Transcripts For WRC Today 20100829

welcome to "today" on a sunday. i'm lester holt. >> i'm jenna wolf. >> i road the storm out in louisiana, but then we got word that it looked like new orleans had been spared. then we went to mississippi where there was just flattened community after community. then, of course, within a day we heard that levees had been breached and another tragedy unfolded. in new orleans on the gulf coast people were remembering what was lost and where they were five years ago. we're going to devote a good deal of our first half hour to katrina and its tbing impact. i saw that impact when i spent some time in the gulf this past week both in louisiana and mississippi. catching up with some of the people i met five years ago and getting a firsthand look at how the region is doing. we're also going to talk with brian williams this morning. five years ago he road out the storm in the super goem dome and stayed on to bring us so many stories from new orleans. later today he has an exclusive interview with president obama who is making his way down to the city this morning.ç plus, there's big current storms we're watching in the atlantic causing a fair amount of concern because they've led to dangerous and potentially deadly riptides all along the east coast. hundreds of people have been rescued, and we're carefully watching the track of those storms. we'll get the latest coming up. also this morning an update on a riveting story we've been following this weekend. spectacular new images of the titanic that may shed more light on the sinking of the grand oceanliner way back in 1912. there is our own kerry sander on a research vessel mapping the entire debris field. we're going to check in with him with a live update. first, when katrina ravaged new orleans, it forever changed the lives much the people there and along the gulf coast. so many lost so much. is life getting back to normal for the survivors? >> reporter: it was a big storm, but it was a little voice that reminded us it didn't have to be this bad. >> we just need some help out here. it is so pitiful. >> reporter: charles evans and thousands of others trapped at the super dome gave voice to the man maid disaster born of katrina. >> katrina just seemed like a scary movie to me that i would never want to watch again. >> reporter: the opening scene is the day before katrina hits. >> the speed of the storm has increased. >> reporter: ray nagin orders a mandatory evacuation. >> this is a threat we've never faced before. >> reporter: most left, but many wouldn't or couldn't. the super dome, they were told, was a shelter of last resort. early monday katrina strikes a heavy blow to the louisiana coast as a category four storm, but the eye just misses new orleans. the big easy is hurting, but still standing. the next act, however, was already beginning. >> we're hearing of flooding of six to eight foot waters in eastern new orleans near the perish line of orleans and st. bernard. >> reporter: now its making its final landfall. a storm surge of 25 fight wipes structures from their footings. joe was running the command center in gulfport. >> the call takers and the 911 kail call takers of i'm on my roof, i'm with my daughter, and water is coming across the roof. what am i going to do? >> the wreckage of a floating casino that was out at sea. >> reporter: i delivered that report from wright right about here. not only had the storm surge rearranged buildings as it swept across the entire port area. there were tractor trailors barges here right at the foot of downtown gulfport. >> one of the leavees has broken and given way. >> reporter: back in new orleans things were about to get a whole lot worse. reports of breaches in the levee system. cut off, residents retreat to roof tops in the lower ninth ward to escape the waters, begging for help. today many are still unaccounted for. >> right over here in 2008, 2008, they found a young boy's body. >> reporter: in here? >> right over here. >> reporter: three years after katrina? >> yeah. with his backpack on his back. >> reporter: in the end there was no safe refuge. not even the superdome. sfoo get us out of here. we want to get out of here where are. >> we need help, sir. we really need help. >> reporter: some wondered if new orleans itself was dying. it didn't, and today signs of recovery abound, but leave it to that little boy from the convention center, now 14, to tell you how he sees it. >> i just wish that things would kind of be back to normal and new orleans is not back to normal. you know, a lot of people may think that it is, but it's not. >> brian williams is in new orleans this morning where he is hosting "meet the press" on this fifth anniversary of katrina. brian, good morning to you. >> good morning, lester. >> you know, i think back, brian, it was the day before that you and i and a team of producers and technicians stepped off the plane in baton rouge and we split off in different directions. i don't think any of us comprehended what was about to happen. >> boy, have i thought about that airplane flight so many times, and not to be mellodramatic, but it was so dire. this storm was so big that as we all split up, i kind of wondered, well, what's going to happen to this person, my colleague, my friend? what's going to happen to them? we went our separate ways. we had no idea what was going to hit us, and more than that, we had no idea that this area was just going to fall apart here in new orleans. 80% covered by water. that delayed reaction took a while to happen. lawlessness, absolute chaos, anarchy in the streets, and the national conversation we were supposed to have in all those years since. >> well, a lot of the conversation followed with a lot of promise bz rebuilding new orleans, but we watched as the water so slowly receded. so much damage. many people wondered whether the city could ever live again, and now you have made several trips there five years later. give me your assessment of how new orleans is doing. >> well, you know, you have been here, too, and it'sç a tough question, because the part of new orleans most americans will see and the convention business and the business of new orleans is back up and running more than that. it's very robust. there's more restaurants today than there were pre-katrina, which is a statistic they are very proud of. it's just that when you drive, when you get in a car and go to some of the places that were hard hit, the recovery is not as cross-cut through society of new orleans. you can still see way too many of those fema markings on homes. you can still see way too many vacant lots. it will take time, but if anything, in the last year we've seen the federal money open up a bit more. the delayed reaction, the machinery of government has kind of opened up, so i think optimism is returning, and i think most accounts of today, looking back for the anniversary, are optimistic in tone. >> we noted the president is going to be there to mark this anniversary. you'll be speaking to him later today. he obviously was not the president when katrina struck, but he has been the president during the gulf oil crisis and the man who ordered the shutdown of the off shore oil business there. how will he be received? >> well, i think the president will be received well. it's not -- not a time when they worship politicians down here. i talked to a local journalist known to both you and me, and i said what would you ask the president if you were me in this local new orleans veteran journalist said ask him why he has never spent the night in our city. there's a little -- there's a little sensitivity here. again, i read another article by a local columnist saying there's nothing any politician can tell us. we're trying to recover on our own. we got a couple of months worth of oil in the water to our south. not affecting morals proper except for the hit businesses took. we'll talk about all that with the president. >> well, and let's talk closer to "meet the press" broadcast you're hosting from new orleans today. who do you have on? >> well, we have both landriues. senator and mayor landriue, part of that dynasty. we have wendell pierce, who folks saw recently as a star of the hbo series "treme." we have our interview with brad pitt. part of the make it right foundation. he is building homes and really one by one rebuilding the lower ninth ward. guardian ad litemon robinette, the voice of radio, the big 870 and historian and author doug brinkley who wrote really the definitive book on katrina called "the great deluge." it's a heck of a read for those who want to look at how it happened, what happened here, and why. >> we're going to look forward to the broadcast. brian williams, thanks very much. >> thanks, lester. >> we're employing to look for brooirn's exclusive interview with president obama coming up tonight on nbc "nightly news." now here's jenna. thank you. switching gears, we're talking about weather. dangerous rip currents continue to be a big problem along the east coast. now experiencing effects of hurricane danielle. mike sidel is in rehoboth beach, florida, for us. >> another day of dangerous rip currents caused by danielle hundreds of miles away. nearby ocean city, maryland, 250 rescues, and, unfortunately, last night after dark four went into the water there. one did not make it out alive. already a drowning due to these rip currents. expect more today. there's your forecast, again, from longç island down to florida. heed the lifeguard warnings and don't swim on an unguarded beach. a look at the three storms. danielle causing the rip currents heading rapidly away from bermuda racing into the north atlantic. no more concerns with that. earl is on its heels, and we just got late word that earl in a 70-mile-per-hour tropical storm just below hurricane status. it's speeding west and will become a hurricane today, and behind earl there's our next potential tropical depression. hurricane warnings up for the leeward islands as earl comes by today. watches up for puerto rico and the u.s. virgin islands, and a quick look at earl's track. it's going to be somewhere off the mid-atlantic coast by midweek, but that track is not etched in stone. we'll be watching that closely on the weather channel and, of course, on nbc. back to you. >> one after another. we'll have to watch that. thank you. in other news god and country were the main themes in washington on saturday as a huge crowd of supporters came to hear talk show host glenn beck and other conservatives share their vision for america. nbc's tom costello reports on the gathering and a counter rally on a special day in history. >> america! >> reporter: on the steps of the lincoln normal glenn beck's memorial had the look and feel of a christian revival. >> america today begins to turn back to god. >> let the church say amen. >> amen. >> reporter: albeit with a heavy dose of beck-style patriotism. >> this day is a day that we can start the hearts of america again, and it has nothing to do with politics. it has everything to do with god. >> reporter: thousands came to hear the message, and true to his word, beck steered clear of politics. even convincing sarah palin to do the same. >> i've been asked to speak as the mother of a soldier. >> reporter: instead, they honor the man who made history on this very spot 47 years ago. >> have i a dream. >> i can relate to martin luther king probably the most because we haven't carved him in marble yet. he is still a man. >> reporter: beck stirred controversy by picking this day and place he is on the record calling president obama a racist and labelling democrats marksist, socialist, communists and pinheads. holding theirç own, much small march and rally civil rights activists were defiant. >> they want to disgrace this day, and we're not giving them this day. this is our day, and we ain't giving it away. >> reporter: much of beck's crowd was made up of tea party supporters. victoria came from new york. >> i believe in our constitution, and this administration doesn't. >> reporter: bill maxwell from rhode island. >> we come here because we're really concerned about the welfare of our nation, the future of our nation. >> reporter: analyst hz warned this rally could carry a risk for republicans. >> the republican party needs conservatives, needs the tea party activists, but the republican party does not want to be defined by tea partiers or glen beck. >> reporter: in the end beck, the performer, had the crowd in his hand. for "today" tom costello, nbc news, washington. it's 14 minutes past the hour. let's head over to the news desk where msnbc's willy geist has the headlines. good morning, everyone. we begin in afghanistan where two more u.s. soldiers were killed today bringing the weekend's total to seven american deaths. four servicemen died in bombings in the south, while the others were killed in fighting in the east. that makes 42 soldiers killed this month in afghanistan. you'll remember that will july was the deadliest month of the afghan war for u.s. troops with 66 killed. floodwaters continue to inundate southern pakistan. breached levees and swollen river has the water as high as 10 feet in some villages. officials are trying to deliver relief supplies by boat. the pakistani government now estimates that more than eight million people are in desperate need of emergency assistance because of the floods. back here at home more than 8,000 pounds of ground beef are being recalled because of several e. coli illnesses in maine and new york. the hamburgers were sold at bj's wholesale club and bare the usda establishment number 9400. federal officials are concerned the burgers could still be in people's freezers. again, the usda, a number you see it there, 9400. and, finally, the flying family of daredevils is still at it. the great grandson of the legendary founder set out yesterday to break a record by riding a bicycle at the two hotel towers in the bahamas. he made is successfully across at 250 feet above the ground, and he did it without a safety net. then just for laughing, he walked 2,000 feet across a high wire over the resort's open air tank that houses sharks, barracudas, and piranha. he says he wants to be the first person ever to walk across the grand canyon. that's the news now. back to lester, jenna, and scott. the grand canyon looks scary enough to me from the observation deck. >> you stick a barracuda under there, and then see what good morning. i'm meteorologist kim martucci. our weather is a keeper. 72 right now downtown. no clouds on this satellite loop. instead, wall-to-wall sunshine. 58 by noon. 91 at 3:00. # 9 by 6:00. now we'll send you back to new york city. >> scott, thanks. 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. ♪ as we continue our coverage of hurricane katrina five years later, we want to take a look back at one of the most compelling series of images we put on the air at the height of the crisis in new orleans. it was shot by tony, a veteran nbc news photojournalist. a man named duane jones came up to tony on the street and demanded he grab his camera and come see what was happening at the convention center. what tony recorded that day horrified us all and haunts him to this day. >> there were just thousands of people on both sides of the road, in the middle of the road. i thought i entered the twilight zone. it was something that i have never ever seen in my life. especially in the united states. >> this is not -- rich people, poor people. it's about people. nobody wants to hurt anybody in the city. >> i just saw people like me laying there, starving, dying. yelling. >> we need help. >> i got to separate from this. i got to back up. then i went into this mode where i just had to document how bad it was because i didn't think anybody was going to believe me. >> they haven't eaten. they haven't had no water. they haven't taken a bath. how are we going to survive out here? >> we need help, sir. >> reporter: you became a pretty able ambassador for these people and their suffering. >> you know, a lot hasn't been said about the video that i shot there. if it wasn't for duane jones, i would have never discovered what had happened in the convention center. duane jones to me is the silent hero of the convention center. >> this is wrong, america. this is wrong, man. >> reporter: he was like the ambassador. this guy was in charge of all these people. >> reporter: do you think that your tape actively brought in help? >> i don't know. i do feel that the convention center was a breaking point of the lack of help that was in that city. >> they airdrop water, food to people. why can't they do that to their own people in new orleans? >> this is disgusting. i mean, we might as well just lay down and die. >> reporter: the amount of people that gathered peacefully in one place to wait for help for four days without ever ever showing any violence. >> help, help, help! >> they believed in some system that never came to help them. it was one of those sights that you'll take to your grave. you'll never forget that. >> it still shakes me to watch that video. tony was telling me -- he reminded me that even before he had seen the scene there, he actually left the downtown area to get supplies, came back, saw a convoy of national guard troops of supplies, and they were told you can't go in. it's too dangerous. he was, like, it's not dangerous. >> it's so hard to believe. that was happening in our country. you can almost understand it happening elsewhere in third world countries, but that was happening right here in auerbach yard, and we couldn't get help to them. >> it's horrible to see it all again. we're back after this. sometimes life can be, well, a little uncomfortable, but when it's hard or hurts to go to the bathroom, there's dulcolax stool softener. dulcolax stool softener doesn't make you go... it just makes it easier to go. dulcolax stool softener. make yourself comfortable. still to come on "today" mapping titanic. we continue to follow this spectacular image of the oceanliner. >> and pogo sticking as you have never seen it before. first, these messages. every time we use our card. we get dos no matter what we're buying. and since double miles add up quick... romans! get em! 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"oh, yeah!" well... this... is mine. sprinkled with cinnamon, sparkling with taste. cinnamon toast crunch. enjoy the cinnsation. good morning. it's 7:26. august 29th. news 4 today mayor adrian fenty has work to do if he want toss remain d.c.'s mayor. that's racial divide seems to have marked the shift in support. 56% of african-americans have unfavorable crews of fenty compared to 17% four years ago. 6 in 10 black democrats primarily upper income residents. he won strong holds in 3, 4, and 5. we have an important recall to tell you about this morning affecting beef sold in virginia and maryland. health officials link the meat sold under several brand names to bj wholesale club stores to e. coli contamination. it has a freeze by date of july 1st. and code w69032. ♪ just one bite opens a world of delight... ♪ ♪ a flavor paradise of delicious fishes ♪ ♪ friskies seafood sensations. ♪ ♪ feed the senses. ♪ savor and explore, a the great indoors ♪ ♪ ♪ friskies indoor delights. ♪ feed the senses. welcome back. kim, what's on tap today? >> lots of sunshine, aaron. glad you asked. glad to be the messenger today. 72. dewpoint of 66. that doesn't mean the air is so stick y. 61 in culpepper. 69, clinton. and 71 at annapolis. lots of sunshine. loving this forecast. hey, the cardinals are in town. first pitch 1:35. it will be 90 degrees at that point with a high of 91, aaron. back to you. >> thank you, kim. we have a full hour of local news and weather coming up at 9:00. now back to new york for more of the "today" show. >> we're back on this sunday morning, august 29th, 2010. this is me and lester. we are -- no. health insurance not -- you're looking at the champion pogo stick jumpers performing which seems to be easy for them. near impossible for us. they look absolutely fantastic. we're going to talk to them in just a second. you actually won't believe some of the things they're able to do on those things. i'm jenna wolf along with lester holt. still to come all weekend weave been watching a dazzling new set of pictures and photographs from the titanic taken by robotic cameras two miles downç in the north atlantic, but now hurricane danielle is becoming a factor. in a few minutes we're going to go to nbc's kerry sanders for an update aboard the research ship. there he is. find out if he needs to evacuate. then paris hilton, the socialite who is famous for being famous was booked on possession of cocaine on friday night. it's not the first time. coming up, a look at hilton's past and find out what this new charge could mean for her. then also, one word for you, emmys. tonight the 67th annual emmy awards will air here on nbc. what can we expect from tv's biggest night? we'll tell you in just a little bit. first, we've got some special guests here. they're taking the pogo stick to a level never imaged. dan mahoney and earl were among the winners at pogo palooza 7. the world championship of extreme pogo in salt lake city. nick ryan was the event organiz organizer. what was your specialty? >> i'm nick. >> i'm sorry. >> that's all right. >> nick, explain to me what this was all about. >> well, pogo palooza 7, it was the largest annual exhibition of extreme pogo sticking. once a year all the top pogo athletes come to one u.s. city and compete. >> is this the kind of thing you started? were you guys on regular everyday pogo sticks when you were younger and took this to the next level, or did you have an idea this is what you wanted to do early on? >> i was one of the original founders of the sport, and back then there weren't any extreme pogo sticks like these, and there were just the tiny ones you would find at toys "r" us. we did pick them up and decided start trying tricks. >> earl, tell me what your specialty is? >> my specialty is tech or flat land. precision and stuff. yeah. >> okay. i think -- >> i think people are bored with the questions. they want to watch you do some things. >> you can explain what's going on here. >> absolutely. >> there are different disciplines, right? >> you're seeing the tech world championship in salt lake city, and what he is doing is a lot of spins, tricks on a classic pogo stick. so his stuff, it requires a lot of precision, and it's very technical. not as high, but it's actually a lot more difficult than some of the stuff you'll see in a minute. >> this is a similar stick to what we had when we were younger? >> it's pretty close. it's got the standard steel spring in there, and can you pick up somethingç similar to this at toys "r" us. >> dan is going to get into the act here. how dangerous is this? do these guys get bumped and begged? >> earl, go down, and you'll see dan. is he really going to fly here. >> here comes dan. >> whoa. dude. >> dan was the championship -- he won the gold medal in big air. last week in salt lake city. >> there is a fair amount of danger here. they've all got the -- >> yeah, but these guys are professionals. you can see he is going high, but -- >> now, this stick is different. is this all air compressed? >> this is actually air inside of it. they pump it up with a standard bike pump, and then committee do no handed back flips like that. >> that just seems illegal. that should be -- >> whoa. >> nice job, my friend. >> thanks very much for sharing this with us. i know you wanted to become a bigger sport. >> it's actually something that we've been trying to push for a lot of years, and we're going to be in southern californ we're at 72 degrees at reagan national airport. lots of sunshine a bounds. deja vu. this is where we were yesterday. clinton, 69. haegerstown, washington county, maryland. 64. say hi to the sun. it's not going anywhere this week. it stays with us. we will be dry and turning hot each day. for example, we'll take a stab at 91. now back to new york city. we have twins celebrating their birthday today. 100 years between the both of you. tell us your name. >> i'm diane. >> i'm delynn from michigan. >> happy birthday. for your weather 24 hours a day log on to weather.com. jenna, now over to you. >> thank you, scott. just for the record lester and i did ask if we could do that, but somehow they said it was too dangerous for us, but i didn't think it was. anyway, let's move on. in the north atlantic the affects of hurricane danielle are forcing a temporary halt to a historic high-tech mission to map the remains of the titanic, but not before scientists captured some incredible new photos of the oceanliner. smbs's kerry sanders aboard the research ship and joins us now. kerry, what's the latest? >> reporter: well, it was an extraordinary day for the scientists because they were able to get their cameras, which are 3-d, hd cameras down to the wreck site for about 24 hours. take a look at some of these images. shot in a way that nobody has ever seen before. now, when we're looking at the pictures here, you're seeing the bow and the area which was the mailroom. all of these images we've seen before, but there's a good 40% of this debris field that's never been photographed before, and so there's a little bit of disappointment because, as you noted, hurricane danielle is chasing us, moving right into the area where the wreck is two miles down. we have repositioned right behind me here. you can see this is what they call the r.o.b. that has cameras on board. the remotely operated vehicle. they brought it out of the water, and we're now moving sort of in a northwest position to try to get ourselves in a safe harbor and let danielle pass and then the scientists will return with the cameras, go back down there,ç and continue their wor. i saw the images in 3-d. folks that have a 2-d television, but remarkable. >> kerry, stay safe. thank you so much for that. coming up next, paris hilton is in trouble yet again. we're going to tell you why right after these messages. 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[ male announcer ] kraft macaroni & cheese. you know you love it. ♪ now the healing power of touch just got more powerful. introducing precise from the makers of tylenol. precise pain relieving cream works quickly to activate sensory receptors. it helps block pain signals fast for relief you can feel precisely where you need it most. precise. only from the makers of tylenol. paris hilton is in trouble again. the socialite is out on bail after being arrested late friday in las vegas. we get more from nbc's miguel elmigair. >> it's not the type of picture paris hilton is used to. her mugshot shot shortly after these foes show her being arrested on the lawings vegas strip. the pictures obtained by tmz were taken just before midnight on friday. the socialite, who is famous for being famous was booked on possession of cocaine after her boyfriend, cy waits, was pulled over by police and arrested for dui. >> she extracted a tube of lip balm from her purse. at that time a plastic containing a substance believed to be cocaine fell from her purse in plain view of the metro lieutenant. >> reporter: but according to tmz, hilton may claim that the purse wasn't hers. that's the same defense she used in south africa last month when police detained hilton and questioned her about smoking marijuana at the world cup. she was never charged. >> there is a certain kind of attention that you want. all publicity is good publicity, i guess, but you don't want to necessarily be arrested too many times. >> reporter: friday's arrest is hardly hilton's first. in 2007 she famously spent 23 days in jail after pleading no contest to alcohol-related reckless driving. >> it was a very traumatic experience, but i feel like god does make everything happen for a reason. >> reporter: you could say it's been a traumatic week for the 29-year-old. tuesday she tweeted this photo of a man being arrested outside her hollywood home. the knife-wielding suspect was charged with burglary. >> you're sleeping and just heard this loud banging coming from downstairs, and we went to check, and there was this man staring at me through the window. he didn't even run. he was just smiling. >> reporter: friday hilton found herself on the wrong side of the law, and this time what happens in vegas, isn't staying in vegas. for "today" miguel, nbc news, los angeles. now here's jenna. lester, thanks. the biggest stars in television will gather tonight for the 62nd annualç emmy awards. this year the awards have gone interactive with viewers tweeting lines for host jimmy fallon. i have only tweeted twice, so i have six more to go. here's a preview. >> reporter: the prime time emmy awards, one of tv's oldest honors, but with almost half of this year's contenders for major awards first-time nominees, tonight's show is all about the new kids. ♪ i see your true colors >> reporter: fan favored "gl lee" hit all the right notes this season racking up 19 nominations. it could be that it dances away. >> it bridges music and song and comedy and real life together. >> reporter: the favorite for best supporting comedy actress break-out star jane lynch for her portrayal of the cold-harded cheerleading coach sue sylvester. >> got myself a bit of an eye lift, and while they were in there i said go ahead and yank out those tear ducts. i wouldn't use them. >> everything she's handed she delivers with such a punch. >> reporter: while "glee" is hoping for a knock-out, their comedy competition isn't going down without a fight. "modern family" is up for 14 awards, including best comedy. >> oh, thanks, buddy. >> take number 510. >> reporter: and then there's "30 rock." the veteran show has won for outstanding comedy series, and then for the fourth year in a row star fina fey is up for best actress in a comedy. >> smile. with your mouth. >> hello, ma'am. he am a krensus tear with the u.s. krensus bureau. >> good for you, bye. >> reporter: she would be in good company. last week in a pre-emmy show golden girl betty while won her fifth emmy honoring her hosting stint on "saturday night live." there could be an unexpected attention getter if one late night talk show wins emmy gold. the award could go to someone who doesn't even have the job anymore. >> it's the tonight show with conan o'brien. >> reporter: ousted host conan o'brien could nab a statue for the tonight show after having the chair for just seven months. >> i think everybody on facebook, on twitter, everyone who, you know, has a cell phone and can tweet and company send a text is rooting for conan. >> jimmy fallon asks twitter followers to write lines for the show by submitting tweets. >> i want to play with everybody and have the best time.ç >> reporter: new media. new talents. putting a fresh face on tv's biggest night. for "today" nbc news, los angeles. >> it's kind of our motto. we want to play with everybody and have a great time. >> i'm happy for jimmy. i'm glad he is hosting. he will do a great job. >> can you watch the emmys starting at 8:00, 7:00 central right here on nbc. and just ahead, flu season is fast approaching. there are some changes in this year's flu vaccine. we'll tell you what you need to know, but, first, these messages. 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. [ woman ] chopping and peeling can be kinda relaxing at the end of the day. [ female announcer ] relaxing for who? try new market creations from lean cuisine. the new steam pouch locks in the fresh taste of crisp veggies, tender chicken, and al dente pasta, new market creations from lean cuisine. with the start of fall a few weeks, flu season is almost upon us again, though not as severe as some predicted. last year's swine flu outbreak killed almost 13,000 people in this country and affected 60 million. what can we expect this year? dr. donald allegra of the infectious disease society of america has some answers. good to see you. sfroo good morning. >> is there a chance that h1n1, swine flu, will be back? >> yes, there is a chance. the one thing we know about flu is that it's always unpredictable. that's the predictability of the disease. and we just never know absolutely for certain what the future will be, but i think starting with a couple of weeks ago the world health organization did say that we're probably beyond the epidemic stage of the disease and that going forward the h1n1 virus will probably be just one of many flu viruses that will be circulating. >> nonetheless, the flu shot, the annual flu shot this year, will include a few strains, including the h1n1, offer protection from a few strains. >> last year as you remember the outbreak occurred after we started producing the routine seasonal flu, and because of that two shots were needed. one for h1n1 and one for seasonal flu. this yearç they're going to incorporate the h1n1 into the regular flu vaccine. >> now, if i had the h1n1 vaccine, does it hurt me to get it again here? that's essentially what will happen. >> in general flu vaccine usually lasts only five or six months in terms of protection, so you really do need a new shot each year. >> what we got last year was not lifetime protection. >> exactly right. >> i know these vaccines are based on eggs. we recently had the salmonella scare. should we have any concern about the safety of these vaccines because they do contain eggs? >> yes, that's a good question. . i don't think because generally in preparing flu vaccine it goes through several stages of purification where all bacterial contaminants do get removed. >> are there big differences in the symptoms from h1n1 versus the seasonal flu? now, i know young people were primarily those affected by h1n1, but in terms of symptoms, any difference? >> no, it's about the same. generally i try to differentiate it from cold symptoms, which are generally from the neck up. you know, sore throat and runny notices, and flu symptoms are more severe. you are usually in bed with them. you have aches and pains, fever, headache, and it involves mostly a dry cough. >> and, again, the season starts probably around november, peak around january, february, right? >> yes. in the northeast depending on what part of the country you're in, but generally it runs anywhere from december to about march or april. >> all right. thank you so much for joining us this morning. now here's jenna. >> all right, lester thanks. the long labor day weekend is a great excuse for one last summer break. so if you can't get to the beach or you can't go out camping or get to the park, why don't you bring all those experiences home to you. here to show us how to do that is mark addison, designing and entertaining expert. that's a nice title to have on your business card. how are you? >> thank you, i'm great. >> have you some ideas on how to bring things back and keep it inexpensive, right some. >> i'm all about purposeful design. using what you have at home with some of these great finds that i'm going to show you today to create an entertaining space that feels like you've taken a vacation, but you haven't gone anywhere. you're staying at home. a staycation. >> we're going to start with the beach. this is a nice party idea. bring the beach home to us. why the beach? >> the beach is one of my favorite places to go too, but i'm not going to. you can really bring the beach home and still have fun at the beach, and i created this coney island kind of experience with the drink. i call it the tropical fish punch. >> okay. >> you actually are going fishing for your drink. >> what are the fish made of? >> they're made out of different fruit flavors. we have orange, cranberry. >> you can eat the fish? >> they melt. they make your tropical fish punch as they melt. >> really cool. >> tell me about the sand. >> this is couscous that i have used. it's food safe because it's actually food, and it really brings the feeling of the beach home, and you can play with it, which is so much fun. >> real quick, the food you have here? >> the food is an alternative to expensive seafood. lobster rolls are my favorite to have at the beach, but we've sourced more inexpensive versions. the great compliment with r these dirty chips. they're dusted with this crab boil seasoning and paired with a dirty dan. >> let's move on to the park picnic. you want to bring the park home to you. tell me a little bit about this theme going on here. >> we're literally bringing the park home. cover the entire table top with wheat grass. >> this is wheat grass. can you eat this? >> you can. you can take it after the party and blend it up and have it for breakfast the next morning. this is soft and lush and makes you want to lay down and take a nap, but we're having a party on it instead. >> and the food? >> we've actually created a deconstructed puck nick. this is more of a cocktail flavor, so the sandwiches are not made and with a twist we've taken classic club sandwiches like a turkey and bacon, a blt, and a vegetable and we've made spreads so you spread them on, layer it up, and then you finish it with a cute little garnish on the top. >> i like that you cut the crusts off and you have the -- >> got to cut the crusts off. keeping it cute. >> also with the beverages just grab and go. small little -- >> fyi, you cannot eat this grass. it tasted terribly. i'm just letting you know. >> i think that makes it a little bit of apple juice to make it better. >> let's move to what is just the most beautiful thing i have ever seen in my life here. this is the camping theme. >> this is the campfire. this is a great example of using what you have in and around your home. i actually dug these rocks up from the river bend behind the house in violent have the and put it together to create my campfire. a great little campfire grill filled with gravel. again, from the house. we're creating smores. >> literally they would kill me if i didn't try this. they say i never eat anything. >> there's not a lot of mess so they're easy to eat. >> what you do is you take a donut hole, my favorite, and we're going to dip it into the chocolate. >> oh. >> and then we double dip into the marshmello cream. >> i have to do it also. they're telling me i have to wrap up, but if i only do this one time in my whole life, it's going to be today. >> you're double dipping. >> i'm going to do this. >> that was a lot. >> i never do this. ready? hmm. >> that's heaven, right? >> moment on the lips, lifetime on the hips. >> what's better you can wash it down with a nice hot cocoa. so now you're killing me. sdoo this is like a hot summertime drink but cold. >> mark, thank you. wonderful ideas. we really appreciate your insight. come back any time you want to bring chocolate fondu. we'll be back after this. it was so good. ring ring. progresso. why does it say box tops for education on your soup? oh, it's a program that raises money for schools. that's great, but this is a can. yes it is. you can't have a box top on a can. yes we can. but a can isn't a box. we know. i don't think you do. [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. [ female announcer ] start your morning... hey. what are you doing up? i thought i'd take a drive before work. want to come? [ female announcer ] or make his day. yeah. [ female announcer ] maxwell house gives you a rich, full-flavored cup of coffee, so you can be good to the last drop. that's it for owes this sunday morning. scott williams, willy geist. anything you want to add? >> nothing. >> i didn't think you did. we're going to leaf you with some eye candy, which is what we like to call our extreme pogo stick. >> have a great day, everybody. so long. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com we're tracking the race for d.c. mayor. a new survey is out. find out who is in the lead. a trip to the beach turned dangerous for hundreds of people in ocean city. we'll show you what's causing the problems. first, though, good morning. welcome to news 4 today. i'm aaron gilchrist. >> i'm kimberly suiters. it is sunday, august 29th, 2010. good morning. hey, it's great to be here. and the weather couldn't be better in my opinion. we've got the heat. the humidity is tolerable. we'll take both. if you're headed to the beach today, we have bad rip currents out there. locally, we have the sunshine. plenty of it for everybody to go around. our temperature is 75. winds are very light this morning. they're blowing at 3 miles per