Transcripts For WRC Today 20100803

live interview today, tuesday, august 3rd, 2010. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning. i'm meredith vieira. >> and i'm matt lauer. it's impossible to know how to describe this tragic story in shreveport, louisiana. six teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18. they're dead. they drowned in what the city's fire chief described as the worst accident he has ever seen. >> so sad. the group was walking in shallow waters near the edge when one of the boys stepped off a ledge that fell off sharply. one by one the rest of the group went in to help, none could swim. the first teen to fall in was the only one who was pulled out alive. it's a heartbreaking chain of events. the latest in a live report straight ahead on a very, very different note, are you taking some sort of health supplement this morning? more than half of adults in this country do that and most of the supplements are good for you. this morning we'll give you a list of what "consumer reports" calls the dirty dozen. these are 12 ingredients to avoid. we'll have that list coming up in just a little while. plus, one of our families is standing by for an exclusive intervi interview. the duggars brought their 19th child home, josie. she was three months premature. she is doing much better. we'll introduce you to her coming up. we want to begin with that tragic end to a long family outing along the red river in will y louisiana. nbc's charles had lock is in shreveport with the details. charles, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. the red river was going to be a refuge from the oppressive summer heat but the sandy banks of the river turntd out to be the scene of tragedy for three families. seven teenagers waded out into what they thought was shallow water. they were standing in knee deep water when the sand suddenly gave way. one of the teenagers fell into the water, his friends scrambled to help him. one by one they each fell into the water. not one of them could swim. there was screaming and panic, family members onshore rushed to the water's edge but that's all they could do. they couldn't swim either. there was one life preserver, onshore, but the kids were too far out for it to reach them. family members said it was like a nightmare unfolding before their eyes. five boys and one girl disappeared in the water. fire and rescue divers took three hours to find the bodies in 18 feet deep water. there was one survivor, a 14 ye 14-year-old boy picked up by a passing boat. it turned out he was the first boy to fall into the water. a sole survivor of this tragic outing. matt? >> charles, did anyone know about this -- it's been described from what i've heard as almost a sinkhole, this 18-foot-deep sinkhole. did people in the area know that it was there? were there any posted warnings, anything like that? >> reporter: most people know the red river is a dangerous place to be. it separates the would cities. it's a recreation area, though. people do swim in it. it's not advised because of the ever changing sands along the bank, matt. >> charles hadlock with just a terrible story. charles, thank you very much. >> our hearts go out to those families. so sad. let's get a check of the other top stories. carl quintanilla is filling in. a key test in the gulf of mexico that hopefully the beginning of the end of what is officially the world's biggest oil leak of its kind. nbc's chief environmental affairs correspondent anne thompson has more. anne, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, carl. bp is trying to fix a leak in the cap on top of the blow-out preventer and once that is done it will conduct what's called an injection test. if all goes okay with that, it will then begin the procedure to plug this well that has caused so much damage. this is the legacy of the mccondo well, oil-stained water, polluted marshes, and soiled beaches. when bp attempts the static kill, it will send a lethal injection of mud through the choke line, the blow-out preventer, and down the well itself forcing the oil back into its reservoir. >> so what you want is the fr h pressure to slowly decrease until it becomes zero in the well. that means the amount of mud is equal to the pressure being pushed up. but if it stops short of that, that means we may have a problem with the integrity of the casing. >> reporter: if there is a problem they will immediately start work on the relief well. bp insists these wells will only be used to kill the troubled well. >> there is no intention for us to convert these relief wells to producers or the macondo well itself. >> reporter: among the hardest hit, the fishermen. the government wants bp to fund a testing program to rebuild consumer confidence. >> we want the entire world to know our seafood is safe and continues to be the best seafood in the entire world. >> reporter: now one of the big questions here is how much oil has gone into the gulf. the government now says almost 5 million barrels, that's almost 20 times the size of the "exxon valdez" is what has spilled from the well. carl? >> anne, thanks for that. the u.n. now says some 3 million people are affected by a week of devastating flooding in pakistan. more than 1,400 people have died in the raging floodwaters. authorities now concerned about the outbreak of diseases. wildfires raging across parts of russia now blamed for at least 40 deaths. more than 1,500 homes have been destroyed. on monday four people driving to fight the fires found themselves surrounded by walls of flames. they eventually made it to safety. today the full senate begins debate on the nomination of e elena kagan. a vote is expected by the end of the week. and the princeton review is out with its annual list of the top party schools. taking over the top spot for the first time, the university of georgia. matt, you'll be happy to know ohio university was second. there's a shocker. and penn state was third. imagine if you were still there, matt. you'd be in the hall of fame by now. >> we like to call it harvard on the hocking, carl. >> isn't there a matt lauer memorial beer bong back there or something? >> wow. beer bong? you're mixing your metaphors. great having carl here for one day. we need to do a split show here in athens, ohio. . good morning. i'm news 4 meteorologist chuck bell. some of that intense heat and humidity will be coming here. it arrives tomorrow in full force. today is our transition day. temperatures are in the throw mid-70s under a mostly cloudy. closest rain showers are moving into portions of central ohio. folks up in the west virginia mountains may get a shower. right around town we'll stay dry. warmer. today's high 85 to 90. mid-to-upper 90s starting tomorrow. and that's your latest weather. meredith? al, thank you very much. if you thought the battle between barack obama and george w. bush ended with the last election, think again. with the midterm elections less than three months away, now president obama is dusting off a familiar campaign playbook. nbc's savannah guthrie is at the white house to explain it all. savannah, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. we're about to see a president in campaign overdrive. eight states in about three weeks. we're hearing an ever sharper message out of the white house. with his party's political power on the line, the president is fine-tuning his attack on republicans. arguing they want to go back to the bad old days. >> they don't have a single idea that's different from george bush's ideas. not one. instead, they're betting on amnesia. that's what they're counting on. that you all forgot. >> reporter: the white house strategy framed the coming congressional midterm elections as a choice between the policies of the past and the future while not always referring to george w. bush by name, the president hits on the theme at every campaign event. >> they spent a decade driving the economy into a ditch. and now they're asking for the keys back. and my answer is, no, you can't have the keys. you can't drive. >> reporter: struggling in the polls, democrats are banking that former president bush is even more unpopular than they are, even framing the latest bat until congress as a fight over extending the bush tax cuts for wealthier americans. >> what the democrats need to do between now and november is change the subject. they want the midterms to be about the republicans, about alleged republican extremism, about republicans allegedly being against everything. >> reporter: in the most recent nbc news/"wall street journal" poll, 62% said they would be uncomfortable with the kabd dat described as supporting bush economic policies and 40% faulted bush for the current economic conditions. but republicans say blaming bush is bad strategy. voters expect democrats to stop complaining and start governing. >> the job of the president is to lead. he's the head of his party. he's the head of this government. and so that's what people want to see. they don't want to talk about who is to blame. >> reporter: senior white house officials say they're not invoking the name of george w. bush simply because he is unpopular, they are making an argument, they say, that republican policies haven't fundamentally changed since bush. so if republicans get control again, those are the policies they'll implement. meredith? >> savannah guthrie, thank you very much. a former speechwriter for president george w. bush, jonathan capehart is an editorial writer for "the washington post" and a contributor to msnbc. good morning to you both. >> good morning, meredith. >> michael, if i could start with you, you worked in the bush white house. what do you make of the obama administration bringing back your old boss to use as a bogeyman here? >> i think most people would concede george w. bush has been pretty gracious and classy, not attacking president obama. but yesterday obama went after the president for almost every problem and then took credit, i think unfair credit for achievements in iraq. most of the recent polls show americans now blame the current administration more than the last one. that's what happens when you've been in power for 18 months. you're accountable. >> jonathan, is this bush bashing a lot of whining on the part of the white house or an effective strategy? >> no, i think it's an effective strategy n. savannah's report she showed why. 62% of those polled said they would be you uncomfortable with someone aligned with president bu bush. if they didn't have pivot points, things to point to. he comes into office saying they ran the economy into the ditch. he can point to the t.a.r.p. program, the stimulus program, the health care bill, things he's doing to try to move the country forward and get it out f of the ditch. it would be whining if he didn't have those things to point to. >> meanwhile, michael, the republicans don't seem to have any grand plan n. 1994 when they regained control of the house and the senate they did at least have that contract with america, a series of proposals they could bring to the voters. nothing like that exists so far. do you imagine that something like it will emerge? >> no, i actually don't think so. i prefer the republican party to be a little more positive about what it wants to do on the economy or poverty or a lot of other issues. the reality here is the current administration has picked a fight on the size and the role of government. republicans have one message right now which is stop. and it's a pretty effective one. there are now -- you know, by recent estimates about 65 house seats, almost all of them democratic, that are up for grabs now. republicans have a very good chance of winning back the house. i think the party of no is working out pretty well. now in the presidential election you can't do that but in a midterm election i think that has been an effective approach. >> michael, do you agree? >> meredith, i don't -- well, sure. it's an effective strategy for the gop to do this. the only problem is this is why the president is able to link them to president bush. because there's a void there of ideas right now in 2010, it's easy to remind people of the eight years under president bush and the damage that's done to the national economy. so if the republican party wants to continue to be the party of no and continue to be the party of no ideas, then they've given the field to the president. >> meanwhile, the democrats are dealing with two ethics investigations in the house, california congresswoman maxine waters and new york's charlie rangel. how do these investigations further complicate an already difficult midterm election season? >> well, it complicates it in that it reminds people of the ethical problems that got the american people to vote the republicans out of the house leadership in 2006. nancy pelosi, the house speaker, came into office promising to drain the swamp of corruption in washington. the problem with congressman rangel and congresswoman maxine waters reminds people the swamp of corruption in washington is still alive and well but here is the difference. they're being investigated. there's an adjudication subcommittee that's going to bring them to trial if no settlement is reached. the ethics committee is working. >> all right, michael gerson and jonathan capehart, thank you both so much. it's 7:16. once again here is matt. thank you. one thing the white house would like to do is turn monday's surge on wall street into votes. the dow jones industrial average shot up 208 points to close at 10,674, its highest close in ten weeks. what does it all mean for you? jim cramer is the host of "mad money" on cnbc. nice to see you. i'm hesitant to do these segments a day after a big jump in the dow because we then make it a trend. but if you look at july, which was a great month, up about 7%, add on the first trading day in august, another big jump, i detect a smile on the corner of your mouth. >> things are better. a lot of this rally has to do with the corporate earnings we've seen. much of it from international markets but it's very, very strong. >> we're looking at manufacturing in particular doing very well right now. things are heating up again. so the big question is if the manufacturing companies, the people -- the companies out there making things are doing better, when are they going to start putting more americans back to work? >> still haven't done it. still unsure. i think this is a fourth quarter phenomenon. if the quarter books stay as strong, they have to hire to be able to make as much as they need to sell. >> if you're living on main street and we talk so much about this apparent disconnect between wall street and main street, is this surge in the market just another example of that? >> yes. this is not a small business surge. the companies that are doing best are not hiring in this country. they're not proud of it but they recognize that other markets are much stronger so why build up here? >> we have a sluggish economy. over the weekend fed chief ben bernanke said the united states has, quote, a considerable way to go to achieve recovery with many americans dealing with unemployment, mortgage foreclosures and lost savings. how much does the emotional element weigh into this? people out there are nervous about this economy so they don't want to become a part of it. >> well, i think that a lot of problems are that banks don't want to lend. people are afraid to take the loans. now you have to pay them back. it's not like the old days where three years you literally could take money and the banks would lend it to you and not fear you would repay. so the whole system of finance is being hurt in this country. >> if you look at the 7% gain in the dow in july and the jump yesterday, if you're a small investor, is this a time to go in further or if you've been out of the market, is it the time to jump in? >> we have a big number on friday which talks about employment in this country. it may not be strong. a better opportunity to get in than after a gigantic rally. >> do you get in after friday or prior to friday? >> i do like the market. i think that's important. i'm just splitting hairs to try to get you to look for a couple percent decline that could occur. i have to tell you, i think we're going to go up 10%. >> all right. that's good. that's optimistic. jim cramer. jim, thank you very much. you can catch more of jim's advice on "mad money" week nights at 6:00 and 11:00 on cnbc. it's now 18 minutes after the hour. once again here is meredith. matt, thank you. new developments in the brutal stabbings of two girls allegedly at the hands of their own aunt. it happened over the weekend in an upscale new york neighborhood. nbc's peter alexander has the latest. peter, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning to you. ose two girls, are improving at the hospital this morning. their parents are by their side. as for their aunt, she had no criminal history this morning she is charged with two counts of felony assault. they are haunting new details about two young girls terrifying night in their own home. the sisters, 7 and 9 years old, were found in the kitchen saturday night cautious, speaking to police both of them still bleeding. >> the scene was horrendous from what the officers told me. it was quite horrible. >> reporter: the girls had had survived multiple stab wounds. their attacker -- their aunt, police say, 39-year-old lisa turkki who had been left home to babysit her nieces while the parents attend add concert just minutes away. the couple called to the box office during intermission. turkki was arrested standing in the front yard after calling 911. that tape isn't being released. she had a cut to her leg that detectives suspect was self-inflicted. >> there were two kitchen knifes that have been recovered that appear to have been the weapons. >> reporter: who could do such a thing? family friends like heather are still stunned. >> how are we going to talk to our kids and explain this to them who had just seen them? how can we help the girls have good spirits and regain their trust and their carefree, happy nature? >> reporter: an architect describes the callies as the perfect family. >> they are like the most even kiel family you can possibly map out anywhere. >> reporter: they live in what seems like a near perfect neighborhood north of new york city just across the street martha stewart's farm. and nearby the estate of fashion icon ralph lauren. outside the east syracuse up to house where turkki lived, neighbors knew little about the alleged attacker. >> she was quiet, kept to herself. she alwayss looked nice. she had a well-kept car. her house seemed like it was well kept. nothing to lead you that there was any probntil 2004 turkki volunteered at a horse farm. she was described as a good volunteer. but now her own family and authorities are left wondering why she snapped, allegedly causing this aunt to attack her own young nieces. and police add when lisa turkii was arrested she did not appear to be under the influence of anything. she has since agreed to give urine and blood samples to police. turkki is expected to make her court appearance next week. until then she remains behind bars with no bail. >> all right, peter alexander, thank you very much. just ahead, tv's highest paid actor charlie sheen pleads guilty to assaulting his wife. how did he avoid getting any jail time? coming up, we'll talk to the woman who says she discovered her husband got married for a second time thanks to facebook. >> plus the duggar family home with baby number 19. ♪ now i know ♪ freedom is all that i need [ female announcer ] ladies, raise your spoons. now there's nothing left standing between you and a satisfying breakfast. introducing special k low-fat granola. with 50% less fat than the leading granola and 5 grams of fiber per serving, it's a satisfying way to help you manage your weight. special k low-fat granola -- a taste of freedom. when something's safe? you talk to these guys. they go through every car and truck we make with a big fat red pencil. because they know a family's going to be inside. a teenager. a guy on the way to the job. the engineers of chevrolet. just another reason why we can offer a 5-year 100,000 mile powertrain warranty. and another reason why a chevy's a chevy. good morning it is 7:26 on this tuesday, the 3rd day of august, 2010. good morning to you i'm joe krebs. in the "news4 today" we have some breaking news out on the dulles toll road. jerry edwards joins us now on what is a serious accident. >> it is. it involved an overturned car which appears to be uprighted. this all happened within the hour. eastbound dulles toll road near wolf trap. they are holding up all traffic once again, traffic being shuttled into the airport lanes. consider route 7 but remember you have to deal with those traffic lights. we'll keep you updated inbound on the dulles toll road. all traffic stopped at wolf trap. we'll keep you updated. we're going to take a look at the forecast right after this. stay with us. [ dog barking ] mom! breakfast? in this house? in the morning i can use all the help i can get. that's why i love nutella, a delicious hazelnut spread that's perfect on multigrain toast and even whole-wheat waffles. it's a quick and easy way to give my family a breakfast they'll want to eat. and nutella is made with simple, quality ingredients, like hazelnuts, skim milk and a hint of cocoa. they love the taste and i feel good that they're ready to tackle the day. ♪ nutella. breakfast never tasted this good. good morning, everybody. plenty ever clouds outside. temperatures in the low to mid-70s. we'll get sunshine later on this afternoon and that will put temperatures up close to 90 degrees today. back to the mid and upper 70s. can bug bites be dangerous to your health? we'll ask an not that long ago, many families were priced out of an overheated housing market. but the times have changed. get the facts at remax.com. it's a great place to see all the listings in thousands of cities and towns. with lots of houses to chose from and down-to-earth prices the dream of owning a home seems more attainable than ever. find out what an experienced re/max agent can do for you. nobody sells more real estate than re/max. visit remax.com today. it's 7:30 on a tuesday , 20. a warm, humid day on tap here in the northeast. lots of nice people. we're going to head out there and say hi to these people in a couple of minutes. i'm matt lauer along with meredith vieira. >> is there a llama in the crowd? did you see that? it is. oh, my gosh. there's a story behind that. it's not stuffed, is it? is it stuffed? does he have his hand -- i don't know. i can't tell. it's freaking me out, man. >> hmm. we're going to go outside -- >> figure that one out. >> you never know what you're going to find here. you can also find all kinds of photos on facebook. what would you do, though -- picture this situation -- if you came across pictures of your spouse getting married to someone else? >> one woman says that is exactly what happened to her. she is fighting to win custody of their two small children. ahead she'll share her story in an exclusive live interview. on a happier marriage note, chelsea and marc did it. more and more are, too. marrying outside of their faith. coming up, we'll talk about the challenges an interfaith marriage can present to a couple and a family in general. plus an exclusive live interview with the duggar family. jim bob and michelle brought baby number 19, josie, home from the hospital. we'll talk to the whole family. let's begin with a plea deal for actor charlie sheen that's allowed him to avoid jail time for a christmas day assault on his wife. miguel almaguera is in aspen, colora colorado. he has details on this. good morning. >> reporter: matt, good morning. charlie sheen arrived here in aspen one day before he was supposed to start shooting his new season of his television series, but he faced a potential trial, even jail time. this morning he's a free man. charlie sheen played it cool after learning he wouldn't be going to jail. >> you got probation and 30 days in malibu, what are you going to do next? >> go to disneyland. >> reporter: sheen pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge after prosecutors agreed to drop a felony charge against him. the judge sentenced sheen to three months' probation, 36 hours of anger management counseling, and 30 days in rehab. >> this is a sentence that is consistent with what happens here and i will tell you that the people here drove a very hard bargain so there's nothing easy about this sentence. >> okay. tell me what happened? >> my husband had me with a wife and i'm scared for my life and he threatened me. >> reporter: it all started last christmas when sheen's wife, brooke mueller, called 911 during an argument it at the couple's aspen home. according to the arrest report, mueller accused sheen of pulling out a knife and holding it to her throat. sheen denied the accusations but officers arrested him and took him into custody. if sheen was worried about his sentencing, he didn't show it, blowing kisses to reporters on his way into court and flashing a victory sign. legal experts say prosecutors may have felt their case was too weak to go to trial after sheen's wife refused to press charges. >> this may have been less a case of celebrity justice than it is a case of practicality where the prosecution realizing they have some difficulties with their case. >> reporter: sheen will do his rehab at thomas' treatment center located in malibu, the pi fictional home of his show "two and a half men." >> you are a bad, bad boy. >> and yet you are the one always getting spanked. >> reporter: it came in time for him to return to production on the show's eighth season. >> we employ a lot of people and charlie, without him there is no show. >> reporter: at a reported $1.8 million per episode, sheen is now the highest paid actor on television. >> people still love him. he's the comeback kid for that reason. his popularity does not weigh despite what he's going through in his private life. >> reporter: sheen avoided jail time and he may not even have to go to rehab since he spent 93 days at a rehab center earlier this year. he may get credit for that. his attorney says the 44-year-old actor has been sober for months. matt? >> miguel almaguera in aspen for us this morning. miguel, thank you very much. let us get a check of the weather now from mr. roker. >> okay. now you were wondering if, in good tuesday morning. i'm news 4 meteorologist chuck bell. plenty of clouds outside this morning but no sprinkles or rain showers to worry about on your early start to your tuesday. temperatures are in the low to mid-70s. cooler up in martinsburg. you can see rain showers across central and eastern ohio. heading for far western maryland and mountains of west virginia. rain chances better there today. today's high is 85 to 90. and that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you very much. millions of people love checking out their friends and families' pictures on facebook. what if you went online and it showed your spouse living a double life? we'll talk to this woman exclusively in a moment. first, jeff rossen has the story. >> reporter: what usually happens during an affair? the cheating spouse lies and tries to cover it up. but this woman says her husband didn't hide it. he did the unthinkable. married another woman while still married to her. took the kids and began a new life posting all the photos on facebook for everyone to see. it was 2005, the ultimate destination wedding along ita italy's breathtaking coast. a couple in love, exchanging their vows and rings against a beautiful backdrop. back then lynn and john france planned to live happily ever after. >> it was a movie star wedding. it was a fairy tale wedding. absolutely. >> reporter: you were happy? >> very happy, yes. life was good as far as i knew. >> reporter: they had two kids together but just three years after that fairy tale wedding, lynn got a feeling that john was cheating. >> he said he was going to china and he called me and said i'm here but his passport was at home. >> reporter: lynn said she actually caught him with another woman and soon got the shock of a lifetime. pictures of her husband marrying that other woman posted online. you see the pictures of their wedding on facebook -- >> right. >> reporter: yet you still took him back. >> you have young children. he begged. he said he'd changed. >> but back in may he left lynn again this time for good taking their children with him. that's when even more photos popped up on facebook of the new family together at home, on vacation. >> somebody living my life on facebook, viewing day-to-day life with my husband and my children and it's another woman. >> reporter: lynn and john's two boys are now living with john and his new wife in florida but a custody fight is brewing. >> my children are in the family photos and her posts are referring to them as her boys, as her children. >> reporter: for his part, john france says he'll fight lynn for the kids. he says their marriage in italy wasn't even legal because of a clerical error. what's your response? >> the federal government thinks we're married. family and friends, our children. >> reporter: as far as you're concerned -- >> as far as i'm concerned, we're married. >> reporter: these photos could become evidence in john and lynn's upcoming court case. in fact, 80% of didvorce lawyer say they view social media websites in their cases, too. >> be very careful with who you connect on these social networks because what you share with them either inside the social network or outside it could also be broadcast to the world. >> reporter: but here the accusation is far more bizarre. lynn says her husband not only cheated, not only married another woman while still married to her, but the proof is out there for the world to see. >> to the two of them, this is a big joke, and to me it's devastating because it's my children. >> reporter: it is important to know john france, the husband, denies the accusation that he's a bigamist, marrying multiple women n. a statement to nbc news, his lawyer told us while it appears john and linda france were both under the impression once upon a time that they were married, the fact of the matter is their marriage was never legally proper and, therefore, it does not actually exist. he told us he is confident he will get custody of the children. >> all right, jeff rossen, thank you very much. lynn france is here. good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> this is just such a shocking story to me. you married john france in 2005, storybook wedding, as jeff just said. 2008 you discovered that he's cheating on you. had you suspected anything wrong with the marriage leading up to that? >> not particularly, just increasing business trips. >> you couldn't explain -- he would say he was gone some place and it didn't ring true to you? >> correct. he'd gone to china at one point in the fall of '08 and left his passport at home. >> you realized something was -- 2008, in the fall of 2008, you followed him to a hoe it tell, basically you find him with another woman. you confront her. she says, i'm engaged to this guy. you then put two and two together, figure out she has a facebook page, go on and see pictures of her with your husband, the bridal shower and eventually the wedding photos. they were married at disneyworld, i believe. >> correct. >> what's going through your head as you see these photos one after another after another of this double life that he's leading? >> a lot of mixed feelings but shock, hurt, disbelief, denial, this can't be happening. the whole gamut of emotions everyone feels like when they're portrayed by the one they love. it was just added salt to the wound. one step further, it's out there for the world to see and he's basically flaunting it. >> almost like throwing it in your face. >> exactly. >> so you did file for divorce in january of 2009, but he came back to you a few months later said, look, i'm going to get this marriage annulled. he begged you as jeff reported in his story. you took him back against your lawyer's advice. was it against your advice in particular? >> it was against our law firm's advice. lynn was fortunate enough to have a legal team and i think she would tell you we gave her good advice and the predictions we made, in fact, played out as we told her they would. unfortunately, emotions, as is often the case, controlled her decision making as opposed to a little bit more objective rational approach to the problems that were very obvious to us. >> and you fast forward to may of this year -- >> right. >> and for all his claiming that he wants to be with you, he suddenly takes off with both of your little boys and goes back to florida where he is still married to this woman, and now you are faced -- you really -- any way you can keep tabs on your sons is to put up her fa facebook page essentially and see their pictures at this point. >> that's right. that's exactly the only way i've seen my babies since may. >> how painful is that for you? i know she has apparently taunted you on the facebook page? >> it's lunacy. it's just a sickness to me and the fact that the two babies are involved and put into the middle of it is just terrible beyond belief. >> so what happens at this point. john france said he has filed for custody of the kids. he said these two were not really married, there was a technicality and they're not really legally married at this point. >> well, it's a complicated situation. the legalities are very, very technical. there are proceedings going on in two courts. the court in ohio where we practice law has, on the one hand, dismissed her claim, but that's going to be appealed and we're proceeding in ohio and believe the case is properly ven you'd in ohio but there are proceedings mr. france has filed in florida where i'm also licensed and we're going to have to deal with those issues, too. so we're going to have fights on many levels, about the kids, about the marriage, and about which state is going to control this matter. >> and how will you use the postings on facebook in terms of your own legal strategy? >> well, i don't think we should try the case on television and i'm not sure the strategy we have now will play out exactly and i'm not sure that's something i want to broadcast on television anyway, but issues that come up in facebook or things can be used to support arguments lynn might make or anyone might make and use them, but to impeach the credibility or be used by a party that they've done something perhaps they shouldn't have done. >> what i don't understand is how he could just up and take your kids away from you and you could lose all custody of them. >> well, i don't know if i could lose custody but because we're married and we don't have a custody order, either parent has the right to the child. >> have you considered at all going down there and trying to get these children? >> oh, yes, i've considered it but against attorney's advice -- >> self-help can be a dangerous thing. agencies lynn has consulted with have told her not to go in and try to physically take the children. when there's no court order and when the temporary restraining orders were dismissed in the ohio action, each parent has 100% right to their children. we can call it custody but if you're a parent and there's no court order preventing you from taking your child, you're allowed to take your child and that's what's happened. is it up to lynn to be her own policeman to go down there and take the kids back and act as her own judge? it's usually not a good idea. these are the things that are going to have to be fought out in court. unfortunately, she is in a situation where if she wants to see the boys, the other parent, as i understand it and lynn has explained it, is demanding she signs certain things or commits to certain things. whether they're married or not, we'll have to sort that out for her. >> we'll be following this closely. i'm sorry for what you're going through. >> thank you. and just ahead "consumer reports" dirty dozen. 12 things you should avoid. up next, keeping the faith. chelsea clinton and the rise of interfaith marriages in this country. 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(announcer) smucker's captures the goodness of fruit in every jar- even the flavorful aroma. this morning on "today's relationships" the rise of interfaith marriages. these days 37% of couples do not share the same faith. that's up 12% from just a couple of decades ago. one example this weekend's wedding between chelsea clinton, a methodist, and marc mezvinsky, who is jewish. the author of "yearnings: embracing the sacred messiness of life." good morning to both of you. how about this number here, 85% of people in this country now say they accept interfaith, interracial marriages. that's a pretty good sign. probably never going to convince the other 15%. but these marriages do not come without challenges. >> well, we're watching a transformation in the way religion is being used in america. that's really what's happening. most people -- the younger you get, the more true this is -- the mixing and blending and bending and switching. and like any mixing and blending and bending comes with new challenges of communication, new challenges of honesty and new challenges of literally how to communicate across boundaries. >> you have to get these things out, talk about these issues before the wedding. i would imagine -- if you let this wait until afterward, you get some real issues. >> i think it's challenging around three issues, matt. people run into issues around children, holidays and around life stangs. and these are points religions help people to define what does it mean to belong to each other and to be connected? so when these come up and people have different practices, it raises issues of being disconnected. particularly challenging sometimes for the prior generation, for grandparents who have some guilt they haven't passed along the values they have for their children. >> what advice do you give when couples come to you for counseling prior to a marriage? what advice do you give them? >> the first thing is be honest. don't hold back what you're feeling in the hope that the relationship would be okay if i hold back because this is what i'm feeling, i want to celebrate christmas or hanukkah or have a passover. don't hold back. the second thing is understand the previous generation is probably more often than not experiencing some loss and if they're experiencing some loss and you're the couple that's actually crossing the boundary, you actually have to help assure the previous generation that you are continuing their values even if there are different practices, moving from the cathedral of the bizarre in how we choose and select our religious practices. >> thanks so much. nice to see you both. 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. ♪ ♪ oh, do it ♪ oh, do it [ female announcer ] coffee is like life. it's better when you add your flavor. coffee-mate. from nestle. long summer days, and not enough sleep. what i wouldn't do for a do-over. 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[ female announcer ] new clinical skincare. neutrogena. #1 dermatologist recommended brand. still ahead, we'll reveal "vanity fair's" new international best dressed list. >> plus, the duggars bring baby number 19 home from the hospital after a medical scare. little josie brooklyn. we'll talk exclusively to the entire duggar clan. radiating pain everywhere...i, and i wondered what it was. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and less pain means i can do more with the ones i love. 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[ male announcer ] introducing the venture card from capital one, with double miles on every purchase every day. go to capitalone.com. what's in your wallet? oh, that's the spot! good morning, 7:56 is our time. 74 degrees here in the nation's capital and the washington monument is pointing at some cloudy skies right now. we'll get the forecast coming up. good morning i'm joe krebs on this tuesday, august 3, 2010. in the news for today a new metro rail fare hike is in effect. riders will pay a 20 cent is your charge during the peak of the peak hours. it will cost you and extra 25 cents any time you use a paper fare card to pay the fares instead of yaugs smartrip card. the peak of the peak charge for the morning rush hour will not take effect until later this month. we'll take a break now and come back and take a look at our weather forecast and good morning. i'm news 4 meteorologist chuck bell. plenty much clouds. no rain in our area. there are some rain showers moving through central ohio. could bring a chance of a shower to the west virginia mountains. we'll be dry here in the washington area but there's an outside chance of a shower. highs today upper 80s to near 90. mid-to-upper 90s the rest of the week. >> let's take a look and see how we're doing. a little bit better, traffic is moving but very slowly inbound on the toll road passing wolf trap. southbound 29 at lockwood drive an accident. only one lane getting by to white oak. some sting but can bug bites be dangerous to your health? we'll ask an expert today on news 4 midday. join us at 11:00 a.m. 8:00 now on this tuesday morning, the 3rd of august, 2010. and these people are making the most of their morning waving to friends back home from our home here in rockefeller plaza. meanwhile, i'm meredith vieira along with matt lauer and al roker. a happy homecoming for the duggar family, the 19th child, josie brooklyn, was brought home from the hospital about a month ago after being born 3 1/2 months premature when she was born back in december. this morning the entire family is with us for their first live interview since bringing her home and she is doing very, very well. >> cute. if you're one of millions of americans taking one of those popular dietary supplements, some news you can use. "c "consumer reports" magazine is out with its list of what they call the dirty dozen. these are 12 ingredients you need to avoid. one of them is something called colloidal silver. remember this with paul, the guy we called the blue man? he had been taking that for years and it caused that discoloration of his skin. well, that's one of the ingredients on the list. we'll run down the rest of them in a couple of minutes. and speaking of lists "vanity fair" is out with its new list of the best cressdress. we'll take a look at that. >> ann is off today. good morning, everybody. sadness and devastation this morning after six louisiana teenagers lost their lives in a drowning accident. officials say the teens, ages 13 to 18, were playing in the red river monday evening when one of them stepped off a ledge into a nearly 20-foot-deep hole. the rest of the group went in to help him but none could swim. the teen who first fell in was rescued by boat. officials in pakistan say one of the country's largest dams is threatened because of fresh rains and residents outside of peshawar are being ordered to evacuate. a week of flooding has killed more than 1,400 people. relief workers are unable to reach some 2 million people cut off because of swamped roads, washed out bridges, and downed power lines. today bp engineers are determining whether to move forward with permanently sealing up that blown out well in the gulf of mexico after a hydraulic leak put plans on hold. officials want to pump heavy mud into the well and then seal it with concrete. a temporary cap has kept oil from pouring out for more than two weeks. the government says the spill pass poured nearly 5 million barrels into the gulf, almost 20 times the "exxon valdez" disaster. cnbc's trish regan is at the new york stock exchange. trish, what are you watching there? hey there, carl, just as things were starting to look good for the market, we're coming off a positive july. things were looking good yesterday. all of a sudden a couple earnings reports that are a little bit tough for investors to digest. dow chemical out today, disappointing investors. you have procter & gamble. that's a big one because this is a real read on the consumer. procter & gamble a consumer company and they are actually guiding lower saying they anticipate making less money. this could be a problem for investors as they confront these rather negative earnings reports today. >> all right, trish regan over at the nyse. thanks very much. a new report details the types of cars thieves are most likely to steal. topping the list the cadillac escalade suv, the ford f-250, the infinity and the dodge charger with the hemi engine. the volvo s-80 is one of the least. the piano purchased in 1964 by the legendary abbey rhodes studios in london will go up for sale. it is 8:03. back to matt and meredith. >> okay. >> all right, carl. >> sticky out here a little bit. >> worse this afternoon. mr. roker has a check. >> well, if you're moist, you good tuesday morning to you. i'm news 4 meteorologist chuck bell. we got plenty of clouds outside morning. no rain on the radar. dry start to your tuesday. most of us will stay dry all day long. temperatures in the low to mid-70s. there are some showers, thork moving into eastern parts of ohio. they may live long enough to get into the west virginia mountains over the next several hours. folks west of the blue ridge better chance of a shower. isolated chance here in the washington area. ale to 90 today. mid-90s for the next couple of and that's your latest weather. mat senate al, thanks very much. the duggars bring home baby number 19. cute little josie. 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what is that? what is this? guy: it's a special paste i invented to replace socks. we're dipping our feet in it. wife: why? guy: because we can't find socks that shape to our feet. we're sick of it! son: sick of it! wife: that's really stupid. guy: that's the future. announcer: hanes makes better-fitting socks the whole family will love. guaranteed, or your money back. we are back now at 8:10 with an exclusive look at the newest member of one of our favorite families. jim bob and michelle duggar welcomed thirp 19th child into the world back in december. josie brooklyn was born more than three months premature. now she is back at home and doing remarkably well. this morning the entire family is speaking out for the first time since josie came home from the hospital. hey, guys, good morning to all of you. >> good morning. >> when josie was born back in december, she weighed 1 pound, 6 ounces. we talked to you the following january and at that point she was still on a ventilator, still not out of the woods by any means. it was still touch and go. she is now 8 months old, just got out of the hospital a little over a month ago. how is she doing today? >> she is doing remarkable. she weighs 11 pounds and 6 ounces, and so she has gained 10 pounds since she was born. and she is just doing wonderful. we are so grateful. >> i know, jim bob, she was released from the hospital in april but had to go back in because her vital signs started to fall off and now they discovered she is lactose intolerant. how is her eating now? >> she is doing very well in her eating. she is on some formula that is lactose free and her health is just thriving so we're really grateful to god. >> does she still need a ventilator at all or oxygen? >> she uses supplemental oxygen when she is sleeping, but usually when she's awake now she is weaned off the oxygen to the point she doesn't need it unless she is sleeping. >> so prognosis, moving forward, what are doctors telling you, jim bob? >> well, she is doing very well. they say by the time she is 2 years old, she should catch up with someone developmentally at 2 years old. it's amazing how well she is doing and we're just so thankful to god that she is just thriving and doing well. >> yeah, michelle, you had some scares yourself last year. you had a gallstone, i think, attack and then you developed high pressure, preeclampsia. how are you doing? are you back to normal? >> i am. i definitely feel much better than i it did 7 1/2 months ago with preeclampsia. my blood pressure is good and i feel good. i'm really thankful. just so grateful to have josie. i think we just watched a miracle take place before our very eyes as she went through her third trimester right in front of our eyes. it was amazing. >> jill, i want to bring you in. during the past eight months, most of the family temporarily relocated to a residence closer to the hospital to be near mom and josie. now that the entire family is back home, how are you doing? how are you getting back to normal? >> it's amazing. everybody is loving being back home and the time in little rock was good. we were able to spend a lot of good family time together, but being back home -- there's no place like home. so we are loving it and getting back into the swing of things here. >> and josiah, how is josie fitting into the family? >> she is fitting in pretty well. it's kind of weird bringing her back, though, so small. >> yeah. >> yeah, it's very interesting. >> before i let you go, michelle, i read an article recently where you said you would consider having more children. given the fact this has been such a stressful time for you and your family, i'm sure there are those who might feel that's irresponsible. what do you say to them? >> well, you know, i think when we look at josie, we were just talking about it this morning. even knowing that we went through the challenge that we did, we would do it again. the fact here we have this precious gift and it's a miracle. i mean, it really is. and i spoke with a mother who was in the nicu the same time we were and as they were leaving the room where we were at she came over and she spoke to me and said this is my second baby that's been in the nicu, and i think, you know, the precious life that we see here is not a coincidence. i just know it is a miracle. and so i don't take that for granted. i know that god is the one who gives life and i'm just so grateful and thankful and we would welcome another if he saw fit. we'll wait and see. >> michelle and jim bob, enjoy josie now that she is home. thank you so much. the new season of "19 kids and counting" premieres tonight on tlc. up next, "consumer reports'" dirty dozen. my "me time" is when i thought i parked on level 2. or maybe 8? my me time...is when everybody's takin' shots at me. 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[ splash, water drips ] [ whoosh, bell dings ] [ female announcer ] new dove go fresh now with nutriummoisture. adding nourishment to freshness. [ birds chirping ] [ sighs ] go fresh. it's dove's way to revitalize your mind and nourish your skin. dove go fresh with nutriummoisture. ♪ fresh at its best. go fresh body wash now comes in pomegranate & lemon verbena. this morning on "today's consumer" a warning about popular dietary supplements. more than half of all adults in the u.s. take them. now "consumer reports" is out with its dirty dozen list, 12 ingredients they recommend avoiding. nancy metcalf is the magazine's senior program he had are tore. dr. nancy snyderman is nbc's chief medical editor. nancys, good morning to both of you. what struck me most when i read the list last night and i'll read it again in a second, i haven't heard of most of these things. is that one of the problems? >> well, it is for the ones that are not well known because one problem is if you go on the internet to research them you're probably not going to come across too many cautionary stories. >> let's read the list here. this is the dirty dozen. aconite, bitter orange, chaparral, colloidal silver, coltsfoot, comfrey, country mallow, germanium, greater celandine, kava, lobelia and yohimbe. what jumps out at you, nancy? >> the biggest thing is you haven't heard of many of them. that's the concern. a lot of things people just look at the promises. it takes away your sniffles and causes more muscles, makes you feel better. unless you read the nuanced ingredients you might not run upon these. rely on your doctor and pharmacist for everything may be a pitfall because a lot of times physicians don't know enough about this. >> are we saying there are side effects from some of these? they're dangerous? and are they in products and supplements at a great enough level to really pose a threat? >> the answer is yes to all of those. these are side effects that are known from case reports or clinical studies, and there are serious ones -- liver failure, kidney failure, heart attacks, heart arrhythmias, strokes. yeah. >> and i think the real concern is, matt, they've never been proved to be beneficial but they may be harmful and that's where the concern is. >> remember paul, we had him on the show a couple of times, the blue man. take a look at his skin. he was a man for years who had been taking colloidal silver. nancy, don't i recall he had a pretty clean bill of health? >> he had a good checkup. i thought he was going to have liver problems. he had a good checkup except for turning blue. >> we reached out to a trade organization for their take. here is their statement. the dietary supplement industry has fought for stronger enforcement of regulation to further ensure consumer safety. 150 million americans take vitamins and other supplements each year for the health benefits they provide and overall the supplement category has a strong safety profile. we recommend consumers follow label directions, buy products from reputable companies and talk with their doctor or other health care professionals about the supplements they take. >> well, it's true. most people take vitamins and no problems but this field hasn't been fighting for more legislation but the bar is significantly lower for oversight and that is a congressional issue congress enacted legislation that allows the supplement world to work at a lower bar than the pharmaceutical world. >> if someone is waking up and looking at that container of the supplement they're taking and find the dirty dozen, what do you suggest they do? >> stop taking it. >> right off the bat? >> yes. >> anything that promises you weight gain or weight loss, stay away from it because usually those are shortcuts and they're not healthy. >> all right, ladies, thank you both. appreciate it. and the september issues of "consumer reports" is on newsstands right now. now here is meredith. matt, thank you. they are three of the hottest books around, "the girl with the tattoo." stephanie gosk has more on the international sensation. >> reporter: there's something about swedish exports. every once in a while they take the u.s. by storm. just look at what happened with abba. and now sweden does it again. 40 million copies of the books have been printed worldwide. last week in the u.s. one was sold nearly every second. american tourists are walking into stockholm, people like bernie from dallas. >> kind of just didn't want to put them down once i got going. >> reporter: this man read all three books in a week. >> first page, second page and just quick, quick, quick. >> reporter: with that kind of excitement movie directors couldn't resist. sweden has already turned the books into films. and now it's hollywood's turn. craig will play michael blumquist. >> it is the biggest star making opportunity for a young actress in perhaps as long as i can remember. >> reporter: for many of the readers we spoke to salander is the series. >> she is strong. she's smart and yet if you looked at her you wouldn't, of course, think that. >> i loved her photographic memory and intellect. she could be one thing to one group of people, a dimwit, and she was clearly brilliant. >> reporter: adding to the intrigue is the author himself. in 2004 he died suddenly just before the books were published. when larson died he was making just $30,000 a year. he had all the dreamt of buying a could the o.j. on an island. if he were alive today he could buy the island. the crime writer drew inspiration from his own world from the bucolic swedish countryside to stock holm. like most swedes, his characters drink a ton of coffee, sometimes at the same shop the author did. in that neighborhood we discovered almost everyone has a tattoo. anna has five. the plot lines were ripped straight from the day job at a left-wing pro-democracy magazine. michael eckman worked with him for it ten years. >> it's not hard to understand and believe in democracy. >> reporter: it's a political message what happened within three thrilling page turners. there could be more. larsson may have written a fourth. for "today," stephanie gosk, stock holm. and just ahead, "vanity fair's" best dressed list. >> first a look at your local news and weather. 8:26 is your time. 74 degrees. after a few nice days the heat is back. good morning, i'm eun yang. in the news for today police have now identified a jogger hit and killed by a train one week ago. 44-year-old joshua brodsky was found on the tracks near the kensington station. police were able to identify him from the information they were given in the past few days. it's not yet clear where he worked or if he had any family in the area. we'll take a quick break. weather and traffic when we come back. stay with us. good morning, everybody. i'm news 4 meteorologist chuck bell. temperatures in the mid-70s right now. high temperatures will reach the middle and upper 80s pap few spots may make 90 degrees. back to the middle and upper 90s for tomorrow and thursday with chance of thunderstorms. >> still wrapping up the accident 29 southbound lockwood drive montgomery county. jammed out of white oak. 395 northbound, very heavy from at least the pentagon now to and across the 14th street bridge. some itch, some sting but can bug bites be dangerous to your health? ♪ hey soul sister ain't that mister ♪ we're back at 8:30 on a tuesday morning, the 3rd day of august, 2010. the plaza is packed as always. we appreciate that and our crowd is starting to sway a little bit to the music which is our way of reminding you this coming friday our summer concert series in our 8:30 half hour. their music makes you feel good. we're going to be checking them out on friday morning. meanwhile, out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer along with meredith vieira, al roker and carl quintanilla who is helping us while ann is off this week. coming up, did your favorite celebrity make the list? "vanity fair" magazine out with its international best dressed people. lady gaga made the list. michelle obama made the list. and a member of the nbc news family also made the list. is it carl quintanilla? >> i actually know who it is. >> we're going to reveal that. >> it could be any one of the three of you. remember winnie cooper on "the wonder years" the girl every boy wanted? well, she grew up. she is all grown up. she's about to have a baby of her own. she is also a math genius. she has written a new book to prove that math, like her, can be sexy. and we're going to catch up with her in a moment. >> coming up, a lot of people talking about the backyard barbecues, like to do the burger. well, we have not one, not two but three -- i put up four fingers -- three, three gourmet burgers. one of them including crab meat. >> yeah. got to love the crab. >> one of them is a good old basic burger but with a little twist. >> even though it's still summer talking about barbecues, it's not too early to talk about the fall season. we're going to go through some of the hottest accessories for fall and a lot of them are less than $50 apiece. >> well, that's good. >> you come bearing good tuesday morning. i'm news 4 meteorologist chuck bell. plenty much clouds outside this morning but the radar is clear across the area for now. temperatures are in the mid-70s and on their way up. there are some showers moving into far western west virginia and a few showers also up in west virginia mountains. we'll keep an eye out for the chance for a few showers later on this afternoon. i think here in the washington area our chances for rain are fairly low but just to north and west much better chance. higher heat and humidity returns tomorrow. and you can get your weather anytime of the day or night by going to the weather channel or weather.com online. >> good, good, good. did you know "vanity fair" has its new international best dressed list? >> no. >> yes. it's coming up. >> really? >> right after this. we're back at 8:35. "vanity fair" is out with its annual list and here to reveal the winners is special correspondent for "vanity fair" and a best dressed hall of famer herself. hi, amy. nice to see you. >> good to be here. >> welcome back. 71 years this list has been out there. are there certain characteristics that help a person make the list year after year? >> the important characteristic is to be an individual not to look like everyone else and to be a style leader not a follower. >> my experience with the list when you look at it, these are people who tend to dress in sort of a timeless manner as opposed to following every single trend out there? is. >> that's correct. they set the trends. they don't follow them. >> even as i say that the first s ear.he world of fashion on t we're talking about lady gaga. why did she make the list? >> lady gaga is a newcomer this year. lady gaga has re-invented the meaning of fashion just like she's re-invented when music means. she is a brand-new phenomenon. she has turned everything into fashion and everything, a telephone, a wheelchair. >> is what we see on lady gaga as much fashion as costuming? is there a line that is blurred between the two? >> not in her case. what she's wearing is authentically who she is and what she wants to wear and she wears it in real life and on stage. so she is consistently herself. >> she is an original, there's no question. the next three ladies i'm going to group together because they share a role in this world. we're talking about first chelle obama, karla bruni sarkozy and samantha cameron. they're different in their style, aren't they? >> michelle obama has a very, very important role in fashion now. she is probably the most watched, the most imitated -- except for maybe lady gaga -- karla bruni has a sexier look she can get away with in france even in her buttoned up, lady like suits. samantha is the first visibly pregnant first lady we've ever had on the list. >> and when it comes to their style of dress, because they're first ladies, most of them err on the side of being conservative. >> yes, they err on the side of being conservative although samantha cameron has a little tattoo and karla bruni sometimes we see her in jeans with with a dwi tar. >> she has a musician side to her. kera mulligan, why did she make the list? >> she is like lady gaga, a hollywood girl who is not a cookie cutter hollywood type. she has a pixie-ish look and you can throw anything on her vintage avant-garde and she just looks adorable. young women love her. >> we saw her in the south of france. she always does look good. to the men right now. congratulations go out to one of our colleagues, brian williams has made the list i think for the third time. >> for the third time. next year he might be eligible for the hall of fame. >> what do you like about brian's style of dress? >> well, brian williams gives men every night no excuse to look bad. if you want to look good, just follow his example. he is understated. he's el grant. t he still says he likes his fireman's jacket from 1977. >> i've seen him wear that. you have to get a picture of that. that's something. by the way, you have javier bardem and you call him a diamond in the rough. why? >> he cleans up nicely. he looks good in his t-shirts and jeans but you put him in a nice italian suit and he's equally at ease. >> you mentioned that brian williams next year has a chance to get into the hall of fame. somebody you're inducting into the hall of fame in terms of fashion this year is soccer star david beckham and, you know, he's been here on the show a number of times. every time he comes the studio is filled with every female employee around here. i don't think they're looking at what he's wearing. >> i think you would look at what he wore one year. i understand he gave you the suit off his back. >> he actually came here one time and i admired a suit he was wearing. at the end of the interview he went up and changed into jeans and gave me the suit. he's a generous guy. why do you like his style so much? >> he is completely comfortable in his own skin and he knows how to look good in a soccer jersey. you put him in a nice designer suit and he is equally happy. i think he likes clothes as much as his wife does. >> which is saying something. >> yes. >> well, look, it's a great list. congratulations to all of the people who have been awarded with the best dressed label including brian williams. brian, congratulations. amy, good to have you here. >> good to be here. neighbor next year you'll be there's room for you.ed. danica mckeller, we'll catch up with her. all your old buddies why "wonder years" have any chimed in? >> he told me he was going to make a great money and never had any doubts. everyone is so nice. >> do all the cast members stay in touch? >> yeah, and it's like family that you don't necessarily talk to the whole time, you're still family. >> you were 12 years old when you got that role and you were only supposed to be in the pilot -- >> that's right. >> so you had no idea what was in store for you. what happened after the pilot they said we love you -- ok, we'd like to make her a , regular. i wasn't allowed because my mom didn't want hollywood to become our lives. >> hello. and not just your life but your sister, too. your sister crystal was cast as becky. >> yes, she was. >> who was vying for the attention of kevin along with winnie. now how did she end up alongside you. >> both auditioned for -- look at the picture. they liked her so much but the parents on that show kept us all grounded and people talk about what happens to child stars and i have to say my parents really helped. i hope to bestow that on my kids. >> it's not just child star but math wiz. you don't think of the two together. >> that's what happens is finding my identity through mathemati mathematics. something like math really teaches you to challenge your brain and that's why i write the book for girls because i want t, hey, be smart. good at math smart and savvy is your key to confidence and true happiness. that's what i found. believe me, there are plenty of pitfalls when you're a star. being a teenager is hard for anybody. and i really hope to give these girls that kind of confidence. >> let's talk about these books. this is the third one and the other two with "math doesn't suck" and "kiss my math." >> that's right. >> this is for the older kid. like ninth grade, tenth grade. >> whenever you're taking algebra which can happen in the eighth grade. it's a book that teaches algebra in a fun way that brings it into the context of things girls are thinking about like popularity and boys and shopping. math can come into all of those things. >> give me an example how you would make math relatable. >> even something as simple as compound, go to a sale and take an additional 20% off this 50% off sale. you think you're going to get 70% off, right? you're not. you're getting 60% off. and i talk about it in chapter 15. i explain how that works. >> you do make it sound sort of sexy. >> it comes into life if you look for it. and even if you don't look for it, it trains your brain like trains you to be a problem solver and that gives you confidence. >> the unfortunate thing is even today girls still feel intimidated by math and science so anything you can do to help them to feel better about it is a positive for sure. >> absolutely. >> moving on, besides that, you also made your debut in "mixim" magazine's hot 100 list. you really love the pictures. >> oh, yeah, it's great. >> prepregnancy. >> well, actually, believe it or not, i was 11 weeks pregnant when we took the picture. i was holding my stomach in like you wouldn't believe. >> why did you decide to do that? that's a risque thing to do. >> it was fun. it's part of being a role model for girls. i want to show them you can have a healthy sexual identity in your 30s and still be making smart life decisions. posing for a magazine like this does not mean that you're a ditz or anything else. women can be many, many things. i want to make sure girls don't feel limited. it's fun to be a little sexy. when they grow up, they can be as sexy as they want but be smart about it. >> smart and sexy, that is you. thank you so much, danica. best of luck with the baby. >> thank you so much. >> and the book is "hot algebra exposed." want to stick around for a burger? >> sure. hungry all the time. >> i knew you would be. [ male announcer ] need a better way to save for the things you want? meet pnc virtual wallet. it comes with a wish list, that helps you set aside money for the stuff that really matters... just put the things you want on your wish list... and contribute money when you feel like it... then, watch as you get closer to getting what you want. wish list is built to make saving a whole lot more fun. experience all the ways virtual wallet can help you save at pncvirtualwallet.com. pnc. for the achiever in us all. >> announcer: rich creamy, delicious taste your family has always known and loved. we're talking about three out of the ordinary burgers that are sure to impress people at your next barbecue. marvin woods is the executive chef at function restaurant in washington, d.c. hello, marvin. nice to to see you. >> how are you doing? >> i'm doing great. one is a basic burger that you do something different with. u like charcoal. the fire. >> yes, sir. i do use gas but ideally charcoal. >> you like the flavor? >> exactly. we have two different sides. we have a hot side and a not so hot side. so the hot side we want to start what kind of meat? >> this is sirloin. >> use the best product you can get. use sirloin and we use herbs to season it. >> this is a basic burger but you use a lot of herbs. are you ever afraid that will overpower the flavor of the beef? >> no, no. we have thyme, rose, sage. we make the herb mixture and then use a little bit inside. we don't overpower. >> you make the burger patti. >> that goes in there like that. >> you remind people that meat cooks after you take it off the grill so make sure you don't overcook it on the grill. >> and also with red meat. you want to eat red meat in moderation, once or twice a week. the other thing is you want to eat it red. so i tell people all the time, if you want to eat red meat, rare to mid rare. anything past medium it takes longer to go through your digestive system. >> is there a certain temperature? >> 120 to 125 is the internal temperature. >> take that out. you also make a special sauce. >> in the low country, which i do a lot of food out of the low country, steak is in season. some fresh figs, prunes. i try to keep it health conscious. >> i'm going to taste that. you move on to meredith. >> the low country? >> savannah, georgia. eight square miles below sea level. >> low country crab burgers. >> low country crab burgers. >> what do you think? i don't think of a burger as crab. >> that's right. but in the low country, there's a plethora of crab meat. so we use crab a lot. and as opposed to a crab cake, there's no bread crumb. >> okay. >> and the only thing we do, just a little bit on the outside, just a little bit of flour. again, it's back to the seasoning. >> tell me about the seasoning. that's the key continue greingr. >> black pepper, celery seed, a little bit of salt, sea salt or kosher. always use the best and use pure. when you use pure, i.e. kosher salt, sea salt, you use less. so that's the key. a lot of people think a lot of salt, not if you use the best stuff. we have some nutmeg in here, brown cinnamon and so, again, it's not about using too much of it. it's just about using just enough. it's about that balance. that's the life of the chef. that's balance. then we have pimento cheese. in the south pimento cheese. typically cheddar cheese and other stuff. what we did, we took some pickled jalapenos and just a little bit of cheddar cheese. >> while these continue to cook, we move on down to al. >> chef, i like this. you have a lot of spices in here, too. >> yes, sir. the trick with the lamb burger, a mango/orange/ketchup. going to give it some nice pop. what we do, we have some orange juice and onions in here. fresh mango in here. molasses. we have some honey. you can add that in if you want. and then basically this is the set it and forget it. you cook it, that's it. you cook it down. here is our end result. looks like -- >> the lamb burger here. >> look at you with the fingers. >> ah! >> we take the back of that spoon and we slather it on like that. >> why use the spoon? or you can do that. or you can do that and that's your end result. >> we also have heirloom fried green tomatoes. so you want to taste that. >> carl, what looks best to you here? >> my question was, do you flip it only once or can you flip it back and forth? >> so let's talk about the heat. when you're in the high heat, you flip it one time. you move it over to the not so high heat and that's when you finish it. you might have to flip it once or twice depending on your adjustment of the heat. >> can we do fries with any of this? >> baked fries. >> we always bring the hot heat. >> but you don't want to overcook it. that's a good point. >> marvin williams, a lot of cooking school information on our website. he is out of washington, d.c. >> thanks for having me. it is now 8:55. 75 degrees outside. what kind of a day will we have for the rest of the day. chuck will have your forecast after the news. i'm eun yang. at redskins training camp the albert haynesworth saga has reached it's sixth day. the defensive tackle did not attempt the conditioning test today and won't be allowed to practice until he passes it. he tried to take the test yesterday but stopped after he felt irritation in his left knee. he failed the test twice last week. albert haynesworth showed up at practice last week wearing a helmet but did not participate in any drills. in animagine if it were this easy to spot the good guys. you know, the guys who always do a super job. well, it is. just go to the verizon® yellow pages. and look for a business with the superguarantee® shield. you'll get the job done right, or we'll step in and help to make it right. so, protect yourself with the superguarantee® from supermedia. on its way-- the new verizon® yellow pages with larger, easier to read print. on its way-- the new verizon® yellow pages the kincaids live here. across the street, the padillas. ben and his family live here, too. ben's a re/max agent, and he's a big part of this community. there are lots of reasons why re/max agents average more sales than other agents. experience, certainly. but maybe it's also because they care about the markets they serve and the neighbors who rely on them. nobody sells more real estate than re/max. visit remax.com today. good tuesday morning. temperature in the mid-70s. highs up close to 90 degrees. mid-90s for and wednesday thursday. >> we're loaded up 395 northbound from just above the pentagon to the 4th street bridge. travel lanes are open. everybody is zig and zag through the work zone. outer loop of the beltway, delays begin close to river road. a little space to the american legion bridge. we're back now with more of "today" on this tuesday morning, the 3rd day of august, 2010. just a big thank you to the people who have stuck around all morning long. some of these folks got here at about 4:35 in the morning. i saw some of them when i came in and they've made it through what is going to be a hot and humid day here in midtown manhattan. out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales and al roker. lots to get to in this hour including the story about charlie sheen. he was -- he actually pled guilty to assaulting his wife in an episode on christmas day. apparently there was a knife used in that assault and yet charlie sheen has managed to get away without any jail time. a lot of people weighing in on that this morning. we'll be talking more about it in a couple of minutes. >> it's quite shocking when you hear the 911 call. plus later you have some strategies to help kids eat breakfa breakfast. >> joy has the s.o.s. if you have a little one or a not so little one who doesn't want to eat breakfast. not coffee, though. day in. >> the extra boost of energy. we will get the bottom line bauer herself. >> ever wonder what the yuck when it comes to what works in our bodies or not, when it comes to our health? from sharing tooth brushes with the new love in your life to the dangers of showering at the gym. all those germs. >> sharing tooth brushes? >> yeah, with your loved one. well, not to the germophobe, i guess. we'll talk about all the embarrassing questions you might have that you never want to ask your doctor, dr. roshini raj will be here. we have a lot to get to. let's head into the news desk. nbc's carl quintanilla is there while ann takes a little time off. thanks again. good morning, everybody. tragedy in louisiana today after six teenagers drowned in the red river. the teens were walking in shallow water late monday when at least one of them stepped into a hole 20 feet deep. the others tried to help but none could swim. the teen who first fell in was rescued, a witness said the kids were there with their families for a barbecue. in connecticut this morning a gunman shot seven people at a beer distribution company in manchester east of hartford. there are reports of fatalities and the suspect is confirmed dead. smoke could be seen rising from the building. today the senate begins debate on the nomination of elena kagan to replace justice e week. expected by the end ofme actor charlie sheen was sentenced monday to probation, rehab and anger management counseling after pleading guilty to assaulting his wife. nbc's miguel almaguera is in aspen, colorado, with the story. good morning. >> reporter: carl, good morning. charlie sheen arrived one day before he was supposed to start shooting his new television series for the next year. he was facing a possible trial even potential jail time but this morning he's a free man. charlie sheen played it cool after learning he wouldn't be going to jail. >> you got probation and 30 days in malibu, what are you going to do next? >> i'm going to disneyland. >> reporter: sheen pled guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge after prosecutors agreed to drop a felony charge against him. the judge sentenced sheen to three months' probation, 36 hours of anger management counseling, and 30 days in rehab. >> this is a sentence that is consistent with what happens here and i will tell you that the people here drove a very hard bargain. so there's nothing easy about this sentence. >> okay, tell me exactly what happened. >> my husband had me with a knife and i'm scared for my life and he threatened me. >> reporter: it started last christmas when sheen's wife, brooke mueller, called 911 during an argument at the couple's aspen home. according to the arrest report, mueller accused sheen of pulling out a knife and holding it to her throat. sheen denied the accusations but officers arrested him and took him into custody. if sheen was worried about his sentencing, he didn't show it, blowing kisses to reporters on his way into court and flashing a victory sign. legal experts say prosecutors may have felt their case was too weak to go to trial after sheen's wife refused to press charges. >> this may have been less a case of celebrity justice than it is a case of practicality with the prosecution realizing they have some difficulties with the case. >> reporter: sheen will do his rehab at promises treatment center located in malibu, the fictional home of sheen's kashg it ter in the hit sitcom "two and a half men." >> you are a bad, bad boy. >> and yet you're the one always getting spanked. >> reporter: the sentencing came in time for sheen to return to production on the show's eighth season. >> we employ a lot of people and reporter: at a reported $1.8 million per episode, sheen is now the highest paid actor on television. >> people still love him. he's kind of the comeback kid for that reason. his popularity does not weigh in despite what he's going through in his private life. >> reporter: sheen avoided jail time and he may not have to go to rehab since he spent 93 days in a rehab facility earlier this year. he may get credit for that. his attorney says the 44-year-old actor has been sober for months. carl? >> miguel almaguera in aspen. miguel, thanks for that. finally, decorated, used refrigerators are on display in downtown chicago to promote recycling. you might say it's also some really cool art. that is cool. five minutes past the hour. time for another check of the and a good tuesday morning. i'm news 4 meteorologist chuck bell. a cloudy sky still hangs over washington. temperatures are inching their way up. mid-to-upper to 70s. 77 in prince george's county. starting to see a couple of showers in the central west virginia mountains. more showers back across ohio. all sort of moving in our general direction. i don't think we'll have too much of a risk of a shower in washington today. further north and west you go rain chances date of birth climb. upper 80s today, mid-90s tomorrow. time for joy's diet s.o.s., answers to your nutritious questions. "today" contributor and registered die trigs and nutritionist has some tips. let's first go to skype. we have annalyse joined by her 12-year-old daughter addie i'm guessing doesn't like breakfast so much. >> no, actually. hi, joy. hi, al. she says she is not hungry for breakfast in the morning at all. in august we start thinking about back to school and i worry about sending her off to school without the sufficient energy she needs to succeed at school. she is also quite athletic and i worry about her running out of steam halfway through math class. we would love joy's suggestions for some strategies and things maddy would eat to keep her is scenario over and over again. >> and not just for kids. >> no, for adults as well. and i can appreciate that some people, they are just not breakfast eaters. and often people will even wake up in the morning and feel nauseated by the thought of food. and i hate that a breakfast battle is going to sort of slow you down in the morning and cause headaches and stress. out breakfast but on that t note, maddy, i'm going to talk to you for a minute. i want you to know we have such incredible research that shows kids your age need something in the morning, even if it's super small, to boost their energy and also to increase your brain power. we know that kids are smarter in class in the morning when they have something in their system. so how about we forget about breakfast and instead we call it maddy's morning snack. and what you're going to do is you're going to pack something small that we're going to come up with that you can take with you and you can either nibble on your walk to school or on the bus ride to school or at the very least when you get into school in the morning before classes start. >> so she should have it one to two hours after she gets up. >> yeah. does that sound like something you would do, maddy? >> yeah. >> here are some suggestions that i know have worked for other kids in the same boat as you. you can pack a back of whole grain dried cereal or make a fun trail mix with whole grain dried cereal, some dried fruit, peanuts, even a few chocolate chips if you want. you could bring a banana or an apple or some grapes. you could make a peanut butter sandwich if you don't have enough on one of those small mini bagels or the bars or the luna bars that are out there. anything goes. i would even be okay with a low-fat pudding cup or one of the natural apple sauces or a string cheese. just something. and we're not calling it breakfast. it's maddy's morning snack. >> is that something at that could work, maddy? >> yeah. >> you think so? good luck. i'm going to check back with you guys. >> sounds great. thank you. now let's go to the phones and illinois. samantha is looking for an energy boost. good morning, samantha. >> caller: good morning. honestly, i am always on the go working two jobs and always need an extra boost of energy. usually i use energy drinks to give me the extra boost. what is a great energy booster for me in the early mornings? >> okay. there are three strategies when it comes to boosting your energy and these are going to work for you. the first is you've got to get a good night's sleep. there is no amount of caffeine or any magic food that will be able to boost your energy if you are sleep deprived. so look at your schedule and get at least seven hours a night. it's not only going to help your energy. it's going to help your weight and it's going to help your overall health. the second strategy is clean up your diet. let's get rid of all the energy zapping foods. that's going to be the high-fat needs, it's going to be the fried foods like chicken and french fries, all the white stuff -- white bread, white crackers, white bayigels -- >> so refined carbs. >> the sugar. exactly right. and steady your blood sugar. steady blood sugar means prolonged energy. that means eating every four to five hours and you want to make your meals the magical combination of high-quality carbohydrates together with lean proteins. for example, in the morning you don't want a plain bagel with butter. that's all carbs and fat. instead a toasted whole grain english muffin with scrambled eg eggs. that's your good carbs and your protein. for lunch, a burger on a role with french fries. instead a ham sandwich on whole wheat bread with crunchy vegetables and so on. the caffeine will work temporarily. instead of going for energy drinks which are really expensive and a lot of times comes packaged with sugar which is counterproductive, go for either coffee or tea. tea has about 50% of the caffeine that coffee has. it's going to be more reasonably priced but, again, that's just a temporary boost. the food is going to help. >> good luck, samantha. say focused. and now we have an e-mail from emily from arizona. my friends and i have been hearing about this new hcg diet a lot of people are doing, losing a lot of weight very fest. what is the pros and cons of this diet? ce off the strict guidelines. this has been around for a while? >> it's been around since the '50s. it's gained new attention. the premise is this. there's a hormone produced by pregnant women, hcg, and for this particular diet you have to get shots of it or you take it in drop form and it's supposed to help fight fatigue and weakness -- >> but you only eat 500 calories. >> well, that's it, al. you follow a 500 calorie diet day. >> you're going to lose weight one way or the other. >> that's the pro. the pro is you're going to lose weight but the cons are significant. the evidence shows researchers have looked at this hcg, it does not help with weight loss. the second piece is 500 calories a day -- >> crazy. >> you're going to be irritable, cranky and wind up overeating and binge. my personal take, not the way to go. >> joy bauer, thanks so much. don't get yourself in a lather, we'll run down the ten things you didn't know about your shampoo. but up next, what the yuck -- tackling all those taboo health topics. [ female announcer ] moms always want to give 100%. and they can without even trying. caprisun 100% juice is a full serving of fruit and no added sugar. so your kids get 100% goodness in the pouch they love. caprisun 100% juice. i can respect that. it was a mystery to me. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia, thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and with less pain, i can do more of what matters to me. [ female announcer ] lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior or any swelling or affected breathing, or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. i found answers about fibromyalgia. then i found lyrica. ask your doctor about lyrica today. and eating well means getting enough whole grain and calcium. general mills big g is the only leading line of kid cereals with at least 8 grams of whole grain and a good source of calcium. help your kids get more of what they need, with general mills kid cereals. activia is better than ever! of what they need, hey, you guys. want to try activia's great new taste? today is your tasty lucky day! sure, why not? isn't this the yogurt that, you know... helps regulate your digestive system. ooh, i think i'll pass. no, no, no! trust me. it is beyond tasty. okay! mmm! wow! i can't believe it, i love it! mmm, this is really good! new best tasting activia ever! taste it, love it, or it's free! ♪ activia this morning on "today's health" the freaky and fabulous truth about your body from your bowels to body odor, pms to pregnancy, "today" contributor dr. roshini raj is answering all the questions you may be too embarrassed to ask your doctor all in her new book with the editors of health magazine titled "what's the yuck?" i love that. >> this book came out of an article i've been riding in "health magazine" for years we answer women's embarrassing questions and we wanted to get a title that captured that moment, you know, when you get that weird hair somewhere, you see a spot and what the heck is that? and actually lisa lombardi, the co-author, she or her husband came up with it but it it was perfect. >> it is no topic is off limits. we can't get to a lot of those questions because some of them are almost too embarrassing to talk about on morning television. we should not censure ourselves. >> they're not lady like or too embarrassing, we don't bring it up with our doctors or our doctor may trivialize them but things that are affect our health and our life. it's important to have a place to go and hopefully this will help fill the void. >> beginning with not such a yucky chapter but getting gorgeous and it may seem trivial to ask the questions but the truth is a lot of us go through so much to get beautiful. here it is. one of the questions, what's up with those uv light dryers at the salon. ster or even give you skin cancer? i wondered about that myself. >> most of us know going to a tanning salon is dangerous because of skin cancer. what many people don't realize the uv lights where you dry your nails have the same type of uv radiation which can cause skin cancer so it is actually potentially dangerous and some dermatologists are noticing an increase of skin cancer in the fingers. there probably is a link and i would recommend limiting your exposure. >> air dry. >> takes more time but it's worth it. >> to the gym. do flip-flops really protect me from catching something in the gym shower? the water pools right up onto my feet. yuck. >> we devoted -- yuck exactly. we devote add whole chapter on going to the gym because there are so many nasty things you can catch which people don't realize. probably the number one, dirtiest place is the shower stall because germs love moist places. >> oh, gross. >> they just love to breed there. if you're in the shower, definitely don't touch the walls. there really shouldn't be pools of stagnant water. your flip-flops are not going to protect you if it's covering the top of your foot. talk to the gym about them being cleaned often. if not, it's a better idea to take a shower at home. >> i'd rather run home. why does my gynecologist press down on my stomach while examining me? >> it's important to talk to your doctor about what they're doing. they want to feel for the size and shape of your uterus. they want to feel for any abnormal lumps or bumps, a mass, a cyst or a fibroid. it can be uncomfortable. if it's painful, they want to feel for that, too. >> another important point, you should be able to ask your doctor why they're examining you that way, right? >> this can be a nerve-racking or uncomfortable time for a woman. i think talking to your doctor while they're doing it relieves your anxiety. the best doctors do it without asking. this is what i'm doing. let me know if it's uncomfortable. >> always ask if you're uncomfortable. next a question in your pregnancy chapter. could the airport screening devices harm my baby? >> we're so careful when we're pregnant and even i traveling thought twice. it's actually completely safe. the level of radiation is totally safe. probably the same as background radiation. pregnant women do need to be careful in general on long plane rides. so if you are going to be on a plane ride every half hour or so get up, walk around to get your circulation going. >> real quick on new relationships, again, some of these things we can't talk about on morning television. my new guy offered me his it safe to share a toothbrush. >> i would stay away from this one. you may think -- kissing, what's the difference? well, with a toothbrush, you can cause tiny abrasions, exposing your toothbrush to blood. rinse with mouthwash and wait for your own toothbrush. >> this book is fascinating. can't put it down. dr. roshini raj, thank you so much. coming up, the best accessories for fall that are sure to fit into any wardrobe budget, everything under $50. 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[ shaniya ] daddy i want more ice cream. coming up, the hottest jewelry trends for under $50. ten things you immediate to know about shampoo. and the secret to mentoring teamwork from a super bowl winning coach. [ laughs ] this is it! [ all ] 10...9...8... a new school year has so much potential! any resolutions? my resolution is the same as always; keep her full and focused with my fiber. [ all ] 3...2...1... happy school year! [ female announcer ] this school year, make a resolution to give your kid kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal. an excellent source of fiber from 100% whole grain. that helps keep them full so they can focus on the day ahead. keeps 'em full... keeps 'em focused. activia is better than ever! keeps 'em full... hey, you guys. want to try activia's great new taste? today is your tasty lucky day! sure, why not? isn't this the yogurt that, you know... helps regulate your digestive system. ooh, i think i'll pass. no, no, no! trust me. it is beyond tasty. okay! mmm! wow! i can't believe it, i love it! mmm, this is really good! new best tasting activia ever! taste it, love it, or it's free! ♪ activia 9:26 is your time. 76 degrees. nice day outside. how long will the weather last? chuck will have some answers after news. in "news4 today" a new metro fare hike is in effect. riders will pay a 20 cent surcharge during peak of peak hours. it will cost you and 2k3r5 cents any time you buy with a paper fare card instead of using a smartrip card. peak of peak charge on morning trips will not take effect until good tuesday morning. i'm news 4 meteorologist chuck bell. cloudy start out there. temperatures are moving up into the mid-to-upper 70s at this point. on the radar a couple of showers now forming in central west virginia, so we'll put a little chance for some showers into our forecast, mainly west of washington. temperatures will hold in the mid-80s, back into 90s tomorrow. how are the roads >> still on the busy side. the outer loop of the beltway is running slowly as you come off the american legion bridge. drawing a lot of attention as it has been. inner loop looking good. i-270 southbound as you head through georgetown, gaithersburg, not bad slowing down around montrose road. the good news, no accidents. back to you. thank you. stings and itchy skin can bug bites be dangerous your cockledoodledooooo! i do 22 more inspections than the government requires. and my fresh, all-natural chickens are never given any hormones or steroids. ♪ ...and no candy, gladys. [ clucks ] [ male announcer ] perdue. extra inspections... extraordinary chicken. ♪ ♪ hey, soul sista >> i had just gotten that song out of my head and now it's back in. "hey, soul sista" one of the biggest hits of the year by train. "drops of jupiter" and "calling all angels." we're calling fans of train to come down to the plaza and hear them perform their big hits live this friday on "today." >> love them. love them. >> that's right. >> he sings it all the time. >> all of our kids love it. i'm al roker along with natalie morales and carl quintanilla. something i never have to worry about, how to have a good hair day. >> we'll show you ten things you need to know about shampoo from buying salon brands to the drugstore to home remedies like lemon and mint. we'll tell you what difference those things make. the answer could literally be at your fingertips. i woke up this morning saying, am i really doing this right? i've been watching my own hair since i was 30. >> who was doing it before? >> that was a joke. >> since 30. wow. >> okay. plus, if you want to dress up your wardrobe for fall but you don't want to spend a lot of money, some fabulous and really affordable jewelry that will complement any outfit. all right. and then we'll catch up with super bowl winning coach tony dungy. he knows how to translate his approach from the football field to life. and the importance of one-on-one mentoring. >> can't say that enough. you have a check good tuesday morning. plenty of clouds outside. no rain in the immediate metropolitan area. for the most part we'll stay dry. some showers are showing up in the west virginia mountains. already 76 in annapolis, 77 in prince george's county, 73 now in fairfax county, 75 in montgomery county, maryland. you can see on the radar a couple of showers have fired up on the western side of the appalachian mountains. steadier showers across ohio moving in our direction. i think mainly the impact for us will keeping it cloudyour lates weather. that alpaca could probably use some shampoo. >> i think that's why we brought the alpaca in. it needs a little more lathering, rinsing and repeating. we'll tell you at the point things you don't know about your alpaca. ] [ female announcer ] kids who don't eat breakfast may not be getting the nutrition they need to keep their bodies strong. a nutritious start to the day is essential. that's why carnation instant breakfast essentials supplies the nutrients of a balanced breakfast. so kids get the protein and calcium they need to help build strong muscles and healthy bones. ♪ carnation instant breakfast essentials. good nutrition from the start. winning at losing on weight watchers. i have never been this size in my adult life. so it's a special place, for me. ♪ win i'm so comfortable in my jeans. i love the progress. it makes me love myself that much more. i win. and you can too. [ female announcer ] if you join right now, you can join for a dollar. hurry, offer ends august 7th. weight watchers. because it works. ♪ hurry, offer ends august 7th. ♪ there's a land that i see, where the children are free. ♪ ♪ come with me, take my hand, and we'll live... ♪ ♪ ...in a land where the river runs free... ♪ ♪ ...in a land to a shining sea...♪ ♪ and you and me are free to be you and me... ♪ ♪ mmmmmm. mmmmmm. wow! you have got to be kidding me. 80 calories? light & fit has 80 calories versus 100 in the other leading brand. light & fit. irresistible taste. fewer calories. i love light & fit. award winning body wash. tone enriching ribbons. two separate ribbons. the white cleanses. the gold moisturizes with a touch of mineral shimmer to enhance skin's tone. olay tone enriching bodywash. for skin that shimmers. moh-ohm. -do you have your lunch? -yes. and you know where your classroom is? uh huh. mom, i can walk from here. what about your... mom, i got it. ♪ [ female announcer ] they're never too big for a little something sweet. kellogg's rice krispies treats. ♪ ♪ da da-da, da, da, da-da ♪ da-da, da, da, da ♪ da, da, da-da-da, da, da-da-da, da, da-da ♪ [ female announcer ] there's a place called hidden valley where kids not only eat their vegetables, they can't get enough. ♪ hidden valley ranch. makes vegetables delectable. discover four more ways to make vegetables delectable with farmhouse originals from hidden valley. this morning on "today's beauty" ten things you might not know about shampoos. it's not just about lather, rinse, repeat. there's more to getting the most out of your shampoo and getting your hair in the best shape possible. the editor of "women's day magazine" joins us this morning. let's start with something really symbol. with all the brand choices we have out there, how important is picking the right one for your hair? >> it's not as important as you think. the most, most important thing is you get your hair properly wet. think about being in the salon when they massage it into your hair. you want to activate your cuticles, get the oils released so it's much more important to use your fingertips, massage it in. and rinse it out. you don't want any residue left. be less concerned about the brand that you buy. you want to find the right thing for you but it's not as important as the technique. >> right. people talk about weird -- i guess you could call them weird solutions, home remedies, things you might try other than traditional shampoo. >> natural things you might have around your house. be wary. just because you see it packaged in the shampoo, lemon or minut. they can be harsh on your scalp. they are properly ph balanced. there's a solution created so you can't use those remedies on their own. >> is it possible for women to actually have the hair they see in the ads? >> like this? >> like yours. >> actually, you have to relays there are stylists just like here on the "today" show making everyone look great. those looks that you get, the bouncing hair, those are -- you use products to get that to volumize your hair but things like hot rollers and stylists are what give you that bouncy, great look. >> and then you have to swish your hair around. i'm amazed at the amount of shampoo you should use, much less than people expect. >> the most important thing, you should never use more shampoo than the size of a quarter. it's not the amount you use, it's how much -- how you lather it and how you really work it into your hair. so spend some time -- you don't need to pour half a bottle to get your hair really clean. less is more actually. >> is the lather, rinse, repeat, is that a myth from a long time ago or are they just trying to get us to use more? >> we say it's a myth. you really can get your hair clean with about a quarter size, one rinse, get it out, make sure you wash it out fully. >> what if it doesn't lather the way you expect it to? >> lather is not the most important thing. >> really? >> it's really just that amount of product, make sure your hair is really wet and get it in. a lot of times you will see additives in like expensive ingredients like olive oil or caviar listed in ingredients. be wary. those things you're going to pay more. have 1% to 5% of that product to make a difference. >> i try to put some fish eggs in my hair at least once a day. is it possible to get real salon brands at, say, a drugstore? >> absolutely. people think if you see some famous brand in a grocery store that maybe it's a lesser quality. it is not. the channels of distribution are so much greater. >> a lot of viewers might be asking, well, my hair is treated, chemically treated. do i need to look at shampoos differently? >> absolutely. especially for blonds. when you go platinum, your hair is more porous. any residues in your shower, hair spray, it can change the tone. use a clarifying shampoo weekly, once a week, to really strip it and keep that tone that you want. >> overall would you say the more money you spend, the better off you are? >> not necessarily. really it's about finding the shampoo that's right for you. a lot of people fear they become dependent on a shampoo and need to change it up. that is not true. >> to prevent buildup? >> if the particulatexture chan could be the weather. if you find the right shampoo, using the proper amount, absolutely you can use it over time. shampoo is like exercise. it can't permanently change your hair. there's no one shampoo that is the silver bullet. you want to find the right thing and stick with it just like exercise. >> five minutes in the shower tomorrow. >> and only a quarter size shampoo. you might get away with less actually. >> thank you so much. coming up next, leadership tips ny dungy.bowl winning coach activia is better than ever! hey, you guys. want to try activia's great new taste? today is your tasty lucky day! sure, why not? isn't this the yogurt that, you know... helps regulate your digestive system. ooh, i think i'll pass. no, no, no! trust me. it is beyond tasty. okay! mmm! wow! i can't believe it, i love it! mmm, this is really good! new best tasting activia ever! taste it, love it, or it's free! ♪ activia as a juicy flame-grilled cheeseburger on a delicious bun. and when you get it all at walmart's guaranteed unbeatable prices -- it somehow tastes even better. save money. live better. walmart. 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. rheumatoid arthritis going? 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[ female announcer ] ask your rheumatologist about simponi™. just one dose, once a month. hi, may i help you? yes, i hear progressive has lots of discounts on car insurance. can i get in on that? are you a safe driver? yes. discount! do you own a home? yes. discount! are you going to buy online? yes! discount! isn't getting discounts great? yes! there's no discount for agreeing with me. yeah, i got carried away. happens to me all the time. helping you save money -- now, that's progressive. call or click today. [ male announcer ] and this is our cheese. kraft singles. american cheese. only one nation could create it. and that nation is...america. ♪ kraft singles. the american cheese. but this is warm, fresh-baked strawberry toaster strudel. [ music ] see the difference? pillsbury toaster strudel, the one kids want to eat. whoa! do you know what our favorite part of shooting hoops is? 3...2...1... overtime! ♪ ♪ we're the kids in america ♪ oh, oh, oh in 2007 peyton manning and the indianapolis colts won that team's first super bowl championship in 36 years. many sports analysts credit their victory to the effective leadership style of coach tony dunni dungy. in his new book tony dungy reveals the philosophy for success on and off the football field. this book -- in your book you write in the 2007 indianapolis colts, quote, was not necessarily the most talented team you had ever coached but was the team that came together best. what kind of leadership did you feel you needed to impart to this team to get the most out of them? >> well, i really felt like it was just pulling everybody together, getting everybody going in the same direction and believing in each other. that can be done a lot of ways. my way was just to really encourage and tell the guys what we could do and that team embraced it more than anyone i had. >> and, in fact, coach chuck noll of the pittsburgh steelers, a player, assistant coach, you said his philosophy was that -- his idea of your job was to help your team be better. >> and that is really the message behind this book. i think sometimes as leaders we forget that. we think about all the things we're supposed to do, the decisions we have to make, and really the job as coach noll said, all your job is to help each player play better. >> when you talk about mentoring, most people hear that word and they think close, intimate, nurturing relationship yet leader, get the best out of your team or your people no matter what the cost. >> i think you can do both and that's another reason why we kind of structured the book this way. i think people think it's an oxymoron. i know when i got the head job at tampa bay people told me, well, you won't be able to continue to do what you've done. you can't stay as close to the players as you've been because now you're the head coach. and i said, well, why not? why not? ne that way. that it could be >> and, in fact, a lot of people have said great leaders are made not born. you disagree with that. >> i do. i think you are born with those inate qualities and you have to let them come out and let them show and don't be afraid to be yourself. you don't have to follow everybody else's footsteps. >> in fact, one of the things you learned early on from your dad wilbur who was a college biology professor, and it would seem those two professions -- your profession and his -- you wouldn't be able to transfer the skills there. >> but i really did. i used so much of what my dad taught me when i was young and one of his favorite things is my job was to help every student get an "a." to do that, you can't just teach from one syllabus and teach one way because every student may not get that. you have to find what turns the d i tried to do that when i was coaching, help each individual player. >> the tips i want to get from you, leadership. you have seven kids. i'm struggling with three. you're just two shy of a baseball team. how do you do this? >> well, my wife is a big part of it, and i think we have to work together. that's the first thing and, again, try to find out what is going to help each individual kid and all seven of them are different so you can't have one set of rules and i get that all the time. well, jordan doesn't have to do this and you don't make "j" do this. let them know we're trying to do what's best for each one of them. alyst on nbc "sunday foot l night in america." the new orleans saints, how are they looking this year? >> well, new orleans has a great team. last year was a storybook season. it is so tough to repeat, though. we went through that after our super bowl. everybody is gunning for you. you're playing all the big games. as good as they are, i don't think i can pick them to repeat. e book is "the mentor leader." thank you for being here. >> thank you, al. of course nfl season kicks off september 9th on nbc. but up next, great fall finds when it comes to accessories at 50 bucks or less. this morning on "today's style" fall jewelry finds under $50. summer days are passing by and fall is around the corner, sadly. you can make the transition an easy one. dannielle kyrillos of dailycandy is here with her picks for the season. dannielle, good morning. >> good morning, natalie. >>. >> so we're inspired. it's an easy way to change your look. >> dailycandy editors are about inexpensive fixes, keeping it stress free. what am i going to buy for fall? think about jewelry. you can try out a trend without going overboard or going broke. let's look at these under $50. >> let's start first with watches. >> a watch is important for back to school and these are fun for the whole family. is can be the one pop of f color. they're bright, punchy, fun and waterproof. it's $22. even better. throw it on. n't worry about it. hey, what time is it? time to get a new watch. >> time to get a new bracelet. bracelets are next. this is actually a kid's belt, right? >> exactly. >> you have to think outside the box. >> that's a great trick. if you look at the kids' department. this is from j. crew, you can find an inexpensive version you can transform into your adult wrist. wrap it around. $22. you have some rock star sparkle. >> what is this here? another elastic glamour? >> this remind you of a quilted chanel bag. this is from our old friend, his line for qvc.com. slide this on and it adds some polish or maybe a little rocker chic. >> a little glam. and some fabric bracelets here. tell me about this. >> this is a project that employs hiv-positive women in r rwanda. these are handblown glass beads and you can wrap these around. your necklace is sort of conveying this, too, a tribal african feeling. >> you inspired me. it was all about the accessories. >> thank you. your simple outfit is transformed. they're $40. >> i love this idea, sort of a sca scarf/necklace. >> two for the price of one. it is really big this fall. you really need banded. they have a little cowboy banded feeling. you can find them and they range in price from $36 to $48. this is just fun to use textile rather than metal. this is another version of it from sacodesign.com. >> these are interesting. >> these are a bolder way to experiment and this is really a scarf, is it a necklace? someone would attempt to make this their entire outfit. that's one you don't have to worry about. >> very liberating. earrings. what do we have here? >> these are snake skin covered and that kind of western desert feeling. so the texture -- what are you trying to do, al roker? >> he does that to us all the time. >> wherever there's jewelry, there's going to be al roker. just in time for the rings, al. this pyramid shape in the fall neutrals, do you like it? >> fantastic. >> great on al 9:56 is your time. 77 degrees. hazy, cloudy skies. what kind of a day will we have. chuck will have your forecast right after news. at redskins training camp albert haynesworth did not attempt a conditioning test. he tried to take the test yesterday but he stopped after feeling some irritation in his left knee. coach shanahan said he would allow haynesworth to practice if the coach feels he's ready despite failing the test. we shall see. how is the weather? seems like it will be a pretty nice day. >> pretty nice because we have clouds outside. keep temperatures out of the 90s for probably one final day this week before temperatures start to surge once again. currently we're in the mid-to-upper 70s in most locales, culpeper and fredericksburg are in the low 80s. a couple of sprinkles in the west virginia mountains, steadier rains across ohio. for the most part, though, just a cloudy, scattered showers west of washington with temperatures to the 70s today but 90s, they all come back tomorrow. jerry >> we had a late accident on the inside bound of roosevelt bridge. take a look traveling the beltway outer loop off the american legion bridge still very heavy and slow down towards tysons corner all volume travel lanes are open. no incidents. thank you. stings and itchy skin can bug bites be dangerous to your health? 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[ female announcer ] wisk is about to change the way you look at stains forever. discover the power of our stain spectrum technology in the new red bottle of wisk. coming august 2010. from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> it's a boozeless booze day. it's a tragic day, august 3rd. glad you're with us. we want to apologize. >> four our outfits. >> i love my outfit sxi wore this today because david meister who is the designer came to visit mer%jre3 >> one of our favorites is brian williams. >> he always looks terrific. >> he always looks put together. never -- look what we have. a variety of photos. matt's been on there a couple of times. >> i think they retire you. it happened to frank. after five times you're off. >> so matt has been on twice and brian has been on three times. >> i don't sense any rivalry there, though. >> i don't know why you didn't get best dressed. >> i can imagine why. yesterday i tried the fat freezer or something like that. i told you i'd wear it every day. >> you put froze -- >> gel packs, you freeze them and put them in your underwear. it will burn fat off. >> you have to wear daily for 30 minutes. there i am. >> you did put them on. is that vino in your hand? >> yes. while you're burning the calori calories. >> i figure it will keep the wine cold. >> how do they feel, by the way, having them on? >> here's what i think. when you take them off, if you're cold you're kind of numb and you're so happy to get that bulky thing off you feel thinner because you just get rid of all that stuff. i had to chase bambino up the yard, and so from the back frank said it looked like snooki running up the hill. >> so we're talking about pictures and funny pictures, and people keep sending them in. we love pictures of moments and whatever they are, uncomfortable or embarrassing or awkward. rich in pennsylvania, we have a picture of you and your wife says it's time to buy new undies. >> or time to get rid of rich. >> apparently -- can you go back to those. can we look one more time. that doesn't look like men's underwear to me. >> i don't know. >> maybe so torn up. all right. there was another picture that somebody took, joel from newburg, new york saw a guy. you know those potty seats you take for kids being potty trained. this guy decided to hook it to his belt loop and walk around the mall with it. >> he's a good daddy. some people suggested he might put it in a shopping bag and carried it around, but then he was doing a lot of shopping so he didn't want to do that. >> so we have hats off today. >> yes, we do. big-time hats off to al who completed a half marathon in chicago, right? >> 13-mile run. this is unbelievable. this is al when he's finished. he ran the whole way except he walked at the water stations and took a potty break. this is 13 miles. he's been working it and he's dropped so much weight. i can't believe it. if you remember the old al back in the day, he dropped from the beginning he dropped 150 pounds from his earliest -- do you remember? he had two knee surgeries, he lost all that weight, and he ran a half marathon. >> he's been training for like six months or something, right? >> i think a lot of us complain i don't to go outside today, i'm not in the mood. he walks in a good mood. i and idea are you always in a good mood every single day when you walk into 30 rock. he said because my dad drove a city bus, and i come to 30 rock every day. i can't believe how well he did, though. that's so cool. 13 miles. >> really, really proud of him. who else looks better than he does? his wife, deborah. >> deborah is a hot ticket. >> i think he should be on that best-dressed list too. he comes in all dandy. >> that's a good point. he always looks terrific. this is a cool story about this woman. this is a reason to tweet. there's a lot of reasons not to. this woman was 36 years old and riding on her bike in connecticut somewhere. >> in a rural area. >> she hit something and she knows she's hurting himself and she's scaring she breaks her neck. she falls down and reaches for the cell phone. she's trying to dial the number and doesn't have enough bars to get service. she tries to call her cousin and can't get it. winds up tweeting, help me i just fell in connecticut, farmington, i crashed. her followers -- she has a thousand of them -- started to call neighboring rescue police and wlahatnot. in minutes there were sirens coming. >> who knows what could have happened to her? >> that's interesting. sometimes you can't make the call. >> the tweeting bothering me. the narcissistic attitude about it. i just ate a plum. who gives a royal rip. but in this case god bless her, thank goodness for tweeting. >> it did work. let's check in with sarah, shall we? >> you guys were talking about guy pedicures. my brother got his first pedicure yesterday. >> and? >> he was okay. he fought it. it's like having a girlfriend if you sit with me. i'll sit and wait for you. it's not the same. i want you in the chair. >> he did it? >> he did it. his toes look amazing. he buffed it. >> man buffing. >> i want to remind everyone, keep sending us pictures that make you go what. that was for you, hoda. >> up next twosh stars bound toe in your neighborhood next week. that's right after this. do your lashes want volume or length? how about both? introducing covergirl lashblast fusion. a mascara for lashes that want it all. all at once. our biggest brush meets our fiberstretch formula to bring you a blast of volume and length. now audaciously long meets dramatically full and fat. yeah, your lashes can be all that. new lashblast fusion. from easy, breezy, beautiful covergirl. 100% natural nuts and granola in bite sized clusters. it's a little bit of nature... a little bit better. and nature approves. granola nut clusters from nature valley. and nature approves. it's tough to get enough servings of vegetables every day if you don't always like the taste of them. good thing v8 v-fusion juice gives you a serving of vegetables hidden by a serving of fruit. v8. what's your number? 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( crunch ) with the endless possibilities of kellogg's® pop-tarts, it's sure to be a picture perfect summer. pop-tarts®. made for fun. scott pilgrim versus the world is described as the first comic book movie that rocks. >> it pits a 22-year-old indie rocker against a fleet of girlfriends. jason schwartzman plays one of the exes. the seventh and final of them all. >> there you are. >> his younger sister. welcome to you both. this is kind of funky. it's comic bookish and like a real movie. describe it to folks. >> well, anna, i don't want to cut you off ever. >> i was going to say it's actually been frustrating by kind of a pleasure to know that it's impossible to describe to your friends and family, you know. that's a good problem to have, because it's so unique and people see what i'm talking about. you can't just say it's like this movie. >> a different genre. >> i thought when this movie comes out on video, which that's old-fashioned term i guess, dvd now, i feel like you'd find if in the comedy section, the action section, the romance section, the classics section. i think there's something for everyone, and it really is -- it's an old-fashioned kind of swashbuckling adventure story where this guy has to fight these seven ex-evil boyfriends for the love of his life. >> you had to train for these fight scenes, didn't you? >> i did train. >> how hard did you train? >> i trained really hard. i did a lot of -- all of the ex-boyfriends -- there i am fighting. oh, my gosh. look at it. we did sit-ups and pushups and medicine ball work. overall conditioning training, and each evil ex-boyfriend, they have a certain style in which i fight. my style is sword fighting. >> you take them all on? >> yes. i got to learn how to fight with an actual sword. >> they're heavy. >> they're heavy. it's hard to fight michael, he's so sweet and incredible. you don't want to attack him. >> you had a good time? >> i loved it. >> you had to just be snarky and disapproving younger sister. i'm playing myself. i'm so lazy in this movie. this is the relationship i have with my older brother. i just showed up. it was like breathing. >> this child showed up on broadway and was tony nominated when she was 10 years old and nominated with george clooney who you have a crush on. >> take it easy. >> you guys think he's handsome. >> it's more than just handsome. it's his style. >> explain it to me. what is it? >> it's the personality, too. he's funny and he's smart and that's sexy. besides you in tights. >> is this movie for young kids or grownups? >> i think it's for everybody. honestly, i think young people will love it because it is very modern, it has a lot of video game tech kind of stuff. but i also think it's for adults, for anybody -- my mike just fell off, but i don't care. i think it's for adults, too, who want to see a great, fun adventure movie. i think it's about having fun, this movie. it truly is very unique. there is nothing like this movie. i've never seen anything tlilik it. >> pound for pound every line and every shot is so funny. you would have to be dead to not join this movie. >> i get it. you want to see "inception," whatever, this movie you have to see something beautiful and amazing. it's unique. >> jason, we believe you. >> thanks so much. >> you guys are amazing. i'm so honored to be here. up next, a story that will steal your heart. i would be your grandmother and warm your stoul and maybe help you find your calling right after this. fiber one chewy bar. how'd you do that? do what? you made it taste like chocolate. it has 35% of your daily value of fiber. tasty fiber, that's a good one! ok, umm...read her mind. 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[ female announcer ] this school year, make a resolution to give your kid kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal. an excellent source of fiber from 100% whole grain. that helps keep them full so they can focus on the day ahead. keeps 'em full... keeps 'em focused. although summer camp often brings imaging of swimming and canoeing, sometimes the reasons run a lot deeper. >> sarah haynes picked up her bags and headed to xhont zone camp. place for children that lost a loved one. happy place, sad place, a little of both? >> it's a wonderful place. comfort zone camp is the large camp of its kind in this country specifically designed for grieving children. i saw why kids continue to come back here year after year. like the first day of school, kids arrive with mom or dad nervous and unsure. a lone parent looking for comfort for their kids, they take the long and loney walk to healing. a summer camp designed for a child who lost a parent or loved one. >> one out of every 7 kids will lose a parent or sibling before the age of 20, and yet nobody talks about it and they grieve in isolation. >> according to lynn hughes who lost both parents by the age of 13, it's designed to catch kids at the beginning of the grief journey. >> there were no resources, and we got ate lot of not acting like it happened to you. so combining that need of resources comfort zone camp was born. >> comfort zone camp, a nonprofit bereavement camp held in five states with ages of 7 to 17. this camp is not what you expect, though. >> here they an anchor menthor they go everywhere together. >> the ank ors are called big buddies, and the bonding happening quickly. typically many have lost a parent or loved one, like christa who lost her father to cancer. >> i go to my dad's side of the bed, and it looks like he's sleeping and i grab his hand and i give it a squeeze a little, and he takes his last breath and passes way. >> saturday morning brings the sun and waking up and knowing that you are not alone. >> ready! >> ready to fall, whether or not! >> this is designed specifically to create trust. you have three days to get these kids to open up. how do you get them so far too fast? >> kids grieve in short bursts so they don't stick with it for a long time. it's not how they grieve. you do an hour and a half of talking time and back it up with a three-hour chunk of fun. >> the talking is called healing circles where kids tell their story and know that nvrnt roeve the room will understand. >> my dad put it in my memory box of him. it makes me so happy. >> these are the four siblings that lost both of their parents, and they shared with me their family photos and their memories. are there moments where you just get really, really sad about it? >> yeah. he used to work on cars and stuff so we could have a vehicle. he liked cars like that coming down the road and stuff and i see people that look like him. it makes me feel sad that he's gone. >> saturday night brings sa mothers, karoke and place for a child to say good-bye with a message into a campfire. 58 kids reflect about the weekend. >> if she had one more day with her dad, she would take him to a basketball game. >> a place that offers a friend who you can talk to or not say anything at all. and a final thought or message released to the skies. >> every time you tell your story you heal and every time you hear somebody else's story you heal. i see these kids change in front of my eyes, and to make just even one child's brief journey easier than mine makes it worthwhile, and i see that tenfold. >> nathere's a website called hellogrief.com. there's a huge community there. >> that was the best story ever. that was the best story ever. >> you see them out there, and they're waving. the neat thing sewer inspired when you leave. it was a chance for these kids to brag about their parents. >> it's kind of cool it all happens in one weekend out of your life. wow. >> they keep coming back? >> light have been there since the first year when they came grieving and now they're big buddies. >> that's so great. >> still to come, another kind of get-away. >> after your local news and weather. that was beautiful. that was beautiful. why do women like you love activia light? sometimes i have no choice but to eat on the run and to eat whatever happens to be around. heavy greasy food that's hard on my diet and my digestive system. so i eat activia light every day. activia light, with bifidus regularis, helps regulate your digestive system in two weeks. mmmm. activia light is not light on taste! and with only 70 calories activia light helps make it easier to watch my weight. it helps me feel good and look good too! ♪ activia ...into a free year's supply? be one of thousands to win free honey nut cheerios for an entire year... its great taste helps make lowering cholesterol a non-challenge. just see specially marked boxes for details. whoa! do you know what our favorite part of shooting hoops is? 3...2...1... overtime! ♪ ♪ we're the kids in america ♪ oh, oh, oh more bad news on the housing market just released this morning. coming up on midday what's keeping buyers from signing on the dotted line. good morning i'm barbara harrison. also coming up what's biting you and can it be dangerous. we sit down with an expert to talk about the dangers of some of our area's we're back on this booze day with today's travel and quick get aways from major cities across the country. >> from new york to chicago to l.a., the folks at travel and leisure round up a bunch of destinations that offer a retreat from the hustle and bustle of major cities. laura is the deputy editor of travel and leisure. good to see you. >> hi. >> we were talking about coming from the northern michigan where it's so beautiful. >> yes. i'm going there in a few weeks. great weekend get away. >> people are interested to head to the west coast, l.a., san diego. you have a nice spot for them out there. >> there's a wonderful hotel called labarge del mar. this is like nantucket. it's got the beautiful vibe of nantucket but with california cool mixed in. gorgeous views of the pacific, and there's so much to do in the area. you can go hot air ballooning and go to torrey pines beach nearby and go swimming. >> is it pricey? >> it's $350 a night, but there's a great deal if you're from san diego. they knock $100 off of the rate. >> look at that. >> oh, i love that. let's go back to that. all right. so next stop on the train is chicago. there's wine country around there. >> there is wine country in michigan. this is further away from the area that you just were. the michigan wine country is has a wonderful hotel called the marina grand resort. it's right on lake michigan. they have beautiful views of the lake. you can go on the roof and have cocktails, and then when you're done with that, go out and do wine tasting in the area. >> the water there is unbelievable. >> sparkly clean. >> some of the best boating in the world. >> it's one of the hidden secrets. a lot of people don't think of going to resort areas on lake michigan when they're from the coast. >> are they pricey or reasonable? >> it depends where you go. there are deals to be had. one great tip is right now the rates are higher at hotels because it's august, peak season. in a few weeks the rates plum net into the fall. >> what about texas? >> texas. texas hill country, and the horseshoe bay resort is a 7,000-square foot resort right on the shores of lake lbj. this is a great place for families. they've got rubber ducky contests, they've got a fire pit where they serve smores. hula-hoop contests for the kids. lots of fun. and you've got a pool, tennis, anything that you can imagine. >> so you just stay on the grounds there. is there anything to do outside of that? >> there are water sports on the lake, there's so much to do in the area. >> great. >> also couples might like it tooshgs. there's there's so much to offer. >> in miami, what do you sflik. >> there's a secret hidden town called del ray village. they call this the village by the sea. it's a wonderful village. great shopping and restaurants, bars. there's a hotel there called the sea gate hotel and spa that's running a deal rilt now for $159 a night. really good. that goes through september 30th. the hotel is fantastic because it's located right in the town, so you can walk out and experience everything. they've also got a beach club. if up to hang out at the beach and use the pool, there's that option. >> what's the town like? >> superfun, great nightlife scene and shopping. an amazing vintage shop. >> you know what i adore down in the keys? little palm island. >> oh, my god. >> we're from palm island. >> south of the keys. that's a couple of hours. >> 30 minutes north of key west. >> what's so great about it? >> everything. it's like going to ralph lauren's house. >> what? >> it's so gorgeous. >> take us to the northeast. what's happening there? >> the northeast? we have a great get-away in southern vermont in the green mountains in vermont. this is all about relaxation. it's about 4 1/2 hours from new york, 3 hours from boston. the wyndham hill resort is a fantastic place to do absolutely nothing. they've got a barn with some rooms in the barn and they have antiques in all of the rooms. they have a package that you can sign up for where they throw in a four-course dinner and breakfast every day and a picnic lunch and a tour of their organic garden. >> that's beautiful. >> beautiful for a little boating rides, going hiking in the mountains. fantastic get-away. >> i think laura begley bloom has one of the best jobs in all of the world. you get to go to all these places. it's part of the job. >> and talk about it on tv. >> great to see you. thank you so much. >> thank you, thank you. up next getting hydrated and the truth about all those crazy water drinks. that's after this. o...um...thank you. excuse me... this is yours... thank you! you're welcome. with chase freedom you can get a total of 5% cash back in your pocket. fun money from freedom. this is yours! thank you! what? 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[ male announcer ] to keep doing what you love, keep your heart healthy. cheerios can help. the whole grain oats can help lower cholesterol. it's simple; love your heart so you can do what you love. and this one i'm taking to the house. the ice cream man is here! breyers all natural grasshopper pie. walmart's the only place you can get it. they love it when i take my work home with me. [ shaniya ] daddy i want more ice cream. guys remember, they love it when i take we're a solar system.. mars is down...and... um, it's only 10am. who hasn't had their jimmy dean breakfast this morning? mmmm! now lets orbit i feel awesome. you're all awesome. jimmy dean breakfast sandwiches, fight the morning fade. [ female announcer ] now get baby-smooth perfection with new dream smooth mousse from maybelline new york. some makeups leave skin rough, dry. ours is cream whipped, so it hydrates. skin looks flawless, baby-smooth. new dream smooth only from maybelline. or 100 calories? with yoplait delights, now you can finally have both. two indulgently rich layers of chocolate and raspberry yogurt... and only 100 calories. their brains are 75% water. their muscles are 73% water. their lungs are 80% water. want to grow a healthier, happier family? water daily. embrace the pure life. nestle pure life. ♪ finding something healthy used to be as simple as turning on the faucet, now you can buy water enhanced with all kinds of things. >> if you're drowning in confusion, amy brightfield, health director of "women's day" magazine put it to the test on everything h20. it's a quiz game. first question, true or false. drinking coffee or any caffeinated beverage will dehydrate you? >> true. >> you're both wrong. actually, new research shows that caffeine does not have the drastic effect that they once thought. of course, if you drink a ton of it and you don't drink anything else, it can give you a headache. >> people always tell you that. >> it can make you feel anxious, but there's water in coffee, there's water in tea. so you're drinking -- it basically causes the same -- >> i believe you, amy. >> you thought it would dehydrate you. >> true or false, you don't need to drink eight glasses of water a day. >> true, you don't. i knew that was a myth. >> that was just recently. it's not actually true. >> they say your water needs to straer from day to day depending on the weather and my favorite if you want fon your dehydrated check your urine basically. there's that word again. so basically if you need water, your urine will be too dark. >> can it be too clear. that's an issue. >> you're drinking too much. your -- you don't want to drink too much. your kidneys can only process so much water. >> okay. we're ready. >> true or false. drinking water will help suppress your appetite. >> it's false. it helps you feel fuller and high-volume foods help you fill fuller, foods like fruits and vegetables because you feel like you're eating a lot because the water takes up more space. >> if i drink two glasses of water while i eat, i drink water when waiting for the meal, i feel more full. >> it fills you up. >> hoda, put it away. >> let's go to the next one. >> next one. cold water can speed up your metabolism. >> true. >> no. >> false. >> what did you say to us last time about the water? >> it's negligible. >> let's do the next one. >> that's it. now we're going over to the drinks. >> they're keeping score sort of. >> you actually need to drink. >> can we still do these? >> you don't need those anymore. you're like do i drink a diet soda or a seltzer. which do you think? >> which has fewer calories? >> i would go for the seltzer. >> i don't know the question. >> diet soda or seltzer. >> what's better? >> actually, it's because the diet soda has artificial sweetener in it, and studies show it can hamper appetite regulation. don't drink artificially. next one, which one would you choose, the juice or the milk? >> i can't drink milk, so i'd choose juice. >> it's a tie. each have their own great benefits. the juice is a good way to get vitamins and minerals and make sure it's 100% juice. a lot of them have sugar and stuff in them. milk is a great source of protein and vitamin d and calcium, so to mix it up, maybe have some mix with breakfast and have a glass of juice. >> put a little juice in your milk. >> which would you drink? sports drink or an energy drink? >> sports drink. >> i don't know the difference, but i'll say sports drink. >> the sports drink is better if you're working out or exercises for a long time like an hour and more. if you're power walking for 30 minutes, don't have the sports drink, have water. the energy drink makes you feel hyped up. skip it. vitamin water or regular water? >> regular. i don't like vitamin water. >> regular water is better because the vitamin water you actually -- your body will absorb the vitamins, but it costs so much more than taking a multivitam multivitamin. >> what about doing the both? >> you have to watch the calories. >> i don't give a rip. you know what i drink, and it ain't on this table. i can't wait for this whole segment to be over. >> put a little seltzer in it. >> that's what i've been doing. i don't like it. >> who won, joanne? >> it was a wash. >> now we're going to head to the kitchen for an italian meal with twins, italian twins. it's exciting. [ announcer ] how do you plus up breakfast? introducing total plus omega-3 honey almond flax cereal. all the nutrition of total, plus 10% daily value omega-3 ala, and a delicious honey almond crunch. new total plus omega-3. ♪ [ female announcer ] nutri-grain -- one good decision... ♪ ...can lead to another. ♪ ♪ ...made with real fruit and now with more of the whole grains your body needs. nutri-grain can help you eat better all day. but even in your 30s bones begin to change calcium and vitamin d help keep your bones strong. yoplait has calcium and vitamin d in every cup. keep your bones strong, with yoplait. time for today's kitchen, and we're getting saucy with identical twins. they're the co-executive chefs at quatro in manhattan and miami. >> nikolay remains in miami. they still cook together. they use the same ingredients to make two completely different meals. hello, boys. >> very nice to see you. >> your mother is with us, which we love. she's here, too. >> were they good boys growing up? >> so so. >> nick, i'll start with you. >> we use ingredients that we like tomato, ricotta, extra virgin olive oil and basil and salt. we're going to make a cold soup with or regular notice and we have the special bread from italy to taste. >> are you going to make it? >> look at that. >> we have a nice sauce here. we need to add extra virgin olive oil to the bolt both tom. cover the bottom. we have onions. >> i like that sound. thank you. >> you're welcome. >> here we have our tomato, and we just -- >> any particular kind of tomatoes. >> i use this kind of tomato. it's easy to find. >> but hard to say. okay. so we put those in? >> we put all of them in. >> it smells so good. >> the good thing is you let them cook for two hours, okay? >> oh. okay. >> put those babies in there. >> we'll get to us in a minute. >> watch out for her. >> all right. >> so for two hours. >> two hours. zo don't let it burn, though. tomatoes can burn. >> when our sauce is ready we just put everything in our blender, and now we add our ingredients. >> we have basil. >> they're going to change color. and then -- can you pass me the salt? >> yes. >> thank you. >> are we going to have enough time for nikoli. >> he said he always takes more time. >> more oil? >> more oil. >> chop, chop. >> it is done. >> okay. >> it's soup, and it's done. >> all right. while that's happening let's take a taste, and don't worry, we have time for you. don't you worry. it's only a little. thank you. >> good? >> oh, very good. come on back, kids. >> so what are we making back here? >> oh, my gosh. that's delicious. >> what are you making, honey? >> we prepare with the same ingredients. we have tomato and ricotta, and we change the base and use a pasta. to make it more ala dente. >> high gluten. >> we need nice containers like a bowl like this, which we use the tomatoes. this one is more flavorful. we add the salt, pepper, touch of olive oil. >> salt and pepper? >> yes, please. not so much. >> just a little. >> do you guys fight, argue? >> did you ever fight over the same woman? >> what was her name? >> i don't remember. >> more than one. >> more than one. did they, mama? they fought over women. yes, they did. >> you make the pasta el dente. we actually use some water. and then we drop some pasta. >> perfect. >> i want the rest of that tomato soup. >> so we mix the ricotta and ingredients. >> a little bit, please. >> why is there no wine in this? why is there no wine served with this? >> we try to stay away from wine. >> really? >> thank you so much as we taste this very much. we'll be back with more of "today" on nbc. for those of you who don't know who joanne lamarca is, get over here. this is joanne. turn around. >> she is adorable. >> she's here. she's the biggest cher fan in the entire world. >> it's almost embarrassing. >> what's up? >> we got a huge response to the comfort zone camp. hello? but we got a lot of people talking about it. it started a lot of conversations. people can go to our website to find out more or their website hellogrief.com. >> it's only in five states. it should be everywhere. >> thank you, sarah. >> big show tomorrow. marcia gay harden. >> big show tomorrow. marcia gay harden. have a great day, everybody. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com