Transcripts For WRC Today 20120706

why did he turn it down? we'll explain today, july 6th, 2012. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today," live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and welcome to "today" on this friday morning. i'm natalie morales. >> i'm willie geist in for matt. more on this morning's jobs report in a mom. meantime the brutal heat wave that's gripped much of this nation expected finally to come to an end this weekend. >> you may be feeling the impact of the summer scorcher long after this weather cools down. we'll explain straight ahead. >> new details on that fourth of july tragedy off new york's long island, three children killed when a yacht capsized. this morning we'll hear from the man who was operating the boat at the time and lost his nephew in the accident. then on a lighter note, we'll show you the pomp and circumstance in scotland as the queen bestowed the highest honor on her grandson, prince william. our plaza crowd is getting ready for a concert from one of the best selling rappers in the business. yes, flo rida. we begin with what to expect when we learn about the economic recovery from the jobs report. maria bartiromo. what are you looking for? >> the story overall was not a good one in terms of jobs. we had a terrible report last month. while expectations came down a bit, maybe the numbers beat the expectations. broadly speaking we're looking at a tough situation. companies are uncertain. they do not want to put new heads to the payroll, with the uncertainty of election year, not sure about tax policy, not sure about the regulatory environment. i would expect we continue to stay pretty high numbers in unemployment unfortunately. >> we usually see a bump up in spring construction numbers. here we saw a slowdown in construction and manufacturing. what's going on there? >> for the most part people are worried about europe. businesses are looking at europe, not sure how that will play out. big debt crisis there. unemployment very, very high in europe. we export about 16% of our goods to europe, so that's a big customer. number two, in an election year we have this fiscal cliff issue. people are wondering what are taxes going to look like. fiscal cliff meaning tax programs expire and spending programs expire. with that spending going away in terms of businesses, they are going to have to cut jobs. later on in the year we will see further unemployment, given the fact we need to's an agreement on these issues. there is a lot of uncertainty. the good news is the stock market has been tradeing a bit better, the momentum is up. that makes people feel better. overall for the jobs picture, health care, technology, that's really where the job creation is. the rest of the economy pretty slow right now. >> retailers taking a hit. we saw costco, target and kohl's, all of their sales slowed a bit. as we look ahead to what would be the next big shopping event, back to school, what are expectations regarding consumer confidence. >> consumer confidence is right now under pressure. going into the rest of the year, looking at a mixed market in terms of retail. for example, the whole middle section of retail not doing so well. but the upper end and lower end seeing bright spots. it's funny we will spend $170 at lululemon but not much else. people will spend money if they believe they are getting a quality product. it's mixed. no trend. consumer confidence under pressure. >> we talk about uncertainty in this election year. are for the most part employers waiting to hire to see what happens? >> they are waiting. they are not sure who will be in the white house. that means they don't know what regulation looks like, who is overseeing them and tax policy. if we were to see things expire like we're expecting that fiscal cliff, you're going to see companies cut jobs. they are going to expect higher taxes and wonder about the demand side of things. are customers going to be there to buy their products. i would say people are waiting, big business is waiting to get more clarity, not only on the election but regulatory environment to figure out what rules they are going to be following. >> cnbc's maria bartiromo. thanks so much. great to have you here. it is 7:05. here is willie. >> another day of extreme onheat in the country, with highs expected from chicago to baltimore. this after a week that saw more than 1,000 record highs set. nbc's john yang is feeling the heat in chicago. once again, john, it is relentless up there. >> reporter: it is, willie. this morning officials in chicago are investigating a possible third heat-related death. meanwhile forecasters saying it will be one more day of triple digit record heat here. but within a couple more days, it will be 20 degrees cooler. in chicago, another day for the books. the official high, 103, a new record for the date. >> like louisiana weather. so hot, it's unbearable. >> must be something to do with this global warming they are talking about. i'm beginning to believe it now. >> reporter: one potential refuge, the shedd aquarium, no power. >> we don't have power at home either. we were coming here to get away from the heat. >> reporter: today there may be more kids cooling off in park fountains. chicago schools have canceled all summer school sessions. in st. louis, repairmen worked over time. >> every day it's been over 100 degrees. we never got a break yet. >> reporter: forecasters say relief is in sight as the weather patterns change. >> it's not going to be a major cooldown for the middle of the country or east coast for that matter. we're going back to the 80s. compared to the triple digits, i think we'll take that. >> reporter: it can't come soon enough for hundreds of thousands of people beginning their seventh day without power after ferocious storms. outside washington, d.c., some streets look untouched. >> we really don't know what's going on and when we're going to actually get power back. >> we're at our wit's end. six days is our breaking point. >> for farmers like dave in southern illinois, the hot, dry weather is just as frustrating, threatening their livelihood. >> this corn we're looking at should be 8 foot tall. >> said there couldn't hasn't been decent rain. the corn crop in the worst shape since 1988. >> the corn just about done so far. i expect the yield will be ridiculously low this year. >> reporter: forecaster say as east coast cools down, the west coast will heat up. >> john yang in chicago. thanks so much. it is 7:07. once again, here is natalie. now for a search that caused a boat filled with fourth of july revellers to capsize off long island to kill three children. investigators plan to interview more witnesses today. nbc's craig melvin has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. they plan to try to bring the yacht from the waters behind me today. all three of the kids who died aboard that boat wednesday night were under the age of 13. an uncle of one of the victims was driving the boat. we have his version of what happened. meantime investigators are looking at some other possible causes. >> it was dark. i didn't see it. >> reporter: one of the two men driving the yacht filled with fourth of july fireworks watchers tells news 12 long island that first he saw boats then a wave. >> there was two boats. i told my nephew, who was in front, did you see that. yeah, uncle sal. next thing i know, we were turning, and we just kept turning. everybody was in the water. chaos. >> reporter: sal's nephew was one of more than two dozen family members and friends tossed into long island sound. they could not get 8-year-old victoria gains, or this 12-year-old. police ruled out alcohol as a factor. but nbc is looking closely at how many people were on the 34-foot boat. >> we're looking at several avenues. one of which would be overcrowding on the boat. there was 27 people on this boat. that was a combination of adults and children. >> reporter: richard werner owns a firm. >> this is a few feet larger than the boat that sunk. and 27 people on this boat would be extremely tight. >> reporter: police investigators are considering other possible causes, including weather. >> when we first got the call before that, there was a violent rain storm that came in. it was just -- as quick as it came in, as quick as it left. >> reporter: from 10:30 wednesday night, shows a severe thunderstorm with 40-mile-per-hour winds in the area. officials are trying to figure out if the storm caused the yacht to flip over about three miles from the shore. they are also looking at whether another boat in the water could have created a wake massive enough to topple the boat. another concern, were there enough life jackets. >> it's a requirement on a boat, if you have five people on the boat, you need five jackets. so if you have 27 people, there's a requirement you have 27 jackets. >> reporter: at this point, it does not look like there were enough life jackets on board. a police spokesperson told me yesterday, one of the things they were looking at, they hope to find out definitively by talking to folks on board and nearby. we should note here we reached out to the guy who was driving the boat to ask him specifically about the life jackets and about the overcrowding, we didn't hear back from him. natalie. >> such a tragedy. craig melvin in oyster bay, new york. my heart goes out to the families that lost their kids. >> absolutely. let's get a check of the top stories. tamron hall at the news desk. tamron, good morning. >> hi, willie and fatly. good morning, everyone. the campaign trail heating up. president obama on day two of his bus tour to ohio and pennsylvania, two battleground states in the election. meantime challenger mitt romney is keeping cool on a family vacation in new hampshire. gop officials say the party raised more than $100 million in june, outpacing the obama campaign for the second straight month. in florida, a judge has set a high bar for george zimmerman's release from bail, granted $1 million bail as he awaits second degree murder in the shooting of unarmed teenager trayvon martin. in a ruling june lester questioned zimmerman's credibility having revoked his earlier $150,000 bail for allegedly misleading the court about his finances. judge lester also suggested zimmerman may have planned to flee the country with money donated online for his defense when he was first release freddie jail. the final report about what caused the 2009 crash of air france flight 447 shows the need for better flight training. french investigators blame a combination of technical factors that led to pilot error. the chief investigator said the two co-pilots at the controls never understood the plane had stalled and did not recognize they had lost complete control of the plane until it was too late. the plane crashed into the atlantic ocean killing all 228 people on board. thursday night in the disappearance of louisiana college student. she was last seen on may 19th. police arrested a registered sex offender on a first degree murder charge in connection with her disappearance. new video this morning from dallas, texas. the video from a toll plaza shows, look at this, a city bus plowing into four cars sending debris all over the road. two people were injured. the crash is now under investigation. it is unbelievable. a break in the searing heat out west has firefighters scrambling to gain ground on several blaises, crews making progress. investigators on the most destructive in colorado state history say they have located the site where that blaze started. they have yet to conclude what triggered the 12 day old wildfire. mvp while a new wildfire threatening evacuation and threatening homes in northern california. check out the official song of the 2012 london olympics. it is called survival and features a video showing moments of the game. ♪ >> while the song is taking some flack from music critics. officials say it will be played throughout the games when athletes enter the venue. 7:14, back to natalie, willie, stephanie. it is no "eye of the tiger" but i like the words. >> i love muse. they are an incredible band. >> everybody is a critic. >> we got that. >> tamron, thanks. let's get our first check of the weather. stephanie abrams in for al. still talking about the heat. >> it is going away for some people. let's first talk about where we have advisories, then the cooloff. the same area from the plains to the mid-atlantic on into the south and midwest as well. so more triple digit readings for places like chicago, kansas city and st. louis. but let's go to chicago. everybody look at this. 100 today. go down to the 80s. on sunday actually below average. i know that's very exciting for a lot of people. but not not only chicago, a big chunk of the midwest and northeast will see the cool off. now, here's a look at what's happening outside your door. >> go easy today. we're going it see high heat. 82 is where our temperature is right now at reagan national airport. high humidity already. by the time we get to 11:00 a.m., we'll hit 92. noontime, about 96 we'll top out at 101 today. saturday 103 degrees the forecast. so, near record heat, perhaps even over for the next three days. sunday's high, 99. we'll see h willie, over to you. >> stephanie, thank you. that florida lifeguard who was fired for performing a lifesaving rescue outside his coverage area is looking for a new job this morning. this time it's his choice. nbc's mark potter explains. mark, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, willie. lifeguard tomas lopez was fired for helping a man down the beach. he's been offered his job back now but has said no thank you. 21-year-old tomas lopez said he got an apology and had a cordial talk with the lifeguard company that fired him earlier this week. but when he was offered his job back decided not to take it. >> i prefer not to work for the company. there's no malace with the company. i'd rather not work there. >> reporter: a man told him he was struggling in the water at a swim at your own risk area 100 miles away. he ran to help the man. when he got there, other swimmers were pulling the man out of the water. >> we met about halfway in the water. i grabbed him and another guest grabbed him by the feet. we lifted him out of the water. >> when lopez was fired two others were fired after saying they would have done the same. in protest, including the supervisor and lopez's brother quit. now the company is offering all of them their jobs back. but so far there are no takers. >> i wouldn't want to work for a a company that prevents lifeguards from doing their job, saving lifgs. >> reporter: contracted by the city of halan dale beach. the president said after investigation, he overturned firing lopez. >> i think he showed a lot of courage in what he did originally and definitely we would like to have him back to work. i hope he would reconsider. >> reporter: officials agree that lopez did exactly what he was supposed to do. >> it has always been the city's policy that if there's an emergency, whether in the protected area or outside that the lifeguard there would respond to it. >> reporter: no surprise here, lopez's mother says she is very proud of her son for doing the right thing. and as for what tomas lopez will do now, he plans to go back to school and might consider another lifeguard job but at another company. willie. >> mark, he chose saving a life over upholding company policy. hard to argue with that. mark potter, thank you so much. 7:18. here is natalie. so many used social media sites to stay in touch with friends. now a growing number of police departments are turning to them to help solve crimes. nbc justice correspondent pete williams has details. good morning, pete. >> reporter: this is the version to generate tips from the old days of wanted posters to crime stoppers on television, now social media. twitter, facebook and increasingly youtube. sheriff's deputies in hillsboro county, florida wanted to find a man who stole a canned drink and used it to attack this convenience store clerk. they posted the surveillance video on youtube. someone who recognized the attacker called in the tip. within two days he was arrested and has since pleaded guilty. just this week, police in akron, ohio wanted to know who was using stolen credit cars to buy things at local stores. they posted this surveillance video hoping to generate tips. it's part of a growing trend, police expanding their reach using social media to assist investigations. maryland posted this video vo of a flash mob robbing a convenience store and viewers helped identify who was involved. investigators say it's not just faces that can be recognized. >> it also helps because you can actually see the person move, how he walks. sometimes that's a characteristic identifiable to people. >> reporter: in philadelphia investigators put this on youtube after a woman riding on a city bus beat up a passenger. just two days after it was posted, investigators got a tip that led to an arrest. a survey by the international association of chiefs of police show 90% of law enforcement agencies use social media of some kind. many agencies have set up youtube sites, often posting crime scene surveillance videos that are internet ready. in prince george's county, maryland they use youtube as a channel to reach people directly with information. >> we'll put an entire news conference on youtube to include surveillance video or mug shots along with interviews from the various police officials. so the information is getting out to the public. >> reporter: videos have another advantage. they can be posted instantly helping to get the word out quickly and stopping criminals from attacking again. >> thanks. still ahead, a man who served four years in prison for the murder of his own wife during a trip to the caribbean. a conviction now overturned. he'll speak out in a live interview for the first time since his release. but first this is "today" on nbc. just ahead why dangerous snakebites are on the rise. >> flo rida in concert after your local news. we charge everything else... maybe it's time to recharge the human battery. only the beautyrest recharge sleep system combines the comfort of aircool memory foam layered on top of beautyrest pocketed coils to promote proper sleeping posture all night long. the revolutionary recharge sleep system from beautyrest... it's you, fully charged. get a free set of sheets when you buy a select beautyrest mattress. hurry, offer ends soon. the calcium they take because they don't take it with food. switch to citracal maximum plus d. it's the only calcium supplement that can be taken with or without food. that's why my doctor recommends citracal maximum. it's all about absorption. that's why my doctor recommends citracal maximum. until i had the shingles. i have never encountered such a burning sensation... it was like a red rash. like somebody had set a bag of hot charcoal on my neck. i had no idea it came from chickenpox. it's something you never want to encounter. for more of the inside story, visit shinglesinfo.com good morning, it's 7:26 on this friday, july 6th. brace yourself for another day of blistering heat. veronica, how hot is it going to get today? >> hotter than yesterday and yesterday we topped out at 100 degrees. torrid heat throughout the area. 82 is our temperature now. we have some sunshine, of course. we're just getting going. our winds light out of the north, just eight miles per hour. here's a look at the high temperatures over the next four days. friday, today, 101. saturday, 103. we've got sunshine coming to us the next two days. isolated storm possible saturday and better chance on saturday with a high of 99. >> but a monday never looked so good. thank you, veronica. thank you, veronica. a look at oreo and dunkin' are the perfect match for the perfect moment. enjoy the new oreo coolatta and donut today. america runs on dunkin'. worry free right now 270 and each direction. let's take a live look, here we are at montrose no serious backup in either direction. about two-minute ride at 58 july 6th, 2012. we have our crowds brought their dancing shoes with them, because they will need them. rapper flo rida takes to our summer concert stage. inside studio 1a, natalie morales, willie geist in for matt practically been dancing all morning long. >> you're really pushing this. i've got a lot to live up to. >> going to be fun. a full half hour of music. >> love flo rida. >> how develop about snakes. >> if you give me a choice of snakes and snow snakno snakes, snakes every time. >> a lot of people do. >> there's a new reason not to like the crres. why snakebites are on the rise in many states. a big day for prince william, given the highest honor in scotland. not to be outdone, his father received an honor as well. we begin with a man who spent four years in prison for the murder of his life. prosecutors say david swain killed her while scuba diving during a vacation on the caribbean island of tortola, a conviction overturned. now swain speaking out for the first time since he was freed. we'll talk to him but first, here is nbc reporter. >> effervescent. on the move, on the go. >> reporter: shelley tyre, a school administrator now dead after scuba diving with her husband in the crystal clear waters of caribbean. the autopsy had shown no underlying medical reason for shelley to have drowned. but what about her diving gear? it was damaged. her snorkel missing its mouthpiece. the strap to her mask broken. the pin that held the strap in place, gone. >> i don't know what happened. i wasn't there. >> give a theory. >> i don't have a theory. >> reporter: shelley's husband david swain said he swam off by himself on that dive before his wife mysteriously perished. every since he returned to tortola with their daughter's body they demanded answers. >> you're the body, the care taker. >> wondering why -- why did i let this happen. >> reporter: the family hired diver experts and re-enacted that david swain attacked shelley, approaching her from behind, shutting off her air supply and holding her down until she drowned. >> very reached a verdict? >> we have. >> reporter: in 2006, shelley's family won a wrongful lawsuit against their son-in-law. swain at trial, who had no lawyer, dismissed the outcome, claiming it was unfair. the stakes were raised even higher when caribbean authorities had their case. he was extradited to tortola, criminal court. >> this man here, his wife is killed and all of his dreams came true. all his dreams came true. >> reporter: dreams the prosecutor would argue about insurance money, more than $600,000, and another woman in swain's life. david swain denied killing shelley. his defense attorney argued that shelley may have torn off her own scuba gear after panicking under water. but after five hours deliberating the tortola hit david swain with a second devastating blow, guilty of murder. the sentence, 25 years. >> how do you face that kind of time? >> one day at a time. >> reporter: almost two years after his guilty verdict, last september david swain returned to court. a three-judge panel ruled on swain's appeal and made a decision few anticipated. >> the head judge ends it all by looking right at me and saying, mr. swain, you're free to go. >> reporter: the appellate court panel overturned the verdict citing in part the trial judge had been biased toward the prosecution in her instructions to the jury. just just like that, david swain was a free man. >> and david swain is with us exclusivelyalong with his attorney. good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> david, begin with you. you were convicted in 2009 of killing your wife shelley as we just saw in the piece. that was overturned last september. you spent four years in a prison cell. was there a time when you thought you were going to be there for the rest of your life for something you didn't do. >> i did my best never go to that train of thought. i took it one day at a time. >> did you ever say, my gosh, i could sit here for something in my head i know i didn't do and this could take me to the end of my life. >> again, something i tried to avoid at all costs. i was more worried about my family than myself. >> you were found responsible by a civil court in 2006, convicted in 2009 in tortola. that was overturned. what changed for that appeals payable tortola in september? what new evidence? what was different for them this time? >> for the appeals panel, the lawyer that put together that appeal found enough information within the transcript to show that the trial in tortola was equally unfair, and that there was nothing that crossed the threshold of beyond a reasonable doubt. >> the trial. >> first trial? civil. >> no, criminal. >> i think it was unfair because the judge was clearly biased. the judge and prosecution were in cahoots to make something happen. >> you've heard from some people including members of the family, shelley's family, perhaps you were released on a technicality, the judge did not give correct orders to the jury at the time. what do you say to that. >> everybody is entitled to an opinion. >> let me ask you, tim, standing by. what changed for this appeals court now. finally overturned, now it was changed. what happened between then and the overturning. >> there were two things they focused on. the first significant aspect of the trial they found to be lacking was that the judge actually instructed the jury. in the british system a judge does a summation just like the lawyers. the judge actually told the jury after three weeks of us presenting a defense that this was an accident, she literally told those jurors the defense of accident has no place in this trial. so she completely instructed them to disregard our defense, which is why we find it sort of ludicrous when someone might say this was overturned on a technicality. the judge nullified our defense. the panel found secondly, as a matter of law, there was not enough evidence under the higher criminal beyond a reasonable doubt standard for the case to be retried again. >> david, let me ask you, because the prosecutors said in the original criminal trial they had motive on two counts that you were there to collect insurance money on the death of your wife, number one. number two, there was another woman in the picture. somebody you had been corresponding with, in fact, for months before the death of your wife and you then began dating two months after the death of your wife. can you see just from the outside why it would look fishy to someone that his wife died. two months later he's seeing a woman he had been talking, in fact writing to before hand. >> i can certainly see where some people would form that opinion. >> in fact you wrote a letter. i want to read an exert of the letter, five months before shelley's death. >> life has definitely gotten more complicated. i'm wanting to be with you but i can't change this mess i've got any time soon. what did you mean by changing this mess? >> the lady that you're talking about, it was a mess getting involved with her. that was clearly a mistake on my part. >> you would admit that now. >> sure. >> and what has life been like now for you, now that you've been free for three months. >> better than it was the months previous to it. i'm trying to rebuild a life and get back on the horse, as it were. >> is this case over for you now, as far as you're concerned? >> it's over in that i'm a free person. but clearly there's other things that need to be done. >> you still miss your wife 13 years later? >> every single day. >> david swain, his attorney tim bradell. we should point out nbc reached out to shelley tyre's family. they declined. sunday, an in-depth look at what led to the split between tom cruise and katie holmes. sunday 7:00, 6:00 central on nbc. now let's get a check of the the weather from stephanie abrahams abrams. >> anywhere from the northeast down into the southeast. you can see around the gulf, temperatures into the 80s, little bit cooler there. lake michigan hit you into the upper 60s and threat for the severe weather in the midwest, still talking record highs today. here's a look at what's happening outside your door. >> one more big surge of heat around here. yesterday we hit 100 degrees. today, even higher. we're at 82 degrees right now, well before 8:00. a light wind out there, but high humidity. today's forecast oppressive conditions, poor air quality. remember, take mass transit if you can, car pool, refuel after dusk' 96 to 101 for today and 99 for sunday with a 50% chance of some storms and into the 80 wil you. think it will fit? >> you're not getting me in that shirt. no chance. stephanie, thank you. up next, be careful where you step. why snakebites are on the rise from coast-to-coast. later our live concert from grammy nominated rapper flo rida. but first these messages. stay in the moment sanya focus lolo, focus let's do this i am from baltimore south carolina... bloomington, california... austin, texas... we are all here to represent the country we love this is for everyone back home it's go time. across america, we're all committed to team usa. there's no such whthing as too soft.let paper, i know what i like. i like feeling both clean and pampered. why should i compromise? quilted northern ultra plush®, with the innerlux layer. for a comfortable, confident clean, or your money back. but there are foods that i had no idea had so much acid in them. my dentist said that the acid in fruit, or fruit juice or fruit teas softens the enamel so that then it can potentially erode. once that enamel is gone, it's gone. my dentist recommended that i use pronamel to help harden that enamel so that it's not brushed away. pronamel protects your teeth from the effects of acid erosion. i don't have to cut out the things that i love in my diet. i can have the best of both worlds with pronamel. i love the fact that quicken loans provides va loans. quicken loans understood the details and guided me through every step of the process. i know wherever the military sends me, i can depend on quicken loans. back now at 7:43 with a warning if you have outdoor plans this weekend. in a number of states, snakebites on the rise. more on what's shaping up to be the summer of snakes. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: natalie, good morning. experts say this has a lot to do with the weather this year. we're here inside the world of reptiles, inside zoo atlanta. thousands of kids will check out these creatures here throughout the summer. in many parts of the country, get ready to see more of them, possibly in your own backyard. >> here with my wife, never had a experience like that. >> reporter: he never saw it coming. >> pain was horrific. >> reporter: the plumber working in a backyard when he came across the fangs of a copperhead. >> bit me on the hand. >> reporter: at first he didn't think much of it. within an hour he was on his way to the er. >> how much did it swell? >> bigger than a boxer's mitt. it was so bigamy hand looked like it was fixing to explode. >> reporter: richard newtin was walking his dog along this brush when he said a copperhead bit his paw. >> i was worried. i didn't know if he would make it through the night. >> reporter: control centers say snakebites are on the rise. like the cult film, snakebites on the rise. >> i've had it with these [ bleep ] snakes. >> reporter: this is no laughing matter. they are blamed for two deaths. one in tennessee and another west virginia. >> thank you for calling the poison center. how can i help you? >> reporter: in georgia this poison center is busier. >> we started seeing more calls 30, 45 days earlier than we've ever seen in recent memory. >> reporter: georgia had 185 reported cases this year, florida 330. it's not just the southeast. in california, there have been 184 reported bites in just the last three months. a whopping 61% increase over the same period last year. the reason -- >> i think it all relates to the very nice winter we had. very moderate winter, wasn't cold enough really for these guys to go into hibernation. >> here at zoo atlanta, they will point out most species in georgia are nonvenomous, copperheads being the most common exception. but if you do get bitten -- >> do something about this snakebite in a hurry. >> reporter: no matter what john wayne did in true grit, experts say trying to treat snakebites yourself is a bad idea. >> if they get bits, go straight to the emergency room. >> reporter: james burnett says he was lucky he kept his hand. as if the bite wasn't bad enough, he was shocked when he got the hospital bill. >> that's when the need the paddles on me. >> reporter: i got a bill for almost a quarter million dollars. >> reporter: anti-venom apparently is expensive, so are three days in the icu. he's lucky to have insurance. but it's still a painful bite in more ways than one. >> it was an experience i don't ever want to deal with again. >> reporter: by the way, this is a black rat snake, nonvenomous. remember, snakes like this one help us out, getting rats and other vermine. >> thank you so much. up next, royal family attends a ceremony in scotland. highlights after this. like a fly. you looked so innocent and so sweet. convinced my lips that we should meet. you were a relentless flirt. oh no we had indecent dessert. twinkle twinkle hope appears. a stevia leaf erased my fears. it made my willpower a super hero. as for calories, it has zero. twinkle twinkle truvia® star natural sweetness, i love just what you are. truvia. honestly sweet. this 4th of july, celebrate the red, white, and blue with ocean spray cranberry, white cranberry, and blueberry juice cocktails. how did you wear this stuff growing up? it's so 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[ male announcer ] mcdonald's new spicy chicken mcbites, rack 'em up while they're hot. the simple joy of changing the game. we're back now at 7:49 with new honors for britain's royal family. one very formal, the other involving a frog. nbc's michelle kosinski at buckingham palace to explain. good morning. >> hey, willie, frogs and princes have always gone together. the first is a big one. the early and countess, you may think you don't know who they are but you do. you can always tell the importance of an occasion here by how fancy the the hat and ceremonial robes. yes, this is a big one. set to drums. prince william being made a knight in the most ancient and royal order of the thistle. not bad for a guy just days out of his 20s. kate carrying a cartan scarf. >> at 30, he's stepping up his royal duties. i think it shows if the out. >> scotland, despite a movement to leave the united kingdom has always meant a lot to the queen and her family. balmor balmoral, her treasured estate where she and william and harry stayed quietly after princess diana's death. kate and william met in college, given by the queen scholarship titles, earl and countess. for prince charles this week, a much different honor. after he let school children camp outside his home raising awareness of the rain forest, dear to his heart, he had this little character named after him. a rare ecuadorial stream frog. very touched, a lump in my throat, must be a frog, he said. no kisses were exchanged. but the family also got to kick back a little at wimbledon. kate wearing a tennis inspired dress she wore one year to the date prior in canada. close match chronicled on her face as he becomes the first british champion since 1936, going for a title of his own. prince william is also in the most exalted order of the nights, around since the 1300s. he's also a member of a modern day order called the air force. he wanted to stay in as long as possible. watchers say he may need to scale back soon to focus more on his royal duties. >> of all the honors, having a frog named after you has to top the list. michelle kosinski in london this morning. thanks, michelle. just ahead a summer weekend survival guide. we'll tell you what's hot in fashion and more. >> live concert from flo rida after your local news and weather. mashed potatoes and gravy. mac 'n cheese... mashed potatoes and gravy! mac 'n cheese. 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[ female announcer ] letting her home be turned into a training facility? ♪ this olympian's mom has been doing it for years. she's got bounty. in this lab demo, one sheet of new bounty leaves this surface cleaner than two sheets of the leading ordinary brand. bounty has trap and lock technology to soak up big spills and lock them in. let the spills begin. p&g. proud sponsor of the olympic games. 7:56 is your time now on this friday, july 6th, 2012. good morning, i'm eun yang. not even 8:00 and it is hot and humid out there. veronica johnson in the storm center with this forecast. good morning, veronica. >> temperatures didn't go down that low last night and now we're seeing the switch turn the other way and mercury is rising quickly. 77 degrees in rockville and huntingdale and around cleveland park, good morning to you. again, the mercury rising quickly. already in the mid-80s. 96 to 101 today. it is going it be very oppressive. word of an accident northbound at spout run causing heavy northbound delays. lotes look at the beltway. bit slow on the outer loop in virginia. look at van dorn and the right side and about a ten-minute ride from van dorn to the wilson bridge. looking great in both directions. eun, back to you. >> tha . 8:00 now on friday morning july 6th, 2012. it is a picture perfect morning in rockefeller plaza. we have a great crowd with us. live concert from the hottest rapper on the planet, flo rida. i'm natalie morales with willie geist in for matt. also it is friday. looking forward to a nice weekend. >> absolutely. flo rida, then the weekend. we have the ultimate guide to get you ready for this weekend. everything from the movies and tv shows you want to see to the books to read and hot celebrity news, including the latest on tom cruise and katie holmes and their split. did she hint at the breakup in an interview just weeks before she filed for divorce? also, are you planning your summer vacation? we'll check out the best of the best when it comes to hotels, cruise lines and more as voted by leisure & travel magazine. >> first back inside, today's top stories from tamron hall. hey, tom ron. >> willie, natalie, good morning. this morning we're getting a look at arrests from a british attack. richard dart detained in london. he previously and in a bbc documentary speaking about the support of jihad, in a youtube video vowing to disrupt last year's royal wedding. this week's terror arrest are not believed to be part of the olympic games and the terror level has not been elevated. record break heat in the midwest and atlantic, northeast states where hundreds of thousands of people still have no power nearly a week after severe storms. at least two people have been killed in a violent thunderstorm that hit the great smoke mountains national park thursday. it left tens of thousands of customers in the area without power. investigators are trying to determine why a 34-foot yacht capsized in long island sound fourth of july. 27 people on board wednesday night to watch fireworks. 24 of them survived but three children drowned when that boat capsized. officials may try to raise the boat today. scott peterson appealing his 2004 guilty verdict for murder of pregnant wife lacy and his unborn son. he gaims claims he's innocent blaming the verdict on the media circus that surrounded his california trial. for a look at what's trending, a quick roundup. is it true cruise was blind-sided on the divorce. he might have seen a clue in the sexy new spread in "elle." the 34-year-old actress talks about a new phase in her life and feels like, quote, she's coming into her own. usually a person talking to himself would be called unusual or crazy. jeremiah mcdonald is being called a genius for slicing together a video of himself, asking himself revealing questions. >> what would you do? you must have hobbies. >> you're interviewing yourself. look at you. >> you left the tape. don't do this -- charming no wonder i'm single. >> okay. not just silly, fun banter, the 32-year-old had to field awkward questions about where his childhood pets are today. pretty cool. this video of a drunk guy serenading a drunk cat has the internet in a tizzy. may be the best rendition you've ever seen. ♪ baby ♪ >> okay. luckily the cat escaped the musical onslaught leaving the owner face down singing to the carpet. it is now 8:05, now back to natalie. willie, i guess that cat didn't want to lose one of his nine lives to that sound. >> thank you, tamron. >> saturday night at the morales house. get drunk and sing to the house. >> not at all. your house, right? let's get a check right now at the weather. stephanie abrams in for al this weekend. hey, stef. >> i found ultimate fans, drove all the way from illinois, 20 hours. what did you guys listen to for 20 hours. >> flo rida. >> so dad you're a fan now. >> oh, yeah. >> we are fan now. we're all blinged out and ready for flo rida. let's see what we are dealing with as we head throughout the day today. we do have our pick city in tucson, arizona. you guys are feeling that in illinois, that's nothing, right. through the midwest we could see storms today, otherwise, the heat is across the country. that's the big story, but it will be cooling off more and that later and, first, here's a look at what's happening outside your door. >> it's getting hot already. tacoma park and cleveland park, apologies to you. already 86 degrees in your neighborhood and 77 degrees up north in rockville, maryland. great falls and falls church, 78 degrees. today's high 96 to 101. oppressive conditions. this is a day when you probably have to drink more water than even you have been drinking, especially tomorrow, too. 103 the high and 99 on sunday. look at next week. highs anywhere from the mid-80s to >> willie, flo rida brought out a wild crowd. that's all i have to say. >> he did. they got up early and traveled great distances to be here. the party starts with flo rida in just a little bit. first a look at your weekend and what you ought to be doing. what's up, in when it comes to fashion, movies and more. then of course a live concert with flo rida. first these messages. mine was earned off vietnam in 1968. over the south pacific in 1943. i got mine in iraq, 2003. usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. because it offers a superior level of protection, and because usaa's commitment to serve the military, veterans and their families is without equal. begin your legacy, get an auto insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve. don't hide behind your lipstick. use it to show the world how you feel. and today, i feel daring. 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[ female announcer ] we all go. why not enjoy the go with charmin ultra strong? we're back at 8:09, what's new, what's up, what's in. everything you need to get ready for the weekend. >> willie has three experts to help us out starting with what's new at the box office and on tv. a senior editor at "entertainment weekly." tom, good morning. >> good morning. >> movies for all ages this weekend. first up, "the amazing spider-man." came out last weekend but this the big weekend for it. >> this the big weekend. it already made $66 million but will dominate the box office. for my friend steve, it's all about spidey this weekend. people seem to be reboogt this franchise yet it really delivers the goods. emma stone and andrew garfield really terrific at these kind of love torn high schoolers. they are a real life couple and there is a spark between them on the screen. >> taking my son to see that. oliver stone has a new movie out "savages." this is not a movie for kids, we should point out. >> this is a very hard r rated movie. plays like a jacked up episode of miami vice, told from the viewpoint of bad guys. marijuana dealers that get on the wrong side of a mexican cartel run by selma hiayek. katy perry, a trend, justin bieber, miley cyrus had a movie out. is that sort of a thing for her fans. >> young pop star the 3d film is the brand obsession. justin has his own fragrance, sweetie concert movies are par for the course for a pop star. >> movies to tv, what is on television you say is a must see. >> talking dead, live chat show on amc. this weekend will delve all into a preview of the upcoming third season of the zombie series walking dead. drew carey will be a guest on it. show a black and white version of an entire episode of walking dead for true purists that want to see their zombies in old-fashioned black and white style. >> i'm a huge fan of that show and can't wait for season three. i downloaded this book based on your recommendation "gone girl." a must read. >> a can't put down thriller by gillian flynn, he said, she said movie. suburban man, his wife goes missing. he's suspect number one in the disappearance. we get alternating chapters between nick and amy. we gradually find out what happens. this has more twists than a chubby checker concert. >> a "dateline" series. tom, thanks so much. now let's turn it over to willie. >> thanks. moving on to what's up in the world of entertainment. "e! news" correspond. >> good morning. >> start with tomkat. >> yes. >> after six years of marriage, what's the latest? >> the latest is she gave an interview six weeks ago before she filed. talk about foreshadowing. she says it's her season. she's not focused on tom cruise, it's about her and what she wants in her life. talked to a divorce lawyer, he said a couple of ways, you can be nice, go for the throat. katie went for jugular. >> when you dig deep and read reporting, this has been on her mind for sometime. it didn't happen overnight. >> didn't happen overnight. apparently have you to be in new york two years to establish residency. katie wanted to do it here. it's a no nonsense state, both will be in court. they both have to show up. we'll see what happens. >> another celebrity baby boom. who is expecting. >> matthew mcconaughey and wife and claire danes. this is their third child. they announced it fourth of july on twitter. it's claire danes first child. yes, i know. >> big year nor matthew mcconaughey. >> r&b singer frank ocean came out this week on his tumb blr page. explain how this went down. >> very popular songwriter. has his own album coming out july 17th. on his tumblr, he said you know what, i was in love with a man when i was 19. has he a song "him him him" his love for him. in the hip-hop community, it's been homo phobic but everybody has come out supporting him from jay-z to his record label. it represents a turn in hip-hop. >> that's a big thing, having jay-z embrace it. >> has been homo phobic and taken a lot of heat for that. kae out and said, i'm supporting frank. >> real quick, lindsay lohan in the headlines. >> breaking news, are you ready? she's a red head again. >> that's the news? >> okay. in the entertainment world this is decent news. remember when she first came out with "mean girls." she was a red head, really cute. she wrapped playing liz taylor. she wrapped the movie, did a good job apparently and is on a better track. >> breaking news. >> hard hitting journalism. >> good to see you. thank you so much. willie, thank you. last but not least. what's in when it comes to fashion, beauty and food. sara gore, host of "open house." good morning. let's launch in. great gatsby. >> if you want clothes silk, drop waist, fringe. a subtle way of wearing it, art deco print fabric, necklace from carol lee. >> modern flapper. >> yes, not full flapper. this top from h&m, pleats, fringe with necklace. >> shorts are awesome. >> $69. another great way to add a touch of the trend. these head pieces of from freepeople.com. add a little whimsy to your hair. looks great up and down. >> this the hottest print of the summer. >> people say iccat, joe jones, how fashion carries over into your home decor. if you don't want to commit to take couch or window treatment, these pillow covers are $34. it's a very affordable way to embrace that trend. >> i love this next item. polaroid is back. >> happy 75th anniversary to polaroid. you can add border, filters. we took a picture earlier. >> it's 45 seconds. it's going to come out. so you can actually pick and choose pictures you want to develop now instead of having polaroids sitting down. >> sit on the bottom. we'll keep moving. >> next up in the food world. >> the hottest trend in food right now is actually very cold. boozy popsicles and icicles. >> boozy means alcohol. >> it's a little early for the real deal this is mock tail cocktail. >> this is great, a machine that makes your popsicles in 10 minutes or less, which is great. if you don't have that, you can actually just use paper cups and pop them out. there's our picture. boom. stickers so kids will love this. >> love that for the party. yum yum. ice creammaker. >> these have been around for a while but now all these great fun colors. >> that's nice. >> when your dogs are barking, it's summertime, your feet have to look great. you want to take care of them. you can't always get your pedicure done. these butter london products are fantastic. when olympics coming why not buy the products. >> butter london. >> makes feet soft and silky. >> like a baby's bottom. that's what you get with this product. these are free free, no formaldehyde. >> hot colors? >> oranges, pinks. >> thank you, sara. up next best of the best when it comes to travel from airlines and more after all this. 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[ sighs ] ♪ [ male announcer ] venza. from toyota. this morning on today's travel, best places to go in 20 $12.they have rated hotelses, food lines and more, world's best awards. these are fun. here with results, good morning. >> good morning, willie. >> let's point out off the top, some of these over the top expenses, pie in the sky, there are affordable ones. >> there's a mix. what's important is what we feel, all the properties and places our readers chose really represent value. so they might be expensive but what you're getting is a great value for money. let's start with the best hotel and best safari rolled into one. >> this is in tanzania. this is a magical place. a reserve in the middle of the national park. have you the incredible dinners under african skies, rides with incredible guides. all this to say you're going to be taken care of and pampered and see all the animals you can imagine. >> beautiful. my type of safari. second, right here in the u.s., triple creek. >> this is another experience, montana bitterroot mountains. what i love about this and what our readers love. they will cater to you and make it whatever you want to be. they have cattle drives, fly-fishing, hiking, et cetera. this is a place you're going to get ready active and get a lot of rocky mountain bravado. a lot of exercise for sure. >> get that cowboy experience. >> yeehaw. >> now for the top resort in the continental u.s., we talked about affordability, osprey at beaver creek, colorado. >> osprey, $143 in the summertime. right in the heart of beaver creek. it's 43-room boutique hotel. what you get here is more of that kind of charming, chic luxury of being in a chalet. you get -- what is that called, fireplaces, beautiful fireplaces everywhere. you can ski if you go in the winter, summertime lots of activity. >> 143, more like it. top in the u.s., number two, if we could. chicago. chicago is hot right now. >> chicago has never been as high on our list as it is this year. it was number three this year and number two. it's actually getting a little bit of a run for its money to new york city. this comes in really well with our readers for food, for value as well and for incredible culture. the park, music outside all summer for free. great for shopping. i have to admit the shopping is great there. three top hotels were in chicago including waldorf astoria. world's best island i confess to never having heard of it in the philippines. >> bora kai. it beat out bali, number two. it's one of those islands you should know about if you're interested in culture and value. our readers love this, it's not been on anyone's radar. it's in the philippines. not only hotels for $50 but incredible hotel by tsvangirsh k tsvangirai -- crystal cruises. >> one of two companies that held onto its number one spot for 17 years we've been running the survey. readers love it for the incredible service. good reason. one to one crew to guest ratio. >> one to one. >> for every single person there, there's a person taking care of you. incredible state rooms, great interiors. fantastic deals to the mediterranean for about $256 a night. can you do a couple different cruises i love. >> seventeen years in a row. best domestic airline goes to virgin america. branson knows how to do it. >> they have held onto number one spot on the survey since they opened. people love it because you get whatever you want when you want. jetblue second. they do similar things but virgin's value, great service and fun, which everyone loves. >> great list again this year. thanks so much. just ahead a live concert from flo rida after your local news. good morning, it's 8:26 on this friday, july 6th. i'm aaron gilchrist. right to storm 4 meteorologist veronica johnson with a look at a steaming hot forecast. >> steamy now and plenty warm, aaron. temperatures, well, they were plenty high this morning. 82 to 86 degrees from college park down to d.c. 83 and 83 degrees, also, in annapolis right now. factor in the humidity. currently we're in the upper 80s later today and it could feel like 105 as the air temperature hits 101. sunny, hot, humid, hazy conditions and poor air quality for today. tomorrow 103 and much cooler next week. aaron? a road check for well, not too bad out there right now, but we do have a few problems on the roadways. right now northbound gw parkway causing a bit of a delay and things cleared up southbound 270 just a slight delay at 109 and on the outer loop at the beltway, right side at the van dorn accident right shoulder dorn accident right shoulder caus it's the perfect match for the perfect moment -- oreo the dunkin' way. introducing the new oreo coffee coolatta and new oreo vanilla bean coolatta. taste the fun today. america runs on dunkin'. hurry in to dunkin' and try the new oreo coolatta and donuts today. of july, 2012. the crowd gearing up for a live concert from grammy nominated concert flo rida. he will perform in just a moment. i can barely see what i'm reading here. sunglasses on, concert glasses on definitely. so excited about flo rida, been dancing to the music all week long. finally happened. >> you're pulling those shades off in a way most cannot. tamron, we'll have to get you a pair. >> amore concerts ahead, zac brown band with their enter vang country rock, a little reggae. then nashville's own michelle ray. also brute products you may not know about, but we all should, including a towel that will cool you down in a second because it's so hot. a product that promise as ten-second face-lift. ten seconds and have you a little -- >> okay. also, do you guy know today is my favorite day of the year, national fried chicken day. >> i didn't know that. >> national fry chicken day, celebrate southern roots. the trick to preparing perfect fried chicken, also bacon in the kitchen. first a check of the weather with stephanie abrams who is somewhere in that crowd. >> what song are you most excited ted for? >> "whistle." >> i'll show you the forecast. while we head into the weekend, it is going to be hot, hot, hot. there it is for you on saturday, a slight risk of storms from ohio on into the northeast. we will see a cool off, though, around the great lakes and into the northeast and for the second half of the weekend, more of the same with the storms headed south. can you give us a little "whistle" and sing it while we go to the break? now, here's a look at what's happening outside your door. >> we've been checking on the mercury all morning now. a look at the heat index values. 87 to 90 degrees and before 9:00 a.m. the humidity high. it's sticky out there now, but as temperature rises quite oppressive today feeling like 105 because the mercury could hit 101 degrees. saturday still high at 103 and 99 on sunday and chance of severe, strong storms on sunday coming through. much-needed r and if you're headed to the concert, check out the forecast 24 hours a day on weather.com. willard, good morning. good morning, willard. >> willard scott, finally hit the big time, beautiful sculpture garden gallery of art in washington. you must see this. next to the national gallery. a nice place to sit and meditate. take a look, beryl kapaun from south dakota. 113 years old. also very much involved in women's suffrage. she voted for the first time women could vote. didn't say for who. johnnie kvendru from bellview, minnesota, 101-year-old. loves to chase the ladies around in his scooter chair, which can get up to 72 miles an hour. he's caught three of the ladies so mar. myrtle singleton from belleville, texas, 102. enjoys going to church and is always wearing a pretty hat. nothing like a nice hat on a pretty lady. how about that. ted and floorene rich american fork, utah, 75 years they are married and still madly in love and crazy about each other. orlando, florida famous for mickey mouse and lots of other exciting things including gnatton johnson, who is 100 years old today. he loves to play the piano and watch baseball. he is something else. how about this, mary shofer from baltimore, maryland, right up the road 40 miles. 104 years old, exercises every day and has never lost her zest for life. can't beat that. i feel the same way. now back to new york. >> thanks so much, willard. who is ready for a dance party? get ready. flo rida takes to our concert stage next. >> announcer: toyota concert series on "today" brought to you by toyota. >> all right. if you've had your radio on any time at all this summer, you've probably been singing along to this man's songs. he's one of the hottest rappers in the world and we are pleased to welcome him back to the plaza. ladies and gentlemen, flo rida! >> let's go new york city, put your hands up in the air right now. put your hands. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> announcer: ladies and gentlemen, flo rida. our concert is just getting started. we'll be back with more grammy nominated rapper flo rida has become a fixture at the top of the charts, 60 million singles worldwide, new album "wild ones." flo rida, good morning. you work up a sweat. look at you. my goodness. quite something. 60 million singles. you helped us celebrate our 60th recently at the "today" show. 60 seems to be your number. >> definitely great to be with you guys. brand-new album at the stores right now. >> a lot of hits on it already. it just dropped on the 3rd, i believe. what are you expecting? what is the goal of this album? what are you looking for? >> my goal is to watch all my fans go crazy, party. >> you don't have to ask, knowing you were coming all week, we've been dancing all week long waiting for you. is that where your going? you have a range of fans. it's about the dancing, partying, having a good time. >> i've always wanted a mike flag like that. the flo here and rida there, it's a beautiful thing, bedazzled. >> tell me about life now, on tour, jennifer lopez. lmfao. >> everyone with an album, lil wayne. i wouldn't mind working with outk, ast, beyonce. >> is she ready to work with you? >> she's ready to party. >> people that don't know your history, you grew up in the projects as a kid. look at you now, you've sold tens of millions of albums. basically you're living your dream. what do you tell kids maybe having a hard time growing up. >> i owe it to my mom. she motivated me to work so hard and always believe in yourself. if no one believes in yourself, you believe in yourself. when all said and done, a lot of times -- just always work hard, you know, and always try to dedicate as much time to whatever you're trying to achieve in life. it's beautiful to kout out and see all my fans smiling and everything. this is a dream come true for me. >> thaer ready to dance. what are you going to sing next? ♪ yeah. >> i'm going to get out of the way. >> let's do it. >> everybody, hands up. i've got to know one thing, if you're flo rida. ♪ can you feel my whistle baby ♪ ♪ to you how to do it ♪ start real slow ♪ put your lips together ♪ go real slow ♪ can you below my whistle ♪ here we go ♪ ♪ ♪ below my whistle baby ♪ whistle baby ♪ let me know ♪ show you how to do it ♪ start slow ♪ put your lips together ♪ slow ♪ blow my whistle baby ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ whistle baby ♪ whistle baby ♪ whistle baby ♪ ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> flo rida, thanks. we'll have more music in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. all right. i think we've got some wild ones out here today. once again, here is flo rida. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> flo rida, thank you. they will be back with one more song later. but first your local news. 8:56 is your time now on this friday, july 6, 2012. good morning to you. i'm eun yang. let's check in with veronica johnson to look at your forecast. starting off hot and humid and it will stay that way, veronica. >> already at 90 degrees. take a look at our heat index here. culpeper and 92 and that's the heat index of the locations. 87 to 88 degrees and pretty much close to that 90. 101 our high temperature for today and heat index value later today of 105 degrees. so, really, take it easy today on through tomorrow. the high forecast, 103. 99 for sunday. could be interesting with some strong storms coming through. eun. eun. >> ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] virtual wallet can help you be that person who's good with money. see what's free to spend. move money with a slide. save with a shake. feel good about your decisions. we are dealing with a problem roeth now in virginia eastbound. dulles toll road two left lanes shut down and that is causing some very heavy delays right now that begin near sully road. again, eastbound dulles toll road right at wheelie avenue. two left lanes are shut down and right hov lane is blocked and that is causing heavy ♪ ♪ back now with more of "today" on this steamy friday morning. a dance party on the plaza with flo rida who wowed our crowd. so good. you were great. >> not taking my shirt off. thanks for working hard out here. >> yes, i love my fans. they can go home and realize flo rida really loves them. >> one more song to play for you coming up. >> yeah! >> people don't appreciate how hot it is out here right now, the humidity, and he is working really hard. >> we'll tell you how to get your cool fast. a towel that's an instant sweat stopper. one of the innovative beauty products we're going to show you, maybe too good to be try. >> get flo rida one of those. summer, kids are out of school but they shouldn't stop reading. we have ways to encourage kids to crack open that book without a fight for vacation. plus, from flip-ons to boat shoes. you like boat shoes. >> i do, great. >> the hottest look in summer shoes for men. >> first the royal wedding, then jubilee. another spectacular ceremony involving the queen and royal family. this time she bestowed another knighthood on prince william. a report on that in a bit. first a check of the top stories for the morning. turn it over to tamron hall. >> hey, natalie, willie, everyone. all eyes on the jobs report this morning as the unemployment rate held steady unchanged at 8.2%. the economy added om only 80,000 jobs. president obama is on day two of his bus tour of ohio and pennsylvania, two battle ground states in the upcoming election. meantime republican challenger mitt romney is keeping cool on a family vacation in new hampshire as gop officials say the party raised more than $100 million in june, outpacing obama's campaign for the second straight month. officials may try today to raise the 34-foot yacht that capsized wednesday night in new york's long island sound. 27 people on board to watch fireworks. 24 survived. investigators looking for the cause. more misery for the east where temperatures will be in the 90s. hundreds of thousands of people still have no power aftervillent storms a week ago. temperatures set records in many cities and caused as many as five deaths. at least two people, two more people killed when a violent storm hit the park. a florida judge set a high bar for george zimmerman's relief, granted $1 million bail as he awaits second degree murder trial in the shooting of unarmed teen trayvon martin. in a ruling circuit judge, questioned credibility after revoking $150,000 bond. the finances. judge lester suggested zimmerman may plan to flee the country with money he donated online for his defense when he was first released from jail. a break in the searing heat out west had firefighters scrambling to gain ground. crews making progress on fires in wyoming and montana while investigators on the most destructive wildfire in colorado state history say they have located the site where that blaze started. they have yet to conclude what triggered a 12 day old wildfire. meantime a new wildfire forcing evacuations and threatening more than 100 homes in northern california. a book lover's dream as an abandoned walmart in texas turned into largest library in the country, a size of two and a half football fields, the public library seeing a big spike in membership and innovative design. a lot of reports. it's another scorcher today as we kick off the weekend. so if you're headed out in the sun, check out this new video, funny or die, featuring the stars rapping about the notorious spf. ♪ >> these two getting sun burned. no joke. having no problem using more sunscreen than they probably need. that's funny. five minutes past the hour? now back to stephanie. check of the spf forecast. >> it is hot out here. only 78. feels like 178. never too hot for a concert. too hot. are you guys hot over here. it is hot out here. not only new york, but across a big chunk of the country we are seeing heat advisories. current temperatures already at the early hour in the 80s across the middle of the country. as we head hours, more triple-digit readings from the midwest down to the south. here's a look at what's happening outside your door. >> grab your sunscreen and put it on a nice big hat and some shades, too, because it's going to help today. 92 and leesburg at 91 and 92 in culpeper and 88 what it feels like now in d.c. the heat index value and the air temperature, too. humid, plenty humid today on through the weekend, in fact. 103 expected tomorrow. so, it gets worse before it gets >> tamron, everyone giving a thumbs-up out here, the concert. >> all right, stephanie, thank you. this morning on "today's" beauty products, too good to be true. beauty expert and founder of beauty.com, cosmetics that work miracles on skin and hair. good morning. good to see you. these are tested. we know it's a good thing. >> i test tons of products to find out what really works. a lot of products make big promises but not all of them live up to the hype. >> you end up wasting money. what does this have to do with beauty? >> this is mission's cooling health. so hot outside whether walking or playing sports, this is your portable cooler. as soon as it's hit with sweat or water it instantly cools to 59 degrees and stays that up up to two hours. >> it is cold. wow. >> yes. >> how long does it last? >> two hours. stays lightweight, spf 45. >> sweating like flo rida, wrap it around, boom. >> save them. serena williams, special athletes. >> next on the list. >> this is a face-lift without the stitches. >> help me understand that. >> these are little pieces you can apply behind the ears, target places around the neck, the mouth, the eyes. >> didn't we see these in the 50s. >> interestingly these have been around 25 years. not a lot of women know about them. those that are using it, i think they are saving them as their best kept secret. we have a before and after, too. a woman that uses this product, she uses it on her neck. this is actually someone i know in her mid-60s. >> how long did she use it? >> this is meetly after putting it on, ten seconds to put it on. it takes years off. >> moving on from that to creams that help us. >> your hair dries out if you wash it a lot, cleansing conditions ar good solution. shampoos and conditioners in one, you what need are moisturizing, won't strip your hair. l'oreal, a good drugstore buy. wen actually uses botanicals. >> i'm glad you have drugstore items, a lot of us are conditioned we need to spend a lot of cash. >> i love budget buys. lashes, make you pop. >> love the look of false lashes, not the most practical. this is better than false lashes, selling out. two parts, a mascare that you apply first to the lash. then the middle section is fibers. these are where the magic happens. they lengthen your lashes, like your lashes multiplied. >> you apply the mascare, follow it up. >> then the fibers, then mascare to seal it in. >> waterproof? >> no, but nice thing it will come off easily with water. >> next. >> alternative to traditional medications, suffering from a headache or pms or hangovers. these are drops. essential oil blends. >> a huge bun online, people talking about the drops. >> and they are adorable. apply it, inhale the wonderful aroma. this one is headache. >> writes the hangover. >> we've got the hangover here ready. right here. >> you put it on your wrist or temples. >> wherever you need to, inhale it and it will save you. >> smells good. nothing else, if i don't lose the hangover it smells good. >> hair shadows, eye shadows for your hair. we've seen pastel hair trend, even flo rida, his singer had lavender hair. good way to get it without the commitment. color bug and color smasher, two companies that launch this. all you do, take a section of your hair, press it in. you can do it yourself. you seal it in with either hairspray or hot tool. then when you're ready to go back to your regular, it washes out. >> i love it. the colors are vibrant. you wouldn't think it picks up that easily but it does. that's awesome. wash it right out. >> wash it out. >> pink today, purple tomorrow. a good list of things here. appreciate it. coming up, thanks, nicole. up next a strategy for parents to stop the summer learning slide and get kids reading while school is out. another ceremony for prince william. take a look at pomp and circumstance right after the messages. today, we stand against the tyranny of single mile credit cards. battle speech right? may i? 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[ female announcer ] we all go. why not enjoy the go with charmin ultra soft. she would help her child. no. no no no no no. mommy's here [ male announcer ] with everything. but instead she gives him capri sun super-v. with one combined serving of fruits and vegetables. new capri sun super-v. did you know honey nut cheerios is america's favorite cereal? oh, you're good! hey, did you know that honey nut cheerios is... oh you too! ooh, hey america's favorite cereal is... honey nut cheerios ok then off to iceland! honey nut cheerios what if we could keep enough plastic waste to cover all of manhattan out of landfills each year? the equivalent of 140 million trash bags, gone. by using glad trash bags, designed with reinforcing bands to be stronger with less plastic waste, we can. it's a small change that can make a big difference. and try glad odor shield with febreze freshness... strong bags that neutralize strong odors. my system gets why out of sorts it? but that comes with age, right? just because we're in that over 50... what does that mean? are we done? activia helps regulate your digestive system when eaten daily. these could be our best years yet. >> announcer: "today's" classroom brought to you by kellogg's frosted mini wheat serial. this morning on today's classroom, the reading summer slide. kids that read during the summer do better when they return to school. suggestion on getting your kids to pick up a book. we hear about the summer slide. what's happening? why is this a good time not to let kids relax but get them working on math and reading. >> we want them to relax, do it in a fun way. the truth is research shows kids lose two months of what they have learned during the academic year in the summer. 20% of what they learned. they are heading into school august or september behind the eight ball. we want to keep them stimulated intellectually so they stay on top in the fall. >> is the learning loss in all subject matters or more prevalent in one area. >> more prevalent in math and reading. even worse force lower economic kids who lose more reading ground than middle or upper class counterpart. we want to be aware of that. >> we encourage parents to tackle reading and math but do it in a fun way. get a medal in math because of summer olympics around the corny. give me an ample the way you can work in summer games into the math plan. >> a great opportunity, we have all these opportunities. do a medal graph, make a chart of the different countries and what they are doing. let's say they are looking at world records, what the statistical differences are if one world record is turned over by another. lots of opportunities on how to do math and enjoy it. >> also plan a virtual vacation, don't have to leave the house, work in math problems as well. >> geography, look at a map and say i want to plan a trip to tanzania, how long to get there, what's the time difference, the money differential, how would we convert it. if we can map it out, look at the geographical location, start to do history and geography, get angry about it. >> good ideas. summer baseball season, work in some baseball as well into the math. >> statistics, economics. is it worth having very high-profile player on the team. is he delivering what we're paying him. different elements in there for all different ages which is also really nice. >> let's take a look at reading. a place we often don't visit enough is the public library. parents should take their kids exploring. >> instead of the movies to cool off, go to the library to cool off. you might find interesting books. let them explore, do some reading at the library, a great place to start. >> as parents you should be the example, reading around your kids. right? >> read in front of them, read with them. sit with the paper, maybe do some talking with them about what you are reading. you really want to lead by example. in this way read by example. >> as long as you're not reading "50 shades of grey." >> pick appropriate choices. >> a lot of people are, of course. you also say read out loud to your kids no matter what age. >> no matter what age. kids like to hear reading out loud. even into middle school. do interactive reading. i read some, you read some. make it fun, creative. it will really excite your kids. >> you've guilted me, i've got to get cracking on my kids homework. >> no homework, just fun. >> it is. an ancient honor for prince william. another knighthood from the queen but first these messages. the wheat in every mini-wheat has gotta be just right. perfect golden color. rich in fiber. my dad taught me, and i taught my son out there. morning, pa. wait... who's driving the...? ♪ 99 bushels of wheat on the farm, 99 bushels of wheat ♪ [ male announcer ] yep, there's 8 filling layers of whole grain fiber in those fun little biscuits... so they stick with you, all morning long. kellogg's® mini-wheats cereal. 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[ cheers and applause ] [ angie ] outsmart mother nature only with tampax. ian italian dinner for 2r $25. where choice is on the menu. start with all the fresh salad and warm breadsticks you want. choose 2 appetizers made for sharing. then 2 entrées from 6 of our favorites. classics like eggplant parmigiana and new favorites like smoked mozzarella chicken and spaghetti with four cheese meat sauce & meatballs. 3 courses, 2 people, just $25. but only for a limited time, at olive garden. some new ones for britain's royal family, one very formal. the other, would you believe, involving a frog. nbc's michelle kosinski is at buckingham palace to explain that. >> progressfrogs and princes has gone together. the first honor is a big one. early and countess. you can always tell how formal the occasion by the hats and formal robes. this is a big one. the queens and dignitaries, prince william made a anytime in the most ancient order of the thistle. not bad for a guy out of the 20s. kate carrying a tartan scarf. >> he's stepping up royal duties. i think it's a wave of the future. >> scotland, despite a movement there to leave the united kingdom has always meant much to the queen and family. balmoral, her treasured estate where she and william and harry stayed quietly after princess diana's death. kate and william met in college, in the land of scott, upon the marriage given by the queen scottish titles, early and countess. for prince charles this week, a much different honor. after he let school children camp outside his home raising awareness of the rain forest, a cause dear to charles's heart, he had this little character named after him. a rare ecuadorial stream frog. it loves waterfalls. very touched, a lump in my throat, must be a frog, he said. no kisses were exchanged. but the family also got to kick back a little at wimbledon. kate wearing a tennis inspired dress she wore one year to the day prior in canada. the close match chronicled on her face as murray tried to become the first british champion since 1936, going for a title of his own. prince william is also a member of the most exalted member of knights, order of the guarder found in 1300s. he's also a member of a modern day order called the air force. he wanted to stay in as long as possible. royal watchers say he made need to scale that back soon and focus more on his royal duties. >> prince charlesi, the frog. thanks so much from michelle. coming up, hot shoe trends. >> one more song from flo rida. first local news and weather. ♪ ♪ pop goes the world ♪ it goes something like this ♪ everybody here is a friend of mine ♪ ♪ everybody, tell me, have you heard? ♪ [ female announcer ] pop in a whole new kind of clean with new tide pods... a powerful three-in-one detergent that cleans, brightens, and fights stains. just one removes more stains than the 6 next leading pacs combined. pop in. stand out. "i live off of strawberry banana yoplait." what about lemon burst or orange crème. there are over 40 delicious flavors. bilal, play the field for a while. yoplait. it is so good. breaking news at 9:26. a crash causing big delays on the way to dulles. mike is in for danella this morning. mike? >> right now dealing with heavy delays because of the accident at wheelie avenue that has the two left lanes shut down the right hov lane blocked and the eastbound access road also shut down. delays beginning after sully road and a problem in maryland right now. aaron? >> thank you, mike. we'll take a look at your forecast right after a quick break. matters. pioneers in outsourcing us jobs supports tax breaks overseas. insourcing. industry and favors bring jobs home. it matters. this message. nchsh we're at the end of a long heat wave but now this here at the end, it's the worst part of the heat wave. take a look at the heat index right now. 88 degrees right in d.c. and spots like morningside and else where 92. later today we'll top out at 105 heat index and arrive to around 100 degrees and isolated storm tomorrow with record heat 103 the forecast and 95 on sunday with possibility of strong storms. >> thank y >> this is doug pit, the second most favorite pitt in the family. >> welcome, everyone. this is my home. come inside. i'll take you on the tour. this is the family living room. this is where i don't usually get to pick what's on tv. the wife, the kids. my man room. >> brad pitt's brother, an endorsement deal of his own, a taste of the movie star life his brother brad enjoyed so long. we'll catch up with doug pitt monday exclusively on "today." i'm natalie morales with willie geist and tamron hall. coming up, summer shoes but for the guys. have you some on. >> we're not supposed to -- we can't wear ratty sneakers until they fall apart anymore. have to shall style. show you what the fashion forward man is putting on his feet this summer. i'm told it's all about color. >> those are what size? >> these are 13, boats, double as water skis. >> you and shaquille o'neal. >> who can resist this crispy treat. the secret to making perfect fried chicken. >> first jenna wolfe here with a preview of what's coming up on "today." >> coming up, nasty heat has gripped much of the country for the past week. will it finally end this weekend? we'll have the latest. much more on the sensational split between tom cruise and katie holmes. just how ugly could this all get before it is settled. speaking of breakups, we're looking at divorce after 50. how you can move on after separating with your spouse. lester has been bragging about it for a long time. this weekend he'll teach us all to play ping-pong. >> are you good? >> i happen to be phenomenal but i told him i've never picked up a mini racket. i didn't want to throw it out there but it will be interesting. >> we'll be watching. >> that will be fun. a check of the weekend weather for stephanie abrams. >> i havgoing to cool off this . first, we'll have to deal with the heat as we head through today. as we head into the weekend, our temperatures drop 20 degrees in some places like chicago where triple digits into the 80s as we head into our sunday and you can see some storms along the east coast. now, here's a look at what's happening outside your door. >> outside our door, temperatures rising quickly and the humidity rising just as fast. right now it feels as though we're into the 90s in many locations. the record high for today 103 for tomorrow it's 102 and forecasting record heat tomorrow. here we are at the end of this very long heat wave and we're going to get the worse of it, 99 on sunday and moving out all this heat with some strong storms on sunday. cooler and less humid >> i think it's going to be a shock to everyone's system. so hot and then actually below average in some places. >> sweaters. >> summer sweaters. >> in the office it will be sweater weather. >> stephanie, thank you. up next, fun and fashional footwear for the fellas, but first they messages. 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[ female announcer ] people who choose more whole grain tend to weigh less than those who don't. multigrain cheerios has whole grain and 110 delicious calories. looking good never tasted so good. ...more grains. less you! multigrain cheerios so ditch the brown bag for something better. like our bacon ranch quesadillas or big mouth burger bites, served with soup or salad, and fries. starting at just 6 bucks, at chili's. ♪ this morning on "today's" style, fashionable footwear not just for women. what's new for men? color, color and more color. plus great new twists on old classics. lilliana vasquez from daily candy.com. good morning. >> good morning. >> i'm excited to see color forifies. finally shoes aren't boring. >> the biggest decision men used to have to make is black or brown. today we're totally changing it up with all different styles for the summer. >> start with the classic for summer, the flip-flop. >> every guy needs it. i like a dressy flip-flop. rainbow makes a leather upper. if you're ecofriendly, made from biodegradable materials. really comfortable, mold to your foot nicely. talk about color, why not pattern. crocs, not just for kids, now grownups. these are some of my favorites. $29.99. >> would you wear these out at night, out to dinner with pants? >> great question, brings me to the next shoe category. i don't like to see flip flops away from the pool or beach, if you're listening. >> i'm with you. >> the solution is a slip-on. summer slip on. espadrille been around a long time. now making a big splash stateside. these have van's. this is waterproof slip on. boat, beach, waterproof from swim's, breathable upper. these from native shoes. what's cool about these, you can get in the water. meant to walk in the water, rocks on beach, jump op off your boat into the water in the lake. >> the espadrille may feel like a leap for some guys. i'm on board. we should move in that direction. boat shoes an old classic. >> this isn't about your dad's boat show, brown. they have come a long way. van's does a great canvas, a bit more summery, lightweight. these are fantastic, from sperry. when you think of sperry, minted in '95, original boat shoe. look how cool these are, pink bottoms, a more untraditional. but why not. speaking of untraditional. boat boot. if you like it year-round, this the way to do it. these slip ons are great. >> confident man wears the pink sole. >> absolutely. >> sneakers, i love these. >> colors are huge. these are from new balance. c-5,000. 3.2 ounces on that. that's lighter than a lipstick. that's crazy. those are great for short distance running. if you want to do more distance running, these are from nike, free run 3. adidas makes climb cools, 360 degree cooling, cool your feet running, especially if you're running outdoors in the summer. a category i like to call the lifestyle sneaker. if you want a sporter style but fashion forward, these are available. what's cool about these, they are waterproof, nylon, they can get wet and dry out. these are celebrity favorite, creative recreation, kanye west wears these, dwyane wade. lots of athletes love them. they are fun. they are for a conservative guy with a pop of color. >> expensive, the celebrity show. >> $50. $49.95. my favorite category. contrast soles. for a long time only women got them, red louis vuitton. all different colors, aledo, steve madden, nike makes a fantastic one. nike air technology for cole haan, how hot is that yellow. would you wear these. >> i have a pair with gray top, neon yellow bottom. i wasn't sure at first. >> you're totally ahead of the curve. >> up next, the trick to making the crispiest fried chicken right after this. i'm used to having irregularity. i feel like that's normal. if you are not feeling like trying this on, that's not normal. activia helps with occasional irregularity when eaten 3 times a day. feeling regular to me was a new feeling... activia drop in now for sears' big 4th of july appliance event. right now, get up to 30% off all kenmore appliances and floor care. plus, get up to 15% off all other brands. and, an extra 5% off all appliances with your sears card. sears. number one in appliances. . . . the beaches are beautiful, the seafood is delicious. last year, many areas even reported record tourism seasons. the progress continues... but that doesn't mean our job is done. we're still committed to seeing this through. 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[ female announcer ] betty crocker fruit flavored snacks. you walk into a conventional mattress store, it's really not about you. they say, "well, if you wanted a firm bed you can lie on one of those. we provide the exact individualization that your body needs. wow, that feels really good! once you experience it, there's no going back. hurry in now for our lowest prices of the season. save $300 to $1000 on selected sleep number bed sets. final days! sale ends sunday. only at the sleep number store, where queen mattresses start at just $699. this morning on "today's" kitchen celebrating national fried chicken day, everybody's favorite finger lickin' good meal. here to show us how to make suck lent fried chicken. good morning, k.c. >> good morning. how are you? >> great. >> this the big recipe at the restaurant. >> it is for brunch. it's funny. we make italian food. for our brunch we want to be payful, fun, everyone loves fried chicken. french americana funniness. >> start off with batter. >> start off with egg and buttermilk mixture. this the most important thing to do. two eggs, five and a half cups of buttermilk is important. mix eggs up, nice and whisked in. don't want to do them together, then you'll overwhip buttermilk. mix this together. also the temperature of the oil, preheat that to around 325. if you get any hotter, it's going to get too dark before cooked and no one wants raw chicken. >> what kind of spices. >> inside the dry mix, regular salt, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder. a little depth, really nice. tiny bit of kick. i love to drench things in hot sauce. >> not a bad thing. >> spicy things. it will be great. any who. chicken, frying pieces here, we went ahead and seasoned them up earlier with salt and pepper. grab these, one-step process. >> what else besides spices, just flour. >> just flour. i think the recipe will be available online so everyone can see that. you just want to handle is gently, don't get aggressive. let it sit-ins. probably do one more piece. >> how long can it sit? >> twenty seconds. maybe speed it up for our purposes now. allow the flour to soak up the buttermilk mixture, then get the flakiness. >> no one likes uncrispy chicken. >> you want the flakiness. that's the point of the pastry flour, a little lighter, allows it to leaven more easily. lay it in here. this is important as well. really fluffy. flour is a pretty thing, it feels nice on the hands as well when it's fluffy. make sure if you're doing a large batch, sift this to get clumps out of it. generously coating it. not too much. just hold it a second, allow flakes to come out of each side so you don't drop it at flat bottoms. there you go, all fried things. >> how long does it spend in the oil there? >> it's relative. wings, breast, strips, kids love chicken strips. cut them. two to three. leg and thigh, fattier, dense, eight or nine minutes. >> how beautiful. >> there you go. >> arugula. >> make you guys feel -- >> something green. >> don't try to fake us out, okay? >> no, we've got to have the salad. arugula, blend of chicken. olive oil, dress your bowl, not greens. dress with olive oil first, then lemon juice. lemon, same gig. >> want to make sure we get to waffles. >> favorite actually makes them at home. bacon. >> like heaven. >> i like it. chicken and waffles, we got lucky at the tasting chicken. mildred pierce came out with a bunch of things, chicken and waffle craze. >> good timing. >> exactly. good timing. >> make you feel better. >> then just a little bit of maim syrup. >> there you go. you can stuff a waffle with anything, dates, pecans, walnuts, figs, you can go crazy. >> perfect brunch. >> let's get into finger lickin' chicken. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. up next, one more song from flo rida. first this is "today" on nbc. >> announcer: the toyota concert series on "today," brought to you by toyota. >> coming up, katie lee and hoda sample summer cocktails. no surprise there. >> drinking again, wow. >> shocker. by the way, this is a great ad for your restaurant. we've been devouring this chicken. first, flo rida. >> here he is. >> you can make it. you can see me live right here. sometimes i feel like tearing up. check it out. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> i love you! 9:57 is your time now on this friday, july 6, 2012. good morning, i'm eun yang. a crash on the outer loop is causing some big delays. mike, good morning. >> good morning, eun. a big problem out on the beltway. two right lanes are shut down with a serious accident. camera at new hampshire avenue where the delays begin. about 20 minutes to get from 95 going above 30 miles per hour and still the problem eastbound at wheelie avenue, accident moved to the shoulder and still have heavy delays. veronica? >> traffic jams nasty if you're in the car without the ac. 90 to 95 degrees throughout the area and even new carrollton right now. today's high temperature topping out at around 100 degrees and perhaps in the city, 101 and 103 the forecast high for saturday and record heat and could see some strong storms coming our way on sunday. much cooler and less humid coming up next week. eun? >> all right, veronica, thank >> all right, veronica, thank you. captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello, everybody. it's try day friday, july 6th. this month is just flying by. >> the first week of this month. >> i know. it's a great celebratory time to remind ourselves what a great country we live in. >> indeed. if you are trying to land yourself a date, you might need a dog, okay? apparently dogs are date magnets. >> troll with the dog. >> there is an app for pet lovers. these are the dog breeds that attract men. >> this surprised me. it's more complicated. number three, chihuahuas. they are very sweet but yipy. >> bobbie thomas has one. >> she got engaged, so it works. labradors. >> and the number one dog that attracts a man is a golden retriever. >> everybody loves golden retrievers. >> when men see a woman walking a gold retriever, they see her as girlfriend material. >> if a woman has a chihuahua, they tend to think she is a one-night stand -- bobbie. >> or high maintenance. we did get that from bobbie. >> we did. we thought you were a one-night stand. ba-dum. >> if guys want to attract a woman. number three is the labrador retriever. number two, golden retriever. number one according to this app is a german shepard. >> that wouldn't do it for me. give me a teacup malti-poo -- >> i would think he was sensitive and loving. frank first thought he was more hors d'oeuvre than dog. but frank has never been as loving as with this dog. >> if guys happen to be walking a boxer, bulldog or rottweiler, back away. >> aggressive. >> they are players. >> i think it's ridiculous. today.match.com -- how many dot-comes do they have? >> would you give up -- would you give up sex for your favorite food? >> how long? >> for a year. one-third of people said they would give up sex for food. 2/3 are choosing sex over their favorite food. >> why are we still obese? >> because no one is really doing it. >> everybody is lying. you know who you are. >> they asked meat eaters, would you be willing to date a vegetarian. are you that evolved? almost 1/3 said they would never date a vegetarian or a vegan. >> 2/3 said they would. okay? let's talk about the positive side. most people would date a vegetarian. >> have you ever? >> no, i wouldn't. >> why? >> i wouldn't. i don't know. >> oh, really? >> i want a meat eater. you're sick. you are all disgusting. you are all disgusting. okay? >> another survey. >> this is a really good one. if you've ever been on your first date and you know it's over. something happens. >> it's cosmic. >> there are a bunch of things that we.com did one of these dating no-nos. >> being late. >> that's mine. >> more than 15 minutes late is unacceptable. >> terrible, terrible. being rude or mistreating the server or waiter/waitress. >> who do you think you are to treat somebody like that? >> and they think they are being cool. >> they are in charge. >> no do not talk too much about your job. that's a huge -- >> unless it's fabulous. >> like ours. never bring up your ex. >> when was i on a date? in 1814 i was on a date. >> answering your cell phone. people, please or texting during a date. >> that is not great. >> you're texting somebody you would rather be with. >> be here now? >> live in the now. >> i'm right here. i'm here now. be here now. >> for men, don't talk too much about your mother. >> it's out. >> i think they don't want a woman. >> no, no, no, it's the man. >> the man should not mention her at all unless he is in mourning because she just died. honestly. he should not bring her up at all. >> women should never ask about commitment or marriage on the first date. >> because he knows she is a psycho in training. really. >> it's true though. >> you're going to boil a rabbit like in "fatal attraction." >> i love that movie. >> another new study. people can literally be addicted to love. we know them. >> yeah. >> this is from concordia university. >> where is that? >> i don't know. in concordia, illinois. that's not true. i have no idea where concordia is. our crack research team can let us know. >> hopefully. >> love and lust, as if we didn't know, are intertwined. >> when someone breaks up with you or you get broken up or something, they say there is an addiction like you want to get back and it's chemical. it's not just a sadness or mourning period. there is an addiction. that's why they say love is addictive. >> because the areas of the brain associated with love is also associated with addiction. that's why break-ups can be so difficult. i think they are difficult if one person is in love and the other person isn't. they are difficult for all kinds of reasons. >> they are. they say people, that's why people do crazy things at the end of relationships. >> like boil their rabbits. >> don't talk about that. >> "fatal attraction," don't you remember what glenn close did? >> i love that movie. >> it was so terrifying about a lust gone awry. >> you can watch it in baby steps happening in front of you, first it's the kid then this and like most things in life, baby steps to hell. >> trouble with trouble is you don't know you're in trouble till you're in trouble. >> all right. if you're planning to get married, we might have the dress for you. >> at least it's affordable. >> this is a dress that is made completely out of toilet paper. >> that's very hard to believe. you look adorable. >> susan brennan is the winner of the charmin chic toilet paper dress contest. you're a designer in waiting? >> yes. >> this looks like material. >> this looks like diaper stuff here. that is depends toilet paper type stuff. >> it's charmin. >> how did you do it? you are so talented. >> thank you. it's all toilet paper. >> come over here and check this out. >> this is lovely. you set the toilet paper to fit like quilting. this looks like a corset. >> it only took ten rolls of toilet paper, b.t. >> can you show the back? it's really pretty. >> i can't believe this. >> are you seriously thinking about wearing that? >> i would wear it if it's this pretty. >> then you would be wear your birthday suit which is very inexpensive. >> this is sweet. this is beautiful. look at the purse. >> you are so talented. >> you can open it. >> you are unbelievable. >> i'm glad you won. >> can i see the headress? toilet people never looked so good. you've got a real future ahead of you. >> thank you. >> charmin should sign you up forever. >> let's do this. this is fun. three different fragrances. we have three cities that each one represents. >> supposed to smell like the city. >> new york, paris and dubai where my sister lives. we are going to try to guess which one of these three is which one of these three. always makes for great tv, squirting. how do we say what it is? >> i don't get it till i can compare. >> you should just stick it on there. >> that one's different. >> wait! sorry. >> do your three right now. >> i don't know. i have no idea. >> do it. just do it. >> this one i think is dubai. that's all i know. >> i don't no. >> these are mine on the ground. do not let me touch things. this one is -- dubai. you were right. >> never been there. >> i love dubai. >> what did you say that was? >> this is paris. we were both right on the new york one. you were right on all three. >> it was total guessing. i would tell you that because i tell the truth. hoda would say, i know. >> scent of departure.com. you know what it's time for? >> bobbie's buzz. >> i have to have this dress. you look beautiful. >> beach finds. i am so excited about this website kinimattic. you can upload your vacation photos to create a reversible bikini. >> what if you went to a nudist beach? >> or board shorts. what is so cool, they have for the guys and the girls, you can design your own bathing suit with patterns and sell your design and make some money. they do sarongs, which is so cool. and for your girlfriends again because it is a hot topic. cover up the perky, pesky, when you're cold. the cover-up, they are waterproof so they can slip inside your bathing suit. this can help you feel not overexposed at the beach. >> some men might want those, as well. i've seen a few who can use those. >> the hat combs are great. these are called hold 'ems. inside, these double stick inside so it won't blow away in the wind. >> that's only for people whose hats are too big on their head. >> that looks cute. you look so cute. >> let's switch. >> no. i want to see hoda try this one. >> no. that's not fair. >> it's time for the friday funny. ow, bobbie. my head's big. i can't help it. it's me. it doesn't go on. >> state trooper. a state trooper was sitting on the side of the road waiting to catch a speeding driver when a car puttered by at 24 miles per hour. he thought to himself, this driver is as dangerous as a speeder. turned his lights on, pulled the car over. as he approached he noticed there were five elderly ladies inside white-eyed and white at ghosts. the driver confused said, officer, i don't understand, i was going the exact speed limit. what seems to be the problem? the trooper trying not to laugh explained that 24 was the route number not the speed limit. a bit embarrassed, the woman smiled and thanked the officer for pointing out her error. before the trooper let her go he said is everyone in this car okay? these women seem shaken? the driver replied, they'll be all right in a minute. we just got off route 180. it's all in the delivery. i learned that at the friar's club. >> all the must-see. >> entertainment weekly after this. 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[ female announcer ] every day, there seems to be a new reason not to make a home-cooked meal. work... errands... ♪ ...a greasy bag of deep-fried easy. ♪ but you have hamburger helper on your side. with 40 varieties that are all fast and easy to make, nothing stands in your way of a home-cooked meal. hamburger helper. help is on the way. and the chocolate cravings begin... again. ♪ for nights like these... there's special k chocolatey delight cereal. so you can get your chocolatey fix... without undoing your whole day. ♪ an unguilty pleasure. what will you gain when you lose? pop culture fans, listen up. we have a preview of everything entertainment. >> with his latest picks in movies, tv, music, "entertainment weekly" secret writer tim stack. we love him. >> i want to cover you with whipped cream. >> heard that before. >> let's talk about best movies. if you were going to see one movie what is your go-to pick? >> something different than the usual, go see "savages." it's very violent. it's very, very dark. it's oliver stone. it's about the drug cartels in mexico. >> i was thinking of something else. >> not about chardonnay cartel. >> no. mine had a fairy princess in it. >> no fairy princesses. there is a three-way relationship which is fun. >> for the kids, what's out there for the kids? >> for the kids, take them to see "ice age 4 continental drift." there are furry animals, there's ice. all the voices are back like ray romano. they are cute and environmentally conscious. >> what is the big blockbuster movie this summer? >> the big one is obviously "the dark knight rises." it's out july 20th. a few weeks. it's the final in the batman trilogy. it's maybe the most anticipated movie of the year. christian bale is batman again. anne hathaway is catwoman. tom hardy is a new character named baine who attacks new york city. it's very dark. epic film making. great special effects. very smart. christopher nolan is really good. >> christian bale is again batman. >> if you want to stay home because you don't have the money to go to the movies? >> we would pick "friends with benefits." "friends with kids," sorry. "friends with kids." jennifer westfelt who is john hamm's real life lady. she and adam scott are friends who decide to have kids together because their other friends are paired off. >> i sigh kristen wiig. >> it's kind of a "bridesmaids" reunion. john hamm. it's really funny. it's a really great romantic comedy. jennifer wrote and directed it. >> you know what i watched on dvd the other night and loved it, "mirror, mirror." >> you love army hammer. >> i love armiy hammer. young little girls will love it. >> let's talk tv. anything good on tv? >> we're like the same demo. speaking of young girls and tv, "breaking bad." it's about mess. "breaking bad" is probably the best show on television. it's on amc. about a high school teacher who turned meth dealer. it's very complex. it's like "the sopranos" and all these different relationships. it's a crime saga that returns for its fifth and final season. then the olympics. >> thank you. hello. >> sorry. nbc, the olympics. the olympics are starting at the end of july. danny boyle who direct ee eed " dog millionaire" is artistic director. >> he's got to get going because he will be late for his clam bake. >> we love you, tim. sara is firing up the crowd to ask us questions. >> oh, please. >> what do they want from us? ♪ [ ding! ] losing your chex mix too easily? time to deploy the boring-popcorn decoy bucket. then no one will want to steal the deliciousness. with a variety of tastes and textures only chex mix is a bag of interesting. with a variety of tastes and textures strength may come in but it always comes from within. the makers of brawny® admire strength. that's why we're donating to the wounded warrior project. pick up a specially marked package of brawny to learn how you can help. it's my turn. mac 'n cheese... mashed potatoes and gravy! mac 'n cheese. mashed potatoes and gravy what are you doing? what are you doing? mac 'n cheese! should we tell em we got two free sides? and miss this? say "mashed potatoes!" never! [ male announcer ] buy any kfc 10 pc meal or larger and we'll throw in 2 more large sides, free. that's 2 extra sides of your choice and one happy family. today tastes so good. it is time for three, two, one live with sara haines at the nbc experience store. >> i hope you culled -- i love that word -- captivating questions. >> bonnie from texas. >> i would like to know what you do -- your favorite thing that you cannot do without. >> favorite thing you can't do without? what's yours? >> you know what? i can't live without scripture in the morning. i can't. i have to start my day off that way or it's downhill. >> and i like trish mcevoy number 3. >> and my lip gloss. >> what else? >> jenna from canada. >> did you have any role models growing up? >> you want to say? >> mine is traditional like a lot of young girls. my mom was mine. she was a trailblazer. huge, huge. i felt so lucky to have her in my life. i followed and emulated her. >> my mom, as well. in show business it was barbara streisand, julie andrews, carol burnett and lucille ball. >> thanks, guys. >> thank you. >> how would you like to pick a random address and visit it? a man who did just that. >> how would you like for all your kids toys to have been made in america? ♪ [ upbeat ] [ barks ] [ announcer ] all work and no play... will make allie miss her favorite part of the day. [ laughing ] that's why there's beneful baked delights. from crispy crackers to shortbread cookie dog snacks, they're oven-baked to surprise and delight. beneful baked delights: a unique collection of four snacks... to help spark play in your day. we are back on this try day friday with more of "today." we've been celebrating the fourth of july all week. one thing that invokes patriotism is main street. there is one in every american community. >> an italian photographer spent years visiting 50 different main street addresses across the country. the final product is this great book called "50 main street." >> congratulations. it's beautiful. more than that, congratulations, he is about to be the daddy of two twin boys. >> tell us what gave you the idea to do this? >> when we came to new york in 1985 from italy, i noticed how diverse this society is as opposed to the italian one. at the same time through the years, how much we do have in common. as we traveled and i married my wife, she is african-american, i got to experience first hand how much we do share as human beings and americans. >> how long did it take you to venture all across the country? >> eventually seven years, 16,000 miles by car. >> it wasn't the pictures you took, but the stories behind the pictures, right? >> yeah. >> tell us what happened in alaska. >> tell us about new york city. that's why hoda is here. >> wait. that doesn't look like new york city to me. >> looks like alaska to me. >> what i was saying is alaska. >> alaska was the most exciting trip because of this mail round, they call it. >> a little sea plane? >> you know. >> i read the book. >> this was taken from this mail plane that delivers mail to this island. >> takes off on the water and lands on the water? >> exactly. every time it lands on the water, you skip a half beat a little bit. >> you get a little wet? where is this photo taken. >> that is in the longest national forest in the united states. >> that's beautiful. >> this is the entrance of the discovery center. they have three totem poles that represent the three tribes. >> obviously you heard a lot of great stories. >> tell us about the married couple you met that meant so much to you. >> the ones in nevada? >> yes. >> i got to spend a night with them because they live in a town called paradise island. i think it's 65 people that live there the closest motel was 45 miles away. so they offer for me to spend the night with them. that's lynn. >> you found that a lot. >> that's his wife rachel. >> american gothic. >> you learned a lot about this couple, too, didn't you? >> i got to spend the night with them. unfortunately, they lost both their sons. i eventually took pictures of him. he takes care of the cemetery. those are the tombs of the children. that was very touching. we got very close. i stay in touch with them. >> did people let you right in? when you walked up, did they say come on in? >> it didn't happen in the beginning. that's why i was so grateful to the guy in new york, he was the first to open his door and allow me to start the project. before i got to nevada i did research, i sent letters. i made sure before i got there. >> you could have a lot of doors slammed in your face. >> it's a beautiful book. really is beautiful. we are so happy you're here. thank you for coming. >> he considers himself an american now. >> oh, yes, i am. >> welcome. >> november 9, 2007 i became american. >> congratulations. >> from the streets of america to all american toys for all the good little girls and boys. ahhh, i love how clean and healthy my mouth is right now. i wish i could keep it this way. [ male announcer ] even after a dental cleaning... plaque quickly starts to grow back. but new crest pro-health clinical plaque control toothpaste can help. it not only reduces plaque... it's also clinically proven... to help keep plaque from coming back. plus, it works in these other areas dentists check most. ♪ new crest pro-health clinical plaque control toothpaste. life opens up when you do. for extra plaque protection try new crest pro-health clinical rinse. as part of a heart healthy diet. that's true. ...but you still have to go to the gym. ♪ the one and only, cheerios ...but you still have to go to the gym. it's time to live wider awake. only the beautyrest recharge sleep system combines the comfort of aircool memory foam layered on top of beautyrest pocketed coils to promote proper sleeping posture all night long. the revolutionary recharge sleep system... from beautyrest. it's you, fully charged. you don't disappear at midnight. and now, you've met your match. new revlon® colorstay™ 16 hour eyeshadow. 64 colors that will take you from night to day without smudging, creasing or fading away. and micro-climate controls powered by twinchill™ technology, the new ge french door refrigerator is engineered to push the limits of fresh. so to prove it, we're taking one from the factory in kentucky and delivering it full of fresh food to a place fresh can't be found. ♪ easy. [ male announcer ] watch the adventure at freshpedition.com today on our special series "made in america" it's all about fun and games for the kids. no matter how hard we try, it gets harder to find products made in our country. >> lori shack did the leg work for all of us. she found great toys for your little ones all made here in the usa. good to see you again. >> you always have the good stuff. >> i have the fun stuff. it's not easy to find toys made in the usa. only about 10% of all the toys made are actually made in our country. >> really? >> but from sea to shining sea, i found some great toys to share. crayola crayons, made in the u.s. since 1903 in pennsylvania. also very green. they make 3 billion crayons a year. of that 1 billion they make with energy from their solar farm. >> that is fantastic. i would get so excited as a kid when a new color came out. >> i like these wearables. >> the new activity line will be out later this summer. it's by kid construction. kids color, they build and then they get to wear their creations. really cool eco-friendly. 100% recyclable. this is made in new jersey. this will be out later in the summer. >> how cute. nicholas, you look adorable in your plane. >> we are going to come behind you now and talk about connex. this is a great line. it's a building set. 700 piece building set. lots of open-ended play. it also comes with instructions for the kids to make about 50 different models. >> we have taylor and dylan who looks a lot like devon, but they are not twins. >> they are celebrating their 20th anniversary made in pennsylvania. >> good for them. >> this is so great. >> mary is having a great time. waffle wand. this is from artero. made in wisconsin. you get enough to make two wands and make these fabulous bubbles. you can put it in the garden. >> you can make any shape and put any shape you want. beautiful. pretty? >> very cool. >> slinky. >> i remember when i was slinky. it's for the little ones. >> it's from 1945. you have the original slinky and baby slinky, plastic and metal. really great. they still go down stairs, alone or in pairs. >> remember that? i love that. >> what is jessica up to? >> she is playing with her vermont teddy bear. that's where they are made. >> made in vermont. >> each one of these are hand stitched, hand-stuffed. love them. they come with a lifetime guarantee. if anything happens with your bear, you can send it back to the bear hospital. they nurse it back to health and send it back to you. >> this is our salad kit by green toys. everything you see here is made from recycled milk containers. the plastic milk jugs. a 20-piece salad set. kids have everything they need to toss up a fresh salad. it happens to be something you could put food on. great for picnics and summertime. >> a great way to get kids thinking about salads. >> look at michael. >> he's on a spooner board. there are a few extras if you would like to try. this is great for kids to develop their balance, their inner core strength. it's great for all levels, all abilities. you get on this, you do tricks, sit and spin, do what michael is doing. >> you can do it at home. >> now you're showing off. >> it's made in california. >> thank you. great job, laurie. >> thanks, everybody. toys for grown-ups are? we are talking about books. west-selling author jennifer winer is here. >> then we'll cool things off with frozen pops. [ male announcer ] what's in your energy drink? ♪ power surge, let it blow your mind. [ male announcer ] for fruits, veggies and natural green tea energy... new v8 v-fusion plus energy. could've had a v8. these are sandra's "homemade" yummy, scrumptious bars. hmm? i just wanted you to eat more fiber. chewy, oatie, gooeyness... and fraudulence. i'm in deep, babe. you certainly are. [ male announcer ] fiber one. now on "today's sizzling reads," it's been 12 years since jennifer winer made a splash with her pop culture novel "good in bed." >> exactly two weeks since i discovered she was tweeting on "the bachelorette." she's got a new book out called "the next best thing." >> congratulations. >> i knew she was funny. when i was watching "the bachelorette" and everybody said follow jennifer on twitter, her tweets are crazy, spot-on and a little nasty. >> a little edgy. i tweet for "entertainment weekly.com and i'm on twitter watching the whole thing unfold. last night, it's like, okay all four guys have said they're in love the other night with emily. i'm tweeting, good to be emily. doesn't it stink? >> after "good in bed," you want the next one. how was it coming up with the second book? i know there are high expectations. >> i had a really smart agent who said before "good in bed" was published, she said start writing that next book. when "good in bed" comes out. you'll have to deal with telling your parents, i've written this novel, it's going to be published. my mom is so happy, she throws her arms around me and starts to cry. and she's like, what is it called? i'm like, oh, boy, "good in bed." >> "good and bad?" >> no, sorry. >> the baseball was taken. >> exactly. i went to the book store once to sign copies. i'm like "good in bed." and they look at me like i've got a horrible disease. they bring a stack of "when bad things happen to good people." no, no, different. yeah. you watch the world. you watch your family, you watch tv. that's where the ideas come from. >> then they are the proudest people in the world because it was on "the new york times" bestseller for almost a year, 120 million copies. >> the best thing for me, i had t-shirts made that said "i got good in bed, did you?" i got my nana who is 95 to wear one on the beach. now i've made it. >> between that and her thong she made quite the statement. tell us about this new one. >> "the next best thing" is about hollywood. i ran a show, i wrote a pilot. it got picked up. it was on abc family for a season. was very quickly canceled. i wrote about a show runner who wanted to go to hollywood and do a show about a big girl who wins the world. gets the guy and gets the clothes. >> the dream of life. >> exactly. abc family had a deal with raven simone. i'm like, that's fantastic. she's perfect. then she got thin on me. >> probably added ten years to her life. >> we did what we could. they're like we would like to do it with raven. that's fantastic. she's busy, she's traveling. i finally meet her. she is swaddled in this pashmina blanket, basically, wearing a bed roll. i had not been in hollywood long enough to know i could say would you take off your clothes, please? >> they expect that. >> i didn't know. by the time i saw she was thin, it was too late. >> your picks you would like people to read books? p.m. >> sibling pick is "between you and me." it's by memoranda mclaughlin. it is a little bit of britney and a little bit of casey cobb and a little bit of your cousin is a star. she hires you to be her assistant. things don't go well. >> rainy day book? >> what did i put? "crazy salad" by norah ephron. this book made me want to be a writer. her voice and talking about being flat-chested. so many women, bloggers, tweeters, we owe it to norah. "geek love" by catherine dunn. a circus family that deliberately tries to have disfigured children to always have work. always thinking about the kids. >> she loves "gone girls." >> get it. >> get "the next best thing" first. there it is. >> hence the product. you know what goes well with books? >> cocktail popsicles, naturally. first, this is "today" on nbc. [ horn honks ] ♪ ♪ [ man ] excuse me miss. [ gasps ] this fiber one 90 calorie brownie has all the moist, chewy, deliciousness you desire. mmmm. thanks. at 90 calories, the brownie of your dreams is now deliciously real. if you are still celebrating, you might want cool treats to share at the adult table. >> fun popsicles and frozen treats. jean benedict.com. >> hello. >> welcome to the party. >> what are these? >> push pops that are strawberry shortcake doused with amaretto. >> these couldn't be easier. prepared pound cake, strawberries, you freeze it. put these in here. you do that. then you want to put a tablespoon of amaretto on it. >> beautiful. >> happy. little display. bada-bing. >> why are we yelling? >> i don't know. >> we need to lower the volume, people. >> these are chambourd and raspberry swizzle sticks. >> whoa. >> put them in a champagne glass, freeze them. it's like a swizzle stick. >> they are so pretty. >> these are very fun. >> where are you going? >> what's happening here? >> you're losing control of your own segment. this is fun. these are diet rainbow vodka pop shots. i'm hoping these aren't going to spill because we've taken them out of the freezer. >> i thought vodka couldn't freeze like that. >> i can't do a shot of vodka. >> you're an award-winning journalist, who says you can't? >> don't do that. >> it's leaking. >> i've never done a shot in my life. yay! >> freeze them long enough so they don't leak. >> this is mojito shaved ice. that's getting leaky. these are really good. i used the shaved ice machine. do your shot, girl. >> oh, my gosh. it's spilling all over the place. >> these are long island iced tea pops. very fun. recipe on jean benedict.com. >> which one do i want? >> the long island tea pops. >> these are the favorites. >> happy friday. happy holiday. >> this is good. >> we'll have the latest buzz from hollywood. >> piper paribot, darling girl. >> and the joy fit club. have an awesome weekend. we love you. thank you for joining us every day. see you for fun day monday. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

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