Transcripts For WRC Today 20100702

detectives? and sun and traffic. some 35 million travelers expected to hit the roads, the rails and the skies over the fourth of july weekend. and our plaza is also packed as we get set for a holiday concert from maroon 5 today, friday, july 2nd, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a friday morning. welcome to the guys of maroon 5 as well as seen from overhead. i'm matt lauer. >> and i'm meredith vieira. we're playing their hit "misery." >> you're hitting the roads. >> i'm heading to the cape. >> i'm heading for the roads. the rest of you stay home. we are worried about that. aaa expects 17.1% jump in holiday travel with the majority of those people driving to their holiday destination. what more on what you'll face, and you'll face a lot of taillights as you head out the door. also, what drove sunday schoolteacher melissa huckaby to kill 8-year-old sandra cantu. she is now serving a life sentence. this morning for the first time huckaby's parents speak out in an exclusive live interview. >> plus, sarah palin's new life 12 months after shocking a lot of people by announcing her resignation as alaska's governor. was quitting that job the best decision she's made for both her political and financial future? we'll talk about that. and as we mentioned, getting ready for the long holiday weekend with a live concert on the plaza with three-time grammy winner maroon 5. >> let us begin on a friday morning with new concerns of the economic recovery has hit a major snag. cnbc's maria bartiromo is here with her take on all this. maria, good morning to you. >> how are you? >> we're going to get some labor department numbers in the next couple of hours here and most people seem to be bracing for bad news. what do you think those numbers are going to look like? >> we are expecting a decline in the number of new jobs created. we're still in a very fragile point in the economy, matt. businesses are afraid of 2011. they think they're going to have higher taxes, higher expenses, health care costs. they are unwilling to add new heads to the payroll right now. >> we have to look at where we are in terms of yesterday's news compounded by today's news. yesterday we saw pending home sales down 30% april to may, lowest point since 2001. car sales lower than automakers expected. manufacturing dropping. tell us about the state of the economy. >> i think today's numbers will indicate where we really are. in the last month and the last several months we had a lot of temporary stimulus. you had the home buyer tax credit. that was temporary. that's gone now. and now you see what happened to home sales. you have the cash for clunkers program. that stimulus is gone now. so a lot of the stimulus by government is now coming out. remember we had a lot of higher t temp raerg hiring for government census workers. that also will be gone in the number. it gives us a better idea where we are. it's still very fragile. >> we had wall street selling off yesterday so when these job numbers come out and if they are as bad as most people expect, do you expect a major reaction on wall street? >> right now we are basically expecting a tough number. but if it is more than 100,000 jobs declined, we could have a negative reaction. the good news is we are in a new quarter. soon we will get corporate earnings -- >> what do you expect to see there? >> that's going to be a good story, matt. corporate balance sheets are looking better than they have in several quarters. companies have slimmed down. they've cut the fat. they've cut jobs. they've cut r&d spending. that means a better outlook for them. that could be short-lived. again, broadly speaking, the economy remains weak. >> there's a term that's getting thrown around a lot and that is double dip recession. first of all, is it legitimate? and secondly, would its impact be more financial or emotional for people? >> that's a great question. you know, i think it doesn't have to be the official double dip. in other words, we dip back into a recession. without really feeling like it. it may feel like it emotionally because the jobs are not there, because we're looking at the valuations of our homes still going down. so it could feel like it even though we're not in officially a double dip. that's the problem because when you feel bad, you're not spending, you're not necessarily having good sentiment, and that's what we're looking at. not a great morale. >> maria bartiromo, as always, nice to have you. >> i'm sorry about the bad news. >> debbie downer. here's meredith. >> thank you. matt, there's a lot of traffic on the roads and at the airports this morning as 35 million americans set out for their fourth of july destinations. nbc's kevin tibbles is alone -- along, i'm sorry, one of those crowded highways in chicago. kevin, good morning. what is going on on the roads this morning? >> reporter: well, i am alone, sort of, but i have a lot of company on the i-90 just behind me here as they are off for the fourth of july weekend and they got a very early start. 90% of that 35 million, meredith, that you just referred to, are going to be traveling by automobile in spite of the conversation with maria that we just heard, a lot of people are sensing a little bit of economic recovery. these people have essentially been hiding under their beds for the last few years of recession and a lot of them have simply said, you know, to heck with it. we have to start enjoying our lives. we're going to go see grandma for the fourth of july and that's what is happening and they've already been hitting the roads here outside chicago from very early hours this morning, meredith. >> they don't seem too concerned the gas prices are actually up. >> reporter: well, if you just look back a couple of years, it was only two years ago that the price of a gallon of gas was over $4. now that's enough to make you leave the car in the garage. this year, as of last year and perhaps because of the recession they have dropped, they remain stable around $2.73, $2.75. here in chicago always seems too much the highest gas prices, around $2.90. the bottom line is the people seem to be starting to travel again and that has to be good news for the economic recovery. what's the number one location according to priceline.com? chicago, of course. but, meredith, if you're going to come, can you give me a shout so i can get some more hot dogs? >> i never knew you were such a draw, kevin tibbles. thank you so much. it is 7:07. >> if you stock up, you'd better stock up on the beer as well. >> oh, gee. while most people will travel by car, air travel also expected to increase this fourth of july weekend. tom costello is in washington's reagan national airport. tom, good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning to you. we have a beautiful day in d.c. today. unheard of for july, what is it, 2nd? we have low humidity and 80 degrees and really good weather across the country. take a look at the faa status map. we go to this map to get a sense of what the airports are looking like nationwide. we have green on the map across the country. that means no significant delays. you heard kevin talk about the national driving numbers. driving really is the dominant mode of transportation over the who wi holiday. take a look at what we are expecting from aaa in terms of air travel. e going to be traveling by y, air. that's up more than 8% from a year ago. but keep in mind that a year ago we were deep, deep in the great recession and most folks stay close to home. as for the airfare, travelers are paying 13% more than a year ago. the average roundtrip fare is $192 per ticket. that's the lowest. once you get to your destination, weekend rental car rates are going about $54 a day. three-star hotels nationwide, three-star, averaging about $143 a night up from $137 a year ago. and airlines will tell you that they are still struggling to eke out a profit so they have fewer planes in the system. that means when you do travel, there are very few seats left if you're unlucky enough to get on one of those last-minute flights. i just booked for next week, you know, the company wants me to fly to miami and there are like two or three seats left. so the nbc accountant is not going to be happy when they get the bill for this one. back to you guys. >> i guess he's not getting the corporate jet. >> just pleading his case on national tv, i think. >> i don't think it's going to work. >> he's going to be in the center seat for the rest of his life. tom, thanks very much. now ra check of the rest of the top stories. ann curry is over at the news desk. good morning to you, meredith and matt. we have a serious story in the news this morning because last night a suicide bombing was caught on tape. it happened at a religious shrine in pakistan's second largest city of lahore. 180 were wounded, most of them worshippers practicing a mainstream form of islam. they believe radicals aligned with the pakistani taliban are responsible for this violence. after briefing nato allies in brussels on thursday, today general david petraeus in afghanistan will take command of the u.s there is a system that is going to plague the area. still a chance of damp weather in seattle and storms up in the dakotas. good morning. it's a fresh and cool friday morning. temperatures around the region in the 50s and low and mid-60s at this hour. we have a low humidity in place now. 66 in washington. and it's cooler in the mountains this morning. highs today reaching the low 80s with lots of sunshine, low humidity in place through the holiday weekend. hotter by sunday and mid-90s for the 4th of julyy worse than the one we just got done with is on the way back. that's a look at your holiday weekend forecast. meredith. >> bill, thank you. some significant new developments this morning in the unsolved murder of virginia tech student morgan harrington who disappeared from a concert last fall. nbc's jeff rossen is here with details. jeff, good morning. >> reporter: meredith, good morning to you. this is the big break police have been waiting for. a picture that may solve the case. investigators now have forensic evidence showing a sexual assault suspect from another crime was with morgan on the night she disappeared. they're hoping you recognize him and turn him in. police don't know his name, his location, or his m.o. but the evidence doesn't lie. this mystery man was with morgan harrington just before she died and only 20 years old morgan vanished last october in virginia, a bright, beautiful student at virginia tech out for a night with friends. one minute she was at a metallica concert. the next, she was gone. it would take months for police to find her body hid nen a farmer's field. her killer is still on the loose, but, for the first time, police have this sketch. her parents call it a huge development. >> our probability of having him apprehended is huge. >> now the face of evil was in front of me today. >> reporter: it's a creepy connection. this man is wanted for an unsolved sexual assault from 2005. in fact, this wanted poster is five years old. but investigators just realized forensic evidence from that crime scene links him to morgan's crime scene. >> i think he is a serial offender. and will do, given the opportunity, will do so again. >> reporter: what the picture doesn't tell us is why or how morgan was killed. >> okay, now let's go public. let's put this out there. let's get more eyes on this case to see if, in fact, somebody out there can help us identify this person and help us make that link to morgan's case. >> reporter: they're worried he's changed his appearance making him virtually untraceable. but it's the best lead yet. >> this could be a big clue because it can help them figure out where the suspect was at different times and that means there are more people who might be able to help find him. >> reporter: morgan's parents have been through so much already. the hope when she was missing and the devastation when she was found dead. they opened up to meredith here on "today." >> meredith, i have reviewed images of my daughter from her prenatal ultrasound to looking at her empty eye sockets of her cranium, yes, i have seen. >> lovely bones. >> lovely bones. lovely bones. lovely girl. >> reporter: now, new hope. this time not for the return of their daughter but instead for answers. how morgan's life really ended. >> closure is not possible because i no longer have a beautiful almost 21-year-old daughter. that you cannot replace. >> reporter: there is still a cash reward of $150,000 for information leading to an arrest in this case. now if you recognize the man on your screen right now, you're asked to contact the virginia state police. the number is now on your careen. 434-352-3467. of course our hearts go out to that family, meredith. >> absolutely. jeff rossen, thank you very much. it is 7:17 and once again here is matt. meredith, thank you. it was a year ago tomorrow that sarah palin made the surprise announcement that she was re-signing as the governor of alaska. and a lot has changed in the past 12 months. nbc's norah o'donnell has details on that. norah, good morning. >> a lot has changed. she may be the most controversial and polarizing figure in politics today, but she has helped to elect some new stars in the republican party while at the same time becoming a multimillionaire. one year ago sarah palin shocked everyone announcing she would resign as governor of alaska with 18 months still left on her term. >> it would be apathetic to hunker down and go with the flow. we're fishermen. we know that only dead fish go with the flow. >> if sarah palin was thinking about being president of the united states, she's taking a real step backwards. >> but if anything, palin has surged forward. more visible -- >> thanks for coming. how are you doing? >> and possibly more influential than ever. >> how is that hopy changy ching working out for you. >> backing tea party candidates across the country and women like south carolina's nikki haley. >> her power is fueled but her political action committee with a deep war chest and a vast army of facebook and twitter followers. >> she does still have a very loud megaphone when she tweets, when she's on facebook. she still has the power to affect a policy debate when she wants to. >> but there may be limits to her appeal. a new nbc news/"wall street journal" poll shows that 52% see her political endorsement negatively. and for sarah palin, the family drama that captivated america during the campaign has continued. there's her teenaged daughter's tumultuous relationship with levi johnston. >> i hear he goes by the name ricky hollywood now. >> her rage at an author who moved directly next door to her wasilla home where he is writing a book about her. >> she has pushed a button and unleashed the hounds of hell and now we're out there slobbering and barking and growling. >> the national fascination with pat lynns has not abated and sarah palin is cashing in going from $125,000 a year to an estimated $12 million. there's her blockbuster bestseller "going rogue." on that deal, $7 million. her own tv show on tlc. on that deal, $2 million. and an exclusive contract with fox news channel, $1 million. and as for her speeches, she makes as much as $100,000 a pop and even those aren't without controversy. >> got my water? do i have my straws? i want my straws. and i want them bent, please. thank you. at least that's what i read in some of the lame stream media outlets, that i was demanding straws. >> her next project is a new book called "america by heart" due in november and she is expected to be out there again on another book tour. the crowds come out for her. >> and we continue to talk about her. norah, good to see you. it's 20 after the hour. kyron horman's parents beg his stepmother to cooperate with investigators. the latest on the 7-year-old's now month-old disappearance. still to come, how far one man rescued a dog. plus, maroon 5 live on the plaza. only one nation could create it. and that nation is...america. ♪ kraft singles. the american cheese. a car they can count on. a car that keeps going, when others might quit. a car that stands strong... when you need it most. and expects to handle the unexpected. at chevrolet, we created a team of red x engineers who are obsessed with quality. red x torture tests every car down to the smallest detail. because everyone deserves excellence. ♪ want to because everyone deserves excellence. replant a forest? maybe you want to rebuild homes for those in need? or, maybe you want to help improve our schools? whatever you want to do, members project from american express can help you take the first step. vote, volunteer or donate for the causes you believe in at membersproject.com. take charge of making a 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[ female announcer ] maybe the biggest surprise about remodeling your kitchen with all new ge profile appliances isn't just how great it will look when you're finished, it's the $1,000 rebate you can receive, which you could use to buy something new in your life, or put it right in the bank. ♪ remodel and renew with a rebate of up to $1,000 when you buy select ge profile appliances. good morning at 7:26. in the news for today, mandatory water restrictions remain in place for everyone in montgomery and prince georges counties. crews are trying to replace a main that was ready to burst. the sanitary commission is asking people to stop all outside water use and use water obama as necessary. we'll take a break now and come back and look at our traffic and weather. stay with us. good morning. it's clear and cool. if you're headed out of town for the holiday weekend, plenty of sunshine today, tomorrow, and sunday. low humidity is in place. low and mid-90s. hot and humid in the next week. how is the weather? >> left side of your screen, a little bit of volume. southbound had been backed up because of an earlier accident. one more stop, we'll head over to 270, wide open. >> get your weekend started with news 4. tune in when you wake ♪ this love has taken a toll on me ♪ 7:30 on this friday morning, july 2nd, 2010. we could not ask for nicer weather to end the workweek, a long holiday weekend. before these folks head off to their destination, they'll be treated to a live concert on the plaza from maroon 5 just about one hour from now. inside studio 1a i'm meredith vieira alongside matt lauer. were warping signs missed? the parents of melissa huckaby, the woman sentenced to prison for murdering 8-year-old sandra cantu speak out in an exclusive live interview. also ahead, a man who put his own safety at risk to rescue a stray dog trapped down a canyon. obviously a real animal lover. he actually videotaped the ordeal and this morning he'll share that story with us. plus, designer diapers. the latest fashion craze for babies. there you go. but we want to begin this half hour with some serious news. an emotional plea for the parents much of kyron horman's parents. a month after he mysteriously disappeared from inside his own school. nbc's miguel almaguera has details on that. miguel, good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning. these past four weeks have been peppered with stunning new developments but through it all kyron's family has never given up hope. >> kyron is still alive. >> reporter: desiree young's voice quivered as she spoke of her son, kyron. >> we pray each day for kyron. >> reporter: in a short but emotional family statement, young begged kyron's stepmom to help detectives. >> we implore terri horman to fully cooperate with the investigators to bring kyron home. >> reporter: investigators say terri horman was the last person to see 7-year-old kyron when she told detectives she dropped him off at school four weeks ago today. recently she's become the focus of speculation. horman's been given two polygraph tests. her father reportedly telling "people" magazine there's a 50/50 chance she'd be arrested. last weekend, kaine horman, kyron's father, mochld his 18-month-old daughter out of the home he shared with terri and this week filed for divorce and a restraining order against his wife. inside the family circle standing in between kyron's mother and father, terri horman is now clearly an outsider. >> this is obviously an effort by the family to try to get her to come forward, to confess, to do something that they think will help the investigation move forward. >> reporter: terri horman has now hired a criminal defense attorney, but is yet to make any public comment. little is known about her. however, both her two previous marriages ended in divorce. the first amid allegations of adultery. back in 2005, terri was arrested for a dui with her then 11-year-old son in the car. after a reckless endangerment plea she was ordered into an alcohol education program devoted to the gym, terri horman also competed as a body builder, pictured here in 2006. now her life, like kyron's biological parents, is shattered. >> we would like all of you, everyone, to continue to get his face out there. to continue looking for him in your day-to-day activities. >> reporter: a mother's public plea four weeks into the search for her little boy, a family desperate to find their son. >> we are working with investigators daily to bring kyron home. we are extremely confident in how the investigation is going. >> reporter: this weekend as many families enjoy the fourth of july holiday together, the hormans say their nightmare will continue. matt? >> miguel almaguera out in portland for us this morning. miguel, thank you very much. we want to switch gears considerably here and get a check of the weather. bill karins is filling in for al. good morning t good morning. we still have low humidity with us. we were generally in the 40s and 50s. now we're climbing to near 60 there. upper 60s right near the bay and at the ocean, highs today reaching the low 80s with lots of sunshine and lower humidities. still not a lot of humidity for the fourth of july but mid-90s and then hot and humid into next week. you have a lot of people on your sign. who is on your sign? >> all our family. >> all your family and friends. happy fourth of july weekend. meredith, back to you. >> bill, i'll take it. thank you very much. one man's mission to save a stray dog. that story is just ahead. found that dog trapped in a deep canyon. 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[ female announcer ] free high-speed internet... relaxing pool... cozy beds and free breakfast with hot waffles. need to relax after a long day of vacation? comfort inn. now stay two times with comfort inn or any choice hotel... and you can earn a $50 restaurant gift card. book now at choicehotels.com. woman: i just joined extracare advantage for diabetes 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. we are back with the daring rescue of a dog trapped in the bowels of a deep canyon. the man who carried the pooch out by himself and captured most of it on camera. we'll talk to him in a moment. first kristen welker has the story. >> reporter: the canyons that run along the arizona/utah border spectacular in beauty, scope, and depth. they're a dream for photographers and rock climbers alike. so outdoorsman zach andereg, made sure to bring his video camera when he went hiking in the area over the weekend. he was expecting to capture lots of twisted walls and dark caverns but wasn't prepared to find this -- >> i cannot believe i found this guy. >> reporter: this guy, an ab abandoned pooch, seemingly left for dead, was discovered by andereg about 350 feet below the earth's surface. he was emaciated, all alone, and scared. >> he was my best guess would be 24 to 48 hours from being dead. >> reporter: andereg, an animal lover, knew he had to act fast. he climbed out of the canyon once to get water for the canine and then his second time to drive nearly an hour to page, arizona, for help. >> we're certainly not going to send out the fire department and the sheriff's department to help you. >> reporter: so andereg took matters into his own hands. borrowing a cat carrier from a local animal hospital and attaching it to his ropes, andereg was able to lift the dog from the depths of the cavern all by himself. >> i took risks but none above what i do anyway. >> reporter: over the next few days an area vet helped nurse the dog back to health saying the most likely scenario is that he fell or was thrown into the canyon and that his survival and rescue is just a miracle. >> yes, sweetheart. >> reporter: this miracle pooch, affectionately named puppy for now, has a temporary home with zach and his wife michelle, but they're look iing for a permane place for puppy to stay, and with a face like this, that shouldn't be too hard. for "today," kristen welker, nbc news, los angeles. >> zach and michelle andereg are with us exclusively along with puppy. good morning to all of you. >> good morning. >> zach, when you found puppy he was in really rough shape. how is he doing now? he looks pretty good. >> he's doing remarkable. he's probably added five or ten pounds and his personality is starting to come out. >> that day you were rappelling into the canyon, you looked down a little further down, maybe 15 feet below you, and you see something walking in circles, but at first you weren't even sure what it was you were looking at, is that right? >> no, it's just the last place in the world you expect to find a dog. so i looked over the edge and i saw this black thing just walking in circles and my first thought was perhaps it was a coyote because there's a lot of grazing in the area. and he was very bony so, for some reason, he struck me as he might be a little calf. and then the long earp i looked at him and realized it was actually a dog. >> yeah, and you went and got water, gave him the water and then you went back and realized you needed some help. you go to that local town and you're told by the fire department, sorry, we can't help you. so then you return with this cat carrier. you go back down there again. you know that you're potentially risking your life. i know you're experienced but there's a real risk there, for a stray dog. why did you want to do it, zach? >> you know what, it was never a questi question. when i saw him, my heart just absolutely broke and within about ten seconds of realizing what he was, my plan shifted from vacation to, you know, rescue. get him out of here. so i guess i never really questioned it. >> i know, michelle, that at one point zach called you. did you question what he was going to do at all? >> i didn't question it because, i mean, i just -- i could hear in his voice how sad the situation was. but i was really nervous about it and, you know, i was just standing by the phone to wait to hear when he got out of the canyon with the dog and was pacing and -- but i was very confident in his abilities, you know, to get the dog out safely. but it was a little nerve-racking. >> i don't blame you. zach, how hard was it to pull the dog out to safety? >> i don't remember -- i lost consciousness. no, you know what, it was a big deal. getting down there was easy. getting him ready was not that hard, you know, putting him in the crate. but actually ascending with him was about 25 minutes and i got to the top and i was pretty much done for the day. >> and i know that you're looking for a good home for him. you have other pets at home so maybe he would be too much to handle, but is it going to be hard to give him up? >> oh, my gosh, yes. >> it depends on who you ask. >> we are so attached. >> i know you call him shadow, michelle, right? >> yeah, because he -- i walk and i stop and he bumps into me. he follows me so closely. he comes everywhere with me. >> i think he forgot who rescued him. >> he likes the ladies, zach. what can can i tell you. >> you know what? that was pretty obvious even at the animal hospital that he favors women, so it might give some indication of his past. >> well, he's a beautiful baby and i guess he's 8 months old at this point. with that face i'm sure you'll have no trouble finding a loving home for him. zach and michelle andereg and puppy, thank you so much. good job, zach. >> you're welcome. >> thank you. and up next the newest baby craze, designer diapers. 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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[ female announcer ] there's something about grilling out that makes everything taste better. maybe it's cooking over an open flame. or the juicy beef franks on a delicious bun fixed up just the way you like them. well, whatever it is, you can enjoy more of it with walmart's guaranteed unbeatable prices on all your cookout favorites. ♪ save money. live better. walmart. ♪ we have been invaded. we're back at 7:48. what does it take to turn your baby into a star? jenna wolfe spent the day with a real life baby wrangler, which we could use one around here, to find out. ♪ you and you and you ♪ ought to be in pictures >> good job. look at you. >> reporter: this may look like play time but for professional baby wrangler michelle avanterio, it's all business. >> you see how she comes in and this is her energy like she would be with her parents. >> reporter: for the last 18 years she's coaxed spils from kids in over 200 commercials. her latest project, finding the perfect face for a new huggies ad campaign. you'll know right away, the second, whether someone is it or not it? >> pretty much. come on in, big guy. >> reporter: step one, getting them into the audition room. >> bye-bye. >>. >> reporter: without crying. >> i have that effect on a lot of people. >> reporter: step two, letting the personality shine. >> oh, my. >> reporter: cheese. >> cheese. >> you are gorgeous. look at that face. >> reporter: can you put a number on how many babies you've seen? >> in the last week 800. >> reporter: 800 in the last week? >> yeah. >> reporter: my thinking is that at some point all babies look the same and all babies sound the same to you after you've been doing this. you're shaking your head no. >> never, never. >> ready, background, and action. >> reporter: four babies are cast for the final shoot and each is given a turn in front of the camera. >> she gets great performances out of babies. they're comfortable. they're happy and they just do a tremendous job for us. >> here we go. good job. keep going. >> michelle is an expert in what she does. we do see the "x" factor of something going wrong. she is about as close as you're going to get to a guarantee. >> good job! >> reporter: some kids prove better at face time while others are called on to be diaper doubles. >> such a good boy. >> reporter: all the while michelle and her assistant, along with the baby's stylist -- yes, stylist -- work hard to keep the little stars content between takes. >> people will say to me, you have a great job. you get to play with babies. it has nothing to do with that. the biggest part of the job is finding the right baby who is going to go in and out, look in mirrors, turn around, take direction. it's really, really involved. >> reporter: but it all pays off in the final product. >> my diaper is full. full of fashion. >> i love it. i love what i do. i think it's amazing after 18 years that i still find so much joy in being able to get up and do this every day. >> and on that commercial you may have noticed not so typical diapers. bo bobbi thomas is here. these things are hot, right? people like them. >> they are hot and everyone, whether you have a baby or not, are talking about these commercials and so we have the huggies that you saw in the piece which were made to look like denim. they're not actually denim but the stitching and the pockets, they even have a little fake fly on them. and then cynthia -- the huggies are just released out in may and they're running through a limited edition through july. >> are they the same price as normal diapers? >> the huggies are the same price as the little movers but the pampers will run you about $6 more on average and they're available at target just launching this month and they've about 11 colorful designs and it's typical of the pretty girlie prints both for girls and boys. >> but they're just as ash soshant and still cling around the legs. that's all i care about. >> this is function meets fashion, if you've had to say that out loud. >> great news for matt, they come in your size. >> another are 15 years, you never know. exactly. >> will look fashionable in the home. >> let's hear it for the dad down there, okay. look at you. way to go. all right. hey, these are cool. >> yeah, they're really cool. those are more expensive, though, the other ones, the pampers. >> always running right for the camera. >> she actually has little cynthia rowley ones underneath the dress. a few years ago i got a wake up call. a heart attack at 57. that was a rough time. my doctor told me i should've been doing more for my high cholesterol. ♪ you should've listened. you're right. now i'm eating healthier and i trust my heart to lipitor. 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[ male announcer ] have a heart to heart with your doctor about your risk. and about lipitor. i'm darryl willis. i oversee bp's claims process on the gulf coast. bp has got to make things right and that's why we're here. we're replacing the lost income for fishermen, small businessmen and others who aren't able to work until the spill is cleaned up. we've agreed to create a $20 billion claims fund, administered independently. our claims line is open 24 hours a day. i volunteered for this assignment because this is my home. i'll be here in the gulf as long as it takes to make this right. in fact, it protects you from the most damaging rays across 100% of the uva uvb spectrum. coppertone outshines. so you can enjoy the sun. twizzlers. the twist you can't resist. discover customers are getting 5% cashback bonus at the pump... and at many of the places their summer plans take them. it pays to get more. it pays to discover. 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. good morning to you. in the news for today a. family was able to escape a huge house fire overnight in the 5200 block in centreville. it took firefighters a half hour to put out these raging flames. no one was injured, but damage to that home was extensive. well, the holiday weekend is upon us. if you're traveling in virginia, lane restrictions will be lifted for the major interstates and highways and roadways in maryland an estimated 470,000 vehicles are expected to cross the chesapeake bay bridge and 1.5 million people are expected to fly to their holiday destination this year. we're going to take a break now and take a look at our weather and traffic. st good morning. here's your four-day forecast. sunny with high, low 80s, low humidity tomorrow and sunday with a heat wave moving in and then more humid as we get into next week and hot as well. let's check traffic on this friday morning. how is it looking. >> not looking good. unfortunately, yet another accident. this one is southbound 95, left lane tied up. we'll pull back and show you what it looks like. on 95 southbound the slowing starts at the capital beltway. get the news as soon as you wake up. we get 8:00 now on a friday morning, the 2nd day of july, 2010. we have a huge crowd out on the plaza today. there's a good reason. we have a huge band on our concert stage. we have maroon 5 out here, the three-time grammy award winners will put on a show in about 30 minutes for all those people right there. beautiful day for it, too. i'm matt lauer along with meredith vieira. we'll get to the concert in a little while. but we start this half hour with a very sad and serious story. >> very sad. former sunday schoolteacher melissa huckaby is serving a life sentence for the brutal murder of 8-year-old sandra cantu and still many questions remain including probably the biggest question of all, why. this morning melissa huckaby's parents are here for an exclusive live interview. they've been trying to figure that out. on a much, much lighter note, we have some new advances when it comes to treating your skin. so we'll take a look at some results from the latest laser and cosmetic treatments. and then don't forget about the search for our 11th "today throws a wedding couple." this year's theme is modern love. for complete details logon to our website todayshow.com or facebook.com/todayshow and remember the deadline to enter next friday. to the news desk right now. ann is there with a look at the headlines. ann? thanks a lot, matt. good morning once again, everybody. this is a closely watched day for people worried the economy may be slowing down again. the government's june unemployment number report is out on the heels of bad news on thursday including a jump in first time claims for unemployment benefits amid slowdowns in home sales, manufacturing construction and auto sales. we've got cnbc's melissa franzen with more on this. melissa, these indicators are just not good. >> reporter: that's right, ann. markets have been waiting for the data all week. really struggling with some tough data. you mentioned some of it but also consumer confidence was re really weak, pending home sales down 30% month over month. as a result we've also seen gold plunge overnight down another 3%. that had been one that was going up and up. markets at their lowest level since last october. but if you're look iing for one bright spot, the 30-year mortgage is at a 50-year low at 4.58%, ann. >> well, that's a bright spot we like. we'll take it. also in the news this morning, cleanup efforts in the gulf are still stalled in the wake much of hurricane alex. barges are being repositioned and skimming vessels are returning and should be operating again in a few days. and a super skimmer shape capable of collecting a million barrels of oil a day is being pressed into service. even after alex was down graded to a tropical storm it dumped heavy rain that flooded cities in mexico including the inland industrial city of monterrey. two people were killed as cars, houses and bridges were washed away. in the turf battle between gangs in mexico, at least 21 people have been killed in a firefight on thursday and the shoot-out between rival drug and immigrant trafficking rings was just 12 miles from the border with arizona. after all the concerns about having enough swine flu vaccine last fall, a quarter of the u.s. swine flu vaccine supply is now about to be incinerated. the 40 million doses were left over because the vaccine wasn't widely available until the largest wave of h1n1 had passed. nasa's shuttle program will keep operating into the next year. nasa says it needs more time to load spare parts for the international space station. it is now 8:03 and time to get a check of the weather n. for al this morning, we have bill karins. >> announcer: "today's" weather is brought to you by advil. make advil your number one choice. on this geta a fresh and cool start to this friday morning. good morning. we were in the 40s and 50s a couple of hours ago. now we're into the 60s. it's 69 in washington. near 70 near the bay and at the beaches. highs today, reaching low to mid-90s. humidity is in place through the holiday weekend. mid-90s on the 4th of july and then getting more humid with the heat monday into next week. thi beautiful, crisp morning because, i'll tell you what, by monday morning, things will be a lot different. the heat is on its way. that's a look at your holiday forecast, meredith? bill, thank you very much. and up next, for the first time since melissa huckaby was sentenced for the brutal murder of 8-year-old sandra cantu, huckaby's parents and aunt speak out in an exclusive live interview right after this. 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in a moment melissa huckaby's parents and aunt will speak out for the very first time. but first nbc's george lewis. >> reporter: it is the question that haunts the city of tracy, california. why would anyone want to kill this sweet little girl, 8-year-old sandra cantu? melissa huckaby sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, for kidnapping and murdering sandra, could not answer that question. >> i wish i could give you an explanation for what happened. i owe you an explanation. i still cannot understand why i did this. >> reporter: a psychologist who has written about cases like this says huckaby is a psychopath who misused her position of trust as a mother and a sunday schoolteacher. >> they oftentimes manipulate this to gain control, ultimate control, over their victims, and they ultimately have a complete lack of regard for other people's feelings, for life in general as evidenced in this crime. >> reporter: in court huckaby wept as sandra cantu's family played a sentimental video illustrating sandra's brief life ending with surveillance tape of sandra skipping down the street outside her house, the last pictures of her alive. huckaby's mother expressed her regrets to sandra's parents. >> if i could give you justice, the justice that you deserve, that would be to have your baby girl in your arms right now. from mother to mother, i'm so sorry. >> reporter: huckaby's family says melissa was a normal girl growing up, but that she changed after she was raped at age 19 by a police officer. so were there clues in the way she acted that might have served as danger signs? >> there were probably underlying behaviors that had been undetected for some time. >> reporter: so now huckaby will have the remainder of her life behind bars, to contemplate that behavior as the experts question whether she truly feels remorse for killing sandra cantu. for "today," george lewis, nbc news, los angeles. melissa huckaby's parents, judy and brian lawless and her aunt joanie hughes are with us exclusively. good morning to all of you. is there remorse? you heard george lewis just say that, that people aren't sure whether she has expressed any remorse. is there true remorse? >> yes. >> i believe so, yes. >> what has she said to you about that? >> i spoke to her after she had the sentencing because up until that point we have not been able to talk to her about anything to do with the case. and so that was the first opportunity we had. she cried a lot and she feels so terrible for what she's done. >> you really haven't had a chance to talk to her much about the case but this question of why, you know, that she sat in court and said i can't even explain why. as her parents you must have thought about this a million times. >> yes. >> when you're asked the question why, what answer do you give? >> we have none. we are so baffled. there was no warning signs. she's never, ever displayed any kind of anger issues or any kind of behaviors in this way at all. >> you said there were no warning signs and you know people out there, you know what i'm talking to, they always look at the parents or the loved ones around someone like this and, brian, they say you must have missed something. and have you racked your brain and gone back through her life? >> i have. >> and what have you come up with? >> nothing. i mean, you know, they say hindsight is 20/20 and if you look in the pass you can say, okay, this starts to make sense of why we came to this point, but just nothing. and at the beginning of this, we were -- a big question of why and what happened and all our communications with melissa. so we weren't able to discuss anything up to this point. >> she has had psychological issues. she wrote in journal entries released as part of court documents, quote, when i was 19 years old, i suffered a very traumatic experience. i didn't know how to make the pain i was feeling go away, so i started cutting myself. i was in and out of psychiatric hospitals for about a year. the cutting was so bad that i had to have stitches over 40 times. i was hurting so bad on the inside, by cutting myself it allowed me to feel my pain on the outside instead. so when she was going through this period in her life, did you feel it was a phase, it was something she would go through, or did you worry that it might result in more destructive behavior? >> no. when melissa started cutting, that's when we found out that she had been raped and she started cutting. she had never done that prior. >> but even at that point you didn't worry that that behavior would evolve into something more damaging or dangerous? >> no. she only hurt herself. and, you know, not understanding cutting and not understanding how someone could do that, but just reading about it and stuff. >> we had concerns that this is obviously not normal behavior, and so we were trying to seek some kind of help. >> did she get the help you think she deserved or needed at that time? she says she was in and out of psychiatric hospitals. >> no, she did not. >> did she get treatment? >> no. >> the problem -- she would be admitted into a facility and the doctor would come in and say, how are you doing? and she was very good at covering things up. oh, i'm fine. it was just a bad moment. and then they would write it off and release her. >> when you sat in court, when you saw the sentencing and realized what this judge was saying, the rest of her life, going to prison with no parole, this is your child. how do you deal with that moment? >> very difficult. >> having never been on this side of the law and having to go through this as parents and never -- only just seeing that on tv and then we're faced with it, it's extreme ly -- very difficult to -- i go through different emotions, anger, at her for the destruction and "how could you" or "what was you thinking? ". >> here is what you said to her mom to sandra's mom in court. if i could give you justice, the justice you deserve, that would be to have your baby girl in your arms right now from mother to mother, i am so sorry. >> that was truly from my heart and i wish i could change things. i wish it could be different. but i just can't. and just so many times that i've gone into the courtroom and, you know, i just placed myself on their side and i can't be angry at them for being angry or, you know, wanting to just put their hands around her throat and say, you know -- their daughter's gone. i have to look and see that my daughter did it. >> do you plan to visit her much in prison? will you be an active part of her life? >> yeah. >> well, how could you not love your child? it doesn't mean that you accept a lot of things that they do or anything, but she's our child and we will embrace her and hope that she gets help or is able to get help. >> i know it's not easy to talk about and i appreciate you all being here today. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> thank you. it's 17 minutes after the hour. ♪ [ female announcer ] maybe the biggest surprise about remodeling your kitchen with all new ge profile appliances isn't just how great it will look when you're finished, it's the $1,000 rebate you can receive, which you could use to buy something new in your life, or put it right in the bank. ♪ remodel and renew with a rebate of up to $1,000 when you buy select ge profile appliances. 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[ male announcer ] your favorite foods fighting you? fight back fast with tums. calcium rich tums goes to work in seconds. nothing works faster. ♪ tum ta tum tum tums >> announcer: "today's health" is brought to you by tums. fights heartburn fast. we are back at 8:20 this morning on "told's health." skin makeover using laser treatments. a dermatologist, good morning to you. we're going to talk about four different treatments, none of which require going under the knife. >> they're office based treatments done right in the office. >> we have four ladies here. jill suffers from severe sun damage and skin cancer. first, let's listen to her story. >> the issue i was hoping to deal with was my skin damage, boast the visible skin damage as well as the skin cancers that i've had. i've always been extremely fair and as a kid nobody was very vigilant about skin cancer prevention. i'm hoping to have a fresh start with my skin. i'll certainly feel more confident in the way i look. >> and here is jill now looking fantastic. tell me about the treatment. it really involves stimulating the cells, right? >> exactly. so jill had the ideal treatment for rejuvinating the skin and how it works is it gives energy that stimulates new skin cells to grow, much more refreshed appearance to her skin, makes her look more youthful and healthy. >> i'm thrilled t. got rid of so much of the sun damaged i could see and i have fresh skin. >> is that a one-time only thing? >> it could be one to three treatments. the recovery time is a few days of redness and a little bit of dryness afterwards. >> okay, jill, thank you very much. our next patient is christina who suffers from acne. let's listen to her story. >> i'm 26 years old and i have lived with moderate to severe acne my entire life. living in a sorority house with other girls, you have to take off your makeup at night. it took a while to get comfortable with showing my friends or my family my skin. i lived in las vegas, a lot of pool parties and things like that and i was constantly worrying about can i cover my face? the first thing people look at when they speak to you is your face. to have something you're most subconscious about on your face is difficult. i think i will feel better about myself. >> so many young people deal with acne and it can be devastating emotionally as well. acne is a very difficult sing treatment difficulty and she had a brand-new treatment called isolase. it has a deep pore cleansing that vacuums out the pores and a light treatment to kill acne causing bacteria. >> do you see a difference? >> a huge difference in the way it feels and looks. it takes so much less time to get ready in the morning. >> when is it right for a patient to undergo this kind of a treatment? >> i think it's a great start to make your acne treatments work better at home. it's also great for people who can't tolerate acne treatments or for some reason they're just not working for them. >> from christina to lisa barr suffering from skin discoloration. let's listen to hery. >> i'm 46 years old and before my skin was great. i've had to deal with a lot of health issues over the last couple of years and i've had br blotches and it's disconcerting. i think having cleaner, brighter, more luminescent skin would make me walk taller. emotionally it would be a big boost for me. >> she's even sitting taller. this really worked for her. >> it it certainly did. i think it's true that stress and health issues can take a toll on your skin and when we looked at lisa we saw she had looseness and discoloration. we did a thermage treatment to help tighten and build collagen and then the next week a treatment to even out her skin tone. >> you look fantastic. and finally, let's take a look at lisa wilmer hoping to tackle what a lot of women have, baby bulge. >> i'm 37 years old with children ages 8 and 3. i noticed after my second child that i really have a lot of extra little flab going on in my midsection. i'd like to see a tighter abdomen, not always be stretching my shirts out over my be belly or trying to hide that midsection. it will make me feel with a flatter stomach that i kind of am getting my body back. >> now that we humiliated you, we should all bare our bellies as well in support of you. thee looks great. >> not only tighten the face, we can tighten the belly which is what we did for lisa. we helped firm up her abdomen giving energy to tighten the collagen and help her fit better in her clothes and give her more confidence. >> and are you fitting better in your clothes? >> a little bit. >> how often does she need the treatment? >> generally a one-time treatment that lasts from one to two years. >> and the price range? >> it depends across the country and what treatment you have but they run anywhere from $500 to $2,000. >> and how often will we have to have repeat procedures ? >> if it defends. some tend to last a good long time ooms. >> and insurance covers or no? >> not for many. >> thank you so much. ladies, thank you so much. >> thanks for having us. another sunny day across the region as the fall-like weather continues for just a moment longer. welcome back to news 4 today. in our headlines, investigators have determined that a faulty refrigerator led to this massive fire on wednesday night. the flames broke out just after 7:00 no one was inside when that fire started. investigators have not specified what in the refrigerator sparked that fire. weather and traffic coming up next. we hope you'll stay with us. highs today in the low 80s. 90s on the 4th of july. >> capital beltway most of the way past lordin, earlier accidents have cleared but now a new one has just been reported along the prince william ♪ it's not over tonight friday, july 2nd, 2010. here on rockefeller plaza and they're in one heck of a treatment. grammy winner maroon 5 will take our summer concert stage in just a moment. i'm meredith vieira along with matt lauer and ann curry and another guy here. >> by the way, we're going to introduce you to ron in a second. wait until next week. we have lady gaga out here on the plaza on friday morning. should be crazy if you're in the area and in the mood, come on down and check her out in concert next friday. >> check her out is is probably the right word to use. the right phrase. also coming up, we'll be talking about medical diagnosis. did you know that tens of thousands of people die every year because they've gotten the wrong diagnosis? we have an expert in the house to help you know how to find the right doctor, how to protect yourself and stay well. can we say hello again to a former ohio university "today" show intern names ryan lidell. ryan was here last semester, probably most famous for doing march madness when our ohio university defeated georgetown in the only round we engaged in this famous chest bump there. the bruises are just healing for me. >> for both of us. >> but what's really exciting, you graduated and now you're involved in something really cool. >> very cool. >> tell us about it. >> mtv and american express partnered. they scoured the internet to find 18 candidates with a unique voice in pop culture entertainment, people active in social media. and somehow they found me and now i have this amazing opportunity to be the first ever mtv twitter jockey. >> the first ever mtv twitter jockey. >> a trendsetter. what would that mean to you? >> that would mean everything. it means i could be back here to see you guys more often. it would be a bigger paycheck. >> exactly. >> from what i'm getting now. it would mean i would get to travel, go to entertainment events, awards shows, and interact with an amazing audience. >> tell america why you should be the one? >> well, i, for one, make these amazing custom t-shirts. all of you are going to get one. all of you are going to get one. >> more than that, ryan. >> i'm passionate about pop culture entertainment. i loved it when i was here. i loved it since i've been young. so what i'm asking is everybody in this entire audience -- to follow me on twitter. i have it right here. follow me on twitter, twitter.com/rlidell. i want people to follow. >> she has more twitter followers than anybody i know. can you hook him up with your followers? >> i will. i'll retweet you. >> how about a chest bump. >> ryan, we're proud of you. first of all, congratulations on graduating. good luck in this competition. when do you find out if you get this? >> the voting begins july 7th, so everybody please vote for me. please vote for me. the challenge is july 7th through july 20th. it will be on facebook, on twitter. follow me. follow me. >> you know what, we knew you would do well. we knew you would do well. well, thankfully we'll have the low humidity for the holiday weekend with lots of sunshine. right now we're in the 60s to near 70 degrees. hotter on saturday and for the fourth of july, mid-90s during the afternoon hours. back down into the 80s for the fireworks displace. the humidity increases monday andnix. look at that. 112. i never really believed them but michigan actually does look like a mitten. where do you live? right down there with the stars. back to you, meredith. bill, thank you very much. this crowd is here for maroon 5 but -- wait a second. wait a second, guys. but it's also a big day for our senior producer don nash. these are his daughters, cassidy is 7 and alice is 4. what do you want to say? >> happy birthday. >> happy birthday. >> happy birthday mr. nash. right back with maroon 5. hey, volley for serve. friendly competition runs on dunkin' with our refreshing coolatta flavors. enjoy an icy boost today. america runs on dunkin'. this morning on "leonard's look" changing lives with a step in the right direction. taking a look at a very special school. >> reporter: from those first steps in illinois to the top of the artistic stairway, new york city, it's an incredibly steep climb. but -- >> dance lifts you up. >> reporter: as does mr. lois balanceman of the funny haircut and boundless enthusiasm. miss lois has spent a lifetime teaching dance to the children of maywood, a down on its luck village of 32,000 just west of chicago. to a visitor the contrast is striking between the many who have given up on maywood and the one who has not. this married mother of six who has sacrificed her own financial well-being by renting, then transforming an old downtown building into a polished jewel of elegance and grace. miss lois calls it stairway of the stars and to keep the lessons affordable she and her family have gone without many of the basics like health insurance just so others could learn the basics of a transcendent art form. >> without that, i don't even know where i would be seriously. >> reporter: craig hall is a soloist for the new york city ballet and credits his first teacher, miss lois, for guiding him to the spotlight as does devin polan, an acclaimed dancer, teacher and choreographer and miss lois' daughter and a radio city rockette. >> they're offering hope and giving children dreams. >> we just knew what she wanted to do to help the community, to help the surrounding communities and the children. ♪ >> reporter: joined by another daughter, heidi, and former student tiana, lois, now in her 60s, dances on and moves on with with her husband ernie to further expand the cultural horizons. they established an organization called the maywood fine arts association. and then in a boldly symbolic move to reinvest in their struggling hometown, they raised funds to make a bid on buying and then renovating the downtown building they had rented for over three decades. it was their dream come true until that friday night last march, just a few weeks before the deal was to close. >> i went to bed and i felt that night that something was burning. i could smell it from my window. >> reporter: a fire had started in the second hand store on the ground floor of the building n. a matter of hours, the dance studio, the costumes, the music, the props, the photographs, all of it was gone. >> the fire broke my heart. >> and rebuilding and it's so hard after 30 years having to -- for them to rebuild and it's hard for us because we're here and it's hard to help. >> reporter: but those who can have pitched in. a maywood church offered temporary space where other professional dancers once taught by miss lois have come back to teach the children of maywood a lesson in loyalty. >> you can't just let them down. >> for their sake, we're going to overcome this. >> reporter: how? just as they always have, one small step at a time. for "today," mike leonard, nbc news, maywood, illinois. still to come on a friday morning, maroon 5 right up on this concert stage here much to the delight of these fans right here. ♪ you keep me coming back for more ♪ >> announcer: the toy ota concet series on "today" brought to you by toyota. toyota, moving forward. well, they have a new album out and they're embarking on an international tour but not before they rock the plaza. ladies and gentlemen, maroon 5. ♪ what's happening, new york city ♪ ♪ i was so high i did not recognize ♪ ♪ the fire burning in her eyes ♪ the chaos that controlled my mind ♪ ♪ whispered good-bye and she got on a plane ♪ ♪ never to return again ♪ but always in my heart ♪ this love has taken its toll on me ♪ ♪ she said good-bye too many times before ♪ ♪ her heart is breaking in front of me ♪ ♪ i have no choice 'cause i won't say good-bye anymore ♪ ♪ whoa, whoa, whoa ♪ whoa, oh, whoa ♪ i tried my best to feed her appetite ♪ ♪ keep her coming every night ♪ so hard to keep her satisfied ♪ ♪ kept playing love like it was just a game ♪ ♪ pretending to feel the same ♪ then turn around and leave again ♪ ♪ this love has taken its toll on me ♪ ♪ she said good-bye too many times before ♪ ♪ her heart is breaking in front of me ♪ ♪ i have no choice 'cause i won't say good-bye anymore ♪ ♪ whoa, whoa, whoa ♪ i'll fix these broken things ♪ repair your broken wings ♪ and make sure everything's all right ♪ ♪ my pressure on your hips ♪ sinking my fingertips ♪ into every inch of you, babe ♪ 'cause i know that's what you want me to do ♪ ♪ this love has taken its toll on me ♪ ♪ she said good-bye too many times before ♪ ♪ and her heart is breaking in front of me ♪ ♪ i have no choice 'cause i won't say good-bye anymore ♪ ♪ this love has taken its toll on me ♪ ♪ she said good-bye too many times before ♪ ♪ and my heart is breaking in front of me ♪ ♪ she said good-bye too many times before ♪ ♪ maroon 5, thank you very much. more music in a moment. the gas prices are going down, they go back up again. we know saving money is important. this summer, shop with your giant card and save on shell fuel. earn one point for every dollar you spend. every 100 points earned gets you another 10 cents off per gallon. the more you spend, the more you save. i'm saving money at the store, i'm saving money at the pump, and that works for me. more savings every time you shop, only with your giant card. three-time grammy winner maroon 5 is ready to get back into the spotlight. thayer much and it tis pated third album "hands all over" comes out in september. the guys in the band are james valentine, jesse carmichael, mickey mad ep and matt flynn. welcome back. good to have you here. so the new album comes out in september. we're a couple months away from that. are you like an expectant father right now? >> i'm sending my babies off to college. >> is it nerve wracking? >> a little bit. you never know how long it's going to go. this is an amazing thing. the fans coming out this early to see us play is incredible. >> these fans and so many more at home have come to expect a certain sound from your group. do you ever find that confining when you set out to write new mus music? >> i think it's a good thing. you have your sound that they're waiting for and you have ownership of that sound. it's nice. "misery" is very much that. >> and tell me about that song. it tell me what's behind it. we've all felt it. >> yeah, it's sad. it's uplifting and happy and dancy. it's fun to talk go b "misery" when you're dancing around. >> a bit of a contradiction. you spent a lot of time on the road for the last album and now this is going to be close to two years, is that right? >> i hope so. i'm also kind of terrified. we love to work. we love to play shows and this tour is going to be about -- this whole cycle is playing for our fans. that's how we started. thanks to you guys who we love so much. >> to be honest with you, we love having you. what are you going to play now? >> "misery, "our new single. >> maroon 5. ♪ oh, yeah oh, yeah ♪ ♪ so scared of breaking it ♪ but you won't it bend ♪ and i wrote 200 letters i won't ever send snoet somehow it is cut so much deeper than they seem ♪ ♪ you'd rather cover up ♪ i'd rather let them be ♪ so let me be and i'll set you free ♪ ♪ i am in misery ♪ there ain't no other who can comfort me ♪ ♪ why won't you answer me ♪ your silence is slowly killing me ♪ ♪ oh, yeah ♪ girl, you really got me bad ♪ you really got me bad ♪ i'm going to get you back ♪ going to get you back ♪ your salty skin and how it mixes in with mine ♪ ♪ the way it feels to be completely intertwined ♪ ♪ it's not that i did not care ♪ it's that i didn't know ♪ it's not what i didn't feel ♪ it's what i didn't show ♪ so let me be and i'll set you free ♪ ♪ i am in misery ♪ there ain't no body who can comfort me ♪ ♪ oh, yeah ♪ why won't you answer me ♪ your silence is slowly killing me ♪ ♪ girl, you really got me bad ♪ you really got me bad ♪ i'm going to get you back ♪ going it to get you back ♪ say your faith is shaken ♪ you may be mistaken ♪ you keep me wide awake and waiting for the sun ♪ ♪ i'm desperate and confused ♪ so far away from you ♪ i'm getting here ♪ don't care where i have to run ♪ ♪ why do you do what you do to me ♪ ♪ why won't you answer me, answer me ♪ ♪ why do you do what you do to me ♪ ♪ why won't you answer me, answer me ♪ ♪ yeah ♪ i am in misery ♪ there ain't no body who can comfort me ♪ ♪ oh, yeah ♪ why won't you answer me ♪ your silence is slowly killing me ♪ ♪ oh, yeah ♪ girl, you really got me bad ♪ you really got me bad ♪ i'm going to get you back ♪ going to get you back ♪ girl, you really got me bad ♪ you really got me bad ♪ i'm going to get you back ♪ going to get you back ♪ girl, you really got me bad ♪ you really got me bad ♪ i'm going to get you back i'm going to get you back ♪ ♪ girl, you really got me bad you really got me bad ♪ ♪ i'm going to get you back going to get you back ♪ maroon 5 on a friday morning. they're back with with more music after these messages. looking out over the nation's capital this morning, 70 degrees with a pleasant day ahead of us. welcome back to news 4. in our headlines this morning, mandatory water restrictions are still in place for everyone in montgomery and prince georges counties. crews are trying to repair an eight foot water main that was ready to burst. the washington suburban sanitary commission is asking people to stop all outside water use and to use water inside only as necessary. a look at today's forecast and the traffic coming up next. stay with us. good morning. as we approach the 9:00 hour, temperatures are climbing into the low 70s and we'll hit the low to mid-80s. low humidity into the weekend as well. highs with upper 08s. sunshine and hot in the afternoon hours. good weather for the fireworks display. >> an aggravating commute for people outside at this hour. police are checking an accident out on the beltway. virginia taking a hard hit. 95 southbound jam leaving the capital beltway on towards the earlier accident on the northbound side at the prints william parkway. >> jerry, thank you. you can get the news as soon as ♪ ♪ ♪ all i need thank you! back now with more on "today" on ariday morning. it's the 2nd day of july 2010. people acting to a great concert by maroon 5 on our plaza. thank you guys, great to have you back. more music from them coming up in just a little while. out on the plaza i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales and people enjoying music before they hit the road or the skies, getting away for the long holiday weekend. if you're planning on traveling, we're going to try to give you an idea what's in store for you. al roker already gone. he's beaten the traffic. >> he was the smart one of all of us. >> we'll give you a travel ro d roundup in a couple of minutes. on a more somber note, do you know thousands of patients every year are misdiagnosed -- it's actually the eighth leading cause of death in the country. we'll tell you how to speak up, when you should speak up, what you should be asking your doctor to make sure you get the proper treatment from your doctor and then later on we'll meet a very special young lady, a member of our class of 2020 series. i can't believe how much time is passing by. she's taking to the stage and it's a passion that comes from her family. she's well known in the stage community family. >> all right, cool. good. before we get to all of that, let's go inside. ann is standing by at the news desk. she has a check of all the headlines. ann, good morning again. hey, everybody. in the news this morning some important numbers came out. the government said today that the june unemployment rate dropped to the lowest level since last july. labor department figures just now out put the june jobless rate at 9.5%. that's down 0.2% from may. still, however, because temporary census jobs were lost, the number of jobs actually fell in june by 125,000. so this report could actually add to the worries that the recovery has lost traction. another setback for toyota which today is recalling more than a quarter million lexus sedans worldwide because of faulty engines that could stall while the vehicles are moving. aaa says that more americans than last year are driving to fourth of july gatherings. we have nbc's kevin tibbles still standing by along a busy highway in chicago with a look at what travelers can expect today. hey, kevin, what's it look like? >> reporter: well, good morning, ann. traffic is moving smoothly here outside chicago this morning which is good news because 35 million americans are planning to try and get away for the fourth of july, a long weekend. 90% of them, which is a 17% increase, are going to be doing it on the highways and bi-ways of the american roadways. the good news is many americans are saying, you know, we've lived through this recession. we're not that interested in hearing about a double dip. we're going to get out of the house and we're going to visit grandma. what's helping them do all of this? two years ago gas prices were $4.05 a gallon. those prices are hold iing stea somewhere in the $2.73 to $2.75 a gallon range right now, and that's giving americans the freedom to hit the highways this weekend, visit family and friends. that's what 50% of those people who are hitting the roads say they're going to do. they're going to grandma's house, ann. back to you. >> thanks so much, kevin tibbles this morning. airports are seeing heavier holiday traffic despite higher fares. tom costello with more from reagan international in washington. >> reporter: hi and good morning. a beautiful day here in d.c. blue skies, low humidity, believe it or not. only supposed to be about 82 degrees. nationwide really a perfect day for flying. check out the faa status map and we've got green at airports across the country. that means no significant delays whatsoever. the dominant mode of transportation really is automobiles but as it relates to air travel, aaa telling us about 1.5 million people will fly this year up from 8%. last year we were in the depths of the great recession, of course. airfares up about 13% from a year ago. the average lowest roundtrip fare you can get right now about $192. rental cars averaging about $54 a day. three-star hotels right now averaging about $143 a night. as a helicopter flies overhead. and if you do fly, remember that the airlines have fewer and fewer planes in operation. that means you are likely to be finding very few open seats. you may well be sitting in the peanut gallery right there snug in the middle. ann, back to you. >> good information. tom koss tcostello, thank you. ten years after he sparked a diplomatic standoff between the u.s. and cuba, elian gonzalez, now a teenager, is speaking out about the incident. rehema ellis has more now. >> reporter: now a handsome teenager, 16-year-old elian gonzalez made a rare public appearance this week. as cuba celebrated the tenth anniversary of his return home to the communist nation. elian spoke about his miami relatives who fiercely tried to keep him in america. >> translator: i don't hold a grudge. they just didn't act right. and thanks to the support of the majority of the american people and the cubans, i'm here today with my dad. i'm happy here. >> reporter: elian's father says with his son getting good grades in a military academy, he's certain cuba is where he belongs. in 1999 elian's story captivated the nation and the world. then 5 years old, he was rescued off the coast after his mother drowned in a desperate attempt to reach america. elian was taken in by miami relatives. almost immediately he became the focus of a bitter international custody dispute. his case became another battleground in a long running feud between cuba and the united states. and elian's miami relatives refuse to give him up. the boy's father, supported by fidel castro, demanded his son be sent back home. the dispute came to a dramatic end when u.s. federal agents stormed the miami house and took elian away. back in cuba, elian has become a hero and a castro success story. but his great uncle here still says the boy was done an injustice. >> translator: here he would have a chance for a life because in cuba there is no life. >> reporter: today, almost grown up, elian is a member of the young communist union and sees his future in the cuban military. rehema ellis, nbc news, miami. and just before independence day, an injured american bald eagle is flying high again thanks to southwest florida. its wildlife clinic use add low level laser to speed repair of the bird's wing and tail. it is the first time they've tried that method. and from thursday's release, it looks like it worked. it is now seven minutes past the hour. let's go back outside to matt. >> all right, ann. thanks very much. appreciate good morning. we still have low humidity as we get going on this friday morning. temperatures were in the 40s and 50s and now it's getting into the 70s. highs low to mid-80s today. low humidity in place on the holiday weekend. upper 80s during the middle part of the afternoon. mid-90s during the afternoon. great weather for the fireworks display on sunday evening. eat wave in store from d.c. to new york and southern new england. that's a look at your holiday friday travel forecast. natalie, back to you. thank you, bill. now to an emotional plea from the parents of kyron horman calling for his stepmother to cooperate with investigators. she was the last person to see the 7-year-old alive before he disappeared from his own school one month ago. nbc's miguel almaguera has more. good morning to you, miguel. >> reporter: natalie, good morning. these past few days have been peppered with some stunning new developments but through it all kyron's family has never given up hope. >> kyron is still alive. >> reporter: desiree young's voice quivered as she spoke of her son kyron. >> we pray each day for kyron. >> reporter: in a short but emotional family statement, young begged kyron's stepmom to help detectives. implore terri horman to fully cooperate with the investigators to bring kyron home. >> reporter: investigators say terri horman was the last person to see 7-year-old kyron when she told detectives she dropped him off at school four weeks ago today. recently she has become the focus of speculation. horman's been given two polygr her father reportedly telling "people" magazine there's a 50/50 chance she'd be arrested. last weekend kaine horman, kyron's father, mochd his 18-month-old daughter out of the home he shared with terri and this week filed for divorce and a restraining order against his wife. once inside the family circle standing in between kyron's mother and father, terri horman is now clearly an outsider. >> this is obviously an effort by the family to try to get her to come forward, to confess to do something that they think will help the investigation move forward. >> reporter: terri horman has now hired a criminal defense attorney but is yet to make any public comment. little is known about her. however, both her two previous marriages ended in divorce. the first amid allegations of adultery. back in 2005, terri was arrested for a dui with her then 11-year-old son in the car. after a reckless endangerment plea, she was ordered into an alcohol education program, devoted to the gym, terri horman also competed as a body builder pictured here in 2006. now her life, like kyron's biological parents, is shattered. >> we would like all of you, everyone, to continue to get his face out there. to continue look iing for him i your day-to-day activities. >> reporter: a mother's public plea four weeks into the search for her little boy, a family desperate to find their some. >> we are working -- we are working with investigators daily to bring kyron home. we are extremely confident in how the investigation is going. >> reporter: this weekend as families gather together to enjoy the fourth of july holiday, kyron's family says their nightmare will continue until the 7-year-old comes home. natalie? >> a sad story. miguel almaguera in portland, oregon, thank you, miguel. and still to come, getting the proper treatment from your doctor. 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[ female announcer ] new ageless vitality. save $20 at aveeno.com. that's the beauty of nature and science. this morning on "today's health" how to avoid a misdiagnosis. they're to blame for as many as, get this, 98,000 deaths a year. that's according to the institute of medicine. more than car accidents and even breast cancer. so how can you ensure you're getting a proper diagnosis? we have "women's health" here. doctor, good morning. >> good morning, ann. >> this is pretty shocking, 98,000? this is really shocking that many people die because they've been misdiagnosed. so the question is why. >> there is such a multitude of factors. one of the main ones is lack of continuity of care. doctors offices are so inundated patients aren't necessarily seeing the same doctor every time and you're not establishing a relationship with them so they can get to know you. >> also for older americans they may not be taking their medications. for younger americans -- >> for younger americans, if you're a woman in your 20s and 30s, that's the group that's at most risk for getting a misdiagnosed. and the reason is doctors are actually presuming that you're in this healthy demographic and they may not necessarily think of a serious diagnosis at the onset. in addition, women in this age group tend to see their gynecologist as their sole practitioner and that specialist really has a niche there and you need to complement that with seeing an internal medical physician to have more comprehensive care. and finally, lack of time is a big factor on the part of the doctor and the patient. we live busy lives. we want to get in and out of the doctor's office and so you may be more likely to accept the first diagnosis without questioning it just because you want to move on. >> which gives a hint as to how you actually want to change our behavior when we deal with doctors. we want to find good doctors and a quick tip on how to do that? >> i do but a good place to start is the internet. google a doctor's name you heard about, read review sites like angieslist.com, look at training background, and i think asking friends and family is a great resource. >> you're saying really take the time to make sure you're in the right hands. and once you're in the hands of that doctor, it's not about coming in just for care. it's also caring for yourself. you have to be an advocate. >> the first thing is you want to do your homework about your symptoms. so make a list of all the things that are concerning you. look on the internet. see what those symptoms are, what they can be so you can remind the doctor, are there any other possibilities here? so you really want to be your own advocate. >> you're saying maybe -- why is th that? in other words, would they look at a healthy person, one of the series is they look at a healthy person, they may not be as diligent as you might be, in other words. >> that's correct. >> and i understand that a lot of people say that their symptoms are not listened to when they talk to the doctor. >> that's really important. before going into the doctor a few tips i have, make a list of all your symptoms and concerns so you don't forget anything. and also, sometimes it's actually even difficult to get in promptly. so be an advocate for yourself. ask, do you have a nurse practitioner that can see me or a physician's assistant that can get me in a little bit earlier so you can be seen promptly. >> you also say keep a copy of your records. >> keep a copy. keep a copy of your records and abnormal test results so if you're seeing a doctor for the first time, you have it handy to give to them and also know your own history. know your medical problems, medications you're taking so you can recap it with them and know your family history so your doctor can see if you need any screening tests that you may not even know. >> we may need to have a medical file for ourselves as we go in and take notes when we're with our doctors. >> taking notes is a great idea. they give you so much information, it's hard to retain it all. if you write it down, at least you have a little crib sheet to check later on and just review it on your own and maybe it will absorb a little. >> and if your doctor is not listening to you, it would make a lot of sense to get a second opinion about something you're really concerned about. >> absolutely to follow up. you should certainly get a second opinion. and when you're at the doctor's office, be very forthcoming about your symptoms and ask questions. don't be afraid or embarrassed to talk about something that's uncomfortable for you like drug use or sexual history because your doctor is not there to judge you. you are on the same team and you're there to work together. so give all the information you can and ask questions if you don't understand. especially ask questions if you don't understand what your doctor is saying. we often have this language we speak, all this mumbo jumbo going right over your head. >> and you don't want to feel stupid. it's smart to feel stupid sometimes and ask questions. >> ask him, i don't understand what you're saying. can you say this in layman's terms, in a way i understand it and slow down a little bit. >> dr. peterson, this is all good advice and hopefully we've helped some people today. thanks for being here. >> thank you, ann. still ahead this morning, we have grammy winning artist maroon 5 performing one of the biggest hits they've had. what are you doing tim? practicing. practicing what? writing my name. why are you writing your name so much? because grandpa said that our name goes on everything we make. (announcer) tim and richard smucker grew up knowing that putting your name on every jar was a guarantee of quality. what are you doing, richard? i'm practicing too! that's a good idea. (announcer) for five generations, with a name like smucker's it has to be good. (announcer) for five generations, with a name like smucker's 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. so i mix together a packet of hidden valley ranch, 1 box of spinach, and 16 ounces of sour cream, and tonight everyone gets a taste of something special... ranch spinach dip. 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[ female announcer ] maybe the biggest surprise about remodeling your kitchen with all new ge profile appliances isn't just how great it will look when you're finished, it's the $1,000 rebate you can receive, which you could use to buy something new in your life, or put it right in the bank. ♪ remodel and renew with a rebate of up to $1,000 when you buy select ge profile appliances. so if you don't have a fourth of july fireworks display to go to, macy's is doing one celebrating the nation's birthday with a major fireworks spectacular. and the hosts are nick cannon and allison sweeney. >> and the show will include performances from justin bieber and lee and rhymes. that's here on nbc. 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. 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. so i mix together a packet of hidden valley ranch, 1 box of spinach, and 16 ounces of sour cream, and tonight everyone gets a taste of something special... ranch spinach dip. [ male announcer ] hidden valley ranch. mix it up. good morning. it's july 2nd, 2010. a family was able to escape a huge house fire overnight in the 5200 block of elcott court in centreville t took firefighterses half an hour to put the flames out. no one was hurt but the damage to that house was extensive. the holiday weekend is upon us. lane restrictions will be lifted along interstate and major roadways this weekend starting at noon. an estimated 470,000 vehicle also cross the bay bridge and 1.5 million people are expected to fly to their holiday destination. we'll check traffic and the forecast after this. stay with us. good morning. our temperatures are going to get hotter each day. into the the 90s by the fourth of the july afternoon. humidity is back along with the heat. how is the traffic now? >> it's not improved much at all. it's still jammed from the beltway headed to south of knewing ton. at the point, all lanes are opened. both directions looking good. >> thank you, jerry. you can get the news as soon as you wake up. the news gets started each day at 4:30. ♪ don't call my name ♪ i'm not your babe that, of course, none other than lady gaga singing her new hit single. and we just can't wait to hear what she'll say and more importantly what she might be wearing or not wearing as she takes our stage for a summer concert series next friday on "today." i can guarantee you this, it's going to be well attended and probably one of the most talked about concerts for sure for us here. meanwhile, though, on "today," one more song from maroon 5 performing one of their big hits on the plaza. looking forward to hearing that. an awesome song i love. i'm natalie morales along with ann curry and amy robach from "weekend today" and bill karins. >> it took me a week of therapy to get that song "alejandro" out of my head. >> i think they call it ear worm. and now all weekend. i'm glad you have something to go out with. still this morning our class of 2020 following the students from kindergarten through high school graduation a. young lady whose love of the stage is making a big difference in her life and having a real positive impact on her education. >> also, as we head into this holiday, we are going to be breaking out, if we haven't already, our flip-flops. tis the season. i know you wear them all the time. >> i do. >> if you want to put your best foot forward this summer and n't want to spend a lot of money, there you go. some advice from an expert on how you can make a professional spa pedicure right in your own home. >> kind of hard to miss out on good morning. temperatures are climbing into the 07s. 73 in washington. low to mid-80s by midafternoon with lots of sun. sunny on saturday and again on the 4th of july. upper 80s tomorrow. mid-90s by tomorrow afternoon. good weather for the festivities and fireworks' displays. and then high in the safe travels on this holiday weekend. meantime, coming up, an 8-year-old takes the stage as we continue our following of the class of 2020. ♪ ♪ oh, love me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just love me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just hold me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just kiss me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just want me ♪ l-o-v-e ♪ love, love, love, love ♪ ♪ ♪ l-o-v-e ♪ love, love, love, love hey, here's a good call: new whole grain helper. try some! mmmm... honey mustard chicken. with 100% whole grain rice. hey, can you catch? no, sir, i cannot. new whole grain helper. one pound. one pan. one whole grain meal. new whole grain helper. 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[ giggles ] welcome to the gerber generation. ♪ welcome to the gerber generation. as long as there's sun, you and your family can go have fun. because banana boat blocks up to 96% of harmful uva and uvb rays. so you can go, go, go, confident you're protected from sunburn and long-term skin damage. banana boat. we've got you covered. in our class of 2020 series, we're following a group of students from their first day in kindergarten until their high school graduation. at 8 years old, already a veteran of the stage having grown up with a mom and dad who make their living in the theater. ruby has always been confident as a performer but that confidence didn't always translate in the classroom until she made a breakthrough. it's the first round of rehearsals for the second grade vaudeville show and ruby has already landed a big role. >> i'm master of ceremonies. >> please take your scripts out of your backpacks. >> mrs. gauge is directing the vaudeville show for the 12th straight year getting 60 kids on the same page can be exhilarating and exhausting. >> ruby's group is ready. >> while some of her classmates are performing on stage for the first time, ruby has theater in her blood. >> can you pick out two more flowers for your hair? >> when ruby's mom isn't doing her hair and makeup, she is an award costume winning maker. >> ruby's dad keith is a critically acclaimed actor, writer, and director. >> you shouldn't say things like that. >> for ruby and her older sister violet, the theater isn't just their parents' work place. it's their home away from home. >> it's changed their lives and we're in partnership with them. when we decide to do a show, the girls do it with us. >> look out. here they come. >> memorizing lines and learning dance steps comes naturally for ruby. >> ruby, if you can fit it in the first three squares, that's great. >> staying focused in the classroom is the hard part. >> i think she is an independent learner. she loves being in class and she loves being with her students, but sometimes the structure is not always suited for her. >> when second grade began, ruby was struggling to keep up with her classmates. then a family vacation changed everything. ruby spent a week in spain with her family, and it gave her a whole new perspective. >> it was a different world for her, and i think it blew her mind traveling, and that's the best kind of education you can give your kid is showing them the world and what it really looks like outside of a textbook. >> she came back really dedicated to being in school, really wanting to be here, and she just took off from there. this is our big show. >> after five months of rehearsals, the show must go on. ruby wears her new confidence well in the classroom and on stage. >> welcome to our vaudeville show! >> like any good vaudeville show, there are some magic tricks. >> one, two, three. >> a few jokes -- >> why are elephants so wrinkled? >> i don't know, why are elephants so wrinkled? >> have you ever tried to iron one? >> and a lot of song and dance. ♪ >> then the parents and the audience get a special treat. ♪ you great big beautiful >> and there's not a dry eye in the house. >> thank you. >> a perfect way to close the curtains on second grade. >> she reminds me every day that, you know, everything i'm working hard for is really for her, and that she's giving it to me in return i think that's what we all want really. there's nothing better. >> she's growing up so fast. to find out more about ruby and the rest of the class of 2020, you can follow all of their stories since kindergarten on a special webpage dedicated to the series at todayshow.com. coming up next, a treat for your feet. how to get a salon pedicure at home. here are some things that i'll make as little portals for my bird friends. honestly, i'd love to do this for the rest of my life so i have to take care of myself. [ male announcer ] to keep doing what you love, keep your heart healthy. cheerios can help. the whole grain oats can help lower cholesterol. [ bob ] makes you feel ageless. brrrbb! [ male announcer ] it's simple, love your heart so you can do what you love. what do you love? see how cheerios can help you do it. [ bob ] squak! people know a lot about kim. they know she does her own make up. ♪ she can not set up a music stand... oh, they know that she always forgets where she puts her "magic wand"... but when she finds it, she makes magic happen. ♪ [ kim ] people know a lot of things about me, but no one needs to know about my condition. and thanks to depend®, they don't. [ female announcer ] now the best protection also comes in new prints and colors. ...that outlasts their energy. [ female announcer ] new aveeno® continuous protection. we've combined natural soy and vitamins with spf 100, in a formula that provides 3 times better sunburn protection than ordinary sunscreens. [ female announcer ] new continuous protection. from aveeno®. (laughing through computer) good night, buddy. good morning, dad. (announcer) oreo. milk's favorite cookie. so i mix together a packet of hidden valley ranch, 1 box of spinach, and 16 ounces of sour cream, and tonight everyone gets a taste of something special... ranch spinach dip. [ male announcer ] hidden valley ranch. mix it up. rancdo 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. 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. ♪ i'm going to be a beauty this morning on "today's beauty" a spa pedicure without leaving your home. you don't have to shell out the big bucks in a nail salon to get your toes in tiptop shape if you listen to linda wells, editor in chief of "allure" magazine. simple stuff that will give us that professional look. linda, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> you buy these new shoes, you put your feet in these little sandals and you realize you should have taken a little time to take care of your feet. >> and it makes such a huge difference when you take care of your feet. it makes you feel you're in control of your life. i was once told that he looks at women's feet and he thinks when they're groomed it seems as if their whole life is in order. so it's nice to give that impression even if it's not true. >> okay. >> there's actually a scientific study that says if you wear nail polish you look younger than if you don't. >> okay, two good reasons including the name dropping. let's get started. the first thing we want to do when we take care of our feet is make sure they're moisturized, they're in good shape in general. >> you want to start with clipping your nails and making sure they're not too long. if they're too long it looks awful and it's not so good for your feet. you want to make an eighth of an inch of nail showing and clip them straight across not at a curve because you don't want to have in-growns. >> our moms were right about that. >> if you have ridges on your nails, you can use one of these buffers to smooth out the ridges. >> but you don't want to overdo that because it can cause some problems. >> it can make your nails too thin. what you do, you do it in an "x" sha shape. >> our foot model. she has beautiful feet and is doing a good job on her own there. >> if you only do it three or four times, if you do it too much and the nails heat up, you're in trouble. >> she is filing. when you're talking about buffing, on your nails specifically. >> on the surface of your nail to remove ridges. if you don't have ridges, you don't need to do this. >> very gently, too. >> she could use more muscle but you don't want to do it too hard. you do that. you prepare your nails, make sure there's a nice -- once you clip them, file them to a nice oval shape, snag free, and then you can start to think about getting them moisturized because there's nothing worse than those tough feet calluses. first you want to remove your calluses or roughness with a foot file. and we love this one by tweezer man. it's like a micro plane grater. i know. that sounds horrible. but they've taken -- >> but it works. >> and you can use it in the shower or dry. rub your heels. use a little muscle. she is being very gentle but her feet are perfect so you don't have to rub so hard. and then after you finish doing th that, you can put on cream and you can do that right out of the shower or out of the bath and if you want to be fancy, you can wrap your feet in warm towels to make it sink in or put on socks and do it overnight. >> do you know what i really like about this -- >> that was bert's bee, coconut. >> i can smell it from here. what i like about this, i think so many women just don't take the time and this is requiring you to stop and just really tend to your own self and make you feel better about that. >> exactly. and it is so relaxing. it feels good to have your feet -- to touch your feet, control, make sure everything is nice, and you have to let your nail polish dry and that in itself is relaxing. you can't do a lot waiting for nail polish to dry. >> read a book, talk with a friend, hang out, relax. thanks for showing us your pretty feet and doing such a good job and thank you so much, linda wells, as always. happy fourth of july to you. coming up, much more including one more song from maroon 5. but first, guess what, this is "today" on nbc. still ahead, actor james smith stopping by and also two lucky women will get ambush makeovers. first, another song from grammy winners maroon 5 with "sunday morning." >> i need hands right now, please. ladies and gentlemen, please welcome right here on the keyboards, mr. jesse carmichael. ♪ yeah, oh ♪ oh, yeah ♪ sunday morning rain is fall g falling ♪ ♪ steal some covers share some skin ♪ ♪ clouds are shrouding us in moments unforgettable ♪ ♪ you twist to fit the mold that i am in ♪ ♪ but things just get so crazy ♪ living life gets hard to do ♪ and i would gladly hit the road ♪ ♪ get up and go if i knew ♪ that some day it would lead me back to you ♪ ♪ that some day it would lead me back to you ♪ ♪ that may be all i need ♪ in darkness she is all i see ♪ come and rest your bones with me ♪ ♪ driving slow on sunday morning and i never want to leave ♪ ♪ my fingers trace your every outline, yeah ♪ ♪ paint a picture with my hands ♪ ♪ back and forth we sway like branches in a storm ♪ ♪ change the weather still together when it ends ♪ ♪ that may be all i need in darkness she is all i see ♪ ♪ come and rest your bones with me ♪ ♪ driving slow on sunday morning i never want to leave ♪ ♪ ♪ but things just get so crazy living life gets hard to do ♪ ♪ sunday morning rain is falling and i'm calling out to you ♪ ♪ singing some day it will bring me back to you ♪ ♪ find a way to bring myself back home to you ♪ ♪ and you may not know ♪ that may be all i need ♪ in darkness she is all i see ♪ come and rest your bones with me ♪ ♪ driving slow driving slow ♪ ♪ yeah, yeah yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ yeah, yeah ♪ all i need, baby thank you! good morning. i'm erin. in the news for today, investigators have determined that a fault tea refrigerator led to this massive fire in frederick, maryland. the flames broke out just after 7:00 in an industrial building near south carol and all st.s streets. no one was inside when the fire broke out. it's estimated to have caused $2.5 million in damage. investigators have not specified what in the refrigerator sparked that fire. let's check in with tom on your forecast. >> good morning. at this hour we have temperatures beginning to climb and we still have that low humidity with us. plenty of sunshine and blue skies. highs, low to mid-80s. we'll see it hit the upper 80s on saturday. low humidity in place as well as on 4th of july. hotter sunday afternoon into the mid-90s. good weather for all of the festivities and concert in the mall. by the evening, back down into the 80s. and then getting more humid as we get into next week and the heat will be with us as well. highs in the 90s until the end of the week. how is the traffic? >> the weather is good because the traffic is really bad right now. 95 southbound jammed from before the beltway all the way down to lanes opened and it's just we've had trouble all morning long there. in the meantime, over at the american legion bridge, no worries, both the inner loop and outer loop. erin? >> thank you, jerry. you can get the news as soon as you wake up. news 4 today gets started from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hey, everybody. it is friday. known around here as dry day but not today. >> it's july 2nd. so glad you've joined us at the start of a great holiday weekend. ♪ it's a grand old flag >> i don't have a great voice. >> you were singing your brains out -- >> start again, start again. ♪ it's a grand old flag it's a high-flying flag ♪ that's enough. >> okay. >> anyway, where are you going to be for the weekend? >> i'm going to rehoeboth beach. >> give my love to friends. >> where are you going to be? >> in nantucket with friends visiting from california. my favorite thing is to bring people that have never been there and show them around. a lot of fun. >> how are the fireworks out there? a big deal? >> it's a secret, but they've got their own. >> do they really? >> no. they could never do that. it's illegal. that's just wrong. >> we are going to play a little fourth of july trivia game, and we dislike games so much. >> because they're always -- >> we don't know the answers. >> we don't want you to know we're as stupid as you are even though we are. >> the first one. here it is. the question is -- i'm going to guess, because that's what this is -- >> yeah. >> i'm saying "b." [ buzzer ] i wasn't finished. "c" because -- >> i was going to say thomas jefferson and james madison. [ buzzer ] >> i think it's c. >> thomas jefferson and john adams. >> the answer is thomas jefferson and tom adams. cheers. i don't know why, but -- >> we lost. we're not supposed to be -- >> a drinking day. >> on to the next one. >> i'm leaning toward the chicken. >> that's what i'm going with. >> i'm going to go with the ground and water. [ bell ] >> thank you. >> i didn't get to go. >> you were going to say chicken. >> you were going to say another flag. >> just to rub it in. [ buzzer ] >> that's the way i roll. >> what's next? >> i'm going to say 1781. >> hold on. let's give the choices. [ buzzer ] >> but since we haven't gone through the choices, i'll say -- >> 1776. i'm going to say 1865. [ buzzer ] >> what i meant was 1941. [ bell ] >> let us finish and maybe we'll get the answers right. >> you know you haven't gotten any of them right at home either. all right. how many signatures appeared on the declaration of independence? >> we should know this. >> c. 56. [ bell ] >> i knew that one, too. for extra points. not this cody. i'm going to go with ann landers and dear abby. [ bell ] >> unbelievable. >> a miracle. i was, too. they have the most wonderful way of speaking. they have that thing, when you talk about -- that's ridiculous. >> that's not a nice way of talking. >> i'm sorry. they had a speech thing that they both had. it was like hereditary or something. >> oh, i didn't know that. >> i was fascinated by that. didn't they, jimmy? didn't keep them from becoming extremely prosperous in life. not at all. >> we're going to mix it up a little today in our chat. >> yes. >> usually we have our movie reviews separately, but today cody is going to grace the top of the show today. >> come on over, codesville. >> it's a crazy weekend. thank you, doll. "twilight" was big at the theaters. >> huge. >> we know that's a huge one. what did you -- tell us what you thought of it. people have seen it and we can talk about it. >> i have never seen a movie so poorly. glance and staring into each other's eyes one scene after another. >> did you buy the love between the two? >> it's lust. the pace is so slow that it's like, oh, my gosh. i understand it's a star-driven movie, girls everywhere are going to eat it up. the kid has his shirt off every two seconds. >> that's hot. >> you can't have a closer-up close-up of these kids, right? >> you really can't. but the visual design of the film is the best part of it, like the cgi and the live action blend pretty well for the first time. the first two movies it didn't really. >> did you like this better than first two? >> i do because the first two -- >> everybody liked this one best, said this was the best one. >> of the three. >> also find out things about the other characters, as well. >> you do, but for all intents and purposes it's not my thing, i don't think -- i think girls will eat it up. >> chicks will eat it up. >> cassidy is going to love it. >> she already did, right? >> oh, that's right. >> oh, oh, oh. >> i'm old. i tend to forget things. >> the movie "air bender." what do we think of that? >> i think there's a lot of potential in his brain, a very passionate guy, but the casting, i don't understand, very inexperienced child actors. whether it's -- whether it was, like, their performance or their directing, i don't know what it was, but they didn't really bring it to the table. and the dialogue is kind of painful. the visuals are cool, though, sometimes, very creative. >> in the holidays, if someone is going to see a movie, what do you think is something they should see? >> what they should see is rent an old film, a classic. i think -- yeah. >> or see "toy story 3" for the second time. >> do it again because that was a really good one. >> i like your shirt, cody. >> thank you. >> we like it. thank you. >> thank you, cody. >> thanks, sweetheart. >> do i go here now? what do i do? >> stay right here. your girl is in the house. >> bobbie thomas. >> "bobbie's buzz." >> we likey. >> hello, ladies. >> the theme this week was all about friendship because girlfriends never go out of style and, cody, you can join the girls' group, but ladies represent a rare bond on television between females and i love you for being women's women. we went away last week so i picked up souvenirs for us. >> you were busy. >> i found the most adorable shop called it's a shore thing, and they had adorable basket necklaces which ties the island tradition in. kathie, this is a gift for you that says "i love nights i can't remember with the friends i can't forget. request ts. >> last weekend, totally federal investigator everything. >> and true story, we were waiting in line for lunch and i thought an adorable dad with a most adorable baby. i said, what is that? the baby had something like this in its mouth. >> the cutest thing. >> he said wubanub. i said what? >> i said to you guys at the time. >> infancy. >> not last week. >> no. we meant -- he loved his bingie so much we had to take it away. we told him the trash guy took it. every trash guy for the next three years, that guy took my binkie! attached to this. >> yes. >> the cutest thing. >> i know the minute's up, but this has been around for ten years and it's never made it on morning television. i want everyone to know this is a wubbanub and it was made for neonatal babies so they didn't lose their pacifier. >> adorable animals. we you so much it hurts. >> i love you more and cody, too. >> thanks very much. [ buzzer ] >> cody wasn't there last weekend. a whole different thing. >> i didn't mean that. i feel like i'm part of the family. i'm going to die a natural death. >> thank you, bobbie. >> hi, sara. whose bedroom did you sleep in? >> i did not sleep in cody's. good job, bobbie. it was a pink princess palace. i loved it. my mom and dad never gave that to me. i loved it, lived it up. kathie, are you doing something different with your hair? yvette says you've done something with your bangs. then p.g. said i love the bangs. >> that's called growing them out. it's so hot in the summertime and when i sweat my hair tends to curl, not as much as hoda's does but it does a little bit. so i wanted to keep it off my face for summer so we're growing it out a little bit for summertime. thanks, everybody. no questions about hoda? >> up next -- >> jimmy smits is lighting things up on our nation's capitol. mine too. my cut's all better. 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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. from "l.a. law" to ""nypd blue,"" jimmy smits is here this weekend. >> he's hosting a special show called "a capitol fourth." >> welcome. >> next year you'll be doing it for the fourth year. >> hope so. >> a beautiful job. >> thank you so much. >> why is it so meaningful for you? >> it's an exciting show, and the fact we have wonderful musical guests from all different genres, which kind of represent the tapestry of what america is. >> right. >> the fireworks display, in fact, having the backdrop of all of the national monuments is just -- >> yeah. it's got to be. >> it makes you emotional and it kind of -- i don't know, it refocuses your attention, for me, anyway, in terms of what it is to be an american. >> why we're there. >> yeah. >> who are some of the musical guests who are going to be there? >> this year david archuleta. my kids are so excited about that. darius rucker. >> i love him. >> he's doing a whole country thing now. >> yeah. >> reba mcentire, gladys knight. >> oh. >> and your family is going to be there because you'll be working on this holiday. >> yeah. i work that whole week. >> who will be there from the family if. >> my granddaughter, my dad. >> you're a grandfather? >> you're a granddad? >> did you just say -- >> moving up. >> oh, my gosh. >> my son and my daughter, yeah. >> you've got skin as smooth as a baby's butt. i can't believe you're a grandfather. you really do. how old is she? >> she's 9. >> wow. you're an old grandpa. >> yeah, yeah. see, there you go. >> you've got a new show i keep seeing promos and things for called "outlaw." >> play it here on this network, do they? >> i heard that. >> big hit this fall. >> tell us about it. >> yeah, it's called "outlaw" and -- >> i hear you. i see you. there you are. >> okay. i'm a supreme court judge who retires from the bench, as they all do. no. and who takes up becoming an attorney and fighting for constitutional issues. >> because he's frustrated with the system? >> in a lot of ways, yes. >> in a lot of ways. >> you're a producer on this, too, so tell us about that role that you're playing there, too. >> the good thing about that is you're there from the beginning in terms of its inception and helping to nurture it along. so now we'vewriting staff going. >> people you've worked with in the past on "nypd blue"? >> no. >> new people. >> a lot of new people. some faces that i've been around with before. >> but it's all about the writing, isn't it? >> bottom line. >> does it have the vibe of "law and order"? what kind of show is it? >> it has procedural aspects but the character is a little bit out of the box. he's got a little roguish quality to him. >> a ladies iman. >> some of that going on there. >> you have to love this character from the beginning. you love theater. >> i do. >> when you make a commitment to a series, it's a five-year commitment of your life. >> well, yeah. >> hopefully it becomes that. >> basically, again, it was about the writing. it was about the fact that it's topical, the story lines -- >> ripped from the headlines. >> well, yeah, but it talks about something. >> yeah. it's got substance. >> it's got substance. >> good, good. >> so great to have you here. >> thank you. appreciate it. >> have fun on the fourth. >> "capitol fourth." >> happy birthday, america. >> "outlaw" debuts this fault on nbc. >> it does. up next, how to make sure your fourth of july party is a blast. 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. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] when you drink pepsi, you support the pepsi refresh project. so, this 4th of july, choose pepsi. ♪ at the kmart 4th of july sale. save on summer fun find all pools on sale, every size and style! plus, all tents on sale, like this family tent for $129.99. and take 50% off swimwear for the whole family. [ mr. bluelight ] there's smart, and there's kmart smart. are you having a fourth of july party and haven't even begun to think about what you're going to do? we're going to help you. >> interior designer nathan turner has some out of the box ideas. happy fourth of july. >> what is a fourth of july without hot dogs? >> i know. exactly. >> doesn't get more american than that. >> this is a great machine. >> don't you love this? >> yes. >> it's $39.99. the buns go in the top. >> stop. let me see that. >> cool. >> you heat them up. >> everything is ready to go. >> you can do eight at a time. >> eight. >> and how long do they cook? it's slow cooking. >> we put those on ten minutes ago. >> they are revolving around. >> now, this is one of my favorite crazy new things. this is a condiment gun. so be careful. >> kids will go baba that banar this. >> so much better. >> they're going to want to use it on everything. that's trouble. >> frank will. >> that's fun. how much is that? >> $19.99. >> okay. >> and how do you get the mustard into the thing? >> it's super easy. it's like loading a gun. right? >> look at that. >> cartridges. >> you have to buy their mustard? is that the deal? >> no. you have your own. >> that is adorable. >> i like how you set the table. >> thank you. and this is a really kind of do-it-yourself -- this is almost everything from a craft store. >> this is from the garden. >> right. red, white, and blue. this is something you can have the kids do. this is craft paper, blue craft paper. red runner. put it on the seat. fun wax crayons so we can kind of scribble and doodle and write their names on it. i have red and blue bandannas, super cheap. you can get these anywhere. >> and the napkins. >> i love your favor things. >> you that? >> yes. >> that is so easy to do. i just did little, you know, stamps with ink pads and personalized everything. little money, big results. >> big results. >> did that with these cups, too. these are just plain, white, super cheap. >> what did you do? >> just -- >> and kids to do stencilling like that. >> right? make them set the table. >> yeah. >> send them out with paper and some tape. >> what about these? >> these -- i love -- paper on the table, okay, paper plates drive me nuts. so i like all these alternatives. we have the enamel wear and these great old-fashioned lanterns from pottery barn and really reasonable. >> adorable. >> great. >> down to the december sertd section. >> hoda's favorite. >> what is more american summer than ice cream? >> mm-hmm. >> but ice cream is really messy and people don't know how to serve it. it ends up with this creepy bowl with liquid. >> it's hot out and it -- >> i know. so here are a couple tips to kind of pre -- you know, predo your ice cream. i like to prescoop, put it on a cookie sheet with saran wrap over it. you can line that up, put it back in the freezer and right before serve it all in a bowl. >> very nice. he's a prescooper. >> i am a prescooper. ice cream -- ice cream cones drip, and that's another mess. so pop a couple little marshmallows in there. >> marshmallows. soak it up. good. >> and another kind of way to have this all done so it doesn't do this is take your scoop that we've already done. >> do you want us to do something? >> yeah. grab one. and then do a little -- your favorite topping. >> wow. >> there you go. >> you like -- this is going to make your teeth blue. >> i'm not eating it. i'm just making it. okay. that's beautiful. >> you guys get to hold it. >> next segment. >> just look at this. >> this is what you don't want. >> this is definitely a don't. okay. >> okay. >> all right. >> of course we have nothing around here to -- wait a minute! you've got two napkins! see? here you go. >> thank you. >> okay. this is cute here. >> again, you know, i'm a prescooper, so here we have them again. and little prescooped on these little craft sticks. >> so just eat it that way or you just leave it in the bowl and eat it with a spoon? i'm just asking because the people at home want to know. >> yea, they do want to know. you eat it that way. >> this looks fun. just a few seconds left. this is a home soft serve machi machine. i love this. i had it over the weekend and used it all weekend long. a freezer bowl, a recipe and there you go. it mixes toppings in, by cuisinart. >> i can see some alcoholic sundaes. >> i love icy drinkie. this is an adult root beer float. it sounds bad but it's amazing, guinness and vanilla ice cream. i'm not kidding. it's really good. how about a mojitmojito? >> thank you, they than. >> instead of lime juice, a scoop of lime sorbet. >> out of time. >> nice talking to you. >> happy fourth of july. sunny taste. sunny spirit. sunny d. brings out the best in kids. ♪ sunny d to create a technologically advanced clog-buster and pipe-wall cleaner. ♪ liquid plumr foaming pipe snake. unleash the power of the plumr. ...that outlasts their energy. [ female announcer ] new aveeno® continuous protection. we've combined natural soy and vitamins with spf 100, in a formula that provides 3 times better sunburn protection than ordinary sunscreens. [ female announcer ] new continuous protection. from aveeno®. - knock, knock. - who's there? interrupting cheese. interrupt-- - cheese! - i should have seen that one coming. you should've, 'cause that was-- i even told you i was gonna be interrupting you. ( snickering, laughing ) morning sir. beautiful day, isn't it? we take the time for our cheese to mature... before we bake it into every delicious cracker. because at cheez-it, real cheese matters. a faulty water main break has people under mandatory water restrictions. find out what kind of progress is being made. good morning. i'm barbara harrison. also, coming up at midday today, let's have some fun. what you need to know if you are heading to the national mall ♪ isn't she lovely >> back on this holiday weekend, friday, with us is "ambush makeovers." >> they're back. stylist to the stars. >> la, la, la, la, la. >> and jill martin, "us weekly" contributor and "today" show contributor and author and plucked two lucky ladies off the plaza. and? >> a great fourth of july weekend coming up for two lovely ladies. >> oh, good. >> we took two great ladies and made them even more beautiful. >> let's start with miss maureen kay. she is 44 years old from marblehead, massachusetts. she's been married to her husband, david, for 14 years, has four kids. her 15-year wedding anniversary is in august, and she decided it was time for a brand-new look. so let's take a listen to her story. >> maureen the consummate mother. she keeps saying before this interview, stand up straight. she wants everyone to look good. annie, we spotted you in the crowd because i know you want this for your mom. tell us why. >> because she's helpful and she does my homework with me. >> so cute. maura, i know you want this for your mom, as well. >> she always does stuff for us and a always helpful and doesn't take much time for herself so. >> such cute daughters. you're already crying. we're going to make you annie's color, i think. >> i've always tried to have this color and it's been hard to get. it's beautiful. that would be awesome. >> ready to go? >> this is going to be so much fun. >> it is going to be fun. here are the girls. they're all in their blindfolds. annie, daughter maura, niece jamie, niece jacqueline. keep them on until i tell you to take them off. here is maureen before. all right, maureen. let's see the new you. >> whoa, whoa, whoa. >> wow. >> take off your blindfolds. >> oh, my god, it's so gorgeous! >> that is stunning. >> okay. ready to turn around? >> i'm ready. >> take a look. >> oh my gosh! oh, my gosh. >> so glamorous. >> look at this. >> the hair. >> tell us about the hair. >> first of all, she wore her hair back almost every day in a ponytail. if you do that, it's time to get a haircut. jennifer lawrence gave her this haircut. >> darling. >> sexy, long, swept-away bangs. and of course a red so she looks a little like annie. >> annie, what do you think? >> really good. >> what do you guys all think? do you like? >> it's beautiful. >> gorgeous. >> look at this slammin' dress. >> 15th wedding snifrs coming up. >> i know. >> and everyone has a little black dress in their wardrobe, but everyone should have a great party dress. under $100. look at these shoes. these are great. a great pair of party shoes, under $100. ninashoes.com. >> and the earrings. >> by macy's. >> h&m, $6. >> i love it. >> gorgeous. >> thank you. yay for maureen. our second lady is maria moyer. she's 50 from dartmouth, nova scotia, married to keith and has two children. she refused to cut her hair for six months because she was hoping to be ambushed! she's here with her husband, keith. but first let's hear her story. >> well, maria called us out in the crowd today because she really wants this. but so does her husband. tell us why. >> well, it's our 25th wedding anniversary, and after 25 years i'm excited to hopefully get a new woman today. >> a little something-something, huh? and i know you really want this. tell us why. >> well, i just turned 50, as well, and it's our 25th wedding anniversary and i need a new look. i don't want to be frumpy and 50. >> well, we are going to make you fabulous. >> great. >> are you ready to go? >> i'm ready. thanks. >> and you will be very happy. >> thank you very much. >> nobody wants to be 50 and frumpy. >> no way. >> keith, you're going to have to wait one last second, okay? >> okay. >> we'll look at the before picture of maria, and now we're going to bring maria out. ♪ i'm every woman >> oh, my gosh. >> oh, my gosh. >> she may be 50, but she's not frumpy anymore. >> wow. >> all right, keith. take it off. >> whoa! jackpot! whoo-hoo! >> yes, yes, yes. >> she's got to see herself. >> oh, my gosh. i'm so happy for keith. turn around, maria, take a look at yourself. >> oh, my god. oh, my gosh. this isn't me. >> you look awesome. >> stand right there so we can see a split screen. >> oh, my gosh. oh. >> maria has fun, actually. what we did, we cut it shorter, kept it layered. made it thicker. i colored her hair and added highlights for thickness, too. contoured her cheeks just about a quarter of an inch out so it looks very natural. and you look fantastic. >> thank you! >> keith's done. >> what do you think, keith? >> i can't wait for tonight. >> you don't have to wait for tonight. >> that's a little more information than we need. >> tmi. >> tmi. tell us about the outfit. >> this shows everyone needs to reinvest basics from the summer. all from talbots. the great white shirt, which we love. jeans. look how great they fit her. she's going out to celebrate so she looks very new york city for tonight. >> the necklace, too. >> sequin. pretty. and by sequin. >> oh, you look sensational. come on back, maureen. >> excellent. >> nice job. all right. still to come, the ultimate party play list. >> i like that. >> it's going to be fun. i'm that guy that doesn't take directions. i had a heart problem. i was told to begin my aspirin regimen. i just didn't listen until i awoke with pains in my chest. i almost lost my life. my doctor's again ordered me to take aspirin. and i do. i make sure that he does it. [ male announcer ] aspirin is not appropriate for everyone, so be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. [ mike ] i encourage everyone to listen to the doctor. and take it seriously. [ male announcer ] learn more about protecting your heart at iamproheart.com. we got it on rollback. that's what i'm talking about. blue bunny premium ice cream. i know you want it. [ humming ] this is my ice cream dance. ooo, peanut butter. to create a technologically advanced clog-buster and pipe-wall cleaner. ♪ liquid plumr foaming pipe snake. unleash the power of the plumr. liquid plumr foaming pipe snake. [music, talking, laughing] what makes hershey's s'mores special? hershey's chocolate goodness that brings people together. pure hershey's. hi, jay bush and duke here to introduce new bush's black bean fiesta....whoa... you can't tell everyone about new black bean fiesta. but it's perfectly cooked black beans, in a zesty "south of the border" chipotle sauce with red and green peppers, onion, and crisp corn. a bold new taste. i know. but i want people to think i'm a great cook. so hide. delicious! can i have your recipe? your secret is safe with me. hello... new bush's black bean fiesta. and try new texas ranchero, along with our other grillin' beans flavors. ♪ oh, love me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just love me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just hold me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just kiss me ♪ oh oh oh ♪ just want me ♪ l-o-v-e ♪ love, love, love, love ♪ ♪ ♪ l-o-v-e ♪ love, love, love, love on "today's kitchen," we're getting saucy with all things peaches for the holiday weekend. >> gavin is an executive chef and cameron is the head bartender for the family. i love him. hi, guys. >> hello. >> peaches. >> they're so in season right now. >> the best. white peaches, yellow peaches. we have a lot of different dishes but we're also going to incorporate drinks. >> thank you. >> of course. >> today we'll make an exception. >> we heard maybe every once in a while. an arugula salad with grilled peaches and a little vinaigrette with honey here. white balsamic vinegar. >> okay. >> all right. then we're going to take a little bit of-ti thyme, put than here. >> that's very little. i love to drizzle. nobody ever asked me. >> what's the difference between the white balsamic and the regular stuff? >> the white, the color will be clear, but it's also a little less acidic. >> how much do you want me to drizzle? >> keep going. >> all right. >> all right. that's good. perfect. all right. so, we have some grilled peaches over there. we're just going to put the vinaigrette here on the arugula. >> yep. >> how tough a guy is daniel when you're cooking? does he bark? >> is he watching? >> no. he's out. >> okay. daniel's got an amazing amount of passion. >> he's a sweet man. >> the thing is that when you go to visit his parents outside of lyon, they have the same amount of passion. >> what kind of peach is that? >> a paccarino. macadamia nuts. >> a few grilled peaches. beautiful. let's go down to the drink y department. >> it is past 10:00, isn't it? >> somewhere. >> somewhere. >> on this july fourth weekend, we'll make a simple sour with grilled peaches. the beauty of this drink is we can use any spirit of any kind. what's your favorite? >> vodka. >> all right. we'll use gin. >> pleasure. >> we knew you were going to say vod da. >> did you? >> we were hoping. >> two ounces of gin. three-quarters ounce of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, three-quarters ounce of simple syrup, which actually is simple, equal parts sugar and water. to this we'll add a grilled peach and squish it up a little bit. >> oh. >> we're going to muddle this. >> you guys are into this. muddling is overrated. it's a lot of work. >> wait till you try the drink. >> okay. >> get your elbow grease into it. >> we're going to give it a good shake. this time we won't get any on you. >> let's bring the drinks back in the back because we only have about 30 seconds. >> what else did you bring us? >> more food and more drinks. this is just more peaches, like a barbecued peach glaze, the sal salad. then a peach tart, as well. and then there's -- >> more drinks. >> of course there is. >> hello. some of us -- some of us -- >> this is the finished one. >> like i said thank you so much. >> thank you, guys. >> peach cocktail with some tequila. a little bit of peach and chipotle peppers. >> thank you, guys. >> thank you so much. >> cheers. >> happy fourth of july to you. coming up, the play list you'll want at your party. ♪ that we do it together [ male announcer ] it's not just car people anymore. nowadays, all kinds of folks are changing their own oil. and now that walmart's rolling back prices on top brands like mobil, pennzoil and valvoline, doing it yourself can save you even more. ♪ with thousands of great rollbacks, it's rollback time. save money. live better. walmart. delicious, real ingredients with no artificial flavors or preservatives. naturals from purina cat chow. share a better life. blend it. sprinkle it. sweet! [ female announcer ] just about anywhere you use sugar you can use splenda® no calorie sweetener. [ male announcer ] savory. fluffy. yummy. sweet! [ female announcer ] splenda®. america's favorite no calorie sweetener. to create a technologically advanced clog-buster and pipe-wall cleaner. ♪ liquid plumr foaming pipe snake. unleash the power of the plumr. [ 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. make it or break it, baby. >> as for your fourth of july bash, you want to have the music that matches your festivities. >> you're in luck. billboard is releasing the top 30 summer songs of all time and its editorial director is here to take us through the list. hello, bill. >> how you doing? >> good to be here. >> how did you come up with this list? >> we took the thousands of songs that have been on billboard top 100 chart from 1958 on, and we selected them for summer themes. right? >> okay. >> we created a point system out of weeks on the chart and what position they were on and came up with the top charring summer theme songs of all time. >> we're going to build to the number one song, but we have a few on your top 30 chart. here's one by the beach boys. ♪ you see them wearing their baggies ♪ >> everything the beach boys did i loved. >> they had four songs in the top three. >> i would think. >> all four songs use some form of the word girl, california, or surf. right? >> yeah. >> and two, only one of the beach boys, dennis wilson, actually could surf. >> really? >> and such a great-looking guy. that's what i love. >> yes, i know. yeah. >> the next song you've got. ♪ >> who is this? >> alice cooper. >> oh, yeah. >> can we get a little -- yeah. no? come on. it's a little -- >> all right. >> thank you. that was more of a hang ten. that was the beach boys. >> i was a surfer girl. i was into the beach boys. alice cooper i've met. he's a very nice guy. >> that was the song that turned him into the rock star. took him from being kind of a novelty. that was his first top ten billboard. >> another one. ♪ >> oh, yeah. i like this one. >> what is this? >> "summertime." >> i like the one that was in porgy and bess. >> we have to get the realtime remix of kathie lee and will smith. this song, it's from kool & the gang, summer madness. but this is a real important song for will smith. he'd just done this big settlement with the irs, "fresh prince" hadn't taken off yet. >> the most popular summer song. let's play it. ♪ back of my neck getting dirty and gritty ♪ >> there we go. >> thank you so much. >> seals and croft, "summer breeze." oh, stop it. appreciate the easy days, are what keep me coming back for more. and the customer says, on the carpet." i'm thinking, what? gonna be difficult. don't tell me about a dog. an exploding crockpot, free-ranging house chickens. call a day's work. ♪ call 1-800-steemer love for their country inspired these former troops to serve in iraq and afghanistan, and the common passion for singing brought them together. >> former captain meredith m melcher, ron henry, former sergeant daniel jims and a fo former sergeant. it's available and all the profits go to great charities for vets, right, guys? >> yes, they do. >> first of all, thank you for your service to our country. >> absolutely. >> we could never thank you enough. >> what brought you guys together as a musical group? >> well, we all knew one common general, a great man, victor, and we presented ourselves to sony records through him and did our audition for sony, they signed us, they loved us, and here we are. >> and you became rock stars. from kandahar to rock stardom. >> you sing like angels. >> what are you singing today? >> we're going to do a patriotic medley. >> can vegas be far behind, baby? 4 troops. ♪ you're a grand old flag you're a high-flying flag and forever in peace ♪ ♪ may you wave you're the emblem of the land we love ♪ ♪ the home of the free and the brave every hear beats true ♪ ♪ for the red, white, and blue where there's never a boast or a brag ♪ ♪ should auld acquaintance be forgot keep your eye on ♪ ♪ the grand old flag grand old flag, yeah grand old flag ♪ ♪ you're a grand old flag you're a high-flying flag and forever in peace ♪ ♪ may you wave you're the emblem of the land we love ♪ ♪ land we love the home of the free and the brave ♪ ♪ every heart beats true for the red, white and blue where there's never ♪ ♪ a boast or brag should auld acquaintance be forgot ♪ ♪ keep your eye on that grand for purple mountain ♪ ♪ majesties above the fruited plain america, america ♪ ♪ god shed his grace on thee and crown thy good ♪ ♪ with brotherhood from sea to shining sea o beautiful ♪ ♪ for patriots' dreams that sees beyond the years thine alabaster cities ♪ ♪ gleam undimmed by human tears america, america ♪ ♪ god shed his grace on thee and crown thy good with brotherhood ♪ ♪ from sea to shining sea

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