Transcripts For WRC Today 20110406

captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning and welcome to "today" on a wednesday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm meredith vieira. it is a race against time in washington to avoid a government shut down. so far democrats and republicans appear far apart on a deal. >> now the obama administration is telling federal agencies to prepare contingency plans if friday's deadline is not meant. what would a shutdown look like and how would it impact you? we'll get the latest in a live report from the white house ahead. >> also, remember the uproar from the tiger mom? many found her tough love measures extreme. now there is the self-described panda dad. he has a much different take on how to raise a family. we'll meet him coming up. >> also we want to check out what's in the studio. check out famed treasures worn by the likes of elizabeth taylor, mataylor r taylor, marilyn monroe and charlie chaplin. they are owned by debbie reynolds. >> she's always fun. we'll begin in washington with the threat of a government shutdown by week's end. savannah guthrie has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. this morning white house aids are telling me this could go either way. there were late night meetings on capitol hill. but the threat of a government shutdown is verile real. >> all right. hello, everybody. >> reporter: a government shut down now potentially days away the president is venting frustration over the failurer to reach a deal. >> we don't have time for games. we don't have time for trying to score political points or maneuvering or positioning, not on this. >> reporter: after a closed door meeting with congressional leaders at the white house produced no breakthroughs it was back-to-back duelling news conferences. >> we want the largest spending cuts that are possible. we are going to continue to fight for those. >> i hope the republicans do what the country needs, not what they believe the tea party wants. >> reporter: republicans want $61 billion in cuts. democrats have agreed to $33 billion and the two sides disagree on what to cut. both parties say they don't want to see the government shut down. >> we think we're right. >> reporter: in 1995 republicans got the blame after a battle with president clinton ended in the government closinging. >> shut it down. >> reporter: but in the current volatile political climate no one knows who the american people would fault this time around. >> congressional leaders in both parties are worried about fallout from a shutdown. they don't know who the winners would be, who the losers would be. politicians hate uncertainty. >> reporter: bracing for impact there was an e-mail sent to federal agencies to prepare contingency plans while house republicans playing for time proposed a one-week budget extension if there is no deal. >> this is the path to prosperity. >> reporter: meanwhile an even bigger battle looms as republicans unveiled their budget for next year. a blueprint to cut medicare, medicaid and lower the corporate tax rate to save more than $6 trillion over a decade. >> this is the most predictable economic crisis in our history. what are we doing? playing politics. >> reporter: the president said yesterday if there was no progress on these talks he wanted to see speaker boehner and leader reid at the white house today, tomorrow, the next day until there was a deal. the meeting is very much possible today, matt. >> savannah guthrie, thank you very much. senator chuck schumer is a democrat from new york. good morning. >> good morning, matt. >> it's my understanding that a piece of legislation has to be publically posted for 72 hours before it can be voted on. if that is the case, aren't we inside that window now and doesn't it make a shutdown inevitable? >> well, there is a way to avoid it with a short-term piece of legislation that could be put on the floor as late as today. >> so you're okay on the timing then? >> well, tonight is really the deadline, matt. but there is a glimmer of hope. the talks proceeded between the house republicans and senate democrats late last night. some progress was made and the fact that the president hasn't yet called that meeting at the white house is an indication that maybe there is a chance to avoid the shutdown which we want to avoid. >> tell me about the progress. be specific. do you know where the compromise is headed? >> well, there are three areas of concern. one is the number. we have met the other side more than halfway, $33 billion. they keep moving the goal post back because speaker boehner is pulled by the tea party. that was the clip you showed where they said "shut it down, no compromise." that's not how it works. >> you're telling me there is progress. i want to know where it is specifically. >> the progress could be on where the cuts could occur. they have demanded the cuts be on a very small portion of the budget. if you do cuts that deep you cut things like cancer research, aid to students going to college. if we expand it and look at agriculture temperature, ba -- banking and health care you can get to the number without cutting into the muscle that people don't want to cut. most americans don't want to cut. >> if you have the final say on the compromise, could you find another $5 billion or $10 billion in cuts to satisfy republicans? >> absolutely. we can find cuts in other areas. i believe that leader reid has offered those cuts at the conversations last night. >> you know, you talk about speaker boehner and in some ways it does appear he's in a very difficult position here. he's got a lot of pressure coming from the tea party. yet he's got to try to compromise with democrats to avoid the shut down. these are your words. we take it for granted because of the intense political pressure by the tea party the speaker needs to play an outside game and an inside game. as long as he continues to negotiate it's okay by us if he needs to strike a different pose publically. you're saying he's playing a game, talking out of both sides of his mouth. is that accurate? >> i wouldn't be that harsh. he has a contingency, the tea party, but he has to walk a tight rope. we're sympathetic, but it's his job to tell the tea party they can't have everything. they are getting some things but they can't get everything their way. >> when you look at things the tea party and others on the far right are looking for -- no funding for climate control, planned parenthood, public broadcasting -- does it seem this is les about economic policy debate and they are making b an ideological stand here? >> that's right, matt. you have hit the nail on the head. even in the cuts they want to make, we can find other cuts that don't cut into the muscle. that don't prevent students from going to college. they say no, not because they care about the deficit but they have an ideology to get rid of all government. some government is wasteful. some government is productive. the tea party's popularity is declining and it ought to be a message to speaker boehner. >> in a washington post poll it was asked who wouldle people blame if the government shuts down. a pox on all your houses. it goes 37% for the president, 37% for the republicans. >> the people certainly want both sides to compromise. as they look at it, they see we have met them more than halfway. we are not moving the goal post back and i think at the end of the day they will understand it's the tea party that's the problem here. >> senator schumer, thank you for spending time with us. >> thanks, matt. >> now a check on the other top stories with ann curry at the news desk. >> good morning. we begin with good news this morning. a breakthrough in japan overnight as workers at the troubled nuclear facility were able to stop radioactive water from gushing into the ocean. this according to tempko which operates the plant. meanwhile local fisherman are demanding compensation in the wake of the nuclear disaster. libyan rebels are slamming nato alleging the international coalition isn't doing enough to protect them on the battlefield. stephanie gosk is near the front line with the latest in ajdabiya. good morning. >> reporter: we're on the western edge of ajdabiya in kind of a staging area for the rebels. there is real anger -- these forces were pushed back by one of the heaviest barrages of artillery by gadhafi loyalists they have seen in days. the top commander is openly criticizing nato for not doing more to protect the citizens of misrata, a town in the west that's been surrounded by gadhafi's forces for weeks now. nato, in its defense, says they have been holding back because they are concerned about civilian casualties. here in eastern libya, there is a u.s. envoy in the city of benghazi. chris stevens is here on a fact-finding mission to offer ways that the u.s. can support the rebels with nonlethal ass t assista assistaassis assistanc anks for the reportering. .em at least nine deaths are blamed on severe weather in southern u.s. the massive storm system cut across from the mississippi river to the carolinas causing tens of millions of dollars in damage. the national weather service confirmed eight tornadoes so far. of the 38 suspected twisters that ripped through the region. boeing has acknowledged that it miscalculated the risk of metal fatigue in 737 jets saying it was aware cracking would occur but it was not aware it could happen so soon. boeing is under fire after a five-foot hole ripped open mid flight on a southwest airlines jet last friday. the company recommends inspections on all 737s now after 30,000 flights. now to wall street and cnbc's amanda drury at the new york stock exchange. good morning. >> good morning. the u.s. stock markets are sitting around their highest in nearly three years. gold prices are at a record high. we all know oil prices are also sky high with the average gallon of gasoline now up 86 cents from a year ago. according to new figures from masterer card this is putting the squeeze on nonessential spending. they were saying the growth in online sales accelerated last month as shoppers were trying to save on gas. back to you. >> thanks, mandy. finally a stunning victory brought this year's ncaa victory to a close as the women of texas a & m took their first championship title beating notre dame 76-70. just one night after uconn's win made jim calhoun the oldest coach to clinch the men's title gary blair became the oldest coach to win the women's title at 65. >> let's hear it for the old guys. >> yeah! >> they are only old in chronological terms. they are young at heart. >> i'm old both ways. >> you're one of the ways. >> really not, the youngest at heart i know. continuing to get hammered in the northwest. we will see another couple of storms come in in the next several days. the one right now, going to drop about a foot of snow through the cascades, and the sierra will probably see a foot later tonight later in tomorrow with half an inch along the coast. and record-setting temperatures in texas. and rain working its way into parts of western new york and pennsylvania as well, and high surf advisories along the central and southern california coast. that's what is going on around the country, and here is what is happening around yours. >> good morning. right now it's just near 30 in the suburbs and many of the rural areas, and mid-and upper 30s in washington and east of washington, and later today hae we should rebound in the low to mid-60s with increasing clouds and mostly cloudy zpoent tomorrow. highs upper 60s on thursday and and that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you. now to more on japan's nuclear crisis. officials have stopped highly radio active water from leaking into the ocean but there are concerns over tainted fish making their way to the u.s. my fwiguel almaguer is in los angeles at a major fish vendove. good morning. >> reporter: much of the fish comes straight from japan. it's fresh and they say it's clean. the federal government's inspectors were here yesterday. many are still worried. fresh fish imported from japan. a $236 million industry last year alone. much of the mackerel, yellowtail and thai snapper at this los angeles distributor came from japanese waters less than 40 hours ago. still, some restaurants and consumers aren't taking any chances. >> no. we are not serving any fish from japan now. >> i think as a new mom, especially one that's breastfeeding, i am worried about radiation in the whole food supply. >> reporter: despite the caution the u.s. government says americans should not be concerned. >> people should feel confident in the safety of the food supply. >> reporter: the food & drug administration, the fda, says it's ramped up the examination of seafood from japan. so far, the fda says not a single radioactive fish has been detected in this country. >> fda established a safety net to be sure anything coming into this country is safe for human consumption consumption. >> reporter: last month the government halted all from japan. but new worries now as tons of radioactive water was sent into the ocean after thousands of contaminated fish were found within miles of the plant the japanese government announced new radiation standards for fish. india banned imports of all food from japan. on this side of the pacific ocean, japanese fish still sells where you can find it. >> yes, we are still buying fish from japan. i believe it is safe. >> i'm a physician. and i'm very much aware of issues about radioactivity and i don't think we really have to be concerned at this time. >> reporter: imported fish from japan still considered safe. but today, some won't take the risk. although the u.s. imports hundreds of millions of dollars of fish from japan every year it's important to keep in mind only a small percentage of the fish we eat in this country actually comes from japan. again, the fda says it's safe to eat. meredith? >> all right, miguel almaguer, thank you very much. it's 7:16. once again here's matt. >> the trial of italian premier silvio berlusconi got under way this morning. he's accused, as you remember, of paying for sex with an under aged prostitute and using his influence to cover it up. while today's hearing didn't last long the messy case has thrown italy into an uproar. michelle kosinski is in milan. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. the first day of silvio berlusconi's trial lasted eight minutes. it's all procedural. he didn't make an appearance. he's already facing three other trials for corruption, but of course this is the one that gets the attention, the women, the allegations of wild parties and he has not exactly been shy about all of this. silvio berlusconi's latest defense? that at age 74, even he could not have done it. telling a newspaper, even though i'm a mischief maker, 32 girls in two months is too much even for a 30-year-old. >> you never see him frustrated. he's not afraid of the public or the media. >> reporter: these tv show girls said his infamous parties at the villa were elegant dinners where they might dance and the prime minister would sing. he's like a second fatherer says barbara guera, but leaked photos show them in progress with barbara dressed like not quite a police officer. dozens of prostitutes and young women were recruited for silvio berlusconi, but they defend him. >> he's not a monster. he's a simple man. >> reporter: alexandra said she's been to many of the prime minister's parties. they weren't full of sex and partying and naked women? >> no. i never see this like crazy things. he loved me. but, you know, it's like a platonic love. >> reporter: and admits silvio berlusconi gave her more than $150,000. when was the last time you talked to him? >> today. >> reporter: you talked to him today? on her sparkly phone she called him but the person who answered said he was with a group. he's actually accused of having sex with teenage runaway turned heart throb ruby when she was 17 and getting her released from jail for stealing with silvio berlusconi saying she was related to hosni mubarak. >> if he were convicted of this crime he could never be a politician for the rest of his life. >> reporter: he's faced many trials for corruption but always walked away. this case is not necessarily a slam dunk. he insists he didn't sleep with ruby, didn't know her age and thought she was related to mubarak. >> the prosecution has a lot to prove. a lot depends on what he knew, when he knew it. >> reporter: the teflon head of state is now in the hands of three judges, all women -- the no-nonsense kind. prosecutors have 20,000 pages of stuff. lots of wiretaps, but it remains to be seen what's actually damning because what leaked so far isn't necessarily, at least so far as crimes are concerned. silvio berlusconi has been light hearted. the other day handling a tough immigration issue he made a joke and said when women were asked who wouldle sleep with the prime minister 33% said yes and 67% said, what, again? not everyone finds it funny, matt. >> thank you. coming up, was it excessive or necessary force? a 2nd grader pepper sprayed by police after throwing ale violent tantrum in school. we'll talk to him and his mom. first this is "today" on nbc. just ahead, debbie reynolds reveals some of the remarkable hollywood treasures she's collected throughout the years and is now putting up for sale. >> plus, one driver's very close call when a 2 x 4 comes smashing through her windshield. we'll tell you what happened. first your local news and weather. i thought i was going to be it forever, but then it was dig deep time, and i brought it... and i struck like a cobra. that was a good tag. 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[ male announcer ] build your better breakfast with all the flavors you choose. try an irresistible steak, egg & cheese, with toasty tomato or chipotle southwest sauce on tasty flatbread. only at subway! ♪ good morning, it's 7:26 on this wednesday's, the 6th day of wednesday. police in fairfax county are looking for a home where dozens of head cats were found. animal control officers made that discovery yesterday. some neighbors suspected something was wrong months ago and contacted animal control and contacted animal control about thwhat do we have here? oh, it's scotts naturescapes advanced mulch. advanced huh? ehh...mulch is mulch. oh, not so, pops. ordinary mulch can fade after a few months. that's mulch! naturescapes holds its color for a full year. a whole year? guaranteed. plus, it's water smart. water-what? water smart. it channels water directly to the roots... reducing runoff, so you can water 30% less. saves water...holds color... you're sure this is mulch? ♪ [ male announcer ] scotts naturescapes advanced mulch. but it's cold. later today should make it into the mid-60s though, and increasing clouds, a bit of a blustery southwest wind. and then rain likely on friday and cooler. could get showers friday night into saturday morning, otherwise the rest of the weekend looks dry into the 70s on sunday. jerry, how is traffic? >> route 7 aeb, as you make your trip over towards route 28, the police are dealing with that. heads up for those of you heading in that direction. go behind the scenes to see how one man is bringing famous faces from the past to life faces from the past to life inside the national cathedral. go over sales figures, complete this merger, present to the board and do a number of other seemingly impossible tasks today. it's going to be a big one. sink your teeth into some egg, bacon and cheese and nod if you understand. good. you've got spunk. a big day calls for the new big n' toasty, with fried eggs, cherrywood-smoked bacon, and cheese, stacked high on thick texas toast. wrap your hands around one at dunkin'. america runs on dunkin'. grab a big breakfast with the new big n' toasty sandwich from dunkin' donuts. 7:30 now on this wednesday morning, 6th day of april 2011. belief it or not, we have a little bit of spring sunshine in the northeast. that's a nice change for the folks gathered on the plaza. they deserve it. inside studio 1a i'm meredith vieira alongside matt lauer. just ahead, a really frightening accident. >> take a look at this. a woman was driving with a camera rolling when a truck hit that 2 x 4 in the road and it kicked up and came through her windshield. most importantly, she did not get hurt. she'll be here to share that interview coming up. >> also ahead a young couple with an 18-month-old daughter who had their life turned upside down by a tragic coincidence but they say their story is one of hope, not heartbreak. >> how about this? the startling amount of salt in restaurant meals. would you ever eat two family sized bags of potato chips? >> yes. >> that's how much is in one popular restaurant's chicken dish. what you should and should not be ordering when you dine out. >> we begin with the second grader pepper sprayed by police after he threatened teacherers. we'll talk to that young boy and his mom in a moment. first kerry sanders is in lakewood, colorado, outside denver with details. good morning, kerry. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. this is the sort of pepper spray they used against aidan, the same sort they use against any suspect. the only difference here, this was an 8-year-old 2nd grader. >> this is my room. i'm a fan of spider-man and like the other superheroes. >> reporter: at home 8-year-old aidan seems like most kids his age. >> hi! >> reporter: police say on february 22nd the 2nd grader went into a violent rage in his classroom. he started throwing chairs at two teachers who locked themselves in an office and called police while aidan reportedly screamed, if you come out, you're gonna die. police say he threw a tv cart and tore wood trim from the walls. >> they tried to deescalate the behavior that occurred. he was swinging a stick. he was using it as a weapon. he was violent. he was verbal. he was abusive. >> i wanted to make something sharp for like if they came out because i was so mad at them. i was going to try to whack them with it. >> the officers told him to drop it. he wouldn't. >> reporter: so police pepper sprayed him, twice. >> of course, it burned my eyes so i couldn't see. >> our officers had to do something to diffuse the situation in a hurry before someone was hurt. >> reporter: aidan has a history of behavior problems. this was his third run-in with police at school, but aidan's mom says police should have talked him down as they had before. >> i think it's excessive. i think that they could have tried to talk to him for five, ten minutes to see if they could get him to calm down, but it doesn't seem like that's what they did. >> the officers made a great choice that day in choosing the pepper spray. >> reporter: keep in mind this is the same school district as the 1999 columbine high school massacre that left 15 dead. >> i also now kind of collect these things. >> reporter: even aidan admits he's got anger issues. >> i kind of deserved it, but -- >> reporter: aidan wants to be a marine but has concerns. >> when i also behave like that i'm thinking my future is going to turn around into the homeless, bad thing way. >> reporter: aidan -- no charges were filed at all. in fact, aidan is no longer at this school. he's now enrolled at a school for children with behavioral problems. meredith? >> kerry sanders, thank you very much. 8-year-old aidan is here along with his mom mandy. good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> this is a tough situation for everyone involved, mandy. i understand why you believe using pepper spray on an 8-year-old is excessive. but the police say your son was posing a real threat to teachers, that, in fact, he admits that he wanted to hurt them and they felt they had no choice. can you accept or entertain the possibility that they didn't have any choice but to use spray on your son? >> to a degree, but the school he was at was for children with socialle and emotional behavioral issues. >> i thought it was not. i thought he was now in a school for behavioral issues. >> the school has a classroom specifically for these children. >> why does that make a difference? >> because they know what the kids are capable of before they took him on. and then they could have also called and asked for a special unit who deals with children from the police department in these crisis situations. >> had that been done in the past? the police had been called in to deal with your son on two other occasions. >> all other times they have been able to talk to him, find out what was bothering him and calm him down. >> aidan, what was bothering you? what happened? >> i just get angry a lot. >> what happened that day? do you remember what you were doing when the police arrived? >> not that much. but i remember most of it. >> and what part do you remember? do you remember them asking you to put the stick down? >> yeah. like the first time they said it like i just kind of did it slowly. and then once it touched the ground, that's when it happened. >> once the stick touched the ground that's when they sprayed you? >> yes. >> do you think if they had t not sprayed you, you would have tried to hurt your teachers? >> no. >> you don't think so. do you understand what's going on with aidan, mandy? this isn't the first time it's happened. what triggerers this at school? >> usually it's a transition period from a structured event such as social studies or reading into a free time and going back to a structured event that he has a problem. >> is it something that happens at home as well? >> no. he is a normal 8-year-old child at home with us when he goes to see his nana in wyoming, when he's at soccer, swimming, babysittere babysitters, he's fine. >> there has to be something. has a doctor diagnosed aidan with anything? >> we have had many doctors. he sees a therapist weekly. they all say there is nothing mentally wrong with him or there is no disabilitiy there. >> do you know why you get angry at school sometimes when you don't get angry anywhere else? >> i don't know. it's just that's the way my body goes. i can't control it for some reason. >> mandy, if you had that day to do over what would you have hoped they would do differently? >> that they would have called the right section of the police department to come and talk to him before i got there. i was only ten minutes out. >> tough question. if you were the parent of another child in that school would you be more accepting of the decision they made? >> i'm not sure i would. there were no students in this classroom when it happened. >> at this point, aidan, you're in a new school now. how is it going there? >> i went there before but it's doing pretty good. >> i know that the police are not filing any charges. the school has dropped this. do you want to drop it, mandy, move on? or do you want to see something happened to the officers that used the pepper spray? >> i do want them to get training like other local police departments in our area have for a crisis situation with children. i don't think it is right for an 8-year-old to get pepper sprayed. >> i appreciate you coming on. a little tired this morning, huh? >> yeah. >> it's early. thank you again. >> thank you. >> let's check on the weather fr let's switch gears and get a check of the weather from al. good morning, everybody. we have got some flooding to talk about up in south dakota, where they say this is the worst flooding they have seen in 40 years. and they have not crested yet. we have flooding all along the red river throughout the dakotas and minnesota as well as they continue sandbagging operations. let's show you what is happening. afternoon temperatures part of the problem. we have snow-melt going on as temperatures go above freezing in the dakotas. 90s in west texas with record-setting temperatures, and some areas getting over 100. and we have snow showers in new england. wet weather in the western parts of new york and pennsylvania. and then monsoon moisture in the southwest. and then we have more rain and snow in the pacific northwest. that's what is going on around the country, and here is what is happening in your neck of the woods. >> still cold and still near the freezing mark in the rural areas of virginia and washington. we will have lots of sunshine this morning and then clouds building this afternoon, but we should warm in the mid-60s by afternoon and a southwest wind around 20 miles per hour, and then clouding up tonight and mostly cloudy on thursday but should be a bit warmer. friday, rain likely and cooler. could have showers friday night into saturday, and then meredith. >> okay, al, thank you very much. sorry about that. i was talking to aidan here. up next, healthier alternatives to the saltiest restaurant meals including a pasta dish equal to 11 orders of fries. plus, debbie reynolds shares treasures from some of hollywood's most iconic film stars. first, these messages. i wear what i love, because expression means everything. i wear the pants. and the tops. and the jewels. i grab life by the accessories. some say i've done it all. i say i'm just getting started. ♪ too hot to trot ♪ baby i'm so chico's. which beneful prepared meals. tonight? roasted chicken recipe? - savory rice and lamb stew. - [ barks ] you're right. tonight is a beef stew kind of night. [ announcer ] beneful prepared meals. another healthful, flavorful beneful. he hangs here. because you don't see this everyday. (child) because we read the books . (man) and watched the movies . and now we're living it. because i can fly with harry. follow me! because now i can turn my brother back into a human being. (narrator) from unforgettable adventures, to the wizarding world of harry potter, only at universal orlando resort. let's raise a glass to cookies just out of the oven. to the morning bowl of cereal. and to lactaid® milk. easy to digest and with all the calcium and vitamin d of regular milk. [ female announcer ] lactaid®. the original lactose-free milk. tough being the only girl. aw, there's the man of the house. who's this ? this is rufus. hey, rufus. he's actually pretty talented. you wanna see him do a trick ? ok. hey rufus. who do we love ? we love our bank. we love our bank. we love our bank. we love our bank. yes, yes. you really love your bank don't you. ally bank customers love our 24/7 customer care that allows you to talk to a real person anytime. ally. do you love your bank ? ♪ eat it ♪ eat it we're back at 7:42. this morning on eat this, not that, a salt attack. many meals at your favorite restaurants are packed with sodium and that can spell serious health trouble. david zinczenko is author of the eat this, not that series 2011 and the new no diet diet. good morning. nice to see you. >> good morning, matt. >> we have done seg. s and a lot of times we are dealing with fat and calories but sometimes the meals have enough sodium to sink a ship. that's what we are concentrating on today. >> for sure. people think of fat and calories as the punch of bad nutrition. salt is a sucker punch you don't see coming. 5% of the salt we eat comes from home. that's it. >> what do doctors and nutritionists say is the proper amount of sodium intake per day? >> if you're african-american, over 50, around 1,500 milligrams. otherwise, 2,300 which is just a teaspoon of salt. we average 3,400. >> 2,300 milligrams. keep that number in your minds as we go through the meals. starting with ruby tuesday's mediterranean shrimp pasta. it has 3,900 milligrams of salt. that's 50% more than the average person should have in a whole day. >> and i think they accidentally boiled the noodles in the mediterranean sea. you're talking here about a dish that has over 1,000 calleries and 4,000 milligrams of sodium. it would be the sodium equivalent of 11 large orders of french fries. >> not good. ruby tuesday has the grilled petite sirloin with steamed broccoli and white cheddar potatoes. what's the count? >> it's genius because it's only 460 calories and 900 milligrams of sodium. so you are cutting 60% of the calories, 70% of the sodium and 60% of the fat. you're getting a really nutritious, protein-filled meal. >> on to ihop, the thick cut bone in ham and eggs has nearly double the recommended daily amount of sodium. >> this is another day in the salt mines here. i think "thick" refers to the layer of salt. what you get here is not only more than two days worth of sodium, but you get 37 servings of planter's peanuts. this is the sodium equivalent right here. >> but ihop has a healthier alternative. this is the simple and fit turkey bacon omelet. only 730 milligrams of salt. >> what's great is you cut out 3600 milligrams immediately and drop several hundred calories. >> this wille get attention. the applebee's weight watchers chipotle lime chicken. you hear weight watchers and think it's good for you. >> salt is sneaky. this is not called salt watchers because this has 5,000 milligrams of sodium. under 500 calories but you have 5,000 milligrams of sodium. you're replacing fat with salt for flavor. >> that's the equivalent of these chips? >> 31 servings of ruffles. >> you can have their half grilled chicken caesar salad. >> jennifer hudson should sing about the half order. it's 810 milligrams of sodium, 400 calories and just five grams of saturated fat. >> yeah, but it's still -- all right. >> and the carbs are going from 51 grams to 12. >> here's the killer. this is pf change's double pan fried noodles with pork. i had to look at it twice. this has 7900 milligrams of sodium. >> yes. it's the sodium equivalent of 263 triscuits. it's double pan fried. it's not bad enough to do it once. they have to pan fry it again. if you're at pf change's and you don't want the lot's wife special that will turn you into a pillar of salt, you should get the buddha's feast and you will be smiling as you cut 90% of the sodium out of the meal. >> it's not just fat and calories. look at labels, check the sodium content. david, good to see you. >> thanks, matt. >> up next, what would you do if you were driving and a 2 x 4 came crashing through the windshield? one woman's extremely close call right after this. 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[ male announcer ] visine-a is clinically proven to relieve all your worst eye allergy symptoms. it goes right where you need it, relieving allergy eyes in minutes. get visine-a. no other allergy eye drop is more complete. ♪ but you're not sweet you hit on my friends ♪ ♪ i'm not your fool i won't just sit here and drool ♪ ♪ i'm tired of sharing you this is the end ♪ ♪ so i found a new love a natural true love ♪ ♪ that comes from a leaf green and bright ♪ ♪ zero-calorie, guilt-free no artificiality ♪ ♪ my soul sings with joy and delight ♪ ♪ its name is truvia i had no idea ♪ ♪ and i am loving every single bite ♪ [ announcer ] truvia. honestly sweet. good morning. we have 44 degrees right now at 7:56 on this wednesday, the 6th of april. good morning to you. in news4 today, the d.c. board of education will meet today and talk about the cheating allegations at some schools. ununusual amount of erasers were found on tests in 2008. and then a dealer fee increase, and that means the paperwork fee will go from $100 to $200, and three years after that, the fee will increase again to $300. - ( music playing ) - we know technology can make you more connected. but now it can make you more connected to your doctor through e-mail. test results from home. check records. change appointments. now doctors, nurses, techs, pharmacists are all digitally connected to each other. and ultimately connected to you. at kaiser permanente, we believe that if knowledge is power, shared knowledge is even more powerful. kaiser permanente. thrive. good morning. later today we will climb in the mid-60s. it's a bit of a southwest breeze increasing clouds and mostly cloudy and rain tomorrow. maybe a lingering shower on saturday morning. how is traffic? >> an accident on 395 northbound, quickly moved to the shoulder. everything on the right shoulder, but delays begin well before the belt loop. and then connecticut avenue and georgia avenue, slow. tonight on news4 at 5:00, go behind the scene ♪ we're back now at 8:00 on a wednesday morning. it's the 6th day of april, 2011. it's finally pretty in the northeast. we have a bright sunshine day. there's the view from the top of the rock. just above us in rockefeller center. the bad news is it's only 38 degrees. so it's chillier than we like, but that's okay. say hi to the nice people on the plaza. i'm matt lauer along with meredith vieira and al roker. coming up in this half hour it's a difficult story to tell. two parents of an 18-year-old daughter, within nine days they each got a tragic diagnosis. something to make parents out there stop and think about their lives. the good side of the story is their friends, family members, their communities, even total strangers have rallied around them. we'll talk to the couple in a few minutes. >> then on a lighter note, debbie reynolds is here and filled our studio with real hollywood treasures. there she is. everything from charlie chaplin's hat to costumes worn by the likes of marilyn monroe and that outfit worn by elizabeth taylor. debbie will tell us what makes them special and why they are up for sale now. >> she's an icon. >> she sure is. >> remember the book about the tiger mom? we have a guy who calls himself the panda dad. he has a much different approach when it comes to parenting. he'll share his advice. and he snacks on bamboo. pretty neat. >> he's more laissez-faire. >> than tiger mom. >> ann curry is at the news desk with the headlines. hi, ann. >> good morning once again, everybody. in the news there was progress but no breakthrough overnight in talks to prevent a partial shutdown of the federal government on friday. president obama will summon congressional leaders back to the white house if they can't agree on a budget for the rest of the fiscal year. vice president joe biden announced that debbie schultz has been picked to be the new chairperson of the democratic national committee. she is expected to keep her house seat as well. she replaces the outgoing chair tim kaine who is running for a u.s. senate seat in virginia. higher fuel prices caused a dip in retail sales according to a credit card tracking agency. cold weather delayed clothing purchases. online selling increased as shoppers tried to save on gasoline. utility workers in japan say workers have stopped a leak of radioactive water from the earthquake and tsunami-damaged nuclear power plant. the water flowing into the ocean raised concerns about seafood safety. a libyan rebel leader accused nato of failing to protect libyan civilians by taking too long to call in air strikes. in response, nato says it is more difficult to go after gadhafi's heavy weapons because they are put in areas where there aren't many civilians. fighting resumed around the palace of laurent gbabgo who refuses to step down. he appeared willing to surrender and then backed away. two boys playing on a beach in australia didn't realize how close they may have come to danger. this photograph taken a few weeks ago appears to show a great white shark in shallow water just 30 feet from where the children were digging in the sand. you might have heard about the cow who jumped over the moon. what about a cow that jumped over a fence? a german farm girl was not allowed to get a horse, so she spent two years training her cow luna to behave like one. well done. it's now four minutes past the hour. let's go back to meredith. >> you have to love a jumping cow, right? >> exactly. ave to love a jumping cow, right. >> we found some -- a bagpiper here. why the bagpipe? >> today is national tarten day. >> what tarten is that? >> this is the island tarten. >> i love the sound of the pipes. flint, michigan, nbc 25, and showers and cold. we have activity making its way across the central great lakes. more wet weather in the pacific northwest, where they may pick up another foot of snow or so. high surf advisories along the central california coast. snow showers in northern new england. beautiful weather throughout the southeast. and texas, some places will see over 100 degrees today. good morning, a spring chill here. we have temperatures now above freezing in most areas. it's in the mid-and upper 30s to near 40. 40 at reagan national. and then clouds on the increase this afternoon along with a blustery southwest breeze, and might get a few sprinkles on the maryland and pennsylvania border. it does appear we will get chilly rain on friday likely, and maybe lingering showers friday night into saturday and that's your latest weather, meredith? >> al, thank you very much. coming up, the tragic coincidence for a family with an 18-month-old daughter. how they are fighting back. color color...don't go away. 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[ male announcer ] ask your veterinarian about k9 advantix ii. how about a coastal soup and grilled shrimp salad combination? or maybe skewers of wood-grilled shrimp. seafood lunches starting at just $6.99 at red lobster. don't suffer waiting for your pills to kick in. add alaway. for fast eye itch relief that works in minutes and lasts up to 12 hours. only alaway comes from bausch & lomb. for fast eye itch relief, add alaway. those of us who know grass doesn't turn green just because the calendar says to. and that a big difference can grow from a small budget. for those of us with grass on our sneakers... dirt on our jeans... and a lawn that's as healthy as our savings... the days are about to get a whole lot greener. ♪ more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. we're lowering the cost of reclaiming your yard. with spectracide weed stop, buy one get one free. we're back now with a story of heartbreak and hope. in a cruel twist of fate this year the parents of a toddler each got life-threatening diagnoses within days of each other. we'll meet the bonds in a moment. first janet shamlian has the story. good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning. this is every parent's fear, that you and your spouse may not be around to take care of the most precious person in your life, your young child. once you meet the bonds you see this is a story of hope, not despair. as alisa and nathan bonds saw it, life was just about perfect. their 18-month-old daughter sadie delivered joy beyond what they had i mann ma'magined. a fairy tale wedding in 2005, they felt they had it all. >> we were in a good place. i had no complaints. well, i wanted to lose 20 pounds. that was it. but, you know. >> if that's the worst of it -- >> that was the worst of it. >> reporter: valentine's day this year delivered heartbreak and turned their world upside down. during a colonoscopy, doctors found nathan had a malignant tumor, stage three rectal cancer. just as they were coming to terms with the devastating diagnosis, nine days later alisa was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer which is considered incurable. >> that made me angry. i don't ask really why we have cancer but i was angry at my tumor that it was going to get in the way of takening ca itaki her. >> reporter: he wouldn't have to go it alone. in a testament to just how much they are loved, friends from all corners of the country showed up at the bond home in brooklyn. they divided up the work from taking nathan to chemotherapy to girl time with alisa. because of the treatments alisa quit her job and nathan is on leave. with mounting medical bills their friends created a website for donations. al lolisa is blogging about the journey through cancer. >> it is strange to me that something so horrible could bring about so many blessings. >> reporter: while the future is uncertain what has never been in doubt, the bond between them and their unflappable spirit. >> we are determined to get through this. if you envision our circumstance, don't envision the cancer. envision the healing. envision us playing with sadie when she's 5, when she's 10, arguing about the keys to the car when she's 16. that's what we ask. >> reporter: unimaginable heartbreak that a young family is facing with infinite grace. and the same can be said for their close circle of friends who are tackling their nonmedical need with military-like organization. they are in great hands. matt? >> janet, thank you very much. alisa and nathan bond are with us this morning. good to see you both. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> i was reading this last night and i was thinking, why are you sharing this? i can imagine this must be hard enough to deal with in the privacy of your own home and the privacy of your own thoughts. why do you want to talk about this publically? >> i didn't actually. i just started blogging for our family and friends because people didn't want to be intrusive but wanted to know what was going on. for me i thought it was cathartic. so it covered a couple of bases. and then my friends got organized. they created a website for us. and then someone in the media picked it up. we thought, okay, it's a local human interest story. it is strange. >> in some ways you must be fwaning strength off of the support of other people. >> without a doubt. that's one reason we continue to be open in sharing. it's inspiring to us the outpouring of love from everybody else and for some reason we are inspiring other people as well. all we have done is get cancer. >> well, let's mention mention that janet came to your home a week ago. you had a long flowing head of hair and i understand the day she got there because of the treatment your hair decided to fall out so you decided to be proactive here. >> yes. >> how are the treatments impacting you physically other than the most obvious ways? >> the first week owas terrible. really sick. lost a lot of weight. just in bed. since then it's gotten progressively better. i think your body finds a new normal. there is a lot of fatigue. he had to go to the hospital the other night for a fever. i didn't sleep that night. the baby woke up early. so it's tiring. >> you said you feel your body has bestrayed you. >> yeah. >> you have both side you don't spend a lot of time asking why me or in this case why the two of us. how do you avoid that? >> i think if you spend time worrying about what's happening today you're going to miss out on what's actually going on during the day or worrying about tomorrow. for us, it's about trying to enjoy every moment we have together. >> how much time do you spend trying to -- and this is a hard thing to ask you two. but if you're in your position, you've got to spend some amount of time preparing for the future for your daughter. how much of your time does that occupy? >> very little. we did it up front. we tried to handle it right away so we could let it go. so we knew we had a plan in place and then we could get on with the business of healing. >> i need your help on this. i don't want this segment -- i thought about this this morning. i don't want people at home to just simply find despair in this and i know you don't want that either. so help me out. what is the -- where is the humanity here? where is the piece of this that people can walk away with and take a deep breath and feel better this morning as opposed to feeling very sorry for the two of you? >> well, it's not a done deal. i mean, we have a lot of time. we have the best medical resources available to us. and we have a lot of love. i think love gets you through -- not just the love we have for each other but for our daughter and all of our family and friends. if you operate on the love, you get to enjoy every second of every day. >> maybe that's the gift of this. you have learned a lot about friends, family and humanity in general. >> and perfect strangers. i think we'll take away not so much when we are well, which we will be, is not the illness but the outpouring of love from perfect strangers literally all over the world. that's what we're going to tell sadie about when she asked about our cancer later on. >> we wish you the best. i think you will teach people important lessons. thanks. good luck to you both. >> thank you so much. >> appreciate it. 16 minutes after the hour. find out more about the bonds' journey on the link to their blog that can be found on our website at today.com. we're back right after this. 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[ female announcer ] lipitor is not for everyone, including people with liver problems and women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant. you need simple blood tests to check for liver problems. tell your doctor if you are taking other medications or if you have any muscle pain or weakness. this may be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. great ride down. if you have high cholesterol, you may be at increased risk of heart attack and stroke. don't kid yourself. talk to your doctor about your risk and about lipitor. but one is so clever that your skin looks better even after you take it off. neutrogena® healthy skin liquid makeup. 98% saw improved skin. does your makeup do that? neutrogena® cosmetics. and all my investments, but it's not something that i want to do completely on my own -- i like to discuss my ideas with someone. that's what i like about fidelity. they talked with me one on one, so we could come up with a plan that's right for me, and they worked with me to help me stay on track -- or sometimes, help me get on an even better one. woman: there you go, brian. thanks, guys. man: see ya. fidelity investments. turn here. we are back at 8:20. legendary actress debbie reynolds was just 19 years old when she danced in "singing in the rain." she earned an oscar in "the unsynchable molly brown." but she's also a passionate collector of hollywood memorabilia. now thousands of her costumes and props are hitting the auction block. we are lucky to have you here this morning. good morning. >> good morning. >> talk about a collection. 3,500 costumes. >> black magic has me in its spell. >> that's from marilyn monroe from "bus stop"? >> she was fabulous in that. she just did that so campy. >> it's one of the things going on auction estimated to sell between $80,000 and $120,000. where does your love of this come from and how did you gather so much? >> it took me 50 years. just when i heard mgm was having an auction of everything in 1970 i ran there and raised my hand. i spent all my money. and everything i have made since then. i just kept buying and buying because i didn't want to see it broken up. i wanted it to be a museum for all the fans to have. i didn't make that goal. that was my real goal. >> now you're letting go with some of the costumes. >> i'm selling everything. everything. i want everyone to have a little bit of everyone that they love. jimmy stewart, james cagney, humphrey bogart. i have over 3,000 costumes. >> from some of the most famous movies. >> all the academy award winning movies. >> this is going on sale. before we move on there is another marilyn man row item. it's the dress she wore in "the seven-year itch." >> the famous white subway dress. >> they expect it could go between $1 million and $2 million. that's the dress everyone remembers. >> that's the icon, the most famous. she was married to jodie mad-- joe dimaggio. he didn't like it when that dress went up. >> that was no good for him. >> he didn't want the world to see her panties. >> we want to see this. this is charlie chaplin's hat from when he portrayed the tramp. that's one of the bowlers he wore. >> one of the most famous. you know it's charlie's. it has the little bow on the side. >> that's what tells you it's charlie's. >> that was his trademark. >> they expect it to go for $20,000. >> i'm going to keep it for that. i'll tell you. >> that's a beauty. that's a winner. >> moving on from there, this is grace kelly's dress. she wore it in "to catch a thief" with cary grant. >> i love cary grant. we have his outfit. we have the complete cast, not just the leading ladies. it's everybody. >> talk about a tiny waist she had. my gosh. >> all the stars had 17-inch waists. we just kept in shape. it wasn't the wildness they make of it today. we just kept in shape, exercised every day, every morning. >> that's expected to go from $30,000 to $50,000. >> or whatever. >> this is from charlton heston in "ben hur." >> this is the belt that goes with it. the mannequin was too big and charlton was small. he was very limber, you know, lithe. >> and the hand cuffs are great. >> they have magnificent costumes. it was a great picture. >> absolutely. that's expected to sell from $20,000 to $30,000. >> or whatever. >> i know. push up the price. this is from "little woman". >> and this is the june alyson, janet leigh and the whole cast. this is just one of the outfits. i have all of elizabeth's from cleopatra. >> and "national velvet" as well. in later years you and elizabeth made up. you were best friends. she got involved with eddie fisher before he was your ex. all was forgiven. >> yes. >> now that she's passed can you share something about her we may not know? >> well, she wanted what she wanted and she got it. we found that out. you do find out people are wonderful, as they mature. she met a wonderful man, richard burton. he was fabulous. i have all of richard's things, too. >> you do? >> well, richard was one of the funniest men. he could quote poetry and he loved to drink. and elizabeth liked to drink. they had a hot time in the old town tonight. >> debbie reynolds, always a pleasure. >> and june 18 is the auction. >> june 18. everything must go. all right. >> pro fifiles in history. >> thank you. we're back after your local news and weather. warmup is on the way. tom will have your forecast after the news. good morning. an early-morning fire left behind significant damage. the fire started inside the celebrity ink tattoo parlor in temple hills. firefighters were able to contain the flames to just that store, and nobody was injured but the damage is estimated at right now, we are are near 40, and later today should make it into the mid-60s with increasing clouds, and then tomorrow mostly cloudy and a bit warmer. jerry, how is traffic? >> an accident in buoy on route 50. a hefty backup. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] with amazing innovation, driven by relentless competition, wireless puts the world at your command. ♪ 8:30 now on this wednesday morning, april 6, 2011. rockefeller plaza is overflowing this morning. a big, big crowd and also always we thank them all for stopping by. coming up this half hour the debate over the best way to raise your kids. [ cheers and applause ] >> a couple of months ago created some controversy with the tiger mom's strict methods. in reaction a guy who calls himself the panda dad has come out. in his home, controlled chaos reigns supreme. he says it's helping him raise independent, self-reliant children. we're going to be talking to him. >> later on we're going to look at the inside life of an extreme couponer. we're going to introduce you to two women who take couponing to the extreme. i mean, they will save hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollars at the grocery store every week. >> they are really amazing. >> saving money for things they want to cook at home. and speaking of cooks, we'll talk about a side of julia child probably most people don't know. there are new details about her life and a secret world of espionage. >> first let us say hello to the stars of the new movie "hanna." good morning to you both. the reviews have been phenomenal for the movie. you kick some butt in this movie for sure. >> i do a bit, yeah. eric gets a hard time. it was good fun though. you know, we trained for months beforehand and then did our choreography together. so it was a good way to bond actually. >> it was. beating the hell out of each other is a good starting point. >> let's explain why. in the movie you're living an isolated existence in the arctic region. you're the father, you're the daughter and you have to teach her everything from fighting to killing. why is that so important? >> we discovered that during the course of the film i'm keeping quite a dark secret from "hanna" as is cate blanchett's character. i'm teaching her survival instincts because once she leaves the forest her life is in danger. >> she's being trained to be an assassin. >> and cate blanchett is coming to kill her which is every young girl's dream. >> how much training for the fight sequences did you both have to go through? >> well, i trained for a couple of months before we began shooting. i did that back in ireland. i worked out in the gym which i had never done before. i have muscles and things like that. i did different styles of martial arts. then we started -- >> she was ready to go when i got there she was on it. she was completely, you know, ready to rock. >> i was ready to kick some. >> she's quoted as saying you're one of the most lovely guys i have worked with. he's a terrific actor and hilarious. >> she said that? >> don't listen. it's all lies. >> it's funny because we were playing a father-daughter dynamic but in real life we're more like brother and sister. with my australian sense of humor and her irish it was fun. >> it was fun. >> thank you so much. >> good luck with the movie. thanks for coming by. >> "hanna" opens in theaters on friday. mr. roker, the roker, the weat. >> yeah, that's what is going on around the country and here is what is happening in your neck of the woods. >> cold here, too. near 40 degrees now. we will have our temperatures rapidly climb and be near 60 by noontime. and then later tonight and tomorrow, we will have cloudiness and warmer on thursday, and chilly rain likely on friday into friday night and maybe a lingering shower on saturday morning and then sun back in the afternoon, and then warmer on sunday and then w don't forget. you can get your weather any time of the day or night on cable or weather.com online. >> all right, al. up next, a self-described panda dad takes on tiger mom. first this is "today" on nbc. and this morning on "parenting today" you have heard of the tiger mom. well, get ready to meet the panda dad. amy chua caused a stir with a memoir about her extreme parenting methods. no tv, no play dates and an a was the only acceptable grade. one dad is adding his voice to this debate. ♪ >> reporter: amy chua's tough lo was all part of what she calls being a chinese mother to her children. her book caused controversy. >> a storm erupted over what many call extreme parenting. >> reporter: but the strict parenting yield eed results. now sophia is weighing acceptance offers from harvard and yale. it caught the attention of author alan paul. >> if that's a tiger mother, what am i? >> reporter: he and his wife rebecca have three children. alan is the parent who's home more often and for three years that home was a world away. >> my wife became the china bureau chief for the wall street journal in beijing. i have lived in china. i have seen it firsthand. >> reporter: that inspired his essay, tiger mom, meet panda dad, for the wall street journal which quickly became the most popular blog on the site. >> panda parenting is allowing your children room to be responsible. >> reporter: it's a more relaxed approach but with a good dose of what alan calls common sense. >> pandas are cuddly, lovable but they are bears. i don't think they are a pushover. one of our children had a report card that wasn't what we thought it should be. we didn't berate him, call him garbage. we made it clear that we expected it to be better. >> their three kids, jacob, eli and anna aren't sold on the tiger mom's methods either. >> i don't really practice violin or any instruments at all. i think that the fact that she wants her kids to practice something like that three hours a day every day is pretty ridiculous. >> panda dad alan paul is with us now. he's the author of "big in china, my unlikely adventures playing the blues and being a star in beijing." at first blush if you compare you to amy chua you appear to be polar opposites. is that an over statement? >> i'm sure we have the same overall goals for our children to be happy and successful in life. i'm more focused, i think, on the day to day and on getting them to adulthood as product tiff members of society. >> is it possible amy concentrates more on the successful side and you concentrate more on the happy side? >> i think that's fair. i'm sure if you ask she would want her children to be happy and i certainly want mine to be successful. there are a lot of ways to get there. what i wanted to say was first of all where are the dads in this dialogue? second of all, i didn't want people to feel inadequate if they weren't doing this and there are other ways to be successful. >> is yours a method or just no method? basically you describe it as controlled chaos. it's very laissez-faire, but you say your kids are very independent and self-reliant because of this. >> it's not a method where i'm going to write it down a to z. if you have a problem, if your kids are having a problem you have to be involved, intervene and keep them moving. i think anybody who reads my book "big in china" which details things we did in china will see i wasn't just letting things go. >> because of your -- is this style of parenting a reaction to what you saw in china or would you be this kind of parent whether you lived in beijing or not? >> i think i would be this kind of parent whether i lived in beijing or not. i saw in china there were different kinds of parenting. i think it's a misnomer to say all chinese people parent in that style but it does come in part from chinese tradition. >> for the record your wife said, my knees get weak sometimes when i come home late because there is no dinner on the table, there is homework everywhere. is it possible that amy chu chua errs a little bit too far on the side of structure and you a little bit too far on the side of no structure. >> i don't think so. i think because i have chosen to do a lot myself without having more help sometimes things do become a little bit of controlled chaos. the homework that's everywhere is usually done. i will say that. >> which is important. again getting to your question of where is the dad in this. what role do you think dad should play in this particular discussion? >> i think every family is different. i think that in america today there are many people doing many different things and there are a lot of people with two-parent families. there are a lot of two working parent families and fathers have to be involved. i think how they are involved depends on the family and on the couple, but i think they need to be involved and they have a say. >> amy chua echoes what you said. she said, quote, i generally believe there are many ways of being a good parent and the panda dad sounds like a great father. having only read his posting i think alan paul probably agree on more issues than he thinks. >> well, i wouldn't disagree and i have said as much in some of my posts. >> thank you very much. up next, how to use extreme couponing to save big on your next trip to the grocery store. we'll talk about that. first this is "today" on nbc. do you know what's in your spread ? in land o' lakes spreadable butter with canola oil, there are just three natural ingredients. sweet cream,anola oil and salt. discover land o' lakes spreadable butter with canola oil. we are back at 8:45. we all know clipping coupons can save you money, but for some people it's not just a way to save. it's a way of life. >> my 11th commandment is thou shalt not pay retail. >> do you think the 40 boxes at home is enough? >> i think it's important to be completely done and prepared before you go to the grocery store. since we have been extreme couponing we have saved close to $40,000. >> this is the money i shop with right here. i don't need my wallet. i need these. >> a new series on tlc called extreme couponing profiles the lives of couponers and reveals tricks for grabbing the best deals. jamie and tiffany are featured in the first episode. good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> we are talking about saving a tremendous amount of money, aren't we? >> absolutely. >> you both started for different reasons. tiffany, you have seven children. jamie, they call you the coupon diva because you wear your heels and makeup when you go shopping. >> right. >> how did you get started? >> my husband took a drastic pay cut at work. >> a couple years ago? >> it was. almost two years ago. because of that i didn't want my life to change. i wanted to buy the same things that we had always gotten. i didn't want things to change in my household. so i learned about couponing and i started that way. ultimately my husband lost his job. i'm glad i had that opportunity to learn until that day happened. >> you became a student of this to say the least. >> i did, absolutely. >> tiffany, a different reason for you. >> we have a lot of children. >> seven. >> we had student loans we have been paying for a while and we didn't want the same thing for our kids. we wanted a way that was fun and easy to save money and put them through college. >> i watch the episode. when i look at your homes, tiffany, you have stuff under the kids' beds, a whole shelving situation in your bedroom. >> i do. >> do you think you have gone to extremes? >> i didn't think so at first. but you start thinking so. if you were to walk in the house you wouldn't know i was a couponer. you would have to look around before you saw anything. the kids love it. they call it our mini mart. >> what about you? you buy a lot of stuff. do you worry about shelf life and whether they will expire on you? >> because i shop so often and continually add to my stockpile it's easy for me to watch the expiration dates on perishable items and the nonperishables as well to use what i purchased quite a while ago and use that first. >> so you use everything you purchase. that's the idea. >> certainly if we don't use it, i donate it. >> you do. you have different approaches to couponing as well. tiffany, starting with you, what's your approach? collecting the coupons and preparing to go out there and use them. >> you know, the first thing i do is look at the sales ads. i like local blogs and i get ideas from them. i print coupons off line. not every coupon in the sunday paper applies to us. i like natural and organic foods. so i google those and go directly to the companies and ask for coupons. then i make up a list and take them to the store and go shopping. >> jamie, what about you? same thing or slightly different? >> it's very similar. the planning for the shopping trip takes hours. >> six hours, i heard. >> absolutely. i'm completely dedicated to it because time is money. the amount of time i put into preparing for shopping trips equals the amount of money i will save. >> in that first episode you saved how much money? do you remember? >> i saved 94% on my shopping trip. >> so it was a little under $2,000 and you got it for a little under $100. >> that's right. >> you, pretty similar. >> i saved about 98% on mine. my husband did one and saved about 93%. we saved over $1,000. >> for those who have never done it before and are looking at you not thinking you're crazy, what's your advice? >> well, it applies to everybody. whether or not you're single or you have a huge family, there are other things you want to spend money on. i want to spend it on entertainment and things for my kids. it's easy to get started. >> she's right. the very first step is to grab coupons. collect some coupons. there are lots of resources online. print coupons, take them to the store. see if that item is on sale. pair a coupon with the sale and see what you can score. >> shop with a friend. >> it is fun. >> do people in line ever get upset when you see your thousands of coupons? >> we get mixed reactions. >> nobody wants to be in line behind me because i have seven kids anyway. >> you're a pain in the butt no matter what. >> right. >> good luck with the show. extreme couponing premieres tonight on tlc. up next, julia child's life inside a spy agency. first this is "today" on nbc. woman: my giant they're fantastic. i can't say enough about them. i can go in, get the things i need, and i know i'm saving money. why would i shop anywhere else? at giant, we want to thank you for making us the store you love to shop for over 75 years. this week, look for savings in every aisle, just for you. like whole fresh pork shoulder roasts, 99 cents a pound. and strawberries and blackberries, buy one, get one free. i pay for my groceries, and i look at the bottom of the receipt, i'm like, "yes! i did it!" that works for me. more savings every time you shop, with your giant card. long before she was mastering the art of french cooking, chef julia child was julia mcwilliams, an awkward, tall young woman who wanted to be well traveled and well informed. she tried a few different jobs but when world war ii broke out she had the chance. "a covert affair" tells the story of the couple's far east adventures inside the spy agency. jenny conent is the author. >> good to see you. >> i like how you found the story. how did it come to you? >> i was on a book tour and the national archives announced they would release a huge treasure trove of classified documents. they contained all the secrets of this vast network of people that had secretly worked for the o.s.s. during the war. there were crazy names. mo burg of the white sox, chief justice, actor sterling haden and the least likely person was julia child. >> the o.s.s. preceded the c.i.a. and the main mission was -- >> political warfare, gathering intelligence to guard our country's safety, rumor campaigns and real subversion, guerilla activities. >> are we talking about dangerous spying with julia child? was she photographing documents? she did work for the o.s.s. >> she was an intelligence officer. in fact she was not a spy in the mata hari sense. she never parachuted behind enemy lines. at 6'2", she was a memorable-looking woman. >> she was a target. >> she was bright and became head of the o.s.s. registry. it was like the nerve center of their operations. she guarded all of their most top secret documents. their future war plans, all the cables and top secret intelligence from the joint chiefs of staff, the identities of their agents working behind enemy lines. it was an incredibly responsible job and she was good at it. >> it was during her travels for the o.s.s. that she met paul child. they developed a relationship but in the beginning he wasn't sure she was what he was looking for. he was probably more looking for a woman named jane foster. in some ways this becomes her story as well. who was she? >> jane foster was in some ways the mirror image of julia. she was a wealthy california girl, very adventurous from a conservative family, a socialite, well brought up. she was very alluring, witty, sophisticated. she spoke a lot of languages and paul child was like that. he spoke french and was well traveled. julia was very sheltered, very naive, very inexperienced. paul really preferred jane foster. >> yet, paul and julia developed a relationship. fast forward to 1955. paul is cabled to come back to washington. what eventually happened was they got caught up in a wave of paranoia. >> fear that gripped the country during the mccarthy era. there were suspicions that they were communist spies and there was a huge fbi investigation. went on for 14 years all over the world. international investigation around a big russian spy ring. jane foster, this great friend of theirs during the war in india and china was caught up in the spy ring and when the french police arrested jane and ransacked her apartment, paul child's name was in her address book. >> so guilt by association. they get wrapped up in this. the irony of this is, if we get back to the julia child people were familiar with, she probably never would have developed the flair for cooking had it not been for her days in the o.s.s. >> she was a meat and potatoes girl from pasadena. the one time she fried chicken before the war she almost set the apartment on fire. paul was sophisticated and was appalled by her cooking and said, we've got to do something about this. >> a fascinating her cooking ad swrae to do something about this. we're going to be back after your local news. 8:55 is your time now. good morning. crews battle add fire inside a downtown d.c. office building overnight. the fire started on the first floor of this building of 15th street and k streets. and nobody was injured. riding the inner county connecter without an easy pass will cost you, will be charged a $3 service fee i'm a curious seeker. i am a chemistry aficionado. diphenhydramine. magnesium hydroxide. atheletes foot. yes. i'm a people pleaser. if elected, i promise flu shots for all. i am a walking medical dictionary. congratulations virginia. inflamed uvula. i'm virginia. i'm a target pharmacist and i'm here to answer your questions. mid morning now, warming into the 40s. it's now 44 at reagan national. and later today it should continue to climb in the low and mid-60s in the afternoon with clouds coming in and there is a small chance of sprinkles on the maryland and pennsylvania border. how is traffic? >> pretty tough going still at this hour. around georgia avenue, slow and part of the issue is a different lane configuration coming off the inner loop to go to georgia avenue, so be aware of that. and then delays begin jammed well before the beltway. >> thank you, jerry. tonight go behind the scenes at the national cathedral and see how one man is bringing famous [ male announcer ] hi lauren and greg, what's up? we're getting the day started with athenos greek yogurt. later we're gonna ride bikes and go to the -- [ male announcer ] wonderful! let's see what yiayia thinks. are you two married? um, no. but you living together, ah? yeah. you are going to hell. [ male announcer ] don't worry, kids. at least yiayia approves of you eating athenos greek yogurt. mmmmmm! because athenos is made the traditional greek way, never using preservatives or artificial flavors. athenos. maybe the only thing approved by yiayia. we're back now with more of "today" on a wednesday morning. april 6, 2011. we've got an enormous rolling spring break crowd here. that thing's got to be ending soon, right? >> sometime in -- i mean, easter is late this year. the 24th. >> yeah. >> so that's good for us. >> we like it. we love it. >> out on the plaza i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales and al roker. coming up, answers for your most pressing money questions. for example, what to do in a post meltdown economy about your retirement strategy. also, what to do with your nest egg if you have already retired. our 911 money team is on hand to answer those questions. >> how many times have you been driving along the highway and a stone is flipped up by a struck or something. imagine driving along and this hits your windshield. >> you timed that perfectly. >> i couldn't have done it again if i planned it. it happened to a woman on a north carolina road. she caught the whole thing on tape. we'll talk to her and her husband. she survived with just a cut. >> that thing came close. >> unbelievable. that's a scary video to watch. that family may need a vacation, and if you want to yeah, i trie. it was written that way. and then if you are thinking about an island getaway, we have some really great deals on some lesser known destinations. we will show you hidden gems that are affordable. >> and then before we talk about that, let's go inside with ann who has all the headlines. >> we begin with no progress and talks of the shutdown on friday. president obama said he will somen congressional aids to the white house. and a break through in japan overnight as workers at the facility were able to stop radioactive water from gush into the ocean. and this is according to the company that operates the plan the. and then local fishermen are demanding compensation. and then western powers are not doing enough to protect libyan rebel forces and civilians. nato says air strikes are increasing but cannot target all of gadhafi's heavy weapons because they are in areas where there are many civilians. nine deaths are being blamed on weather in the united states. it was from the mississippi river to the carolinas causing tens of millions in damages. the national weather service confirmed eight tornadoes so far, of the 38 suspected twisters that ripped through the region. what more elegant way to commemorate the royalty and beauty of love than with a pez dispencer? those are their heads topping off the candy dispenser. it's now three minutes past the hour. let's go to al with a check of the weather. >> i love that. let's take a look -- oh, that's the best. and anyway, we have wet weather moving into the pacific northwest and another storm coming on. we have a weak system making its way through the great lakes. and the southeast, a nice day there. atlantis, 68 degrees and sunny. 102, western texas. and wet weather in the west. sigh surf advisories and wind warnings as well in central california and southern california coastlines, and look for snow showers in northern new engla england. here is what is happening in your neck of the woods. >> welcomed sunshine has returned after the cold start. it's into the mid-40s in the washington areas south and east, and west and north it's in the low 40s. and later today we should make it into the low 60s. and there is a small chance of sprinkles on the maryland and pennsylvania border. and on thursday, mostly cloudy and warmer. chilly rain likely on friday. might get likely showers on friday into saturday, and then dry and into the 70s on sunday. >> announcer: "today's money 911" is brought to you by charles schwab. get the help your money deserves. talk to chuck. back now with another installment of "today's money 911." our panel answers your questions on everything from refinancing your home to paying off student loans. jean chatzky is the author of "money 911." david bach is author of "debt free for life" and our personal finance expert from credit.com and author of "psych yourself rich". >> good morning. >> good morning. >> we're going to the phone to candy in south carolina. good morning. what's your question? >> caller: good morning. my question is about refinancing our home. our percentage rate is 7% and we can refinance to a rate of 4%. it will cost us $8,000 to refinance and our payment will go up about $90 to $100. our insurance is $100 a month and our taxes are $900 yearly which will be included in the new payment and they are not now. the loan term goes from 30 to 15 years. i want to know if this is a good deal, if we should do it. we have made mistakes in the past and we don't want to make more. >> david? >> well, candy, the first question is do you want to stay in the home? do you plan to live there for the next 10 to 15 years? >> that i'm not sure of. the next five years, probably. >> okay. here's what i would suggest. you are in a phenomenal situation. you have a 30-year mortgage at 7% and we have historically low rates on 15-year mortgages of 4%. for you to refinance from a 30-year to 15-year mortgage and i think you said the payment will go up $90 a month. i believe that's what they told me in the green room. that being the case, i suggest you absolutely go from a 30-year to a 15-year. i would go out and shop that mortgage one more time. because the $8,000 in closing costs to me sounds very high. i wouldn't let anybody rush you into the refinance. the rates will probably stay low another 30 to 60 days. take advantage of the low rates. the key thing about paying the home down in 15 years puts you in a great position to retire with no debt. that's a fantastic situation to be in. >> all right. good luck, candy. >> thank you very much. >> we have an e-mail question from marcia in lexington park, maryland. she writes, i graduated from college in 2009. i have been paying on student loans since december of 2009. i got a new job that offers a 403-b enrollment and i want to know if it's more beneficial to pay more of my monthly student loan payments to decrease interest paid or invest the money in a 403-b. so first of all what's a 403-b? >> it's an employer sponsored requirement account like a 401-k typically offered to public employees. maybe she's a school teacher. i don't like either/or scenarios so i have a hybrid strategy. first as long as she has the loans taken care of, take the extra money from the job and put it to the 403-b automatically. the advantage is it's not only a retirement savings plan but there is a tax incentive as well. her contributions will be tax deductible. here now she can save for student loans. that tax savings from the 403-b can go towards the student loan principal. two birds, one stone. i hate that expression but it applies here. >> it depends, too, on the interest rate on the student loans. she didn't tell us. if they are expensive of course it goes to the top of the pile of debts you will pay off. if they're cheap and tax deductible, you can table them. >> great point. >> now back to the phone lines to check in with susan. she's calling from norman, oklahoma. good morning. >> good morning. >> what's your question? >> caller: my daughter works in the dental field. in 2010 she worked at jobs she received w-2s for and had one job which was periodic that she received a 1099 for. in preparing her taxes we realized the 1099 job, although only periodic, has caused her to not only pay taxes at her federal rate which is 25% but has also thrown her into the self-employment tax realm as well. as a result she's owing taxes on this money that works out to be about 36%. because she only does the 1099 job about two days a month and works at the w-2 jobs full-time the rest of the month she can't deduct mileage, uniforms, et cetera. is there way way around this? >> jean? >> no. however, here's the thing. this is important because a lot of people are working multiple jobs these days and some are self-employment-type jobs. any self-employment tax you pay that she pays actually can be deducted off the income tax by 50% which on $1,000 of self-employment tax at her rate will save you about $125. so that's significant. there are other deductions she'd qualify for. at least the first year she should probably go to a tax preparer or accountant to make sure there is nothing she's missing. something like turbo tax 2 can work you through and ask you the right questions to be sure you get every last dollar. >> the big thing is if you're getting income on a 1099 set aside money immediately for taxes so you are not in this situation next year. >> good advice. our last question, we have a viewer e-mail from chris in princeton, new jersey. i'm trying to increase my credit score and have been paying off credit cards. should i cancel them once they are paid off or keep them open and not use them? what will help my score increase? i think i know the answer. >> if the goal is to get his credit score up he wants to keep the cards open and keep using them periodically. that will lengthen his credit history and keep his utilization rate high. keep the cards open for now. >> jean chatzky, david bach and farnoush, thank you very much. >> you're welcome. >> still ahead, dreaming of an escape to a secret island. we'll show you exotic getaways off the beaten path. also from neon to the tribal look. the '70s are back. how to wear the hot spring trends. details after these messages. ttd# 1-800-345-2550 ttd# 1-800-345-2550 ttd# 1-800-345-2550 and talk to chuck about ttd# 1-800-345-2550 rolling over that old 401k. and eating well means getting enough whole grain and calcium. and general mills big g kid cereals can help. did you know it's the only leading line of kid cereals with at least 8 grams of whole grain and a good source of calcium? cereals they already love, like lucky charms and cinnamon toast crunch. give your kids more of what they need to be their best. grow up strong, with big g kid cereals. ♪ [ female announcer ] new aveeno living color hair care. the first active naturals formulas with lupine botanicals help protect color from fading for up to 40 washes. now color stays vibrant... everyday. [ female announcer ] visit aveeno.com for a free sample of new living color. ♪ today is saturday ♪ salad on saturday ♪ fruit on friday ♪ throw a ball thursday ♪ water, water wednesday ♪ touch your toes tuesday ♪ ♪ let's move monday ♪ swap a snack sunday announcer: 60 minutes of physical activity a day and eating well can help get your child healthy. so keep them active and eating well every day. get ideas. get involved. get going at letsmove.gov. that's letsmove.gov. [ male announcer ] every day thousands of people are switching from tylenol® to advil. here's one story. my name is tanya and i am from chicago. i'm a mom of 3 daughters. pan can really put a kink in my day and i turn into grouchy mommy. i used to take tylenol and now i take advil and i like it. it's fast and it's reliable. my family needs me and i need to be there for my family. [ male announcer ] make the switch. take action. take advil®. hey. dinner. [ male announcer ] of all the things that happen on your wooden surfaces, disinfecting has to be one of them. clorox disinfecting wipes. safe on wood. hard on germs. clorox disinfecting wipes. here's to my pants not leaving marks on my waist. achieve small wins with a healthy lifestyle and dannon light & fit. the light fresh yogurt with 80 calories vs. 100 in the other leading brand. here's to 80 calories tasting crazy good. live light and fit. this morning on "today's travel" secret island escapes. travel and leisure's may issue features areas from north america to the caribbean and beyond. many are accessible and a perfect getaway. the director for travel & leisure is here to share them with us. >> good morning, natalie. >> lesser known but you can find great deals there. >> this is the moment to think about where you're going this spring and summer. why not go somewhere off the grid. you have white sand, fresh caught seafood and tons of relaxation awaiting. >> let's talk about the great places. first, south island in maine. tell me about this eastern island. >> booth bay harbor gets all of the press. it gets lots of visitors. it's got the new england charm. just a little bit away from that is southport island. you reach it by swing bridge. it's charming. feels like you have stepped back in time. there is one of the best lobster shacks in maine right there. so you can go there. there is also a great inn. it's $140 a night and they have not a lot of rooms. so you won't be around crowds. you can enjoy your down east vacation right there. of course they have adirondack chairs to take in the beautiful view. >> looks like maine. picture perfect. >> my idea of heaven. >> let's head across the country to washington state. tell me about this great island. >> there are lots of amazing islands off washington state. all of the san juans. this is one of the san juans, one of the smallest ones. this is a great place to go if you're a foodie. it's become a foodie haven. you can feast on incredible seafood and the chef at the great willows in has just come from noma, one of the best restaurants in the world in copenhagen. he will be doing inventive cooking for you, but only $185 a night. again, you will be surrounded by this incredible natural beauty. >> looks quaint. >> charming. >> beautiful. >> easy to get to from is he at atle. >> very good. salt spring island, british columbia. >> right next door. >> very close, yeah. >> vancouver island gets all of the buzz. >> all the credit. >> you want to make sure to spread the wealth. so salt spring island is smaller. it's a place that a lot of artists and farmers and people who are into eco conservation go. it's beautiful. >> relaxing. i'm in the moment with that woman on the rock. >> if you want to stay and have an agritourismo experience go to fox glove farm. they have a retreat with old cottages. one sleeps six. you can stay -- this is a great place to go. >> you can farm? >> you can pick your own strawberries and raspberries in the summer time. they cook what they grow. >> that's perfect. nothing fresher than that. next from british columbia to the british virgin islands. we'll head south to scrub island. i have never heard of it. >> this is a tiny spit of land that's not been inhabited until recently. it's 28 miles away from st. thomas. this is in the british virgin islands. >> do you fly? >> you take a ferry from st. thomas. there is a great new resort there that is the scrub island resort and spa. they have three beaches including one that's called honeymoon beach. if you are looking for a honeymoon destination, this is the place to go. uh you will get there by kayak. they give you a picnic lunch and the rest of the day you can do what you will. >> whatever honeymooners do. >> $299 a night there. >> and next belize. >> it's a gorgeous destination. if you want to go snorkeling or diving this is 15 minutes from the airport. not far to get to. >> look at the color of the water. >> it can be a worldle away. the motto there is go slow which i love. if you were going on vacation, slow down. a great place to stay there is seaside cabanas with ten rooms, great caribbean views. i love this resort. again, not an expensive one either. >> $105 a night? that's wonderful. >> reasonable. >> very reasonable. thanks so much. who needs to get away? well, perhaps this woman right here. she had this close call. take a look. 2 x 4 crashed into her windshield. we'll meet the woman and her relieved family after this. ♪ special k protein shakes -- ♪ a truly great-tasting breakfast shake. with 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, it's the creamy, delicious way to satisfy... your hunger to help you lose weight. ♪ so you can kick the tin can habit. try special k protein shakes today. these 4 brands took home more allure best of beauty awards than any others. pantene... olay... venus & gillette... and secret. the four most awarded brands. keeping you your most beautiful from head to toe. imagine what it can do to your skin. but dove isn't soap. it contains pure 1/4 moisturizing cream because, everyday moisture is the key to beautiful skin. and who knows moisture better than dove. so there was a two-lane highway in north carolina and there was a frightening accident that was caught amazingly on videotape. >> that's right. this video is pretty scary. wendy cobb was driving and one of the trucks hit a 2 x 4 that flew through her windshield. >> thankfully wendy is with us exclusively this morning along with her husband calvin. good morning. >> good morning. >> i know you're thanking your lucky stars, saying your prayers. >> every day. >> everything worked out. >> how was it you got it on videotape? >> i don't have a good explanation. i just -- i was frustrated with the trucks in front of me and i thought i would tape them, get the company logo maybe. as they started to get away, i turned the camera forward. >> you saw it coming. >> i had the camera aimed this way, but i was watching the road. i saw the first two wheels of the truck hit it and i thought surely it won't come this way. when the trailer hit it, it came straight at me. >> and we want to caution people not to videotape and drive at the same time. fortunately the result was good for you. when that came through the windshield i don't even hear you say anything on the tape. >> it was a stunned silence. i remember the glass settling before i made a clear thought in my head. >> no injuries, right? >> a tiny cut. >> calvin, i know you're an emt. wendy was at the hospital when you get this call. what did you think? >> first she sent me the picture and then called and said, i'm fine, but i'm coming to show you this video. >> it was april 1. >> it was. >> where did the 2 x 4 come from? >> it was on the side of the road. he went back later and there were half a dozen over a quarter mile stretch. another truck lost them and left them there. >> that's a good reason to avoid those carefully. thank you so much. we're glad you're okay. >> thank you. >> no more driving and videotaping. >> exactly. still to come, we have great grilled cheese. >> after your local news. ♪ oh! [ both slurping ] ♪ [ female announcer ] the irresistible taste of cinnamon toast crunch. crave those crazy squares. 9:26 is your time now. 51 degrees. a slow but sure warmup. how warm will it get today? tom will have the forecast after the news. and fairfax police are looking for the owner of a home where dozens of dead cats were found. the discovery was made at the house yesterday. some neighbors said they thought something was wrong months good morning. finally warming up after the cold start. we are in the mid-40s around the region. 44 at reagan national. we should make it into the mid-60s later today with increasing clouds and an increasing southwesterly wind. a small chance of sprinkles on the maryland and pennsylvania border and then cloudy tomorrow and chilly rain likely on friday, and then lingering showers on friday into saturday. warming up on sunday and into the first part of next week. we could get storms on monday. jerry, how is traffic? >> the rush hour winding down a bit. a late accident on 270 south, and that has been cleared and delays moved down stream a bit. one more stop, the beltway inner loop, as you travel towards springfield, crews getting ready to set up midday roadwork. be aware of that. tonight go behind the scenes at the national jewel? >> yeah? >> i have been wanting to tell you that i -- that i -- [ choking ] >> how sweet? you're getting choked up. oh! you're choking! okay. all right. [ grunting ] >> ha! if that blue macaw named jewel sounds familiar it's actress anne hathaway in her new role in "rio." she's also gearing up to play cat woman in the new batman film. i can only imagine what she'll look like in the cat suit. we'll catch up with anne hathaway tomorrow on "today." >> that dress is amazing. plus, coming up this half hour it's april which means spring fashion trends are here. we are taking a flashback to the '70s. no matter if you are in your 20s, 40s, 50s, 60s, how to wear the retro styles and some of the beauty as well that are fashion forward this spring. >> also, toys that are fun and have an ulterior motive. whether your little one is having difficulty with math or needs reinforcement when it comes to science there are ways to get excited about learning that doesn't feel like homework. we'll see some of the ideas this morning. >> we play zingo in our house a lot. >> and the wii smart. >> we need all the help we can get. >> plus an award winning chef reinvents a famous sandwich. susan fenniger takes on the grilled ruben in honor of national grilled cheese month. >> is this national grilled cheese month? >> yes! >> come on. >> who knew? >> a grilled cheese a day. >> since when? i had no idea. >> that's right. >> we'll take it. we love it. can we have tomato soup with that? >> next month is national pigs in a blanket month. >> bring it on. >> the mind reels. before we think about that, is it going to be a good day for the weather? can you make that turn? should i keep babbling here? >> no, no. i love listening to you. >> oh, come on. >> i do. in the meantime i have to do to this. let's show you for today. wet weather in the pacific northwest. a high surf advisories and wind advisories along the central and southern california coastline. hot in texas. temperatures well over 100 in parts of west texas. tomorrow, sunny and cool in new england. and more wet weather in the pacific northwest. some of the showers make their way down to southern california. a slight risk of strong storms in the central mississippi river valley. here is what is happening in your neck of the woods. good morning, after the cold staurlt now into the mid-40s, it's 44 at reagan national. we should continue to climb and be near 60 by noontime. and then midafternoon, clouds on the increase. and a small chance of sprinkles on the maryland and pennsylvania border. tomorrow mostly cloudy and in the upper 60s, and friday, chilly rain likely. and then that could go into saturday and then the weekend and that's your latest weather. >> thank you so much, al. up next, how to wear the hottest spring trend. that's after these messages. 3q ( woman ) even with an overactive bladder, i don't always let the worry my pipes might leak compromise what i like to do. i take care with vesicare, because i have better places to visit than just the bathroom. 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[ male announcer ] the flexible way to save. these ladies have been exercising, watching their diets and enjoying activia light. well? i'm managing my weight really well, and i've never felt so light. at 70 calories, delicious activia light helps you be light and feel light too. ♪ activia ♪ this morning, fashion flashback. whether in your 20s or 60s, this spring it's all about the 70s inspired looks and hottest styles. jamie joins us. >> good morning. >> good to have you here. we're flashing back once again to the '70s. good looks though. >> yes. the best looks from the '70s. it's all about retro, glamour styles. it can be bold and exaggerated. we'll make sure it's age appropriate. >> inspired is the key word there. let's talk fashion first. we have mother-daughter teams helping us. first julia along with her mom sandra showing off the color blocking trend. what's the rule of thumb in your 20s like with julia? >> so color blocking is when you take two opposing color and mix them together in bold, unique ways. this is a tank, the bright lemon yellow from ella moss paired with an electric blue skirt that's only $6.50 from forever 21. keep your shoes and jewelry neutral. a great interpretation, choose a hue or color you love and mix and match it together. stick with one pallet here like we did with pink and purple. >> she's sort of the same trend but in a much more muted way. >> exactly. >> looking good, ladies. moving on to beauty we have mother and daughter, kathy and debra. first i notice bangs are a trend this year. >> '70s -- >> but you don't have to cut them. >> they can be a major commitment. a lot of women are scared to do it. these are clip-in bangs. only $29 at kwvs.com. jessica simpson created these with her hair dresser. they are easy to update in an instant. they tyke five seconds to clip in. if you're young, do it with a high pony tail and keep them fringy and wis pi. for a sophisticated look do long layer, keep it thick and full. a more mature way. >> it's great because you start getting the forehead wrinkles. >> it's an anti-aging secret. >> conceal those wrinkles. lip color, lots of pink, coral, orange. >> orange and coral are the colors of the season. if you're young, do a bright pink. she's wearing radiant raspberry from ybf. you can get three for $20 at hsn.com. experiment with those colors. debbie is wearingle coral, orange. >> that's great on her. >> it's called endless kiss from smash box and it's the quintessential color. >> i love the nail trends. in your 20s, the more youthful side, you like patterns. then you have the great gold and, i guess on debra there you have more of a platinum color. >> exactly. the patterned nails. debbie has the gun metal gray now. that's from debra lipman in star dust. if you're younger play with pattern. i have leopard on. >> these are press on? >> they are nail polish strips from sally hanson. peel, stick and file. no dry time. 24 patterns and colors. it's a cool idea. >> easy. let's go to accessories. we have to accessorize for spring. first off let's start with the handbags and the long handle purses are in. >> they are. that looks great on you. long strap handle bags. you want it to hit at the hipbone. these are great. if you're youthful you can experiment with clasp detail here. we have the heart or floral pattern. these are forever 21 under $25. >> if you're more mature. >> you want to stick with a genuine leather bag, classic color like this one from patricia nash at dillards.com for $98 or stick with the chain. chanel inspired from ann taylor. >> "brek faakfast at tiffany's" looking. >> and this is the lady bag to pair with jeans and a t-shirt. get a fun nautical stripe like this one from h & m. >> great for the beach, too. >> and for the mature look, metallic goes with anything. >> love it. jewelry quickly. tribal jewelry, neon. >> neon is fun. do playful rg bright, bold. this is from ideally.com. if you want a classic look get one leather bracelet in a bright color. that's from tori birch. >> finally, shoes and wedges are a must this season. also a lot of cork heels and also wood heels, right? >> yeah. the cork wedge are so cool. these are dolce vie ta from target. >> comfy. >> if these are too high go to splenda.com for the cute nautical theme or lauren by ralph lauren. sti still comfortable. >> come on out again to see you pretty ladies. thank you. up next, smart toys to keep kids learning all year lang after these messages. can i have a dollar? yeah. it's right-- i think my purse is upstairs on the bed. it's not here. check the dining room. nope. what about your sister's room? not there, either. the upstairs closet? the downstairs closet. there are no more closets. announcer: moms everywhere are finding ways to keep kids active and healthy. get ideas. get involved. get going at letsmove.gov. ♪ good morning [ male announcer ] there are sixteen fresh-picked oranges squeezed into each carton of tropicana pure premium and absolutely no space for added sugar, water or preservatives. tropicana -- we put the good in morning. we're here because we wanted to come as much as they did. (girl) it's really hogwarts! because i can fly with harry! because i love seeing him like this! (screaming) ahhhhh! (narrator) from unforgettable adventures to the wizarding world of harry potter, only at universal orlando resort. [ baby crying, teapot whistling ] everything's fine. [ male announcer ] of all the things that happen on your wooden surfaces, disinfecting has to be one of them. clorox disinfecting wipes. safe on wood. hard on germs. clorox disinfecting wipes. here's to my pants not leaving marks on my waist. achieve small wins with a healthy lifestyle and dannon light & fit. the light fresh yogurt with 80 calories vs. 100 in the other leading brand. here's to 80 calories tasting crazy good. live light and fit. you think i have allergies? you're sneezing. i'm allergic to you. doubtful, you love me. hey, you can't take allegra with fruit juice. what? yeah, it's on the label. really? here, there's nothing about juice on the zyrtec® label. what? labels are meant to be read. i'd be lost without you. i knew you weren't allergic to me. [ sneezes ] you know, you can't take allegra with orange juice. both: really? fyi. [ male announcer ] get zyrtec®'s proven allergy relief and love the air®. this morning on "today's moms" smart toys. with the end of the school year approaching, time is running out to improve lack luster grades, but there are toys and games that can make learning fun all year long. so stays stephanie oppenheim. she's here from toy portfolio.com with specific toy ideas. >> good morning. >> good morning. actually the bottom line on this you say is to build confidence. >> right. to make it fun. we want our kids to feel happy about learning new things and making it playful rather than becoming the drill master. in math our kids are behind of the top 30 industrial nations. our kids rank 25. >> is there evidence that playing math related games make kids better at math? >> sure. they have the opportunity to build competency. zi zingo 123 is like bingo. math facts for me were hard. i like the math gear books. they are under $10. they're self-correcting. you dial the book and then your child can think about the answer and then peek. it's a little bit less intimidating than the flash cards. >> if you did it with your child in the car. >> exactly. good things to take along. this is mad math dice game. working on multiplication tables this is the best game to get. it's self-correcting. you roll the dice. if you get four times four, you find 16. what are you learning? you are learning what four times four is and playing a game. >> and this is great. >> go old school on monopoly. the new version has electronic bankers. and no one's counting money. that's how i learned how to make change. it may take longer but have your child be the banker. >> what age? >> 8 and up. >> do it with them probably. >> absolutely. >> science is always fun. >> our kids are doing a little bit better in science, but 15% of 15-year-olds don't have science competency meaning they don't know how to use science or technology in life except maybe texting. here we have a bouncing ball set. this is chemistry. it's a hands-on chemistry experiment. this is a glow rocks kit from dr. cool science. my grandfather took us to a kwakwa quarry to look for fluorescent rocks. they can go out, find out what's in the neighborhood. >> mm-hmm. >> this is make your own kaleidoscope from creativity for kids. this is physics as they learn about the light refractive properties on different materials. i love it because it comes with things to put in once you make it. >> teaching kids cooking in the kitchen is like science. >> it is. math, making compounds. >> geography? >> this is weather. >> weather. >> this is for if the kids are reluctant readers. meet them at their interest. lots of school age kids love weather. this is great book about how weather works. it's full of information for them to read. you can combine it with this climate cube from discovery kids. you could try this one. it's clean. this is a bird watching kid. [ duck call ] >> this is fun. >> fun from summit toys. the kids can make a life list. do it together. i love this new pop-up book from robert zabuda. it's about mythology. this is me due is a and folklore from around the world. >> we have only a few seconds left. what is this? >> geography. put a map up. it becomes more real. if something is in the news it helps kids know where things are in the world. >> and this is for. >> find a task they like to do. >> teach them how to stay on task. keep their attention. >> for this game from lego, pirate plank. in order to play they have to follow directions in order to make the game they are going to play. this is rush hour, a blue chip classic now available as an app. i love that on the app there are over 600 games at every level. so your child has lots of opportunities to, again, build competency and confidence. >> thank you so much for vetting the games. we can pick the smartest ones. >> thank you. >> up next, grilling the perfect reuben sandwich. this morning in today's kitchen, step-by-step guide to a modern twist on a classic favorite. susan feniger is here with her version of the reuben sandwich. so good to meet you again. >> great to meet you again. >> how did you get involved in national grilled cheese month? >> i love it. >> who doesn't? >> i was up the street from la brea bakery and they did grilled cheese thursdays. so i loved it. i thought i would do it. >> boom. first start with a good brisket. >> i love grilled cheese. when we do a brisket, salt, tons of paprika, all over. that was my mom. the 50s. flour it, brown it, throw it in with vegetables, cover with water and cook for two, three hours and you have left overs for the next day. >> what are we making? >> this is a quick thousand island -- cut me a few slices and make sure the fat stays in there. >> absolutely. >> we have ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, eggs, relish, can't screw it up, capercapers, vineg >> i could. >> we have to throw that on the plate there. let's make a sandwich. >> let's do it. >> all right. let's go. you go there. slather butter. put the meat here. >> meat here. slather butter? >> all over one side on both pieces, all over. plenty of butter. >> plenty. >> you really want a hearty piece of bread like this artisan bread is fantastic. it's going to hold all of the juice. flip it over. >> it's messy, but that's okay. >> that's okay. then slather a bunch of this from the edge -- all the way to the edges. >> all the way to the edge. >> if it's not a messy sandwich -- >> it's not wofrth eating. >> exactly. it has to go all over your suit. now layer it. i like the acid. sauerkraut, pickles on the bottom. every bite has a little bit in there. every single bite. then we'll put brisket on top. don't miss the center there. throw it over the top. boy, you cut that a little thick. >> well, i'm a little thick. >> and cheese for the grilled cheese all over the top. put it together. butter all over. >> right. >> into the pan. >> into the pan. >> is it messy enough sp. >> yeah! >> ends up looking something like that. >> i like not having to worry about that. >> this is a gorgeous pumper nickel. slice it. i like little pieces. >> yeah. >> the thing that's great is you want to pick it up, have it drip all over you. don't worry about your clothes. >> i'm with you, susan. >> it's loaded with the sauerkraut, pickles, tomato. that's what makes it great. >> you can do it without the brisket. >> is it good? >> fantastic. >> dripped all over me. >> good! >> coming up this morning we have dennis q chilly out there, but sunshine. looks pretty nice. 56 degrees, the current temperature. we will check with tom in a moment. i am barbara harrison. 9:56 is our time. the d.c. board of education is meeting today to investigate the cheating allegations. an unusually amount of erasers were found on tests in 2008. and then drivers that use the first leg of the highway without the electronic trance spawneder will be charged a $3 on top of the toll. things are beginning to warm up. we are hitting the 40s. by noontime should be near 60. by midafternoon we should make it in the mid-60s. we will have increasing clouds as well. and on the mason-dixon line, we may have a few sprinkles up in pennsylvania. and then cloudy in the upper 60s and chilly with rain and lingering showers possible friday night into saturday. warmer sunday. how is traffic now, jerry? >> we will check the outer loop of the american legion bridge. a broken down car in the right lane mid span, and help is on the way. headed downtown, loaded up on 395. be sure and join us for news4 midday. we will have the news, weather and traffic and o what's all this? big news! we have another way to help you save. oh, really? how? by bundling. if you get your homeowners and auto insurance together, we give you even more savings. ooh! big bundle. [ chuckling ] home and auto together. it's like peanut butter and jelly. oh, or like burgers and fries. or pickles and ice cream. unicorns and glitter! no? bundling to save you more. now, that's progressive! call or click today. from nbc news, this is today with kathie lee give gifford and hoda coffee. >> welcome to wines day, april 6. glad you are here with me. in honor of winesday, you cannot just drink it but wear it, too. it apparently it's a body wash. >> it's by tone. so you're not going to walk around smelling like you have been boozing it up. >> i would smell like that anyway. it is a very important day as well. every year on the first wednesday of april we km commemorate five children who have died of abuse or neglect. it is a national disgrace. i wish my friends well as they try to get congress do what needs to be done. think of our children who are tasting that on a daily basis. there is funny stuff going on, too. >> if we were wondering what was going on with dancing with the stars. everyone was pulling for kirstie alley. she stayed in and not only did she on her wrist, she put a tattoo and on it it said unbroken. >> that's the spirit. >> is that a real tattoo? >> i don't know. i don't know. i don't know that i would have gone and gotten a tattoo. i wish her all the best. she needs a nap more than anything. >> you said that wendy williams probably would not make it. i think kirstie could make it. she is a fan favorite. >> they are pulling for you. absolutely. good for her. >> there is a whole big deal about people in their 50s, 60s, and 70s having a second bite at the apple. kirstie is 60. steven tyler is 63. you see him everywhere. he is on "american idol." christy brinkly. >> she is going to play roxie in chicago. i think her opening night is next friday. >> how exciting. >> maybe it's this friday. >> is it? >> yeah. >> when you look at people, usually you think of aarp. we are looking at the magazine. >> usually like clint eastwood or frank gifford. they are in their 80s. but look at this sexy couple. vince gill and amy grant. >> and they're kicking it. when you page through the pages. if you took away the pages, you would never know. everything is about a great adventure. >> it stands for retired persons, right? they're not retired, you know? i'm not retired. >> people freak out when this comes to your house. when do you start getting it? >> i don't get it. >> when you are 50 something they start sending it to you. >> they send you a membership application. >> if you read through it it's not your mom's aarp. look at that. >> big whoopie? >> i like this magazine. >> you're not far from it yourself. enjoy it. you're in training. >> what are you talking about? >> you're 46. >> yes i am. >> just around the corner. >> no it doesn't. >> that's my point. it's not -- they need to change the name because people aren't retired any more at that age. >> if you were in a great mood you become more forgetful. you wake up happy and whatever and you run out the door. >> so that's your excuse for your purse and your closet. >> it makes perfect sense. >> nobody is in a better mood than hoda lately. >> it has been frustrating because i can't find anything. >> i wonder when that all started. that happened around the time you met jay, i think. don't you think? >> no, i don't know if that's the case. but i have been forgetting more for sure lately than i used to. >> yes i have. i was in a really good mood this morning. it's a really tough movie to watch in some places. we have dennis quade on this morning, the true story of beth hamilton, about the girl whose arm was bitten off by a shark. there was bethany herself. i had a chance to talk with her a little bit. what an incredibly inspirational woman she is. she is precious. >> and she, of all people, when you think of someone who has a reason to be bitter, she chose, you know, not to be that way. she is such a great kid. when you watch the movie, i was watching some of it this morning. that family -- >> unbelievable. family and friends? helen hunt plays the mother and she is wonderful. it is a family movie. there is al a line where the doctor says to dennis kwad, your daughter is a living miracle. the look on dennis's face, was i thought -- that's probably what he thought about his own twins when they almost died from the medications that they were given. they are doing great, too. >> there is the one scene in the big easy that is so easy and incredible. >> this is unbelievable. >> a woman is driving down the street and she sees these two vehicles playing a game of cat and moose. >> cat and mouse. it's an inside joke. >> these guys were doing their thing. this woman is driving and she is upset and driving. >> it's dangerous. >> she takes out her cell phone and look what happens. a board comes flying through her front windshield while she is taping. >> and she is still taping. >> she is taping and here it comes. she is fine, by the way. she is absolutely fine. >> i can't believe she didn't throw down the phone. there is something very strange about that. >> okay. they say that so many -- a curse of the just okay marriages. all right. so this woman says if you get into a grind with your husband, it is so boring and like friends -- >> it's called life. >> she says change it up. she said a lot of married people sit there and go through the same old grind. good night, kiss. she says pretend like you're on a vacation. >> she's full of it. you're going to go through life pretending that you are happy? accept each passage in life gracious and gratefully and enjoy what you have while you have it as opposed to mourning what is past. you don't stay the same from one day to the next. >> that's kind of like on vacation. >> like mix it up. >> it's like a cliche but they don't tell you exactly how to accomplish that. >> remember when it was said to pretend like you are having an affair with your spouse? >> and then there was a whole other book about kosher sex. >> now we're talking. if you want to have a very happy family, according to another survey, study -- >> which will make most of you feel very happy because you don't have this scenario. >> you're supposed to have two daughters and that's it. >> and be on a vacation your whole life. >> the next best combination is a daughter and a son. and the worst combination of all, four girls. >> especially if you have one bathroom in your house. >> because they fight. >> if everybody is on the same cycle, if you know what i mean? can you imagine? >> it would be worse if they were all the different week of the month because then somebody always has pms. think about it. i'm thinking about it. >> everybody gets on the same cycle. it happens. it happens with friends. >> you mix hormones or something. >> you all sync it up. >> see there are things to find. you don't have to pretend you are on vacation. you have to be grateful for attitude and a little vino. what's the fan update? >> hoda is 46. she doesn't look that old. i don't think that 46 is old, though. >> how old does hoda look? and brooklyn said her husband started getting aarp at 25 and tina said 37. maybe they are starting young. >> i think they need to change their name. >> yeah. >> we have a big, big show. i am very excited about that. we should keep bethany around to say hello to her. can we get her back in to say hello to us? i put her on the spot. >> dennis quade is with us. he's on the couch. >> and coincidence. he will be right with us. revlon has something cool for your skin. infused with hydrating coconut water, new colorstay aqua mineral makeup feels cool on your skin leaving it smooth and luminous. i've never felt makeup like this before. new revlon colorstay aqua mineral makeup. creme body wash with nutrium moisture. after 1 week we took their close-ups. when they saw how much more beautiful their skin looked they had only one question... ♪ new dove visible care creme body wash. girl: mom, can i have a dollar? yeah. it's right-- i think my purse is upstairs on the bed. it's not here. check the dining room. nope. what about your sister's room? not there, either. the upstairs closet? the downstairs closet. there are no more closets. announcer: moms everywhere are finding ways to keep kids active and healthy. get ideas. get involved. get going at letsmove.gov. don't suffer waiting for your pills to kick in. add alaway. for fast eye itch relief that works in minutes and lasts up to 12 hours. only alaway comes from bausch & lomb. for fast eye itch relief, add alaway. for fast eye itch relief, these ladies have been exercising, watching their diets and enjoying activia light. well? i'm managing my weight really well, and i've never felt so light. at 70 calories, delicious activia light helps you be light and feel light too. ♪ activia [ male announcer ] the davis twins... ...are alike in nearly every way... ...right down to brushing their teeth. so how did only one get gingivitis? well, one in two people do. thankfully, there's new crest pro-health clinical gum protection toothpaste. it helps eliminate plaque at the gumline, helping prevent gingivitis. it's even clinically proven to help reverse it in just 4 weeks. and it protects these other areas dentists check most. looks like the twins are even again. new crest pro-health clinical toothpaste. life opens up when you do. come on, bring it over. >> jerry, your wish? >> right. >> all right. bethany hamilton is a surfi ini phenom who made headlines after shlost her arm in an attack at just 13 years old. >> as you will see, bethany took the tragedy as an opportunity to show everybody what a true champion looks like. getting back on her surf board only a month later. her story is headed to a theater near you and dennis quaid stars as her dad. >> how are you? >> fantastic. >> a couple of things drew you to this movie. you were watching the "today show" and she popped up. >> i was sitting on the couch before christmas and bethany just happened to be on and she was telling her story. it was something. showing the clip there. something so heartfelt about her. it hit me right in the chest. it was great when i was asked to play her dad in the movie. only time in my career that i said yes without reading the script. >> it is actually really really good. it's a difficult story to tell physically because a young woman who is a lovely young actress plays in it. but now with digital editing, you can make it look like it. >> they did make it look like -- they painted it green all the way down to the fingers. >> and digitally removed it. >> after the fact. >> and all of you had to learn to surf? >> we didn't have to but i figured why not. they called me the charger by the time it was over. >> was it tough to learn? >> it was really tough. just to paddle for one thing. by the time you get up to where you catch the waves you are exhausted. helen hunt was amazing. >> she was one beforehand. >> faith plays a big part in this film doesn't it? >> bethany, this accident happened to her, the family, their family -- they are a close knit family. they are deep in their faith in their christian faith. live it, walk it, talk it without beating you over the head. so to tell the story it was important to include that in the film. >> there was some effort made to quiet down the message but if you take that away it takes away the heart and soul of the story because that was their sustinence. >> were they there? >> yes. they were all there. bethany did a lot of the surfing. and her dad played golf with me. >> when the doctor says to you she's a living miracle, that look on your face, i said i butt that was the look on your face. >> we had a real scare with them when they were only 12 days old. and i really believe that it was the power of prayer that pulled them through. we were really grateful for that. >> they are doing good now? >> they are doing fantastic. my job now is to be a taxi driver and cabana boy. >> the movie is beautifully done. beautifully acted and a great message. >> you know, it's a message, an affirmation. barriers are erected, sometimes by ourselves. and bad things happen to really good people. bethany took that tragedy and turned it into something positive. >> she is an amazing role model. >> and soul surfer rides the waves into the theaters on friday. >> that's poetry. up next, photos that will have you saying what? up next. here's to my pants not leaving marks on my waist. achieve small wins with a healthy lifestyle and dannon light & fit. the light fresh yogurt with 80 calories vs. 100 in the other leading brand. here's to 80 calories tasting crazy good. live light and fit. how can expedia now save me even more on my hotel? well, hotels know they can't fill every room every day. like this one. and this one. and oops, my bad. so, they give expedia ginormous discounts with these: unpublished rates. which means i get an even more rockin' hotel, for less. my brain didn't even break a sweat. where you book matters. expedia. where everyone feels at home. where the company, the conversation, and the food make all who enter feel welcome. a place that feels as warm with a crowd... as it does with just a friend. it's a place you'll find town house crackers. because they're part of what makes your place the place. ♪ welcome to town house. where good times reside. welcome to town house. we're all out of toilet paper. can you toss me a roll? too rough. we're out of toilet paper. can you toss me a roll? too soft. can you toss me a roll? that's better. angel soft. an ideal balance of softness and strength. we're back with our digital segment called what the what? >> it's the time of the week where sarah pulls out photos that make you say what? >> wait until you see what we have got for you today. this one, she said just checking some e-mail. a dog's work is never done. he's literally checking e-mail. >> is that a dog? >> he might be on facebook. it might be a cat look alike. >> it's a dog. >> next was sent in from cincinnati, ohio. i guess this is what happens when you run out of names for exits. that is literally the name of the exit. >> is that a road? >> they are in the southwest. she said there was another one on that trip that said unknown. that's scary. take the road less traveled. this one is from david in north carolina. this sign is about 200 yards from my house. >> he said that about the lady in the box. >> that's cute. >> this is from north carolina. i still can't decide if this is a good idea or a very bad idea. >> oh my god! >> it's not a good marriage. pms and firearms. >> step away from the weapon. >> and finally christine from atlanta, georgia. i really wanted that copy of jurassic park but it was all the way at the bottom. i have done that before. >> not all the way to my waist. not like that. >> not where anybody can see you. >> you didn't commit? >> i didn't go all the way in like that. >> don't forget to send your photos. we are definitely getting a kick. >> apparently we have time and we're going to sit here and say how you -- >> oh wait. come on in. >> bethany! come on in. >> good to meet you. >> the movie was sensational. >> thank you. >> how did you feel the way helen hunt portrayed your mom and dennis portrayed your dad? >> we had an incredible cast, especially the girl who plays me. i loved her. >> we're so excited. so excited for the film. >> it's going to touch so many people's lives. come on! oh. no! oh... bummer. [children shouting] hoops? yeah. sure. sure. announcer: moms everywhere are finding ways to keep kids active and healthy. works every time. announcer: get ideas. get involved. get going at letsmove.gov. hershey's bliss. one square inch of indulgence... joy... pleasure. one square inch of extra smooth, rich chocolate. hershey's bliss. imagine what it can do to your skin. but dove isn't soap. it contains pure 1/4 moisturizing cream because, everyday moisture is the key to beautiful skin. and who knows moisture better than dove. there could be another meeting at the white house today with the president and top leaders in the house and senate in hopes of avoiding a government shutdown. what a shutdown could mean to small businesses in the district. good morning, i am barbara harrison. the debate over whether or not gay men and lesbians should be we're back on this winesday to play our quiz game, who knew. we're talking music. kathie lee is ready to hand out money to those who get the questions right and those who don't get music, too. bill is here to help me out. he is the editorial director of billboard magazine. >> i'm great. >> our first family is from georgia. finish the next line in the song kokomo by the beach boys. ♪ >> key largo, miami -- let's go to florida. >> the actual lyrics are key largo, monottigo, baby why don' we go. >> i hate to drop a bomb shell. people should probably be sitting down. but kokomo, the famous tropical place doesn't exactly exist. there is a kokomo, indiana. 13th largest city in indiana. >> where you from again? oh it said it on the sign. who sings this song about having a pocket full of sunshine? ♪ one of the two of you has to come up with an answer. >> i think you know -- >> i don't think you know. >> it was a singer. it's too late. it's over. the correct answer to that one is natasha beningfield. >> it fully became known more for backing of tv shows and commercials. it was everywhere. it was in "easy a" where the star gets a card from her grandma and it keeps playing the song. >> back across. >> look at all the fine folks from tennessee. >> jimmy buffet sings about a laid back climate in this song. finish the lyrics. >> searching for my lost shaker of salt? >> this will come down to about ten cents each. >> he just reminds me of summertime and spring. >> totally great. i love that she was going to go salt shaker of lost. being a song about margaritas, it is appropriate. this was actually his only real bonafide hit. he has made a career of selling a persona or a lifestyle. >> interesting. >> these ladies are called the yayas because they have been friends for 47 years. finish these lyrics. ♪ >> it's going to be a bright, bright, sunshiny day. >> there you go. ♪ >> yeah for the yayas. >> that's a good song. >> even when it is cold outside, it warms you up. it was a hut by nash in the 70s and then again in the 90s. but my favorite version? i can see clearly now? ray charles, 1977 on saturd"sat night live". can't go wrong. always a pleasure. >> nice seeing you. kathie lee is going to come on back and join us. >> from georgia? >> it's over. >> listen to this next song by u2. what country are they from? >> ireland. ♪ >> you got it? >> thanks again. going to come join me. fashion cures for when you are going commando and so much more. after this. we've very passionate about nutrition. the way we feed our family is whole milk, the whole grains, the fruits and vegetables. that nutrition passion i have carries into the animals and what we feed our cows. we're real firm believers that raising kids or cows you need strong nutrients. ♪ [ male announcer ] meet the families behind real california dairy at realcaliforniamilk.com. ♪ 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, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen, and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. they all 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 your medical history and find an arthritis treatment for you. visit celebrex.com and ask your doctor about celebrex. for a body in motion. soft! hard! [ male announcer ] how do you decide between crunchy and soft tacos? why don't we have both? [ male announcer ] old el paso. hard and soft tacos. ♪ feed your fiesta. ♪ today is saturday ♪ salad on saturday ♪ fruit on friday ♪ throw a ball thursday ♪ water, water wednesday ♪ touch your toes tuesday ♪ ♪ let's move monday ♪ swap a snack sunday announcer: 60 minutes of physical activity a day and eating well can help get your child healthy. so keep them active and eating well every day. get ideas. get involved. get going at letsmove.gov. that's letsmove.gov. >> can you hear the sirens? it's time to show you how to prepare for all your fashion emergencies. >> from babies to beauty to brooms. >> before i introduce this, i want to toast all of you. >> happy wine hsday. >> it refers to my first thing which will stop your wine serving case from sweating. that's how it relates to fashion emergencies. the ice goes on the inside. this is filled with ice so it will keep the table nice. i love to incorporate wine into our segment. >> i love you. >> you did this segment on fanny packs. i will be hands-free. i think they are very in. >> you have thought they were in for a long time. >> i got this in college. it winds up being $20 a year. if you have a fanny pack. this is a version that can hold a lot of things. gocaddy.com. >> what are these? >> bussom buttons. let's say you are big busted. let's go to the mannequin. you put this on your top or tress. >> just to pull it in a little bit? >> so there is no cleavage. it comes in all different colors. >> that is handy. >> now a big trend for the spring and summer is the lingerie trend. feel this. it is commando slip. >> what is a commando slip? >> you put it under any dress that is sheer and it will cover you up. >> you don't wear underwear? >> no, you can wear underwear. >> you say commando? >> on the other hand, i know some -- anyway. we will move on to a pocket brush. they are very pricey. suzy says that she has had these forever. it's a great investment. now they are $50 at brookstone. it's natural hair brisles so it doesn't split your hair. >> they are pricey. >> now sephora.com. whatever mood you are in. all different colors and scents. $32 it starts at. >> all of that stuff for $32? >> isn't that great? >> look at this lip glass. >> if you are running arnold. >> i should buy stock in sephora. >> $5 from amazon. you know how you soap gets grimy. this is a magnet you put in the soap and it clips on. >> that is so smart. >> here is how it works. it is a little magnet. it makes a sound and it is exciting. >> i don't know how you put tanner on your back. i'm a big self-tanner person. diaper buds. you can throw this in your bag. blue tooth if you don't want to talk on your cell phone. a regular phone from brookstone. and text hook, this is just to put on anything. if you are pushing a stroller, put it on to be hands-free. and last thing i love. >> this is a cool story up next. the secret life of julia childs. you've been there. you pick out a makeup thinking it's your shade... until you actually try it out. now, i have a makeup that always gets it right. smart shade makeup instantly adjusts to match perfectly to your skin. almay smart shade makeup. only from almay. only for me. ♪ today is saturday ♪ salad on saturday ♪ fruit on friday ♪ throw a ball thursday ♪ water, water wednesday ♪ touch your toes tuesday ♪ ♪ let's move monday ♪ swap a snack sunday announcer: 60 minutes of physical activity a day and eating well can help get your child healthy. so keep them active and eating well every day. get ideas. get involved. get going at letsmove.gov. that's letsmove.gov. here's to my pants not leaving marks on my waist. achieve small wins with a healthy lifestyle and dannon light & fit. the light fresh yogurt with 80 calories vs. 100 in the other leading brand. here's to 80 calories tasting crazy good. live light and fit. julia child is one of the greatest american chefs there ever was. her book, mastering the art of french cooking, was praised by critics when it debuted in 1961. it led to her popular french program. >> she was taking a chance in becoming a spy. now best selling author writes all about it in this book called a covert battle plans, it was a very responsible job and she had the highest security clearance. >> that point in her life she felt like she was going in where. she wanted something -- she wanted excitement, i guess. >> she was a california girl. she was adventurous. and she always said i'm sort of bigger than life. i'm sure i have a big destiny ahead of me. >> and it's quite the love story with a bit of a triangle in it. >> jane was just like julia. she was a california girl. she was from a wealthy conservative family. got to a good woman's college. jane was very alluring and sexy and bold and outrageous. >> everything julia thought she wasn't. >> the oss trained her up as a spy. she was a spy during the war. >> wasn't she accused of being a russian spy? >> during the war she was much more glamorous. julia was in awe of jane and paul child was submitmitten. they stayed good friends with jane and they saw her in paris and jane got accused of being a russian spy and because of her friendship, he got in terrible trouble. >> the picture of julia child in the bathtub that they sent out as a card. >> he is accused of being gay. >> what happened is when he got in trouble and the fbi investigated him, he went through a full loyalty inquiry and that was no joke in 1955. they interviewed past employers and he had been a bachelor. you taught at boys schools yourk taught art. >> what's the scandal of being gay? >> 1955? in that group of very conservative fbi agents? you might as well been a communist. >> now we know. >> would really liked to have known that. >> could have used that. >> it's fascinating. >> coming up, best selling author. she is in the house. first this is today on nbc. oh, i it! >> we know her by one name. her newest teen novel is the heartwarming follow up to viola. >> she plans to have the best summer break ever, but soon learns that life doesn't always work out as planned. >> we're closing the show with girlfriends. ya, mother daughters, doing the whole thing. this is a story about a girl who works backstage of a broadway show for the summer of her tenth grade year. the old chestnuts are the sweetest, aren't they? yes they are. >> and you chose that because you always loved theater? >> i am a theater major, a theater geek. so i wanted to get into it and write something that takes place there. you know? >> to get the flavor of that world which is amazing. >> and girls going backstage and come for the summer. all her friends from boarding school come and a lot happens that summer. but they all get jobs. i love summer jobs. >> and you weave real people? >> i wove in daryl, the great producer. i needed a very chic woman in a chanel suit. you will see thingss woven in. >> i love that it is basic. >> i have one set of parents who don't allownary k their kid to . they can never find her and they don't know where she is. it is a little bit of a problem. that would have been my parents. they were overly stricted so i had the overly strict parents and there is a love story there. a director comes over from england and brings his son and he falls in love and they are on the sneak. a little romeo in there. >> but clean. >> very clean. >> clean. >> that's what we like. >> i'm worried. >> you have a daughter. >> and you read them and you go this is a little advanced. i watch every commercial. i try to be careful, but the things seep in. i wanted to write a book about a girl who has got it balanced. the boy thing and the study thing and her future. and new york. what could be better than that? >> you keep cranking out the best sellers. >> she was just here. >> you know what it takes. it's like you have to do it in the middle of the night in the morning. >> do it in the car. >> that's the life of a writer, an artist. you are here at 4:00 in the morning. and you know, you e-mail me at all hours. i know you are up and thinking and doing and reading and writing. your book is phenomenal. your books, everybody loves them. we're all going to tour. >> do they have enough wine in the world? >> we love you. >> we adore her. >> tomorrow, sinbad is here. >> bye, guys. >> happy winesday. i'll take these. love those jeans. $175. ch-ching! excuse me? ever consider showing your customers what other stores charge for jeans? um...no. when it comes to car insurance, progressive direct does. i saved hundreds when switching. that's a lot. the jeans are skinny. the savings... are fat. out there with a better way. now, that's progressive.