if it is the right one. no wires. the hoover lynx. it is super lightweight so you can carry it upstairs. >> it is a perfect father's day gift actually. >> check out ebay classifieds for any of these. they could be listed right down the street from you. family-friendly classifieds. this is the robotic swiffer cleaner. it uses wet or dry pads. it uses this device right here to detect all the furniture and every inch in the room so every inch gets cleaned and your furniture is avoided. >> you just let it go. >> it goes until it's done. >> now, for the tech savvy mom, mom needs a new phone. it's a personal decision. >> there are only four phones you need to know about. blackberry 9000, palm pre from sprint, the apple iphone. cool apps like rhapsody, 10 bucks a month. you can set this pre to get a wi-fi signal. >> ipads is the new thing. >> a lot of people were thinking we should wait until the new one comes out. >> maybe. but even the first generation of the iphone is still far beyond a lot of the other devices. this thing is magical. i can't even -- so as a dock it is a photo viewer. when you get into it you can stream netflix through it, read books with it, use it as an assistant in the kitchen. as you're cooking you can see the directions. i've had it for four days. it hasn't left my side. >> i want one of these. what if you've got a mom who is not tech vavsavvy. you have preloaded music. >> 1,000 songs. all different genres of music. >> motown. >> motown, '80s and '90s, health and fitness. >> moms like to take videos. you've got this. >> this slide hd, can you get them in special colors an prints. i listen to satellite radio in my car. i'm listening to rosie o'donnell crying but i got to get out and get in the house. this is a serious tabletop radio. in your house, super easy to set. >> up these are some of the funnest gifts here i think. this little flip cards. >> you upload a video to the website and for 5 bucks they send you back a little book with all of the action in it. tv be gone. this turns off pretty much every tv in america. >> if you can't find the clicker. >> just put it on your keychain. >> this is my son's girlfriend, sophia. you upload an image and they send you a skin for any device. cindy b. super cute bags. >> i think we got through everything on the table. hopefully somebody has found a gift for their mom there. coming up next, how to stay slim and scrumptious eating almost anything you want. and sc[ male announcer ]lmost let's take the garden into our own hands. soak our yards in color. get our hands a little busier. our dollars a little stronger. and our thinking a little greener. let's grab all the bags and all the plants and all the latest tools out there. so we can turn all these savings into more colorful shades of doing. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. right now, get spectracide bug stop for the new lower price of just $4.98. this morning on "eat smart today," a decadent day of meals for less than 1,400 calories and it includes dessert. registered dietician and "today" contributor joy bauer has put together a slim and scrumptious cookbook with some delicious but healthy recipes. good morning. decadent and under 1,400 calories. not exactly what i'd put in the same sentence. >> i want people to know that you can eat delicious family favorites and still be slim, healthy and in the best shape of your life. we'll prove it today. >> what is the calorie range that women should be aiming for on a daily basis? >> it varies. but roughly aim between 1,200 and 2,000 calories. if you're trying to lose weight towards the lower range. that's why i'm going for under 1,400 calories with air decadent day. >> start off with breakfast. speaking of decadent, chocolate. double chocolate. you got the chocolate pancakes, the semi-sweet chocolate chips. >> instead of using refined white flour and milk chocolate, i start with half all-purpose flour, coupled with half whole wheat flour. can you do that for pretty much any recipe. add ground flaxseed so i'm buffing up the fiber around also adding a lot of nutrition. for the chocolate, use unsweetened cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips. these two pancakes are well under 300 calories, and six grams of fiber. this is a strawberry sauce. all i've done is i've taken a bag of unsweetened straw berries and i've melted it in a sauce pan with a little bit of maple syrup. again, six grams fiber for chocolate pancakes. >> mm! really good. my kids would love that. if you can have chicken tenders. >> yes. sesame chicken tenders. the way i get them to taste like they're deep fried -- of course they're not -- by using panco breadcrumbs and lightly pan fry with an oil mister. >> just lightly. >> it is very, very quick. the secret of course is the yummy sweet asian dipping sauce. i keep it light by -- i can pick it up. it is a chicken tender, natalie! >> i keep it light by using a low-sodium chicken brought. >> mm! really good. >> traditional asian seasoning, things like rice vinegar, low sodium soy sauce. a little sesame oil and a drop of -- >> it is so crunchy. >> 365 calories. >> fabulous. over here, spaghetti and meet balls. >> you can totally have meet balls. >> these are not "meat" balls. >> they are not ground chuck which are real meatballs. >> these are really good. these are really good. >> for my binder i use oats instead of the refined white bread balls. have five meatballs and one cup of pasta, whole wheat of course, for 540 calories. this is cinnamon cheek case fondue. it only has five ingredients. mix it up, 129 calories. non-fat sour cream, no-fat cream cheese, brown sugar, a little bit of vanilla extract and lastly, ground cinnamon. ann, dip a fruit in that. >> i'm just going to go fingers. >> go fingers! >> it's even good for a dinner party. >> all together all calories? >> under 1,400 9:56 is the i'm and and a look at the nation's capital. tom will have the forecast in a moment. in the news for today, breaking news out of the national zoo. the panda is not pregnant. she was showing signs she might be execing and they were on 24-hour panda watch, but the zoo said she was experiencing a false pregnancy in the past several months and that is common in pandas. too bad. it would have been noise to have a cub at the zoo. >> a nice day to visit the zoo anyway. gusty here over the last couple of hours. coming in out of the northwest, a beautiful blue sky and a live view with a few clouds. 48 in washington and it's drew. winds to around 30. highs reach the mid 60s and maybe more frost around tomorrow morning. it will be near 40 and bright and sunny and highs near 70 and warming up on friday and saturday. should hit the low 80s both days. how is the traffic? >> a tough one. we are settling down on the outer loop handling an accident. the police are in the process of puting it on the shoulder. new hampshire to george avenue. one more stop to 395 to the 14th street bridge. no additional lanes closed. we will keep a watch on it. >> our day starts even earlier. tune in tomorrow for news 4 i'm a fashion stylist. my secret? t.j.maxx. they buy directly from designers and you see the savings! i dress fashionistas. but i'm a maxxinista. t.j.maxx. we had our doubts erly in the week that we would ever reach the halfway point. but it's winesday, people. >> it's wines day. >> april 28th. we did it, hoda. >> the heat kicked on in my apartment last night. >> when i went to let the dogs out, it was like an arctic blast. yours is -- >> the building. >> you know what it's going to be by the middle of saturday? 86. >> what's going on? >> it's called spring. it is also grilled cheese month. >> yes, it is. >> who makes this stuff up? >> we've got a wide variety of things which we're going to talk about. >> the smells are wafting through. let's talk about your day yesterday. another day, another honor for ms. hoda woman. >> it was a great group. the albert einstein college of medicine. they do terrific work with breast cancer. these are all the honorees. >> dennis is making a move on hoda woman. >> stephanie is there. a >> what were you doing there? >> i was giving a speech. it was riveting. >> you are an excellent speech giver. you really, really are. >> a big kiss to al roker. he gave a little shout out to me. willie geist. >> everybody loves their willie geist. >> al roker walked in and had the room in a second. he walked in and held everybody in the palm of his hand. >> he's such a showman. >> genius. >> that's a cute little thing, too. looks like "laugh in." >> big, big news today that just broke this morning on the show. "people" magazine is reporting that sandra bullock adopted a baby boy named louie. >> everybody is so surprised. i finally wrote her a note last night. had i known that i would have also sent her a lullaby album. >> she adopted the baby from new orleans. she and her husband who she's now divorcing, they had talked about it for years. they went through the paperwork. >> for four years, the process. >> i found remarkable that they were able to keep this all so quiet. because that dosadorable little baby came to them in january in the middle of all that awards stuff. a newborn. so they were caring for a newborn during that time. >> the pictures, you see the joy in her face. i'm just so grateful for that. it's such a hard thing she's going through. but when you have children, you really can't -- you can't -- you don't have time for a pity party. >> right. >> a child needs you. it's a wonderful thing to be fleed needed. it takes your attention off yourself, puts it right where it should be on a child. a child so represents hope and future and joy and love and all those goods things. i'm so happy for her. >> i read through the article. the tone is amazing. they were asking her about jesse and is she dpoigoing to stay wi him. no, no, no. we're getting divorced. she also talked about how he's a good father and she wants him in the life of this little boy. >> she wants to continue to mother his children, too, from his other relationship. she doesn't sound angry at all. >> if you loved her before, you're going to be even more crazy about her after you read the article. >> i find his quote interesting. jesse then told "people" magazine the decision to let my wife end our marriage and continue the adoption of louis on her own has been the hardest. sandy has been the love of my life, but considering the pain and devastation i have paused her it would be selfish to not let her go. >> that's nice. >> yeah. >> she named the child louis because she said when she saw him she thought of the louis armstrong song, "what a wonderful world." >> i do break into song all the time. my life is a musical, okay? >> sandra bullock is on the cover of "people." she actually bumped someone else on the cover who was supposed to be there. >> i don't think she'll mind. >> julia roberts. >> she's been on many, many times. she's 42 years old. was slated for the cover because it's the most beautiful people issue. she remains one of those beautiful people that with age it doesn't diminish. >> it sure doesn't. >> first of all, you don't sense she's had a lot of stuff done. by the way, to our friend rosie who's been saying on her radio show, kathie lee has got to stop, she's had too much plastic surgery, no, i haven't. >> she's claiming it. look at her and you'll see it. >> she wants to come over one morning before i have hair and make-up here in the room, check for scars. >> you've never had anything done. >> i'm not saying that. i'm saying what i'm saying. don't put words in my mouth. >> i'm trying to get to the bottom of the controversy. >> i'm saying she wants to check for scars, she's welcome to. >> scars. scars. okay. >> she finds them, i'll admit it. >> ann curry is another one of those women who gets more beautiful with age. 53 years old. >> she's gorgeous. she gets more beautiful all the time. i hate her. no, we love our ann. we're very proud of her. >> we are. >> she's being honored next week. enough with the honors. we're exhausted. >> back to the plastic surgery, there was an article "new york times" in the yesterday that said hollywood is getting turned off to plastic surgery. they don't like according to this article casting people who have too much work. >> because their face becomes expressionless. they cannot move. they can't show sorry. just one big happy face. they can't move their eyebrows. they can't move their foreheads. look at somebody like a meryl streep. what is she, 63 now? she gets more beautiful. helen meren. maybe they've had a little something. not so much they can't move their face. >> they're even saying the same thing about breast implants. they don't want women with breast implants. is all that really going to go? >> can you imagine putting out a casting call and they're saying only people with natural breasts, please. especially a period piece, "pirates of the caribbean" or something like that. they didn't have silicone. people are bouncing around. they had hookers and strippers but they just didn't look like that. >> people are starting to look more like masks. the more work that people are getting done, they don't look like themselves anywhere. >> it's just fine you want to do a little tweak, a little fluffing as we like to call it. fine. when you don't look like yourself anymore, that's when it's -- a casting director calls an actress because of their look and what they remember they were like. they get to the casting call and they're going, what did they do to themselves? >> i saw this great movie yesterday. >> babies. >> it's called "babies." it's a documentary that follows four babies from different parts of the world, from birth until they're 2 years old. >> what a brilliant idea. >> it's the cutest thing. the little baby from namibia. they showed the u.s. family taking great care of their child. making sure everyone's cleaned up. the little baby from namibia is chewing in the dirt, falling on a bone, and he's laughing. we go overboard on those things. >> we're going to have something fun starting on monday on our show as well. >> what do we have? >> something to do with babies. so don't miss. >> how do i not know what it is? >> you know what it is. we're announcing it on monday. >> this is important. remember this. laughter affects your body like exercise according to a study. so if you laugh all lot, you're supposed to be burning calories. all day long we're going to do it. is it working? >> 31 cents for one of these at baskin-robbins today from 5:00 to -- is it 10:00 tonight? >> 5:00 to 10:00. >> 31 cents. you go in and the money is going to go towards the fallen firefighters association. >> it sure does. >> that will be fun. i might break my rule today a tad. >> do it. >> because it is grilled cheese month. this one is driving me crazy. one little bite. >> get in there. >> sara, as we munch. >> is that -- >> this one is cotton candy. >> i haven't had bread for months. >> how good is that? you can have a little bread. they say you shouldn't cut anything out cold turkey. >> who are they? >> joy bauer. >> we're talking about sandra bullock on the wall. brenda wrote in congrats. amanda wrote in just learned about ann's age on "today" show. oh, my god. can you find out her secret? she was born that way. genes. all right. coming up, they're loud, they're feisty and they are outrageous. not sometimes. they just always are. we're talking about the real housewives of new jersey. what happened to good old fashioned conversation? we've talked about this many, many times. why tweeting and texting could be hurting our relationships. first, these messages. more fib. huh? don't worry, it tastes great. froot loops now with 3 grams of fiber. fiber makes your tummy happy so it can absorb the good stuff you need, which your mom is gonna love. it does taste great. fiber is a great way to start your day. i can never read these things. kellogg's froot loops, apple jacks, and corn pops! cereals, now provide fiber. kellogg's makes fiber fun. now provide fiber. [ bride ] the wedding was just days away, but my smile just wasn't white enough. now what? [ female announcer ] new crest 3d white professional effects whitestrips. it's professional-level whitening. start seeing results in 3 days. new crest 3d white professional effects whitestrips. but there's one that makes your skin look better even after you take it off. 98% of women who tried neutrogena healthy skin makeup thought so. does your makeup do that? neutrogena cosmetics. why do women like you love activia light? that? sometimes i have no choice but to eat heavy greasy food that's hard on my diet... and my digestive system. so i eat activia light every day. it helps me feel good and look good too! ♪ activia! baccalaureate. correct. [ audience groans ] since this competition has been continuing for 48 hours and we have yet to eliminate anyone, it is the decision of this board to declare all 20 contestants winners. you have all competed admirably. admirably. a-d-m-i-r... ♪ ♪ hoda is going to help me with this. >> we cheat, text. technology has certainly can changed the way we talk to our friends and family. >> we have two guests today. editor in chief of the aarp, been with us before. and an expert on digital media from columbia journalism school. >> he's going to tell us how to pronounce it. >> we're facebook friends. >> i thought the whole point of this was not to be on facebook, not to be on twitter, not to be on all these different things and start to talk to one another again. >> that's what we want. that's what we need. >> you did a great article in aarp that does talk about how we've become disconnected. while our children are playing and growing and developing we're on the blackberry, not paying attention. >> we're not even watching if they're on a swing or teeter t totter. >> there's a new study that shows we've increased the amount of time we spend on electronic devices 5% since 1980. a lot of it is interactive. >> i'm surprised it's not higher than that, actually. maybe that's a norm. there are some people who never get off technology from the minute they're up to the minute they go to sleep. >> right. well, you know, but a lot of we're using the phone. now we're using devices. that's changing the way we talk with each other. essentially we -- we -- >> we're becoming more disconnected in a way. do you agree with that. >> we are, i think, more disconnected. also more connected is the problem. i have family in eight, nine countries around the world. because of facebook and other things they know much more about my family and my kids than they ever did before. at the same time they're not picking up the phone and making those phone calls which used to be a nice thing. >> they may know facts about you. they don't know the essence, the humanity. that's the part that drives me crazy. >> we're sacrificing breadth for depth. facebook and all those things are very good at maintaining a social network that's very shallow. but we don't have intimate connections. what we're doing is we're supplying -- what colbert says, conversationy exchanges. >> instead of having a conversation. we were talking so much about the reality series as well that are so popular. we have some of the ladies coming on next. we were talking about -- before about people are watching other families go on a picnic on television. y they've never been on a picnic with their own families. how devastating is this to the family unit? >> you can't blame all this on families. moms who complain that their daughters aren't friending them on facebook, maybe the issue was not facebook. the fact that they don't feel comfortable with you outside of facebook. >> sure. >> that's something to think about, too. >> sometimes those technologies, if you just want someone to give you a quick answer on something, sometimes it's an efficient way of doing it without having a long, you know, conversation about something. >> it's terrific. what conversation is turning into is just efficiency. >> yeah. >> instead of people to people oriented. that's a lot of what's changing now. >> what can we do? what can we do? do you have any answers? >> face to face, face time with people. with people you know. essentially what we found is there's a study that shows that we can only have relationships with -- really with deep friendships with five people. >> in a lifetime. >> at any time in space. and we need to give more time to that and be -- >> spend more time with hoda? all right. >> your article is terrific. we encourage people to read it. thank you both for joining us. up next, another season of drama from the ultimate garden state girls. >> buckle up. >> we're going to talk to "the real housewives of new jersey." right after this. 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. that's outlast lipstain from covergirl. light as air lipwear that does what a lipstick can't. it's never sticky cuz it's a stain. and it won't leave your lips cuz it's outlast lipstain. [ male announcer ] from easy, breezy, beautiful covergirl. 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. it feels like a liner, but protects like a pad. because it absorbs 10 times more. there's nothing quite like it. carefree® ultra protection™. feels like a liner, protects like a pad™. if you watch "the real housewives of new jersey" you know these women are no wall flowers. >> they've been known to stir up cat fights, drama, and this season promises to be in different. take a look. >> jacqueline, be careful. that is not a changed woman. >> you got me to that point. >> you make your own decisions. >> should i bash you. is bitch better? >> that's [ bleep ] enough. >> i read your court records, danielle. >> kind of seems like an episode of "law and order." >> caroline, teresa and jacqueline are all here. >> they're not all here. >> there's one who's not with us. >> that's by her own choice. >> she chose not to. danielle is elsewhere. >> doing her own thing, she says. >> you guys don't all get along? it's not all one big happy family. >> not all one big happy family. far from it. >> there's cops in those pictures, cursing. somebody said something about a knife. what's going on? >> i was being nice to her. i said -- you know, she was walking by. i'm like, hi, danielle, how are things? i heard your daughter was in fashion week. my daughter was, too. >> it turned nasty? >> she goes -- i don't know. she said something, no thanks, honey. no thanks. i said -- i said, okay, honey. she said don't call me honey. >> then it turned into that? >> we just had a thing about conversations. maybe y'all shouldn't have conversations with her. maybe you should tweet. >> there was a lot of other things behind the scenes. >> there always is. >> there was things going on behind the scenes on danielle's part that led up to certain events. >> it's slow brewing. >> it's all of you guys and then her? is that the thing? >> that's not the way it started out. if you saw season 1, we had teasers on. i was team danielle. >> you were team danielle. >> and then you see the other preview. >> what changed in you? >> for me to forgive her? >> to change your attitude towards her. >> you're going to have to watch that play out. that's danielle. i gave her a chance. she likes to piss people off. >> we gave her the benefit of the doubt. >> some people might have missed the first season, they're just coming in here and they don't know who's who and what's what. can they jump in and they'll immediately get hooked. >> i would like to think so. i hope so. >> you lost a lot of weight, by the way. you look great. what i'm noticing is in the second season, everybody's getting more coifed and thinner. >> we had babies. my baby is 7 months. we still have a few more pounds, i think. >> are you very self-conscious of what you look like now that you're doing a reality show? >> it's the stress of the reality show. it's eight pounds. >> how much of your life are you in front of the cameras. >> it was from august through february, the filming. it depends on your week. >> not all the time? >> it could be 12 hours one day, 2 the other. it's what's going on in your life they think would be something interesting to film. >> we compare it to the new york girls. they go, we don't film that much. >> what are you doing today? laundry to do, errands. >> when you guys go back and you look back at the episodes and you see season 1 and you see yourself in that setting, screaming, do you feel like, oh, my god, i can't believe i did that. >> not at all. >> you don't? >> because you have to watch what made me get to that point. you know, i stand by whatever i do. like, if that's -- >> so no regrets. >> it's never fun to see yourself in that light. but at the same time, you know, a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do. sometimes -- >> i was being nice to her. i called her honey. don't call me honey. >> that's the thing about new jersey, though. we're not afraid to put that out there. some of the other cities maybe edit themselves and control. >> you think that's why you're the most popular? >> we get mad, we show it. >> do you ever hear from people that live in new jersey that are offended? >> of course. >> by being represented this way? >> of course. >> what do they say? >> nonsense. it's nonsense. >> everybody always tells me i would have flipped that table just like you. >> what about "jersey shore." >> those are kids doing their thing. >> we don't really make out in jacuzzis. >> my daughter is 14. i don't think we ever did. i don't want my daughter looking at that show and saying, if i get drunk and make out in a hot tub i'm going to get my own show. that's a bad sign. young america is very impressionab impressionable. >> parents are not doing their job. >> ladies, we wish you such good luck with this. >> give danielle our love. >> you have to pass that message along. it premiers monday, may 3rd, 10:00 p.m. eastern. we'll be back. ♪ who's that lady? ♪ sexy lady ♪ who's that lady? [ female announcer ] swiffer 360 duster extender cleans high and low with thick all-around fibers that attract and lock up to two times more dust than a feather duster. swiffer gives cleaning a whole new meaning. [ cat meows ] ♪ who's that lady? this bar is an excellent source of fiber. there's no fiber in this. it tastes too good. they have 35% of your daily value. oh, samples. mmm. fiber one. cardboard no. delicious yes. mmm. why do women like you love activia light? sometimes i have no choice but to eat heavy greasy food that's hard on my diet... and my digestive system. so i eat activia light every day. it helps me feel good and look good too! ♪ activia! >> the national zoo released informs on whether the giant panda is pregnant. volunteers have been watching closely since the weekend. we will have the latest. i'm barbara harris. want to look younger? bad habits to avoid to keep the age off. news 4 midday begins in a few minutes at 11:00 a.m. [ sneezes ] ♪ 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. we are back on this wednesday with our "who knew?" quiz game. with the kentucky derby this weekend we want to see how much you know about the historic race. we have author of "win, place and show." kathie lee is across the street ready to hand out $100 gift cards to those who answer the question correctly. to those who don't they get this cd ♪ everyone has a story >> how do you think "people" are going to do on the kentucky derby stories. >> i think they're going to do great. >> lovely family from rockford, illinois. all right. what's another name for the kentucky derby. the e kw the. >> it's the run for the roses. >> good for you. you got an easy one. >> betsy, it's called run for the roses. >> right. there's many versions as to how that came about. one version is an owner's wife was upset when the original flower display wasn't delivered. so she made a bed of roses. and now the run for the roses is the oldest continually held sporting event in the united states. >> wow. how long? >> do you know what the second oldest is? >> what? >> the westminster dog show. >> very handsome guy from los angeles. triple crown refers to which accomplishment. a horse that wins the kentucky derby three years in a row. a horse that competes in three different races leading up to thekeykey derby. a horse that wins the kentucky deerby by three months, or a horse that wins -- >> i'd go with the last one, d. >> all right. you guys are on fire today. >> the triple crown. all right. winning all three. >> in a span of five weeks from may to june a horse has to win the kentucky derby, preakness and belmont stakes. it's almost unprecedented. only 11 horses in thoroughbred history have ever won all three. this could be the year. especially because i feel it's a good omen. year new orleans saints won the super bowl. i think it's a good omen for this year. >> why? >> i feel it's in the air. >> from burlington, vermont, which of the following was not the name of a kentucky derby winner, behave yourself, es koe jones, thunder gulch and his eminence. >> behave yourself. ♪ everyone has a -- there you go. >> the correct answer there is eskimo jones. >> that's a hard one. there's so many great names out there. the names are meaningful to the owners but just as meaningful to the fans. so many times a fan will root for a horse just based on a great name. there are great names on saturday. looking for lucky. awesome act. sidney's candy. so many great names. >> back across to kath. >> springfield, missouri, right? okay. true or false. a woman jockey has never ridden in the kentucky derby? >> true. >> but this is a great one called "born for you." it's one of my favorites. >> i'm sure it is. >> that's interesting. the answer is false. >> false. there are five women that have ridden in the kentucky derby. the most recent was in 2003. speaking of females, female horses, called a philly, only three have ever won the kentucky derby. >> you have to be so teeny to be a jockey. you have to be so little and itty bitty. >> yeah, you do. >> lovely lady from los angeles. horses have which of the following unusual attributes. a third eyelid, four rows of teeth, a system of five stomachs, or esp. >> i would go with esp? >> no. and you don't have it either. but you do have my "sentimental" album. >> this is a little creepy. the unusual attribute is the third eyelid? >> that seems kind of strange. it's really practical. it acts like a windshield wiper. it wipes away the dirt that accumulates. so when a horse is running around the track, it's very, very useful. because it wipes away their dirt. >> oh, my gosh. i didn't know it. back across to kath. >> we've got a lot of stuff going on. guys! guys! you're from louisiana. here we go. how many years old are the horses that compete in the kentucky derby? are they 3, 4, 5 or 10 years old? >> 3. >> you knew. good! i'll give you the money. >> 3 years old. that's a rule? >> the rule. for all the triple crown races. the derby, the preakness and belmont stakes, you have to be 3. if your horse doesn't win on saturday don't say i'll see him again next year. one shot. >> thank you so much. kathie lee is going to come back and join me here in the studio. coming up next, steaming up your style with the hottest bags and shoes right after this. for all the moments that make every day special. fancy feast appetizers. [dinner bell chimes] high quality ingredients like wild alaskan salmon in a delicate broth, without by-products or fillers. fancy feast appetizers. celebrate the moment. nice... can i have it back now? now through may 2nd,... thanks! ...get a $30 walmart gift card with the purchase of any dsi or ds lite. save money. live better. walmart. 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 green giant ♪ doo doo doo woman: there's only one disinfecting wipe with a low streak formula. clorox disinfecting wipes. when gladys discovered the scent of gain came in a fabric softener, she couldn't help herself. ah, the things we do for love. the amazing scent of gain in detergent and fabric softener. what do you guys want to do? both: make rice krispie® treats! how many cups is it? six. 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. and we are back with "today's style." as weather heats up, clothes get skimpier. >> yes, they do. it's about a great hand bbag an hot shoes. we are so happy to have you back again. >> thank you. it's so great to be back. >> this is all under $100, right? >> all under $100. at "people's style watch" we know the best way to update your look is with accessories. we found amazing, the hottest new trends in bags and shoes for you under $100. you can't -- you can keep in your budget and still look chic. the big bag is from chico's. it's $99. this clutch is from urban out fitters. $28. the great thing about this trend, it looks so much more expensive than that. chinese laundry. $79. amazing. python for $79. who knew? ann michelle, $39.99 for those heels. >> gladiators. >> i know. i know. >> this is the nautical like. >> it's such a classic summer trend. this is such a great summer work bag from bag house. $56. >> i thought this was michael kors. it's beautifully done. >> the polished look of the gold chain is is so sophisticated. this little clutch is from straw studio. $48. loving the red espradrillos from victoria's secret. >> these is the stud section, i guess. >> this is my personal favorite. what i love about studding now is they're doing it more with these softer colors. it's not that kind of black, edgey thing. it's a little more sophisticated. this is fromig buddha. $98. >> i dated a guy called big buddha. >> you could fit a big buddha in there. this is from top shop. $98. >> i like these shoes. >> aren't those great? try to guess. >> 30 bucks. >> $50 from rampage. aren't those great? >> those are terrific. >> and these little sort of mixed greecian studding trend there going on with the steve madden sandals for $70. >> again, so much detail. >> neon is in? neon's in? >> exactly. but not -- we don't want to go overboard. just a hint of neon. this hobo bag is from echo. it's only $78. >> is this like a beach bag? >> no. i think it's really for work, weekend, wherever you're going. i think it works. if you have some place special to go put your aldo clutch for $40 into your bag. >> and your little shoes. >> exactly. so fresh. i love the cork with the pop of pink. and then we have, again, collin stewart from victoria's secret. >> look at if heel. we've got to see that baby. >> $49. >> podiatry bills afterwards are more than that. >> then slip on your old navy thongs for $9.50. >> how great is old navy, though? women of all ages. >> absolutely. they make such a great product. that's really what's fwoigoing right now is that design doesn't have to be about a price tag. you can get great things at old navy. >> you found some great finds for us. coming up next, sara 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. ♪ [ male announcer ] try fixodent with the time-released formula. use just once per day for dawn-to-dark hold. it is important to use the product as directed. fixodent and forget it. with covergirl exact eyelights. mascara with light reflecting metallics and a hint of tint that brightens eye color while defining lashes. turn up the light in your eyes. [ female announcer ] with exact eyelights from easy breezy beautiful covergirl. 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. my daughter--obsessed with fashion. she never met a label she didn't love. then, my best friend took me to t.j.maxx. i thought it was knock offs, but i came home with all the brands we both love. t.j.maxx has buyers that deal directly with designers. so i save big! two diehard fashionistas are now proud maxxinistas! t.j.maxx. let us make a maxxinista out of you! beach season is almost here. unfortunately, you can't always hide behind a sarong. >> you can't hide your thong behind a sarong. we thought we'd check out the latest fitness trends to get you into shape. we didn't really check it out. >> we were busy laughing. >> sara haines did. >> that's right. i took one for these guys, the team, and tested out a few new workouts you can do at your local gym or even at home. how did this squeeze it mom come to be? >> jenny and i are both moms and both friends. we were talking one day over coffee and discovered that we had been doing squats while drying our hair for years in secret. we started comparing notes and found we really were doing a lot of exercise to make exercises fit into our day and squeezing them into little parts. >> we have exercises, dozens of clever and effective kpefexerci you can do at the park, the grocery store, your home, the office and even when you travel. there's always an opportunity to work out. >> who is this best for? >> anybody who's busy. really, that's everybody. >> i was going to say, who's left? >> exactly. it's for new moms. it's also for people like me who i have been working out for years and years. it's your own unique workout. you can do it throughout the day. you can do it while you're doing -- >> it's affordable. >> it's free! >> all i'm thinking is i don't have babies. i am busy. but the number one thing that's coming to mind is gyms cost so much. >> exactly. >> we like to do three ten-minute bursts of activity throughout the day. we like the bursts to be of moderate activity. >> move. get out there. do these any time and any place. >> today we're doing recess, right? i should not be misled by the name. >> well, it's supposed to be fun. >> the idea developed from doing stuff we used to do in school when we were kids. everybody was in shape because we kept on moving. >> we played. >> exactly. when it was recess time, we played games. we ran around. so this is kind of an attempt to bring it into the adult life. >> let's go! >> on a scientific level, the idea is to raise your heart rate and bring it down and then raise it up and then bring it down. we do two rounds. the first round is a minute and a half for each station. your heart rate goes up and you have 15 seconds to kind of let it come down a little bit. then you raise it up again. >> you're saying it's for everyone. clearly it's for pregnant women. this is a six-month belly. how did you guys come up with this concept of the body. >> i saw a niche in the fitness world for a exercise studio based on the bar. we realized that what hadn't happened with the other method was an evolution in terms of the positioning, the feel of the class, the flow of the class. so we decided to do the studio on the upper east side. they cater to small class sizes and really concentrate on the client's form. >> where am i going to feel this? especially tomorrow? >> you're going to feel a lot of strengthening has happened. also a lot of stretching. you're going to feel a lot of it in your glutes, a lot of it in your core. probably through the upper back and shoulders. >> everything burns. and i don't know if skinny is worth it. >> yes, it is. because you have been looking fantastic. >> which one did you like the most out of the three, you think? >> oh, my goodness. the recess one i liked because it's for anyone that's add. you never get bored. >> which is people's biggest problem. >> the squeeze it in ladies go you'll feel this tomorrow. i was like, sure. the next day i was like my calves are killing me. >> wow. >> cool. it's all good stuff. >> it was all great. >> have you ever been to that curves where you go from one thing to the next thing, the next thing. >> my mom did that. >> that's supposed to be terrific. >> yeah. it's a certain amount of time. >> no thinking. >> and all women. >> which ain't a bad in honor of april being national autism awareness month, we want to introduce you to an inspiring 15-year-old who wrote a book about his best friend's autistic brother, matthew. >> danny rosengard wrote "the abc's of autism" to help kids better understand the disorder. danny is here along with his best friend adam and adam's mother linda. so nice to have all of you here. >> welcome, mr. author. >> quite an accomplishment at the age of 14 to write a book and have it out by the time you're 15. >> what made you decide to write the book? >> for every bar mitzva there needs to be a project. mine was a good deed. i decided to write a book about autism. >> what did you think kids didn't understand about your best friend's brother? >> they didn't understand he's different from everybody else. he goes to school different, he learns different and he plays different. >> but he's still a human being who has feelings and emotions, right? >> yeah. >> so how did you explain that in your book? because i think it's about just understanding that people are people. they just need to be talked to a different way, right? >> yeah. and in the book it shows that in all the letters, they all show how he's different and how autism is different from every other. >> linda, what did you think when you heard about this book project? >> oh, i was absolutely thrilled. danny and adam have been friends since they were 3. and matt was 2 when he was diagnosed. so they've been friends since that time. we did a lot of activities together. and they really got to know each other. and danny got to know matthew as well. >> your son takes a very, very special interest in him as well. is that the first time someone outside of your family had shown a real genuine interest in it? >> i think it was. my goal at the very beginning was to get all the kids out and do things. so we went bowling together, we went to amusement parks, we went to the movies. and these guys were my helpers. >> mm-hmm. >> the book, do you think that there are really tangible things that kids are able to take away from this book? >> oh, i think so. i think that by the time you get from a to z, you basically have 26 facts and definitions about autism. >> there's so much stuff out there. but not stuff for kids to understand. >> a lot for parents and families dealing with it, but not for kids. what is the one most important thing you think kids can understand about other children that have autism? >> that they're -- they're different, you know. everything is different about them. and they're completely different and you have to understand that. >> adam, you obviously live with your brother all the time. so you, it's probably not that different, is it? >> no. >> tell us about that. >> well, it's kind of hard having an autistic brother. you know, it's not the same as having like a regular brother. you have to adapt to it. but i, like, really enjoy it and i have a lot of pride that i can be proud that my brother's autistic. >> wow. good job on the book. >> yeah, good job. what's your next book going to be? congratulatio congratulations. our best to you. coming up tomorrow, tennis star venus williams and the latest wedding trends. >> we have venus here? that's good have a good day. >> have a great day, everybody. we're off to a matinee. "promises, promises" today. bye.