Transcripts For WRC Today 20100628

memories he's heading home with today, monday, june 28th, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a monday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm natalie morales in for meredith. this morning the flags in washington at the capitol building are at half-staff to mark the death of 92-year-old senator robert byrd. >> west virginia democrat died peacefully overnight at a hospital in fairfax, virginia. senator byrd was first elected to the house back in 1952. six years later he became a u.s. senator, a position he held for 52 years to become the longest serving member of congress ever. just ahead, much more on senator byrd's distinguished career and the impact his death will have on key issues coming up before congress. >> nine terms in congress. quite a legacy. also ahead, a judge has now told joran van der sloot his murder confession will stand. so where does the case now go from there? and just how long will it take for his trial to get under way? we'll have the late nest a live report from peru just ahead. plus, a memorable moment at last night's b.e.t. awards. chris brown broke down on stage during an emotional tribute to michael jackson as you see there. some are questioning the sincerity of it. was he really moved? is it genuine grooief or a ploy for sympathy after his latest scandal. let's begin with the sad news overnight that west virginia senator robert byrd has died. nbc's kelly o'donnell is on capitol hill. kelly, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. it really is no exaggeration to use words like legend and historic figure when you're talking about robert byrd. more than any american in our country's history, he served longer here on capitol hill. he was a controversial figure at times early in his political life. became a beloved figure and admired by so many of his colleagues later in life. and over the last few days he was admitted to the hospital for what at first was believed to just be dehydration. his condition grew much worse over the weekend and he passed away at 3:00 this morning eastern time. >> i have no objection -- >> reporter: robert byrd did something no other american ever had. the longest serving u.s. senator in history. ♪ >> reporter: he spent more than 50 years as a democrat representing west virginia. the fiddle in tune with his giant personality and flair for oratory. >> moses struck the rock with his rod. >> reporter: his age was an issue for critics, but byrd relied on humor. >> shocking discovery, yes. shocking discovery that i am growing older. >> reporter: the years showed byrd rally proud with joe biden on the campaign trail. >> it is in his life story. he's a west virginian. >> reporter: byrd's own life story began in coal country where he knew the ache of poverty. >> robert c. byrd's roots were very humble, and i think that drove him in his life. >> reporter: he earned a night school law degree after he was elected to congress. known for his mastery of arcane senate rules that confounded opponents, byrd was a powerful majority leader in the '70s and '80s. his seniority helped byrd steer billions in federal money back to west virginia. many projects bear his name. labelled by some the king of pork, byrd was unabashed. >> man, you're looking at big daddy. big daddy. >> reporter: outspoken against the war in iraq, he said no to the authorization to use force and called that his proudest vote. >> invading a country without our having been provoked? that was unconstitutional in my book. >> reporter: among his own regrets he'd been a member of the ku klux klan in his 20s and fought to block the civil rights act of 1964. but in a dramatic turn later advocated for civil rights. on inauguration day president obama made a special stop to embrace byrd. there with edward kennedy, whose terminal cancer prompted an anguished floor speech from byrd. >> my dear friend, i love you. and i miss you. >> reporter: and there was heartbreak when he lost his wife of 68 years, erma. >> i'm doing exactly what she would want me to do. work, work, and work. >> reporter: widely considered a historian of the senate, robert byrd's unmatched nine terms secured his own place in that history. and his passing has political consequences, of course. west virginia's democratic governor will have an obligation now. byrd's term was supposed to end in 2012. when you get a sense how he was well liked and how he really spanned history here, his friend, the late ted kennedy, used to tease him every time he cast a vote he set a new record. more than 20,000 votes cast here in the u.s. senate. matt? >> kelly o'donnell on capitol hill this morning. kelly, thank you very much. it's six minutes after the hour. here is gnnatalie. matt, thank you. it is day 70 of the disaster in the gulf and all eyes are on tropical storm alex as it moves into warmer waters. what impact could it have on the crisis and the cleanup efforts? nbc's brian williams is in venice, will ylouisiana. brian, good morning. >> reporter: natalie, good morning to you. because we have 138 miles now officially oiled, as you might imagine, they were watching the weather channel in this region all weekend long. as you also might imagine, they don't believe much of anything these days and that goes from oil can companies to the government to even weather forecasters. they say they will deal with what comes. they just can't even afford to think about a storm. the people who work these waters for a living will tell you the only sure thing about storm season in the gulf is that anything can happen. a storm like alex would mean everybody out of here. 38,000 workers, 6,000 vessels, and men like a.c. cooper, a lifelong fisherman now working cleanup for bp. he says winds and high seas would make a tough job close to impossible. >> it's going to be bad enough already without no tropical storm or depression or hurricane. we don't need none of them. >> reporter: if it's not alex, it will be the next one. any storm with winds of 46 miles an hour or more triggers a massive evacuation. that containment dome above the well, those two relief wells they're still drilling, all of it would have to be unhooked and that would unleash the full flow of oil all over again into the gulf. for all those like a.c. cooper who are working on the cleanup, the big work continues beneath the water. one of the relief wells has now gone down 12,000 feet and has made the turn to intercept the bad well. they're still aiming for august but that's if they aren't forced to unhook for this storm or any other. >> we pray to god because we don't need it. >> reporter: the approach of alex, the first storm of the season and still far from here is a good lesson that any storm this season must be taken seriously because of what wind, water, and oil can do when they're all combined. >> people need to use common sense. they ought to heed the warnings and it would be better for them to leave the area. we have to be cautious and people have to beware what's going on around them. >> reporter: by the way, this storm, the threat of it, has brought some new meteorology. of course hurricanes usually depend on evaporation off the ocean's surface to feed the storm. what will it be like when so much of the water has an oil sheen on the top? will hurricanes be as severe this year? by the way, also in the last 24 hours, we have fresh oiling in mississippi, st. andrews beach, ocean springs beach in mississippi. bp has also hit a rate of $100 million spending per day to clean this up. back to you in new york. >> wow. quite a figure there. brian williams, so much frustration and frayed nerves. thank you. i know you'll be spending more time there. have much more from the gulf region tonight on "nbc nightly news." thank you. let's get more on the tropical storm now. al roker is upstairs. he has the latest on alex. al, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt and natalie. 75 miles west of campeche, mexico. as we look at the path of the storm it's going to be a slow mover working its way toward mexico. most of the models have it coming in somewhere around southern texas or into mexico but a few models bring it even further north making landfall sometime early thursday morning as a minimal category 3, maybe category 2, storm and then it starts to dissipate. but the problem is, again, this moisture surge. look at this. as you can see all the blue and green and yellow is moisture feeding off of alex and as it works its way up, we're looking at quite a bit of rain and wind. rainfall amounts along the coast, anywhere from 3 to 7 inches of rain. that's without alex making landfall anywhere along here f. it got closer, this would be much worse. we'll continue to track this right on through the day. of course, you can get more information on the weather channel or weather.com online. matt? it's a big day for the u.s. supreme court. the confirmation hearings get under way for elena kagan. as the current justices wrap up their latest term. justice correspondent pete williams is at the supreme court. pete, good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning. elena kagan has been listening to the republican attacks for the past seven weeks. now she gets her chance to respond as the senate begins considering whether she should be the third woman on the supreme court. though she was easily confirmed just last year for her current job in the justice department as solicitor general, elena kagan will face tougher questions now. republicans say documents from her time as a legal and policy adviser to president clinton show her more interested in partisan politics than the law. >> the more we learn about her work as a political adviser and political operative, the more questions arise about her ability to make the necessary transition from politics to neutral arbiter. >> reporter: but legal scholars who support her nomination say giving policy advice back then was expected of her. >> elena kagan isn't a political pa partisan. her entire career she spent one year in a political position and she seems to have just done her job advising president clinton about his agenda. >> reporter: republicans accuse kagan of treating the military unfairly when she was dean of harvard law school. she enforced an anti-discrimination policy that kept recruiters out of the school's placement center because of the pentagon's don't ask/don't tell rule. >> instead of welcoming the military recruiters on campus, she punished them, relegating them to second-class status, even leading student veterans to arrange and recruit meetings off campus. >> reporter: student military veterans said she made them feel welcome at harvard and praised them for their service though she opposed the policy on gays in the military. she's the first nominee in nearly 40 years with no experience as a judge. republicans say they'll press her about that, too. but a republican who once held the job she has now, solicitor general, the government's top courtroom advocate, says she is well qualified. >> the solicitor general is working on the very same case as the justices. she will be familiar with the rhythms of the court, the kind of cases that they get involved in. >> reporter: supporters hope the full senate will confirm her by early august. this is the last day of the supreme court's term. we'll get a widely anticipated ruling on gun rights, whether the second amendment right to bear arms applies to the states and not just the federal government. and one other note here. justice ruth bader ginsberg's husband of 56 years, martin ginsberg, died sunday at age 78. matt? >> sad news, pete. thank you very much for your report. republican john cornyn of texas and democrat amy klogushar are members of the committee holding kagan's confirmation. good morning to you. >> it's great to be on. >> thank you. senator cornyn, some republicans are questioning whether elena kagan can separate herself from her political views which, of course, would be necessary if she's to be a neutral ash it ter on the supreme court. you have a unique perspective on this because you were a justice and the texas supreme court a while ago. so were you able to do it? >> i was a judge in the state court system of texas and i know from experience that you have to make a conscious effort to separate yourself to play that unique role of a judge. miss kagan has absolutely no track record, as pete which wil points out. she's the first nominee who hasn't been a judge in almost 40 years. >> let me interrupt. >> that's not a disqualifier. >> but back to my question, do you think she is able to distance herself from her political views and were you able to do it on the bench? >> well, i think i was and i think she could but i think we need to ask her about that. she showed when she was a law clerk to thurgood marshall she expressed no sympathy, she said, to claims of the second amendment claims right to gun ownership by law abiding citizens and i don't think a judge ought to be acting based on sympathy but rather on fidelity to the law. and that's what we need to ask her about . >> senator, she did serve as a year -- for a year as a legal policy adviser to president clinton and i guess as part of her job description did express political opinions. so is this an issue? is it a weakness or is it a smokescreen? >> i think you have to look at her whole career, matt. that was one year. she was a teacher. she was in the private sector. as you just mentioned my esteemed colleague over in texas has done both jobs and has been able to separate them. so i really think what you need to look at is, is elena kagan qualified to do this job? is she competent? and i believe at the end of the hearings, it's going to be very clear to the american people that she is. >> let me call your attention, senator, to something that was in your hometown newspaper, a snippet from a republican press release that has you saying the following. quote, if we just put judges on the court that have handled no difficult cases, that haven't been in the arena where people have never been judges and so they didn't have those difficult decisions, i don't think we'd have a strong judiciary. so are you concerned about her lack of experience? does it weaken the court in general? >> not one bit. i was actually referring to the fact that a certain nominee was being attacked because he had handled a difficult case. i was making the point that you have to be able to step the people that have been on the court and that have handled difficult cases. in this case, i welcome, as justice scalia actually said back in may, someone that doesn't have judicial experience on that supreme court. here you have got people who have all been judges before. the fact she has had real world experience, that she has had to be on the frontline making nitty-gritty decisions about whether to compromise, what works, what are the repercussions of public policy. maybe we wouldn't have had the exxon valdez fishermen have all their damages dashed down from $5 billion to $500 million. people who thought that through the back room. >> senator cornyn, i want to change subject dramatically. i wonder if you could give me your reaction to the patsing of senator byrd, the longest serving member of congress ever. just your thoughts this morning. >> well, of course we're saddened by his passing. we knew that the time was drawing near. he believed in the constitutional role of the is not not to be rubber stamped for the president and he believed fiercely in his state and his constituents there. we will miss him. and i think the senate has lost a great champion. >> senators cornyn and klobuchar, thank you for your time. good luck with the hearings today. >> we look forward to it. thank you very much, matt. now a check of the rest of the morning's top stories with msnbc's willie geist. hey, willie, good morning. good morning, natalie. good morning, matt. a violent storm in michigan is being blamed for at least one death at a campground north of detroit. the storm overturned camper trailers and threw one of them into a nearby pond. four other people were injured. today there's a risk of severe weather from washington, d.c., all the way up to maine. president obama is back at the white house this morning after wrapping up meetings at the g-20 summit with other world leaders in toronto. the leaders agreed to work toward cutting their countries' deficits by half by 2013. an ambitious goal there. former vice president dick cheney expected to be released from the hospital today. cheney, who has a history of heart trouble, was hospitalized friday after experiencing some good morning, i'm meteorologist tom kierein. one more day with excessive heat and high humidity. later today, we should make it into the low and mid-90s by early to midafternoon with hazy sunshine. then after that, some thunderstorms coming through, some of which could produce some damaging winds between 3:00 p.m. to as late as 8:00 p.m. lower humidity moves in with cooler weather beginning tomorrow and should last all the way into the holiday weekend and that's your latest weather. matt? good to have you back. just ahead, royal pain. prince harry's nasty tumble turning his weekend visit to the u.s. still to come, how joran van der sloot is staying in shape and keeping up with the world cup from behind bars. plus, 16-year-old sailor abby sunderland speaks out about her dramatic rescue at sea. mayou're trying to lose weight, the more options you have, 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. good morning. it's 7:26 on this monday. the 28th day of june. i'm joe krebs. and in the news 4 today, it will take you more to take metro this morning. an 18% fare hike took effect yesterday. that brings the base rush hour fare for metro rail to $1.95. that would be a 20 cent increase. off-peak fairs are now $1.06. metro bus riders who use cash will also have to pay 40 cents more per trip. rates on fairfax county's fairfax connector have gone up as well. we'll take a break and come back to look at our weather forecast and check out the traffic on this monday morning. just after the american legion bridge. look at that. joe? >> thanks very much. now back to the "today" show. 7:30 on monday, june 28th, 2010. one of our country's national treasures, yellow stone national park. the black sand basin. you can see the water vapor coming off the geysers there. it's a gorgeous, gorgeous play. today's gener today's jenna bush hager is there. >> always wanted to go. gorgeous. >> and speaking of treasures, take a look at what we got last night. >> not bad. >> this is our second emmy award for the best morning show. >> i'd like to accept on behalf of meredith vieira who can't be here today. >> we accept this on behalf of all the people who work behind the scenes on this program. you never get to see them and hopefully you get to see their names every once in a while. but congratulations, folks. >> well done, team. also ahead, we'll have an exclusive interview with abby sunderland, the 16 ye-year-old california girl attempting to sail solo around the world when she ran into a storm. her boat's mast snapped and she had to be rescued. we'll hear from her coming up in just a little while. plus, the prince, the polo match, and one nasty spill that everyone is talking about. prince harry's fall and the other memorable moments from his whirlwind visit to new york. and a programming te, wednesday, right here on "today," an exclusive interview with elizabeth edwards, her first since separating with former presidential candidate john edwards. how is she doing? where does their relationship stand now? we'll hear from elizabeth edwards wednesday on "today." let's begin this half hour with a key ruling in the joran van der sloot case. his confession to the murder of a young woman in peru will stand. nbc's michelle kosinski is in lima, peru, with the details. michelle, good morning. >> reporter: hi there, natalie. it's basically no takebacks, no do had been overs. joran van der sloot and his attorney were asking the court to throw out his confession claiming his rights were violated and to have police reinterview him. now that is not going to happen. all those details he gave about beating a young woman to death here are still very much a part of the case against him. joran van der sloot claimed he was tricked into confessing to the brutal murder of stephany flores, found beaten and choked last month in his lima hotel room after they had played poker together. he said his interrogators who questioned him for three days told him he'd be extradited to holland if he signed papers he claimed he didn't understand. his lawyer also told the court, among other things, that joran's appointed attorney at the time was dating a cop, that he wasn't given a good translator, and that the whole investigation up to that point should be nullified. tossed out. joran had told a dutch newspaper he was scared during questioning in a blind panic. but for all the allegations and drama in legalese, the judge here didn't buy it calling all of his claims unfounded. so now he waits for the wheels of justice to turn in a solitary cell in presideison. he has been here now nearly a month. officials say he's doing all right, obedient and very clean, though he seems to be highly influenced by his new friend and cellblock mate, accused colombian hitman. they say he and trujillo talk constantly about money, have been watching world cup games in trujillo's cell and joran, who has no access to public areas for his own safety has built weights out of a broom stick and water bottles for exercise. joran also now has books to read given to him by a mysterious female visitor who described herself as a friend from holland. one is a bible, though jailers say that was the last thing he would want to break open. because castro castro prison is max yum security with private security for with very few private cells. he could be here months, if not years. so what happens next, joran's attorney plans to immediately appeal this judge's ruling and this week the father of victim stephany flores will make a statement before the court. natalie? >> michelle kosinski live from lima peru, again. thank you, michelle. and now good morning. it is a mild and muggy monday morning here. we've got the humidity still in place and temperatures are in the upper 70s and low 80s at this hour. and it will hit near 90 by noontime and then peak in the low to mid-90s by early to midafternoon with hazy sunshine and high humidity. then some strong storms are possible late afternoon to early evening. otherwise, brief heavy downpours and frequent lightning possible, 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. any storminess should be dissipating by midnight. lower humidity with team jacob out in force. let he is go back to matt. thank you very much. 16-year-old sailor abby sunderland is finally homeward bound after two weeks after her bid to sail so low ended in a dramatic rescue at sea. but not before she spoke out about her ordeal. here is nbc's jeff rossen. >> reporter: this morning abby sunderland is on her way home to skalcal. >> i just don't believe everything that's happened over the past few days. it's really been a shock. >> reporter: abby spent the weekend on the reunion island off the coast of africa. she spoke with her mom by phone. >> still a little wobbly. >> reporter: and reunited with her brother, zac. for good measure, she went jet skiing. can't keep this girl out of the water. >> i'm happy to get home but i know i'm really going to miss everything out in the ocean. >> reporter: at only 16 years old abby was sailing alone around the world on her boat "wild eyes." powerful waves snapped her mast. >> went flying across and expected it to stop at a certain point and need it to pop back up but it didn't. it just kept on going. before i knew it, it was on the roof. >> reporter: abby set off her emergency beacon. search crews on three continents went looking and eventually plucked her from the sea. >> i just put everything into can getting the boat and myself ready. it was a really weird feeling knowing that i'm never going to see that boat again. it's sad. >> reporter: her parents back in thousand oaks, california, have come under fire for allowing their teenaged daughter into rough waters all alone. they spoke with meredith here on "today." >> this is more of a testimony to her will to survive and deal with the situation than a travesty that she went out there at all. >> reporter: abby is af amazing girl. you know that saying what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger? well, she takes it a step further. >> i'm not sure how many people would believe this, but i think i like sailing even more than when i left. >> reporter: abby's only fear heading home today, adjusting back to life on land. >> i'm going to finish high school, get my driver's license. i'm really looking forward to seeing my little brothers and sisters and my dog and all that, but i'm a little bit nervous actually about getting home. >> reporter: her old life with new perspective. for "today," jeff rossen, nbc news, los angeles. >> and, by the way, abby will be here for an exclusive live interview wednesday morning on "today." and coming up this morning, how sin veer was singer chris brown's tribute to michael jackson at last night's b.e.t. awards? we're part of nature, and as we destroy nature, we destroy ourselves. it's a selfish thing to want to protect nature. i never intended to be a businessman. we made the world's best climbing equipment out of here. we realized that putting in and taking out of all these pitons was causing damage to the rock. so, i made these little soft aluminum chalks that you just put in with your fingers. and i'm a dam buster. we've been working for years to take this dam out. the reservoir behind it is only 4 feet deep-- the water gets real warm, kills a lot of the life in the river. when you take out a dam, that's a real victory. i mean, a concrete victory so to speak! when i get an idea to do something, i like to take the first step. if that feels good, i take another step. to do good, you actually have to do something. no matter what you want to do, members project from american express can help you take the first step. vote, volunteer or donate at membersproject.com. 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design your plan at 866 blueprint. back now at 7:42. former vice president dick cheney could be released from a washington area hospital as soon as today following his latest heart scare. the 69-year-old who has suffered five heart attacks was admitted on friday after experiencing discomfort. dr. nancy snyderman, good morning. do we know if he was suffering from discomfort. >> when a doctor hears fluid retention, you think the plumbing is really backing up, congestive heart failure. because the heart is really a pump. it doesn't pump well, the fluid backs up through the lungs and a lot of times people notice swelling in their ankles and once that happens, you have to report to your doctor, get that treated. >> and so he was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, something he has had before. >> that's why he has a pacemaker. the top part of the heart does not beat effectively to make the lower part of the heart pump out the blood. so it's almost two things. you have the atrial fibrillation and then you have the fluid retention sort of congestive heart failure. so those can go together but they can be isolated events. >> so what's the course of treatment then? >> the first thing is to get the fluid off. doctors will start an iv and give them diuretics. and that's just to get that excess fluid out of the body. and then you have to look at two things, the electrical conduction and can you treat that with medicine or sometimes zapping the heart or buzzing the heart's electrical system. that's one issue. and then the pump itself. the floppiness of the heart. is it beating effectively? and they may say it's beating better. there's nothing to do. long term they may talk about an assist device to allow the heart to beat more effectively and in some patients if there really is heart failure and that's what we're talking about weeks from now, you can think about heart transplant. it's atrial fibrillation and the fact the pump isn't working well and then those two things exacerbate each other. >> only 69 years old but a major history of heart issues, five heart attacks including the last one was just in february. so what is the long-term outlook? >> i think a lot of it depends on the testing that was done this weekend. 69 is awfully young. we know that. vice president cheney has been dealing with this for a very long time and they've made incremental and very smart decisions about how to treat it. right now he has a pacemaker in him that only paces his heart but gives him a little zap if his heart zaps. so a lot of the what next with regard to medicine, whether he has a surgical procedure, or whether, the big issue would be a heart transplant further down the line. a lot of those things will be what was done this weekend, what has the family decided, but i suspect the vice president will li likely stay close to home this summer. >> i would imagine so. dr. nancy snyderman, thanks as always. prince harry hurting a bit after that fall in new york. much more on his weekend here in the big apple. plus, one of hollywood's hottest young stars, "twilight's" taylor lautner here. 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. are the things we make. this has always been a nation of builders, craftsmen. men and women for whom straight stitches and clean welds were matters of personal pride. they made the skyscrapers and the cotton gins. colt revolvers, jeep 4 x 4's. these things make us who we are. as a people, we do well when we make good things and not so well when we don't. the good new is, this can be put right. we just have to do it. and so we did. ♪ this, our newest son, was imagined, drawn, carved, stamped, hewn and forged here in america. it is well made and it is designed to work. this was once a country where people made things, beautiful things, and so it is again. the new jeep grand cherokee. ♪ ...that outlasts their energy. 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[ female announcer ] new continuous protection. from aveeno®. soak our yards in color. get our hands a little busier. our dollars a little stronger. and our thinking a little greener. let's grab all the bags and all the plants and all the latest tools out there. so we can turn all these savings into more colorful shades of doing. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. we've made a special buy on off clip-on for just $6.88 each. back now at 7:48. new yorkers were head over heels for prince harry this weekend during his three-day visit to the u.s. and he literally went head over heels during a charity polo match. f michelle franzen has that story. >> reporter: a fall from his horse didn't stop prince harry as he completed his whirlwind weekend in new york city. the youngest son of prince charles and the late princess diana played polo sunday to raise money for his charity, the group provides support for aids orphans. >> nearly one quarter of the population of that country can find hope where there is none, a future out of bleakness. >> reporter: the three-day tour also included a race in central park, walking alongside wounded war veterans. and a stop at new york mets citi field where he took to the mound. >> prince harry, it's your pitch. >> reporter: throwing the ceremonial first pitch and catching a royal welcome from fans. >> just to see prince harry throw out the first pitch because he's the prince. >> and he's cute. >> reporter: attention to the royals has often focused more on the older brother. at west point, prince harry, a lieutenant in the british army, took part in field training exercises with cadets. >> he clearly knows what he's doing. he knows how to shoot. >> reporter: and his trip took him to the flight deck for the "uss intrepid" for a meeting with wounded veterans. >> we fight together and tragically some died together and others are wounded together. >> reporter: in a recent visit to africa the young prince told reporters his charity work is inspired by his mother. >> i suppose that's what keeps us going every day is the thought of what she would be like if she was around today. >> reporter: there is intense fascination with his love life. his on/off again relationship with chelsy davy is reportedly over. these photos were shot of the couple having lunch in south africa. >> she wants to move back to south africa and sees this as a chance to end the relationship. prince harry doesn't see it that way and wants to continue to try to keep it working. >> reporter: on sunday all eyes were on the prince as he competed against world famous polo stars nacho figueras. >> i'm smitten with prince harry. so impressed. >> the cost of a table for ten overlooking the polo field a king's ransom of $50,000. all for a royal good cause. for today, michelle franzen, nbc news, new york. >> i think he likes it in new york. >> i think he does. i hope he keeps coming back year after year. >> that fall, by the way, if you fall off a horse, that's scary. the moment between leaving the saddle and hitting the ground. >> he recovered nicely. the pitch right over home plate there. a little high and on the outside. i don't hear the mets complaining. speaking of moments a lot of people are talking about, of course, chris brown performed at the b.e.t. awards in los angeles last night. some are calling it a comeback of sorts. appare apparently was dazzling in a medley. he danced in hohn aror of michael jackson in a tribute. a lot of people also questioning, though, an emotional moment. take a look. ♪ ♪ not enough to eat ♪ whom i to be blind >> so this is "man in the mirror" and he breaks down during this and of course some people would think, wow, that's emotional in his tribute to king. others were saying something different. >> people were questioning whether it was more of a ploy, get him back in the spotlight. this was his only time to shine after the whole rihanna incident. this was his first major performance since then. a lot of cynics in the world. just ahead "twilight's" taylor lautner. noticed. that no one else that was pretty sweet. but you did have eight layers of sweet crunchy back up. what can i say? you're the man. or -- you know, the little dude. that's me. 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"news 4 today" begins every weekday morning at 8:00 now on a monday morning, the 28th day of june, 2010. let me tell you something, if you're in the new york area, you know it is a scorcher here today. it's already in the mid-80s going up to mid-90s. it's going to feel over 100 degrees with the humidity and so special thanks to these people who are standing shoulder to shoulder here on our plaza. i'm matt lauer with natalie morales. meredith is off today. she should be back tomorrow. and do you know why you tend to eat more of certain kinds of food than the other? >> sure, salt or sugar for me. >> salt, sugar, fat, those are the things scientists are working feverishly to make sure that you find certain foods irresistible. we'll tell you what you can do to combat that coming up. all right. plus, it's a special day because we are kicking off our "america the beautiful" series focusing on america's national parks and probably one of the most spectacular places on earth today, jenna bush hager is visiting. good morning. >> reporter: hi, good morning. i'm here it at the black sand basin among one of five geysers in the park. yellow stone was our first national park in 1872 and it's also one of the largest. most of the park's 2 million acres are here in wyoming, but its boundaries bleed into two other states, montana and idaho. just to give you an idea of the vastness of this place, you could fit all of delaware and idaho into the park. and delaware and rhode island, i'm sorry. you could spend weeks hiking and kayaking and still not see it all. i guarantee you, you will see wild animals. coming up a little later we'll meet some of the people who like to jump out of the fast lane and enjoy the slow pace of watching wildlife at the park. >> it is such a stunning place, jenna. we're looking forward to that. have you been? >> i haven't. when my kids are a little bit older. >> the wind is kicking up out here. >> whoa. >> just a second ago i had a hair actually move there. al is inside. >> impossible. >> al? >> that's right. we have this guy, mr. taylor lautner. taylor, coming on out. there are a lot of member of team jacob out here. >> awesome. >> who want to meet you so let's bring you on out. wow. how does that feel? >> that's incredible. that's awesome. >> say hello to a couple of folks. it's the "twilight" phenomenon. >> i love you. >> thank you. >> taylor, can i get a picture here? >> taylor in early. >> al, thanks for the escort. very impressive. let's go inside and get a check of the headlines. willie geist is joining us from over at msnbc. here i thought all those people were here to see me. i guess not. the longest serving member in the history of the united states congress, senator robert byrd of west virginia, died this morning in a virginia hospital. flags in washington flying at half-staff to honor the democratic powerhouse who was first elected to congress in 1952. he spent more than a half century in the senate after serving six years in the house. robert byrd was 92 years old. confirmation hearings begin today for supreme court nominee elena kagan. she'll testify before the senate judiciary committee. democrats have enough votes to confirm kagan who would become the third woman on the current court and the fourth in its long history. high winds tore through a michigan campground sunday night leaving at least one person dead. trail e trailers were scattered and overturned. one even landing in a pond at the campground north of detroit. at least four other people were injured. on day 70 of the massive oil spill off louisiana, bp says it has spent more than $2.5 billion, spending about $100 million a day at this point, this since the leak began. oil has now come ashore in mississippi. president obama is back in washington after the two-day g-20 economic summit in toronto. on sunday he joined the leaders of the world's biggest economies pledge to go reduce budget deficits in a measured way that would not jeopardize the global recovery. and an ugly scene at a weekend music festival in los angeles. more than 200 people were injured in the chaos you're seeing here. many of them gate crashers. didn't want to pay the $75 ticket. stormed across security barriers saturday. police made dozens of arrests. it's now 8:05. good morning, here. we've got the high humidity still in place. another day with excessive heat, but then that's going to be the end of the heat wave, at least as far as the really discomforting weather. that will be later today when we get into the low 90s. and right now our temperatures are in the 80s, climbing into the low to mid-90s by early to midafternoon. all coming from a weather front that will be advancing from the midwest. there is a chance of severe storms mid- to late afternoon this evening. then they should be yeah, we have taylor lautner but, by the way -- let's go over and see what's happening with taylor. the lines continue and people continue to take their pictures, natalie. >> she is team al, though. >> team al? >> she's team al. no team jacob. she's team al. coming up next, are you being set up to find fattening foods irresistible? at cvs/pharmacy. i'm taking the right steps to manage my diabetes and my budget. extracare advantage for diabetes is a new program that helps me save money and earn double bucks on over 100 items, so we can stay a step ahead of... all: our diabetes! join extracare advantage for diabetes today and receive a free gift when you enroll. only at cvs/pharmacy. 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. you guys ready? yup. yup. ♪ [ man ] blue one. recessed lighting. it's absolutely -- blue one. ♪ [ grunts ] blue one. 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[ female announcer ] splenda®. america's favorite no calorie sweetener. we're back at 8:10 and on "today investigates" do you really know what's in your favorite foods? something called food epg nearing has become a huge business and it's the reason you find certain foods simply irresistible. here is senior investigative correspondent lisa myers. >> reporter: in this northern new jersey laptory, a group of scientists hard at work. >> let's talk about the main differences in these samples. >> reporter: tasting, testing, poking and sniffing food products before they end up in restaurants and grocery stores across the country. if certainly foods seem irresistibility and you keep eating even when you aren't hungry, it may not be all your fault. experts say billions of dollars are spent every year to engineer the foods you eat, layering them with ingredients that companies know consumers love. >> fat and sugar, fat and salt, fat, sugar and salt stimulate us to eat more and more. >> reporter: dr. david kessler, the man who led the government's battle against tobacco companies, now is taking on big food companies. >> and the way they design food, constructed, is literally hijacking the brains of millions of americans. >> reporter: and causing those americans to overeat? >> yes. >> reporter: some food is constructed so it takes fewer chews and goes down faster. that healthy looking chicken breast, it may be injected with sugars and oils. why would anyone inject something into a chicken breast? >> to get you to eat more and more. >> reporter: even careful consumers can get fooled. take cereal labels. various sweeten eers are often divided up and listed as separate ingredients. sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, honey, keeping sugar from being the first ingredient listed. >> i think it is misleading and i think there's probably some attempt to make it look less onerous to a mother who is looking for a cereal for her children. >> reporter: but increasingly the food industry driven by fear of government regulation and consumer demand is making some effort to produce healthier products. gail seville's company does testing for many big food companies. they've asked her to help them re-engineer their products, reduce fat, sugar, and salt without sacrificing taste. in fact, 16 major food and beverage companies have pledged to reduce the total calories they offer by 1.5 trillion by the year 2015. but one company, cargill raised eyebrows touting the virtues of salt, one of its key products. >> you might be surprised by what foods are enhanced by its briny kiss. >> reporter: suggesting sprinkling salt on fruit, cooki cookies, even ice cream. >> i thought it was very poor timing on the part of cargill. >> reporter: a cargill spokesman said the campaign was not intended to get people to add salt to their diet but to help them understand how it can be used properly. for "today," lisa myers, nbc news, summit, new jersey. >> mad sin, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. >> are we really victims, though? we know they're making us want more. when it comes down to it, we're the ones choosing what to eat and not eat. >> you're exactly right. this is not a case of my brain made me do it. where all these brain changes occur is once you eat it and then it tantalizes your taste buds and there are brain signals with a whole cascade saying this is really good. that's where the problem can start. it starts with choice. many people are susceptible to this when they think of food as a reward. >> is this something nefarious? they are simply trying to make food taste better not trick us into eating more. >> that's a reasonable statement because there are decades of research in taste and smell in the academic literature. what companies have done is to translate this not just to make good food but tasty food, optimizing salt/fat combinations that consumers say they want. >> so how do we make the most educated choices here? what do we need to keep in mind as we're about to approach the grocery store, for example? >> one thing is to read the labels. also, to understand whether you're in a restaurant or buying things that are in a package or processed, when you think things are tasty and we're talking chips, salty/fat combinations, pastries, cakes, they all taste super good. read the label and look for the amount of sugar and fat because it's going to be high. what you want to do is just downside not eliminate. >> is this one of the reasons that we have this obesity epidemic in this country that the companies are very good at making good things? >> we like to eat. sensory pleasure, the enjoyment of food, is a good thing. it's a bad thing because we overeat. it's hard to say no to super tasty food. we have to try to change and avoid trigger foods. there are some foods many people find it hard to stay away from. >> fritos for me. >> but you can stop at a small bag. if you go, i have to eat three or four large bags, i have to substitute some other salty taste. there's a natural inclination for salt or sugar. >> europeans are particularly good at having the real food as opposed to the constructed substitu substitute. >> right. real food that nature made, even sort of salty/creamy, cheese. not a big piece of cake or cheesecake. it's something we have to change our thinking about and it's easy to do that if you pay a little attention. >> madeline, we appreciate it. it's 16 after the hour. 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[ 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. two times with comfort inn or any choice hotel, you can feed a family of four. book now at choicehotels.com to start earning your $50 restaurant gift card. to start earning 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. cone on, kiddo, let's go. hold on a second... come on up here, where your brothers sit. wow! chevy traverse. a consumers digest best buy, with a 100,000 mile, powertrain warranty. it seats eight comfortably - not that it always has to. now, get 0% apr for 60 months on a 2010 traverse with an average finance savings of around fifty four hundred dollars. see your local chevy dealer. the folks at "gq" magazine did some interesting number crunching. in the first "twilight" taylor lautner spoke a total of 239 words. now as a full-fledged teen superstar lautner logs more than 50 minutes of screen time in the latest installment of the "twilight" saga "eclipse" as the werewolf jason black. >> doesn't he own a shirt? >> hey, beautiful. >> hi. >> very 21st century, this whole thing. taylor lautner, good morning. and you do have a shirt. >> of course i do. >> it's nice to see you. how have you been? >> very good. busy. >> when you spoke those 239 words in the first installment, did you ever dream about what would eventually happen to you and this saga? >> dream. that's exactly what i did. i never thought it would come close. i never thought it would be reality. so to look back then and be sitting here now is just mind blowing. >> you have three of these movies under your belt and i have interviewed actors and actresses over the years and some of them have been defined by a single role early on almost start to kind of try to push that role away from them because they don't want it to be all about a werewolf. t?ve you come close to that time no, i haven't. i haven't. as an actor, i do want to challenge myself to many different things but i embrace this role and this franchise. it's done many things for me. i give all the thanks to it. and i'm having the time of my life with it. >> talk to me about this installment. what do we need to know about what's going on? >> "eclipse" is my favorite of the series. >> why? >> the book was my favorite. i feel like "eclipse" takes everything about the franchise, the romance, the action, the danger, and it takes it all to the next level. it's very exciting. >> you talk about action. there is a lot of action to go around in this movie but because you're playing a werewolf, a lot of your action is done by special effects. i understand you started to get jealous of the cgi version of the werewolf? >> i was very jealous of my wolf, yeah. i love the action. that's the fun part. and, yeah, my wolf has all the action in this movie. >> the fans of these movies have become like today's version of trekkies. they are obsessed with these films. when you meet your fans, and i know you go out and do it a lot, what's the one question you get more than any other question? >> from the fans? >> yeah. >> they ask you to take your shirt off a lot. >> the ab thing is really following you around, isn't it? >> i guess it is, yeah. i just tell them, not right now but see it june 30th. >> by the way, i was thinking about this, you're getting to see a lot of scripts for other movies that you'll get to do down the road. do the producers of those movies always find a way in the middle of the story to find a place where your character would take your shirt off? >> sometimes. like in "valentine's day" originally it was in the script i'm walking into school and i change my shirt. and i'm like, what? that doesn't make any sense. no, no, we have to do something about this. >> you're in school studying to be a monk and all of a sudden the monk gets hot and starts shedding his clothes. how are you going to deal with that? >> i think right now choosing the characters i'm passionate about and that's what i'm doing. >> this cast has been together for a couple of years through the course of filming three of these. our going to have four and five as well. what's the dynamic on set between the group of you now? >> thankfully we're all very, very close, and we've just grown closer each and every film that's gone by. i mean, i'm very thankful for that because it provides for a better work environment on set and off set we hang out a lot. >> you don't need drama when you're shooting these things. "gx" magazine you talk about the fact, and sometimes it's hard to remember, you're 18, right? 18. you still live -- >> at home. >> you have chores to do. >> of course. when i'm home, you know, i help out with the lawn, the garbage, dishes, everything. >> how long can you keep that up? how long can you maintain this idea of being a normal 18-year-old? >> as long as possible. it's very important to me. i describe it as i live two lives. i do. e same exact life as before what and literally nothing has changed. >> when you get back from a month of promoting a movie, the family treats you the same as before you left? >> maybe even harsher. >> more garbage to take out. more lawns. ass grows like crazy.t and the nice to see you. "eclipse" opens on wednesday. by the way, taylor's co-star will be here. it's another sultry day in the nation's capital. ten days in a row now with temperatures soaring into the 90s. but there is acooldown coming. it is monday, june 28th, 2010. good morning. i'm pat lawson muse. in the news this morning, breaking news this morning, senator robert byrd of west virginia has died. senator byrd's spokesperson says he passed away peacefully around 3:00 this morning. he had been hospitalized at a nova fairfax. senator byrd was suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration last week, but other problems developed when he was hospitalized. he was the longest serving senator in u.s. history. robert byrd was 92 years old. [ female announcer ] lunch at red lobster... it's laughs over a coastal soup and grilled shrimp salad. catching up over wood-grilled shrimp and chicken. and with lunches starting at just $6.99... it's an hour you wouldn't trade for anything. good morning. i'm tom kierein. here's the four-day forecast. another hot and humid day on the way. the slight risk a thunderstorm could produce wind damage. how's the traffic? >> still very tough. 70 jammed down the purr to the outer loop. another stop, the capital beltway remains very heavy, again because of the earlier accident. pat? >> thanks, jerry. get a look at the day ahead earlier than ever before. "news 4 today" begins every weekday morning at 8:30 now on a monday morning, june 28th, 2010. it's a little bit like walking into a hot, wet towel out there. really sticky. >> the good news is by tomorrow lovely. >> thunderstorms later in the day? all right. meanwhile, dripping and standing far away from each other out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales. al roker joins us and the one and only willie geist from msnbc is with us as well. all right. coming up, we're going to kick off our special series on the beauty in this country. jenna bush hager is going to join us from yellowstone national park. >> wow. geyser's going. >> that is a great place. we'll have jenna's report in a couple of minutes. >> she is making hard boiled eggs right now. plus, we have another special announcement to tell you about. we'll tell you a new way you can take part in "today throws a wedding." it's really exciting. >> we're getting very hip. if you think the answer to how many hours are there in a week is never enough, stick around. there is a woman who says she has found a way to get everything done and you should be able to as well. the keys here, ignore, minimize and outsource. that is my wind of woman. >> ignore? like the kids? >> a bowl of kibl for the kids. >> ignore the household chores. you can do things later. not the kids. >> it's also a very tough job but somebody has to do it, drinking in the morning. we'll do that. >> you've never watched the fourth hour, have you? >> we'll sample some of the best wines that are made right good morning. the heat is on. we're already hitting the mid-80s around the region and we have the high humidity still in place. it's going away, beginning tomorrow. between now and then, we'll see it climbing into the low to mid-90s by early to midafternoon, then after that, some storms developing, some of which could produce damaging winds, 3:00 p.m. to as late as 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. after that, lower humidity moves in, will be in place through the rest of the week into the holiday weekend along with cooler temperatures. and we have some nice folks here, foster grandparents. tell us -- what's foster grandparents? >> foster grandparents is 45 years this year so rsvp and senior companion program. >> awfully neat. very nice. good to see you and thanks for joining us. let's head back inside to matt. >> announcer: "today's wedding" is brought to you by chevy. every model is backed by 100,000-miles/five-year powertrain warranty. al, thank you very much. this morning we're kicking off "today's wedding" and this year it's all about modern love. this will be the 11th year in a row that the "today" show is throwing a wedding and this year's lucky couple will tie the knot live on our plaza on october 6th. so in keeping with our modern love theme this time around we're teaming up with facebook where on average 20,000 facebook users change their relationship status to engaged every single day. >> quite a statistic. if you're among them, you can head to a special site facebook.com/todayshow to fill out an application and upload your video all online again for the very first time. of course you can also enter as always on our website todayshow.com. > . >> and our viewers will vote on the gown, the honeymoon, even the cake. as an added bonus, colin will design the reception. you only have until july 9th to apply for modern love, our 11th wedding on the "today" show. we'll go back in time. >> go ♪ [ deb ] people don't just come to ge capital for money. they come to us for help. at ge capital, we've been financing taylor guitars for over eight years, helping them build a strong dealer network. bringing music to people... i like that. ♪ ♪ [ bob ] i didn't know you could play. i didn't either. ♪ back now at 8:37 "america the beautiful" a three-day tour of the country's most beloved national parks. >> we begin in yellowstone. jenna bush hager is at the black sand basin. good morning. it looks stunning. >> reporter: good morning. it's pretty beautiful here and when you set foot in yellowstone, everything seems to slow down. no televisions, very little cell phone service, and a whole lot of silence. most visitors come here to get away from their busy lives, take a deep breath, and enjoy the views. it is a land suspended in time. a place where frost meets fire. and thermal hot spots give us a window into our prehistoric past. yellowstone's original residents still roam free, feeding off the land and fending off predators. close encounters with elk and bison are everyday occurrences here at yellowstone, but if you want to witness the park's most notorious predators, you need to bring your scope and a whole lot of patience. >> you may see the black moving to the right. >> i see him. i don't see the pups. >> reporter: it's 6:00 a.m., prime time for wolf watching and we get lucky right off the bat. he's licking himself. for some of these wolf watchers it's the only action they'll see for the rest of the day. >> we're so used to a fast pace, all these gadgets we use. to come here just to watch the animals, slow down, be patient. >> reporter: wendy bush knows all about living a fast-paced life. when she's not wolf watching in yellowstone, she is a talent agent in new york city. >> you're tied to e-mail. you're tied to your cell phones. there's work going on right now while we're standing here and i luckily am in a situation where my staff takes care of that. they know how important this is to me and so they sort of let me go. >> reporter: wendy takes time off to visit yellowstone at least four times a year. >> i come here to shake my head and shake off all the city stuff. i still like the city but coming here is sort of my church. >> can you hear a little bit of a beeping sound? >> reporter: three hours after our initial sighting, we moved deeper into the valley to track another pair of wolves. using a radio collar, biological technician rick tracks different wolfpacks in yellow stone. >> yes, i do. yes. >> to find another wolf. this time it's a female and she is feeding off a bison carcass. there she goes. heading back to a den to feed her pups. >> right behind the bushes. >> reporter: just down the road, kyle bourque is watching the same wolf. >> she's running. i see it. i see it. >> reporter: it's kyle's first time at yellowstone and his family has already had experiences that will last a lifetime. >> people crave real things and there's few things more than seeing a wild animal that's rare in a setting like yellowstone and i think that resonates deep within us. >> reporter: the chance to watch wildlife draws millions of visitors to yellowstone every year. but the number one spectator sport in the park involves a hole in the ground and a whole lot of hot air. the old faithful geyser remains the centerpiece of yellowstone. park rangers can predict its eruptions within it ten minutes. that is what makes oath faithful the most popular geyser at the park and the least interesting if you ask jim. >> it's going to be a little bit at an angle over to your left. >> reporter: jim is a geyser gazer, one of hundreds of volunteers who track the eruption times of all the major geysers in yellowstone. >> when you get old enough instead of being a geyser gazer, you're more of a geyser geezer or a gazer geezer. >> reporter: how many geyser gazer geezers are there out there? >> lots of them. >> reporter: unlike old faithful, it's harder to pin down exact eruption times for a geyser like this one called daisy. after about a buildup, daisy is ready to blow. here we go. >> daisy 16:31. >> we copy daisy at 16:31. thank you. >> reporter: back at the visitor's center a park ranger notes the time and adjusts the schedule to let tourists know when daisy might erupt again. cool. >> this is natural. it's nature. it's whatever is going to happen this time which is not necessarily what's going to happen the next time. >> reporter: and that is what brings visitors like jim back to yellow stone again and again. knowing that a simple investment of time is rewarded with the priceless set of memories. >> i view the time i spend here as not something from my life but something added to. >> reporter: some advivisitors sit for hours and never see any wildlife or an eruption, but they come away completely satisfied because they've spent a beautiful day here in yellowstone. and i have to say it's a pretty great way to spend a vacation or, in my case, a day at work. matt and gnnatalie? >> what's the temperature there, jenna? >> reporter: oh, it's pretty cold. the gloves. the gloves and the fleece and the sun is coming up, so things could be worse. >> there or steamy manhattan right now. >> you're in a better spot right now. jenna bush hager, thank you. >> reporter: you all could come be a enjoy the cool. >> tomorrow you're going to be in utah's beautiful arches national park. >> lucky her. >> i'm the first time that i saw a sporting event on fios, in high definition... ...you see detail that you didn't even know was there! and i'm standing like a little kid saying, "wow!" 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[ dennis ] you couldn't make me give up fios. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v. in today's fast-paced world it can feel like you barely have time to breathe these days. now there is help. in her new book "168 hours: you have more time than you think" laura vanderkam helps you make the most out of your week. good morning. you say when it comes to time management, it's more important to focus on the 168 hours during the week than what you get done durpg the day. why? >> you may not achieve the right balance. you may have to stay to work late or get to work late because the kids missed the bus, you may not have time to exercise. in the whole of 168 hours you can probably find time to focus on the things that matter. >> the things that matter, you interviewed over 100 successful men and women, and you asked them to keep a time log of the things they were able to accomplish in a 168-hour workweek. what were some of the interesting results? >> basically they focus on the three things that they do best. this is nurturing their careers, nurturing their families and their close friends, and nurturing themselves. and by this i mean getting enough sleep, exercising, focusing on personal passions like volunteering. and as much as possible, they try not to be busy with other things. they ignore, minimize or outsource everything else. >> that's one of the key points you make. it really is about prioritizing and ignoring, minimizing, outsourcing, which doesn't mean ignoring the bigger things like the kids and the time at home. >> no. don't ignore the kids and you don't ignore the most important things at work but probably you can spend a little less time on housework, for instance. maybe spend less time on e-mail. less time running around in the car. >> in fact, you make the point that we do have a lot more time than we think that when you take a look at your time log at the end of the day and you, yourself, kept track of your time, you realize we do spend so much time wasting away on e-mails and doing the laundry and little things that you could get better use of. >> even with 168 hours in a week, even if you're working 40 and sleeping eight hours a night, so that's 56 a week, that leaves 72 hours for other things f. you're working 50 hours, that still leaves 62 hours for other things. so probably you can find time to exercise and to really play with your kids and do some other things as well. >> so the practical advice this morning is first for people to keep track of the time and create their own time log. you actually have a website that you've created that you can download that. >> my168hours.com. you can download a time management spread sheet. just do this for one week. you don't have to do it for the rest of your life. don't get crazy. think of yourself as a lawyer billing your time. it's like a food journal. >> and the purpose of that really is to see how you could be more efficient, right? >> if you want to lose weight, write down what you're eating so you don't eat mindlessly. the same thing with time. you write down what you're doing as often as you remember and that keeps you from wasting time mindlessly on things that don't matter to you. >> the point you make next is to find the time to make it happen, the things that you like to be doing is the next point. and then you say to substitute your language and change i don't have the time to it's not a priority. >> and often that's a more accurate way to put it. i can tell you i don't have time to sew halloween costumes for my kids. i have time if you offer to pay me, for instance. since that's not going to happen, i can say it's not a priorit priority. but it's harder to say i'm not going to read to you because it's not a priority. cause it's not a priority.ou and if you find yourself choking on those words then maybe it's time to re-examine how you're spending your 168 hours. >> very good point. it's a good read. i've been spending a couple hours of my 168 hours reading it. thank you, laura vanderkam. keeping life in perspective and the priorities we have. coming up next, made in the usa. we're going to wine is now made in all 50 states here in the united states. winemaker and restauranteur is here with the best of america's regional wines. great to see you, joe. >> a little tour of the country. >> some regions get a lot of attention here in this country from wine making. others don't. is it about quality or public y publicity? >> i think it's about where the commercial industry is taking place. wine is made in about every state in the country. as we discover america this summer and travel around, the great added value would be to eat locally and drink locally. so drink the wines and the typical foods where you're going. >> you're starting in the southwest. what have you brought for us. >> this is a sparkling wine from albuquerque, new mexico. very, very sexy packaging and a delicious product. >> very crisp, clean, and you pair it actually with what you would expect. >> so a little salsa, chips, and guacamole. anything from that area would be great with this wine. it's really a terrific product. very, very clean, acidic, delicious. and then to austin, texas. smooth red. texas is also coming on. you think texas might be hot. >> how does it affect the grapes? >> it's about micro climates so even in the hottest places or the coldest like alaska we have mini micro climates where we can grow grapevines to make wines. which brings us to the most historical wine in the kcountry which is virginia. >> and this predates california's wine industry. >> it's contemporary. thomas jefferson with his european acquaintances brought over the first european grapes and planted them in virginia in straussberg, virginia. this is a chardonnay from the jefferson vineyard. full body, really, really rich e euro centric wine. >> these are $15 and under. >> once you travel out of like the more well-known perhaps napa valley, you're going to get relative value. >> more bang for your buck. this is great. >> now in the summer we love to have a virginia ham with the chardonnay. to north carolina. biltmore, a bright, delicious, fruity -- we have that with a pulled pork sandwich. >> you talk about micro climate. a lot of portions of north carolina and the mountains have beautiful climates. >> great for wine making. >> we're going to go to missouri, another high-production area. >> most people have never heard of missouri wines. >> i've been to the vineyards of missouri and they're fan ttasti. >> this is called norton. no one has ever heard about it. >> what was that? >> address the wine. >> come on in, al roker. he's coming in on our wine segment for a reason. >> indigenous norton pre-exists merlot. this is indigenous american, the wine that they brought to europe when they had the placement of the root stock. famous new jersey girl. >> let's see if it holds up. >> i want to go to atlantic city. >> that's matt lauer. >> i'm kidding. >> we served it with jersey tomatoes. >> really good. >> and maybe a bruce springsteen song. >> it all goes together. >> and one of the great reasons is riesling from the finger lakes. cheers. a live look this morning at the lincoln memorial on a sunny, muggy monday, june 28th, 2010. good morning. i'm pat lawson muse. in the news this morning, west virginia senator robert byrd died overnight. senator byrd's spokesperson today said he passed away peacefully around 3:00 this morning. senator byrd had been hospitalized at a nova fairfax. he had been hospitalized last week, suffering from exhaustion and dehydration, but other medical problems developed. he was the longest serving senator in u.s. history. robert byrd was 92 years old. and here you see the flag flying at half-mast at the white house this morning. we'll be back in just a moment. good morning. here's the four-day forecast. one more day with excessive heat and humidity and some strong storms are likely later on this afternoon, some of which could produce damaging winds, but to be followed by a break from the heat and humidity for several days. >> traffic still tough at this hour. accident along 123 on the far right side. 270 southbound the split, still nice to meet you. thank you. we're back now with more on "today" on a monday morning, the 28th day of june, 2010. temperatures in the new york area expected to go up into the low to mid-90s today but you have to add to that the humidity and we've got a scorcher here in the northeast. >> if you have older, check in the morning. this is the time of the year they can have problems. >> out on the plaza i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales. ann is off today and mr. roker is here as well. big events in the city over the weekend. prince harry was here visiting, taking part in charity events including that charity polo tournament. he got thrown from his horse but, there he goes. he gets up, dusts himself off and gets right back on. he was all smiles afterwards and helped to raise money for a great cause. we'll talk more about the prince's visit in just a little while. >> must be a prince. how can you it tell? anyway, we're also talking about marriage and money. money problems can actually put a real strain on a relationship especially during a tough economy. a new study says thriftier couples are happier couples so this morning we're going to have some advice on how couples should approach their finances. our experts say honesty is the best policy. >> it absolutely is. speaking of marriage, it's that time when tod"today" throws a wedding and ten happy couples have gotten married live. this morning it's all about modern love. we're getting hip with a twist. also, what are you doing this summer? we'll tell you about a 12-week challenge from "prevention magazine." it's all to help you feel much younger from improving your skin to a better diet and exercising. help you defy your age and have you looking and feeling better by the fall. >> we could all use that. >> 12 weeks to a better you. >> mr. roker, how about a forecast? >> how about we go inside -- >> how about we go in to willie geist. how about telling me instead we'll go to willie geist who is standing by with the headlines. willie, i'm sorry. it's the heat. >> come inside where it's cool. today we begin with some sad news. colleagues remembering west virginia senator robert byrd as a great champ ion and the keeper of t flame in the senate. the longest serving member in the history of the united states congress, byrd died at a hospital in virginia. first elected to the senate in 1958 after spending six years in the house, robert byrd was 92 years old. confirmation hearings get under way today for supreme court nominee elena kagan. the first nominee in almost 40 years with no experience as a judge. she would become the third woman serving on the current supreme court. martin ginsberg, husband of supreme court justice ruth bider ginsburg and a prominent lawyer, died from complications of cancer. they celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary just last week. a violent storm north of detroit is blamed for at least one death sunday. it tore through a campground in clyde township overturning trailers and throwing one of them into a large pond. the campground manager said the storm came out of nowhere. gas prices are up almost 5 cents a gallon in the last two weeks. the average price for regular now $2.76 a gallon. the highest price in the country was san francisco at $3.14 for a gallon of gas. and american teenager who failed in her bid to sail around the world solo headed home to california last night by plane, we should point out, from an island off the coast of africa. abby sunderland was rescued two weeks ago in the indian ocean where a storm crippled her boat. she tells nbc news she's a little nervous going home. she wants to finish high school, she says, and get her driver's license. well, britain's prince harry heads back home today after wrapping up a three-day visit to the new york area. on sunday at a charity polo match he tumbled from his horse then got up with a smile on his face. "toy story 3" held on to the top spot taking in $59 million according to some early estimates. "grown ups" was second. "knight and day" was third. i took the kids to "toy story." pretty darned good. let's get another check of weather from al. >> i thought it was better than the first one. good morning at mid-morning. temperatures are climbing into the mid- and upper 80s. we still have the high humidity in place, but thankfully clouds are rolling in from the west. that ought to shut down some of the sun for a while and at least keep us from soaring into the upper 90s. right now, in the mid- and upper 80s. highs reaching the mid-90s perhaps by midafternoon. but then we will likely have some storms beginning to develop coming out of the mountains late afternoon into the evening. some of which could produce damaging winds. and lower humidity after that now "today's money" and how finances can strain a marriage. decisions like whether to make a major purchase, a credit card, or how much of a paycheck should go into the savings can have a big impact. jean chatzky and "today" contributor. nice to see you. jean, what went into this study and what kind of financial parameters were they talking about? >> this is the first study i've seen in a long time that looked at very specific information about how much debt people carry, how much they have in assets in savings, and how that impacted the number of fights people have about their marriage. and what it showed was that people who fight once a week, for example, are about 30% more likely to head for divorce than people who only fight about money once or twice a month. >> does this surprise you? >> not at all. money is actually the number one source of divorce. it's a huge source of stress for individuals and individuals bring that as a couple, it represents the power and control in the relationship, your ability to get things. it would be a natural. people often don't choose someone who has a similar money style to themselves and so it's a wider gap to, you know, bridge, and that creates a lot of problems. >> so, jean, you say one of the first things people need to do, couples need to do, is come clean about the finances. >> look, when you are dealing with somebody every single day as you are in a marriage, you need to be honest with each other. and if you're hiding information about money, of course that's going to lead to a fight. so let's sit down and let's talk about how much we earn, how much we owe, what we own in terms of assets and then we can come together and develop a plan for getting out of debt or saving more. let's just lay it all out there on the table to begin with. >> gail, when people do that, they have to have almost a guil guilt-free zone. look, i'm coming clean about this. don't penalize me. mmunicate and get on the same page but if you're sneaking around, that essentially -- there's a term for that, right? financial infidelity. it's a sense of betrayal that you feel. someone is actually getting things and purposely keeping it a secret. i agree with you, al, therefore, you need to each have things you can get on your own that you do have a plan that you've worked out, that you don't feel like i have to keep coming to you and saying, is it okay? is it okay for every little thing. >> is it okay, is it okay, makes you my mother or my parent rather than my spouse and that's where you don't want to go. >> the other thing, jean, you have to, first of all, get down your debt and start saving. >> right. so when we looked at this research, debt led to divorce, saving, having assets, led to marital security. so, yeah, let's have a plan to get out of debt. if you have credit card debt, and that's the worst kind, you want to figure out which card is charging you the most in interest, throw all your extra money to paying down that card and then pay the minimums on the rest until that card is gone. >> but, gail, you raised a point. if you both have different styles and you can't agree on how you pay down the debt or how you save, what do you do? >> you have to acknowledge that marriage is a business contract in addition to the fact that it's about love, hopefully, and so you have to have weekly meetings where you sit down and say this is where i came from. my family's origin, my style, and this is your style, so how are we going to negotiate and meet in the middle? if you have weekly meetings with updates about what's happening and what you're going to do, you have a better shot. if you can't do that, you probably need to get some help. you need to have someone come in, a financial person who can either educate you -- >> or a therapist. those weekly meetings, by the way, are really, really hard. money is one of those things we just hate to talk about it. there are so many things technically right now we can use to help us. we decide we want to pay down our debts, schedule ourselves for automatic payments. we want to save more, schedule that automatically, too, and then we can take satisfaction in our progress. >> it almost sounds like what you're both saying, in a way you need a financial planner and a therapist. >> a good accountant. >> you can do these things yourself. you really can do this for yourself. you have to make the priority decision that you're going to communicate about something that you don't want to communicate about, that it's hard to do. so you have to set that up for yourself and say i'm going to educate myself. i'm going to educate my partner and we're going to talk whether we enjoy it or not and, by the way, don't do that in the bedroom. >> and if you're fighting, the fights are what lead to divorce. that's what this research shows. so if you're fighting, that's your signal that you've got to get some help. >> that's the first warning sign. jean chats ski and gail saltz, from your refrigerator to your kids' playroom, some simple tips to get rid of the stubborn odors in your house. 12 weeks to a younger you. men and women for whom straight stitches and clean welds were matters of personal pride. they made the skyscrapers and the cotton gins. colt revolvers, jeep 4 x 4's. these things make us who we are. as a people, we do well when we make good things and not so well when we don't. the good new is, this can be put right. we just have to do it. and so we did. ♪ this, our newest son, was imagined, drawn, carved, stamped, hewn and forged here in america. it is well made and it is designed to work. this was once a country where people made things, beautiful things, and so it is again. the new jeep grand cherokee. ♪ the new jeep grand cherokee. have you tried honey bunches of oats with real strawberries? 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[ female announcer ] stop mid-morning hunger with kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats® cereal. an excellent source of fiber from 100% whole grain that helps you stay full, so you can stay focused. also, try chocolate little bites. so, how'd the meeting go? outstanding, i wowed them with my chocolate chip center. this morning on "today's woman" turning back the clock. if you're looking for a plan to slim you down, boost your energy and reverse wrinkles, "prevention magazine" is out with a 12-week program that promises to help you do it. courtney smith is executive editor of "prevention." good to have you here. so 12 weeks to a better you really. so we're talking about everything from skin care to eating to your fitness, right? how successful was this? >> well, we did test on a panel of real women and it is a three-month lifestyle program and they got great results. and over 12 weeks the women just by changing how they ate, how they exercised and their skin care routine, they lost an average of 13 pounds, they lost 3 inches around their waistline -- >> wow. >> yeah. they improved their cholesterol and blood pressure. experts told us this brought their health status up to the level of a healthy person a decade or two younger. so -- >> sign me up. this sounds like a miracle worker. okay. let's start off first with the basics and that is starting off with the simple skin care routine and basics to that and that is, first thing, is cleansing every night and it's surprising, i think, that a lot of people don't really do that. >> 50% of women skip this step and that ages your skin because when you leave on makeup and oil and grit, it ends up irritating your skin, clogging your pores, causing acne. cleanse nightly. >> the next thing is sunscreen. you have a sunscreen that you recommend using daily? >> well, we recommend a minimum of spf 30 and not only that, the key is broad spectrum protection because that means there's an ingredient blocking uva rays, those are the ones that cause wrinkles and brown spots. >> and finally, also, using an anti-ager which really comes down to the anti-wrinkle creams and all of that. what are the things you should be looking for? >> there are four anti-aging routines in the july issue of "prevention." we measured the women's skin with a machine. one tester reduced her wrinkles and brown spots -- well, this routine is for fine lines and wrinkles, reduced one tester's by 140%. wove the olay regeneral ris uv defense day lotion. this has the broad spectrum uva protection. it also han peptides to smooth wrinkles. you want to cleanse nightly with a foaming face wash and then this is the proven anti-ager, the srs cell repair strategy that has an endizyme that protects. >> worth it, perhaps. let's move on to our food here, eating the basics and we've been told you have to fill your plate up with really colorful meals, right? is. >> yes. that will get you antioxidants and you also want anti-aging fats which we have in the nuts here. so here you have yogurt, apple sauce and pecans. you're getting antioxidants in the apple sauce and pecans which have those healthy fats that help your heart and skin. and here you also have bright green grapes and some cheese with protein to keep you filled up. >> so this is a perfect example of a good snack. that's the down fall for a lot of us, what to snack on, right? >> the challenge recommends three small meals and two snacks daily and get you started at prevention.com. they're colorful, full of anti-aging fats and also wholesome carbs like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. >> next, over here, let's talk about cardio and getting your exercise in. and how much cardio do you really need? >> well, the challenge recommends five days a week because the bottom line is highly active people live longer by sidestepping heart disease. exercise revs our energy and prevents chronic conditions that increase as we age. >> good mental health, too. it's a good release. >> strength training. >> great for the bones, right? >> and you don't have to break the bank or join a gym. you can just get dumb bells and bands and keeps your muscles and bones strong. that gives you energy. every activity is more enjoyable when you feel strong from walking to lifting to groceries. >> absolutely true. as a mind release or something to help you relax because stress, we know, is a huge ager and you have our friend here, jessica, doing yoga for us. >> yes. >> and you recommend a little bit of the yoga per day. >> as you mentioned stress is so aging and daily yoga practice is something most of us are missing from our fitness routine. we have a five-minute routine that's energizing and destressing. jessica is doing the cobra pose starting from this position you want to slowly lift your upper body using your back. inhale as you lift. exhale as you lower back to the start. repeat this five to eight times and then move into child's pose. >> that's my favorite. child's pose. >> when you release from cobra press your hips back, sit on your heels, arms extended, forehead to the floor, hold this for five to eight deep breaths. >> i could do this all day. >> alternate and start your morning off feeling younger. >> cleansing breaths, too. >> this is a complete lifestyle change that can keep you younger. >> 12 weeks. doesn't take much to get you started. we are throwing a wedding. will you be the lucky couple? all the details coming up. later on, buying organic. is it really worth it? what to consider before you head out to the supermarket. do you know the three things that can get us together at the same time? um, yeah, soup salad and-- (together): and breadsticks! vo: the unlimited homemade soup, fresh salad, and warm breadsticks lunch. enjoy all you want for just $6.95 at olive garden. time for more? (together): always. like 100% whole grain, the way triscuit does, you always end up with something delicious. ♪ triscuit. weave some goodness. ♪ [ dog panting ] [ dog sniffs ] [ cat meows ] [ cat meows ] ♪ [ male announcer ] cats everywhere are using fresh step with carbon because it doesn't just mask odors, it eliminates them. so don't be surprised if your cat needs help finding her litter box. fresh step, the only clay litter with carbon. it's paw-activated, to eliminate odors. so it's almost like not having a litter box. ♪ your love your love is my drug ♪ this morning we're kicking off "today's wedding" our 11th year throwing a blissful bash for one lucky couple and this year it's all about modern love. romance in the 21st century, texting, tweets. daily websites first popped up and there's a growing number of married can couples who first met online. >> we're calling this the marriage revolution. so much has dramatically changed. all these new forms of communication have helped people find love and i do think that is enabling them of all ages to find the right kind of love faster. >> the digital age where weddings go viral. shows like "the office." >> they've been doing it for those who live and hunt. everybody knew everything about everybody. they share their lives. they're doing it again because of technology. >> when it comes to that landscape of love. >> despite our modern technology, basically what we all really want is a true love. ♪ baby, just say yes >> and in keeping with our modern love theme we have a new twist. we are teaming up with facebook. on average 20,000 facebook users change their relationship status to engaged every day. >> so if you're planning to tie the knot, you can head to facebook.com/todayshow or todayshow.com to fill out an application by july 9th. upload your video right there n online. all the information you need will be on our site. guys, you go to a wedding these days, you get the pictures on facebook. >> instantly. >> they send out the youtube video. >> sometimes the divorce has already taken place. our floor manager and his wife were online registering for nyu. >> different online. >> okay. meanwhile, coming up, if buying organic leads you to sticker shock, which really works. >> if you have a smell in your home, chances are our director is there. eliminating pesky odors. that was pretty sweet. but you did have eight layers of sweet crunchy back up. what can i say? you're the man. or -- you know, the little dude. that's me. [ female announcer ] stop mid-morning hunger with kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats® cereal. an excellent source of fiber from 100% whole grain that helps you stay full, so you can stay focused. also, try chocolate little bites. so, how'd the meeting go? outstanding, i wowed them with my chocolate chip center. so, how'd the meeting go? 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, helps regulate your digestive system in two weeks. mmmm. activia light is not light on taste! 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 it's a beautiful sunny, sultry day in the nation's capital, but things are going to cool off just a bit. we'll have the forecast in a moment. it's monday, june 28th, 2010. good morning. i'm pat lawson muse. in the news today, the longest serving senator in u.s. history has died. senator robert byrd of west virginia died overnight. senator byrd's spokesperson says he passed away peacefully at 3:00. he had been hospitalized last week at anova fairfax, suffering from exhaustion and dehydration, but other problems and complications developed. senator byrd was 92 years old. and flags are flying at half-mast this morning at the white house in h good morning. i'm meteorologist tom kierein. temperatures are quickly climbing. already we're well into the 80s. it's 88 in washington with high humidity in place, but we have clouds rolling in from the west. so that should at least shut down a terribly high temperature. it should make it into the mid-90s by early afternoon. and mostly cloudy. and a likelihood of scattered storms as well late this afternoon into this evening. a slight risk that an isolated storm could produce some damaging winds. and lower humidity, cooler after that. tom, how's the traffic? >> 395 northbound, still quite heavy across the 14th street bridge. the good news is it appears all the travel lanes are open. every on 270 southbound, there had been an accident right at the point where the lanes divide that appears to have just been cleared out of the roadway. we're still heavy, headed south from gaithersburg down to the split. pat? >> thanks. you can get all your news early in the morning. "news 4 today" begins every weekday morning at edward -- >> if you ever touch her against her will again -- >> don't do this. >> she's not sure what she wants. >> let me give you a clue. wait for her to say the words. >> fine. then she will. >> jacob, just go, okay? >> caught in a vicious love try ang l between a vampire and a werewolf, what's a girl to do? that's the dilemma of bella played by kristin stewart. we will catch up with kristin tomorrow. you've had that happen. >> oh, yes, the werewolf twins. >> you've seen the movie. >> i'm not giving anything away. >> ann is out on assignment. coming up in this half hour, what's that smell? >> al, why do you look at me when you say that? >> because you're visiting and we've never smelled it before. >> they brought me in to do the stink segment. i don't know how i feel about that. it's what you ask every time you walk into your home. we have some help for you. i wish you didn't have to ask that. we have the help whether it's the pets, the kids or the garbage disposal, some easy remedies to help you get rid of those lingering odors once and for all, al. >> having boys and they're playing sports. >> you do have to wash them every now and then. >> when i remember to give them a bath. also, you want to eat healthy meals and make sure your family is getting the best but try to keep to an organic -- stop it -- try to keep to an organic only diet it can cost you a pretty penny. the so-called dirty dozen and everything you need to know before you spend. >> sometimes you hose them down. and in today's kitchen if you're looking for a new way to cook chicken, how to make a chicken roulade stuffed with lobster. it adds a gourmet touch to a simple dinner. >> that's the smell that's wafting from the kitchen. >> that's the good smell. >> keep that one. good morning. i'm meteorologist tom kierein. we are in that risk zone for some severe storms later this afternoon and we do need some rain, but unfortunately, it may come at the expense of some damaging winds as well. 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. before then, hazy sunshine with increasing clouds, highs reaching the low and mid-90s. and any of that storminess should be dissipating by midnight, tonight, to be followed by cooler, drier weather tomorrow. highs around 90 and partly cloudy with lower humidity gradually moving in. and even lower humidity with cooler weather on wednesday and thursday. temperatures climbing to near 80. and that's your latest weather. >> thank you, al. up next, simple tips to help you get rid of those lingering odors in your home. [ birds chirping ] [ puppy ] oh yeah, time for a little "me time." ♪ perfect paws. a little rub. bit of a trim. looking sexy! [ female announcer ] when you demand the very best... [ puppy ] oh yeah, it's a dog's life! [ female announcer ] ...you have to try cottonelle ultra toilet paper. [ puppy ] come to papa. [ female announcer ] it's the ultimate way to be kind to your behind. [ puppy ] i'm in the lap of luxury. we asked real people to film themselves taking the activia 14-day challenge. hi. i'm emily ilic. 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 delicious, real ingredients with no artificial flavors or preservatives. naturals from purina cat chow. share a better life. now with nutriummoisture. adding nourishment to freshness. so you can revitalize your mind and nourish your skin. dove go fresh with nutriummoisture. fresh at its best. dove go fresh with nutriummoisture. twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. hey bets, can i borrow a quarter? sure, still not dry? i'm trying to shrink them. i lost weight and now some clothes are too big. how did you do it? simple stuff. eating right and i switched to whole grain. whole grain... [ female announcer ] people who eat more whole grain tend to have a healthier body weight. multigrain cheerios has five whole grains and 110 calories per serving. multigrain cheerios. try new chocolate cheerios with a touch of delicious chocolate taste in every bite. ♪ [ dog panting ] [ dog sniffs ] [ cat meows ] [ cat meows ] ♪ [ male announcer ] cats everywhere are using fresh step with carbon because it doesn't just mask odors, it eliminates them. so don't be surprised if your cat needs help finding her litter box. fresh step, the only clay litter with carbon. it's paw-activated, to eliminate odors. so it's almost like not having a litter box. this morning on "today's home" getting rid of those pesky smells in your house from last night's slightly burned dinner to fluffy's litter box. there are some smells that just don't seem to go away. eliz bit mayhew is editor and chief of "woman's day" magazine with some simple and affordable ways to freshen your house. my wife says the first thing to do is get rid of your husband. beyond that, beyond doing that -- >> husbands, kids and pets, right? >> exactly. we'll get to the kids and the pets. what are we doing here to start with just cleaning up around the house? i see you have baking soda. >> the a-number one thing you may have to do, open the windows. there's a correct way to open the windows. if you have double hung windows, open them from the top halfway down and the bottom halfway down. you also want to run your air conditioners particularly when it's hot. the air conditioner sucks out all of those stinky particles. the smell molecules glob on. and fans in conjunction with opening the window. >> and open another window across the room. >> cross ventilation is really important. >> so let's attack some of these smells in the house. >> you have some things that are great ways of dealing with them. baking soda. it's affordable and easy. you can make a paste. take some baking soda and a little bit of water and that paste is good for everything from basically cleaning your teeth to cleaning the counter tops and it gets rid of the odors. it's a great sanitizer. >> so this is in place of the things you buy in the store ready to scrub. >> exactly right. >> and use a paper towel or a sponge? >> you can use either. i just want to say that sponges can be a source of real stinkiness. basically every time you run your dishwasher, throw your sponge in and make sure you replace them because that can be a real breeding ground. >> sponges do stink. and another one here borax. >> borax is even stronger. take a couple tablespoons of it, throw it down your disposal, also make a solution, add some water, put it in a spray bottle and you can spray it on your plants to get rid of mildew and mites without killing the plants. it's a good way of controlling any kind of bacteria. >> old-fashioned one with vinegar. >> you can't go wrong with vinegar. equal parts of vinegar and water mixed together is a great solution for your floors, for your windows, for absolutely anything. the vinegar smell will go away once it dries so you don't have to worry about your kitchen smelling like a salad. >> you're recommending these beyond and above? >> they're easy, affordable, and they work. so air conditioners, i mentioned that before, air conditioners and vacuums both should have hepa filters. if you're going out to buy one now make sure you get a hepa filter. it pulls out 99% of the toxins. make sure you change those and follow the instructions. >> let's get into the kitsch ep specifically. >> the disposal. after your dinner, the disposal can stink. take boiling water, pour it down the disposal which, that is steamy, which will clean the blades and then just take orange peel or you can even take half an orange if you made anything with orange juice, throw it down there. anytime you have citrus, run the disposal. >> and grind it right into there. >> now for your refrigerator take some cotton balls, douse them with vanilla and put those in your refrigerator and it gives a nice aroma or use coffee grounds to get rid of the smell. >> interesting. what about a box of baking soda? we've always heard that. >> of course. that plus these would be great. would be great. now if you have that rotten egg smell, hydrogen sulfide smell and the kids attest it's not coming from the sewage, but usually it's back drain from the sewage, so in order to test if that is the issue, a teaspoon of peppermint oil, drop it down the drain. if that smell comes up anywhere else in the house you know you have a problem and need to call a plumber. you probably have a crack in the piping. >> carpets, rugs, they suck up smells and odors. >> particularly if you have a pet. so pets are losing hair and dander. baking soda is a quick fix that you just sprinkle it over your carpet and then vac you'll. chances are you're going to need to get a steam cleaner to really get rid of that odor. that is like the number one thing you have to do. >> what else beyond pets, what can you do beyond sprinkling the rugs? >> smoke -- oh, when you have pets, vacuum. you have to vacuum, brush them, groom them, and take care -- you have to be on top of it. >> real quick the smoke. >> back to vinegar/water. any cleaning, clean top to bottom to get it and, lastly, i just want to say for your garbage can because in this kind of weather when it's really hot and stinky -- >> i've never seen these. >> they are charcoal filters and you put them in your garbage can and they absorb the odors. even if you throw this in your gym bag to recharge them you just put them in the sun and they boost back up. >> great tips, elizabeth. keep the kids, keep the pets and even the husband. >> tell your wife she has to deal with you. now you know how to treat the odor. >> i get to stick around. great to see you. coming up next, buying organic. when should you shell out the extra bucks is in the? you take just once a month. it's simponi™, and taken with methotrexate, it helps relieve the pain, stiffness, and swelling of ra with one dose a month. visit 4simponi.com to see if you qualify for a full year of cost support. simponi™ can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious and sometimes fatal events can occur, such as infections, cancer in children and adults, heart failure, nervous system disorders, liver or blood problems, and allergic reactions. before starting simponi™, your doctor should test you for tb and assess your risk of infections, including fungal infections and hepatitis b. ask your doctor if you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, or develop symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start simponi™ if you have an infection. [ female announcer ] ask your rheumatologist about simponi™. just one dose, once a month. but this is warm, fresh-baked strawberry toaster strudel. [ music ] see the difference? pillsbury toaster strudel, the one kids want to eat. [ female announcer ] when you have kids the phrase good morning takes on a whole new meaning. capri sun sunrise is a good source of calcium and vitamin c so every morning's a good morning. capri sun sunrise, i can respect that. capri sun sunrise, 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. stop it. hello? you spotted a million dollar accounting error that no one else noticed. that was pretty sweet. but you did have eight layers of sweet crunchy back up. what can i say? you're the man. or -- you know, the little dude. that's me. [ female announcer ] stop mid-morning hunger with kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats® cereal. an excellent source of fiber from 100% whole grain that helps you stay full, so you can stay focused. also, try chocolate little bites. so, how'd the meeting go? outstanding, i wowed them with my chocolate chip center. so, how'd the meeting go? we asked real people to film themselves taking the activia 14-day challenge. i'm mary ellen smith. day one of the activia 14-day challenge. my digestive problems are irregularity. so i'm really excited to see if this really works. my husband tried this last night. he loved it. he said it's the best yogurt i've ever brought home, so...mmm. have just started to notice a slight difference in my digestion. help regulate your digestive system. take the activia challenge. it works or it's free. walk down the grocery aisle or take a trip to the farmer's market and you'll see the word organic from meat to produce to bread. organic foods come with a heftier price tag. are they really worth it? the day starts early at dan gibson's farm. a little more than a hundred miles but a world away from the wall street career he left behind to raise black angus cattle and chicken. >> the healthiest profile when they eat what nature intended and that's grass only. >> dan's beef and chicken isn't certified organic because he says when it comes to meat, organic isn't the whole story. >> you could take cattle and feed them organic grain in a feed lot and be certified organic. that's not what we're about. >> dan sells his grass-fed beef at local green markets where most products are grown organically. >> generally you want to eat food that comes from as close to you as possible and picked as fresh as possible. >> michael pollen is the author of several best-selling books such as "the omnivore 80s's dilemma" inspiring americans to take a second look at what and how they eat. >> i don't think we can say organic is always better for you. it's better for the environment. >> new research studies show a possible link between pesticide exposure and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children. for a growing number of consumers that's all the more reason to buy organic or local from your farm stand and grocery store to the dinner table what was a billion dollar a year industry in 1990 is now more than $26 billion a year. organics cost more to cultivate and that high demand also adds to the price tag. so when to spend your hard-earned money on organic food? >> foods that have a delicate skin that you eat like grapes, like strawberries, peaches, apples, that's a good investment. >> the nonprofit group has a list they call the dirty dozen, nonorganic fruits and vegetables that often carry high levels of pesticide residues. save on the foods you peel. they generally have the lowest pesticide residue. and pollen recommends organic dairy especially for pregnant women and kids. chef jeremy bareman bases his menu entirely on sustainable mainly organic foods. >> so you have more farms doing it and more restaurants using the product. it becomes easier for everybody and i think everybody wins at the end. >> and speaking of good recipes, how about some chicken stuffed with lobster? we're adding gourmet touch to your dinner. [ 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 in "today's kitchen" if you've run out of ideas for cooking a simple chicken breast, how about stuffing it? chef lucmann pierre, owner and executive chef of le pierre caterer adding pizzazz to your poultry. >> a chicken-lobster roulade. we have it on our menu. it's a great dish that people love. >> okay. so start out with a basic skinless chicken breast. >> you split it in half and you pound it up, get it nice and even to get our stuffing in there. make sure you get all the corners. about a quarter inch thick. >> bang that in between -- >> get the plastic over so you don't splatter chicken all over. some chicken and herbs, basis, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper. lobster. >> it's already cooked? >> that's already cooked. you can saute it, blanche it a little bit. you don't want to cook too much. we have lobster in here. red peppers, wilted spinach, some grilled corn, and we have gruyere cheese. this is great cheese. this is considered one of the top five best cheeses in the world actually. it has some good melting and good tore stuffing. >> roll this up and tie it up. >> make sure you get it all in here. >> and you end up with something like this. >> what we want to do is sear it. we want to make sure we get it all around. >> and how long do you brown that? >> probably about 30 seconds. probably take a minute overall. >> what else do you have going on? >> we have some shiitake mushrooms with shallots that we're sauteing. and what we're going to do now is add some flour to add some consistency to your sauce once it's done. mix it up. some madeira wine to glaze it. a quarter cup should be good. and just keep stirring otherwise you'll get lumps in here. you get your beef stock in here. and of course some salt and pepper. >> sure, to taste. >> and basically lower your heat and let that simmer. there we go. now we have one that's already seared. put that right into the oven. >> okay. >> now you cook that for about 30 minutes based on your oven temperature, maybe 35 minutes. and when that's done, we plate the dish. >> i notice you have some purple -- >> these are gourmet blue p potatoes a. rare find. >> you just keep talking chef. there's a little fire going on. >> thank you for taking care of that. so we go right to plating. and in terms of presentation, i'd just like to get some height on my plate. you cut it any way you want, get some potato right around here. >> that looks good. now we're talking. >> we have the sauce right on top. would you like to do that for me? >> willie, we can use some of your tips for getting smoke out. >> smells good. this is good odor. we like it. keep this one around. that looks wonderful. >> and we have the grilled corn. just add some color to your plate. >> the salad looks good, too. what's in your salad? >> we have tomatoes, diced apples and pears and we have a nice champagne vinaigrette on there. >> chef lucmann and here is a city cam view of the national cathedral on this sunny, hot monday. tom kierein will have the forecast and tell us when we'll cool off in just a minute. good morning. it's 9:57 on this monday, june 28th, 2010. in the news 4 today, senator robert byrd of west virginia died overnight. senator byrd's spokesman says he passed away peacefully at 3:00 this morning. he had been hospitalized last week at anova fairfax, reportedly suffering from exhaustion and dehydtion, but other problems developed. he was the longest serving senator in u.s. history. robert byrd was 92 years old. and now we turn to the weather today. another hot day, tom. >> yes, one more. and then we'll have some relief on the way by late tomorrow into tomorrow. but for today, thankfully, we've got the clouds on the increase coming in from the west. that's going to keep the temperatures from soaring into the upper 90s, but if we're already into the mid- and upper 80s and it eight to hit the mid-90s by the next two or three hours. then we'll have a chance for some storms to come in mid- to late afternoon, into this evening. some of which could produce some damaging winds. then cooler temperatures for the balance of the week. let's check traffic. steve, how's it looking? >> southbound traffic was closed quite a while with quite a bad accident. still heavy across the american legion bridge over to the accident scene. it's gone now near route 7. back to you, pat. >> thanks, steve. a programming note for you. a programming note for you. nbc's 20[ static ]on coverage ♪ 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 ]