Transcripts For WRC Today 20110902

>> would he do it again? he'll tell us in a live interview today, friday, he'll tell us in a live interview today, friday, september 2nd, 2011. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning. welcome to "today" on a friday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm ann curry. good morning, everybody. the gulf coast is in for a drenching this holiday weekend. you're looking at the reason why. a slow-moving tropical system that's already led louisiana's governor to declare a state of emergency, matt. >> you've got tropical storm warnings in effect for parts of texas, louisiana, and mississippi. major flooding expected across that region. we'll have a live report from new orleans. we'll get al's forecast, as well. also, those twins who were involved in that hockey switcheroo. they may have lost the $50,000 grand prize for trading places, but they did win something, a chance to try and make some version of that incredible shot once again on live television. we'll catch up with them coming up this morning. >> that's right. no pressure on them. but candace, one of our great producers here on the "today" show made the shot on her third try. >> really? >> she did. plus, a head start on the holiday festivities with a live concert out on the plaza from four-time grammy winner very lenny "very cool" kravitz. and if the weather is keeping you inside this weekend we will tell you where to find the best deals online, from electronics, to clothing. let us begin on a friday morning with a tropical system that's expected to dump torrential rain across the south. the weather channel's mike seidel is in new orleans this morning. mike, good morning to you. >> and good morning, matt. already a few gusty showers have rolled through the big easy. the mayor here urged residents to clean out storm drains and catch basins. the army corps is keeping a close eye on levees right now. they're not expected to make any moves on closing the flood control structures. it's all about the rainfall rate. new orleans is like a big bathtub sitting underwater. rainfall rates from two to three inches. they will have the pumps on which can handle one inch an hour and half inch each successive hour. we may exceed that. this is a slow-moving weekend unlike irene over the weekend, moving 20 to 25 miles an hour. this is festering and sitting out there moving at two miles an hour. this is going to extend the heavy rain right into monday and tuesday. we could see as much as 15 to 20 inches of rain. as far as evacuations, the only one so far, a few oil platforms have been evacuated. but we're told that's only going to impact a fraction of oil production. matt, that means hopefully that won't be any impact at the pump in the coming days. back to you. >> we'll keep your fingers crossed on that. mike, thank you very much. al is upstairs tracking the storm as well as katia in the atlantic. good morning to you, al. >> that's right. we're busy. here's the latest on tropical depression 13 could become lee later today. also there's another tropical entity out there that could become lee first. we'll look at that. 240 miles southwest of the mouth of the mississippi. this thing is crawling at the northwest two miles per hour. we have tropical storm warnings right now out, stretching from texas all of the way to pass pascagoula, mississippi. here's where we see the path of this system. it's going to come onshore, we think, in a little while. it's going to take by early monday morning, until it actually comes onshore with 60-mile-per-hour winds as a tropical storm. dumping, i mean, a ton of rain. we are talking about anywhere from 10 to 15 inches. there could be 20 inches of rain out of this system. now, let's go out into the atlantic. katia, this one we thought -- we were hoping was going to get picked up by a trough. right now 750 miles east of the northern leeward islands. west northwest at 15. look at the models we look at. they're all pretty consistent. they move this thing out to the west and it just keeps coming. we don't see any big change. look at this, slowly, as a category 3 storm wednesday morning, so the entire southeastern atlantic coast will be in play sometime thursday on into friday. we'll have more a little bit later. matt? >> al, we'll get you forecast in a couple of minutes. thank you very much. that storm in the south and aftermath of irene all along the east coast are going to have a major impact on the labor day travel situation. nbc's tom costello is at a gas station in maryland. good morning. >> good morning. gas prices are down about 30 cents from their high in may but still up dramatically from a year ago. combine that with a rough economy and with hurricane irene, not as many americans getting away this labor day. while much of the south end of the outer banks has been cut off by hurricane irene, on the north end they've been in full clean-up mode before this last full weekend of the summer. to lure the tourists back to the town of duck, they offered a hurricane deal. >> when guests come in to duck and the northern outer banks, they're going to see that we're ready for business and ready to take care of them. >> reporter: message received, half off rooms were sold in a heartbe heartbeat. >> we brought lots of reading material. we're going to relax, sit on the beach and eat. on this last long summer weekend of the year, the great escape is on. of the 31.5 million americans traveling th traveling this weekend, an 2.5 million are flying. airfares up 13% from a year ago. the vast majority are hitting the road, 27.3 million, taking advantage of gas prices that have dropped in the recent months. at the pump, unleaded is now averaging $3.62 a gallon. down from a high of $3.98 on may 5th. but still almost a full dollar more than a year ago when unleaded averaged $2.6 a gallon. meanwhile, the economy continues to struggle. >> you have some americans who are still financially stressed. people who are living paycheck to paycheck, and they don't have a disposable income to travel like they had before the recession. >> reporter: in the lower 48 states, californians still pay the most, $3.85 a gallon. >> coming down a little bit but i think we're still high. >> reporter: meanwhile, back in storm battered north carolina, a message from the governor. >> i really do want to remind visitors and residents that most of the north carolina's coast is open for business and ready for visitors who are coming for the holiday weekend. >> reporter: so where are gas prices headed? i asked the folks at gasbuddy.com that question. in the shorm term, a little bit of a bump up, they think, but by thanksgiving, $3.15 for a national average, but of course the weather will play a major effect on that. >> thank you very much. it is now eight minutes after the hour. here's ann. >> matt, thanks. wall street and washington are braced for a key report on unemployment. will the numbers reassure investors an lawmakers or bring more bad news? mandy drury is the co-anchor of cnbc's "street signs." what is expected today? >> at this rate they are looking for 75,000 to 80,000 jobs being created in the month of august. however, ann, of course, in recent days we've seen those forecast being ratcheted down. i've seen as low as 25,000 jobs created. what is crucial is it comes at a time when we're trying to work out are we going back to a recession. remember the things happening in the month of august? we had the plunge in stock price, hurricane irene. did all of these things make employers more cautious about hiring people? >> 25,000 being the low. that's a pretty wide range. what is for the disparity? >> what explains it is the incredible uncertainty that's out there right now. what i can say here is in a perverse kind of counter intuitive kind of way, the stock market might welcome a weak number. they can come in and issue more implementation of stimulation for the economy, to try and help the economy to get back on track. >> meantime, though, the white house yesterday took the unusual step of projecting a 9.1 unemployment rate continuing through the end of this year. >> yes. >> why are companies not hiring? >> well, you know, there are many reasons. there's one really big reason that i would like to speak to your viewers about, that is the housing market. the housing market stimulus needs and the housing is killing the jobs market. and there are many reasons for that. number one, the construction jobs we've lost. number two, the mobility, you might be someone who lives in kansas and you've been offered a job in chicago. but if your house is under water and you can't sell that house, you don't want to go. you don't want to go to chicago to take the job if you just can't get your house off the market. >> something's going to have to break the logjam. thank you for joining us. it is now 7:10. once again, here's matt. >> ann, thanks. you and mandy talking about jobs. creating new jobs will be the focus of president obama's address next week before congress. this while sarah palin invites some new speculation about whether she's going to enter the race for the top job at the white house. nbc's kelly o'donnell is following the gop presidential campaign. kelly, good morning. >> good morning. this three-day weekend is made for campaigning. especially in the early states of iowa, new hampshire, and south carolina. and all trying to position themselves. you'll see mitt romney courting the tea party, sarah palin raising expectations again, and the less well-known former utah governor jon huntsman trying to break through. stopping at a hair salon in concorde and restyling part of his campaign team, jon huntsman's top new hampshire aide is out, while he struggles to climb from the bottom of the polls. >> i love the state. we're going to win this state. every time i come into this state i feel a connection with the people. >> reporter: no leisure holiday, labor day weekend is a political marathon. >> everything has the feel of a new chapter in the republican presidential race. i think the candidates feel that way. their campaigns feel that way. >> reporter: will that new chapter include sarah palin? not in the race, but headed back to iowa and new hampshire for tea party events? palin's star power pushed out former senate candidate, now author, christine o'donnell, who was invited to speak this weekend, then disinvited, invited again, and ultimately off the list to address an iowa tea party crowd, giving palin the stage alone. >> i think we all know that sarah palin know how to manipulate the media. >> reporter: tea party conservative michele bachmann spoke to the american legion convention and appeared to offer himself as a modern day margaret thatcher. >> they contributed mightily to restore the economic, we're in a similar sim ptime period. >> reporter: doing battle with poll topping rick perry -- >> he's supposed to be the tea party guy? >> reporter: he hit back hard thursday over a group's pro-bachmann ad. he said it falsely portrayed his fiscal record. and establishment republican mitt romney makes his first direct pitch to the influential tea party express, at their new hampshire event this weekend. and there will be a big tea party test in south carolina monday when a bunch of candidates will appear at the same forum answering questions from a conservative panel that's set up by jim demint, who is a big power player in south carolina. matt, after some talk about the flack between the white house and speaker boehner, the president's speech will happen thursday and finally set the time of 7:00 p.m. matt? >> kelly o'donnell in washington this morning. thank you very much. david gregory is moderator of "meet the press." chuck todd is, nbc's political director. david, let me start with you. is sarah palin running? don't pretend you don't know. >> i want to keep it up because the whole political world is not able to do anything but pretend whether or not we know. look, she's keeping herself viable. but one thing that's true, matt, is that the states she would occupy right now is where rick perry is and where michele bachmann is. the populous tea party candidates. one thing that may keep her wanting to get in is to see how fast rick perry got to the top of the polls. >> you can delay a decision but even if you're delaying your decision behind the scenes you need to be laying the groundwork for an effective campaign. are there any signs that she's doing that? >> no. other than the fact that she has a lot of appeal. not laying a foundation in terms of getting ready on the issues, overcoming her own negatives from 2008, raising money and putting the infrastructure in place to make a serious run. >> chuck, if she gets in, who is likely to get out first? david just mentioned a couple of names op people occupying the same space. >> well, i wouldn't say those two candidates would be getting out first. i think one thing about sarah palin is that this is her last weekend to cry wolf essentially. she needs to do something. she can't just simply say, hey, i'm still thinking about it. this race will pass her by the that's it. if she's really going to get in this race she has to signal that in a much more stronger words than she has in the past. but the candidates that i think right now are flailing and are in desperation mode potentially and i think we'll see it at our debate next week, rick santorum, conservative former senator from pennsylvania and jon huntsman who we saw with another campaign shake-up a bit in new hampshire. he can't get off the ground. he's going to be, i think, throwing a lot of punches on wednesday to try to at least breakthrough a little bit. >> speaking of that debate on wednesday. david, it's the first debate including rick perry. how does he change the dynamic? >> well, somebody's got to start to take some shots. as i said, he occupies this space of the tea party candidate, the more conservative candidate, the nonestablishment candidate. we don't know what the republican primary voters are going to do. whether they're going to go for somebody a lot more conservative or the established candidate. if you're mitt romney, if you're michele bachmann, you want to draw some blood here politically speaking in this debate and not keep a hands-off approach. mitt romney has done a lot to stay below the radar. >> that happens next wednesday. go forward a day, chuck, to thursday when the president will address the congress on jobs creation. will there be common ground with the republicans or are we in for debt ceiling debate 2? >> it's not going to be debt ceiling debate 2. they keep using this phrase that traditionally has gotten bipartisan support when they talk about the various ideas the president's going to support. what does that mean? probably means a lot of front-loading some money for transportation products, things like that. but i suspect that the white house believes about a third of what they offer actually has a chance of passing, about two-thirds does not, and then that lays the groundwork for the fall campaign. i mean, in many ways, they fully expect that that's the reaction they get from house republicans, matt. >> chuck, thanks. david, who do you have sunday? >> we've got a discussion about what's holding america back and the political fight over the economy. tom friedman will join our special discussion about that. >> all right. have a good weekend, guys. good show, david. we'll see you soon. >> thanks. let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories with natalie morales. >> good morning to you. breaking news, powerful magnitude 7.1 quake struck near alaska. about 1,000 miles from anchorage. tsunami warning has been issued for the coastal parts of alaska. we'll have more on this and watch it as it develops. as mother nature's wrath grows increasingly costly the white house is requesting more than $5 billion in new disaster funds. that additional relief does not include the billions of dollars needed to help states slammed by hurricane irene. hundreds of firefighters in oklahoma and texas continue now for the fourth day to fight devastating wildfires. nbc's jay gray is in oklahoma city with more. good morning, jay. >> good morning, natalie. we want to give everyone a better idea of the devastation these fires are leaving behind, debris and ash like this scattered across two states where firefighters this morning are still battling hot spots. as this war against the wildfires intensifies, at times the fight is hand-to-hand combat, others, a counter attack comes from the air. though i n residents don't really seem to matter. mother nature is winning the fight. >> it's like a bomb went off or something. it's unreal. >> reporter: 18 square miles have burned in oaklahoma city, destroying 25 homes, one business, and reverend johnny moore's church. >> collapsing and from there they couldn't save it. >> reporter: moore's father was the pastor for 28 years. he's been here the last ten. as he walks through what little is left now, the reverend said the fire may have taken his sanctuary but it can't steal his faith. >> we're going to rebuild. we know what the lord is on our side. >> reporter: on the other side of the border, the ranch 101 fire continues to fire in north texas, searing more than 6,000 acres, swallowing almost 40 homes and threatening as many as 400 more. >> we're kind of at the mercy of the wind right now. >> reporter: winds pushing flames that have shown little mercy. so many families across oklahoma and texas now forced to face the overwhelming task of trying to rebuild their homes and lives. natalie? >> jay gray in oklahoma city, thank you. male firefighters responding to the 9/11 attacks on new york's world trade center have a 19% higher risk of getting cancer because they were exposed to toxic dust and smoke. nearly a decade after the ating thes a new study is revealing the lingering health effects on first responders at ground zero that may pave the way to better federal funding for their care. and an argument at a youth football game got out of hand in florida. take a look as the referees, coaches, and even some players came to blows. the player tackled the referee at halftime, one adult trying to kick the ref in the head. luckily the ref was not seriously injured. the sarasota sheriff says criminal charges could come as early as today. now, that is ugly. 7:20 right now. let's turn it back over to matt, ann, and al. not an example of fair play there. >> no. absolutely not. >> thank you. mr. roker, you're going to have another busy weekend. >> looks that way. let's check it out. we're going to show you what we. first of all, what we expect as far as your weather for today. we've got that you can see tropical depression 13 churning away there in the gulf ever so slowly, grinding it out, bringing plenty of rain. a frontal system bringing a risk of strong storms in the upper mississippi river valley. temperatures in the low to upper 70s with low humidity. 85 los angeles today. sunny skies. nice and temperate today in the northeast. hit or miss showers and thunderstorms down through southern florida. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> a cloudy start to this friday. good morning. live view from the sky watcher camera overlooking washington. and the gray sky with us now. we had thunder and lightning as well on radar from just to the southeast of winchester down to east of charlottesville. that's drifting off east-southeast. later today, we ought to get some sunshine. temperatures climbing to the mid-80s. maybe an afternoon or evening stor >> and that's your latest weather. al, thanks very much. it's time for football. the nfl season kicks off next thursday right here on nbc when new orleans saints travel to green bay to take on the reigning super bowl champion packers. we want to let you know we will be there, too, live from the frozen tundra of lambeau buifie. if it's frozen, i'm not going. i can smell some tailgating right now. >> oh, yeah. speaking of that, by the way, you may have seen that incredible hockey shot one minnesota twin made at a charity hockey event posing as his brother. well, they didn't get the money. but can they perform another miracle on ice? we're going to give them another shot this morning. >> on the frozen tundra of rockefeller plaza. >> that's right. but first, this is "today" on nbc. -dad, why are you getting that? -that's my cereal. is there a prize in there? oh, there's a prize, all right. is it a robot? no. is it a jet plane? nope. is it a dinosaur?] [ male announcer ] inside every box of heart healthy cheerios are those great tasting little o's made from carefully selected oats that c help lower cholesterol. stickers? uh-uh. a superhero? ♪ kinda. [ male announcer ] and we think that's the best prize of all. ♪ coming up, joran van der sloot charged with murder in a separate case. we'll have a live report ahead. plus, we'll lighten things up and cool things up with a live concert on the plaza from lenny kravitz. but first, your local news. so i ten. that's right. [ male announcer ] you do everything so they're at their best. so start their big days with the incredible protein. eggs. lenny kravitz on the plaza. but first you local news. this is a news 4 newsbreak. >> good morning. 7:26 on this friday, the 2nd of september. i'm joe krebs. let's get your long labor day weekend forecast from meteorologist tom kierein. >> good morning. we do have some morning thundershowers right now just to the east of front royal in warren county. and those are beginning to move into fauquier county and culpepper. those thours drifth off to the south and east producing brief downpours, thunder and lightning. sunshine breaking out of the 80s. hot and humid saturday and sunday. could get afternoon and evening storms both days. then on labor day, maybe a morning shower or our friday rush hour. stay with us. good morning. traveling in northwest washington, d.c. on 14th street, closures between irish street and juniper street due to a downed tree there. the outer beltway in maryland is getting slow. a live look as you make your way toward georgia avenue. it's a slow commute for you. and the beltway in virginia clear of accidents and no major ♪ 7:30 now this getaway friday morning, september 2nd, 2011. and all of these happy people picked a great place to start the labor day weekend. guess what, we have rock legend lenny kravitz lined up for our summer concert. he will play our entire 8:30 hour this morning. >> lenny is one of those guys that has been cool and will always be cool. >> we could use some of that. i'm ann curry along the matt lauer. we have a sr. serious story. it's a murder case that has stunned police. >> this one is bizarre. it started when a california man sent e-mails to his family members detailing a trip to africa, a trip of the lifetime. but apparently that man was never in africa. police say he was dead. and the messages were a ruse by a murderer to cover up the crime. we'll have details on that story coming up. also ahead this morning we're going to hear the 911 call placed by a colorado logger moments after he cut off his own toes after he became pinned behind a six-ton trailer, beneath the trailer. we're going to talk to jon hutt about his life and death decision when he joins us for a live interview this morning. >> this is a story that makes everybody say what could i do to save my own life or to save somebody else. in the end, they didn't get the money but can the twin brothers involved in this incredible hockey shot, actually one of the twins was involved in it, repeat the spectacular goal this morning we're going to gave nick and nate smith one more shot at glory. and begin this half hour with joran van der sloot now officially charge with a murder of a woman in peru. a crime that took place five years to the day after natalie holloway disappeared in aruba. hey, jeff, good morning. >> hey, ann, good morning. from aruba, as you know, the natalie holloway case has haunted this island for many years, i've since it happened. they can't seep to shake a legacy. keep in mind the prime suspect in all this, joran van der sloot, was a local, grew up here. gambled in the casinos around here. but he was never charged. ey aruban authorities never had enough evidence. now they say he's not going free this time. parading him before the cameras like a prize, police in peru locked up joran van der sloot last may in the brutal killing of stephanie florez. but no charges until now. prosecutors have officially charged van der sloot with murder, seeking 30 years in prison. >> very nice girl. like she was like a friend. >> reporter: last year joran imself gave a lengthy jailhoust reporter, and he spoke about the victim, stephanie florez. >> i feel really bad that her family -- that her family had to lose a daughter. i think about it all the time. >> reporter: florez was a beautiful 21-year-old business student, daughter of a prominent local businessman. prosecutors say van der sloot was after her cash and credit cards, targeting her in a casino. the most powerful evidence, police say, is this surveillance tape from his hotel. you see joran and stephanie walk in. joran later leaves. police say with stephanie's body inside. peruvian police believe that in room 309 at the hotel tac he savagely attacked stephanie florez, tortured her to obtain her pin numbers. >> reporter: joe represented joran during the natalie holloway case. >> just the evidence in this case is overwhelmingly strong. it's hard to cross-examine a videotape. >> reporter: the kind of evidence police did not have in aruba when natalie disappeared back in 2005. joran van der sloot was arrested twice in that case but never charged. ultimately set free. word of the new murder charge in peru spread fast here. >> we're all relieved. this has been something that has really been very difficult for the island of aruba, especially since he was released and never charged here in aruba. >> reporter: late thursday natalie holloway's mother told nbc news, god bless the peru authorities, perhaps now justice will be served. police and prosecutors aren't only asking for 30 years in prison. they want joran to pay $73,000 to the victim's family. stephanie florez' family in peru. and by the way, ann, the next court hearing in this case is scheduled in less than two weeks from now. >> jeff rossen this morning, thank you. investigators in southern california they say have never seen a case like this one. a man confessed to not only murdering his business partner but also to hijacking that man's e-mail account to send messages to the victim's family. here's nbc's lee cowen. >> reporter: chris smith loved the outdoors. the more high-octane the experience, the better, says his family. so when they got an e-mail about a thrill-seeking trip he was about to take to africa, they didn't think about it. a few days later, i went sand boarding. it was epic. headed to cape town. then, came this e-mail. the day after christmas. i'm headed back up to the congre congo, it head. i'll be off line for a couple of weeks. a couple of weeks turned into a couple of months. his family never got another message. eventually filed a missing persons report. >> the missing persons investigation revealed some inconsistencies and a possible crime scene was located in san juan. >> reporter: inside the office of cyst smith's advertising and marketing firm investigators say they found blood, a lot of it. dna confirmed it was his. he didn't die in a congo, police say. smith likely side died right here and the last person to see him, they say, was his business partner, edward. >> he was just a person of interest in the beginning. >> reporter: investigators soon learned shin was having financial trouble. convicted of embezzlement and ordered to pay thousands of dollars in restitution. he agreed to buy smith for half of the company for $1 million. it didn't happen. >> rather than pay the gimt it is agreed that shin murdered smith in their office. >> reporter: after a six-hour interrogation police say shin confessed. although his attorney says he still plans to plead not guilty to murder. but what about all those e-mails, the ones smith's family had been getting for months, some of them personal in nature? police say shin confessed to writing those, too. >> he just went to extremely great lengths to cover up the crime scene and to keep the family and friends believe that chris was alive. >> reporter: police say he even masquerading as smith to a reporter when he e-mailed repeatedly in an effort to put a more positive spin on his legal trouble. >> he felt it was his plan was working and he was just going by the seat of his pants and sending these e-mails out. >> reporter: police still don't have a body. all they have is chris smith's rang rover and clothes found hundreds of miles away in san jose. after posing for his son for so long, his parents now want shin to answer the one question he hasn't so they can bring their son home for good. lee cowen. >> police are asking anyone with information in the case to call the orange county's sheriff's department. that number is 1-866-847-6273. let's get a check of the weather now from al. >> narrator: "today's" weather is brought to you by the all new sport injected buick regal turbo. >> and good morning, everybody. okay. your wife is 60 years away from a smucker's jar? >> i am. >> wow. >> my dad's birthday, too. happy birthday, dad! >> very cool. double birthdays. nice. where are you from? >> rhode island. >> you survived the hurricane okay? >> oh,cool. >> double birthday. very nice. where are you guys from? >> rhode island. >> survived the hurricane okay? >> we did. >> we've got power. >> got power. let's check it out for your weekend. risk of strong storms around the great lakes. beautiful, though, western third of the country. tropical storm lee most likely causing problems down through the gulf. as we move into sunday, we're looking at more rain from new england all the way through the ohio river valley down to the gulf. western half of the country, sizzling and mild. and labor day, we've got more wet weather along the eastern seaboard. plenty of sunshine. the western two-thirds of the country. a little on the cool side but sunny around the great lakes. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. it is cloudy and mild on this friday morning. and we have on radar some thundershowers that are in far eastern warren county, into northern fauquier into culpepper. drifting off to the southeast. brief rain and thunder and lightning. later today, highs mid80s and getting more hu >> tropical storm lee and hurricane katia, you want to check the weather channel. go to weather channel on cable or weather.com online. ann? >> al, thank you. coming up next, labor day diet bust, including the prop particular comeout meal that's equal to eating nearly an entire package of hot dogs. plus, live on the plaza, denied $50,000 after one of them made a controversial hockey goal. but first, these messages. getting grime from deep inside grout takes the right tools, but also a caring touch. you learn to get a feel for the trouble spots. to know its wants... its needs...its dreams. ♪call 1-800-steemer. ♪ why settle for a one-note cereal? get more with honey bunches of oats. four nutritious grains come together for more taste, more texture, more healthy satisfaction. have a bowl of happy. ♪ that comes from a leaf sweet surprise ♪rue love ♪ ♪ it's natural, guilt-free no artificiality ♪ ♪ it won't land on my hips or my thighs ♪ [ announcer ] truvia. honestly sweet. hello parents, it's going to be your kids are going to climb rope. they're going to have a year long tug war with the ceiling. and by the time they get out of 8th grade, they're going to do it with sweat on their brow and achievement in their hearts. so, this is what they're gonna need: running shoes, t-shirts, tube socks, fruit cups, cheese sticks, energy bars, rope climbing gloves, rope burn ointment, and a jump drive. not sure what that is, but they're gonna be jumpin'. school takes a lot. target has it all. back at 7:42. this morning on eat this not that, the truth at your favorite summer foods. labor day weekend is here. millions of americans are planning one last great barbecue. and a lot of food you serve will be packed with fat and calories. david is author of "cook this not that" and the soon to be released "eat this not that 2012." david, good morning. >> great to see you, matd. >> almost end of summer. big blowout weekend. lots of labor day barbecues. you're going to bum people out one more time with classics and show them how bad they are, okay? >> no. here's the point. we lose ourselves on the big calorie summer holidays. here it is. it's labor day. let's celebrate it without appearing to go into it. >> which is really a good idea. a lot of people are going to head out to the beach on a picnic this weekend. they're going to go for one of my favorite things. devil'd eggs. >> it's a rotten thing to do to an egg. you have this custard like filling in it of mayo and yolk. throw it at a thneighbor's hous. it's 260 calories, you've lend of 33 medium shrimp, okay? >> okay. >> so just do an exorcism of those devil'd eggs. go with these mushroom bites. super fast, super healthy. you save 150 calories. >> i don't know. what do you think? >> they're deviled eggs. >> better for you. okay. barbecues right now. take the traditional bratwurst and potato salad. where am i going to get killed on the calories? >> on both. the bratwursts, we're saying, hey, eat two. the problem is 740 calories be before you even get to the potato salad and you have a full day's sodium in the bratwursts. forget about that. that is the equivalent of all these 39 -- >> all those? >> yeah, cocktail franks, right here. what you're going to do is you're going have a couple of hot dogs. you're going to have pork and beans, van camp's. >> this is okay. >> seal of approval winner. >> really? >> yes. you're going to save hundreds of calories. you're over 1,000 here. you're saving 500 here. you do that every day. you are losing a pound a week. >> you do that every day you're going to be sick of hot dogs, i tell you that. how about steak, baked potato, the sour cream there, too, and cake. >> this is like drinking a four ounce steak. sweetened tea, 200 calories. don't do that. ribeye is the fattiest cut of meat. >> it's delicious. >> it is. full day's worth of saturated fat right there though before you even get to the baked potato. equivalent of half of a meat pizza at domino's. what you want to do is have a steak with loin in it, sirloin, tenderloin. and the crinkled fries. you're not going to find a healthier fry. >> and for the drink? >> unsweetened great community iced tea. you're going to save 500 calories. on the road to weight loss. >> dessert? a lot of people like the apple pie a la mode. you have a good alternative. tell me the you've lequivalent. >> the equivalent are these 15 dunkin donuts chocolate hundr munchkins, which i love. >> same ice cream. >> throw some blueberries on there. it's like the answer to every single health problem out there. you're going to save a few hundred calories. >> you're not making people suffer, which is good. >> not at all. >> happy labor day. david, good to have you here. up next, can they do it again? we're going to give those twin brothers in that hockey goal switcheroo one more shot at glory on our plaza, right after this. ody hurt. it was an ongoing, deep pain. i didn't understand it. i found out that connected to our muscles are nerves that send messages through the body. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia -- thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and less pain means, i can 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[ chuckles ] yeah. ocean spray blueberry juice drinks -- real blueberries, real good. so, it's an amazing hockey goal we've been talking about it for weeks now. talking about 11-year-old nate smith from minnesota nailing an 89 footer through a 3 1/2 inch hole worth $50,000. however, his twin brother nick was supposed to take it. so in the end, they didn't get money, but can they repeat the miracle on ice shot? well, nate and nick are joining us again this morning, along with their father pat. good morning to all of you. welcome here. so, i understand you guys have been practicing this shot at home. is that right? how have you been doing, nate? >> good. we only got about 12 feet. >> so it's easier when it's only 12 feet away. >> yeah. >> how about you, nick? >> we put it in and we started playing on it. and we just got it in once. >> pretty good. >> good things to come out of this. you guys got scholarships to hockey camp, is that right? >> yeah. >> that's pretty cool. >> yeah. >> and you got to spend a lot of time in front of the cameras. has that been a good thing or a bad thing? >> good. >> pretty well? good. >> you boys have really stepped up. >> yeah, i think they've done a great job. and they've remained pretty humble. >> they've learned a lot in the process. >> they have. >> what we've got here is we brought the actual goal here to the plaza. we did not have 89 feet. we could not do that. so we set up kind of an abbreviated version of this shot. you guys willing to give it a bit of a try before all these people? >> sure. >> yeah? >> which one of you wants to go first? >> nathan. >> aw, okay. >> we'll get out of the way. you guys go back here. >> 20 feet away. >> we think this is actually like 41 feet. i think we measured it about 41. we'll give you three tries. root him on here. come on, guys. >> nate, nate! >> okay. a little left. >> all right. >> here we go! >> warm up. >> oh! >> that was close. >> one more? >> i say you push it through at that point. that was so good. one more. here we go. >> oh! >> okay. >> you're up, nick. >> nate, that was a good effort. >> excellent. >> okay. >> all right. >> you guys are close. >> you know. >> whoa! >> one more. >> come on, nick. you can do it. >> really good job. >> hey, guys, we should try. but also, candace, who is one of our great producers, she made this shot earlier. she made it. come on, candace. >> give it a try. >> give her your stick. >> come here, candace. poor candace, she wasn't expecting this. >> no pressure. >> oh! >> there you go. >> hit it, don't kill it, candace. >> oh! >> okay. >> candace, candace, did you really make the shot earlier? >> i did. maybe no one was around but i did make the shot. >> why don't you try it. >> okay. >> go ahead, ann. >> okay. do you mind holding this? okay. okay. >> you can do it. >> that's it. >> one more. one more. you're so close. >> you do k. can do it, ann! >> give her some tips. what does she need to do? >> anything i should do in particular? just hit it. just go for it. >> just hit it. >> oh! >> you have a future. >> we've got jerseys for you guys. >> it's not $50,000 but we wanted to make sure that you left with a little. so the washington capitals, nick got the pittsburgh penguins. >> back after this. >> excellent. 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[ male announcer ] the frontline plus killing force now comes with the satisfaction plus guarantee. available only from your vet. nvo: a breakfast worth satisfwaking up for.arantee. enjoy the sausage, egg and cheese croissan'wich today. only at burger king. .break.tñq this is a news 4 news break. >> good morning. i'm joe krebs. 7:56 on this friday morning. let's get the forecast for this long holiday weekend from meteorologist tom kierein. >> we've had a few passing showers and thundershowers to the west of washington this morning. generally in a line from northern fauquier county down to western culpepper. and those are drifting south and east. elsewhere, sunshine breaking out later today with highs into the mid-80s. saturday and sunday, hot and humid both days. there's a small chance of an afternoon or evening afternooomorrow.ning then a greater chance sunday afternoon and evening. highs near 90. and look at the friday rush .p[ good morning. if you are traveling northwest, washington, d.c., i have a downed treat shutting down 14th street between iris street and juniper street. still seeing delays from coatsville road and just past georgia avenue. and other areas, traffic is very light. here's what 270 looks like at shady grove. no problem as you make your way towards the spur. and traveling 395, hey, you are clear from duke to the 14th street bridge. joe, back to you. we're back now on a friday morning, 8:00. it's the 2nd day of september, 2011. boy, it's hard to get used to saying. summer is flying by. official end of summer this weekend. we're going to have a great labor day or labor day weekend concert out on our plaza in just a couple of minutes, about a half hour from now. lenny kravitz will be live. i'm matt lauer along with ann curry and al roker. we have another story coming up, one of those, wow, what would you do stories. >> that's right. we talked about it yesterday. jon hutt, he was logging in a remote forest when his foot got trapped underneath a trailer with no one around and no cell service. the only way he could free himself was to cut off his own toes. so he's joining us this morning along with his wife to share what really is an incredible story and it really does make you ask the question, what would you do? >> and he has, under the circumstances, a really good sense ofctive on the whole thing. >> i got to that last toe, the knife got a little dull. that's an understatement. >> thanks for that, by the way. plus, a special edition of the labor day friday whip, great deals to be had. everything from clothing and electronics to mattresses, as well. we're going to tell you where you can find them. >> all right. let's go inside. natalie is standing inside at the news desk. hi. >> good morning, everyone. a tsunami warning was issued for parts of alaska this morning after a magnitude 7.1 underwater earthquake southeast of atka, alaska. it was a remotely populated area and wide spread destruction was not expected. tropical storm warnings in effect for texas to mississippi. a tropical depression in the gulf of mexico could come ashore monday as a tropical storm and cause major flooding. nearly one week after hurricane irene ravaged the east coast, hundreds of thousands of people are still without electricity and more rainfall on thursday triggered flash flooding in hart hit vermont. irene is now blamed for at least 46 deaths in 13 states. police in san diego released their findings today in the mysterious death of a woman at her boyfriend's $12 million mansion. they reportedly concluded that 32-year-old committed suicide even though her nude body was with her wrists and ankles bound. her death came just days after her boyfriend's 6-year-old son fell down the stairs and suffered fatal injuries while she was caring for him. federal regulators are reportedly suing a dozen big banks over their roles in the financial crisis. according to the "new york times," the suits will claim the bank's bundled mortgages and sold them to investors without reveal that many of those mortgages were high risk. the resulted losses cost taxpayers more than $30 billion. now for a look at what's trending today, what has you talking online. springsteen fans are googling this video of the boss in boston borrow aggie tar. bruce may have been in beantown to drop off his son at college. and "star wars," upset about the blu-ray version of "return of the jedi." the leak revealed darth vader no longer remains silent when he throws the evil emperor down the shaft. >> no no! >> the revised "star wars" blu-ray set comes out in two weeks. and snooki goes up to tell prompter as a new role as internet anchor woman. >> there are some stories coming out in the news. and i have serious opinions on them. you may ask, why do i have opinions on them? well, i've always wanted to be an anchor woman and, hello, i'm good at doing it. >> good night and good luck, snook. i think she should stick to "the jersey shores." let's go back outside to matt and ann. >> okay. thanks a lot, natalie. let's get a check of the weather. >> where is -- >> i don't"the jersey shore." let's go back outside to matt and ann. >> okay. gotks a lot, natalie. they've >> where is >> right here. >> we're up enjoying -- we've got a good view of nick and nate right now. they've been practicing. one of them got it in there while we were off the air. pretty cool. let's check your weather. again, we are watching tropical depression number 13 to become lee. and it is going to be causing big problems for the gulf coast. is barely moving at about 2 miles per hour. and it is going to dump just a ton of rain. the path of this thing doesn't get on shore in louisiana until monday morning and then slowly makes its way into the southeast. rainfall amounts anywhere from 10 to 15 inches. as much as 20 inches in the next five days we're talking about. and then we've got katia out there. right now a tropical storm. will probably strengthen to become a hurricane. we're going to be talking about that later on. as you look around the country, we've got fabulous weather. plenty of sunshine along the east coast. we are looking at showers, though, continuing through the orthwest.ontinuing through the unny skies, actually ishould say today, temperatures in the low 70s. rada what's going on some? the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> breaout $ >> breaout $ later eveningx andg3 today with highs reaching partlys wednesda>> and that's your late weather. and now we have to say hello to all of my people! my people! my people! ann. >> i'm one of your people, too. thanks, al. coming up next, we're going to ask the question, how did he manage to keep his sense of humor through a really difficult, terrible ordeal, agonizing one. we're going to talk to the man who cut off his own toes to save himself from a dire situation, who cut off his own toes to save himself from a dire situation, right after this. many today, i feel the best approach to food is to keep it whole for better nutrition. and that's what they do with great grains cereal. see the seam on the wheat grain? same as on the flake. because great grains steams and bakes the actual whole grain. now check out the other guy's flake. hello, no seam. because it's more processed. now, which do you suppose has better nutrition for you? 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[ male announcer ] get the venture card from capital one and earn double miles on every purchase, every day. go to capitalone.com. what's in your wallet? we're back now at 8:09 with theor his own toes to save his own life. in a moment, we'll talk to jon hutt and his wife, but first, here's nbc's miguel almaguer. >> of all the things to lose, i think your toes are some of the most expendable. >> reporter: john hutt can laugh about it now. the 61-year-old tells it like it is. >> 911, what is your emergency? >> i cut my foot off. >> reporter: hutt made the call for help. >> my foot was right there. >> reporter: -- after his right foot became wedged. >> it hurt like hell. >> reporter: he was alone in the backcountry log for firewood. for 30 minutes he cried out for help. then made the dramatic decision. he pulled out his three-inch blade. >> pretty good knife. >> reporter: -- and began to amputate his toes. >> i cut until i couldn't take it anymore. i just kept cutting through the bone or whatever i needed to. >> reporter: one by one, he sliced through tendons, nerves, and bones. >> made me twitch a little bit when i cut into that big toe. the nerves were still pretty lively. >> reporter: hutt didn't just keep his cool but his wit. he wrapped his wound, hopped into his cab, and drove, bad foot and all, for 25 miles until he got service on his cell phone. >> i need to know what to do with these toes. weather to put them on ice or leave them alone or what. >> reporter: hutt headed to the hospital as fast as he could. toe nos los no longer intact bu humor was. >> you have to follow the traffic codes. >> no, i don't. >> reporter: finally, he reached the er. though doctors couldn't reattach his toes, they say the part-time logger may have saved his own life. >> he's a toughman. courageous man. the fact that he was able to do that, i think he did the right thing. >> reporter: hutt is pretty proud of himself, too. he has no regrets. >> did you learn anything about yourself during all of this? >> no, not much. >> reporter: but he has one heck of a story. m miguel almaguer. >> how are you, jon? >> good. >> you're okay? >> yeah. >> that must have hurt. not the cut off part but the part getting them stuck under the trailer, that had to really, really hurt. >> yeah, it did. >> you're out there. no cell phone. you yell but nobody could hear you. >> right. >> so you have to gradually come to that decision that you eventually made. i'm just curious, did that story of that other guy, that hiker, aron ralston, cross your mind? >> no, it didn't. >> no? >> i heard about it, but it just didn't click at the time. >> you made the decision. this is the knife, by the way. i've got it right here that you brought me. i said, did you wash it off? he said it's dry. it's been two weeks. you've got a strange sense of humor about you, don't you, jon? as you were doing it, did you know you could go through with it the whole way? did you think you could get through. >> when i started in i wanted to get through it before i went into shock or something. >> right. >> you know, you never know about something like that until you're doing it. yeah, i planned on getting through it. >> i've read this now a couple of times. i've seen the story a couple of times. what stuns me about this is after you did it and you're in the car and you're make that 911 call. how normal your voice sounded. there was no screaming no, p, n panic, no hysteria, there was laughter. >> well, once i got loose, you know, just the relief of getting loose from that thing. you know, not being trapped there for 12 hours. >> kind of elation? >> you know, that gal telling me i couldn't break the traffic laws, things like that. >> didn't seem to make much sense. >> you can't hang up on me. i'm going to call my wife. >> margaret, i don't know whether to say you're married to some incredible guy here or you've got your hands full. were you surprised by this? >> i was surprised of the accident. he has done this kind of stuff, worked in the woods by himself, for 30 years or so. and we'ver er inever had any p. he's never had any trouble. >> you must know he's a pretty capable guy. >> very capable, yeah. >> what is the prognosis here? you are walking with crutches understandably right now. doctors tell you you will get to a point where you might not need those? >> oh, yeah, i'll be back on my feet probably -- i'm guessing within a month. >> back in the woods? >> probably, yeah. i got 15 more loads to haul out of there. >> you can get some help, you know. >> it's a self loader. you don't need any help. >> jon, again, for your bravery and we're happy most of all that you're doing okay and that sense of humor. keep that as well. >> i'll try. >> great to see you. >> margaret, thanks. nice to have you here, as well. up next, on a friday whip, how to save money on everything from clothes to labor day goods for the home, right after this. my back-to-school shopping and i saw another store's ad for these crayons at a lower price. no problem -- i can match that right here. oops -- i don't have the ad. you don't need it. oh, what about a coupon for these pens? yeah. easy. why does the glue not stick to the glue stick? well, it's very complicated, but it has to do with oxygen. i knew that. [ male announcer ] get low prices every day on everything. backed by our ad match guarantee. and now save even more at the end of summer clearance with cool prices on toys and summer clothes. save money. live better. walmart. i don't normally associate with salty snacks. huh. i thought berries were supposed to be sweet. [ female announcer ] new quaker chewy smashbar. kid-loved ingredients, smashed together. with 33% less sugar than the leading sweet snacks. excuse me? my grandfather was born in this village. [ automated voice speaks foreign language ] [ male announcer ] in here, everyone speaks the same language. ♪ in here, forklifts drive themselves. no, he doesn't have it. yeah, we'll look on that. [ male announcer ] in here, friends leave you messages written in the air. that's it right there. [ male announcer ] it's the at&t network. and what's possible in here is almost impossible to say. look better and feel softer. how 'bout we start with the guaranteed low price on the carpet... the pad, and installation. let's get peace of mind for a lifetime. it all adds up to better carpet at a better price and a great-looking room transformed. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. get 10% off or 24 months special financing on your first purchase of $599 or more when you open a new home depot credit card account. i don't know if i could say the same for my parents. it's the worst thing that's ever happened to them. i'm just pretty much killing it out here. they say they're happy. i mean, what do you think they do every day without me there? ♪ are they eating? they must really miss me. i'm their only child, except for my sister. [ male announcer ] venza from toyota. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] say hello to the new mango pineapple real fruit smoothies from mccafé, bursting with fresh flavors and blended with creamy low-fat yogurt. the simple joy of exotic refreshment. ♪ >> narrator: today's friday whip is brought to you by mcdonald's. i'm loving it. >> and this morning on "today's" friday whip we're spending your holiday weekend spending your money. it marks the unofficial day of summer. do not let it get you down. >> we're going to show you where to find the best holiday deals on everything from clothing to electroni electronics. let's start with labor day bargains for the home. sarah is here from "real simple" magazine. is there a particular reason why this is the time of year for home sales? >> absolutely. retailers use labor day as a way to get all the summer merchandise out and make way for the fall and winter merchandise. big deals across the board on big things. literally big things. called white sales although things are not always white. the sheets on this bed are. >> good time to buy mattress snes. >> yes. mattresses and furniture, great time to buy both. furniture, a patio seat, outdoor furniture, buy it now for next year. >> mark downs? >> 25%, 30%. bed sets, things like macy's and jp penny have sale on furniture and mattress, great time to buy a mattress. you should never buy a mattress that's not on sale because they're so marked up. jcpenney or sleepy's. you can get a mattress for $300 or less. and jcpenney, 30% to 40 % off. >> i'm moving toward the linen for a reason because this is really what the white sale is all about. >> this is the summer verse of the winter white sale. stock up on all your new towels and linens and sheets. jcpenney is a great place to do that as well as bloomingdale's and macy's. 50% off. >> are these just decorations here, the plants? >> no. this is going to make complete sense. they need to make room for their holiday plants and fall plants. 50% off nurseries. go to a local nursery. they have less space so they want to move things out. >> you probably have something that's large if you want to get it, this is the time to get it. >> fall is the time to plant because the soil is still warm but it's not as extreme as summer. >> sarah humphreys making it simple for us. now, here's matt. >> next up, electronics. from televisions to video games, a lot of great deals to be had. natalie morris is a technology expert. good morning to you. start by saving me money on a television. this is a plasma screen. >> this is the mama, 60-inch, at sears. $1499. now on sale for $999. 60 inches is big. my husband just got one of these and i had a fit about it because i thought it made our living room look like an imax but you do get used to it. >> and football season is right around the corner. come on. let's look at the small one here. this is an lcd. >> this is more my speed. lcd. 24 inches. already only $299. but for the labor day holiday, $199 at sears. >> let's move on to phones. you found a couple of deals. >> you can get these in at&t stores and also at best buy. they are $349, so windows phones but the special is either 1 cent at at&t or $49 at best buy -- i'm sorry, 1 cent on amazon or $49 at best buy and -- yes. >> through the labor day weekend. >> through the labor day weekend. >> back too school, a lot of people are looking for laptops. you found two you like. >> this is a samsung. it's light and small. it comes with windows office, so you don't have to get it and then buy extra software. it's $699 on sale for $549. we got these at staples. and if you show your student idea you get $100 gift card with visa. use that anywhere, groceries, whatever. >> the price on this one? >> $699 -- $729 on sale for $629. and it's got a blu-ray player, as well. >> what about tablets, they're very popular still? >> they are. this one we got at best buy. this is the blackberry playbook. you can get the 64 gig version for $549, which is a really good deal. >> quickly. video games? >> video games at target. $20 off if you buy two and you can preorder "gears of war iii." >> natalie morris, thank you very much. appreciate it. go down to al. >> thanks, matt. you can find some great labor day deals online. heather cabot is life editor at yahoo!. so you get all of these ads and deals coming in. you say one of the places you go is great sites that put it all together, bundle it for you. >> they do the work for you. if you're looking for designer apparel go to shopittome. you put it in brand you want and size you want and they send you an e-mail. >> home goods? >> bradsdeals, as well. for consumer electronics, go to dealnews. >> if you decide you want clothes. a great place now is the time to do some kids shopping. >> yes. we found some great deals online. children's place this weekend only, half off for graphic tees and denim. you can get t-shirts like these for $4.99 and the jeans for $9.99. they're offering free shipping online and extra 15% off if you buy this weekend. >> that's one of the things you should look for is free shipping. free shipping is a given these days but before you do the checkout, before you push the checkout button open another tab to look for free shipping at the merchant. sometimes the coupon is not on the site, make sure you get it and put it in before you checkout. >> looking for home goods, towels. >> great time to buy home goods. we found these at jcpenney.com. this goes through tomorrow. their home eggxpressions line f $3. $3.99. toshibadirect.net, video record recorder and a $25 cash back rebate. >> almost a free disposable camera. >> all right. >> natalie? >> the best ways to save on clothing. and here with the scoop is "today's" style editor bobbie thomas. good morning. >> good morning. >> great time to scoop up summer staples. let's talk about dad lawrence's look right here. >> what's great for guys is they don't shop seasonally like women. the polo is 75% off at lord and taylor. this was originally almost $60. only 15 bucks. there are so many stores offering deals, jcpenney 60% off their polos. 55% off their sports coats. >> never going to go out of style. you can wear that next year and the year after. great time for the guys to buy shorts. >> on sale at dockers.com. guys can stock up on good stuff. >> what about the beautiful mom, tamika. >> she's wearing white jeans. perfect time to scoop up some white jeans. i still think they be can born after labor day. >> i'm with you. >> 30% off denim and not just white denim. all colors at macy's on all their designers, like dkny and guess. the top is a deal as well. >> and tyler. what is he wearing? >> he's excited for football season. >> patriots. >> old navy have a super fan collection. if you spend 30 bucks they'll give you a voucher for a free pizza, tyler. goes with the football. >> she's got great deals. her leggings were only $4. they were half offer. they're offering lots of incentives for back to school and she got her cute boots. >> >> bobby thomas, very good. thank you so much. we're back in a moment. first your local news and weather. this is a news 4 news break. >> good morning. 8:26 on this friday, september 2nd. i'm aaron gilchrist. let's go to tom kierein for a look at the forecast. >> it's a gray start to this friday around our region. now we have temperatures that are in the 60s to near 70. and the radar showing diminishing thundershowers now in fauquier county and culpeper county. hot and humid over the weekend. partly sunny saturday and sunday with highs near 90. might get an afternoon or evening storm on saturday but a greater chance sunday afternoon and evening. for labor day, maybe a morning shower or afternoon thundershower. highs low 80s. right now it looks like tuesday, wednesday, thursday will be partly cloudy with highs in the 70s to near 80. aaron? >> thank you, tom. we'll [ agent ] so your policy looks good, is there anything else? why did you buy my husband a falcon? thanks for the falcon. i didn't buy anyone a falcon. sure, you did. you saved us a lot of money on auto insurance. i used that money to buy a falcon. ergo, you bought me a falcon. i should've got a falcon. most people who switch to state farm save on average about $480. what they do with it, well, that's their business. oh, that explains a lot, actually. [ chuckles ] [ male announcer ] another reason people switch to state farm. aw, i could've gotten a falcon. [ male announcer ] get to a better state. [ falcon screeches ] good morning. traffic in our area is light. here are some of the area bridges. the douglas bridge no, problem from south capital street. and the woodrow wilson bridge clear in both directions. shooting over to the 14th street bridge, not a problem even from 395. aaron, back to you. >> another ♪ okay, so who ordered the cereal that can help lower cholesterol and who ordered the yummy cereal? yummy. that's yours. lower cholesterol. lower cholesterol. i'm yummy. lower cholesterol. i got that wrong didn't i? [ male announcer ] want great taste? honey nut cheerios. want whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol? honey nut cheerios. it's a win win. good? [ crunching, sipping ] be happy. be healthy. can i try yours? ♪ 8:30 now on this friday morning, september 2nd, 2011. a spectacular summer morning here in rockefeller plaza. just right for a concert, matt. what do you think? >> lenny rakravitz, this guy ha been rocking for a long time and still puts out amazing music. he does. >> we're excited outside. the man you just heard, matt lauer along with natalie morales and al roker. we have a lot coming up. >> talking about breaking up, not with another person but with your bank. a lot of people stay with the same bank for years and years but is that really the best thing for your bottom line? >> okay. and also coming up, there are certain milestones in a woman's life where they start to put on weight and gain weight, motherhood, an example, marriage, as well. coming up we have good advice and how you buck that trend. >> all right. i got weather. here we go. talk about your >> al, what do you have? >> i have weather. starting with temperature, we expect to see heavy rain from what will probably become lee come onshore in the gufl. the western third of the country great. strong risk of storms in the upper mississippi river valley. sunday, rain stretching from new england to the midohio river valley. more rain through the gulf. western third of the country looking great. on labor day, a washout in the east. mild and sunny back through the great lakes into the ohio river valley. sunny and sizzling in the southwest. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. a little sunshine breaking out around the metro area now. to our south there is a line of some diminishing showers in fauquier county down to west of ter moday, highs reaching mid-80s. a little more humid. and then on saturday and sunday, hot and humid both days. and possibility of afternoon or evening storm tomorrow. a greater chance sunday afternoon and evening. for labor day a morning shower or afternoon thundershower with highs low 80s. right now looking dry >> a lot of weather is going on. stay tuned and check out the weather channel on cable and weather.com online. >> thanks, al. when we come back, lenny kravitz live in concert right here on the plaza. but first, this is "today" on nbc. i'm drinkin' dunkin'. i'm drinkin' a dunkin' latte. i can't think without my dunkin' iced latte. it's a real latte. i love it. i run on dunkin'. get a premium latte without a premium price. america runs on dunkin' coffee. look, it's still a great time to refinance. listen up, buster! we're not gonna pay any closing fees. i'd do what she says, friend. i can't control her. well, it's the "no closing fee refinance," so we pick up the closing fees. oh, you're gonna pick up the closing fees? yes. on average, that's $3,300 at closing. [ both ] thirty-three hundred?! that's a lot of donuts. [ male announcer ] visit capital one bank today to refinance your mortgage, and we'll pick up, on average, $3,300 at closing. what's in your wallet? i'm good. >> narrator: the toyota concert series on "today" brought to you by toyota. >> he's one of the biggest names in music. we are absolutely delighted to have him here on our concert stage. ladies and gentlemen, lenny kravi kravitz! ♪ american woman stay away from me ♪ ♪ american woman mama let me be ♪ ♪ don't come hanging around my door i don't want to see your face no more ♪ i got more important things to dothan spend my time growing old with you ♪ ♪ now woman get away ♪ american woman listen what i say ♪ ♪ come on ♪ american woman said get away ♪ american woman listen what i say ♪ ♪ don't come knocking around my door i don't want to see your shadow no more ♪ ♪ colored lights can hypnotize ♪ sparkle someone else's eyes ♪ now woman get away ♪ american woman ♪ listen what i say ♪ ♪ american woman said get away ♪ american woman ♪ listen what i say ♪ don't come hanging around my door don't want to see your face no more ♪ ♪ i don't need your war machines ♪ ♪ i don't need your ghetto scenes ♪ colored lights can hypnotize ♪ ♪ sparkle someone else's eyes. >> now woman ♪ ♪ get away ♪ american woman ♪ listen what i say ♪ american woman stay away from me ♪ ♪ american woman mama let me b be ♪ ♪ i gotta go ♪ gotta get away ♪ babe i gotta go ♪ i want to fly away >> lenny kravitz, thank you so much. back with more music straight ahead. but first, this is "today" on nbc. four-time grammy winner lenny kravitz has sold more than 35 millional bums in his career. he is here on the plaza this morning. lenny, nice to have you. welcome back. >> great to be here. >> i like the picture on the cover. talk to me about the picture of you. >> that's me when i'm about 7. >> wow. >> in the school yard where i went to elementary school up on madison and 81st. >> right here in midtown manhattan. you call this your most diverse album ever. the title has diversity in it. what else is diverse? >> i gave myself enough room to have a large landscape to paint on. i look eight as a double album. it has 16 tracks. in the old school days when you had vinyl, that would have been two pieces of vinyl. i gave myself room to explore everything that i love and i grew up on. >> as the title indicates, it is also about getting back into your roots. also, where you actually made the album is connected to that, as well, in the bahamas. >> yeah, i went home to the bahamas. i lived there for a better part of two years, just sat on the beach, fished in the sea, made music. kept myself away from everybody so i could hear and feel myself. and it was a beautiful experience. definitely something i needed to do as a human being, and then on top i ended up making this wonderful album. >> can we get to a story that has been percolating around here for a while. >> what's been percolating? >> every time your name comes up around here, al here, talk about the fact that you and he are actually related. but he says that when lady gaga is here, also. so we're not sure what to believe. >> you're related to gaga, as well? >> that wow you are, too. >> exactly. we have have roker. my mother was roxie roker. my grandfather, albert roker from the bahamas. so it has to be. >> i think our grandfathers were cousins or something like that. >> i don't know. there are so many cousins and people down there that you never know the entire story. >> all i know is i'm going with this. i think it's cool. >> it works. it really works. >> just before we let you go. acting is something you've done a lot of. you do great impressions. >> thank you. >> you're continuing with that. >> yeah. yeah. working on "hunger games" and wonderful. they're incredible. it's going to be even more incredible. >> so multi-talented because you have music and singing and playing. and also an interior designer. >> that's my day big. that's my day gig. >> where does that suddenly come out? >> i've always been into it. i started a program about 13 years ago and began doing things. and now, you know, i'm doing this, you know, 47 -- 48-story tower in miami called paramount bay. amaze project. i'm also working alongside a new hotel in miami and they asked me to do the top floor in the presidential suite. so it's quite an honor to be working with somebody of that magnitude. >> talented and humble, too. >> honored to have you here on the plaza. what are you going to sing now, lenny? >> "stand" from the new album. >> i'll take that microphone from you. ladies and gentlemen, lenny kravitz. >> this is the new one out. it want everyone to sing the chorus with us, all right? don't give up you're gonna see tomorrow that you'll be on your feet again ♪ ♪ sometimes the world's gonna knock you over but you will see who are your friends ♪ ♪ come on stand up again ♪ come on stand ♪ stand you're gonna run again ♪ your faith and patience will be your soldiers to guide you through your troubled times ♪ ♪ just put one foot in front of the other ♪ ♪ the battles are inside your mind ♪ ♪ you have the power to face your demons no matter how they go on time ♪ ♪ and rid yourself of your fear and weakness so you can start to live your life ♪ ♪ come on ♪ stand up again ♪ come on stand ♪ stand you're gonna run again ♪ come on baby ♪ stand up again ♪ come on stand ♪ come on you can make it ♪ stand you're gonna run again ♪ pick up your will and put on your face ♪ ♪ if you need to just take my hand ♪ ♪ it's time to demonstrate ♪ don't hesitate ♪ just get up and say yes, i can ♪ ♪ come on >> y'all sing this. come on, sammy. ♪ ♪ ♪ stand up again ♪ stand you're gonna run again ♪ stand ♪ come on stand ♪ up again ♪ come on stand ♪ come on you can make it ♪ stand you're gonna run again ♪ stand ♪ stand you're gonna run again ♪ come on ♪ stand you're gonna run again ♪ >> lenny kravitz from "black and white american," we're back with more music on a friday morning. but first, this is "today" on nbc. welcome back once again, ladies and gentlemen, the wonderful and talented, lenny kravitz! ♪ ♪ i wish that i could fly into the sky so very high ♪ ♪ just like a dragonfly ♪ i'd fly above the trees over the seas in all degrees to anywhere i please ♪ ♪ i want to get away ♪ i want to fly away yeah yeah yeah ♪ ♪ i want to get away ♪ i want to fly away ♪ yeah yeah yeah ♪ let's go and see the stars ♪ the milky way or even mars ♪ where it can just be ours ♪ let's fade into the sun ♪ let your spirit fly where we are one ♪ ♪ just for a little fun ♪ oh oh oh yeah ♪ i want to get away ♪ i want to fly away ♪ yeah yeah yeah ♪ i want to get away ♪ i want to fly away ♪ yeah yeah yeah ♪ oh yeah ♪ oh oh yeah ♪ i want to get away ♪ new york i want to fly away ♪ yeah yeah yeah ♪ i want to get away ♪ i want to fly away ♪ yeah yeah yeah ♪ i want to get away ♪ i want to get away ♪ i want to get away ♪ i want to get away ♪ i want to get away ♪ new york i want to fly away ♪ ♪ yeah yeah yeah ♪ i got to get away yeah >> lenny kravitz. still one more song later on, but first, your local news. ó>hk. this is a news 4 news break. >> good morning. 8:56 on this friday, september 2nd. i'm aaron gilchrist. let's get to tom kierein with a look at our forecast. >> quite a bit of cloudiness around the metro area. those clouds are beginning to break up a bit. to our south, getting showers pulling out of orange county, now pulling into spotsylvania and richmond. those are continuing to move south and east. later today, partly cloudy into the mid-80s. a little more humid, then hot and humid over the weekend. could get an afternoon or evening storm saturday. then a likelihood saturday afternoon or evening. monday, for labor day, perhaps a morning shower or afternoon thundershower. otherwise, partly to mostly cloudy. the low 80s and drier and cooler is the way it looks for tuesday into thursday, good morning. happy friday to you. so far our area is looking pretty good. i'll give you a live look at 270. traveling 270 at shady grove, i don't see any problems north or south on 270. traffic is very light traveling 66. no delays and no accidents. both inside and outside of the beltway. and as you continue east on 66, here's the rosslyn tunnel. no problems here either. >> thank you, danella. are finally here! america's favorite coffee is now available for america's favorite single-serve brewer. try new dunkin' k-cup packs and enjoy the freshly brewed signature taste at home. it's a beautiful thing. come in today for all five dunkin' k-cup varieties, available only at dunkin' donuts stores. america runs on dunkin' coffee. ♪ wow. >> okay. we're back now with more of "today" on a friday morning. talking to lenny because i want to make sure i don't put him on the spot. great concert this morng from lenny kravitz. will you do me a favor? >> yes. >> introduce the band? >> come on up. come back. >> come back up here for one second. >> you've got an incredibly tight band. >> here. >> this doesn't work. >> here. >> you're amazing. >> who do we have? >> this is the amazing and beautiful mary ann on guitar. >> that was so good. >> craig on guitar. >> drummer is over there. >> franklin on drums. he's very popular. >> yes. >> forest on keyboards. and little bit louise on the horn. >> you guys were unbelievable. thank you very much. >> well, well, well. here we are. yes. >> ann is having a moment. >> we are having a moment. for all of you, thank you so much. what a great morning. >> we bagged those, we say thank you. come back and see us any time you guys are in town. >> pleasure. >> let's go inside. natalie morales standing by with a look at what's happening with the news. >> good morning. we begin with a new august jobs report out this morning. no net jobs were added. unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.1%. the white house budgetacknffled predict that unemployment would remain high until 2017. mandy drury sat the cnbc headquarters. >> i'm going to keep this simple p the jobs numbers today was awful. not only are jobs not really being created but if you do have a job, according to today's da tax average hourly earnings fell. at the same time you have inflation riding higher, this is profit that your paycheck isn't going as far as the store isn't used to knowing. it will be hard for the market to recover without the housing market recovering. and sure enough, jobs were lost in construction, retail, and also local government level. bottom line here, natalie, now we're going to look at the next few weeks and hear more from the president about his jobs plan and also whether or not the u.s. central bank sees the need to do more to stimulate the slowing economy. >> all right. we'll watch the markets today. see how they react to the jobs report. i want to turn now to new orleans where a new tropical system is threatening serious flood for gulf coast residents this weekend. the weather channel's mike side is there with more. mike? >> good morning, natalie. the governor of louisiana bobby jindal has told folks, hey, this is a state of emergency that frees up the national guard and funding. the mayor yesterday told residents to clean out storm drains and catch basins. at this point the corps of engineers not expected to close any flood control structures. it's all about the rain with this system. it's a depression. it's not a wind issue. it's going to drop a tremendous amount of rain on a city that is already under water. they can handle an inch an hour, and then half an inch each succeeding hour. the rainfall event could cause problems with getting water pumped out of the city. by tuesday we may be out of woods. some spots in louisiana may see as much as 15 to 20 inches of rain. the only evacuation is on some of the oil platforms in the gulf. >> we'll keep an eye on that story. mike seidel in new orleans. thank you. meantime, in vermont, irene's mess is getting worse thanks to heavy rains and new flood threats. the white house has declared a major disaster there. nearly 1 million people are still without power, as mother nature's wrath grows increasingly costly. that additional release of funds does not include the billions of dollars that will be need to help states slammed by hurricane irene. sarah palin should shake up the republican race this weekend. she's appearing at tea party events in iowa and new hampshire, fueling new speculation that she'll enter the race. mitt romney will also be in new hampshire making his first direct pitch to the tea party. and tea party conservative michele bachmann praised ronald reagan and margaret thatcher at the convention in minneapolis thursday. what if her daughter could drive herself to kindergarten. this video popped up on a popular chinese blog showing a young girl in pigtails calmly driving through morning traffic. she's believed to be around 4 or 5 years old. the girl videotape tld by two adults who actually can hear them. they say they remind her to watch the road. bloggers are outraged and trying to trace the video and possibly punish the girl's parents. that is just unbelievable to see that. five minutes past the hour. let's go back outside to matt, ann, and al. >> how can she reach the peddles. >> that's not a good thing. ann and al. >> wonder how she even reached the pedals. >> that is not a good thing. natalie, thank you. al and i were just saying a couple of minutes ago, we have now decided we want to be lenny kravitz. >> yes. there he is back there talking and signing autographs. that's a great guy. >> yeah, it wasn't just great. was really great, right? >> well, what do you expect from one of my cousins. come on. >> anyway, speaking of roker. >> i wish lenny and i could help move this tropical depression number 13 from coming out of the gulf. this is bad. we're talking 210 miles southwest of the mouth of the gulf of the mississippi. 35-mile-per-hour winds. it is moving north at 1-mile-per-hour. it's just barely stationary. we are looking at a lot of rain. this system is taking its time. won't make landfall until some time late sunday night, early monday morning. by wednesday, it's just over the mississippi/alabama border. and because it's so slow and it is so powerful, this is the rain we're talking between today and sunday. anywhere from 10 to 15 inches of rain could be locally up to 20 inches of rain. and if that's not enough, we've got to worry about katia. that's 750 miles east of the northern leeward islands. 70-mile-per-hour winds. moving west/west at 15 miles per hour. and this track it was going to pick up a trough coming off the eastern u.s. and get turned out to sea. wednesday early morning, a category 3 storm possibly -- possibly taking aim along the southeastern atlantic coast. so not a lot of great news coming out of the tropics. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> some sunshine now breaking out in the washington metro area. and points west and north. to our south, a liven diminishing showers into western spotsylvania county toward west of richmond. drifting south and east. later today, more sunshine. mid-80s. a little more humid. hot and humid over the weekend. maybe an afternoon or evening storm on saturday. a likelihood of that sunday afternoon and evening. for labor day, maybe a morning >> and that's your latest weather. savannah? >> narrator: "today's" health is brought to you by yoplait. it's so good. >> al, thank you. this morning on "today's" health, fat proofing your life. there are certain stages in a woman's life whether it's having a baby or going through menopause or putting on extra pounds seems inevitable. but there are ways to manage your weight and metabolism. dr. raj is a "today" contributor. does that seem unavoidable, certain stages. you get married or have a baby or go through menopause that the weight just comes on. >> we're more prone to gain weight but if we watch out for it we can avoid it. >> but first occasion is getting married. a lot of people, you know, they diet for their wedding and then as soon as you get married you tend to pile on the pounds. >> well, some research shows that newlyweds gain six to nine pounds in the first five years of marriage. most of that is in the first year. why? part of it may be you got the guy and now you can let yourself go. >> you're happy. that's a good thing. >> some behaviors that married people do that cause them to gain weight. first of all, if you're really matching your husband bite for bite, it's not a good idea because he may be five inches taller and a bigger frame. you can't have the same size portion as your husband. you've got to look at your portion size. take a fist full of healthy, you know, proteins, meats, the rest should be vegetables and healthy fats. >> that was our first tip, is that the portion control. our next tip is, you say end dinner drama. what do you mean? >> now you have two people who can potentially decide what's for dinner, what to order in, what to cook. you have to make sure that the healthy person wins because if your guy is more of atatoes kin you're eating that now five times a week you're going to gain weight. make sure you alternate who gets to choose. or go your own way. he may want his own thing you you go the healthy alternative. >> you say we have to leave the love nest once in a while. >> when you get married you want to spend a lot of time with your mate, at least in the beginning. sometimes you let your exercise regimen go by the wayside. bad idea. you've got to keep going to the gym. maybe go with your mate. make it a partner activity. or use this as a time to really spend with your girlfriends where you connect with them. take a class, get a running partner. >> next occasion in life where women tend to put on pounds is after they have a baby. obviously when you are pregnant you want to gain weight but sometimes it's hard to lose it after you give birth. >> some research shows that women gain 20 pounds in the ten years after having the baby. your risk of obesity increases with every child. >> is it a hormonal thing? >> probably is a hormonal thing but there are also a lot of habits that mothers do. one of the things is you're a busy mom on the go. you tend to skip meals which ironically make you taken weight. people who skip meals eat more high powered foods when you do. >> don't forget to eat. what? that's counter intuitive. >> you should be eating every three or four hours. healthy foods so you don't get cravings for the high fat meal sglsz don't eat off your child's plate. it doesn't count if you eat off of someone else's plate. >> the kids, they never finish their food. that's always food there. step away from it. hopefully it's healthy food but it's high calorie. they're supposed to grow. you're not supposed to grow anymore. stay away. >> breastfeeding and exercising. breastfeeding is fantastic if you want to lose weight. >> it's not enough. you still have to keep active. have a real exercise regimen. >> let's talk about the holidays. they are going to be upon us sooner or later. people do tend to gain weight before your trick, you say, is up your ante before the holidays like right now? >> yeah, on average people will gain a pound with every holiday season which adds up year after year. knowing that try to burn more calories in the few months before the holidays so you're going in a little bit underweight. if you gain a pound, it's no big deal. >> ban doinggy bags. >> it's okay to indulge in an unhealthy meal once in a while but not the whole week afterwards. >> ditch the wine goblet. dr. raj. >> wine has two-punch. it has calories in it. but second of all, it makes you less strong in terms of resisting those bad foods. it's okay to drink once in a while. if you're going to a lot of parties, one drink. >> let's go to menopause. what's happening to a woman's body? >> the definition of menopause and we think that in part that slows down your metabolism. we do know that women in menopause do gain weight, they tend to burn less fat and their muscle mass turns into fat. this is when you have to be careful about cutting calories, doing weight training because you want to stay tone. >> and you say you should get good sleep. does sleep really matters? >> yes. we now know when you don't have a lot of sleep you release certain hormones that make you hungry or gain more weight. >> build muscles. important for women of any age to really try to -- >> any age, especially when we get older. at least twice a week, 40 minutes of weight training. >> good tips. thanks so much. coming up next, breaking up is hard to do, we'll tell you why it may be time to make a clean break from your bank. plus, planes, trains, and automobiles. what do expect when you travel this labor day weekend. it's all coming up right after these messages. its great. i eat anything that i want. key lime pie, pineapple upside down cake. no, i've actually lost weight... 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[ female announcer ] find yourself sometimes cleaning up after your dishcloth? bounty extra soft can help. it's super durable, and in this lab test bounty extra soft leaves this surface three times cleaner than a dishcloth. even with just one sheet. super clean. super soft. bounty extra soft. in the pink pack. and try bounty napkins. this morning on ttd's money, how to break up with your bank. according to a a recent study, 37% of americans are satisfied with their financial institution. so when is the right time to call it quits? amanda is a writer for "money" magazine. good to see you. one of these things, we sign up with a bank and it's almost like a legacy. not feeling the love from our bank. they are really starting to nickel and dime us. so more of us are wanting to leave. >> one of the times you think you should re-evaluate your relationship with your bank, if you're charge with unavoidable maintenance fee. >> after the financial crisis, legislation really prohibited and cut back what fees banks could charge. they have to make up for that revenue. they're also not getting as much money every time a customer slides a debit card from the retailer. usually the store has to pay. so what are banks doing? they're making up new fees. they're inventing new ones. this maintenance fee is coming up over and over. that's the standard fee that you have to pay just to have an account. some folks -- >> how much are they really spending to maintain the account. >> and some folks are paying $5 to $15 a month. if you are shelling out every single month either just to have the account or because you don't meet the minimum balance they say you have to have $1,000 in there, it's time to go. >> your savings account earns less than 17%, get out. >> 0.17% is the national average. it is businedismal. >> what about the atm fees? >> these are new as well. we're used to going to a foreign atm and paying the $2 or $3 to use that atm. now our own bank is hitting us with a larger fee, maybe $2 to use another one as well. you're paying to take out $20. $3 at the foreign bank. $2 from your own bank. well, that's ridiculous. if you are paying bank fees all the time, you need to find a new relationship. >> i feel better if there's a guy stand ing there with a gun, you know? anyway, so now you decided to get a new bank. how do you go about finding one? >> you really have to determine your bank personality. nern in other words, some characteristics are more important to some types of people. for example, if you travel a lot, you're probably going to want a national bank that has a lot of atms, or a lot of customers don't know this, online banks will actually reimburse you those atm fees. you can have an online bank, take out money anywhere and never have to pay a fee. or, you know, if you do have a lot of cash sitting around, for example, then you should be looking for the account that has the highest savings rite. >> if you talk about fees and that seems to be a big culprit, how do you set fees from bank to bank. >> once you narrow down the list of what characteristics are important, then absolutely you want to compare fees from bank to bank. you can ask them for what they call an account fee schedule. it will layout what your ma maintenance fee. if you want paper statements you might have to pay a fee. if you call a representative i ste instead of doing your banking online. the fee schedule will list all of the fees. >> there's a program that will let you do that. is there a kit that banks have one you go from one bank to another? >> unfortunately a lot of us switch with our bank right now because we think it's going to be a headache. all of those automatic deposits and bill pay that we have set up. a lot of banks, the new bank you're signing up with has a switch kit that will help you get organized and make it easier. if they don't, really all you have to do is printout your statement and know the few transactions that are coming in and out every month automatically and switch those. i don't think it's as hard as we imagine. >> all right. usually just getting going and getting started on it. >> exactly. >> thanks so much. >> thanks, al. still to come, back to school cool in jill's fun finds. she's got everything you need to hit the books in style. all right. then, we've got one more song four-time grammy winner, my cuz, lenny kravitz. but first, these messages. ♪ ♪ we're gonna have, we're gonna have ♪ ♪ we're gonna have a good day [ female announcer ] wouldn't it be nice if we focused less on the number and more on how the fit makes us feel? ♪ and all my ladies got pride today ♪ [ female announcer ] take the special k challenge. drop a jean size in two weeks and slip into size sassy. so many delicious ways to get started at specialk.com. what will you gain when you lose? so many delicious ways to get started at specialk.com. ♪ step on it! you only have 4 days to enjoy extra savings at the petsmart labor day sale. save up to 50% on hundreds of items. and select tropical fish are only $1 each. at petsmart®. i'm a speck of dust alone in the wire jungle. some dust rags say i'm unreachable, [ grunting ] but that's how i like it. unattached, free, indep... i've changed my mind. ♪ i believe in miracles [ female announcer ] swiffer attracts dust. new and improved swiffer dusters with dust lock adhesive picks up two times more dust than a dry dust rag and locks it away. you're very adventurous! [ female announcer ] swiffer gives cleaning a whole new meaning. [ female announcer ] swiffer gives cleaning if you think occasional irregularity is no big deal, think twice. it may be a sign that your digestive system could be working better. listen to this with occasional irregularity, things your body doesn't use could be lingering in your system, causing discomfort. but activia has been shown in clinical studies to help with slow intestinal transit when consumed 3 times per day. 7 out of 10 doctors recommend activia. and the great taste is recommended by me! we want to mention that al stopped by "late night with jimmy fallon" last night and jimmy actually asked you about a new reality show "border town loredo." let's watch. >> the police department in lore loredo, texas, these guys are dealing with all this stuff in trying to throw at them. we follow these guys in the narcotics unit andst ts. >> we have a clip from "border town loredo." look. >> are you okay? >> we're okay! we're okay! we're okay! we're coming inside. >> that was real. >> that was a loud blow there. >> oh! >> all right. you had fun? >> fun. >> i played pictionary. beat him like a drum. >> he has your number. still to come this morning, how hurricane irene is affecting the late get away. >> plus, one more song from lenny kravitz. how cool is cool? >> cooler than cool. cool! >> after your local news and weather. what is that? oh, we call it the bundler. let's say you need home and auto insurance. you give us your information once, online... [ whirring and beeping ] [ ding! ] and we give you a discount on both. great! did i mention no hands in the bundler? bundling and saving made easy. now, that's progressive. call or click today. like many chefs today, i feel the best approach to food is to keep it whole for better nutrition. and that's what they do with great grains cereal. see the seam on the wheat grain? same as on the flake. because great grains steams and bakes the actual whole grain. now check out the other guy's flake. hello, no seam. because it's more processed. now, which do you suppose has better nutrition for you? mmm. great grains. the whole whole grain cereal. >> after your local news and nm aaron meteorologist tom kierein has ^ far to our south from sp=vsylva great lab o: orihm[re humid. thunders+ good morning and happy friday to you. if you are planning on heading out to the beach this weekend and taking a trip on to route 50, so far you are clear from the beltway as you head out to the bay bridge. i'll give you a live look right now. see the roads are clear and no problem for this time of morning. shooting over to 95 in virginia, 95 is clear in virginia, north and south. as you continue on to 395, not a problem as you make your way to the 14th street bridge. aaron, back to you. >> thank you danella. another news update in about 25 minutes or so. for now, back to new york for more of the "today" show. have a don't touch anything. >> help me. >> one contact can be deadly. that's matt damon starring in the new thriller "contagion" about a worldwide pandemic. terrifying story with a stellar cast. matt damon is going to be here to tell us all about that thriller next week on "today." so bring the purell. basically it's matt lauer's nightmare that trailer. >> all of our nightmares. meantime, coming up, he's been rocking the plaza all morning. grammy winner lenny kravitz. i think he saved the best song for last. >> i think so. >> and lenny's not the only one who wants to fly away, millions of folks are going to be flying for labor day. aaa is predicting travel is going to be down because of hurricane irene and the weak economy. so cities hit hard by both are doing what they can to lure vacatione vacationers. a special edition of jill's fund finds back to school one stop shopping. jill martin has found great items for the classroom to get your kids excited toit t books. jenna wolfe is here for a preview of "today" on this weekend. >> after the storm, irene has gone but the devastation continues. president obama will survey some of the hardest hit areas this sunday, bringing you the latest on the recovery. also, remembering 9/11. handwritten notes, a firefighter's jacket, and other intimate and moving items gather fred ground zero. they a preserved at the smithsonian as a lasting tribute. we will share some of those. then on a much lighter note, back to basics. if you l you love "little housee prairie," now you can live out the experience. a farm where the real life ingales called home is giving them a chance to get back to a simpler way. we'll take you there. those stories and much more this weekend on "today." you know who was on "little house on the prairie? >> melissa francis. >> we are just going to connect al to everything. >> we can't help it. >> i was on the waltons. let's get that right. >> exactly. >> i was obsessed with "little house on the prairie." i wanted to be laur ingalls. >> it was saturday night, i think. >> yeah. >> jenna, we'll be watching. >> all right. we get a check of the weather. >> all right. as you look at your weekend ahead, sunny out west. going to be fabulous. showers in the great lakes. thunderstorms there. tropical storm lee slowly trying to come onshore. brings a lot of rain to the gulf. then on sunday, more showers and thunderstorms from new england, ohio river valley into the mid-mississippi river valley. and over labor day, just kind of a washout along the eastern seapoord. heavy rain in the gulf. the western two-thirds of the country going to be fabulous. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning here. we've had a few morning showers passing south and southwest of washington, but those are now beginning to break up and later today, with increasing sun. we'll climb into the mid-80s. a little more humid today. and then on saturday and sunday, hot and humid both days. highs around 90. might get a passing afternoon or evening storm. right now, yeah, monday, labor day is looking rather wet. maybe a morning shower or afternoon thundershower. then cooler, drier weather tu weather. up next, what you need to know before you hit the road for your labor day getaway, coming up right after this. stuff around your house.ous but we don't make stuff. we make ovens. dual fuel double ovens. and they bake so evenly, so perfectly, that now, delicious is something you can depend on. we only make things for one room. the best room. your kitchen. we're devoted to it, delighted by it, and you can feel it in everything we make. nobody knows the kitchen like kitchenaid. and you can feel it hi! i brought champagne. wow! the best in the world. ...some chocolates swiss! ah...the best in the world. oikos greek yogurt from dannon. really? wait until you try it. so creamy thick and fresh tasting dannon oikos berry flavors beat chobani 2:1 in a national taste test. mmmm... this may be the best in the world. oikos greek yogurt possibly the best yogurt in the world. my name is lacey calvert and i'm a yoga instructor. if i have any soreness, i'm not going to be able to do my job. but once i take advil, i'm able to finish out strong. it really works! [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] make the switch. take action. take advil. discover aveeno positively radiant tinted moisturizers with scientifically proven soy complex and natural minerals. give you sheer coverage instantly, then go on to even skin tone in four weeks. aveeno tinted moisturizers. then go on to even skin tone in four weeks. people keep asking me if that is really my mother.mmercial they keep asking if the dirty guy is really my son. huh. what do you tell 'em? holy smokes, these viva towels really are tough, even when wet! [ mike ] for the record, that's my real father, cleaning up a real mess on a real grill. see? very impressive! you're a natural. oh, that's much better... dad's got his tough mess, i've got mine. [ female announcer ] grab a roll and try it on your toughest mess. i think you got it. foto be theres a calling for the veterans who protect our freedoms working with today's va i can use my license anywhere in the u.s. in the city or the wide open spaces it's amazing how you can grow as a doctor a nurse a pharmacist you grow as a person it's the quality of care our veterans deserve this is what i'm called to do. tens of millions of us are going to be hitting the roads, rails and skies starting today to celebrate the labor day holiday. the after effects of hurricane irene are still being felt along the eastern seaboard. tom costello is at a gas station. how much is gas there, tom? >> oh, we're averaging in this area about $3.70 or so a gallon in the greater d.c. area. you know, we're looking at about 30 cents lower than it was nationally in may. the trouble is when you combine gas prices and you combine the rough economy and you combine irene, about 2 1/2% fewer americans are traveling this labor day weekend. while much of the south end of the outer banks has been cut off by hurricane irene, on the north end they've been in full clean-up mode before this last full weekend of the summer. to lure the tourists back to the town of duck the sanderling resort and spa offered a hurricane deal. >> when guests come into duck and the northern outer banks they're going to see that we're ready for business. >> reporter: message received, the half how rooms were sold in a heartbeat. >> we brought lots of reading material, we're going to relax, sit on the beach, and eat. >> reporter: on this last long summer weekend of the year, the great escape is on. of the 31.5 million americans traveling this labor day weekend, only 2 1 flying. fewer than last year with airfares up 13% from a year ago. the vast majority are hitting the road at 27.3 million, taking advantage of gas prices that have dropped in recent months. at the pump, unleaded is now averaging $3.62 a gallon. down from a high of $3.98 on may 5th. but still, almost a more than a year ago when unleaded averaged $2.67 a gallon. meanwhile the economy continues >> you have many americans still financially stressed. people who are living paycheck to pay check and they don't have a disposable income to travel like before the recession. >> reporter: in the lower 48 states californians still pay the most, $3.85 a gallon. >> coming down a little bit. i think they're still high. >> reporter: meanwhile back in storm-battered north carolina, a message from the governor. >> i really do want to remind visitors and residents that most of north carolina's coast is open for business and ready for visitors who are coming for the holiday weekend. >> reporter: yeah, those businesses really do need people to come back and provide the dollars to keep the economy afloat. so where is gas headed? where are the gas prices headed? i asked the folks at gasbuddy.com. they think in the short term, a jump up. but they think that by thanksgiving we could be looking at gas in the 3.15 to $3.40 gallon range. but, al that all depends, of course, on your department on the weather and whether it affects any of the main oil refineries in the next few months. back to you. >> in fact, they've already started to evacuate some of those oil platforms out there in the gulf, tom. thanks so much. of course, labor day also means back to school. so up next, we've got some great items to make the classroom more fun and exciting with jill's fun finds. and then, lenny kravitz continues to rock our plaza, after these messages. the labor day mattress spectacular is on now! get an extra ten percent off mattresses already half off. and instant savings up to three hundred fifty dollars on select mattresses. head to sears to talk with our mattress experts... ...or shop our largest selection online. . . . . . . . . . . . . i'm good about washing my face. but sometimes i wonder... what's left behind? [ female announcer ] new purifying facial cleanser from neutrogena naturals. removes 99% of dirt and toxins without dyes, parabens, or harsh sulfates. so skin feels pure and healthy. [ female announcer ] new from neutrogena naturals. if you think occasional sirregularity is no big deal,y. think twice. it may be a sign that your digestive system could be working better. listen to this with occasional irregularity, things your body doesn't use could be lingering in your system, causing discomfort. but activia has been shown in clinical studies to help with slow intestinal transit when consumed 3 times per day. 7 out of 10 doctors recommend activia. and the great taste is recommended by me! well, i read the majority of an article online about how older people are becoming more and more antisocial. so i was really aggressive with my parents about joining facebook. my parents are up to 19 friends now. so sad. ♪ i have 687 friends. this is living. what? that is not a real puppy. that's too small to be a real puppy. [ male announcer ] venza from toyota. ♪ this morning back to school edition of jill's fun finds, from trendy backpacks to personalized notebooks. "today" and "us weekly" contributor jill martin and new best-seller has once again found unique items to get your kids pumped up for class. jill, good morning. congratulations. >> thank you. >> big hit. >> thank you. >> you found some great items once again. back to schooltime. let's get right to it. first off, this is something that came from facebook. >> this imitates facebook because it's kind of for moms and dads. if the test comes home and you like it, you stamp it on like, well, that's a good like, or like. and then you can do it, add the number of likes and dislikes until the end. than give a gift for the number that you get, as long as there are a lot of likes. so that's really fun. $14. >> no kid likes to get a dislike. >> right. >> and then really cool unisex accessories. watches, these are getting popular with kids. >> this is new hot thing. $30. if you get a lot of likes, perhaps you will get a watch. they're all interchangeable faces and bands. they're unisex. this one actually lights up and shows the time. there it goes. the time, the date, the year, the second. it's really fun. and then all of these great colors here. and they're water resistant. so these are really fun and hopefully you will get a lot of likes. >> okay. bags that are designed for ipads. >> right. this is really unique. $39.95 and up. i'm reaching over here. it gives you easy access to your ipad. it's in your bag but ipad and ipad 2. you check e-mail. >> soft cover. >> this is great. this is really for all ages. they have them for all types of computers and backpacks, too. >> for the younger set we have o school backpacks as well with all kinds of characters because kids love them. >> al will even like that last backpack but moving on to these, i think. hello kitty not for $9.99 and up available for target and target.com. and these are great because they're inexpensive and wa washable. >> major league baseball have given the rookies little backpacks. >> that's right. >> that's a good o-- >> i love that. >> exactly. is the coolest thin for backpacks now. these are backpack covers. >> right. this is like the new silly band i think we're going to see when kids trade. if you have an older backpack and you're a mom and you want to reinvent it this is a great way. gutsygear.com. >> the straps come off? >> yes. a rolling bag or backpack. then you buy these patches, whatever you like. you can trade them at school r school and put them on. it's a way to do up an older bag. >> very cute. gutsygear.com. cookie cutter sets with letters. great for younger kids to play around with. >> this is great to make with the family. we are doing these today, $20. you can see, you just make all the different things together and add icing and do this. even make them for school. it's a fun way for everything to get involved. >> i love this. personalized notebooks. your notebooks can have your kids' names. this one says josh. >> it's great. it only takes a week to do. i did this as a gift. these are the coopers. i took their facebook picture. and they actually make the notebook for you and ship it. and you have that -- >> only $9.99. it's not that much more expensive. >> right. and they have all the latest trends. and they have your kids' names made if you just want their name, josh and luke. this is a way to hang on to that notebook and for your kids to permize their school supplies. >> makes them feel special their first day, too. other personalized item, sports gear is always great. >> and how to personalize because kids lose their sports gear all the time. you use aversion of these, you said. when you do it you put them on anything. they are waterproof. they are water resistant, obviously. you can wash them, put them in the washing machine or the dishwasher. your name, your number. if you're allergic to something you can put it on the kid's lunch box. this is amazing. >> eventually it will come back to you because we know how kids lose things. >> yes. >> let's meredith vieira ove on. >> so now we're moving on to this section over here. yeah, this is dryer race wall. if your wall is not painted you can put something on. i wrote luke and josh. you can wipe it off and it won't ruin the wall but you can write on it. so that's just a way to remind yourself of things. >> and homework talk. what is that? >> this is a way to decorate your locker, from target. >> all right. >> homework box. this is great. has all the school supplies in it. momsmadeeasy.com. everything you need in this box. and as a big gift for your school. >> we have the fabulous michael here. >> matthew mcconaughey is a huge fan. >> do you think you can drive straight? >> let's see, michael. >> jill martin, great things. again, thank you. for more fun finds, check out this week's "us weekly." good job, michael. coming up next, he's been rocking the plaza all morning long. he's not done yet. another performance by lenny kravitz. but first, this is "today" on nbc. state farm. this is jessica. hey, jessica, jerry neumann with a policy question. jerry, how are you doing? fine, i just got a little fender bender. oh, jerry, i'm so sorry. i would love to help but remember, you dropped us last month. yeah, you know it's funny. it only took 15 minutes to sign up for that new auto insurance company but it's taken a lot longer to hear back. is your car up a pole again? [ crying ] i miss you, jessica! jerry, are you crying? no, i just, i bit my tongue. [ male announcer ] get to a better state. text save to 7-8836. >> narrator: the toyota concert series on "today" brought to you by toyota. >> coming up, instant ambush makeovers. >> and perfect punches for your labor day party. >> but first, one more song from the uba-cool lenny kravitz. have a great weekend, everybody. ♪ i was born long ago ♪ i am the chosen i'm the one ♪ i have come to save the day ♪ and i won't leave until i'm done ♪ so that's why you've got to try ♪ you got to breathe and have some fun ♪ ♪ though i'm not paid i play this game ♪ and i won't stop until i'm done ♪ ♪ but what i i really want to know is ♪ ♪ are you gonna go my way ♪ and i got to got to know ♪ yeah ♪ i don't know why we always cry ♪ ♪ this we must leave and get undone ♪ we must engage and rearrange around turn this planet back to one ♪ ♪ so tell me why we got to die and kill each other one by one ♪ ♪ we've got to love and rub a dub ♪ ♪ we've got to dance and love ♪ but what i really want to know is ♪ ♪ are you gonna go my way ♪ and i got to got to know >> come on, put your hands together, y'all. ♪ ♪ ♪ are you gonna go my way ♪ because baby i got to know ♪ yeah )5í,e baby ♪ ♪ i got to know yeah ♪ this is a news 4 news break. >> good morning. 9:56 on this friday. i'm aaron gilchrist. tom? >> we've had the sunshine break out here over the last hour or so. and the temperatures are now beginning to climb into the 70s. right now, 72 at reagan national. and we will have partly cloudy afternoon with highs reaching the mid-80s. and it will be a little more humid. and then getting hot and humid over the weekend. saturday and sunday. both days highs reaching 90 degrees. and there's a chance of an afternoon or evening storm on saturday. and we have a lot of college games tomorrow. most of the games should stay dry. and also high school games tonight. they should be good weather for that. and not too humid. but then on saturday and sunday, more humid. sunday afternoon and evening, we have a greater chance of some showers and thunderstorms. then on labor day itself, we'll have a morning shower, perhaps an afternoon thundershower with highs reaching the low 80s. here's a look into next week. right now, tuesday, wednesday, thursday are looking dry. less humid and cooler, partly cloudy with highs in the 70s to near 80. danella, how is the late morning traffic? >> good news on the roadways. we are clear. no accidents to report at this time. take a look at the beltway. no problem traveling in maryland. this is at connecticut avenue. inner loop and outer loop is clear in maryland. same thing in virginia. no problems at robinson terminal. on i-66, fairfax county parkway, both directions east and west clear on i-66. aaron, back to you. >> c from nbc news, this is "today," with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. hello, everybody, guess what, you made it to try-day friday, september 2nd, last work day before the big weekend. >> yes, the long weekend. what are you doing for the long weekend? >> i'm going to be missing my family. they're going off to places unknown without me. i'm going to take the weekend and relax and bond with bambino. >> you time. but in the meantime, some of your family is right here. >> guess who just walked in. >> frank gifford, frank gifford. >> in the house. >> it's not a good day unless frank gifford is here. >> what's in the bag? >> he's not miked, i don't think. >> jules, did you go to tiffany? >> is it a sandwich? >> hair product. g here's what happens at our places and then when we get there we forget why we went there. we don't want anybody to know we forgot, so we buy something to make it look like we had a purpose. he just told me he went over to, his long-time barber, dominique over at the pier hotel and dominique wasn't there, so frank bought product so make it look like he knew what he was doing. >> he needed things. >> baby, you're beautiful just the way you are. >> are you still getting along? >> we're still getting along. >> the bigger question is are you and i still getting along. >> so here's the thing -- let's pretend you get a wedding invite and it happens to fall on a long weekend, are you a, pleased because you get to spend a long weekend somewhere. or are you upset because you think they're ruining my long weekend with their wedding? >> i think it depends on who you get the invitation from. and where the wedding is. if somebody says, you know what, i'm going to be on the amalfi coast and we're going to get married, would love you to be there -- i'm there. now if they say -- you know and, no. it's tough. >> i think because you do have to commit to the whole weekend. you have to get hotel and all the -- >> it's expensive. >> if you're in the wedding, you have to buy all that stuff, the dress, the shoes, the gifts and you're there for days. >> i don't go to weddings that i'm not really deeply involved with the people any more. no. why? life is too short. you know, it's just, it should mean something. it should be a gift of your time as well as your treasure. >> that was very good. ♪ everyone has a story >> we're going to ask you if you could do this. there's a woman who is trying to, succeeding so far, not looking at herself in the mirror for one year. she thinks -- >> a year, and rightfully so, that most women are too bodily-obsessed, she's getting married and wants the image. it's about me and my man getting married. she's a beautiful girl. >> hero here's what she says she does, she puts on make-up by touch. she doesn't look at it, bobbie thomas, is that possible? >> i don't think so. >> i can't put on mascara without looking. >> who could put on -- you could put on lipstick and mascara. >> i could probably do my make-up sometime. >> i couldn't put my contact lenses in. how could you even -- >> that's you, hoda. >> careful, careful. >> you could scratch your cornea. how about when you're walking by a window and you're wondering if you look okay. >> she's fighting that. she's fighting that emotionally. i think it's smart. i'd like to try it for a day. but the thing is, mirrors are everywhere in the world. even if you could even see your reflection in a pond. >> you know there are people who are obsessed with mirrors, have you seen them? >> we don't know anybody like that, do we, bobbie? in bobbie's business, she knows an awful lot of people like that. >> there are people talking to themselves in the mirror -- >> they don't know who they are. and the worst thing is, if somebody is not looking at you or themselves, but looking at anybody else that might come in that might be more important than you are. >> that's even worse. >> we want to wish her well. she understands that what it ultimately comes down to is not how you look. >> here's the thing. when people walk up to you, i often don't even remember what i'm wearing. when i like my earrings, i don't remember what i put on -- >> that's what i like about you. you're not a self-involved person, you're one of those people, that it's not about you. i never sense with you, with anybody, you're thinking, gee, am i doing it right, are they looking at me? you don't live your life that way. but some people are completely self-stinking absorbed. >> sometimes when you're insecure in that arena and you go shopping, this is our next story, you go shopping for clothes. and you try something on, you don't know if it fits right. you go to the salesperson. you go, hey, how does this look. >> i never ask a salesperson. >> who do you ask, somebody unless there? >> if you don't think it looks good on you, i never ask somebody else. >> i've tried on a dress and i think to myself, ooh. and someone goes, i love that. >> those people are going to make commission on what they sell to you. they have an investment. >> fabulous, it's a size four, and you wear an eight, but you look great in it. >> i bought things because of that. >> people's opinions matter a lot. first of all, frank, i'll still where something if he likes it. i do. >> he's still not miked. >> you know whose opinion matters so much to me? is cassidy's. i don't know if it's because she's 18 and she's hip and beautiful and i want to be hip and beautiful and i'm not any of those. but her opinion matters. i will change a dress if cass says, mom, are you really going 0 wear that. >> you like those shoes with that? and you'll go -- >> i do ask cass, you're right. >> interesting. do you worry about -- >> you are one hot guy, you know that? >> he is hot. >> look at him. he can't help it. >> now he's miked. >> now he's got a mike. >> now he's in business. >> do you want to tell everybody -- >> you know, honey, people are going to be concerned about where my family is going off without me this weekend. can you say where you're going without saying where you're going? >> i'm going there. >> we won't go there. >> i want to go see my boy. >> yeah. >> so -- >> i've been told not to come. >> there you have it. >> i'm fine with that. >> we have a lot of things to worry about when it comes to our bodies, thighs, body issues. now we have another one to add. apparently -- >> i've been telling you about this for years. the peach pit, cleavage wrinkles. >> yes. you've been so fixated on your thighs and face. you have let your breasts go. >> they say you get them by sleeping on your side. >> which is the only way i sleep. or wearing tight bras that squeeze them together. >> i can't run without one of those. >> and the jog bra. >> hello. >> "the new york times" has some article and they said you should lather some cream on it and presto. >> do you worry about that? >> i have to give credit to bet , bette midler. i said bette what happened, where's the cleavage. and she said honey, after 50 rks it ain't pretty. >> you show. >> i use a lot of cream. i get fraxeled. i do. >> oh, gosh. >> look at frank. worrying about that. >> he has given up. he's totally given up. >> this is a quick photo. i went to lunch at this place called laure. >> i went with bethany. >> we ran into whoopi, sitting at a neighboring table. that chef, josh kaben is a terrific chef at laure. >> that's who you see. you know who you're going to see when you're sitting right here on the set? >> >> it's time for bobbie's buzz. >> we're having sangria, in honor of you. >> look at you, hot ticket. >> i'm excited for fall, so i'm pulling out a few darker colors. this is zara and i'm excited about beauty innovations i have. these are some of my favorites. >> anything for cleavage wrinkles? >> that's next. your gel manicures you've had at the salon. they're $50 a pop. they last up to three weeks. there's an at-home kit by red carpet manicures, just over $50. i did this myself. if you want to get a close-up of my nails. i did this myself. it's all of these colors, fantastic, and it comes out to $3 an application. >> that's much less. >> and this is much less expensive and you'll have the gel manicure. next, my eyes. >> close your eyes, bobbie. >> close-up on bobbie's eyes. these are dior's stickers. they help you get the perfect retro catiowaline eeycateye, ey. it feels like velvet. it feels kind of okay. i could never get my eyes like this and last, but not least, hoda, this is for you. this is flat iron that you can download music to. called hot tunes. >> that's the best ininvestigation in the world. >> you can flat-iron your hair and rock out your play list, i think they literally invented this for you. it's about $ 90, called hot tunes. >> thank you, bobbie. >> it's friday, funny day. >> i can't wait, what's happening? >> i have no idea. go. >> i'm doing this cold. >> here we go. >> a woman was nursing her baby when her sister's 6-year-old came into the room. never having seen anyone breast-feed before the little girl was intrigued and asked all kinds of questions about what was going on. after muscling over the answers her aunt gave, the girl remarked, my mom has some ever those, too, but i don't think she knows how to use them. >> what? >> boobies. next time i want to see it before i tell it. >> here's to labor day and our drinks. >> cheers. >> they're out of hair, makeup and they're ready for their big close-up. >> amazing results from ambush makeovers right after this! if you think occasional irregularity is no big deal, think twice. it may be a sign that your digestive system could be working better. listen to this with occasional irregularity, things your body doesn't use could be lingering in your system, causing discomfort. but activia has been shown in clinical studies to help with slow intestinal transit when consumed 3 times per day. 7 out of 10 doctors recommend activia. and the great taste is recommended by me! [ doorbell rings ] ♪ you're a pizza delivery guy? ♪ well come on in man, what you waitin' on? ♪ [ male announcer ] for fresh delivery taste without the delivery price. it's digiorno. we're back on this try-day friday, and it's time for today's plaza ambush makeovers where we select two unsuspecting ladies from the crowd and surprise them with a brand-new look they usually love! >> why do you say usually? anyway, that's right. here to show off our two newest makeovers is our crack makeover team. hope they did well, "today" contributor and stylist to the stars, louis licari -- ♪ louis licari ♪ la la la >> and "us weekly" contributor and best-selling author, jill martin. so, kids, tell us about combing the plaza and plucking. >> today was great. you know, i found two ladies, we both found two ladies that were so excited to be made over. that's the trick. when you really want it, the rest is a joy. >> let's start off with tasha. we like tasha, she's 30, from louisville, kentucky, she's been in the army for the past 11 years, when she's not -- >> that's not a lot of time for grooming, is there? >> she was excited to get a brand-new look. let's listen to her story. >> so you come to visit new york city. and so does irene. so you've pretty much been trapped inside? >> yes. we've been trapped inside, we have no power for two days. then we finally made it out to the city to do some fun things like this. >> right. >> some vacation, we're so happy we can give it to you. are you ready to see a sexy new wife? >> yes, i am. >> look at richard over there. ready for his sexy new wife. >> keep your blindfold on, richard, if you wouldn't mind. here is tasha's "before" picture. tasha, let's see the new you. [ cheers and applause ] >> hot, hot, hot. >> you ready, richard? >> i'm ready. >> brace take off that blindfold. >> woo hoo! >> all right, sexy, turn around right here. >> you look awesome. that hair -- >> darling! >> you look gorgeous. >> i don't even know this person. >> turn around. let's look at you. turn around. beautiful, louis, the hair, the hair! so pretty. >> why don't we learn, frank gifford -- >> this is a gorgeous woman who is just needed, she just didn't take care of herself. she wanted style. so easy to do. this is beautiful, made more beautiful. we gave her this great haircut. >> thank you. >> it works with the great shape, emphasizes her jaw and thank you. >> it shows how pretty, when you get the right haircut and hair color. >> it was all there. >> you know who else is crying, not just tasha. look at richard. what do you think, richard. >> i think she looks beautiful. >> you loved her before, didn't you, buddy? >> yes. >> jell, tell us about the outfit? >> we wanted to give her a hot dress to go with that cocktail and gorgeous heels. this is from white house black market. it's made of that great jersey material. it won't wrinkle, another great trend for fall. >> you look beautiful, tasha. >> you get get your husband. >> you and richard can go enjoy that. >> our next lady is dawn casella, 44 from detroit, michigan. she never gets her hair cut because she can't find a style she likes. she was so grateful when we ambushed her on the plaza, let's listen to her story. >> we noticed dawn because of the three p's, the pink, the perm-like hair and the poof. are you ready for your mom to get a makeover? >> yes. i want her to look way cooler. >> do you want to look way cooler? >> i sure do. >> we are going to give you a new york city glam makeover. and i think we're going to ditch -- i went to the university of michigan, all the detroit gear. is that okay? >> that will be fine. >> all right. she is here with her husband, michael and her two adorable children, lizzie and nicholas. keep the blinds on. one last look at dawn before. let's bring her out now. >> woo! [ cheers and applause ] oh, my gosh. >> all right. guys, ready to take them off? take a look. >> does she look way cool? >> oh, my gosh. >> she looks way cool. >> that's fantastic! >> dawn, turn around. see what they're talking about. >> did you know you were a redhead? >> yeah, i knew i was a redhead. >> not that kind of a redhead, huh? >> whoa! >> you look fantastic. >> this is just a great-looking girl. we just updated her look. that puffy turtle look, a little bit '80s. this new haircut instantly brought her into the new decade. i warmed it up. few highlights, and the warm tones and the whole thing to go together. >> michael, crazy about that. >> and lizzie, is she way cool now? >> yeah! >> tell us about the outfit. >> we wanted to give her basics for fall. so great pair of jeans, take you from day to night. white house black market and another great trends, polka dots 6 . now she can mix and match. >> we love it when everybody is happy. >> all right. up next -- >> brace yourself, sara is rounding up questions from the fans. >> is this dancing again? >> we'll try to have some answers. wow! the best in the world. ...some chocolates swiss! ah...the best in the world. oikos greek yogurt from dannon. really? wait until you try it. so creamy thick and fresh tasting dannon oikos berry flavors beat chobani 2:1 in a national taste test. mmmm... this may be the best in the world. oikos greek yogurt possibly the best yogurt in the world. whoa! do you know what our favorite part of shooting hoops is? 3...2...1... overtime! ♪ we're the kids in america ♪ oh, oh, oh [ male announcer ] that onion after taste after you again? new crest complete with scope dual blast technology blasts away bad breath germs and food after tastes. new crest complete with scope dual blast. blast your way to fresh breath. nvo: a breakfast worth witwaking up for.last. enjoy the sausage, egg and cheese croissan'wich today. only at burger king. and i saw another store's ad for these crayons at a lower price. no problem -- i can match that right here. oops -- i don't have the ad. you don't need it. oh, what about a coupon for these pens? yeah. easy. why does the glue not stick to the glue stick? well, it's very complicated, but it has to do with oxygen. i knew that. [ male announcer ] we're so confident in our low prices every day on everything for back to school, we back it with our easy ad match guarantee. get this graphing calculator for just $95. save money. live better. walmart. ♪ we're back with 3-2-1 live with sara haines. >> she's across the street at the msnbc cafe with a crowd full of questions for us. >> sara. fire away. >> courtney from atlanta has a question about travel. >> i want to know where is the most memorable place you've traveled to for the show? >> for the show. hmmmm -- where d montreal, jamaica. aspen. >> rehoboth. >> you know what? let's go with the most memorable place we've ever been not for the show. most exotic place you've ever been. thailand, egypt. one of them, go. >> israel. >> okay. next up. >> katy and molly also from atlanta, they've got a question about fashion. >> what accessory do you have to have when you leave the house? >> i have to have, it's not an accessory, i have to have lips on or i feel naked. i have perfume and lips both, or i feel naked. >> i have to have a bra. and a large one. with crane-like strength, you'll understand some day. next? >> next up. we've got gabrielle from new jersey. >> i saw you at follies idea and i was wondering what your favorite broadway show is. >> that would be the one i've written, honey. >> and that's mine, too. "saving amy" write it down. it's not on broadway right now, but it will be later. >> we're hoping. >> thanks, honey. >> other than that, i think i would have to say "funny girl" les miz. >> still ahead, we're going wild with animals, right after this. >> just for you, hoda. [ female announcer ] so you think your kids are getting enough vegetables? maybe not. v8 v-fusion juice gives them a full serving of vegetables plus a full serving of fruit. but it just tastes like fruit. [ male announcer ] get five dollars in money-saving coupons at v8juice.com. this is a news 4 news break. >> less than a week after hurricane irene, beach communities up and down the east coast are hoping everyone knows they are open for business. coming up on news 4 midday, we'll check on road conditions, the weather and hear from travelers who are already on the road. good morning. i'm aaron gilchrist. also coming up, they're not your typical group of softball plers. wounded warriors proving they can compete against anyone. we'll tell call of the wild, labor day weekend is a great time to visit the zoo or head out to your own back yard to meet some critters. >> the national wildlife federation is here with a few of his favorite animal friends. >> the largest rodent in the world. >> this is indeed the largest rodent in the world and this is only a baby. this animal can get to be about 140 pounds. >> what is it? >> it's called a capibara, these guys live in south america. they eat lots of water vegetation. i think they're really cute. it looks kind of like a giant guinea pig. >> you know how these animals are, they're always a little bit aromatic. they get to be 130, 140 pounds. >> that would terrify me. are they mean? >> they're not mean. he have some pretty strong legs. so you're probably going to see that when we pass her off. >> let's see if she can run away. >> we don't want her to run away. >> she's probably going to kick. >> you got her? >> yes. >> one thing i wanted to say about her is there was just one sighted in california. we would bring in this other guy -- >> is that a pet that got away? >> yes. >> that is just frog swallowed a princess, look at him. >> this is called the marine toad or a cane toad. one of the largest amphibians. and he's very proud. >> these guys also like the capibara has been released outside their native range and cause all kinds of ecological habitat. these guys released in australia to eat pests and have now proceeded to eat some australian species almost to extinction. if you have a captive pet, don't ever release it. >> the eyes are crazy. >> the eyes are crazy. behind the eyes, you see the big bubbles right here? >> yes. >> they're basically poison glands. if a dawe tries to eat this toad, it could kill it. >> the toad would eat the dog? >> what about a person? >> same thing with a person, i wouldn't recommend licking this toad. >> that was my first thought. >> next one. >> that's -- >> it's okay. it's -- stuck in there. it won't come out. >> it doesn't want to come. >> this animal, just start telling you about it, is an african crested porcupine. >> she does not want to come. >> if she doesn't want to come out. let's go on to our next animal. >> that's a porcupine. >> we just had her out to do the little tease there and she decided -- >> she said i've had it, i've worked. she said, call my agent. >> a beautiful animal, an african crested porcupine, really long quills. >> that could be dangerous if you come up upon that. >> they don't attack, but they will defend themselves by putting their quills up. >> and all kinds of cute stuff. >> look at the tongue on this one. >> oh, my gosh. >> this is an asian water monitor, a lizard, obviously. recently scientists have discovered that these guys actually have venom. we thought that snakes and only a couple of species -- >> they just found this out, who died? >> that's the thing, their venom isn't strong enough to kill a person, otherwise i wouldn't be holding on to them. these guys live in the woodland, wetland environment like the cane toad. but just like the cane toad and the capibara, the population of these guys that live down in the florida everglades, they're not native there. >> we can hear our next animal. let's bring him out. >> we're making friends all over the place. >> tempermental 1-year-old japanese macaque. >> it's okay. >> he's not happy. >> give him food. >> let's step over here so we can get a look at him. this is just a baby. just so you know. it's his first time on camera. he pooped on me. >> that's what i smelled. >> oh, my gosh. >> he did that? >> have a little respect. >> when you work with animals, sometimes you get pooped on. these guys are like the japanese macaques like you see in the pictures in the snow in the hot springs this is a species that they've learned, they can sit in the hot tub and stay warm in the wintertime. >> it's hard to take you seriously when you have crap on you. >> and food soothes everybody. >> you see how calm he is now. >> okay. >> see you, honey. >> we're going it talk about making healthier choices. at the game, picnic, barbeque, you understand. after these messages. st way to n a vacation on a budget with expedia. make it work. booking a flight by itself is an uh-oh. see if we can "stitch" together a better deal. that's a hint, antoine. ooh! see what anandra did? booking your flight and hotel at the same time gets you prices hotels and airlines won't let expedia show separately. book it. major wow factor! where you book matters. expedia. covergirl trublend has skin twin technology. other makeup can sit on your skin, so it looks like...makeup. but trublend has skin twin technology to actually merge with your skin. how easy breezy beautiful is that? trublend...from covergirl. vo: a breakfast worth waking up for. enjoy the sausage, egg and cheese croissan'wich today. only at burger king. if you think occasional irregularity is no big deal, think twice. it may be a sign that your digestive system could be working better. listen to this with occasional irregularity, things your body doesn't use could be lingering in your system, causing discomfort. but activia has been shown in clinical studies to help with slow intestinal transit when consumed 3 times per day. 7 out of 10 doctors recommend activia. and the great taste is recommended by me! ♪ ♪ unleash the hidden power of bisquick. discover visine® tired eye relief with hydroblend™, only from visine®. just one drop instantly soothes and revives tired, overworked eyes. and comforts them for up to ten hours. visine® tired eye relief. try now and save $3. ♪ think of what you want to see ♪ ♪ look around, it's happening ♪ oh, yeah ♪ imagine that ♪ imagine sunshine always shining ♪ ♪ ♪ imagine blue sky just for you ♪ ♪ imagine that, imagine that ♪ imagine this, imagine that ♪ imagine that ♪ ohhhh, imagine that labor day marks the unofficial end of summer. but before you say good-bye to the summer, celebrate the end of the season with the right holiday picnic. >> today is madelyn is here with us. debbie downer. >> before we start, we're going to do a little research for one of these questions we have later on. you have some sangria and a frozen margarita. so enjoy and do a little research while we start. we're going to start with one of the all-time favorites, basic hotdog. does this hotdog have -- five, ten or 15 grams of fat? >> kathie lee? >> 15. >> 15, that's correct. >> just a guess, but a good one. >> coming up next -- >> turkey dog. >> a turkey dog, you have to read the labels because it can have a lot of fat or just as much as a hotdog. >> that's a better choice. >> the yes. >> two of our most popular side dishes, baked bean and a large ear of corn without butter. >> and no salt. >> what's the question? >> a fiber question. which one of these has more fiber? >> that's a long buzz. the beans. >> the bean, that's right. 16 grams of fiber. >> now, they're getting harder. how many calories would you save if you chose both had the skin on, a grilled chicken breast instead of a fried one. how much would you save? >> 150 calories, 250 or 350? >> 150. >> hoda, you're right. >> maybe a lucky guess. >> now -- >> the difference is i say when it's a guess. she acts like she's so smart. >> i've studied the skin of chicken. let's go on. >> how about looking for a red meat alternative maybe, not a hamburger. here's a a juicy veggie burger, does it have more or less than 300 calories? >> more. >> no. it has -- >> less! >> i studied these. so -- >> i don't like veggie burgers. >> you can have an hamburger, that's fine. >> or a turkey burger. >> side dishes, we also like more than anything else. which of these four popular side dishes, for a half-cup each has the lowest number of calories? is it carrot-raisin? is it potato salad? is it three bean or is it cole slaw? >> hoda? >> beans. >> you're right, was that a lucky guess? >> i studied beans. >> you haven't done any background on your sangria versus your margarita. when you're tasting these, which one of these, each has a ten-ounce serving, which has less calories? which is lower in calories? the sangria or the margarita? hoda? >> go! >> fewer calories is definitely the sangria. >> you are correct. >> this is your day. >> that's the way you roll. it's unattractive i'm telling you right now. >> namaste. >> you have this cupcake for dessert. if you took an after dinner stroll, not a fast clip, to burn off this cupcake would you walking for 40 minutes, 60 minutes or 90 minutes? >> why don't i just make a fool of myself and say 90 minutes. >> and i would say you're right. >> this could be -- >> no, you won. >> i was going to have a tiebreaker, but we don't? >> well, this is a local one from the finger lakes region in new york. >> they win a lot of awards in the finger lakes. >> anthony road, you can share. >> yes, we like to share. thank you. >> i like the graphics. anyway -- okay. >> thank you, madelyn, it's always such a joy. next, labor day libations, we're drinking with ray aisle. >> they're so cute. eggland's best eggs. the best in nutrition... just got better. high in vitamins d, e, and b12. plus omega 3's. there's one important ingredient that hasn't changed: better taste. better taste. yum! [ female announcer ] eggland's best. the better egg. [ announcer ] who could resist the call... better taste. yum! of america's number-one puppy food brand? with dha and essential nutrients also found in mother's milk. purina puppy chow. listen to this. three out of four americans don't get enough vegetables. so here's five bucks to help you buy v8 juice. five bucks. that's a lot of green. go to v8juice.com for coupons. you can count on us. are you looking for labor day drink recipes? from light and fruity to spicy lemonade, punches to fit any palate? >> ray aisle is the executive editor of "food and wine" magazine. and we love him. >> and frank gifford, we love him, too. >> we're whipping up some labor day punches, we've got sangria left over and punch is a communal thing, you get a bunch of friends together, mix up a punch. keep your kids away from it. this is called sunset punch. a little white vermouth. >> bourbon. >> the whole doggone thing. don't let grandma near this. >> ginger beer, nonalcoholic, it's gingerale with a lot more ginger. and simple syrup. >> it's the complicated kind. we don't use that. >> and lemon juice. and you stir it up and serve it. >> right here? >> this is it right here. everyone take a drink. >> leave my rear end alone. >> i have told him -- >> so many times i hate that in public. it's on national television. >> frank, you want one of these? >> try the new stuff. >> what is this? >> this is called sunset punch. a bourbon-based punch. totally simple to make. cheers. >> thank you. >> what do you think? >> you know what, it tastes like, mmm, i like it. >> that is really good. >> do not let grandma near that. >> next, cajun lemonade. >> it's got a kick to it that's not alcoholic. so it's got tabasco sauce in it. pimm's number one. and it has -- >> it's the tabasco gives it a little zip. >> you don't like it? >> a little simple syrup and some seven-up. >> what are we making now? >> mother's ruined punch. from an old english term for gin, which is mother's ruin. >> this has got gin, some sweet vermouth, sparkling wine. grape juice, lemon juice and some sugar. >> and clam juice, just because you had it in your refrigerator. >> and that's -- a little bit bitter. >> nobody's in love with it. >> i love your wine, i have to admit. i can see why other people would like them very much. >> this is a pomegranate sparkling wine punch. this is fun because this is not nearly as strong. this is just wine is the only alcoholic ingredient and pomegranate juice, chopped-up pineapple with some pomegranate seeds and a little sweet riesling to give it some sweetness. >> you just dump it in. dump it in. >> see, this, i like. >> this is upside-down, causes it to be -- >> we get a lot of foam there, but that's okay. >> it's pretty. >> we serve. >> don't let the little ones near this. right? >> that's a little foamy. >> one of the weird things. >> it looks nice. >> give that a shot. >> look how quick it went to regular. >> that's one of the magical tricks of the punch. >> the punch ladles are always made for right-handed people and i'm left-handed. >> ray? >> statistically, we die earlier, too. >> left-handed people? >> that's terrible. >> it has to do with accidents. >> ray, we love you. >> cheers. >> hope you'll be back. >> hey, ray, i usually kiss you on the lips. >> i can't because frank is here. >> go ahead. >> there's no romance going on. >> that's not very nice. >> next, we're doing back-to-school things, okay? going back to classes, but first, this is "today" on nbc. state farm. this is jessica. hey, jessica, jerry neumann with a policy question. jerry, how are you doing? fine, i just got a little fender bender. oh, jerry, i'm so sorry. i would love to help but remember, you dropped us last month. yeah, you know it's funny. it only took 15 minutes to sign up for that new auto insurance company but it's taken a lot longer to hear back. is your car up a pole again? [ crying ] i miss you, jessica! jerry, are you crying? no, i just, i bit my tongue. [ male announcer ] get to a better state. state farm. back-to-school time, great news for parents, but you may need a little help getting your kids excited about it. >> mary anne moore is a catering director for the four seasons hotel in st. louis and she's put together some back-to-school bashes, that are fun, creative and won't break the bank. >> getting them pumped for school and it's all about using what you have at home. to make things a lot easier. >> how? >> this is the centerpiece, the cake, you can take a coffee can, an orange juice can, you take pencils, put it around. i need you to frost the cake, so so lefts just throw these paper clips all over the place. this is styrofoam, you can pop this fun stuff right in and the great thing about this, is that you can use an orange, pop it in there. there you go. and you can actually use an orange juice can. do the same thing. put a cute little peg on it for a teacher's gift. there you go. >> we talked about feeding the kids. you have to have some kind of activity. and you have to feed them. so here is a popcorn sundae bar. carmel corn, regular corn, great little shakers here with all kinds of fun toppings. take the vintage popcorn bag and the kids build their own sundae. and of course we always want to make sure that the kids are starting to think about charities and what they can do. so what i do is on the invitation, you ask for them, to bring a back pack and a certain school supply. set up a big assembly line and everyone stuffs the backpack. you give them to your local charity. >> that's a great idea. >> it gets -- >> everybody has their old ones. use them for that. somebody else could really use it. >> they have to have new stuff.. >> here comes the fashionista party. what we want to do is take these fun little flashlighto set up a. ask the children to bring their new school clothes. we're going to set up a catwalk, do a whole fashion show with them. >> that's adorable. >> take the dress forms, put all kinds of fun hair bows on it and this becomes their favorite to take away. this is a craft can you work on with your daughter. make these fun hair bows out of whatever ribbon you have at home. put them on the dress mannequins and my favorite drink, ever, the cotton candy lemonade. >> oh, god. >> where did you grow up? >> is that what you do? >> you put cotton candy in your glass. >> no. that is -- >> i'm sorry. i draw the line. >> that is -- >> that's in the same wheelhouse as the fried butter. >> cotton candy. >> i'll drink petroleum before i drink that. >> no, you go. >> we can put a little vodka in there. >> we could spike it. >> it tastes okay. >> you use the unsweetened lemonade. so you're not putting sweet on sweet. >> thank you. >> now, we have 30 seconds. >> peanut butter and jelly bar. >> let's make it interactive. great peanut butters, great jellies, great breads. mix it all together. >> send them away with a craft. and let's do paint your own lunch box. let them do the whole lunch box. they've got it the rest of the year. >> very good stuff. >> we've got a big, big show coming up on monday. shaggy is going to sing for hoda. >> and our guy's panel. have an awesome weekend, you >> and our guy's panel. have an awesome weekend, you guys, see you monday, bye-bye. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com