Transcripts For WRC Today 20110216

thieves with her purse. she's brought her handbag with her today, february 16, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this wednesday morning. i'm meredith vieira. >> i'm ann curry. our crew is staying way back, i noticed. >> she's actually a sweetheart, until you get on the wlorong si of her. >> don't do that. you talked about bernie madoff. big news. this morning's new york times, he makes a strong assertion contending that unidentified banks were complicit in his fraud. >> that goes against earlier statements that he was the only person involved in the ponzi scheme. the reporter said madoff was wearing prison garb and looked thinner. madoff last outed the media for the coverage of his son's suicide and said why he didn't attend the funeral. more ahead. also, he turned his daughter into an overnight teen sensation and made her millions of dollars. why is billy ray cyrus saying he wish miley cyrus never became hannah montana. he compares her life to a train wreck. >> and she's a country dog at heart but hickory, the scottish deerhound won best in show at the westminster dog show last night. we'll meet her when she stops by this morning. let us begin with convicted swindler bernie madoff in his first interview since his arrest. good morning, mike taibbi. >> by definition the ponzi scheme would have to be one of the biggest liars, but what he's saying in interviews and e-mails in the new york times is what many suspect. yeah, he was a crook but a lot of his biggest investors had to know it. in his first interview since he went to prison in 2009 bernard madoff says banks and hedge funds were guilty of willful blindness as they continued doing business with him without asking questions. he didn't name the banks and hedge funds but told the "times" he had to know. but the attitude was, if you're doing something wrong, we don't want to know. he said he helped the trustee appointed to help recover some $20 billion in profits for the scam's innocent victims. he said he gave piccard, quote, information i knew would be instrumental from recovering assets from those people come police in the the mess i put myself into. victims seeking hundreds of millions in allegedly illicit profits from j.p. morgan chase and even the owners of the new york mets. both denied suspecting fraud. >> even if you don't know specifically, if there are signs and you ignored them you are liable. >> reporter: the scheme victimized thousands of investors including mentors, friends and strangers hoping to recover something. even before his trial and before he went to prison he became a pariah. >> what's lost as we talk about hundreds of millions and billions of dollars are the small investors who have nothing left. >> reporter: so far only madoff has gone to prison and only he has accounted and five of his employees have been charged with crimes. >> he's willing to talk now. maybe he's willing to spend more time with people. so we could find out when exactly the fraud began, what prompted him to start the fraud, what was his mindset when he started lying to people. >> reporter: in the new york times article, madoff said he told prosecutors he would give them information to recover assets but refused to provide criminal evidence. >> he insisted his family knew nothing about the ongoing fraud. you will recall his son mark committed suicide in december. >> he was asked why he didn't attend the funeral. >> he said there were public safety concerns and the prison wouldn't permit him to go. >> 7:05 and here's ann. >> now to a disturbing story from egypt. cbs news is saying laura logan, one of its reporters suffered a brutal assault and beating while in cairo. stephanie gosk has the story. >> reporter: good morning. laura logan first arrived to cover the protests but she was detained and expelled from the country. she returned the day mubarak stepped down. when the news broke that egyptian president hosni mubarak resigned hundreds of thousands erupted into sell consideration. a statement from cbs news says laura logan and her crew on the ground to crossover the moment were surrounded by a dangerousment amidst the celebration. moments after this photo released by cbs news was taken logan was separated by a mob of more than 200 people. she was surrounded and suffered a brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating. cbs news says a group of women and an estimated 20 egyptian soldiers pulled logan to safety, allowing her to return to her hotel. in the days leading up to mubarak's resignation, journalists had become regular targets, detained, beaten and ki killed. logan is an experienced journalist who spent much of her career covering the world's most dangerous places including wars in iraq and afghanistan. logan flew back to the u.s. the day after the attack and cbs news says she's now recovering in the hospital. ann? >> stephanie, thanks so much for your reporting on the story. it is now 7:06. now once again here's meredith. >> thank you. now to the latest on a tense stand-off between the u.s. and pakistan over a u.s. embassy employee jailed in pakistan for more than a month for allegedly killing two men. now president obama is making his release a priority sending a top lawmaker to the region. nbc chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. this case is so important that the chairman of the foreign relations committee john kerry dropped everything, including a speech scheduled for today, and senate votes to rush to pakistan and try to defuse the biggest crisis between the u.s. and pakistan in years. it has become a major diplomatic incident. protests have been raging over a mysterious shootout involving american embassy employee raymond davis that left two pakistani gunmen dead. after a magistrate sent davis to jail for at least two more weeks john kerry reminded them what's at stake, a billion a year in u.s. aid. >> even if it was mishandled, this man is a diplomat within the embassy and immunity attaches to him. >> reporter: at the white house, president obama said international treaties give davis diplomatic immunity from pr prosecution. >> obviously we are concerned about the loss of life. we are not callous about that. but there is a broader principle at stake that we have to uphold. >> reporter: u.s. officials are furious that pakistan released this cell phone video of the interrogation. >> i need to tell the embassy where i am. >> reporter: they deny report that is the victims belong to the intelligence service. davis said he thought he was being robbed by two gunmen on a motorcycle while he was driving on a crowded street. through the windshield davis shot them with a total of nine bullets, three in their backs, arousing suspicion, say the pakistanis, he was arrested with a glock handgun, and a telescope. the 18-year-old wife of one of the pakistani men killed herself by drinking rat poison and before davis was arrested a pakistani man died when a vehicle from the u.s. consulate allegedlile ran over him. the car was sent to rescue davis from the scene. the diplomatic fallout is escalating. the u.s. has cancelled key meetings scheduled in washington next week with key officials and pakistan's president is set to visit president obama next month. >> pakistan is our most important ally in the war against al qaeda and our most difficult ale lie. >> reporter: davis from littleton, colorado, is 36 years old and married. he now remains in a pakistani jail, a symbol of growing suspicion between the u.s. and a key ally. aids say kerry is not expected to bring davis home but he's trying to speed his release, again, reminding pakistan's government ha the relationship with the united states is more important than a shootout in the streets of lahor. >> thank you very much. now a check on the top stories from natalie morales at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. we begin with a potential headache for travelers. united airlines has voluntarily grounded nearly 100 757 jets to complete unscheduled maintenance checks which could mean flight delays and cancellations. air data systems on the planes were not in compliance with an f.a.a.-mandated update from 2004. the battle of the budget rages on with president obama vowing to veto new legislation he finds, quote, disruptive. nbc's chief white house correspondent chuck todd is in washington. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. there are two budget fights in washington now. today, house republicans are continuing their effort to try to slash $60 billion from this year's budget, something that the white house has promised the president will veto which could lead to a government shutdown in a few weeks. meanwhile, the president is defending his budget proposal for next year and the fact ha he did not attempt to tackle the long-term debt problems the country faces, here he is at yesterday's press conference on that. >> this is not a matter of you go first, i go first. this is a matter of everybody having a serious conversation about where we want to go and then ultimately getting in that boat at the same time so it doesn't tip over. >> reporter: natalie, today is press secretary jay carney's first briefing as the new press secretary. >> you're going to be tough on him, i'm sure. chuck todd, thank you. unrest inspired by egypt's revolution has spread from yemen, bahrain and now to libya. hundreds clashed with police calling for the ousting of muammar qaddafi. a u.s. law enforcement official was killed in mexico on tuesday and a second wounded when gunmen opened fire on the vehicle. the two u.s. immigration and customs enforcement agents were on assignment fighting mexico's drug war. hailey barber is refusing to honor a former ku klux klan member and general on a license plate. the naacp has called for them to denounce the plan to honor nathan bedford forest. just a week before the january 8 shooting in tucson that wounded gabrielle giffords and killed six others police were on alert at the community college that had suspended suspect jared loughner. e-mails between administrators and campus security reveal plans to distribute his picture to tighten security against him. employees at los angeles schools will receive warnings that they face lay-off at the end of the year if a $408 million budget gap isn't closed. the move would leave some 5,100 teachers and counselors out of a job. a weak retail sales report released tuesday sent stocks for a dive. melissa francis is at the new york stock exchange. what are you watching today? >> dell blew the doors off earnings which has stocks in a good mood. other companies are out there replacing outdated equipment which is good for the economy. the bank of england speaking a short time ago sounding soft on inflation saying it thinks commodity prices will fall over the next year. we are also watching housing starts and inflation data here today. back to you, natalie. >> melissa, thank you. a new cyclone is bearing down on australia's flood-ravaged north. this is the second cyclone to threaten the region in two weeks. the slow-moving system is dumping torrential rains and could cause more flooding there. here's an amazing survival tale. 84-year-old henry morella made a wrong turn driving through the desert and got stuck in a ravine. the diabetic man drank windshield wiper fluid and read the car's user's manual to pass the time. he was rescued by a couple of hikers. he now says he will never drive without a bottle of water in the car. his family took the keys and said from now on he'll be an excellent copilot. >> thank goodness he's okay. >> mr. roker, a first check of the weather. >> nice to see you guys. our friends in good morning. sunrise on this wednesday morning. live view from the skywatcher camera. sun's up in a partly cloudy sky. it's cold now, temperatures only in the upper 20s and low 30s. later today, though, we peak in the mid-50s with a blustery wind coming in out of the southwest. and then tonight, down into the mid-30s by dawn tomorrow. warmer tomorrow afternoon, near 60. then near 70 friday afternoon. over the weekend, windy and turning chillier on saturday into sunday. might get some cold rain monday. you can follow my forecast on twitter. and that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thanks. now to what is perhaps the biggest blow in a string of legal problems for the italian prime minister. he will now stand trial on charges that he paid a 17-year-old for sex and used his influence to cover it up. michelle kosinski has the latest on the story. good morning. >> reporter: hi, ann. every time we come near the story your mind thinks, can you imagine the public outrage if this happened in the u.s.? most italians don't care about their leader's personal life. this has become so sordid to the point it's allegedly criminal and many are happy he's going to trial and just embarrassed that it's happening at all. she is a teenage runaway turned belly dancer with fame in her eyes, now famous for all the wrong reasons. he is a 74-year-old world leader whose seemingly sordid social life decorates the world headlines who's been charged with tax evasion and bribery but comes out acquitted and smiling. turns out they have been partying together since she was possibly 16, prosecutors say, along with a cast of many, many beautiful young women -- showgirls and prostitutes. he calls these bunga bunga parties. police call them orgies. >> there are women who want to join in. there are women who say, he's mie idol. of course i'm not one of those but his connections in show business and so on. >> reporter: being a billionaire media mogul made him a hit with young women which is why his wife left him in 2009. the teenage belly dancer, stage named ruby heartsteeler admits accepting thousands of dollars from berlusconi but said it was a gift, not for sex. other showgirls said the same. investigators say the opposite is true. when underaged ruby was arrested for theft berlusconi ordered her released and said she's now engaged to hosni mubarak, which she is not. but berlusconi is accused and denies any wrongdoing. >> he'll fight tooth and nail. he has everything to lose from it. >> reporter: a judge ordered a fast track trial that will send him straight to a three-judge panel, all women. meanwhile, women all over the country have demanded he resign. he refuses, adding he's always given women attention and respect, making them feel special. he said he's not worried about trial calling it all a politically motivated attack. the judge set a date for april 6 although there are things his lawyers can do to delay it by quite a bit. he doesn't actually have to appear during the trial although if convicted he could face up to 15 years in prison. >> all right. on that note, michelle kosinski, thank you very much. once again here's meredith. >> now to what happens on capitol hill after hours. dozens of congressmen sleep in their offices. now one watch dog group is sounding the alarm. capitol hill correspondent kelly o'donnell has details. good morning. >> reporter: hi, meredith. both democrats and republican house members have been doing this for decades. some are even proud of it. but the outside group that exposes ethical lapses in washington says what happens here overnight just isn't right. by day, hanson clark is a busy new congressman. >> i did this so i could be the best member of congress so i could spend all of my time here working. >> reporter: by nightfall in his office -- how do you make it work? >> it's a tight fit. i have to move this table back. >> reporter: the michigan democrat does a quick change. he's one of dozens of congressmen -- and it is all men -- who sleep in their offices. >> it focuses me on my job which is to work with people. >> reporter: critics say this house should not be a home. >> it turns the house office buildings into frats or dorm rooms and that's unseemly. >> reporter: does rent-free bunking at work take unfair advantage? >> look at that. a perfect fit. there we go. that will work. >> reporter: a watchdog group filed an ethics complaint kplaming the sleepovers cheat taxpayers because government officers are not for personal use. >> if this is lodging then members of congress have to pay taxes on the fair market value of the lodging and right now they are not doing that. >> reporter: members are paid $174,000 a year. some say it's too expensive to keep a family home in their district and a second place in d.c. this utah republican is a father of three. >> if i can save $1500 a month i will sleep on the cot. >> reporter: there is a political value, too, promoting themselves as frugal, hard-working and not d.c. insiders. he came up with his cot-side chat. georgia congressman jack kingston slept there for nine years. >> you don't want them to catch you in your pajamas with bunnies on them. >> it keeps me focused on working. >> reporter: they claim that is worth a do not disturb sign. members who sleep over pay a fee to use the house gym where they take showers and change. this is three or four times a week when they are in session. the rest of the time they are back home. so far, no comment from the ethics committee about whether they think this is an issue that needs to be investigated. meredith? >> thank you very much. just ahead, the grandmother who became an international sensation after using her purse to foil a jewelry heist. an exclusive live interview with the woman they call supergranny. but first this is "today" on nbc. hey, what are you drinkin'? i'm drinkin' dunkin'. coffee -- black, straight up. extra cream, three sugars. iced coffee french vanilla. for me. iced coffee with a turbo shot. i'm drinkin' dunkin'. i'm drinkin' dunkin'. i'm drinkin' dunkin'. drinkin' dunkin'. america runs on dunkin' coffee. 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>> thanks, tom. a dream come true for a boy battling cancer. how a local high school basketball team helped him accomplish something he always want good morning. this is the so-called supergranny in action. she fended off jewelry thieves with nothing more than her purse and became an international sensation. her name, ann timson. she's here for an exclusive live interview. >> i'm meredith vieira with ann curry in for matt. she's something. that handbag had nothing but a purse in it and a newspaper. >> it wasn't the size of the bag. it was the ferocity. they backed up. they looked like tough guys. >> they had sledgehammers. >> and they go jumping on mopeds to get out of there. we want some of what she's got. >> exactly. >> also ahead we'll be talking about hannah montana turned miley cyrus into a superstar. now in a new interview her father says he wishes the show never happened because he said it destroyed his family. we'll get details coming up. and history was made last night when a scottish deerhound named hickory won best in show. today she's celebrating her big win with us. we'll meet her in a moment. then she's going for a steak. >> i heard. >> we start with the grandmother who stopped a jewelry heist with her purse. first, peter alexander has her story. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. here in england ann timson is still celebrated for her efforts but she'll likely tell you she's no hero. but her arm-swinging act against six would be robbers earned her the nickname "super gran." as you are about to see there is nothing antique about this grandma. the video is striking and so were the sledge hammers. a brazen pack of thieves targeted a jewelry store. then out of nowhere there was ann timson. at 71 ignoring her age and arthritis, afraid someone was being beaten up. she quickly realized it was a break-in. so armed only with a handbag, the so called super gran started swinging. >> i think the adrenaline was going. i think i was really, really angry that they were there to do a daylight robbery at that time of the day. and why should they get away with it. >> reporter: suffice it to say they didn't get away with anything other than bruises. there goes the scooter. >> amazing. the courage to do that. >> reporter: the mayor was impressed and so was martial arts expert joe goldby who said the granny showed the skills of a seasoned pro. >> she did what any good fighter would do. she keeps allowing, not allowing them any way to enter her personal body space. >> she was brave. i don't know if he shoe what she was stepping into, i wouldn't have done the same. >> reporter: who would have? except the super gran, of course. >> i mean, someone asked would i do it again. given the same circumstances where i thought a boy was taking a beating i probably would. >> reporter: can't get enough of the video. the super gran does not mess around. four of the suspects were charged with robbery and vehicle theft, meredith. so far no comment from any of them. >> peter, thank you very much. ann timson is with us exclusively along with her son andre and her granddaughter charli. people all over the world have seen the video of you taking on the crooks and have come to know you as super granny. has this sunk in for you? >> no. >> it hasn't? >> no. i'm not a hero or a heroin or a super gran. i just thought a kid was being hit. >> you went running toward them. then you realized these guys had sledge hammers and they were breaking into a jewelry store. you say it was too late for you to stop. what do you mean? >> in for a penny, in for a pound. i think the adrenaline got going and the second thought was how dare they do a daylight robbery? that was it. >> you were just mad. >> i was mad. >> i think what a lot of people don't know is you have arthritis, pretty serious arthritis. you sometimes need to use a wheelchair and the only reason you could move that fast that day was you had support bandages on your legs because you were going to a dance class. >> that's right. >> you said i more ambled than i did run up to them. >> the legs would have collapsed on their own. i wouldn't have said it was a run. it was an amble up the hill. i paid the penalty for it for four days. >> little bit sore? >> certainly. >> as you were running at them, what's going through your mind? because all you have to defend yourself and take them on is this handbag. >> yes. >> and the only thing in it is a small purse and a newspaper at that point. >> yes. >> can you show us what you did? >> i was holding it like that shopping. it was just a two-handed thing. it was just like that. except that i -- oh, sorry, charli. i aimed it around -- you say their heads but they had mega helmets on. it was not going to impact on them and hurt, but hopulefly it would distract them from doing what they were doing. >> were you saying anything? >> oh, yes, get off, go off, go off again. every time i whacked i said, go off. >> didn't one of them lift a sledge hammer almost to attack you? >> that was right at the very end when he'd come off the scooter. one of the wallets wobbled. it didn't knock them off the scooter. i didn't know he had the hammer. it was the second guy. i thought he'd just got on the scooter to drive off with the other ones. that's when he stood up and threatened me with it. we just stood up, eyeball to eyeball and he just put it down. i think he realized i was just an old biddy anyway. >> well, you got him in the end. they grabbed the guy. was there a point, ann, when you thought, i could really get hurt here? you said you're not a hero but something terrible could have happened to you. >> i have to tell you, when i did stand still for a second and my lips were trembling and someone came out and said, come sit down for a minute. i'm thinking, oh, my god. what will my son say? >> and your son andre is here. you live in the states. how did you hear about this and what was your reaction? ann thought you would be furious, by the way. >> i was a little surprised. i had a newspaper reporter call me the next day. i was sitting at a computer. he said, look at the internet, tell me what you think. i was speechless. i really didn't know quite what to say. i said i'd have to hang up and call my mom. >> your mom has a history of fighting crime in her neighborhood. i know the area where you live has been plagued with prostitution in the past and drug dealers and you have helped clean it up. it's almost your mom's m.o. to reach out and help somebody. >> reaching out and helping somebody, not being somebody that is looking for problems but trying to solve problems that she sees as she greets them in her everyday life, yeah. absolutely. she's not a vigilante. >> have you ever been victimized yourself, ann? >> oh, yes. yes. in our neighborhood about seven, eight years ago we had a project come in called casper one, casper two, casper three. they are areas of the town that you try to do something about because they are desperate to have things -- drugs, whatever is going on. we became casper three originally. that's where the first cleanup started. i live in a ground floor accommodation there. we were open plan and all our blocks or flats had alleyways which became known as rat runs. eventually all the rat runs were wired off, fenced off. we put gardens in place. we removed bushes. but yes for 18 months i lived in the dark there because being ground floor on my own, it was an ideal place for people to meet, do drug deals using my lights. >> so you know what trouble is about and you fought it for a long time. >> i know what it can be. >> my friend ann curry said you have the right hair color to to be a superhero. did it bother you that nobody else ran up to stop the crime? >> it did a bit. but looking at it, you know, as much as anything -- although mobile phones came out. they were mobiling. i think they stood absolutely mesmerized and somebody afterward said they thought it was a wind-up for a show. >> anything but that. are you selling the bag on ebay? >> andre is going to deal with something like that and maybe we can give the funds to charity if anybody wants to buy it, they are more than welcome. >> i'm sure a lot of people would bid on the bag. ann, a pleasure to have you here. super granny, whether you like it or not. thank you. >> thank you for having us. >> head to todayshow.com if you have a question for ann. she'll answer those questions later. now a check on the weather from al. >> and good morning, everybody. got some folks here. all you want for your birthday is -- >> is -- >> to be on "today"! >> and we have a little art project here. >> hi, south carolina. >> oh, i couldn't figure it out. my and some of that warmer air will be moving our way here later today. right now, the sun is up and a yellow and gray sky in the eastern horizon, and temperatures are right near the freezing mark now. and later this morning, climbing into the 40s and then mid-50s by mid-afternoon. a bit of a blustery southwesterly wind and a few high clouds coming through, and partly cloudy to clear tonight, down into the mid-30s tomorrow morning. highs near 60 tomorrow afternoon, near 70 friday afternoon. turning chillier ove and, you know the toy fair's in town. they have sock monkeys! got to love the sock monkey, meredith. >> i love a sock monkey, al. thank you very much. up next, the surprising winner of best in show at the famed westminster dog show. we'll meet hickory the scottish deerhound right after this. so, you got a chevy malibu. nice. a consumers digest best buy three years in a row. and an epa - estimated 33 miles per gallon highway. and what does your neighbor have? 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[ ship horn blows ] back now at 7:45 with america's new top dog. >> that's right. hickory, a 5-year-old scottish deerhound won best in show at the 135th annual westminster kennel club dog show last night. she's here along with her handler angela lloyd and the director of communications and host of the program david frei. good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> angela, i had to go to you first. as soon as they named hickory, i could see the tears coming out of your eyes. it meant so much because there is a bond you had with her. >> there is an extreme bond we share. it's come about through time. but it was shortly found. and, you know, it's a culmination of so many things. things i have worked for my whole life, things her owners and breeders have worked for for years. it's very emotional. top award in the country for a dog. >> first scottish deerhound to win this award. what is it about her? >> first of all, she's a great specimen of her breed. she's a wonderful scottish deerhound, but at the end all seven are wonderful. >> what took so long for a scottish deerhound. >> especially a long time. they were entered in the first show in 1877. >> exactly. what explains that? >> i think it was a matter of finding the right one. >> the judge who decided said she's a hound person. she loves hounds. angela and hickory got a little bit of a lucky break? >> i'm sure it didn't hurt. if you're not having your moment of divine inspiration in front of the judge at the right time you're not going to win. >> angela, you said that yesterday was different for her. she was at her best. >> she went in the ring and she was on the top of her game. she owned it. >> you also said before the cameras started rolling that she is a particularly compassionate dog. she comes up to you -- >> she very much is. she'll come up for attention and if i ever stop petting her here she'd probably turn her head to me. she just wants to be loved all the time. >> she's a nudger. >> if you have coffee in your hand and you're sitting there drinking it, be careful. >> after she has the steak today she's retiring, right? going back to the farm in virginia? >> she's going back to her breeder in virginia and run 50 acres and enjoy her time at home. >> they want to breed her? >> it's a possibility, yes. >> what about the steak? i'm sorry. i want to ask david. how big a steak? she's got to be the biggest -- she probably can eat it right off the table. >> it will be made to order, i'm sure. she's the new single name celebrity. we have a huge entourage going to the observation deck of the empire state building like all champ do. >> she can reach the observation deck. >> pretty close. she's also going to visit the ronald mcdonald house to visit the pediatric oncology patients. >> thanks for stopping by this morning. david, always great to see you. congratulations to you, angela and to hickory. up next, we have billy ray cyrus explains why he wishes hannah montana never happened. snoes . the best device for everything you love to read editors' choice. best dedicated ereader. magazines look spectacular. fantastic device. touch the future of reading at barnes and noble. nookcolor. hershey's bliss. one square inch of indulgence... joy... pleasure. one square inch of extra smooth, rich chocolate. hershey's bliss. oh, bayer aspirin? i'm not having a heart attack. it's my back. it works great for pain. 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[ squawking ] ♪ 7:56 is your time now. right now, traffic is backed up on the inner loop of the beltway in prince george's county. state police are investigating this fiery, deadly crash involving a tractor-trailer and two other vehicles. the crash and fire happened on the inner loop at the darcy road overpass in forestville. good morning, i'm eun yang. let's get right to jerry edwards with more on the big traffic problems out there. jerry, good morning. >> eun, good morning. good morning, everyone. show you on the map where the accident occurred, southbound 95/495, inner loop between central avenue and route 4. right now, only one far right lane is blocked, at least three to the left get by, but there's still a hefty backup. inner loop of the beltway, slow traffic begins well before central avenue to the accident scene. traveling the outer loop of the beltway, your lanes are open. kenilworth avenue, 295 south to the beltway is a viable alternative. eun? eun? >> jerry, thanks very much. forty years ago, he wasn't worried about retirement. he'd yet to hear of mutual funds, iras, or annuities. back then, he had something more important to do. he wasn't focused on his future but fortunately, somebody else was. at usaa we provide retirement solutions for our military, veterans and their families. from investments... to life insurance... to health care options. learn more with our free usaa retirement guide. call 877-242-usaa. good morning. it's cold now. we're right around 30 degrees. we have some high clouds that will be with us from time to time throughout the day as highs climb in the mid-50s by mid-afternoon. a blustery southwesterly wind. mid-30s tomorrow morning, then near 60 tomorrow afternoon. up near 70 friday afternoon, windy and turning cooler on saturday into sunday. and that's the way it looks right now. eun? >> tom, thanks so much. a dream come true for a boy battling cancer. how a local high school basketball team helped him accomplish something he always wanted to do. that story's tonight on "news 4 at 5:00." don't miss it. have a great day. 8:00 now on this wednesday morning, february 16, 2011. the sun is shining in midtown manhattan. we love that. it also put a smile on the faces of all these folks who are joining us in rockefeller plaza. hi, guys. nice to see you all. along with lenny. we love our lenny. i'm meredith vieira along with ann curry and al roker. matt is off this morning. just ahead, an interview with billy ray cyrus. he told gq magazine that "hannah montana" destroyed his family and he also compared miley cyrus's life to a train wreck in progress. details coming up. >> we'll hear from a woman who has written a powerful memoir about having been raped in college and she says having fwogone to her college and having nothing done about the rape. 20 years later after she was married and had children she received a letter of apology from the man who raped her. so she -- it took her life in a new direction. we'll hear from her. very powerful and important for women to hear. >> in a different direction, more on the mysteries of the brain. this morning the real dangers of concussions. just ahead what you really need to know, especially if your kids play sports, especially contact sports. >> yeah, very important. >> first a check of the morning's top stories from natalie morales in for ann. >> good morning. ripple effects are spreading with protests in libya against muammar qaddafi. in bahrain, protesters are by the main square and today in yemen, 2,000 police officers were dispatched to put down a week of demonstrations. cbs news correspondent lara logan is recovering from a sexual assault and beating she suffered friday in egypt's tahrir square. the network said she was surrounded by a mob of about 200 people and was eventually rescued by a group of egyptian women and soldiers. president obama will defend his proposed 2012 budget today when he meets with senate democrats. house republicans are moving ahead with planning to cut $61 billion from the domestic spending this year. massachusetts senator john kerry is in pakistan pushing for the release of a u.s. embassy worker charged with murder. american raymond davis shot and killed a pair of armed pakistani men who he says tried to rob him. pakistani officials insisted today that davis did not fire in self-defense and does not have diplomatic immunity. today the italian prime minister said he is not worried about the looming prostitution trial. on tuesday a judge ordered an april trial for the 74-year-old berlusconi who is accused of paying for sex with a 17-year-old belly dancer and then covering it up. misusing images from body scanners would be a federal crime. the tsa says scanners cannot store images, pictures from a different scanner at a florida courthouse have appeared online. borders, the nation's second largest bookstore chain filed for bankruptcy protection. sales plummeted as competitors shift to online and digital book sales. it is expected to close 30% of sales. global food prices are soaring and costs are close to the highs that triggered food riots three years ago. and a toddler with a toe hold on a guinness world record is her family's pride and joy. lee min was born with 14 toes and 12 fingers, one digit more than the current record holder. her mother believes lee will have a natural advantage in life. it is now 8:04. now back outside to ann and meredith. >> all right. celebrating her 10th birthday hope is with us all the way from jersey. >> so far away. >> and a check of the weather from mr. al roker. >> thanks, guys. these are your kids? you don't want them to miss the bus? >> what time's the bus? >> 8:00. >> if they see this sign they have missed the bus. hopefully you're dvr e >>ftert' sunrise now. we have some clouds in our eastern sky. live view from the skywatcher camera. we'll have a few of these high clouds drifting over throughout the day. right now getting above freezing throughout much of the region. 35 at reagan national. later, peaking in the mid-50s, and we'll have a bit of a blustery southwesterly wind. and even warmer tomorrow and on friday, near 70 for a brief time mid-afternoon. then turning chillier with a gusty wind on saturday. sunday into the 40s. and that's your latest weather. ann? >> thank you very much. coming up next, why billy ray cyrus is saying he wishes hannah montana never happened. that's coming up after this. what was i thinking? but i was still skating on thin ice with my cholesterol. anyone with high cholesterol may be at increased risk of heart attack. diet and exercise weren't enough for me. i stopped kidding myself. i've been eating healthier, exercising more and now i'm also taking lipitor. if you've been kidding yourself about high cholesterol, stop. lipitor is a cholesterol-lowering medication, fda approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. lipitor is backed by over 18 years of research. 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[ male announcer ] here they come. all the new tech products you need. and they're all looking for the same thing. ♪ the one place that makes technology easy. staples. with highly-trained tech experts and expanded tech centers, staples makes finding the right technology just the way you want it. easy. easy to buy. easy to fix. easy to save. staples. that was easy. we are back with a revealing interview from billy ray cyrus. he opened about to "gq" magazine about his daughter miley. >> miley reached superstardom on "hannah montana." the finale aired last month but dad says the show destroyed his family and he wishes he could take it all back. disney's "hannah montana" made miley cyrus a household name. >> my perfume is -- oh, wow. >> reporter: in "gq" billy ray goes on record telling the magazine the damn show destroyed my family. i'd erase it all in a second if i could. >> maybe i should keep my big mouth shut. >> reporter: with fame came controversy. miley's wholesome image turned upside down in 2008 when racy pictures of the 15-year-old appeared in "vanity fair." billy ray spoke with meredith about the shoot. >> things get out of control. >> reporter: there were photos of a midriffed miley on the internet and her pole dancing performance at the teen choice awards. ♪ >> reporter: her 2010 music video for "can't be tamed." in the article billy ray admitted that he was a friend more than a parent but he blamed miley's handlers for some of the bumps in his daughter's career saying some of the handlers are perhaps more interested in handling miley's money than her safety and her career. >> i think billy ray could be regretting that he didn't manage her career, that he allowed others to step in and take it in a direction that he didn't think was in the best interest of his daughter. >> reporter: days after miley turned 18 tmz posted this video of the star smoking an herb out of a bong. >> having a little bit of a bad trip. >> reporter: billy ray told gq, i'm scared for her. i want her sheltered from the storm. >> it's relevant who billy ray cyrus is blaming. clearly he's conflicted. what's clear is he's in a panic and he's worried about his daughter's welfare. it's a clear cry for help. >> billy ray said he never made a dime off miley. we reached out for comment backbut didn't receive a response back. miley will be hosting "saturday night live" on march 5. meredith? >> thank you very much. devin gordon is senior editor of gq and gail sals is a psychiatrist and "today" contributor. billy ray had broken up with his wife, his marriage basically over. he moved back to tennessee. >> mm-hmm. >> i guess it was five days after the bong scandal involving miley became public. but the interview was supposed to be on a new album coming out. >> mm-hmm. >> why do you think he opened up and shared so much? >> i think it's one of those cases where you have the right author for the article, the right subject and perfect timing. this was five days after the bong scandal. it was clear to chris heath, the reporter on the piece, that billy had something he wanted to get off his chest. chris detected that early in the interview and just let billy ray get there in his own time. pretty soon he was talking about things that he probably had no intention of talking about a week or two weeks ago when the interview was set up. >> powerful statements including "hannah montana," the show, destroyed my family. >> mm-hmm. it's hard to know and one of the central mysteries of the piece is whether we are seeing a genuine train wreck in progress, as he mentioned, or whether this is an identifiable, worried father of an 18-year-old daughter going through a very public coming out as a woman. that's one of the reasons the story was so interesting to us and why it's in "gq." it is a story about fatherhood. the quotes in the story are much more news worthy, but the full length of the story is about fatherhood. >> how would you characterize his state of mind, gail? >> i think he's experiencing a lot of loss and regret. that's a difficult combination. so to regret the way you parented your child is a pretty torture feeling. he said he was a friend and didn't set limits and didn't guide or say no. now she's 18 and you can't turn back that clock. i think he's suffering from a lot of loss. so he's got the loss that his daughter is grown up, essentially, and out of his control, if you will. he's lost his marriage. his daughter's career in many ways has surpassed his. that's a very difficult thing for a man when he's a middle-aged man. >> he's also blaming hollywood for a lot of it. >> i think in some ways that's fair. when you look around at many of the stories that we do, it's really tampering with a very dangerous arena. so he's got a point. on the other hand, he's also blaming himself because if he'd been the kind of father to say, you know, i'm not going to let you do these things, then he might have been able to balance out the whole hollywood thing. >> he tells the writer chris heath that he believes his family is under the control of satan. if you look at billy ray cyrus's background you would understand why he would use that metaphor. >> when you isolate that quote it can sound very inflammatory, almost weird on the coasts. but billy ray was raised in tennessee, a church-going family, father was a preacher, sang in gospel. this is not unusual language. not an unusual sentiment to have. i think we have to look at sentiments like that in context rather than isolating them and thinking, oh, that guy's cuckoo. i understand why he could feel that way. >> he brings up kurt cobain, anna nicole smith, michael jackson, other celebrities whose lives have been destroyed by the spotlight. does he believe that miley is headed in that direction? >> it's hard to know. that's the central mystery of the story. hard to know if he really feels that way or if he's just a father at a particularly potent time reacting to what he thinks is happening. regardless of the truth -- and only he and miley know -- are valid responses. >> there may not be a truth yet. it's in this evolutionary stage. she just turned 18. things are starting to happen. some soft thithings -- you knowg a boy at your 18th birthday party. we are all looking and going, ooh. but a lot of 18-year-olds do it and it's fine. it's normal for a parent to express their worst fears. these are worst fears that when your kid is in trouble you say, is this going to neend in the worst way possible? >> to express them publically -- >> this is unfortunate. you hope this isn't the first way she's hearing this information. i really hope that. i feel badly for them. i think this is a very relatable story. it's difficult for a dad when a daughter first goes out into this world which is a complicated, fast-moving world. >> let me ask you this. it's time to go, but if he's been a friend to his daughter all these years and not parented, is it too late to start parenting? >> it's too late for some elements but not too late for everything. you hear a resigned, i'm stepping back. that's a shame. i hope he would take this and step in and say, you know, i can't turn back the clock and i'm sorry for what i didn't do, but i want to be there now and i can't tell you that you can't do these things but i am going to tell you what i think. >> thank you so much. very powerful interview. >> thank you. >> up next, the woman whose life was turned upside down when she received an apology letter from the man who raped her more than 25 years ago. she'll share that story after this. catamaran sailor. i can my own homemade jam, apricot. and i really love my bank's raise your rate cd. i'm sorry, did you say you'd love a pay raise asap ? uh, actually, i said i love my bank's raise your rate cd. you spent 8 days lost at sea ? no, uh... you love watching your neighbors watch tv ? at ally, you'll love our raise your rate cd that offers a one-time rate increase if our current rates go up. ally. do you love your bank ? 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[ female announcer ] it's time to raise the bar with the full flavor of kraft mayo with olive oil. ♪ made with half the fat and calories of hellmann's real mayo... ...kraft mayo with olive oil is the new standard in mayo. liz was raped 25 years ago by a fellow student at college by. she received an unexpected letter. we'll speak with liz in a moment. first, her story. in september 2005 liz and her husband were headed out the door on their way to a family vacation when they checked the mailbox one last time. a letter had arrived. it read, in october 1984 i harmed you. i stand prepared to begin to set right the wrong i have done. he even signed his name. liz froze as a flash of memories came racing back. in 1984 liz was a freshman at uva. like many colleges, her social life revolved around fraternities and sororities. she remembers being hand eed a drink. she felt strange and found herself alone with a 6'0" male student who turned off the light, ripped off her clothes and raped her. liz didn't gain consciousness until the following morning when she woke up naked and alone. she went to college administration but according to her, they did nothing. liz went on to live a productive life as a business owner, wife and mother. stunned by her perpetrator's confession she went to the police. >> on the evening of january 4, 2006 the las vegas metropolitan police department arrested mr. william n. beebe of las vegas, nevada. >> reporter: william nottingham beebe was sentenced to ten years in prison reduced for community service and cooperation he served six months. >> anything to say? >> reporter: liz writes about the experience in her new book called "crash into me, a survivor's search for justice". good morning. >> good morning, ann. >> looking at the pictures of you in college, that innocent little girl, what did you lose in college back in 1984? >> i did lose that innocence, but also i lost a dignity that i think i should have had that i have since regained. i lost the experience of having a regular collegehood, a regular girlhood really, young adulthood. but i have regained that back. so it's -- not all is lost, as we can see in the book. but at the time it was lost to me. it was a life of less promise. >> yet you built a life. you've had children, a gorgeous husband and this very successful life. and so you went on. you were courageous and rose past it. and so what happened when you got this letter of apology? what happened to your life? >> well, everything to me was always before the letter and after the letter. you know, b.l. and a.l. i think before the letter, talking about that life of less promise my life wasn't bad. i certainly didn't think about what happened to me. i had been in therapy. i had moved on. but, you know, the jobs that i took weren't as great. i didn't graduate with the greatest g.p.a. and i had a first pretty disastrous first marriage. this was my second chance. when i met my husband and we had our daughter and now a son. so when the letter came, like the proverbial band aid had ripped open the wound and it brought to the forefront everything that had been there before. >> and that, as i understand it, jeopardized your marriage to some degree? jeopardized your relationship? >> it did. in the book, i don't want to say that everything is hunky dory but it tests a family and a marriage. i think it's important for survivors to know or anyone who's gone through the criminal justice system that it is very trying and i don't want people to think that it wasn't a challenge. and to be ready for that. >> you say you forgive the perpetrator, but that doesn't mean you did not want justice. why did you press charges? >> right. it's two different things. forgiveness is a journey you must take. for me there is a chinese proverb that says if you don't forgive someone you may as well dig two graves -- one for the person who wronged you and one for yourself because it will kill you. that's different for our criminal justice system. they could have pressed charges even without me. >> on that point there are two others who allegedly participated in the assault on you. >> yes. >> those two people have not been tried. >> no, they have not. >> what do you want out of them? >> i think in writing the book perhaps it will jog some memories of that night because there are very few witnesses who did come forward. we have identified these people but in any case there is sometimes not enough evidence. >> are you saying you want justice? you want them to face charges as well? >> no, i -- that's irrelevant. i think they have to live with themselves. you know, uh think that we have come as far as we can. i have seen justice, unlike many survivors. i think that's really up to what the judicial system can do. >> you have reached out to your assailant. he didn't return our calls. and the university of virginia said it has now changed its policy regarding sexual assault and issued the following statement. liz has shown courage in educating a new generation of young women about the deep wounds that are left by rape. getting ready for the interview, i know you had to calm yourself. it's unnerving to be so public about something so hard to talk about. >> it is. >> what do you hope will come of this? >> i hope survivors will understand that they are not alone. i literally sit here holding their hearts. i do. and for parents sending children to school, i want them to know that this is quite common. i'm never going to be able to change the fact that rape happens. what we can do is change the legislation and change all of the things that we can do for our survivors. >> liz, brave you. the book is called "crash into 8:26 is your time now, 34 degrees. one more cold morning, but a warm-up is on the way. tom will have your forecast right after the news. good morning. i'm eun yang. if you take the beltway in prince george's county, you're going to have to leave yourself extra time this morning. traffic is backed up on the inner loop near darcy road while police investigate a deadly crash involving a tractor-trailer and two other vehicles. let's get right to jerry edwards for more on how this traffic is going out there. jerry, good morning. >> eun, good morning. the accident occurred inner loop between 214 and route 4 on the inner loop, southbound 95/495. at this hour, there's only one lane closed, three lanes on the left getting by, but the backup continues to grow, unbelievably. inner loop delays begin back at route 50. this is the worst it's been all day long, headed on down to the accident scene. so, start taking alternate routes, 295 at 301 to route 4 to the beltway. eun? >> jerry, thanks so much. we'll take a quick break warming trend today, high near 55, tomorrow near 60. friday near 70, then turning colder for the weekend. eun? >> tom, thank you. now back to the "today" show. ♪ i thought it was over here... ♪ [car horn honks] our outback always gets us there... ... sometimes it just takes us a little longer to get back. ♪ 8:30 now on this wednesday morning the 16th of february, 2011. here's some welcome news after the brutal winter in new york -- hello you! a big warm-up under way. al roker says it will hit 60 on friday or maybe it will or yes, it will. >> it's going for it. >> all right. >> oh, that's fantastic! when was the last time we saw 60 in new york city? [ cheers and applause ] >> coming up in this half hour it's a nerve wracking to be a senior in high school and not have heard if you got into college with the admissions. >> applications. >> the yes or no will be coming out. >> acceptance letters. >> or nonacceptance. >> what makes kids stand out while others are passed over? behind the scenes at a a few clouds around this morning. skywatcher camera showing some shafts of sunlight pouring down out of the eastern sky, and temperatures are now generally getting above freezing. it's 35 at reagan national, continuing to climb today into the mid-50s by mid-afternoon, and the winds will pick up a bit out of the southwest. then tomorrow morning, mid-30s and a bit warmer tomorrow afternoon. to near 70, though, on friday afternoon. over the weekend, windy and turning chillier, saturday in the 50s, sunday morning 20s. afternoon highs sunday the 40s. and don't forget you can check your weather any time of the day or night on the weather channel on cable, weather.com online. >> thank you, al. thank you very much. >> would you be able to tell if your child suffered a concussion or not? >> i don't think so. >> i don't think so either. how to spot the warning signs. first this is "today" on nbc. back now at 8:35 with more of our special series, mysteries of the brain. this morning, concussions. they are among the most common sports injuries for both kids and adults but they can go undiagnosed and with serious consequences. here's nbc's chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman. >> reporter: from the moment alyssa laced up her sneakers and hit the court she was in love with basketball. >> basketball has always been a huge part of my life. all i wanted in high school was to play division one college basketball. when i got the opportunity it seemed, you know, so incredible. >> reporter: she got the chance at brown university. >> i loved the school and also really loved the program, the coaches, the team. it seemed like the perfect fit for me. >> reporter: a perfect fit that was cut short. after suffering four concussions, her basketball career is now over and she's spending her senior year on the sidelines. >> my health really became a huge issue in everything i did. your bogged down, blurry. my head was killing me. constant headache. i had no idea when it was going to end. >> reporter: alyssa's story is like many of the 3.8 million americans who suffer from concussions each year. 50% of those are athletes ranging from high school soccer players to famous olympians like lindsey vonn. in what many people regard as a silent epidemic, concussions are underreported and underdiagnosed because so many people, including doctors, don't recognize the symptoms. >> concussion is a violent jarring of the brain that causes cells to not be functional until homeostasis is re-established. in other words the cells are alive but not functional. if you treat it correctly, almost always they will come back to function perfectly. >> reporter: neurologist dr. robert canto treated elizabeth by eliminating as much as possible. >> she was still working out and doing things that aggravated her symptoms. we pulled away the physical activity beyond walking. we reduced her intellectual activities as much as we could with her still in school. she experienced immediate improvement. >> reporter: alyssa made a full recovery. >> i am a fully functional human being now. i'm a different person. it's night and day. >> reporter: while she had to give up the game she loved so much she's changed her priorities and is now able to reclaim her health and her life. >> i'm now -- i really want to be a neurologist. i think hopefully some day we can figure out how to alleviate concussive symptoms earlier. i'm a big believer in everything happens for a reason. while the last two years have certainly not been fun, if it's given me the right direction then it is what it is, i guess. you have to take it in stride. >> dr. snyderman, good morning. >> hi. >> you mentioned lindsey vonn. we heard she pulled herself out of an event after suffering a mild concussion. she said she was skiing for a while and felt she was in a fog. >> classic. >> why was she skiing in a fog? why didn't somebody say, stop, slow down? let's check it out? >> it underscores the difference in sports. the nfl now has strict criteria and doctors have to clear players back into the game. if you take sport by sport by sport, i think the criteria for getting people back in after a concussion is really quite squishy. sometimes depending on what kind of athlete it is and how much money they are making they can surround themselves with people who want to keep them out there, sometimes to the detriment of their health. >> let's talk about this. especially for those of us who are parents of budding football players. >> right. >> for both of us, it's something we are really concerned about. what happens to the brain during concussion? >> if i conk you on your head you think, i will get the bruise here but there is a contracoup injury where the brain bounces back and forth. you have have more injury on the opposite side of the trauma. that's classic. you can have damage in the front, in the back or on both sides. the problem is it's like a bruise. you hit it enough and after a while that tissue just doesn't work very well. so the immediate signs of concussion or repeated problems will be confusion that lindsey vonn talked about, sometimes headache, dizziness, feeling that you are not quite right, slurred speech which can really scare people because sometimes that can indicate even a bigger problem, and overwhelming fatigue. these are classic symptoms. >> what about almost immediately? i heard about people getting concussions and not realizing it. getting up and getting back in the game and later on getting the headaches and fatigue. does that sound normal? >> you hear sideline reporters in football games that say, oh, my gosh, he got his clock cleaned and you look at players trying to shake off the fuzziness. that's a concussion. do you pull people out right away? >> usually we don't. it's at least something where people should say that was a real conk to the head. we have to do further evaluation. here's the problem. a regular x-ray, ct scan, mri scan won't show the real issues. really well-trained neurologists have to do a battery of tests and the newer exams look at brain function. so it is a cumulative new frontier of the sciences. >> sobering. >> very. >> all right. very important information this morning. thank you. >> you bet. >> coming up, a rare inside look at the college admissions process from an expert. first, this is "today" on nbc. yep. great selection. no hidden fees. and a five-day money-back guarantee. wow. i feel like a kid in a candy store. i feel like a geek at a robot convention. i feel like a mermaid at a swim meet! i feel like a wrestler in a folding-chair factory. i feel like a hippie in a drum circle. [ groans ] [ grunts ] i feel like an acrobat in a mattress store. i feel like a customer at carmax! whoo! ♪ this morning on education nation "today" inside the college admissions process. it is nail-biting time for high school seniors. the applications are in but the answers are weeks away. how do schools decide who gets in and who misses the cut? "today" got a peek at what happens behind closed doors? >> we're going to take a risk on a student, i would like to know there is an argument to do so. >> reporter: it's a give and take, 15 minutes to decide a student's future. >> i don't think we should deny her. >> reporter: at a top liberal arts college in iowa, two officers read an application. the comments are shared. >> wait list or deny. >> were you reading this one at 3:00 a.m.? >> reporter: then the application is parsed, grades and scores scrutinized. >> in history, 750. >> right. >> makes sense. >> reporter: essays are evaluated. >> this essay really spoke to his willingness to step out and try new things. >> reporter: comparisons made. >> she's far and away the lowest in the group which probably ends it for her. >> reporter: extracurriculars weighed. >> why should we treat a musician differently from an athlete? >> reporter: finally, a vote. >> who would be in favor of wait list? okay. quentin, you're sticking to the deny. >> i stick to it. >> you're outvoted. >> reporter: seth allen is the dean of admission and financial aid. >> i would love to say that the admissions process is a very straightforward process where every student is considered on their own merit. that isn't true. the process is highly subjective. >> reporter: which means the pros and cons on a candidate are sometimes debated. >> that's a great example. it tells us a lot about the student. >> well, i guess i would take the contrarian perspective. he's talking about how much he's changed but do we really see that in the evidence of his application? >> for me, the issue is more the transcript coupled with the light extracurricular involvement. >> you have a school in an area where we probably would like to have more kids. >> people can be persuasive if someone provides a rationale you hadn't thought of, raises issues you didn't consider, your mind can change. >> who would be in favor of admitting? one? wait list? okay. >> little things in the process that please us, surprise us, uncover something we think, wow, this is someone unusual that we would like to include in the class. >> who would vote to admit? okay. we'll call her an admit then. >> we want to thank the college for its cooperation. chuck steinberg is the new york times national education correspondent and moderator of its blog, the choice. good morning. i got nervous watching that. took me back to being a senior in high school. you never get over the feeling. >> no. >> is that the way the process works? >> grinell uses a template that denies more students than they accept. it's a very involved process where there is scrutiny of every aspect. >> they said something that may make students feel better about the process. it is subjective. it's not a referendum so much on the kid as what the college needs at that moment. >> i think kids and parents should never read this process as a referendum as how good a job they did as students or parents. there are so many factors at play and as an outsider you can't possibly know what they are looking for at that moment they are around the table. >> yet there are guidelines they follow. >> certainly. for example, the rigor of curriculum. how hard were the courses you took is the first thing they look at in most instances. >> you stretch yourself then. >> that's something that's within your control, but don't go overboard and feel you have to take five advanced placement courses a year. >> what about extracurricular? how much do they weigh that? >> that's in the mix. but kids and parentsen tend to think you need a million activities when commitment to a few activities, something outside the classroom for a few years will often suffice. >> what about age and gender and what part of the country you live in? >> these are the things where it can make you crazy as an outsider. they'd like somebody from every state. if you are lucky enough to be the kid applying from north dakota, that might give you an edge. but gender is important. they are very up front about the fact that racial and socioeconomic diversity is important. how could you possibly figure out whether you are going to get in or not? >> but the essay, again, listening to the folks in the room, is so important. for one kid it worked against the child actually, the essay. it didn't match with what they were looking at in the transcript. >> again, you can't know what they are looking for. i think the essay is something that's within your control. how can you come alive as a person in a way your test scores and grades don't make happen? >> so for a high school junior watching, what's the takeaway here? >> it's a crazy thought. if you can't control the process and you can't outstrategize it, maybe it's counterintuitive. can't you relax a little bit and be yourself and just put yourself out there and let the chips fall where they may? >> easier said than done. hopefully this will calm kids down. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> up next in "today's kitchen" mark bittman puts a spin on the classic bread pudding. but first this is "today" on ♪ [ male announcer ] new inventory. ♪ new equipment. new trucks. new hires. ♪ new space. ♪ new markets. achievement seizes new opportunity. ♪ go to pnc.com/cfo to see how we can help your cashflow situation. pnc. for the achiever in us all. this morning, bread pudding. best known as a sweet dessert made with day old bread but mark bittman is here with a savory version. he's the author of "how to cook everything." savory meaning that it's more luscious? >> you could serve it for a main course with dinner. it is a relative of dessert but also a relative of stuffing. >> who doesn't like stuffing? >> also, you're trying to -- you can get started by helping me tear this bread. >> this is bread -- >> we're heating milk and we'll melt some butter in there. >> all right. >> sun dried tomatoes also. >> they are chopped up. >> they will soften and the butter will melt while we do this. we think in general people are looking to get away from meat a little bit at dinner time and look for vegetarian options, more sustainable options. everybody has an array of leftover bread like this in the house, don't they? >> that looks like fancy bread. but when we buy fancy bread and we don't eat it all at the table this is a way to get rid of it. you have spread here that has raisins, my favorite. >> you can use any bread you want. this is a terrific one. it goes nicely with sun-dried tomatoes. we'll have mozzarella in here. this all goes in here. >> all of it, okay. just like that. not even chopping in smaller bits. salt and pepper? >> please. >> mm-hmm. and stale bread for this. >> right. >> meanwhile, we'll mix together some eggs. >> mm-hmm. >> some -- >> so this is soaking up the milk and this is just straight milk, not cream or anything. >> straight milk with butter. eggs and mozzarella -- i didn't say it was low fat. i said meatless. >> it's a vegetarian option. >> exactly. some chopped black olives. >> kalamata olives, too, the nice flavorful ones. >> basil. now we have a fabulous egg, cheese. we buttered the pan. that goes in here. >> all together? >> yeah. >> that's as much as we need to cook it? >> no, we're going to bake it. >> okay. this looks a little sloppy. see, i have made bread pudding before. >> this will go in here. >> all right. okay. there we go. that's nice. the cheese is mixed in. lots of flavorful bits and the bread to sop up all the flavor. fantastic. looks cute, too. >> this bakes in a pan of water. >> why? so it doesn't get too hot on the sides? >> that's too much water. >> let's do it. i believe in completion. okay. done. >> we do it that way to keep the custard moist. >> okay. this is what it looks like in the end. >> you have the beautiful sun-dried tomatoes, olives. go ahead. i think your friends are coming anyway. >> can i ask a question? if you want to add -- if you don't want the vegetarian option and you want bacon -- >> this one is brussels sprouts, this would be amazing with bacon. >> that sounds good. >>brussels, sprouts, onions and gruyere cheese. >> how are you? >> nice to see you. >> this is a meal. >> using leftover bread which we all have. >> and butter nut squash and sage. >> amazing. >> what i think is interesting, kids love bread. >> they do. >> sometimes they have a hard time with other things. maybe they would be more interested in this. >> it tastes like pizza. >> that's your story and you're sticking to it. >> exactly. >> this is exactly like chicago style pizza. >> bread, tomatoes, olives. >> mark bittman aiming for the trees and hitting it out of the park. thank you so much. >> just ahead, super granny answers your questions after your local news and weather. it is slow going for drivers on the beltway right now. traffic is backed up on the inner loop in prince george's county while police investigate a deadly overnight crash involving a tractor-trailer. good morning. it's 8:56. there are some alternate routes if you are heading out the door this morning. let's check with jerry edwards for more. good morning. >> eun, good morning to you. the inner loop, capital beltway, scene of the accident, south of route 214. only one lane is closed. three lanes get by, but there is a huge backup. let me tell you about kenilworth avenue, south to 295 is one alternate. here's what the beltway looks like. you can always take the top side of the beltway, i-95 around to silver spring, 301 to route 4 for you folks in upper marlboro. eun? >> thanks, jerry. hey, what are you drinkin'? i'm drinkin' dunkin'. coffee -- black, straight up. extra cream, three sugars. iced coffee french vanilla. for me. iced coffee with a turbo shot. i'm drinkin' dunkin'. i'm drinkin' dunkin'. i'm drinkin' dunkin'. drinkin' dunkin'. america runs on dunkin' coffee. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] you either have it...or you don't. experience the graceful control, exceptional grip and superior handling of a mercedes-benz 4matic, one of the most advanced all-wheel-drive systems ever made. available on nine different model lines. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial services. good morning. we have cloudiness cruising over the region now and temperatures are getting above freezing. it's in the mid and upper 30s now and we'll have increasing sunshine into the afternoon with a blustery southwesterly wind, highs mid-50s. even warmer tomorrow and friday and cooler for the weekend. eun? >> thanks, tom. tonight at 5:00, a dream come true for a boy battling cancer. how a local high school basketball team helped him accomplish something he always wanted to do. back now with more of "today" on this wednesday morning, february 15, 2011. it's still winter out here, but there are hints of spring to come. it's supposed to warm up a little bit today here at the big apple. at least that's what our weather guru al roker tells us that's great news for the people who saw temperatures at 33 degrees and much better than the 22 earlier this week. i'm ann curry along with al roker. coming up we'll be talking about the first interview that's been done with convicted swindler bernie madoff. he's breaking his silence alleging that banks and hedge funds, quote, had to know about a $65 billion fraud but he didn't name the banks and he also said the banks chose to ignore it. we'll hear more about that coming um. >> and coming up on today's money 911, money saving strategies. if you are financially underwater on your home, planning for retirement or trying to stash cash for a rainy day the experts have advice. then move over superman, spider-man, you can turn off the dark and stay inside. we have a new superhero crime fighter. the 71-year-old grandmother from england who single handedly stopped a group of six armed thiefs from robbing a local jewelry store. that's right. faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap tall handbags in a single bound. her amazing bound sing story sh earlier. she'll answer your questions in a few minutes. unlike super man she's impervious to kryptonite. >> and that was her purse. you love that. the response everybody ha had here. first a check of today's top stories from natalie at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. unrest inspired by egypt's revolution spread from bahrain, yemen and libya. there are report that is libya released imprisoned militants including al qaeda members. overnight they called for the ousting of muammar qaddafi. protesters have taken over a main square and police haven't interfered. government supporters clashed with mourners of a student shot in monday's rallies. a potential headache for travelers. united airlines grounded nearly 100 757 jets to complete unscheduled maintenance checks which could mean flight delays and cancellations. convicted ponzi schemer bernie madoff is speaking out from his prison cell in north carolina. mike taibbi has the details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. the biggest ponzi schemer would have to be a big liar, so it's hard to know how credible his statements will, but what he's saying is what many suspect -- that he was a monumental crook, yes, but that a lot of his biggest investors had to know it. in his first interview since he went to prison in 2009 bernard madoff says banks and hedge funds were guilty of willful blindness as they continued doing business with him without asking questions. he didn't name the banks and hedge funds but told the "times" he had to know. but the attitude was, if you're doing something wrong, we don't want to know. he said he helped the trustee appointed to help recover some $20 billion in profits for the scam's innocent victims. he said he gave piccard, quote, information i knew would be instrumental from recovering assets from those people come police in the the mess i put myself into. victims seeking hundreds of millions in allegedly illicit profits from j.p. morgan chase and even the owners of the new york mets. both denied suspecting fraud. >> even if you don't know specifically, if there are signs that should have led you to know and you ignored them you are liable. >> reporter: the scheme victimized thousands of investors including mentors, friends and strangers hoping to recover something. even before his trial and before he went to prison he became a pariah. >> what's lost as we talk about tens of millions, hundreds of millions and billions of dollars are the smaller investors who had a fraction invested and now have nothing left. >> reporter: so far only madoff has gone to prison and only he and his accountant and five employees have been charged with crimes. >> he's willing to talk now. maybe he's willing to spend more time with people. so we could find out when exactly the fraud began, what prompted him to start the fraud, what was his mindset when he started lying to people. >> reporter: in the new york times article, madoff said he told prosecutors he would give them information to recover assets but refused to provide criminal evidence. >> he insisted his family knew nothing about his massive fraud. you will recall that his son mark committed suicide in december. madoff said the only reason he didn't go to the funeral was the prison wouldn't let him. thank you. a new report shows zinc taken during the first few days of a cold may shorten symptoms by a day. this gorilla wasn't monkeying around when it was time to get moving. look as zoo keepers caught 3-month-old tiny taking his first steps on tape with just a little bit of urging there from his proud mama to keep on going. oh, can we go back to the video? too cute. good morning here. we have some high clouds and temperatures are beginning to get above freezing throughout the entire region now. mid and upper 30s. 37 at reagan national. later today peaking in the mid-50s and we'll have the winds picking up a bit out of the southwest. it will be partly cloudy to mostly sunny by late this afternoon and mostly clear tonight. tomorrow morning, the mid-30s. afternoon highs on thursday near 60 and afternoon highs on friday near 70. then turning windy and chillier on saturday, highs in the 50s. high 40s sunday. and that's your latest weather. natalie? >> al, thank you. in the last week ann timson has gone from a humble grandmother to being worldwide known as super granny. the 71-year-old chased down a group of thieves attempting to rob a jewelry store with nothing more than a handbag. now four of them have been arrested and ann is being hailed a hero. she's back with us to answer your questions. here is ann timson. good morning. >> good morning. >> i tell you, our viewers are so into your story. people just can't get enough of the super granny. are you shocked at the world's reaction? >> i am. >> why? >> absolutely overwhelmed by the fact that these people would find this so important. >> well, to see someone -- you're a 71-year-old woman. and when you see that video, a lot of people are standing by doing nothing but yet you crossed all the way across the street, ran over as if you were a 20-something-year-old and took on six armed men. what was going through your mind when this happened? >> i thought a boy was being attacked by three other boys. >> mm-hmm. >> and i just felt uneven, not right, got to do something. >> when you realized they had sledge hammers and they were robbing the jewelry store, did you ever think that this could be a dangerous situation you were getting into? >> at that moment, no. i think the adrenaline was running and it was go for it. i was there. the other thought that crossed my mind was how dare they? how dare they do a robbery at this time of day? >> right. an interesting thing is i know you told meredith that your neighborhood has had its troubles with drug dealers and prostitution in the past. you're one who's always stood your ground when it came to staying in your neighborhood trying to clean up the streets, right? >> like a lot of other people did. i'm just one of them. >> but you didn't look for trouble. you stay put. >> i don't think i can run these days. why should we be moved from our homes that we love in our neighborhood that's so strong in community spirit? why should we run from it? it's ours. >> well, good for you. now four of those men have been arrested for what you did. a lot of people are raving about you. we have a lot of great e-mails. let me get to some of them now. melinda from maine says it looks like there were a lot of cars and bystanders. did anybody stop to help you, not that you looked like you needed help. >> not in the first instance. i think they were mesmerized. i think some thought it was a wind-up for candid camera or something like that. >> right. in fact, the video that we see was being shot. there was a documentary being filmed in the area. did you know that was going on at the time? >> no. i had no idea. >> that explains the video. a lot of people thought that was probably part of the deal. >> right. >> then somebody did jump into action and they were able to grab some of the other guys and take care of them as well. >> once two of the lads went down that's when it kicked in with everybody else. >> i know you played hockey until you were 51 and you take dance classes. you say that was probably the reason you were able to run across the street the way you did. you have rheumatoid arthritis but you were wearing support garments headed to your dance class. >> right. >> hope from kentucky says do you attribute your super agility to dance class? if so, what type of dance moves do you do and have you ever taken any self-defense classes? >> that's a good question. >> show us your karate. >> not my thing, i guess. >> isn't dancing at our age all about keeping your mind active and your body? that's one of the things that goes with it. i teem youngest of our class. i'm the beebaby. the youngest person -- oldest person there is 91. i have dragged them into the 21st century with line dancing. >> oh, wonderful. we also have from florida nancy writes, would you do it again and if so would you do anything different? >> given the circumstances that i thought a child was being attacked, yes, i would d that again. the one thing i would do different is get away as quickly as possible. >> get away as quickly as possible, yeah. but you made quite an impact and you put down a situation which fortunately they did not end up robbing the store. in fact, has the jewelry store offered to reward you for this? >> yes. they have been in touch. they are going to donate to a charity of my choice. >> that's great. good for you. >> they are nice people. >> you're a wonderful woman and the world is wonderful with you in it, ann timson. >> thank you. >> up next, how to settle a debt with the irs and more timely advice from our experts in today's money 911. then a little bit later, some cleansers to face creams. we'll tell you what could be causing your sensitive skin and how to best treat it. first, these messages. ♪ oh! [ both slurping ] ♪ [ female announcer ] the irresistible taste of cinnamon toast crunch. crave those crazy squares. [ female announcer ] and now, winter skin can be too. discover relief from dry, uncomfortable skin with skin relief moisturizing lotion. only aveeno has an active naturals triple oat and shea butter formula that soothes, nourishes and restores moisture. women saw improvement in all five symptoms of winter skin in just one day. beauty you can see and feel. that's being comfortable in your own skin. aveeno skin relief. and now get dermatologist recommended relief from severely dry skin with eczema therapy. new from aveeno. discover the power of active naturals now for money 911. we have a team of experts this morning. jean chatzky, author of "money 911" david bach, author of "debt free for life" and sharon epperson from cnbc and cnbc.com. good to see you. we're going to skype starting with shannon. she's up early from los angeles. good morning. >> good morning. >> what's your question for the group? >> well, i'm 33 years old and recently married. my husband began to file our 2010 taxes and we realize our combined income is getting close to the phase-out limit of what we can contribute to my roth ira. this year the salaries will increase so we'll make too much to invest in the roth and my company doesn't offer a 401-k. where should i invest for retirement without paying a penalty at tax time? >> a traditional ira is a good option if you don't qualify for the roth. the roth has advantages when you take out the money you don't pay taxes on it and you also can leave it in there for your heirs. but the traditional ira is fine. the money can continue to grow tax deferred. you will take a tax deduction up front which may be appreciated at this point. the most important thing is that you contribute as much as you can. so you want to max out his accounts at work, max out your ability to put the money into a traditional ira and just continue doing it every year. >> all right, shannon. thank you so much for getting up early. we'll stay on the west coast and go to the phone. we have tracy from corcoran, california. hi, good morning. >> caller: good morning. my husband is disabled and received a fixed income. i work part-time. we purchased a home a little over three years ago and are struggling to make our payments. we owe approximately $100,000 more than what our home is worth. although we love our home, my husband thinks we should let it go and rent. i think that we should try to lower our interest rate. we have three children, one of whom will be needing college tuition starting within the next two years. what should we do? >> that's a good question. a lot of people in the same boat. >> i will go with your idea. i want you to keep the house. you said a couple of things. first of all, a little bit of sacrifice and you can afford to keep the home. i would work on trying to get the interest rate reduced. so i would do a couple of things. i'm sorry about your husband being on disability. make sure he's getting full disability benefits. if he hasn't already, i would apply to social security through disability benefits. go to socialsecurity.gov and go to the government website, makinghomesaffordable.gov to see if you can modify the loan. if you bought three years ago in california you bought at the high. right now arguably many people in california are at the low. i would tell your husband, look, make a sacrifice, keep the house. go out five years from now and you will be happy you kept the home. >> all right. and marriage counseling there, too. thanks, david. a viewer e-mail from an anonymous viewer. i have an irs tax lien. now i'm getting mailings from firms claiming to be able to reduce my liability up to 80%. i have a payment plan with the irs that i set up myself but if these firms can do what they claim it would save me money. i owe over $29,000, can only afford to pay $500 a month. is it worth trying any of these firms? you hear it on the radio all the time. >> many of the programs are a scam. if they are telling you they can save you and you have to pay pennies on the dollar, that's something you have to look twice at. really, this taxpayer has done what they should have done. they contacted the irs and set up a payment plan on their own. as much as people want to get third-party advice, nobody wants to do their own taxes particularly when there is a collection situation, there is nothing the irs can do for a cpa or tax attorney they can't do for you, the taxpayer directly. contacting them to try to find out what they can do for you is best. what this company is probably offering is something called an offer in compromise where you pay not the full tax debt but as much as you can afford to pay. that's something you can contact the irs about. >> you can do it yourself? >> irs.gov. they really want to try to work with people. they understand people are in these situations but the thing is a lot of folks think someone else will do a better job. they can do it themselves. >> we have a caller on the line. thanks for the e-mail. jesse from brownsburg, indiana. please go ahead. >> caller: my husband and i are building our emergency cash fund. we want to know the best way to invest or save the money. savings accounts and cd rates are terrible and not keeping up with inflation. ibonds aren't much better and we are hesitant to consider higher risk investments since this is emergency money and we don't want to use the capital. >> you're totally right. you need to keep the money in a low risk investment because it's your emergency fund and you don't want to lose any of the principal. hang out in a money market account. go to bankrate.com for a good money market account. interest rates have nowhere to go but up. >> thank you so much. for all of you on the east coast, we'll have more questions from david bach. he'll stick around for an hour for a web chat. you missed that. just log on to todayshow.com. coming up, brightening your home to brighten your mood during this long, cold winter. first, these messages. hey, max. 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i'm managing my weight really well and i've never felt so light. carrie? well, i'm a size 8 now, but i feel like i can fit into my wedding dress again. at 70 calories, delicious activia light helps you be light and feel light too. and it helps regulate your digestive system. i'm fitting into my old outfits again, but i feel like i could wear my college clothes. yes! see? activia light. be light and feel light. 9:26 is your time now. good morning. i'm eun yang. there are some major backups on the inner loop of the beltway right now. police are investigating a deadly overnight crash involving a tractor-trailer near darcy road in prince george's county. let's go to jerry edwards for the latest. jerry, good morning. >> eun, good morning. the accident occurred southbound on the beltway between central avenue and route 4. traffic is still backed up, and the backups are continuing to grow. the inner loop delays begin at route 50. in the backup there was an accident near the bw parkway. one more stop, kenilworth avenue inbound as an alternate, now really loaded upcoming in from maryland, so be prepared for some significant delays, though the accident's completely cleared. eun? >> jerry, thanks so much. we'll right now we have a clearing sky off to our west. we have some sunshine breaking up and temperatures around the region now are beginning to climb as we have some sunshine breaking out. there's a live view from the skywatcher camera. right now into the upper 30s around the region, and later today, we'll be hitting the mid-50s. tomorrow, up near 60 for a high by mid-afternoon, and by friday afternoon, a high near 70. turning chillier for the weekend. and as we get into sunday, much cooler. and we could get some chilly rain on presidents' day. that's the way it looks. eun? >> tom, we like the warm-up. tonight at 5:00, a dream come true for a boy battling cancer. how a local high school basketball team helped him accomplish something he always wanted to do. that story tonight on "news 4 at 5:00." i would like to propose to my wife of 39 years. kathy, i would like kathy and i to renew our vows the same day prince william and kate get married. >> that's george drake from orlando, florida, letting us know why he wants to get the royal treatment. if you want to go to london with a guest for kate and william's wedding week head to todayshow.com for the details. coming up, battling the winter blues with bold hues. if you have been feeling cooped up we'll show you how small changes around the house can make a big difference. ooh. very nice. >> also ahead -- [ laughter ] >> do you want to see him again over there? is that what's happening? he's into that book. >> the best part is he's getting paid! >> just keep on reading, jerry. anyway, then we'll talk about something that apparently more than a million women suffer from -- chronic skin diseases whether it's redness, itching, peeling. what you can do about the four common causes of irritation and how you can help your symptoms. >> and then earlier this week meredith sat down with janet jackson who shared her battles with weight and self-esteem. one of the people who helped her get back to healthier eating is here to share secrets janet has in the new book. al has a check of the the morning cloudiness is beginning to move off to the east, and we'll have increasing sunshine over the next couple of hours. right now we're in the upper 30s to near 40. and later today, hitting the mid-50s and a bit of a breeze coming in out of the southwest, and then overnight tonight, mostly clear. mid-30s by dawn tomorrow. thursday, during the afternoon, highs around 60. friday afternoon may hit near 70. windy and turning colder on saturday, falling out of the 50s into the 20s sunday morning. sunday afternoon highs 40s. and that's your latest weather. >> al, thank you. coming up next, solutions for sensitive skin right after this. well, the first thing we do when we come up here is take her out to eat. she needs a good meal, and we need to catch up. i love when they come visit, and so do my roommates. introducing olive garden's new artisanal raviolis starting at just $10.95. try our creamy asiago cheese ravioli topped with pan-seared chicken. or try our artisanal ravioli topped with shrimp. starting at just $10.95. with unlimited salad and breadsticks. i just like to know my little girl is okay. daddy. 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[ male announcer ] the flexible way to save. nothing starts your day like honey roasted, honey bunches of oats. with a kiss of golden honey. and the same calories per serving as special k original. who knew 120 calories could taste so delicious? so, try honey roasted, honey bunches of oats! check it out. huh? mr. clean magic eraser with the grease-fighting power of dawn. he helps remove three times more greasy kitchen mess per swipe. if i had hands, i'd throw in the towel. yeah, things aren't what they used to be. mr. clean magic eraser kitchen scrubber... 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. [ 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. this morning on "today's health" how to treat sensitive skin. if you suffer from redness, burning, itching or peeling you are among more than 1 million women dealing with chronic skin issues. we have dermatologist dr. frances ka fusco with ideas. good morning to you. >> good morning. >> we think of it is something that affects a specific group of women. you say as we age or if we use certain products we can make ourselves much more sensitive. >> yes, we can. women as they are aging are applying for anti-aging products to their face. this can sensitize them as they use multiples of them. also as we become peri-menopause the skin changes and can make us more sensitive as well. it is a common question readers write in about. >> it's something throughout your life you may be affected by. >> yes. >> one way we need to think about cleansers which is interesting because you think about skin products but how are cleansers important? >> the cleansers in our home that we are washing laundry with contain fragrance which is a big sensitizer. it's important to look for products that not only say "fragrance free" but also are hypoallerg hypoallergenic. >> it can cause us to break out and get red. >> we have great products here. >> anything else besides fragrance free? >> hypoallergenic. >> there you go. let's go to lotions and creams we put on the face. you know, there are so many to choose from. what should you look for or make sure your cleanser doesn't have. >> start with label. it must say hypo allergenic and sodium laurel sulfate. it's not good. and look for something that doesn't suds so well. >> the soap isn't good. >> it isn't good. >> okay. good information. what about cosmetics? again, so many options and they have lots of chemicals in them. >> they do. again looking for a brand like philosophy is something that has ingredients that are better for the skin. look for something that can be applied with your fingers. avoid using a brush. even though a brush is soft it can be abrasive to the skin. you don't want ingredients like mica, talc and formaldehyde and colorful makeup like blues and purples on the eyes are more likely to irritate than the neutrals. >> good information. these are the actual things you would use to wash your face. >> yes, they are. >> also you have i think spf stuff here. in choosing what to wash your face with, again you are talking suds-free. >> les suds. >> and you want to say -- >> we want moisturizers that say hypoallergenic. these are our favorites, cetaphil. moisturize more frequently in cold weather. we should be wearing sunscreen, sun block. look for a physical block. zinc oxide, titanium dioxide. less likely to irritate the skin. >> thank you so much for helping us. you look beautiful. you're a good billboard for what you are talking about. >> you're sweet. thank you. >> brightening your mood by brightening your home after this. heaven comes to earth. rich, creamy, thick dannon greek, the most delicious yogurt imaginable. heaven on earth! discover dannon greek [ male announcer ] we asked zyrtec® users what they love about their allergy relief, and what it lets them do. the thing i love most about zyrtec® is that it allows me to be outside. [ male announcer ] we bet you'll love zyrtec®, too -- or it's free. [ vonetta ] it is countdown to marshmallow time. [ woman laughs ] progresso. hi. we love your weight watchers endorsed soups but my husband looks the way he did 20 years ago. well that's great. you haven't seen him... my other can is ringing. progresso. hey can you tell my wife to relax and enjoy the view? (announcer) progresso. you gotta taste this soup. this morning on "today's home" lifting your spirits on the outside with a lift on the inside. bold colors and patterns to beat the winter blues. elizabeth mayhue is editor in chief of women's day magazine. >> good morning, al. >> we're halfway through winter. >> it's like the winter wardrobe. you're sick of what's inside your house. there are quick things you can do that don't cost a lot of money or take a lot of time. they will lift your spirits and make everything fresher and better. >> you say be bold with color. >> paint is the single most transformative thing you can do to your home. doesn't cost a lot. you don't even have to do the whole room. do one wall. this may seem bright to people, but we were inspired by -- it's called honeysuckle. we were inspired by the pantone paint color of the year for 2011. you can do just one wall and it can really pop. >> what are some other colors if this is too bold? >> blues, greens. i always say pick your favorite sweater. if it's your favorite you look good in it. take it to the paint store and you will look good. you will like it. >> the dragon flies? >> this is a huge trend, the three dimensional adhesive. you get a whole package and you can dot them on the wall. it's art for not a lot of money. >> and rugs. >> rugs are super important. one of the biggest trends we are seeing are stripes and zig zag patterns like this. in a sense it's brown and white, a neutral from west elm but it elongates the room and makes it feel bigger. >> should you use patterns rather than solids? >> to me a pattern like a stripe and neutrals is a neutral. it gives another fun thing to do in your room and gives it a kick. >> you also say lighting is important. >> lighting is super important. one of the most important things that costs no money is to wash your windows, get the dirt and grime, sun light in, natural light. then too many of us rely too much on the overheadlighting which is harsh and not flattering. instead, you want a combination of floor lamps. this is from gracious home. a table lamp from crate & barrel to a reading lamp which is a task lamp from restoration hardware. you want to mix those. >> lighting is relatively inexpensive. >> all of these are in the $200 range. anything less than that, you could go to target for lighting. >> and seating. >> you want a comfortable place. good-bye archie bunker recliners. >> edith! stifle! >> this is a beautiful chair from la-z-boy but recliners aren't what they used to be. now you need wine, book, a lamp and you can kick back and enjoy your home. >> what else? i'm listening. >> pillows. >> oh, pillows. >> i know you love them. >> oh, pillows. you've got to be kidding me. and you know what, let's have a hundred. >> this is the thing, al. pillows are a quick, easy, inexpensive accessory. it's like your shoes, earrings or jewelries. the big trend is an east asian tribal thing. >> great. you had me until pillows. you were doing great. >> i think he's going to sleep. the other thing is -- >> you just keep going. >> you want to accessorize, too. fresh flowers in the spring, you've got to bring them in. it gives it a pop of color. you look like you're going to sleep on me, al. >> all right. >> just bolts of color. what we did in this room is stayed neutral with the big pieces and added pops of color with things like pillows. >> all right. elizabeth, great to see you. okay. coming up next, please. the man who helped janet jackson get fit, chef andre shares healthy recipes. first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪ this morning in "today's kitchen" recipes that are as easy as one, two, three. we are creating dishes that helped janet jackson stay on a healthy diet track. the recipes are in her new book "true you" and they are courtesy of chef andre carson who is here with us this morning. >> good morning and thank you. >> what an honor to be picked by janet jackson to represent in her book. >> absolutely. an honor for any chef, especially this one. she's an amazing person. i was introduced to her. she knew it was my dream to meet janet and work with her. she said, maybe i can hook it up for you. >> you knew you could help her. help her lose the weight and maintain that weight. >> absolutely. if you want to be fit and you want to stay lean, "true you" is an amazing self-help book. she's been through so many struggles. so the honor of being able to cook for her, her team and the crew and so many recipes we went over. >> they were all tested by janet jackson, all approved by her. >> absolutely. >> we're starting with a quinoa breakfast burrito. >> this is so good for you. lots of fiber. >> protein. >> absolutely. low in fat. she loves many of the recipes. this is a great one to get you started. it fills you up through the day and you can go on with the energy. >> you want the fiber to fill you up. you're toasting it first. >> to bring out the flavor. it's very nutty. we'll bring out the flavors and then add our vegetable broth. we're going to add our beans, yeast and let me add this. then i will let you add the beans and other ingredients. >> okay. what is this? >> that's our nutritional yeast. >> where do you find that? at a health food store? >> whole foods, health food store -- plugging whole foods. we have a little garlic and then salt and pepper. just a little bit. >> i have never heard of adding nutritional yeast. >> it adds vitamin b, extra protein as well. >> good. oh, you know, janet's on world tour now, selling out. >> yeah. she needs energy. this is the kind of thing to keep you going throughout the day. >> we'll bring that to a boil and let it simmer. >> until it cooks down until you get the actual quinoa to fluff up. >> if it starts to stick we may add extra water to it. >> you can even buy it boxed, too. >> yeah. there are two different kinds. golden and harvest. >> over here we'll show you how to make that. easy enough. in a wheat wrap. >> whole wheat, very healthy. when janet's touring, she tries to stay low in salt and sugars. these recipes can be modified. >> what kind of salsa? you have a great-looking salsa here. >> we'll cook that up right quick, too. that is a combination of salsa, a little bit of honey -- not honey, but maple syrup. so that's the breakfast part. we have lime, cumin, chili powder and we'll combine it together. >> that looks great. >> doesn't it look good? your team is amazing. >> they are. we know that. bianca and the staff do a great job with the avacado on top. >> absolutely. >> and we have something back here. >> time to move on, okay. >> that looks good, but moving on to the great filling soup. >> our carrot yam rosemary soup. we have onions in here already going. >> caramelizing. >> then we'll add the carrots and sweet potatoes or yams. >> mm-hmm. here we go. the thing i love about her because she's off and on stage so much, such a busy life. she said, i have to stay healthy and lean. if you want -- >> stay lean? honey, you don't look like you have to worry. >> chef, i love your voice. >> you guys are great. >> he's the lou rawls of -- ♪ you'll never find ♪ >> this man can sing. i'll leave it to janet. she does the singing and i do the cooking. >> now you make it into a puree? >> make sure it stays in the blender. >> come on, come on. >> the magic of television, it looks like this. >> boom. what do you have here? >> we have our peach blueberry cobbler with whole wheat flour. we have the blueberries for antioxidants. >> i'm checking out the quinoa. >> all recipes on todayshow.com. >> and coming up, makeovers that don't turn into fashion dos and don'ts after your local news. this week, make pasta night more exciting for your family with a little help from the italian sausage experts: try... since 1945, this delicious italian sausage has been made with only the most premium cuts of pork and unique blends of quality herbs and spices you can actually see. and the taste? why not let the empty plates speak for themselves. make pasta night a weekly dinner your family looks forward to. choose johnsonville, america's favorite italian sausage. brand power. helping you buy better. beautiful day out there, on the chilly side, but not as cold as it could be. we'll check on the weather coming up shortly. good morning. 9:56 the time. i'm barbara harrison. we're still dealing with major backups on the inner loop of the beltway hours after a deadly crash. overnight there was an accident involving a tractor-trailer and two other vehicles. this happened near darcy road, that overpass there in forestville. the tractor-trailer burst into flames and the driver died. right now police are still investigating. we're going to check in with jerry edwards now for more and find out how this is affecting traffic at this hour. jerry? >> barbara, good morning. unfortunately, the backup continues to grow at this hour, even with word getting out. the right lane is still blocked inner loop of the beltway between 214 and route 4. you'll want to consider alternate routes. again, delays do continue traveling southbound on the inner loop. the outer loop, all lanes are open. had a problem in northern virginia along interstate 66, an accident just before the exit for nutley street. cleared out of the roadway some minimal delays. lanes are open closer on in to the capital beltway. tom, today's forecast? well, it's starting to warm up. we've got the sunshine back and now climbing in the upper 30s to low 40s now and later today peaking in the mid-50s. and we'll have a bit of a blustery wind out of the southwest. overnight tonight, mostly clear, mid-30s tomorrow morning and partly cloudy thursday with a high near 60. near 70 on friday afternoon. then over the weekend, turning chillier, a blustery wind on saturday. actually, quite a gusty wind. that will bring in some cold weather for sunday, maybe some chilly rain for presidents' day on monday. barbara? >> thank you, tom. coming up on "news 4 midday," the first two of our from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hello, everybody. it's winesday, wednesday, february 16th, 2011. hope you're doing great this week. hope it's going well for you. i know it's great for you, hoda woman. >> stop it! >> oh, my gosh. i want to live in hoda land. things are good. we have a new thing around here. do you know what we have? >> no. >> should we roll it, guys? let's just roll it. >> what is it? i'm not going to like it. what is it? >> hoda hotb. there she is. hoda hotb. yes, darlling. >> oh, yeah, barry white. >> you're here in page 6. big, big article about how she actually met the man that she's been going out with because his daughters came to the book signing, gave her a laminated sheet that says "10 reasons why you should date our dad," and it's working. and you show up in cindy adams' column. >> nothing going on. >> hoda hot-be. yes, you are. >> there's a lot going on. the miley cyrus, billy ray cyrus had a lot of reaction, don't you think? >> it's one of the things that we saw evolving. >> yeah. >> it's one of the things that each time you sort of hold your breath a little bit more, because this is not going in the right direction. >> he was really up front with "gq" magazine. he said some of these quotes. is this one of them. it destroyed my family, the damn show. it destroyed my family. for my family to be here and just be okay and safe and sound and happy and normal would be fantastic. heck, yeah, i'd erase it all in a second if i could. this is an interesting one he staid about his daughter. >> that's why i'm concerned about miley, he says. i think kurt cobain's world was spinning so fast and he had so many people around him that didn't help him. like anna nicole smith. you could see that train wreck coming. i think he mentioned michael jackson as well. >> when i first started reading it, i was thinking to myself, like, why doesn't he just call lindsay? why is he telling "gq" magazine with his problem with his daughter? >> that's a cry, it seems to me, to be understood by the public. >> yeah, yeah. >> who knows what's going on behind the scenes with lindsay and tish and all of that. we pray the whole family is getting counseling and help. anything you do publicly like that is because you're trying to control what the publish perceives. that's his attempt to say, look, i've made mistakes but i'm a good guy. i love my daughter. i'm worried about her. i'm sure he's getting -- you can't imagine the kind of flak he's getting in the press. >> we've seen this before with lindsay lohan and her dad. >> michael. >> michael said some things i think that were pretty jarring. one of his feuds he told "e!" i'll say it to your face. you're a lawyer. it's your addiction, it's your disease. you're a liar. stop. >> what do people think -- i know they're not thinking when they do this. what do they think their reaction is going to be from the person they're trying to so-called help? is that going to help? >> no. a week or so ago elton john was on the show and how billy joel needed to, i guess, spend more time in rehab. >> billy had a great, great reaction. he said, basically, listen. i've got the same phone number. it hasn't changed. call me and we'll discuss it. that would be the right forum in which to do it. you know what it all reminds me of? there's a stripture that says what does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul? it's true. no matter who you are in this world we've seen people come through this door for years. next thing you know they're in a ditch some place with needles in their arm or something. you kind of go -- >> it's the saddest thing in the world. >> i do think it's interesting that you can't call someone up and tell them personally. i find that -- the more we think about it, you can think of probably a million other instances just like the ones we just talked about. >> it might have gotten to a point, hoda, where he can't reach her. they won't answer the phone. they won't talk. therefore he feels this is the only way i can. isn't that what happened with john voight? >> yeah. >> angela wasn't speaking to him from all accounts. we have no idea what's going on in people's lives. they were completely distanced from one another. it was his way of saying, angelina, i know you won't pick up the phone but i love you. call me. >> and the wedge that's in there for -- it sounds like that wedge is hard to get out once it's in there, right? >> you and i -- i thought the whole world grew nup in a famil like i did. you were a little different. you grew up with parents with accents. when you grow up in a family who love you enough to tell you no and create boundaries for you, that's what you're doing when you do that, telling the child that you love them. the child may not know that at the time. they will come to understand that. i didn't know until i got to hollywood myself as a young performer that the world isn't like that. it's a very rare thing to come from a family like that. >> we were discussing this in the make-up room. the child who walks into the room and doesn't say hi, mrs. gifford, but hi, kathie lee, you have young kids -- >> hey! we make it a thing. they'll walk in and i'll do the hoda thing. hey! when they speak to me, it's mrs. giffords, not kathie lee. >> that's gone. more and more kids are calling you by your first name, and that's it. >> you know what? there's a whole lack of respect in almost everything in our culture. there was one editorial today which was interesting. oprah had called on for more stability when discussing the president. whether you voted for him or not and whether -- you know, he is the president. treat the office the same. one of the editorials was saying, i totally agree with that. where were a lot of these people when president bush was being bashed the way he was in a very uncivil tone? it either is a principle all the time or it's just convenient. >> i think people are more sensitive when they are for or against whomever it is. >> it's all forsivi civility. whether you vote or not for somebody, they are our president. >> i agree with that. guess where we're going today? "spider man." broadway. i can't wait. >> so much talk about it. we're anxious to see what all the buzz is all about. >> people have been going in, remember, he was dangling. there were issues. the one guy got hurt. >> they're trying very hard to find that show. knowing what i know about how hard it is to find your show and how long these things can take, i'm looking at what ours is costing. i'm going, good, mine's only -- i wish them all the best. >> people will buy tickets. i think all of this press, i think it's one of those things that people are curious. just like we are. we want to see what it's like, what the show is like, what the music is like. i'm dying to see it. i can't wait. >> it's going to be terrific. "two and a half" men creator is a guy named chuck lori. he produces the show. apparently the other night at the end of the telecast on "two and a half" men on a crawl. it was flashed. >> i exercise regularly, floss every night and have chest x-rays, card owe stress tests. i see a psychologist. i don't drink, smoke, don't do drugs. i have k i don't have crazy, reckless sex with strangers. if charlie sheen outlives me, i'm going to be totally missed. >> i guess this guy is hilarious. he went on to say this is a serious, serious situation. we are trying to deal with it seriously. lightniening up the atmosphere little bit. >> dennis baso is a fashion guy. he had a fashion show yesterday. that's him. if i could hear him speak, i wish you could hear his voice. he sounds liar harvey firestein. >> with a cold. >> he changes the room when he walks in. >> he's bigger than life. he drives people crazy until they say, i'm done. super gram. >> you guys remember, this is the granny who witnessed an armed robbery in progress in england. and she broke out her handbag and went to town on them. >> she thought kids were beating up on kids. she didn't realize until she got over there -- >> where is she? >> she's going to be coming. ♪ coming 'round the mountain when she comes ♪ she's got only her handbag. >> a wallet and a newspaper. she was swinging it like it was full of lead. look at her. she says meredith asked her earlier today, she said, look, were you nervous because you realized these guys had mallets and stuff like that? she said in for a penny, in for a pound. i was already in. i think we have a little -- >> she also says she was just afraid of what her son would say. >> yes. she was nervous about what her son would say. we do have a little comment from her. >> i just stood off eyeball to eyeball and just put it down. i think they realized i was just an old bitty anyway. i'm thinking, oh, my god. what will my son say? >> she was funny. >> she probably raised that boy right, though. he cares about his mom. >> she sure did. >> mine hasn't called in about six weeks. but, anyway -- >> who's counting? >> i look so forward to the westminster kennel club dog show every year. it's just ridiculously fun. >> isn't it? >> best in show was last night. i take umbers with this judge. >> the winner wasn't a looker. hickory from virginia. >> i'm sure she's as sweet as can be. a first time ever scottish deer hound. she looks like tramp in lady and the tramp. >> the odds makers didn't pick her. 60 to 1. >> she's one of the oldest breeds known to man. i believe it. >> oh, she's sweet. look how she prances. there was that other dog we liked to. >> parker the poodle. he's got dredlocks. his real name is robert marly. >> is that for real? did you make that up? >> i made that up. is that all the pictures we have? look at that. >> oh, that is not a dog. no it isn't! >> that's -- >> bambino! >> ridiculous. all right, wait. we have to toast in our new wine glasses. >> if you just can't decide, look at this. it's a -- what is it? >> it's a -- >> a beer lover's wine glass or a wine lover's beer glass. >> what's the point? >> i don't know. it's winesday. it keeps the wine cheered, perhaps, huh? >> perhaps an easier way to hold it. >> cheers, hoda. happy winesday. >> happy winesday to you. >> happy, happy day to hoda if you know what i'm saying. we were in san francisco. some sisters that needed a total fashion makeover. >> watch that go from don'ts to dos. now you get a cleanser with scope freshness. ♪ new fixodent plus scope ingredients. ♪ cleans...kills germs that cause denture odors... and provides your dentures with the freshness of scope. ♪ new fixodent cleanser plus scope ingredients. who wants the same nail color day after day? not me. new revlon top speed™ nail enamel. cool color with a built-in topcoat that sets in just 60 seconds. with revlon you can change your mind again, and again, and again. new revlon top spe™ nail enamel. at purinso we set out toour dog to be discover the sciencele. in some of nature's best ingredients. we created purina one with smartblend. delicious shredded morsels and crunchy bites with real meat, wholesome grains and antioxidants for strong muscles, vital energy, a healthy immune system, and a real difference in your dog. purina one with smartblend. discover what one can do. i am a banker with quicken loans. this is kathy, who i helped do her first home loan, and this is her sister tina, who i also helped do her first home loan. it was unbelievable how well it all fell together. kathy said, "well, let me give you rachel's number." easy. easy. easy. the whole loan process was simple and convenient! that's why i love quicken loans! [ male announcer ] and you'll be glad to know j.d. power and associates ranks quicken loans "highest in customer satisfaction." to learn more call 800-quicken or visit us online at quickenloans.com. but finding healthy food that tastes good is torturous. your father is suffering. ♪ [ male announcer ] honey nut cheerios cereal tastes great and can help lower cholesterol. bee happy. bee healthy. i'm in pain... we're back with "today's" don'ts to dos. >> we're talking about double trouble. our glamour girl is headed to northern california to see what fashion hits and misses she could find at fisherman's wharf. she got more than she was looking for. >> reporter: we're here in san francisco checking out dos and the don'ts in the city. we're going to show these ladies how to take casual and turn it up a notch. when you're traveling, the one essential you've got to have in your bag is a flesh colored bra. the thing is, when you're wearing a white tank top, a flesh colored bra is never going to show through. the purple, love the color. maybe not necessarily under the white. i love your taste in jackets. i think you're both doing such an awesome job with layering. military trend, huge, huge right now. a coach is such a great way to make that statement. you've got your jacket tied around your waist. it's giving me the illusion that you have more volume. mo >> where do you put it? >> take it off, zip it up, put it around your shoulders. looks like you lost ten pounds instantly. you go for leopard shorts, honey. one rule of tights is that you can't show your little underlining here. a lot of girls tend to think if they wear something that's sort of bulky and loose they're going to cover up. when the actual fact is if you tuck in your shirt and define the waist it's going to make you look a lot slimmer instantly. we have misty about to get a fabulous makeover. we dragged her sister windy back into the mix, too. these girls are both adorable and maybe need a little bit of a makeover. >> "glamour" magazine's contributing style maker, you zeroed in on the two sisters, misty and wendy. tell us why they were such good picks. >> i think both of them have very different style struggles. with misty she had a baby about a year ago. she already lost 30 of the 50 pounds she gained but she's still kind of struggling with how to dress her body and what looks good. she's been hiding out in sweat pants. with wendy she has a really casual job. she's gotten used to more casual. the day we found her she admitted to us that she got dressed in the dark. >> all right. we're going to do these girls separately. first we're going to start off with sister misty. this is her -- excuse me -- before picture. all right, misty. come on out. >> hey! >> hey! >> you look cute. >> tell us what you did. >> what we really decided to do was highlight. this is a trick any woman can do, not just post pregnancy. you want to highlight the skinniest part of your body. we put on skinny jeans. they show off her great legs. then voluminous top conceals things up top where she wasn't as comfortable. >> i like the sweater, too. >> cozy cardigan. she's not that comfortable showing off her midsection. you layer it up and show those great legs. >> if she loses the rest of the baby weight, that would be beautiful belted. >> switch it up. >> thank you, honey. we're going to look at wendy's before picture, too. take a look at wendy before. all right, wendy. come on out. >> oh, i love that! >> adorable. so cute! >> that is so cute. >> tell us what you did. >> she's still looking cute in casual because that's how we know she's comfortable. we took them to gap. the iconic san francisco story. gap was started there in the '60s. the great gap denim jacket with a tweed skirt and scarf. she still looks comfy casual but a little more polished. >> i have those little jean jackets. one in white, one in the denim. i put them on and i'm instantly happy. >> everyone should have one. >> it's not something i would have picked out for myself. now that i'm in it, i really do like it. >> thank you, guys. >> nice to see you. up next, those photos that make you say, what? right after this. [ woman ] thursday! finally! dinner with the girls tonight. i really want dessert. i better skip breakfast. yep, this is all i need. [ stomach growls ] [ female announcer ] skipping breakfast to get ahead? research shows that women who eat breakfast, like the special k breakfast, actually weigh less. now in new multigrain oats and honey. with honey kissed whole grains... you'll never want to skip breakfast again. make your breakfast beautiful. we're back with what the what? >> we share the photos that make you say what? it's our miss sara. >> old dogs can learn new tricks. it's getting hot in here! >> people have done that. >> i haevery time her husband d target practice in the backyard he gets scared and does this. >> this one is from japan. what? next from mississippi. >> i would do that. >> someone at a car dealership had really -- she kept knocking her mirrors off. a colleague did that as a joke and she left it on. >> i would do that. >> until she probably knocked that off. >> that's a good one. >> next from karen from atlanta, georgia. one earring down. i knew my car was missing something. looks like we've got a live one in here. it's a squirrel. a stuffed squirrel. >> who has a stuffed squirrel tied to the roof of their car? >> i do, but i don't tie it on top of the roof. kidding. >> you have a stuff eed squirre in your house? >> i've been to your apartment. i've seen a few strange things. >> is that it? >> we've got one more. i think we have one more. yes. okay. next up, this is from donna rosenmyer from atlanta, georgia. it's a rest area. no stopping, standing or parking. in fact, just don't rest. >> go to our website and give us your pictures. still to come, we're not done celebrating love this week. we're going to test your chick flick movie knowledge when we play "who knew?" >> we'll be back after this. 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[ male announcer ] ultra downy april fresh. two incredible lash looks, one genius brush. twist to one, for length and drama... or two, for length and definition. it's mascara, with a twist. new revlon, customeyes mascara. a crash on the beltway overnight leaves one person dead and is still causing traffic issues this morning. coming up on "news 4 midday," we'll have the latest on what caused the fiery accident and how traffic is moving now. good morning. i'm barbara harrison. also coming up, we're going to introduce you to a woman who is in washington taking care of her fiance injured in afghanistan. we surprised her on valentine's day with a complete makeover. see her amazing, n with more of "today." ready to play our weekly quiz game "who knew?" to keep with the week of valentine's day, we thought we'd keep the love in the air. we'll test your knowledge on romantic movies. kathie lee stocked up on her cds across the street at the nbc.com digital cafe, ready to hand out hot cds to people who answer the questions incorrectly. to those who get it right they get a measly $100. elvis mitchell is with me, the host of "the treatment" on public radio. so glad you're with us. >> do your thing again. >> we haven't even told our jamaica story. we'll have to get back to it. let's go across to kathie lee. >> these lovely ladies are from orlando. they work at disney world. finish the line from the movie "jerry mcgwire" which frank stole. >> i love you. you complete me. >> just shut up. >> if you can just dry yourself off, tell me what the best line is. >> best movie line ever. ever. >> what is it? >> you had me at hello. >> oh, yeah! >> i think we should get the cd and the money for that answer. >> there's not a woman alive who doesn't know that line of that movie. that is so classic. >> that movie has so many great lines. originally he wanted damon wayans for the cuba gooding jr. part and meira sorvino. he wanted the big line to be you had me at hello or show me the money. or you are my ambassador of -- >> take a look. >> ditto. >> all right. what does the word ditto mean? >> i love you. >> you go, girl. >> not a good day for the cd. >> you guys will be running out of money pretty soon. should i go to the atm and get some cash for you. >> that's a great line. >> you've got whoopi goldberg, the first person of color to win an oscar since sidney portier. let's make it happen. >> back across to kath. >> beautiful lady from knoxville, tennessee. please finish the line from this scene in the movie "top gun." ♪ you're trying hard not to show it ♪ ♪ baby, but baby, believe me, i know it ♪ >> do you know it? >> you've lost that loving feeling. >> yes! you guys are doing great today. >> this is like the home run category for women. come on. >> it's like derek jeter playing softball. >> under handed pitches. >> the great thing about -- that makes short guys feel good. it means you can get a tall girl. >> is that a point? >> that's what the point of "top gun" is. >> short guys can get tall girls. back across to kath. >> in the movie "casa blanca" humphrey humphrey bogart's character says we'll always have which city. >> oh, my god. >> they have a hilton. >> i don't know. >> i couldn't even give it away. it's paris. you get a great album! >> she looks happy. >> yeah. she also gets kathie lee's album, too, unfortunately. >> careful. she'll come get you. you stepped over the line. just saying. over it. pull back. >> i'm reading from the prompter over here. he had so many great lines. kind of the first bromance. the beginning of a beautiful friendship. so many. how do you pick one? you get to go home with a cd. congratulatio congratulations. >> i think we got to wrap it up, kat kat kathie. >> oh, rats, i was going to sing. ♪ i've had the time of my life what was that from? >> dirty dancing. next, how to stain proof your stainless steel. right after this. [ female announcer ] we're made to mix. first timers, old pros, heated rivals, you can't do the wave by yourself. and just like we mix and mingle, so do the delicious tastes and textures in every handful of chex mix. we're made to mix. by giving me huge discounts on rooms hotels can't always fill. with unpublished rates. which means i get an even more rockin' hotel, for less. where you book matters. expedia. a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. and celebrex is not a narcotic. when it comes to relieving your arthritis pain, you and your doctor need to balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, including celebrex, may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. nsaids, including celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. do not take celebrex if you've had an asthma attack, hives, or other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor about your medical history and find an arthritis treatment that works for you. ask your doctor about celebrex. and, go to celebrex.com to learn more about how you can move toward relief. celebrex. for a body in motion. pesty problems around the house. >> hand me the tools. whether your kitchen cabinets won't close or you can't stand looking at empty hail nonail ho the wall. >> let's get started. this is something we all have. you hang up a picture. you end up with a hole in the wall. >> you never get it right the first time. sorry to take you girls down. you know how you never get it right the first time? you end up with a hole here, a hole here. >> nobody measures. >> that's what i do. >> there's a really easy fix. lightweight patching compound. fill the hole. you can even overfill it. this stuff is so lightweight. take a damp sponge and it just rubs away until you have exactly the hole filled the way you want to. >> then you paint it, i guess. >> patch it up with a little paint. >> we believe you, alex. >> okay. >> this is one of those things. interesting. you scuff up your chair and you just don't know how to get rid of the scuff mark. >> you can see really bad scratch marks here. that's basically you've scratched away the stain. minwax makes stain pens. hobbyists use these to do doll house furniture. you can color in the stain. >> it'll is a mahogany or cherry? >> yeah. i'll get this one going a little for you. >> this is so cool. >> put the stain on there and just color it in a little. >> that is so crafty. >> look what i'm doing! >> that is great. it's only $5. they come in nine different colors. >> imagine if you send it off to a craftsman. >> you'd have to finish the whole thing. you know when your cabinets don't close all the way? you're like, oh, i can't believe it. this is an easy fix. get a heavy duty magnet catch. attach it to the cabinet like this one. >> on the bottom. >> it just catches. that's it. it's done. >> alex is a genius. >> stains in the sink. stains in your sink. you don't need to buy stainless steel cleaner. you've probably already got wd-40 in your house. you can use it -- >> it's for everything. >> it's great. it also cleans stainless steel. a little bit of this can just do this and clean up those stains completely. just make sure you wipe it all off when you're done. it's already in your closet. >> okay. that's a smart one. >> you're batting 1,000. >> these are stains that kids leave behind. >> we all like to display our kids' art work but not on the furniture and the walls. they use those pens that are supposed to be able to be cleaned off, but they don't always come off. tooth paste. >> do it. what do you do? >> just put a little bit of toothpaste on there. just like it cleans your teeth, it cleans up stains. >> can you put baking powder on that as well or you don't need it? >> look at that. >> hoda is amazed. >> look at all this cleaning. >> this is the one i like the most. you know how unappetizing it is to get to your butcher block and it smells like garlic and onions, last night's dinner? there's a really easy way to clean that. just use sea salt and a lemon. you're basically scrubbing the smells out with lemon as the -- >> lemon is the world's greatest. >> yeah. this is the abrasive. take the cut and do the lemon. >> i likey! >> i do, too. shouldn't you use a plastic one? >> woods are better. they don't transfer any of the bacteria from the wood back into your knife. plastic ones do. these are bamboo, which is a sustainable material, so that's even better. >> what's next? >> that's the whole show, alex. she's got it. >> thank you. >> thank you very much. up next, we're talking about your love life. >> you didn't get that ring for valentine's day? we're finding out what you need to seal the deal. diana says there's hope. i say it's too late. ooh! ow. 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[ snort ] [ snoring ] [ male announcer ] for a better-looking tomorrow. vicks nyquil cold & flu. the nighttime sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, fever, best sleep you ever got with a cold...medicine. ♪ with all the equipment you use to stay fit, you might want to try lifting one of these. in recent years we've added a unique natural sea salt to over 40 campbell's condensed soups. it helps us reduce sodium, but not flavor. so if you're ready to eat a little better, grab your spoon and do a few lifts. campbell's.® it's amazing what soup can do.™ this week, make pasta night more exciting for your family with a little help from the italian sausage experts: try... since 1945, this delicious italian sausage has been made with only the most premium cuts of pork and unique blends of quality herbs and spices you can actually see. and the taste? why not let the empty plates speak for themselves. make pasta night a weekly dinner your family looks forward to. choose johnsonville, america's favorite italian sausage. brand power. helping you buy better. when psychologist diana kish ner told women they could find love in 90 days in her best selling book, she caused quite the sensation. >> diana writes all about it in her new book called "sealing the deal: the love mentor's guide to lasting love." >> you're saying it's their fault if they didn't find the guy in 90 days, right? they're doing something wrong. >> sometimes you find the guy, and the myth is that if love is meant to happen, it'll just happen. if you find the right guy, happily ever after, da da da da da. no. lasting, passionate love means deepening and rekindling your relationship. i call it sealing the deal. over and over and over again. the good news is if you're dating someone seriously, if you're on and off for ten years, if you're living together, if you're married, sealing the deal has all the tools that you need in order to ignite or reignite those sparks that really bring lovers together. >> i read it. you said that that passion, you know, that stuff, is gone usually between six months -- >> six months to two years. it's very, very interesting. because all couples fall out of love. they all do. they all do at some point. the children, work, blah, blah, blah. >> you have to remind yourself what it was about that person in the first place you fell in love with. >> you have to rekindle it. >> what if that's gone? they don't act that way anywhere. it was false pretenses or something? >> that's a whole different ball of wax. quite often there's plenty of room for you to get together. one of the first things you need to do is to get rid of your own what i call relationship killer beliefs. >> it's one of those things, i think you do project on people your old stuff. you think, there he goes again. just like so and so did. >> in "sealing the deal" i talk about six relationship killer beliefs. when these knee-jerk negative beliefs kick in, something goes south. you're in a rant in your mind. all men are jerks. how could he be this idiotic? it's a rant in your mind. another one is love is too difficult. this is just too hard. i'll never do it. i'll never get what i want. something's wrong with me. >> it shouldn't be that hard, should it? >> not in the beginning. >> it's not. what you have to do is actually manage these. you don't want to go on a rant which makes you cold and makes you bitchy and a drama queen. it tanks you and it tanks the relationship. >> what are the other ones? you said there were six. >> there's six. there are, love means that i have to give myself up, right? i can't be myself and be in a relationship. or true love doesn't exist, which, by the way, it does exist. lasting, passionate love does exist. there are studies of couples married over 20 years that show -- there are brain studies that show they have the same passionate configuration. >> i've been married for 54 years and my daddy still couldn't keep his hands off my mom. >> by my estimate there's over 1 million happily in love crazy about each other. >> sounds kind of sad. 1 million out of how many? >> it means you can make it. if you follow "sealing the deal's" principles, you can make it. >> you should treat it almost like it's an affair. spice it up, make it a little more exciting. >> it's hard to do when you have children, mortgages to pay. the practical application of that? >> practical -- >> 20 minutes. >> in "sealing the deal" i have plenty of ways to do this. one thing you can do is simply send sexy texts to each other. okay? that doesn't take all that long. when you see him, nibble his ear. you look at him and say -- >> it's the little things like that. >> -- what would i be doing if i was having an affair with him. i'd be coquettish. i might touch his thigh. this is somebody he's married to. >> you're touching my thigh, and it's turning me on. >> it's working. >> it's working! >> your next book, it's a hot one. thank you for coming. >> we appreciate it. up next, they're not just here to show off their good looks. the harlem globe trotters are going to teach us a few new tricks. >> i can spin it, by the way. i can spin the ball. >> you're going to have to prove it. for more than 80 years the harlem globetrotters have been winning over their fans with their fancy footwork and dazzling styles. >> today they're here to show us a few of these moves. if we can get them to, they will, they're in a good mood today. just a few of the members of the team. how long have you been with the team? >> i played for 22 years. about 42 years. >> 80 years. >> that's unbelievable. you guys are on this north american tour. you guys do some new things, you mix it up. you don't keep it the same, do you? >> yeah. >> you look good. >> we're introducing something you've never seen before in the game of basketball. the four-point shot. we're so excited we're here. >> you made one? >> yeah. >> how far out are you? >> 35 feet. 12 feet past the -- >> by the way, that's big easy. from the big easy. he's a new orleans boy. >> home grown. we love it. >> that's not so far unless there are people around trying to stop you from making that. >> we've got some tough guys called the -- >> i know! >> i've heard of them. will you throw me the ball for one second. before you guys do your routine, i'm just going to show you that -- hold on. wait, wait, wait. wait just one second. >> there it is! >> all right. y'all do your thing. >> hey! there you go. >> go, go, go! ♪ >> around the world. >> around the world! >> come on, dizzy! >> go, go! >> oh! >> it gets better. >> no, it does not. no you're not! no, no, no, no! come on. do your thing. oh, yes! that's what i'm talking about. woo! okay. thank you. tomorrow, the moves to make to unplug your children. too late for me. >> thank you. >> awesome winesday, everybody. >> bye-bye! -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com