Transcripts For WRC Today 20100526

>> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and meredith vieira live from this is "today" with matt lauer and meredith vieira live from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning. welcome to "today." >> a lot of hope on this latest attempt to stop this oil leak. hopefully bp is going to attempt to plug it today. >> it's a big question though. it's called a top kill method. we have heard a lot about it. it involves pumping heavy dri drilling mud into the leak hoping to slow it down. if that works the well would be cemented over, but bp says it only has a 60% to 70% chance of working. take a look at a live camera showing what's going on 5,000 feet below the surface of the gulf right now. we'll have much more including an interview with the ceo of bp coming up. also ahead, sarah ferguson, the duchess of york here in new york just days after she got caught trying to sell access to her ex-husband prince andrew. plus, dramatic video of a baby on a stroller rolling onto the tracks in front of a train. we want to begin with bp's attempt to plug the gusher of oil in the gulf. anne thompson is there this morning. anne, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. diagnostic tests go on at this hour on the blowout preventer as bp readies for that top kill procedure. this as the committee releases information showing there were three indications in the hour before the explosion of flow and pressure problems. and all of this just makes people here in venice lose patience. >> where in the heck does it come from in the united states that corporate levels dictate to the government what they are going to do and not going to do. >> reporter: people here are not holding back. >> obviously -- >> do you real -- are you really serious that you cannot answer this question? [ applause ] >> reporter: as more and more oil invades louisiana's wetlands and beaches, patience is in short supply. tuesday night at the town hall residents let bp and federal officials have it. >> we want the president, the epa, the federal fashions to step up. >> reporter: one of the most contention issues, the use of a chemical to clean up the oil even after they were asked to find something less toxic. >> we've got the proof of katrina and now we have the proof of this. you're jerking us around. >> reporter: his callers are fed up. >> if this would have happened close to washington, d.c., i wonder how they would have looked at this. >> reporter: still spewing oil, bp has been working on the top kill method, an untested technique a mile below the surface. >> they want to make sure the pipe can with stand the pressure of the mud being put down it. >> reporter: the explosion that started the spill killed 11 men. five weeks after their death, the husbands, fathers, brothers and friends were remembered at a memorial service in jackson, mississippi. >> and may gordon, blair, steven, carl, jason, dale, wyatt, adam, shane, dewey, and donald rest in peace. >> reporter: today, the focus will be out at the leak site and the attempt on the top kill procedure. you will be able to continue to watch that live feed as they do -- not only the diagnostic procedures that are going on now, but also the top kill technique. matt? >> all right. anne thompson in louisiana for us this morning. thank you very much. tony hayward is the chief executive officer of bp. good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. >> let's get to the question. will the top kill procedure be carried out this morning? >> well, over the last week we have rebuilt the blowout preventer on the seabed to give it functionality. over the last 12 hours, continuing through the night, we have continued to take pressure readings and establish flow paths. that work continues as we speak. later this morning, i will review that with the team and i will take a final decision as to whether or not we should proceed. >> and if you determine that it's safe to proceed with this, will that happen today? >> our expectations are that if we determine we should proceed it would happen today. i have to say that it will be a day or two before we can have certainty that it's worked. those of you watching it live on the feed should be aware that there will be changes to the flow patterns. that should not be interpreted as either success or failure. it is simply a consequence of the impact of beginning to pump mud. >> a lot of people will be -- >> -- a day or two -- >> a lot of people will be watching this very carefully. if those pipes cannot with stand the pressure of pumping this drilling mud down there, if one, for example, ruptures, does that take out the next procedure as well -- the so-called junk shot? does that eliminate the chance of carrying that out? >> the next step of that plan is to move to a containment device that will be sealed on the top of the blowout preventer. that is on the seabed. and it would be deployed within a three or four-dayti time wind if the top kill is not successful. >> the former ceo of shell john hoffmeister suggested a different approach -- at least a temporary approach to helping stem the problem. that's bringing a group of tankers in in formation using their powerful pumps to suck up the oil and water from the area of the spill, then taking them to port, separating the oil and water, putting the water back in the sea and getting rid of the oil. is this something you have even considered? have you talked to him? could it be something that could be done while these other procedures are being examined? >> we have spoken to mr. hoffmeister. we have considered many options. we're focused on containment and elimination of the leak on the seabed and containment and collection of the oil on the water and defense of the shore. so all options are being considered, and we have a very rigorous plan that we're moving forward with in a very determined and disciplined way. >> when you talk about defense of the shore, i want to call your attention -- and i know you have heard a lot about this in the last couple of days -- to comments you made to sky news in the not-too-distant past. you said, quote, everything we can see at the moment suggests that the overall environmental impact will be very, very modest. when you see these images of oil-soaked shorelines and of wildlife damage and of fisheries closed down and of people hurting and the economic consequences of this disaster, do you understand why people think, "how in the world could he have said that"? >> i was on the beach yesterday, matt. i felt devastated and gutted about what i saw. i feel that we have let people down for sure. we are going to redouble our efforts in that endeavor. we have tens of thousands of people working along the shore, thousands of fishing boats. it's difficult to describe the scale of the operation that we have going down there. and even if a cupful of oil gets to the beach, it's a failure. i feel devastated that that's the case and we are doing everything we can, working with the local communities, the fishermen. >> right. >> the people from the communities to defend the shore to the best of our abilities. >> all right. in closing, just in ten seconds, we will know sometime today whether bp will go forward with this top kill method to stop this leak. that's correct? >> that is correct. i would expect us to be in a position to notify people that we are proceeding with the operation in the course of the day. >> all right. tony hayward, the ceo of bp. thanks for your time this morning. >> thank you. and now let's get a check on the top stories with ann curry at the news desk. >> good morning, everybody. also in the news secretary of state hillary clinton held crisis talks in south korea as tensions on the peninsula reach the highest point in a decade. she said the international community must pressure north korea to change its ways after it was accused of sinking a south korean warship. at least ten people were injured on tuesday, some with broken bones, when a united airlines flight from london to los angeles hit severe turbulence. passengers arrived overnight after switching planes in montreal. the retiring space shuttle "atlantis" passed the 20 million mile mark today on the way to the kennedy space center. world markets re bobounded after wall street recovered on tuesday. good morning. >> it was a wild ride. the dow lost as much as 300 points, reclaiming the 10,000 mark. traders believe the central bank will lower the cost of emergency funding. that would be a short-term fix but bigger issues remain. foremost how the european slowdown would impact the economy. ann, more volatility ahead. and dramatic video we saw earlier of a baby stroller with a toddler inside rolling off a train platform today in melbourne, australia, as a train was approaching. the little boy survived with scrapes and bruises. hard to look at. we know the boy was under the care of his good mortgage. bright sunshine and a few high clouds coming over. temperature are climbing into the low and mid 60s. in the 50s in the rural areas. highs into the upper 80s this afternoon. a slight chance of a thunderstorm. around 90. there is a likelihood of scattered thunderstorms. cloudy, cooler, occasional showers fr >> and that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you. she's still reeling after being caught trying to sell access to her ex, prince andrew, but sarah ferguson is in new york for a public event today. >> reporter: it's almost become routine. there is a celebrity scandal and then the celebrity hides. just days after her scandal broke sarah ferguson is hardly running away from responsibility. she'll be here at what's called book expo america. it's a gigantic convention for book lovers and sellers. she'll moderate a children's book panel. she has one good story to tell. in his first public appearance since the royal rattling scandal exploded, sarah ferguson's ex-husband prince andrew was tight-lipped tuesday. buckingham palace says andrew knew nothing of fergie's private deal -- exchanging access to him for cash. >> 500,000 pounds when you can to me -- open doors. >> reporter: the undercover video is so stinging, so stunning to viewers on both sides of the pond. despite the latest embarrassment, fergie is moving forward with her schedule in the u.s. as planned. there is speculation she may be moving here for good. today, the due which he is is in manhattan promoting an up coming line of children's books. she has an advice guide for parents coming out this winter. >> new yorkers and americans love a redemption story. this is the perfect place for fergie now. >> reporter: she accepted a charity award in los angeles as scheduled. >> quite a heavy day. [ laughter ] >> reporter: even charming the california crowd. >> i hate grown-ups. and i love children. >> reporter: the duchess of york is no stranger to the tabloids including the unforgettable topless shots of her caught in an affair. how's fergie doing these days? a soon to be released video with the british version of "reader's digest" may offer insight. fergie said she sought help from a priest after feeling despair over criticisms in the media and mockery of her weight. "i went into a church and told the priest i didn't think i could cope with it anymore," she said. now fergie may have to cope with an investigation. back in england the 50-year-old duchess reportedly has been told she must reveal details of all the introductions she made to andrew or face a parliamentary inquiry. having reinvented herself before, the duchess must begin picking herself up once again. >> for the duchess to restore her reputation, only time will allow that to happen. >> at $7.95 per book fergie will have to sell a lot to get out of debt. she'll sign them today and there is a book party for her in new york tonight. >> all right, peter alexander. thank you very much. now back to matt. >> thank you. now to an amazing 9-1-1 call from a brave little girl who was home alone while her house was being robbed. natalie morales has more on this. good morning to you. >> good morning to you, matt. it is chilling to listen to. this 12-year-old girl on the phone with a 9-1-1 operator as a robber entered her bedroom. >> reporter: 12-year-old mackenzie hughes was home alone waiting for her twin brothers to come home. >> i heard a knock on the door. it was this guy i have never seen in my life. so i just sat there really quietly. he kept on tapping on the door. all of the sudden i saw him try the knob. >> reporter: terrified, mackenzie ran to her room and dialled 9-1-1. >> where are you? what room are you in? >> i'm in my room. >> okay. don't talk so loud, okay? can you get in the closet? >> i can't lift up the phone. i don't hear anything. >> will the phone reach under your bed? >> i can't fit underneath my bed. >> okay. is there a lock on your door? >> okay. >> mackenzie, if you see him come in, don't talk to me. >> okay. >> tuesday she showed reporters what she'd done. hiding under the covers even though she knew the intruder knew she was there. >> i could feel one of them staring right at me like right there by me. i was freaked out. i felt so sick to my stomach. >> he's in my room. >> he's in your room? okay, be quiet. don't talk to me. it's okay. just don't talk. [ crying ] >> okay. take deep breaths, okay? think of something really fun, okay? try not to cry, okay? i know it's hard. >> reporter: luckily a patrol car was in the area and nabbed the intruders when they ran away when they sheriff's departmehea. they were booked with burglary, all thanks to her 9-1-1 call. >> she did exactly what everybody should do. >> reporter: for mackenzie and her mom -- >> i'm just thankful to god. it could have went really bad. >> reporter: a call that was too close for comfort. apparently her crime fighting duties didn't end with the phone call. she alerted police officers to a suspicious footprint in the kitchen. that 9-1-1 operator, a true hero. >> i agree, natalie. i think that operator was fantastic. she really was try to think of something fun, don't panic. we hear a lot of times where it doesn't go as planned. that sounds as it went just as she was trained to do. >> that girl is so brave. >> all right. coming up, an exclusive interview with charla nash, the woman who lost her face and hands in a brutal chimp attack last year. this morning an update on her recovery and her reaction to the death of the chimp's so, this is the new car? yeah, here she is. it's, uh...great. thanks! yeah. doors would have been nice. eh... they weren't in my budget. no biggie. hey, you wanna hop in, go for a ride? oh! that'd be easy, right? yeah! narrator: settling for less is not smart. what is smart is getting more car for your money at carmax. for the money you would spend on a stripped-down new car, you can get a fully-loaded, guaranteed-quality used car at carmax. now more than ever, the smart choice is carmax. the way car buying should be. coming up, they're calling her the bionic bride. a young woman being kept alive in a remarkable way. she had a virus attack her heart. it basically shut down her heart and other oregon ggans in her o. she now as an external battery. >> operating on a battery. and the extreme eating award. chain restaurants that pack on the calories and more. a 980-calorie hamburger. >> some of the meals at these popular restaurants -- one meal you get all the calories for a day. >> doesn't that look appetizing? >> announcer: this summer only on today, lay day dy gaga, just bieber, kesha. only on "today." @z@z @dh@ . @@@ . >> good morning. it's 7:26 on this wednesday, the 26th day of may. a suspect remains on the loose after a wild police chase earlier this morning that started in prince george's county after a suspected robbery, but ended when the police officer crashed on w street in southeast washington. he was able to escape. the officer has minor injuries and is expected to be okay. we will get an update sumner late may. it's on the way. temperatures are in the 60s climbing into the upper 80s and a small chance of a thunderstorm. tomorrow hot and humid and around 90 and a likelihood of afternoon storms. >> on the rails, there still delays on the red line because of the earlier problem at union station, but things will start to deescalate. southbound 270 as you approach germ ontown jammed as you make the drive from below clarks berg. an accident on the roadway. southbound 270 at 118. >> we will start the day off right. the news now begins at 4:30. get 7:30 now on wednesday morning, the 26th day of may. looks like the fleet is in. it's a picture perfect day here in the big apple. we have a lovely crowd soaking it in. inside studio 1-a, i'm meredith vieira along with matt lauer. coming up, an exclusive interview with charla nash, the woman whose face was torn off by a chimpanzee. we'll get rer hooher reaction t death of the woman who owned the chimp. >> and do you know the calorie count of the food you're eating? the results are alarming. one pasta dish from the cheesecake factory could pack in more calories than you need or are recommended to consume for an entire day. >> whoa. >> we're going to highlight some of the worst offenders. and later, something old, something new, something bionic. we're going to meet the 22-year-old woman planning her wedding while being kept alive by a battery-powered heart pump. >> that's an amazing story. we have a new twist in the chimp attack that left a connecticut woman disfigured and fighting for her life. the owner of the chimp sandra herold died this week. first an update from nbc's jeff rossen. >> reporter: sandra herold died all alone, villified all along for raising that chimp. she was fairly healthy so it was a shock when she died suddenly from a ruptured aortic aneurysm. her lawyer said in the end her heart, which had been broken so many times before, could take no more. >> he could open doors? >> he could drive. he took off with the car a couple times. >> on the street? >> yeah. >> reporter: to her dying day, sandra herold loved her chimp. i spoke with her just after travis attacked and maimed her friend, charla nash. >> it's a horrible thing, but i'm not a horrible person and he wasn't a horrible chimp. it was a freak thing. >> he's killing my friend! >> who's killing your friend? >> my chimpanzee? >> reporter: animal experts say they're dangerous, they're animals. >> they are the closest thing to human, the closest thing to us. we can give them blood transfusions, they can give us one. how many people go crazy and kill other people? this is one incident that -- i don't know what happened. >> reporter: police shot travis to death. that chimp, sandra told me, was all she had left. her husband had died five years earlier and her only daughter was killed in a car accident. travis was it. >> he could have been more my son than if i gave birth to him. >> reporter: you saved his drawings like you would save a child's drawing. >> that's right. i put them on the refrigerator for him. when he wanted them he'd come and get them. i used to buy everything for him. filet mignon, lobster tails, chocolate. >> reporter: after the attack police considered criminal charges against herold for missing key warning signs that travis was out of control. in 2003 he got loose and tied up traffic. no one was hurt. investigators never charged her. still, the family of charla nash has sued herold for $50 million. herold spent her final days defending herself. after what you have been through with this, your friend is in the hospital fighting for her life. do you still think chimps should be pets? >> would i have done it again? yes. it was horrific what happened and i had to do what i had to do. i will miss him for the rest of my life. >> reporter: her lawyer says sandra was generous, that she simply loved animals and people equally. in a statement he told us, "in a world where too many people strive to just fit in, she marched to the beat of her own drum and was proud of it." a tragic end to this story, meredith. >> thank you, jeff. it's been 15 months since charla nash lost her face and hands in that attack. she left the cleveland clinic and moved to an assisted li eed center outside boston. i met up with her on the day she learned of sandra herold's death. i started by asking her about it. >> i just heard that a little while ago. when i first heard it, i was quiet. and then i told my brother, i kind of feel bad. you know? it's sad. >> when you say you kind of feel bad, what do you mean? >> i started all this trouble. >> you think what happened troubled her a lot? >> yeah. >> how are you able to let go of the anger which would be natural given what happened to you? or have you let go of it? >> you know, i don't hold it. i can't hold it in me. it's unhealthy to hold it in you. she has to live with it more than me. you know? it's something she created. >> something she created. >> yeah. >> was it hard to let go of that anger? >> no. it was like everything was okay. you can't hold anger. it's unhealthy. it flows through you, through your veins. >> 15 months after the attack that left her blind, without hands and a face, charla nash remains hopeful about her future. doctors at the cleveland clinic credit her positive outlook to her survival. charla left the cleveland clinic three weeks ago. you were at the cleveland clinic for almost 15 months, i think it is. was it hard to leave there, char charla? >> it was time for me to leave. >> it was time? >> yeah. i needed to leave. they were so nice to me. and they helped me. and, you know, they put me back together pretty much. >> give it a good push. wonderful. >> charla wants her face and hands transplanted. she didn't feet the protocol for the procedures at the cleveland clinic. she's going through extensive testing hoping to become a candidate for the transplants there. what are they saying? are they saying anything yet about whether you are a candidate for a face and a hand transplant? >> i think it's looking pretty good, yeah. i know they have more tests they can do on me. >> what would it mean to you, charli, to get this transplant. >> if it's a face, i would look better. if it's hands, i could feed myself. and my hands, i would be able to open things, touch both sides where i'm going. it would be like eyes. >> charla will learn whether or not she is a candidate for transplant within the next few months. for now she works on strength doing physical therapy three te times a week. she wants to gain as much independence as she could. >> did you get out of bed without anybody helping you to find the bathroom? >> yes. >> can you show me how you do that? you got it, charli, that's it. >> it's a little hard coming back. this is where i get lost. >> hard coming back to the bed? >> yeah. i ended up over there, over there. >> she hasn't mastered the room yet, but the sound of my voice helps her along. >> i'm not going to help you -- >> i hear you. [ laughter ] >> dumb, dumb. >> thank you. >> all right. i forgot your hearing is so acute now. i should zip it. [ laughter ] >> charla nash credits her strength to prayer and her family. her brothers, mike and steve, and her daughter brianna have been through her side through it all. >> the love of your life, brianna. >> yeah. >> i can't believe about to graduate from high school. and you're going to be there? >> i hope so. i'm going to try. yeah. >> will that be the first time that you have ventured out -- >> yes. >> so in a way it's her graduation but it's your coming out. >> you could say that, yeah. what a nice way to spend it, with everyone. >> what a nice way to spend it with everyone. >> yeah. >> the school offered to set up a private space for charla to attend if she's able to make it. charla said she wants to be where everybody else is. she wants to thank everyone for their support, especially brianna's guidance counselor who helped her navigate choices for college. so she's grateful to her. >> i like the idea that she doesn't want to be separated. >> it's her coming out as well for her. >> right. >> it will be a big moment for her. >> what a spirit. >> she's hoping to move into an apartment of her own within a couple months or sooner and she'll find out about the transplant in a couple of months. temperatures soring. that will be the big story. we are climbing into the 60s with streaks of high cloudiness and temperatures 65 at reagan national and should hit the upper 80s by this afternoon and a small chance of an isolated thundershower. tomorrow it will be partly cloudy and hot and humid and steam heat. there is a likely hood. evening storms. cloudy and coole and if you want to keep track of your weather all day long check out the weather channel on cable or weather.com all day long. >> coming up, one restaurant meal could fill your calorie count for the entire day. right after this. we're back at 7:45. if you love eating out at popular restaurant chains you could be loading up on so many calories and other bad things you need your cardiologist on speed dial. the study for science and public interest is out with the round-up of the worst offenders. david zezenko is author of "eat this not that" and "drink this not that." >> good to see you. >> the day is approaching when restaurants will have to tell you how many calories are in the meal right on the menu. that's not here yet and it seems americans are bad at math. >> some cities are requiring it already. but it's going to kick in nationally. the problem is studies show that we underestimate calorie counts by 94% in our meals. we think, that's 600 and it's, in fact, 1200. that's significant because there are dishes out there with thousands of calories in them. >> let me mention one of those dishes. we don't have it on the table but we have a graphic of it. this is from the cheesecake factory, pasta cash thrbonara w chicken. 85 grams of saturated fat and 2,500 calories. >> 85 grams of saturated fat is over four days worth. in fact, we even found worse offenders. we found one that was a pasta chicken dish with 3700 calories and 134 grams of saturated fat. that's a week's worth. >> in their defense, cheesecake factory said, "with more than 200 items on the menu we provide a way to satisfy every guest. we are pleased to offer healthy alternatives from our weight management line-up which features several meals under 590 calories each." it is up to the consumer. >> it is. you can go to your favorite restaurant and eat healthfully without sacrificing taste or your waist. this report didn't show you how to do that. >> and that's why you're here. this is california pizza kitchen's tostada pizza with steak. >> 1700 calories. so get the barbecued chicken pizza. have three slices and it's 570 calories. >> again, here we are talking portions. this is a whole pizza. you're asking people to trim down to three slices. >> that's correct. when you order this individual-sized pizza, the waiter isn't going to say, hey, make sure you split that with three buddies. >> not going to happen. >> right. to get that information and the calorie count. >> let's move on to five guys. president obama likes five guys. >> that's not as bad as the triple baconator, but it's 920 calories. >> that's a lot for a single burger. >> if you're at five guys and you go with the little burger, it's 575 calories. it's got lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, mushroom. you're going to be in better shape. it's not a health food but slicing 400 calories is significant. >> outback steakhouse, rack of l lamb. 1,300 calories, 60 grams of saturated fat. and lots of salt. >> a full day's worth. >> and the alternative? >> 344 calories in a filet with mushroom sauce. that's important. >> at a restaurant they say we have award winning dishes, know which award they have won. it could be the wrong one. >> exactly. >> coming up, a milestone for a piece of fabric -- the bra. first, these messages. ÷8@u@u ó@uxsv7@÷ # cp1 @v@t . coming up, the newly crowned winner of kwo"the biggest loser" it's 7:56 and 69 degrees. a lot of sunshine and moisture in the air. tom will be along to tell us about that. i'm joe krebs in the med row and they are poised to take action on possible fare increases and help could be on the way to reduce impact. the senate is considering emergency legislation to provide $2 billion to transit agencies cross the country to ease the pape for riders. finally swallow riders. final construction under the bridge is scheduled to continue until august, however that will occur only during off-peak hours. we will take a break and . a delightful late spring morning and it feels like mid-summer with highs in the upper 80s and a small chance of an afternoon thunderstorm and tomorrow could get storms in the afternoon and evening. cloudy and cooler with occasi occasional showers and cooling down for the weekend for the memorial day weekend. should be dry saturday, sunday, and monday. how is the traffic? >> tough along i-270. an accident out on the roadway and we are headed out all the way on down and no picnic on 395 northbound. earlier accidents have been cleared. >> want a pair of the hottest tickets in town? 8:00 on wednesday morning, the 26th day of may, 2010. you're looking at a great crowd of people out on the plaza this morning. an energetic group and they're listening to the band onerepublic. that's their hit song "apologize" probably put them on the map. they rocketed to fame thanks to myspace. we're happy to have them on friday morning, the old-fashioned way, in a concert right here on the plaza. i'm matt lauer along with meredith vieira and al roker. it's a beautiful morning. >> going up to 90 today. >> i was looking at the forecast and memorial day weekend looking good in the northeast. nice job. >> thank you. >> coming up in this half hour, 22-year-old ali smith is planning to get married a month from today. but there was a time when it looked like it might not happen because of a life-threatening heart ailment. now a remarkable pump is keeping her alive. ali, her fiance and her family are here to share what is a really remarkable story. >> also today, a big anniversary coming up. do you know what it is? >> lift and separate. >> very good. the bra turning 100 this year. whether you go for frilly lace or plain white we'll look at why this piece of underwear mesmerizes so many people. >> and a true record-breaker -- the latest winner of "the biggest loser" on dropping more weight than anyone in the show's history. we'll catch up with mike. he started at 526 pounds, lost more than half his body weight. >> isn't that amazing? >> unbelievable. >> good for him. let's go inside. ann has all the headlines of the morning. thanks, matt. good morning, everybody. hope is rising on another attempt by british pretoetroleu. the company's ceo says he'll decide as early as today whether the initiate the method. he says it could be days before we know whether or not it is successful. republicans are saying president obama's decision on tuesday to send 1200 national guard troops to help patrol the u.s./mexico border does not go far enough. they want thousands more deployed. a new nbc news wall street journal poll finds 70% of white americans support arizona's strict immigration law while just 31% of latinos support the law. the poll finds 51% of the public disapproves of the president's handling of immigration. 32% approve and 17% aren't sure. the poll finds the president's overall approval rating is down to 48%, down two points from an earlier poll. his disapproval rating is 45%. kindergarten teacher tanya craft acquitted of molesting young girls has filed a lawsuit and is fighting to get her reputation back. kerry sanders has more. >> do you promise to tell the truth -- >> reporter: she was the accused. >> count number one, not guilty. >> reporter: now, she's the accuser. the former georgia kindergarten teacher filed a $25 million civil rights lawsuit. >> not guilty. >> reporter: earlier this month she was acquitted on all 22 count of sexually molesting three young girls but she lost her job, her home and her family. >> i can't get back the two birthdays of my daughters. i can't get those back. and the time away from my son. >> reporter: craft is suing parents of the accusers, prosecutors, and welfare workers. >> i can't say if she got $25 million she would feel whole again. there isn't enough money to compensate tonya. >> reporter: she alleges investigators coerced and suggestively questioned the three young girls and assumed that sexual abuse was, in fact, true. the lawsuit claims the defendants acted with malice. craft's reputation, ruined when she was labeled a sexual pervertment. >> i believe that they went in believing that a crime was committed even before they had sufficient evidence to even consider a crime. >> reporter: in a joint statement, the county, the sheriff's department, sheriff and lead detective deny any allegations of wrongdoing. individuals named in the suit did not respond to nbc news calls and e-mails. craft's trial in georgia lasted four weeks, two days. but since the initial sex abuse investigation began, more than 750 days ago, this 37-year-old mother of two was prevented by court order from seeing her 8-year-old daughter who remains with her father and stepmother. tonya craft's lawyers say the now unfounded sexual abuse charges were an outgrowth of a bitter ex-husband, angry parents and a shoddy police investigation, that she's suffered humiliation, grief, anger, headaches, physical and emotional stress. following her acquittal on "today," craft told meredith she's on a mission. >> i want to make people aware that this can happen anywhere at any time to anyone and just to get it right. >> reporter: in addition to $25 million, craft says she wants new protocols on how child sexual abuse claims are investigated. for "today," kerry sanders, nbc news, miami. heartburn drugs will get new warning labels because federal health officials say using prescription and nonprescription heartburn drugs for more than a year can increase the risk of bone fractures in people older than 50. it is now six minutes past. let's go back outside to meredith. >> thank you very much, annie. now a check of the weather from al. thanks a lot, good morning. a fresh and cool late may morning under way. the skies streaked with high clouds at this hour. we have the sun up and temperatures are up as well and near 70 degrees in washington and the nearby suburbs. climbing to the upper 80s to near 90 by this afternoon. a slight chance of an afternoon storm. tomorrow a likelihood of scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms. hod and humid near 90 and cloudy and cooler w and that's your latest weather. matt? >> thank you very much, al. this time last year 22-year-old texan ali smith was planning her funer funeral. today she's planning her wedding thanks to doctors who placed a device in her chest for her heart. here's her amazing story. in october 2006 ali smith was like any other college freshman. >> going to school, socialized, hanging out with friends. >> reporter: ali was an athlete and the picture of good health who had just met the man of her dreams. >> i met mike freshman year of college. i saw he was a complete gentleman. he respected people. >> reporter: by spring, ali started feeling tired. >> dizzy all the time. always wanting to sleep because i felt worn out. >> reporter: friends and family, even ali chalked it up to regular college stuff until a frightening incident. >> i was in a competition and i woke up with my team around me. they told me i just fell backwards and unconscious for, you know, 15 to 30 seconds. >> reporter: doctors diagnosed dehydration until she had a follow up appointment with her pediatrician. >> he told me the same thing. oh, you're just dehydrated. you obviously didn't eat enough. i go to check out and pay and i'm waking up again. i passed out in the doctor's office. >> reporter: ali was rushed to the hospital. after intense testing, a devastating diagnosis. >> this was cardiomyopathy. i thought it would go away like getting a cold. i thought it would reverse itself. >> reporter: unfortunately for ali, that was not the case. viral cardiomyopathy is a disease that weakens the heart, leading to organ failer in the body. without a heart transplant, many do not survive. for the next two years ali was in and out of the hospital trying to repair her fragile heart with merchandise. >> we anticipated her life expectancy was a year without more aggressive therapy. her chance of living one year was 50%. >> reporter: but ali had much to live for. a family that loved her desperately and mike, who loved her unconditional. >> he asked me to marry him. he got on his knee and his big goofy face, smile that he has. >> reporter: a week later, ali took a turn for the worse. her body was shutting down. she told mike he could have the ring back. >> one thing that -- sorry -- he told me was even if i was on my deathbed that he was still going to marry me. >> reporter: without a donor heart ali was out of options except for one -- a bionic heart. it's a mechanical device which keeps the heart pumping by an external power source giving the heart time to rest and hopefully time to heal itself. it is a gruelling surgery and recovery, one that ali almost didn't survive. >> i really prayed and said, god, tell me what i'm supposed to do. sit here and watch her die or go home and prepare my husband for this? >> reporter: doctors say through her courage, grace and determination ali has done more than survive. she's thriving. >> this is a battery and controller. it connects through here and right here goes through my abdomen and goes right through here into this part that goes to my pump. so it's all connected. it hums. >> reporter: now ali has time for more important things, like planning a wedding. >> we have a whole reserved row right behind her family. >> my doctors and my nurses. >> just thinking about it, i start to cry. >> reporter: science is pumping her heart, but love saved her life. >> mike is why i fought and the fact that i can't leave my family. i'm not done. i'm not going anywhere. i'll fight and say, you're not ready for me yet because i'm a pistol. >> she's covering his eyes because he can't see the wedding dress. ali and mike are here along with her parents and doctor. good morning to you. when people are watching the story they don't see what's happening on the couch and the tissues going around and the tears flowing. you're covering mike's eyes so he can't see the wedding dress. are you really going to wear electric blue cowboy boots under that dress? >> definitely blue. >> how are you feeling? >> watching that, emotional. but i'm here to do something good. i call it my mission. >> can you imagine if you go back to the point of this illness where you were at your worst, could you ever have imagined that you would be a month away from getting married, having planned that wedding, you would be here on the show talking about how you are thriving? >> i'd say when i was at my worst i wasn't even thinking about that. i honestly didn't know i was going through my worst. i ended up, you know, after i got hadd had gotten home the first time and ended up there within a couple of hours i was no longer coherent. that was for a couple of weeks. it took me at least two months after i woke up to realize what was going on. >> what was your quality of life like with the pump and the certain degree of mobility you have? what's it like? >> 100% better than it was four years ago. i mean, i'm normal. you know, people ask me -- >> are you normal? >> oh, yeah. >> do you consider yourself normal? you can do everything i can do? >> maybe not lifting heavy weights and running marathons. >> i can't do those things either. don't worry about it. >> i can do normal things. i can go and obviously travel. i'm here. this is my first long flight. but i do everything a normal person does. >> mike, you asked ali to marry you right when you found out she was gravely, gravely ill. i'm not going to say you're a good guy, but you're clearly in love. that was a hard choice for a young man. >> it was a lot of commitment. our relationship, we have been through hard times but we definitely have a lot of good times and i wanted to see her through the end, all the way. >> wasn't going to give up on me. >> i just love her and no one in my life could replace her. >> mom and dad, do you ever ask why our daughter? this is not a common condition. >> no. it's an experience, definitely. she was a thriving young lady. you know, she had a lot of enthusiasm. she's like the alpha dog personality. you just never know. >> doctor, was there another option for ali at the time when it was at its worst? was there any other way to save her life other than with the pump? >> no, matt. her heart was failing. her other organs were in jeopardy. certainly a heart transplant was an option, but you're dependent on someone else's misfortune. you can't pull a heart transplant off the shelf. the mechanical pumps we can pull off the shelf to support patients. >> i want to do this -- the first time i have done this. but you kind of eld up the pump and showed us where it is. you don't have a heartbeat, is that right? >> i have a heartbeat. >> but if i put this to your chest i won't here boom, boom, boom. >> maybe a little. >> we have this mike turned on here. i want to hear what it sounds like. i hear it in the background. it's like -- [ humming ] >> it's quiet. >> when we first put in the pump ali didn't have a pulse. you couldn't feel her pulse but her heart is showing signs of recovery. >> so this could give her heart the rest it needs to recover. how long can she go on with this device before possibly needing a heart transplant or before going back to the power of her own heart? >> this device is the result of 20 years of research. some people have had it for almost five years. it can support patients now for five, maybe ten years until a heart is available. >> mom, she's going to walk down the aisle in a month. after all she's been through, what's that going to be like? >> we are all asking for waterproof makeup. it's really hard. when we went in for our pump, i mean, she sat down and said, these are my wishes if i don't make it. and now we're here. when you're a 21-year-old telling you what color casket she wants and you're saying, no, we have to get through this because you're getting married, mike is her rock. that helped a lot. prayer and our faith in god really helped us. the doctors at the heart institute, dr. bud frasier for all he's done. >> ali? >> yeah. >> congratulations. good luck in a month. you didn't see it, but the gown is beautiful. stunning and fabulous bride here. >> thank you. >> doc, thank you very much. mom and dad, nice to have you here. you can read all about her story this week in "people" magazine. here's meredith. >> matt, thank you very much. this morning on get fit today the newly crowned winner of nbc's "the biggest loser couples." mike entered the ranch as the heaviest contestant ever at 526 pounds. he set a record losing half his body weight. 264 pounds lost, the most weight lost in "biggest loser" history. good morning to you and congratulations. >> thank you. i appreciate it. >> you flew here all night to get here from l.a. has it sunk in yet? >> no it's like a car crash. i'm in shock. >> if somebody said to you when you got to the ranch at 526 pounds that you are not only going to win this thing but lose more than half of your body weight doing it, would you have thought they were crazy? >> i would think they were taking hallucigenics, seriously. nobody at 526 can feel a sense of hope. you feel like any day is your day, your time. you could pretty much just die. it was just like a shocking wake-up call that i realized, you know what, i'm going to give it all, everything i've got to tackle this. i'm done with being like this. >> you tried so many other weight loss methods. what was it about this competition, this ranch, the process that made the difference for you? >> the difference was that it was the right way. you know, as americans we all want the quick fix. we want a magic pill that makes us drop 50 pounds overnight, a machine with three easy payments in the mail that will work us out and we'll drop inches and lose weight or a book or a dvd. that's not the case. it pretty much came down to the old-fashioned hard work and, you know, determination. that's what was different. >> you're at 262 so you have a little bit more weight to lose. is it going to be hard now for you because you're not at the ranch anymore, haven't been there in a while actually and it's over, or do you have motivation to keep going? >> my motivation is to get healthy and live a long life, a life that my grandfather didn't get to live to his fullest. that's my motivation. as far as how i'm going to keep it off or keep going, i'm not that michael at 526 anymore. i'm a new person that's been reborn. so the workout regimen, the eating regimen is all secondhand nature to me now. >> even the nice italian boy where food was the center of everything. >> yeah. it's telling family, we make food an event, an occasion. that's our time to spend together. but those traditions can go on because we'll do it in a healthier fashion. >> congratulations to your mom maria who lost over 100 pounds and looks fantastic. >> that lady is radiant. she has a livelihood to her now. she's so youthful and bright. i feel like i'm not even at that point yet. my mom clicked. she got it. she's so full of life and so beautiful. >> you look fantastic, mike. thank you so much and congrats to you. >> i appreciate it. >> here's ann. >> thanks. women have a love/hate relationship with them but we all have a favorite and this year it turns 100. it is the modern bra and jamie aga gengel takes a look at it. >> reporter: throughout history, women and men have been obsessed with the bra -- obviously for different reasons. just say the word and everyone has an image. ♪ >> it's brand new. revolutionary uplift. >> i'll be getting a bra soon! >> what dyou think about a push-up bra? >> reporter: it's no mystery why the bra has become a multi-million dollar industry. function, fashion and let's face it, fantasy. these days, not much is secret thanks to madonna, lady gaga, the bra is hot. while underwear has become outerwear, it turns out we still have a lot to learn. >> you know about the cup sizes and all? >> yeah. i know about the cups. >> you got the a -- b, the c and the d. that's the biggest. >> reporter: actually, the biggest is a -- >> o, for oh my goodness. >> reporter: meet linda becker, the bra lady. >> my eyes go to your breasts because it's what i do. it's unbelievable what i see. >> reporter: she knows every style. >> look how sexy it is. >> reporter: every trick. >> down in the back, up in the cups. >> reporter: and for more than 20 years she's been giving women the facts of life. >> rotate your bras. if you wear it today, don't wear it tomorrow. your breasts need to be controlled like bad children. they're out of control. >> reporter: control turned out to be the key to bra history. after centuries of torture -- >> and suck it in! >> reporter: mary jacobs phelps created a better way. two silk handkerchiefs tied together -- the first bra. from there, the industry exploded. ♪ >> reporter: there were promises of miracles and wonders. >> i dreamed i had the world on a string in my maidenform bra. >> reporter: to small -- a fellow named frederick from hollywood swore he could fix all. >> take me, bill! oh. ♪ >> reporter: then came the revolution. no bra was ever burned at this historic beauty pageant protest. it was just a catchy headline. >> these shackles. >> reporter: and it caught fire. and liberation came to mean something more, thanks to this world cup, this bra became famous. thanks to this super bowl moment, this one infamous. there was even bra envy. >> the manssiere. >> i prefer the bro. >> reporter: despite all the lycra and innovation most of us can't answer one simple question. >> a b? >> 34-b. >> there you go. >> reporter: how many women are wearing the right bra? >> not many. i would say most of them. 9 out of 10 have the wrong size bra on. ♪ at last >> reporter: bra lady to the rescue. >> feel different? >> this is a lot better. >> reporter: lifting, tucking -- >> nice and tight. >> i'm warning you. she touches. >> that's okay. >> reporter: and measuring. >> we'll see what you're like in a 30. >> oh, okay. >> reporter: until i it's perfect. >> that's perfect. i feel it's my mission in life. when i help women get in the right bra it's really good karma. they love me. i think, boy, this is going to get me into the gates of heaven. >> reporter: are you happy? >> i'm excited. can't wait to take them out to the world. [ laughter ] >> so you need professional help. remember linda's mantra, down in the back, up in the cup. >> words to live by. >> they are actually known as booby-traps. and we're doing another part of the series tomorrow. that's basically the birthday of the jock strap. >> it is may after all. >> remember getting the first bra? >> yeah. big deal. 8:26 is the time and 71 degrees. the weather is heating up in washington. in the news for today, a suspect is on the loose after a wild police chase that started early this morning in prince george's county after a suspected robbery. it eped when the police officer crashed on w street southeast. the suspect escaped and the officer has minor injuries and is expected to be okay. we will take a quick break and >> the heat is on. we are into the 70s with the upper 80s this afternoon. a slight chance of an isolated thunderstorm and hot and humid and around 90. thunderstorms likely and cooler friday with occasional showers. how is the traffic? >> it keeps getting worse. live pictures of an accident and this is a serious one. 395 northbound above duke street. tons of emergency equipment and the far right lane gets by. when was the last time you saw this. both inner loop and outer loop crawling. the green belt to silver spring. >> indeed. thank you. win a pair of tickets to the hottest concert in town. it's kevin's final week on "the tonight show." it's all new and surprising. and kathy griffin's on the loose. then on "jimmy" jake gylenhaal. 8:30 now on this wednesday morning, may 26, 2010. it is a perfect day here in the big apple with the holiday weekend fast approaching. look what else is fast approaching -- thousands of sailors, marines and coast guardsmen as fleet week begins here. a beautiful, beautiful sight. >> gorgeous. >> it's been happening since 1984 and is a great way to honor our military men and women. >> i love men and women in uniform. so great. >> if you go down to the river it's absolutely fantastic. >> navy get it is grs the gravy says. you're probably enjoying the great outdoors and you need to wear sunscreen outside. which ones are most effective? we have the results of a consumer reports analysis and remind you what the spf numbers mean. >> finally. >> and john grisham is here. he's known for his grown-up books but is aiming at a new audience and we'll talk to him in a couple of minutes. >> on today's money 9-1-1 we'll tell you how to save on your vacation. also, what to do once your identity has been stolen. so we'll have that. >> and we'll be updating -- you're reporting about charla nash who we heard about earlier this morning. talking more about her recovery. >> she's doing good morning. feeling like summertime in late may. the live view is showing some white streaks and a blue sky. high clouds passing over and temperatures are generally 60 to 70. now 69 at national airport. highs in the upper 80s andñr a slight chance of a thunderstorm, but a likely hood of afternoon and evening thunderstorms. hot on thursday andxd occasiona showers on friday andçó should " and don't forget, you can get your weather any time of the day or night on the weather channel on cable or weather.com onli online. >> there you go, al. >> oh, look out! >> no! >> now let's go to uncle willard in florida. >> and the end of may. can you believe it? june is around the corner. happy birthday. we have smucker's in line. porter girdley from indiana. goes to meet with friends at 4:00. they call it the 4:00 club. no flies on that sharp group. seattle washington margaret hollinger, oldest of ten. served under general patton and was in charge of nurses. how about that? that's a job. bless her heart. gertrude -- i love that name -- d'amecourt. washington, d.c. hosts dinner parties at her house three times a week. loves reading biographies and going out to eat at clyde's, an institution in washington, best chili in the world. edwin marten of sheboygan falls, wisconsin. 100 years old. retired foreman. makes music on his accordion, b banjo and harmonica, all at the same time. loves to entertain his alice bruns, clearwater, florida is 100 years old. a proud member of phi beta ka a kappa. an avid golf fan. never misses the pga tour. finally, helen cunningham -- great name. florence, oregon. crochets blankets for children and charities and makes home made pies for her church. that's all from washington. now back to new york where they make great bagels. >> thank you very much. up next, what to look for when you're picking a sunscreen this summer. and we have ships arriving in new york. this is "today" on nbc. ♪ this morning, choosing the right sunscreen for you. as we head into memorial day you need the right one to protect your skin and your family's skin as well. we have with us the director of policy at consumer reports which looked at sunscreens. good morning to you. >> hi, matt. >> good morning. >> we have been trained to walk into a store look at the packaging for the spf number. it means sun protection factor. what is it telling us? >> if you go out in the sun with nothing on your skin will start to burn in 20 minutes. spf means you can stay out 15 minutes longer or 30 minutes longer, but they are imprecise numbers and at some point there is a falling off. i think after 30 you don't get a lot of extra protection. but at 50 people really -- >> is 60 twice the protection that 30 is? >> no. it is not. the reality is we tend to think the higher the number, the more protection. we pay a lot of money for the extra number. there is a fallout in how much protection you get. 50 and under, i'm comfortable with. i question whether 30 is really the cut-off. >> after that you think it's marketing? >> great marketing, yes. >> consumer reports came up with top picks and the number one sunscreen, the one you guys liked the most is up and up sport continuous spray. why did you like it so much? >> well, matt, it performed excellent for uvb protection, very good -- which was the highest rating -- for uva protection. it met the 80-minute water resistent limit and had a great price point. >> and it's a spray, not a lotion. that may surprise people. >> i'm not a big believer in spray and walk away. rub it in. >> it's not the spray that made the performance. you need to apply enough to yourself -- two to three tablespoons, a shot glass worth. that's very important. >> congratulations to up and up. the top four then, walgreen sport continuous, banana boat sport continuous and aveeno continuous protection. these all performed well in this area? >> all of them performed equally. the reason the up and up got the best buy was the price point. all of those are sprays and you want to make sure you get enough on. if it's windy, spray it in your hand. >> and these are not big expensive names. i would say these are really low price point names which goes to show you it's what's on the label, not the more you pay the better you will get. >> you mentioned uva and uvb. do all products offer protection from both of those rays? >> no. they need specific ingredients from uva protection and spf relates only to uvb. so all of the top four control for uva and uvb. it's really important that you look for that in a sunscreen. >> you also judge -- and i think this is interesting -- the feel on your skin. i remember the days we used to put on that stuff and it was like in a frying pan. it was pure grease. >> no one wants to feel like a fried egg. >> what is the feel you think is important in a product like this? >> it should be light. it shouldn't feel heavy or greasy. all of the top four provided that kind of feel. >> we have covered the fact that these are reasonable in price. let's talk about tips, nancy. first of all, you want one that blocks uva and uvb -- >> this is where you have to read the label. look for uva and uvb protection. you have to be sure that you're not buying -- i think anything over 50 you're wasting your money. nothing is still better than covering yourself up. this is in addition to the big floppy hat. and reapply, reapply. getting in the pool and ocean takes it off. and people of color, african-american, hispanic, you can still damage your skin. if you have a suntan, it is skin damage by definition and skin cancers can happen in dark-skinned people. don't think you have a pass. >> if you think you can put on 60, put it on in the morning and not think about it again, think again. >> you can't put them on at 10:00 in the morning and forget. babies are particularly vulnerable. >> thank you very much. have a nice weekend. it's only wednesday. [ laughter ] john grisham takes on a new [ static ] ♪ plug and play. now understanding my diabetes is that simple. [ male announcer ] the contour usb meter from bayer. [ nick ] look at this. the software's built right in. how cool is that? [ male announcer ] it's the first meter with plug-and-play technology, helping you transform ordinary testing information into deeper understanding. [ nick ] a meter that plugs into my nonstop life -- that's my simple win. [ male announcer ] the contour usb meter. only from bayer. [ static ] ♪ this morning on today's hot summer reads, a legal thriller -- for kids. with best sellers like "the firm" and "a time to kill" john grisham is setting his sights now on kid lawyers with "theodore boone: kid lawyer." good to see you. >> happy to be here, al. >> why did you decide the tween market was ripe for the picking? >> it comes down to the story. the story popped up a year or so ago. i became infach yated with a 13-year-old lawyer, a kid who's an only child. his parents are lawyers. he gives legal advice to his friends at school and gets in trouble because of it. i became enamored with the idea. >> were you interested in the law that young? >> no. i never thought about being a lawyer, a writer. i'm not sure what i thought about when i was 13. but it was a good year for me. i have vivid memories of being 13 years old. theo will always be 13. hopefully it will be a series. >> your books have such a cinematic bent to them. so many have been turned into movies. when you're writing a book like this do you, in a sense, see it in a theme for a movie or a television show? >> after 23, 24 books, i know when a book is published it will be looked at by people in the movie business and phone calls and we'll go back and forth. sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. i don't think about it when i write the book. i would like for all of them to be films. we all love a good movie. >> he's an engaging young man. his parents, as you mention, both attorneys. he has a loving home life. and yet he's got friends who have all these problems. do you see a kid like this growing up and being a fairly well-adjusted kid? >> he's never going to grow up. he'll always be 13. he's well-adjusted. i hope in future books to present him with more problems. i don't want him to be too perfect, you know. he's a likable kid and he'll be our hero for a long time. >> you got to go to the a.b. combs leadership elementary school. what is it like when you engage with kids? they're tough. >> it's terrifying. they'll ask you anything. how much money did you make last year? they have no fear. but these kids were given the book three weeks ago. every kid in the 5th grade got a book and they read it. i met with them last thursday. they had their questions on a legal pad. really tough questions. i could have stayed there all day. >> anybody stump you? >> a lot of times, yeah. i was stuttering. i couldn't answer all the questions. great kids, smart kids, big readers. we had a wonderful visit. >> you're an advocate for everybody to read at least one book a month. we have a kids book club on the "today" show. we're trying to get kids reading. in the age of twitter, facebook, do you think this will read to more or less reading? >> well, that's the big question in publishing. in five years, how many young people will be reading on i-pads and sony e-readers. half the research says they'll read more and half the research says less. we don't know. i think there is a good chance kids will read more. amazon presents a powerful case that the kindle will increase readership. hopefully. >> i want to change subjects here. i know how passionate you are about the gulf region. you look at what's going on down there today. what are your thoughts. >> well, it's sickening. when you look at what's happening now and you realize the extent of the damage and how we can't even close the oil spill now. no one knows how bad it's going to be. no one knows where the oil will wash out. florida, the east coast, the arct arctic. who knows? it's so depressing i have a hard time watching it. i have friends down there and the louisiana marshes are so fragile anyway. there is a great book called "the pelican brief" that i wrote. it's set in the louisiana marshes and i explore the environmental impact of what's happening 20 years ago. put this on top of that and it's just devastating. >> i know you will be back to talk object your book, "the confession" in a couple of months. want to give a preview? >> well, i have to write it first. >> oh, all right. >> i have written 300 pages and i don't have a story yet. >> get your editor. >> got to get the plot down for this thing. comes out in november. let's not talk about it yet. let me work on some stuff. >> all right. john grisham, always good to see you. again, the book is "theodore boone: kid lawyer." still ahead, money 9-1-1 -- the answers to your financial emergencies. first, this is "today" on nbc. "know the species, know the stain." lanolin-free coat, i know it's an alpaca. walks in here, looks says "hey look, it's a llama!" cleaning the stain like he would a llama stain. time he's wasting. ♪ call 1-800-steemer >> announcer: what do you care about today is brought to you by the pepsi refresh project, giving away millions of dollars to fund refreshing ideas. this morning on what you care about today, taking care of a special community of jazz and blues musicians. we're turning the spotlight on groups making a positive impact on their communities and pepsi refresh is giving us $50,000 in grant money to award to each group. jazz and blues musicians give us a lifetime of pleasure. many of them are struggling to afford even basic health care, but one organization is trying to help. ♪ part of a dream >> i was in new orleans prior to the hurricane and do you back on august 29th, that day. i realized that i had nowhere to go, that my studio was completely gone. >> reporter: like hundreds of thousand of new orleans residents, his life was forever changed by hurricane katrina. >> i'm grateful for my life. >> reporter: the professional musician landed in new york city and got back to work on his career. >> the day-to-day life of a musician is very hard. i found myself helping everybody else and then not being able to sing. >> reporter: that's where the jazz foundation of america steps in for musicians all over the country. >> we have a partnering hospital, the englewood hospital and medical center that gives us free care to uninsured jazz musicians. >> really big breaths. >> if you have to eat or pay your light bill or pay your phone bill because you're waiting on the next gig, i think health insurance comes on the back burner. ♪ >> the jazz foundation has shown concern in my well-being. i appreciate that. ♪ i'll see you then >> to learn more about the jazz foundation of america with the rest of our what do you care about series, go to todayshow.com. this organization is so cool especially for aging elderly jazz musicians, blues musicians. they have pretty much set really the history of the foundation for much of the music we enjoy including rock & roll. >> it's the true american art form. it's as pure an american art form as you will find. >> how did you find that about the organization? >> someone mentioned it to me. i went to one of their benefits and was so moved. they do these wonderful benefits. they had one in harlem where they bring great musicians together. they are so grateful and they play and raise money to take care of people. they have really been forgotten because of the system of financing, how people don't earn money for the work they have done. >> to the small organizations we have highlighted, $50,000 is a lot of money. >> oh, yes. >> that's a nice gift. >> very nice. >> and we'll hear about another one tomorrow. >> that's right. >> coming up, checking on charla nash and her reaction to the death of the chimp's owner. >> and we'll answer your financial questions on today's money 9-1-1. >> but first, we've got your local news and weather. >>. >> 8:55 is the time and 74 degrees. we are in for warm days. good morning, everyone. metro is poised to take action and possibly fare increases and service increases tomorrow. help could be on the way to lessen the impact and considering emergency legislation ridding $2 billion to ease the pain on riders. to ease the pain on riders. we will take a break and have the gas prices are going down, they go back up again. we know saving money is important. this summer, shop with your giant card and save on shell fuel. earn one point for every dollar you spend. every 100 points earned gets you another 10 cents off per gallon. the more you spend, the more you save. i'm saving money at the store, i'm saving money at the pump, and that works for me. more savings every time you shop, only with your giant card. 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. >> at this hour we have a few clouds, but the temperatures will climb to the upper ticket e 80s with an isolated thunderstorm. a likely hood of afternoon and evening thunderstorms and hod and humid around 90. cloudy friday with occasional showers. how is the traffic? >> a mess. 395 northbound the accident remains between duke street and seminary road. let's pull back and show you. the traffic is running extremely slow. let's move along to maryland and show you the beltway. in prince george's county both directions are heavy. a lot of truck traffic and interstate travel as well. >> very busy. win a pair of the hottest tickets in town. taylor swift at the veri back now with more of "today" on a wednesday morning. it's the 26th day of may, 2010. it is a great summer day in midtown manhattan. lots of people soaking up the sun. i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales and al roker. coming up in this half hour, more on the story that meredith has been following closely -- a woman named charla nash. she was mauled nearly to death by a friend's cham pimpanzee la year. she lost most of her face, her eyes, her hands and hopes to be a candidate for a face and hand transplant. we'll have an exclusive visit with her and get her reaction, by the way, to the death of the woman who owned the chimp that mauled her who passed away a day or so ago. >> later on, our "today" money 9-1-1 experts will be here to weigh in on your financial emergency including what to do when you realize your identity has been stolen and what you need to know about raising your credit score including the impact of marriage on that all-important number. >> and if you're starting to feel like it's summer here finally, we have great toys for the kids to test out. we have a little group out there already putting it all to the test. lots of bubbles. my son would love that. >> love the bubbles. >> things to stay occupied during the summer months coming up. >> i need to do some plaza shopping. before we go any further let's go inside to ann for the headlines. >> thanks, matt. good morning to you. british petroleum officials and engineers are working to plug the oil leak in the gulf of mexico. the so-called top kill method killing the hole with cement and mud has never before been performed at such depths and this morning on our broadcast the company ceo said he'll decide as early as today whether or not to use a method and even so it could be days before we know if it works. the space shuttle is back on earth making a picture perfect landing this morning at florida's kennedy space center on its last scheduled mission. the six astronauts helped with the space station's size and power. today in seoul hillary clinton called the sinking of a warship a provocation by north korea and said it requires a strong response from the international community. gun battles in jamaica have claimed the lives of civilians. the fighting between security forces and gang members linked to drug lords. so far, tourist areas have not been affected but some flights to the capital have been cancelled. stunning video from australia shows a baby stroller with a toddler inside rolling off a train platform today in melbourne as the train was approaching. the little boy's grandmother said she looked awayr fr for a moment and the stroller started rolling. the 15-month-old boy survived with scrapes and bruises. and the first lady hosted young people at the white house for her let's move campaign against childhood obesity. she was not shy about showing them ways to get their recommended one hour of daily exercise. it is now three minutes past the hour. let's go back o >> per good morning. sun through high clouds, a live view overlooking northwest washington. fairfax and articling counties and the district. 74 in washington. we are climbing into the upper 60s into the 70s and hit the upper 80s. a thunderstorm and likelihood of evening storms tomorrow. highs near 90. cloudy and cooler with occasional showers on friday. cool and dry for the weekend. >> that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, it's been 15 months since charla nash lost her face and hands in an attack by her friend sandra herold's chimpanzee. she just left the hospital to move to an assisted living center outside boston. meredith met up with charla tuesday on the very day charla learned the news of her friend sandra herold's death. meredith asked her all about it. >> i just heard that a little while ago. when i first heard it, i was quiet. and then i told my brother, i kind of feel bad. you know? because i -- my condolences to the family. >> your condolences to the family. >> yeah. it's sad. >> when you say you kind of feel bad, what do you mean? >> what happened troubled her a lot. >> you think what happened troubled her a lot? >> yeah. >> how are you able to let go of the anger which would be natural given what happened to you? or have you let go of it? >> you know, i don't hold it. i can't hold it in me. it's unhealthy to hold it in you. i guess the way i look at it she has to live with it more than me. you know? it's something she created. >> something she created. >> yeah. >> 15 months after the attack that left her blind, without hands and a face, charla nash remains hopeful about her future. doctors at the cleveland clinic credit her positive outlook to her survival. charla left the cleveland clinic three weeks ago. you were at the cleveland clinic for almost 15 months, i think it is. was it hard to leave there, charli? >> it was time for me to leave. >> it was time? >> yeah. i needed to leave. >> give it a good push. wonderful. >> charla wants her face and hands transplanted. she didn't feet the protocol for the procedures at the cleveland clinic. she's going through extensive testing hoping to become a candidate for the transplants in boston. what are they saying? are they saying anything yet about whether or not you are a candidate for a face and a hand transplant? >> i think it's looking pretty good, yeah. i know they have more tests they can do on me. >> what would it mean to you, charli, to get this transplant. >> if it's just a face, i'll eat better. if it's hands, i could feed myself. and my hands would act as eyes for me. i would be able to open things, you know, touch both sides where i'm going. it would be like eyes. >> charla will learn whether or not she is a candidate for transplant within the next few months. for now she works on strength doing physical therapy three times a week. charla is fiercely determined to gain as much independence as she can. >> did you get out of bed without anybody helping you to find the bathroom? >> yes. >> can you show me how you do that? you got it, charli, that's it. >> it's a little hard coming back. this is where i get lost. >> hard coming back to the bed? >> yeah. i ended up over there, over there. >> she hasn't mastered the room yet, but the sound of my voice helps her along. >> i'm still learning. >> i'm not going to help you -- >> i hear you. [ laughter ] >> dumb, dumb. >> thank you. >> all right. i forgot your hearing is so acute now. i should zip it. [ laughter ] >> charla nash credits her strength to prayer and her family. her brothers, mike and steve, and her daughter brianna have been by her side through it all. >> the love of your life, brianna. >> yeah. >> your daughter. i can't believe she's about to graduate from high school. and you're going to be there? >> i hope so. i'm going to try. yeah. >> will that be the first time that you have ventured out -- >> yes. >> so in a way it's her graduation but it's your coming out. >> you could say that, yeah. what a nice way to spend it, with everyone. >> what a nice way to spend it with everyone. >> yeah. >> the school offered to set up a private space for charla to attend her daughter's graduation if she's able to make it. charla said she wants to be where everybody else is. she wants to thank everyone for coming up next on today's money 9-1-1 what you should do ♪ [ 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. ♪ the care that goes in is the care that comes out. hebrew national hot dogs are made with butcher quality cuts of 100 percent pure kosher beef. people say they're so good maybe it's time they were called something new. they are the royalty of hot dogs, i call them queen elizabeefs! hebrew national. the better than a hot dog hot dog. have you tried honey bunches of oats with real strawberries? wow. it's seriously strawberry. they're everywhere. it's in the bunches, on the flakes, even real strawberries in the mix. can i have some more? honey bunches of oats with real strawberries. it's delicious. nobody does it quite like us. for osteoporosis, and it's not always easy to get the calcium we need from our diet to help reduce that risk. fortunately, there's caltrate. as we get older, our bodies steal calcium from our bones. caltrate helps replenish the calcium we lose. with 1200 mg of calcium, plus advanced levels of vitamin d to help reduce your risk of osteoporosis. it's never too early or too late for caltrate. and now big news -- the same caltrate comes in a new, smaller, easy to swallow pill. 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! time now for today's money 9-1-1 where our experts answer your big financial questions. jean chatzky is the author of "makeup "money 9-1-1." we have the author of "generation debt" and the host of "fast money." good morning. >> good morning, al. >> sounds like "charlie's angels." we have molly in rochester, minnesota, on the phone. good morning. what's your question? >> caller: good morning. well, about two months ago my husband and i found out that his identity had been stolen including his social security number. we initiated a fraud alert with the three credit reporting agencies and have been notified of four attempts to open credit in his name. that expires in 30 days, so moving forward what can i do to protect our good credit? >> this is an amazing question. this happens ten million times every single year. what you need to do is file a police report because then you can put an extended fraud alert on your credit reports with the three major credit bureaus and it will last seven years. if that's not enough for you, if you want stronger protection, you can put a freeze on your credit report. but in that case if you want to apply for credit you have to go through and unlock it which is an administrative hassle. but in all circumstances, you want to make sure you are continuing to check your report several times a year just to make sure nothing else is ending up on them that is not belonging to you. >> all right. molly, good luck. let's go to skype to check in with courtney in centennial, colorado. good morning, courtney, how are you? >> good, thanks. how are you? >> great. what's your question? >> in september, my husband and i are going on a trip to south africa. we're on a tight budget. because there is a 3% fee on every international transaction on my visa i'm wondering what's the cheapest and most secure way to pay our expenses while there? >> how does she avoid the fees? >> you may not be able to avoid them. do you have other credit cards? >> not right now. >> usually it's not really about the fees but about the perks that come with the card. when you charge with your credit card, especially travel, whether it's the flight, the auto insurance, there are usually other perks you can find on the card such as additional luggage insurance, auto insurance if you rent a car, those things. those are very worthwhile to have. so check your statement because every single card differs as to what kind of protection you have. now, every card also differs in terms of how much the fees are. you've got 3%. this is what you should definitely not do -- use your debit card. here's why. you do not have the same protection you would have with a credit card. and if anything happens overseas with your debit -- like a bad transaction, i knew a guy $2,000 out of his checking account because he bought a t-shirt in jamaica that was $35 u.s. and they put it through as $2,000. fought with the bank and lost. do not use your debit card when you travel. stick to your credit cards. i know you will pay the fee but you have only one credit card so you don't have a choice. if you have more than one card, look at the agreement and see which has the best perks and the lowest fees. >> let's get to our e-mail. we have this one coming from grace in florida. she writes, my boyfriend and i have been together for 18 years. florida no longer has common law. his credit is good, mine is bad. we have very little in savings, both self-employed, no kids. if something happens to him i would lose the house. if we got marries how would my bad credit score impact him? i'm not sure if he should get married. a lot of stuff going on in that relationship. lots of issues i don't know if we need you or dr. phil. >> we'll call him later on. grace, the first thing is, yes, you will hurt his credit score. when you get married you marry their debt, their score. so go get a loan, refinance, get a car loan, et cetera, you will have to pay more whether it's up front or a higher interest rate. yes, there will be an impact on your future husband's credit score and his ability to get a loan, your ability to get a loan together. as for the home, if after 18 years the only reason you want to get married is to make sure you get the home, there are other ways. have him write a will. you can leave -- he can leave the home to you legally. consult a state attorney for options. >> after 18 years, grace, come on. really. >> just because you marry somebody does not necessarily mean your credit will end up on their report. you have to marry them and then apply for a loan together. so if you keep the finances separate after you get married and you're not applying for joint debt you should be okay. >> glad we ended on that simple one. jean, carmen and melissa, thank you very much. coming up, if you're a "sex and the city" fan and you wonder where to get that outfit -- i would look good in that -- we have the woman behind the looks. the costume designer will be here. but then again, the guy can start a fire with a wet sponge. ♪ [ roars ] [ both scream ] [ mark's son ] he sure knows how to break up a party... but you know what, he's the glue that holds us all together. people know a lot of things about me, but no one needs to know about my condition. and thanks to depend®, they don't. 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[cheering] unlike leading kids' yogurts, danonino has twice the amount of calcium of milk, ounce per ounce, and it contains vitamin d. bravo! danonino. power packed to helps kids grow. wow, you look great! thanks! it's this new wish yourself thin program. i just wish it and it happens. it's probably those fiber one bars you're eating. i know they help me stick to my diet. the bars are 90 calories and the fiber helps you feel full. 90 calories and high fiber. so that's why this diet thing is working. but it's weird because my wish for lorenzo came true. [ male announcer ] new fiber one 90 calorie bars. hungry no. results yes. >>. >> 9:26 is your time on may 26th, 20 teb. in the news for today, a man police call a bandit out runs a police chase ta started in prince george's county after a suspected robbery, but ended when of police officer crashed on w street in southeast. the suspect escaped. that officer suffered minor injuries, but is expected to be okay. metro is poised to take action on possible fare increases in service cuts. help could be on the way to lessen the impact. the u.s. senate is considering emergency legislation to provide $2 will yon to transit agency to ease the pain on >> high clouds and temperatures interest the 70s. small chance of a thunderstorm and likelihood of that tomorrow afternoon and evening. up to around 90 with the heat and humidity around, but wet on friday. how is the traffic sf. >> the accident remains. this is the that occurred over an hour ago. 395 northbound between duke street and seminary road filtering down to one travel lane and a back up all the way up. a quick check elsewhere, the outer loop remains below the speed limit, but all lanes are open. >> thank you. win a pair of tickets to the hottest concert in town. taylor swift's sold out ♪ that's right. "all the right moves" by onerepublic will be performed here live and then we have justin bieber taking over the summer concert stage and then lady gaga and christina aguilera among others. what a summer roster. coming up here on "today" if you want to keep your baby close to you but worry about the best way to carry him or her we have a selection of parent-tested carriers and expert opinions about them as well. [ baby babbling ] >> that one seems happy. >> strap them right on. >> okay, good. >> bad picture. >> we're all used to carrying joe. >> joe, we love you. we have great outdoor toys to keep you and your family entertained outside in the warm weather months. that is so cool. >> that's cool. i love it. >> plus, telemundo's >> we have high clouds and temperatures are xdjumping. a live view center from the sky watcher and sun is heating up into the 70s. 74 at national airport and highs in the upper 80s and a small risk of an isolated thunderstorm this afternoon. tomorrow hot and humid up around 90 and scattered afternoon and evening storms are likely. on friday, cloudy and cooler and occasional showers likely. over the weekend, cooler and dry. and that's your latest weather. nat? >> thank you, al. coming up next, great toys for the girls and boys. ♪ playing throughout ) ( whimsical music continues ) what if they change the terms? what if the interest rate... ...is more than i thought? what if i missed something? what if we're not getting what i think we're getting? 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[ male announcer ] there's only one place you can get a clarity commitment for your mortgage or credit card. bank of america. mom: we have a pretty big family. all boys. yeah. i call them our starting five. yeah. boom! so when we go out, like the other night, we have to make sure they get enough to eat. pass these down to your brothers and make sure they get some, okay? announcer: olive garden introduces our new crespelles. handcrafted italian crepes oven-baked and stuffed with five cheeses then topped with herb marinated chicken in a garlic cream sauce. or with grilled italian sausage in our tomato alfredo. starting at just $10.95 with unlimited salad and breadsticks. olive garden's one of the few places we can take our family where everyone's happy. olive garden. when you're here, you're family. against pollutants and damaging environmental factors. new eucerin daily skin balance body lotion with ph buffer strengthens your skin's protective barrier. new daily skin balance only from eucerin. 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. ♪ summertime got some kids to entertain? we have a great selection of toys for summer. memorial day marks the unofficial start to the summer season and it's time for some new outdoor toys. toy expert and contributor to todaysmoms.com, elizabeth warner brought friends along to show us. >> thanks for having me. >> let's get started. you have great stuff. lawn darts haven't been around for a while. >> since 1988. they were dangerous. these are the soft-tipped ones. this is a safer way to play the game we played when we were younger. >> we have brother and sister trying bean bag toss. >> the ultimate bean bag toss. come on othevers, kids. you want to land on the board and you can score points. all the barbecues, picnics, tailgates. great for kids and adults. >> riding toys. >> this is a scooter you can ride with propulsion which i love. you can also fold it down. >> do you know how to do it? >> i love this thing. i'll ride it at the end for you. there is a brake and it folds up for storage and carrying. >> what about this? >> this is adorable. the go baby go stride to ride dino. starts off as a walker, open in the back and turns into a rider. it grows with the child. >> what age range? >> starting at 9 months going to 36 months by fisher-price. it's great. >> the water/sand table. >> and sand water table. this one's adjustable. we can move the legs up and down as kids grow. comes with an umbrella and a cover to protect it at night. really well done. >> kiddy pool always a staple. >> i love these. this is the first time we are seeing our favorite licensed characters in the middle of the pool. "toy story" coming out this summer. disney princesses. you name it. >> this is the one everybody's looking at. >> this is the rocky mountain river race. a rock wall. this makes your house the party of the neighborhood. there is even a dunk bucket at the top. when that fills it dumps out and whoever's climbing will get drenched. my kids and i have fun with these every year. we love the inflatables. >> bubbles. >> this is the typhoon ultimate bubble maker, 5,000 bubbles a maker. it's fun at a party. the kids chase it. >> and they smile. >> this is a squirt gun and a bubble gun. >> the super soaker. >> and summer isn't complete without the super soaker. this shoots 25 feet. i was told i can't shoot it today. >> there's nothing in it. oh, shucks. >> they shoot up to 25 feet. when i come home from work this is what my kids wait behind the trees with -- true story. >> thank you so much. >> thank you, al. >> we have a lot more of "today" coming up. first, these messages. emily ili. i'm going to start the activia 14-day challenge today. problems that i have are, you know, irregularity... i do have some doubts if it works. i think it's really good. um... i like the flavors. i think from being a skeptic in the beginning i do think that activia actually works. help regulate your digestive system. take the activia challenge. it works or it's free. ♪ activia real chicken and salmon and the goodness of leafy greens. you live well. you eat right. help your cat do the same. naturals from purina cat chow. 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. would we eat better? [ rewinding ] at hellmann's, we search for the best sources to make our mayonnaise. we use eggs, vinegar and oil rich in omega 3. ♪ for the quality that could only be hellmann's. hellmann's. it's time for real. and, now introducing hellmann's light. it's made with 100% cage free eggs. hebrew national hot dogs are made with butcher quality cuts of 100 percent pure kosher beef. people say they're so good maybe it's time they were called something new. they are the royalty of hot dogs, i call them queen elizabeefs! hebrew national. the better than a hot dog hot dog. ♪ [ female announcer ] start your morning? hey. ♪ what are you doing up? thought i'd take a drive before work. wanna come? [ female announcer ] or make his day? yeah. ♪ nice shot. ♪ oh, my goodness [ female announcer ] maxwell house custom-roasts each bean for a full-flavored cup of coffee. so you can be good to the last drop. this morning we're kicking off a look at a nation divided focusing on the hot button issue of immigration. we have the story of what happened to one family when the kids are born in the u.s. but the mom is an illegal immigrant. good morning. >> good morning, natalie. it is estimated that 5 million u.s. children fall into that category. i got to talk to one family divided by deportation. 14-year-old kathy, a competitive simmila simmer, matt, a star soccer student and a premed student. all four raised in south florida, living the american dream until three years ago when a family secret turned into a federal case. their mother claudia, illegally in the u.s., was arrested for violating immigration laws by overstaying her visa. tell me exactly what happened that morning. >> i look and i see two big guys with i.c.e. jackets. at first it didn't click in. >> my mom rushed in the room grabbing papers and stuff like that. i said, what's going on? she said, they're taking me. >> when i got to school i started crying. i couldn't stop. it clicked in what happened. >> reporter: did she get a chance to tell you anything before she left? >> i love you. >> reporter: after 17 years in this country, their mother was deported back to her native country, columbia. >> i really miss my kids. i know they miss me, too. >> reporter: today is a good day. her son jonathan is visiting. >> she's caring, loving, always there. always gives good advice. >> reporter: what would you say has been the hardest thing of having your mom away? >> not having a mother figure there, you know, looking over you and helping you out. >> i have to wake up knowing that my mom is not going to be here, that we are not going to have a mom until we go visit her. it's not the same. >> reporter: besides visits, claudia keeps up with her children through phone calls and facebook. immigration lawyer alfonso rivera says these children are not alone. >> there are about 5,000 children whose parents have been deported or are in the process. >> reporter: he plans to file a class action lawsuit claiming u.s. laws separating parents from u.s.-born children violates civil rights. >> there is a lawful process by which people can emigrate to the united states. when we find all these exceptions for people to stay, even though they violated the law why should anybody go through the legal system? >> reporter: in a poll out today, a majority of americans agree. 61% say they support arizona's tough new anti-illegal immigration law. some people say, well, this is a sad case but, too, bad, your mother should not have come in the first place. what would you say to that? >> have a heart. >> reporter: it is an emotional issue. many people wonder why the children don't move and live with their mother. they said they consider it a foreign country. they were born and raised in the u.s. their first language in is english. for them, this is home. it's quite a predicament. >> so many broken families. thank you so much. coming up next, the best in baby >> announcer: this portion of "today" is brought to you by enfamil premium with health s m family the best baby carriers. most parents love the convenience and babies love the secure feeling of being held. but in light of the recent recall of slings, i-village has a guide to the best on the market. liz zack is the editor of pregnancy and parenting. good morning. >> good morning. >> this came out not too long ago. remind us what they said about the risks. >> right. there were two slings recalled in march. one was called the sling rider and the other was the wendy bellamisso sling. two weeks later the agency that regulates these things issued a warning about slings in general for babies under 4 months, to use caution. >> so babies under 4 months. another calf yat was at least one had the baby with his or her head buried. >> the warning related to suffocation risk. there are two types of risk. one, the fabric covering baby's mouth and nose. the other one, babies don't have a lot of neck and head control and the chin can touch their chest which can constrict breathing. >> so with this knowledge you have the best in safe baby carriers. >> yes. >> we have a little fashion show. >> yes, a fashion show. >> the first is called the moby wrap. >> at i-village pregnancy and parenting we found this carry -- we found this wrap to be absolutely the most comfortable carrier overall. it's essentially one big piece of fabric. you can wear it six ways to tuesday -- baby in front, in back. it is adjustable, cheap. it's about $40. >> looks like it would be hard to tie yourself. >> it takes practice, but i used this with both my kids until they were toddlers. once you get the hang of it, it's the most comfortable carrier. >> it looks comfortable. thank you very much. thank you for modeling for us. our next is the baby bjorn organic carrier. i had a version of this when my daughter and son were small. >> it's been around a long time. they first introduced carriers in 1961. this is janna and daniella. we like it because it's easier to get on. clip, clip and you're done. we love it because we find it to be one of the most daddy-friendly carriers. dads will wear it when they might not wear others. >> are you able to use it backwards, frontwards? >> yes, baby can be front and back, but it's just a front carrier. >> it's very cute. thank you so much. all right. now we have the 2-g organic carrier. >> this is caden. we love this because it's one of the most comfortable toddler carriers. you can put your big kids in this one. it's super comfy. you can see the straps, big padding on the straps and around the waist. if you're lucky enough to have your kids fall asleep in it. >> thank you very much. i want to show some of the other ones. there is an ergo baby carrier you think is terrific. >> we love it because we can wear it on the hips, back, front. this is a great hip carrier. it's a star. >> that's terrific. and now we have last on our list the kelty sc-3 po.0. >> this is victor and zachary. you can carry big kids in this one. zack is 3 1/2, almost 4. the other thing i love is you can use it instead of a diaper bag. put everything inside and leave the diaper bag at home. >> thank you so much. >> thanks for having >> 9:56 is the time on this wednesday, may 26th,çó twen 10. in the news for today, a man is in kist dee after police say he stabbed another man at the wheat on metro station. the suspect cut the victim on the head in the garage at the wheat on station. they chased him on foot and caught him. authorities say itxd appears th victim will survive. police are hoping a reward helps them catch a pair of killers much they are offering a $25,000 reward to lead to the arrest. he was shot to death last monday while defending a famry at a house he was working ñion. now to the forecast, tom is here with what will be a steamy day. >> the heatçks on. temperatures well into the 70s and the 80s it afternoon. a small chance of a thunderstorm and likelihood of scattered thunderstorms. hot and humid and cooler and wet weather on friday. over the weekend, saturday partly cloudy,t then sundayñi and monday. >> the accident remains and the clean up and investigation (ju)i ago. north of duke street. the back ups are substantial even though the volume is lightening up. a quick check elsewhere, things are moving along nicely. the inner loop and oirt loop across the bridge.çó >> win a pair of the hottest tickets in town.xd taylor swift's sold out juneçó hi, everybody. >> hello, boys. and girls. hello. so official. >> they're at attention. thank you. >> thank you. this is michael with me. >> this is daniel with me. >> thank you for the escort. >> they're not going anywhere. you're supposed to protect me. >> you did good. thank you, boys. thank you so much. >> i guess you can tell it's fleet week. >> it is fleet week. >> the fleet is in. it's winesday, may 26th. lots to celebrate here in new york. always a wonderful, wonderful sight to see the beautiful ships then we see our men on them. men and women. >> i don't know if we got a good shot of the whole crew. we have a whole bunch of folks here visiting us. >> thank you very much for your service to our country, everybody. god bless you all. >> so glad you're with us. >> stay out of trouble in new york this week. look at them. they're at attention. how do we say at ease? >> at ease. >> smile, everybody! >> yeah. >> thank you. thank you so, so much. today is a big anniversary. >> that's what i hear. we like to celebrate anniversaries. we like to get involved and be proactive. >> today is the 100th anniversary of the first modern b bra. there's a woman named sheila hershey. she had triple js. okay? texas wouldn't allow her to go up to the triple k. so she went to brazil and got them. so she has, just so you know, a gallon of silicone in those -- in that. >> usually texas -- people like things big in texas. they have their medical reasons for not wanting her to have a surgery. >> they would not allow. >> i'm glad her two dreams came true. she got to go to brazil and get what made her happy. in honor of the 100 year anniversary of the bra, we're going to take our bras off, okay? you ready, hoda? there you go. i feel liberated! >> and lighter. so much better. >> my back feels so much better. we have other ones on. we're just -- that wasn't our idea. we don't hear too much reaction. one of our producers -- yeah, yeah, yeah. we'll talk about it later. what's going on, toots? >> it's a big day in new york and new jersey. yesterday around 5:00 i heard the big announcement that the super bowl was coming to -- they keep saying new york/new jersey. >> it's called meadowlands. >> that is a big deal. in 2014 the super bowl will be here. it's an outdoor stadium. >> it's going to be chilly. >> they built this new stadium. it cost a fortune. they built it. now the super bowl has come. it's going to be pretty cool. they say the temperature forecast for february 2nd, 2014 is 30 degrees and a chance of snow. which it is always. >> which is pretty much the way it is for two months, january and february every year. i don't know. frank played in that kind of weather forever. it's not so much the football players. because they're running. they're in shape. it's the people sitting in the stands who have to be prepared for that kind of weather. >> okay. so i was at a party last night. >> of course you were. >> here's the thing. forget everything else. there was a woman there who read faces. >> are you going to say who it is? >> yeah. adrian trigioni. this is what she says. the one takeaway i got from the whole thing, now i can't help looking at people's ears. she said it doesn't matter how big your ears are. but if they're set kind of high -- >> yes? >> you're smart. if they're set low, low, not this part. >> i'm not going to wear heavy earrings anymore. >> if they're set low you're not the brightest bulb. she said when she's talking to people it's incredible how often that rings true. >> that just gives you one more reason to judge people, hoda. >> just to know them. mark's genius. look at mark's ears. think about it. talk to your friends. look around. look at their ears and see if that holds true. i bet you it does. >> once they start with the ears, you know what's next. it could be any part of your anatomy. and we have to be extremely careful that we do not judge people based on those kinds of things. >> she was looking at me and saying all these things. and things were ringing true. she said i value a sense of humor in a man so much more than looks. >> she knows you! >> no, she doesn't. i know her from two lunches. i don't know her that well. she goes, you'll walk in with this guy who's completely unattractive, and you'll be nuts about him because he's funny. she's right. i love a sense of humor. >> why haven't they worked out? >> because he wasn't funny. >> the last couple you liked their sense of humor a lot. >> they weren't that funny. they really weren't. >> they were funny the first time. >> you know what? i want to think people are funny initially -- >> you do give everybody the benefit of the doubt. >> it just fades out. >> this video we're about to show you, i hear, i haven't seen it yet, is really, really scary. we wouldn't show it if it didn't have a happy ending. but watch this. >> there's a stroller way down at the end. >> look. it goes down into the subway. the train comes. >> pushes that stroller with the baby in it, by the way. it's a 15-month-old. this, you guys, is the same city in which another young baby was in the stroller and got hit by the subway car or the train and also survived. same thing happened here. a grandmother had two children she was -- she was juggling at the same time. a 3-year-old and that baby. >> took her eyes away for one second. >> there's something wrong with the platforms in those train stations. >> they're quite an angle. >> that's terrible. >> the little boy did survive. he had a few scrapes and bruises. >> imagine after something like that, that is what you have. >> maybe they should just put some sort of little barricade -- you know, if it's at an angle, just put something that's going to stop something on wheels from going down into the train. >> i agree with that. >> you're looking at my ears. >> i am. i'm so obsessed. let's see. you're smart. yours are up high. kind of. no. they are. yours are high. yours are high. >> all right. >> anyway, we talked about venus williams yesterday because she was playing in the french open and her tush was showing. she's actually got flesh-colored panties or whatever those -- spanx. she wore those. got a lot of flak. so she decided -- >> that's the one that's funny. >> that's unbelievable. okay. anywho. anyway, she changed. now she's wearing something that's -- that covers up more. this is the current outfit. >> do you think she was responding to the amount of criticism that she actually got? >> i don't know. maybe. maybe she didn't know it was that distracting. like if you put on some -- >> you know what, she loves fashion. she actually has her own fashion line. so i don't know. if you're not going to go with the all white, you're not going to do it the classic way, let people show their personality, i suppose. >> i agree with that. >> let's ask our friends on facebook how they feel about that. i don't think it should be trashy looking. >> i agree. >> it is andre that started the whole thing in my memory of showing his personality. audiences loved it. crowds loved it. >> i just started reading that book called "women, food and god." it was on oprah the other day. that book makes so much sense. it talks about when you eat something -- i was just thinking because i'm starving. you know how when it's chemical? i eat a doughnut, i feel so good. i'm so happy. >> until you realize i just ate a doughnut. >> but this book tells you stop -- feel the thing you're feeling. forget -- it's like another way to mask it. >> no more guilt. >> yeah. but don't eat so that you don't feel bad. if you have a lot of anxiety, feel the anxiety. it's not that big of a deal. >> as a culture we're used to taking a pill for pretty much everything, hoda. all we're doing is -- >> medicating. >> medicating and postponing the inevitable. i don't think we have team, but we really should. there's this big, big controversy right now about one out of every three children in our country is obese. children are starting to have those operations. the band. the stomach band. >> the lap band. >> the lap band or the gastric bypass, even. >> i think it's horrifying. horrifying. i think because parents want their kid to get fixed quickly. >> that's my point. >> whenever you see a really, really, really overweight, obese person, i've been very heavy in my life. but you know that there's another issue. like you have to figure out what the issue is. >> what was yours? >> my dad passed away so i gained a lot of weight. when i look at old pictures, i probably -- well, i weighed, like, i think 180. close to maybe even more than that. but i didn't -- i never got on the scale. you medicate. you do that just to cover stuff up. >> to numb. >> yeah. okay. thanks a lot for that. >> sorry. >> that's all right. >> right now in response to your venus question, nicole wrote, venus the pushing the envelope but technically she did nothing wrong. crystal was like, i don't think there was anything wrong with ven venus's outfit. go to klgandhoda.com. >> here's the deal. if you can't make it to new york, we're going to bring you here. but don't sign yourself up. because kathie lee knows that that's what you're doing. you have to have a friend or family member. >> i went to driving school last night with my daughter. >> you drive? >> i don't know why i just -- if i'm not myself today, that's why. >> okay. probably the only two guys in ""sex and the city" 2 that never landed the girls. there's probably a reason for that. they'll be here with us. ññ we continue our countdown to "sex and the city 2" and the men of the hour with double trouble today. why aren't these hotties dating any of the film's hot females? >> because we're gay! and happy. i mean happy. not really gay. i've got a wife and three kids. no one's gay in hollywood. hey, hey. >> willie garcon plays carrie bradshaw's best friend. marrow cantone -- >> we're gay twins! >> a great sitcom. >> you guys take the next step in your relationship in this movie. we don't want to give too much away. >> we get married. >> they make us sign our children away. >> wait until you see the third one when i push one out. wait! >> this wedding -- look. >> over the top is an understatement. >> were you there? >> by the way, liza got a huge rousing applause. >> it's rare that you could actually say deserved legend. as amazing as -- you're watching, you're thinking, i could rehearse for 30 years and not do five seconds of what she does. >> she nailed every take. it was unbelievable. >> she can dance. >> she's amazing. >> yeah. >> she was never with us, actually. >> why is it basically accepted fact that gay men loved judy garland, loved liza minelli? >> gay men have taste. now they like people they can't say like don't get me started. i'll go on. look at me and liza! we're like brother and sister. she was the greatest. >> i think she was, too. why is it the angst and the -- >> big singers always have that following. barbra streisand. >> it's the big voice. >> who's that canadian one? >> celine dionne. i'm punching my chest. >> should we talk about the movie, guys? >> is there a movie coming out? >> is there a movie? >> it's coming out thursday. some of the reviews are coming out. not pristine reviews. how do you guys feel about it? >> who cares? we're bullet proof! you missed me! >> also, we were talking this morning. it's like we don't make it for them. "sex and the city" has always been fan driven. since day one. but it's not -- it's not that it's garbage. it's just like it's not -- it's not -- it's made for the fans. it touches a nerve in people in their lives. >> you think the fans are going to be equally thrilled with this sequel? >> yeah. >> i saw a fan when hoda was str stumbling around the premiere drunk the other night -- i'm just saying. >> she came over and fell on me on the couch. we made sweet love. i fed her some caviar. i lifted her dress up, and i put it on. >> willie, mario, i can't believe we have to go. >> what do you mean? >> we're just getting warmed up. >> we've got a duet. ♪ forget your troubles, go on, get happy ♪ >> you have a little spittle. >> is that what it's called? tomorrow we have david eigenberg and steve brady. >> i want to thank you for having me on, on a day that's bad and good. you had 2-year-olds. i hate children. but the marines. hot! so it was good. we're back after this. 0x0x0x0x0xúx some of you may know hoda is writing a mem hua. our lives are open books around here anyway. i've been telling hoda for years, don't give it away for free. >> i'm sure that's going to go over well. i'm writing a book. one of the things i'm a little freaked out about is picking a title. >> right. >> yeah. ♪ >> they say don't judge a book by its cover. apparently "they" don't know. >> are you out of your mind? it's really -- in many ways it's the only thing that counts. >> yes, i am writing a book. which isn't nearly as freaky as having to pick a title to sum up my entire life. surely my book publisher, simon and shuster, will give me some wise advice. i've been thinking about the title of my book. and i've been losing sleep over it. give me some examples of book titles that work. >> hillary clinton, "living history." it's a perfect title for her. one of the best-selling memoirs in history. >> thanks, david. way to be supportive. next? >> there have been a lot of people that say the fourth hour of the "today" show especially, it's that hoda's no einstein. but i was thinking -- >> wait, wait, wait. are you repping me? are you my book publishing company. >> there's only one thing you can call a book about einstein. "einstein." >> genius. can i tell you what's interesting about this. if you look closely, we do have similar hair texture. now that i'm sufficiently scared out of my mind, i have a whole other decision to make. my mug shot. what do you think is the best book jacket look to have. >> whichever one looks most seductive. >> really? >> remember, a person is taking your book home with them. they're taking the book to bed with them. >> you are nasty. you are dirty. >> it's absolutely true. you are taking a book and putting it -- reading it intimately in your bed, putting it on your night table. it's got to be somebody you kind of want to sleep with. >> okay. so we settled on a seductive photo that won't offend my poor mother. but i still need to pick that darn title. of course, i had to do a little recruiting. >> "life without cue cards." >> i like that. >> i always love you in purple, hoda, what's with the hair? what's with the lid? >> that's my hair. >> see on the bottom left? you can see air through it. >> rough crowd. but it was about to get a little rougher. >> hoda, the woman i know is much more interesting than that. even though you are a book virgin. take it from me, i haven't been a virgin in a long, long time. this is my suggestion. >> okay. all right. >> just that. but if you're wise, you will take it from the old gray mare who's been out to pasture a long time. >> "kathie lee and me"? you got the picture? that's you. >> we could fix you up in the corner like "people" magazine. it says it all. it says everything. >> somehow i'm thinking this might not shoot to the pop to have the best sellers. >> i'm really sorry this didn't work for you. i mean, "kathie lee and me" was -- she had us vinconvinced. however, we do have something we think you are going to like that we really have put some thought into. a home run. >> yeah! that's good. that's good. >> "hoda: how i survived war zones, bad hair, cancer and kathie lee." >> it's all a matter of taste. >> we got the one! >> should have taken advice from the old gray mare. >> i see yours up there. >> absolutely beautiful cover. look how gorgeous even your toes are. you are my egyptian goddess and i'm so happy for you. you wrote this with your dear friend jane. >> she is a winner. it's going to come out in october. we're working. we're working. we're working. >> you have to let me -- i will actually read yours as opposed to you reading mine. >> you have a book? >> exactly. still to come, we're going to play "who knew?" with entertainment weekly. >>çó coming up on midday, just time for the summer travel season, we will you how to avoid the baggage fees at the airport. also ahead, hold on to your wallets. why lawmakers want to tax something in your pantry right now. behind closed doors.ñi what's going onçó in the bedroo of america's married we're back on this wednesday with more of "today." we're ready to play "who knew?" testing on some of the most famous and infamous characters in tv, film and print over the past two decades. kathie lee st across the street at the msnbc.com digital cafe ready to hand out $100 to those who answer her questions correctly. to those who don't, what a shame. here to help me out in the studio, the editor of "entertainment weekly," which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. how do you think the folks are going to do? >> they're not that hard. i think a lot of people are going to be $100 richer. we'll see. i don't know. >> let's go across to kath. >> maybe the lucky few will get the cd. all right. in which of the following, ladies from philadelphia, following popular catch phrases was not in the movie "jerry maguire." i feel the need, the need for speed. you complete me. you had me at hello. show me the money. which one did not show up in "jerry maguire." >> a. >> yeah! >> wow. so that's it. i feel the need for speed. all right. i thought they were too young to know. they're very smart. >> i feel the need for speed was actually from another tom cruise movie, which was "top gun." maverick said that. tom cruise, jerry maguire, jerry maguire is number 46 on the list. also on the list is renee zellweger. that was her big break. >> just as forgetting is that frank gifford stole that movie from everybody. >> he also stole my wallet once. >> you guys are visiting from miami, right? in the movie "forrest gump" tom hanks character influenced which of the following events? again, it's an hour show. >> i believe it was -- i know he played ping-pong. >> yeah. >> a? >> it took you a while. but yeah. >> ping-pong diplomacy. >> it was kind of a trick question, right? anyway, forrest gump, interesting trivia, that script kicked along for years and years and years before tom hanks signed on and did the movie. john travolta was attached to it. bill murray was attached to it. it was almost a very different "forrest gump." >> nice folks from oregon. in addition to other eccentric behavior napoleon dynamite plays which of the following sports? polo, tether ball, cricket or hula hooping. >> b. >> all right! >> the movie buffs across the street. tether ball. >> i think that was the hardest question. they got it. the amazing thing about napoleon dynamite. he's 86 on the list. that little movie that came out in 2004, it only made about $45 million at the box office. but it has become such a cultural icon, that guy. >> why did that movie catch so many people's imagination? >> i think everybody identified with that geeky character. there was something about a character who was so nerdy and so geeky and yet so kind of comfortable with who he was that people really responded to it. >> back across to kath. >> all right. visiting from colorado. the hit comedy "30 rock" is loosely based off creator tina fey's experience working at "saturday night live." what is the name of "30 rock's" fictional sketch comedy show. the chu big fan of the show, huh? >> we're tired. b. . >> you're going to get my cd! hey! hey! >> all right. so the correct answer is the girly show with tracy morgan. >> tracy morgan is on the list of the greatest characters of all time. the interesting thing is -- oh, we actually got -- i'm sorry. tracy jordan. we got tracy morgan who plays him to dress up as some of his favorite characters. >> i love that. >> tracy as forrest gump, sponge bob, the bride who killed bill. the first picture you saw he was with a tiger. seeing tracy morgan with a tiger was pretty great. >> genius. >> mom and her daughter olivia celebrating her 6th birthday today. she's precious. in a self-titled cartoon show sponge bob square pants lives in a pineapple shaped house with which of the following screeches? sandy the squirrel, sk -- >> gary the snail. >> happy birthday! you're going to get the money and party animals, okay? >> adorable. she didn't even take a beat. >> i wouldn't have gotten that one. interesting trivia about sponge bob, who is number ten out of 100 on our list, because he's such a great character, he was actually invented by a former marine biologist, created by a former marine biologist named steven hillenberg. he was a teacher. he did an educational sort of comic book. he came up with this little character called bonn t eed bob. later on steven became an an may tor and invented this character. something tells me he's making a lot more money now than he did as a marine biologist. >> before revealing all the 100 -- you're not going to tell us who number one is? >> number one is homer simpson. >> homer simpson? >> it was dead silent. nobody cares. homer simpson, number one. >> kathy's going to come back over here. we're going to talk fashion. how to look like carrie and the gang with the woman who dresses them, pat field is with us after this. úc@)xtxxxtú8 time for "today's" style and the fashions of "sex and the city 2." face it. these women all have closets we would give our shoe collection for. >> from day one you couldn't help but notice the amazing wardrobe of the film's characters. the woman behind it all is the award winning designer patricia field. we can't talk about "sex and the city" without our cosmos. >> and i brought you a gift. an original from the movie. i'm a greek and i'm bearing you a gift. >> who wore that in the movie, pat? >> worn by samantha. thank you. we'll share it, hoda woman. >> go like this, pat. you'll be glad you did. >> you're going to show us -- you're going to have a little fashion show here today, right? what are we going to do. >> let's start with one sip. how could we not? >> cheers. >> as we have a sip, we're going to start off with carrie's look. carrie had this pretty cool look when she arrived in abu dhabi. this is the look we had on the show. let's bring out our model, kim. tell us what you've done to kim. >> i was lucky to find -- >> that's beautiful. >> at a top shop -- because, you know, i have to do these outfits for around $200 or something. so i found this in top shop. this is really interesting. this is the top. i was like, damn, i need a dress. so i bought two tops and i just sliced it and made a skirt. >> oh, you are kidding. stop it. >> that's fun to talk about. >> oh, my gosh! that's fantastic. >> i love it. kim, thank you. that looks beautiful. >> you want to know any prices or you don't care? >> i think we're good. i love the shoes. >> payless. >> next, charlotte. this is charlotte's look. >> more ladylike. >> that's oscar de la, renta. i found this in my shop. about $85. this whole outfit, i don't know. i got it written here. i can't remember all these details. $200. head to toe. >> beautiful! >> that is gorgeous. i love that it's inexpensive. is stuff in your shop all around that range? >> my shop ranges -- i could have some expensive -- as long as it's worth it, that's my philosophy. but i have many things for very little and then it goes up. >> she's got it all. >> thank you very much. >> all right. next we have sexy samantha. samantha walked out, and people who are going to see the movie tomorrow for the first time, had this black dress with cutouts all throughout. >> peek a boo. >> you decided to bring out another version. we have our jen here with us. tell us about jen's dress. it's adorable. >> you got to look like jen to wear it. >> you're not going to believe this about this dress. this dress is $12.95 at h&m. >> who are you? >> down there is another pair of payless shoes by christian serino. $35. >> how did you find a dress for $12? amazing. >> i said i'll take it. even though it doesn't have cutouts. >> are you going somewhere, pat? >> i'm just checking around, that's all. >> modern miranda. >> and miranda. >> she was in the desert at one point wearing this flowy number. now we have one of our models, jasmine. tell us about jasmine. >> she's wearing a similar if not exactly the same. this one is from top shop. it costs $135. >> you're kidding me? >> then why do people spend all the money that they've spent? >> because they're insecure. >> now we know. >> they need to be more creative. >> let's bring all of our models out. come on out, ladies. you know what, you are genius. the fact you showed that we can have those fashions on the cheap like that, thank you for that. >> congratulations. >> congratulations oe on the mo. >> we go way back. >> remember, style does not cost money. we'll be right back with rainbow, why so blue? 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you decide. submit ideas and vote for ideas now at refresheverything.com. every time you drink pepsi, you support the pepsi refresh project. every time you drink pepsi, [ female announcer ] when the more options you have,ght, the more likely you are to stay on track. that's why there are 9 delicious kinds of special k® cereal. ♪ ♪ because every girl could use a little variety. ♪ special k®, now in 9 delicious flavors. well, hello, sailor! as i fix my -- it's fleet week in new york city. we thought we'd be wonderful hosts, invite some of the guys, and there's one lady, two ladies with us in the studio. >> in honor of our servicemen and women in town we're going to compete in a special fleet week challenge. a lieutenant from the u.s. navy is going to talk us from our basic training. also frank hutchinson with us. >> this is a chance to highlight our sea services. not just the navy. but the marines corps and the coast guard as well. we're glad you guys are here to take the fleet week challenge. >> is this going to be easy? >> this is going to get you ready to join. first part is trivia. let's start it off. what i want you to do is whoever gets it right, raise your hand and we'll call on you. it's not like jeopardy. you don't have to form a question. first question is, when was the first fleet week in new york. >> 1984. >> she didn't raise her hand. >> 1984. >> hoda. >> holy smokes! >> that was in the open. >> i was impressed. we'll get you back on board. next question, on a ship, what is the term -- the nautical term for a bathroom. >> kathie lee. >> the head. >> absolutely right. >> of course you got that one right. >> i almost said the lou. >> in france you would be right. going into the third and final question. this is it. this is the tie breaker. okay. frank is a -- commander muchson is a commander of the u.s. naval acade academy. what is the mascot of the u.s. naval academy. >> i group up in annapolis. >> see hands. >> tiger? i don't know. what is it? >> it's tied. it's bill the goat. >> bill the goat. >> okay. bill the goat. frank hutchinson is going to tell you why knots are important. >> very quickly. take a piece of line like this. we use these for all kinds of things. basic seamanship. simplest knot i can. make a loop. remember this part. the rabbit goes through the hole, around the tree, back through the hole, pull, now you got a knot. very simple. >> 30 seconds. okay, go. >> wait a minute! >> ready. >> and begin. >> around the hole, through it -- >> make a loop, make a loop. oh, my. that's close. >> nope, nope, nope. >> mine's like a slip knot kind of. >> commander, how is kathie lee doing? >> she's having a little trouble over here. >> what, sir? >> you don't have a big loop. >> i got it! i got it! i got something! >> she's got something! >> i got nothing. >> i got more than that. what is that? >> that's a knot. >> okay. pick the winner. >> kathie lee, you absolutely had a great knot, but it wasn't the kind we were looking for. >> i didn't know that. >> i think hoda wins the knot tying contest. >> this is it. we're going to go into the final segment. the physical challenge. we've got a former drill instructor, staff sergeant brian lampy is going to show you -- >> what is going on here? kathie lee, stop trying to get extra points. i know what you do. >> what are we doing now? >> we're going to watch them do it first. >> staff sergeant lampy, let's see how to do the perfect pull up. chin up. >> from the bottom like that? no. that's going to be simple. >> ladies, kick it off. >> what do we do? >> grab ahold. drop all the way down. ready? begin! >> help me! >> there you go. >> a little more. ready? get up there. >> one, two. are my spanx showing? five. >> one more, hoda! >> i won that one. >> what do you mean you won that? shawn, shawn, shawn, tell the truth. >> i'm outranked by commander hutchinson. >> commander? >> hoda, she's doing a very good job of convincing me. in all fairness, i think it was a great match. i think you're both winners. i think you're both winners. and fortunately we have two first-place prizes. in recognition of your participation in fleet week and thank you for having us here, i would like to present you with these fleet week 2010 coins. >> thank you. you guys are terrific. thank you for everything. you guys are very sweet. >> you did a great job. we'll be back with more of "today" on nbc. hey, sara. what's everybody talking about? >> people are writing in suggestions for hoda's book. danielle wrote in "before and beyond today's last hour." tracy wrote in, "hoda woman." >> that was my first thought was "hoda woman." but it is how i survived war zones, bad hair, breast cancer and -- that's the thanks i get for making her a huge star. tomorrow, how to soften up your skin. >> yeah. >> bye.