>> from nbc news, this is today with matt lauer and ann curry live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> welcome to today on this tuesday morning. i am ann curry? i am matt lauer. we had a recent assessment by the obama administration that said al qaeda is a shadow of its former self. the latest thwarted attempt shows that the network is still making a lot of efforts to attack. >> absolutely right. on monday we learned that a covert c.i.a. operation in yemen stopped a suicide mission that planned to use an upgraded underwear bomb containing no metal at all on a flight headed to the united states. we'll get more on this from president obama's top counter terrorism advisor just ahead. >> ahead of a a bitter primary battle rick santorum has now endorsed his former republican rival mitt romney. wasn't exactly a rousing endorsement. he did it in an e-mail sent over night. we'll have more on that story coming up as well. >> and prince harry has been in washington and dazzling washington and we'll tell you who he was rubbing shoulders with during his first visit to the nation's capital. >> let us begin with the al qaeda terror plat and alleged plan to blow up an underwear bomb aboard a jet headed to the united states. it was stopped by the c.i.a. before it could be launched. pete williams has the latest on this. good morning. >> matt, good morning. american officials say they actually found out about this plot a month ago. they followed it closely and then they shut it down and after that they seized the device that the terrorists intended to use. it is now here in the u.s. where the fbi is studying how it was made. u.s. officials say the target was to be a passenger air liner bound for the u.s. though no specific flight has been chosen when the plot was disrupted. they say a potential suicide bomber had been recruited and was being trained. officials declined to say if he is in custody. >> as far as the person who actually had the bomb, the exact language that was used for me was we no longer have to be concerned about him. >> the plan was to use a for refined version of the underwear bomb that he tried to detonate over an overseas polite to detroit christmas 2009. it failed to work properly and simply caught fire. with the earlier device they say the latest one had no metal parts, intended to evade the full body scanners widely deployed after the underwear bomber's attempt. >> it is reminder why we remain vigilant at home and abroad in protecting our nation and in protecting friendly nations and people. >> reporter: it had all the hallmarks of the off shoot in yemen, ter on the group the u.s. is most concerned about. administration officials say the plotters were very closely monitored suggesting an informant was in on it. we were confident said a senior administration official we had inside control over any plot this might have been associated with this device. as part of the same counter terror operation a top al qaeda figure was killed in a weekend air strike and intelligence officials say he would have approved any such terror plot. >> this organization had a bad week. the plot has been disrupted. we have the device in our possession and they lost several senior leaders as a result of drone strikes. >> reporter: intelligence officials say the device was hikely made by the top bomb maker for al qaeda in yemen who designed the 2009 underwear bomb and the devices hidden in printer cartridges destined for chicago two years ago. an official says the bomb is now at the fbi's crime lab just outside washington, d.c. where explosives experts are analyzing how it was made and whether it could have evaded airport security screening. >> pete williams, this morning, thanks. john brenen is the chief counter terrorism advisor. good morning. >> good morning. >> give us a sense what it took to thwart the plot and get our hands on this bomb. >> it took close cooperation with the international partners. this is something we really emphasized over the past many years and working very closely with our yemen partners because al qaeda and the peninsula poses a serious threat to us so having the intelligence and being able to take actions before any of these i.e.d.s can make their way to an airplane or airport is instrumental in terms of being able to disrupt these types of attempted attacks before they get under way. >> do we have the alleged bomb inner custody? >> we don't have to worry about the i.e.d. or the would-be bomber, and this is still in a sensitive stage. we're working closely and want to protect meths and equities and neither the device or the would-be bomber poses a threat. >> pete just recorded this was all plastic like the one used christmas 2009 during the attempt there. what will comparing these devices teach us, tell us about what advances al qaeda is making and how effective they now are at getting devices through airport security? >> well, aqap's bomb maker has demonstrated real proficiency as far as concealing methods as well as the materials that are used in these i.e.d.s, so what the fbi is doing now is taking a look at this i.e.d. and seeing what type of modifications, refinements may have been made. we adapt our measures accordingly. whatever we learn from this i.e.d. we're going to ensure it will be incorporated into the measures that we take at airports as well as any other avenues of approach that the would-be terrorists will take. >> do we have technology that will screen for these types of plastics. >> we have redundant supports and advanced imaging technology and different types of measures in place at airports. it is a combination of those measures that we take at the airport as well as the intelligence that allows us to learn about individuals that may be getting on planes. we have been doing a fair amount of screening of passengers, both again physically as well as making sure that we know about those individuals before they get aboard an aircraft. >> you know, you recently said that al qaeda is a shadow of its former self. certainly we have taken down a lot of al qaeda leaders. one was taken down just this past sunday. given this latest plot, can we actually truly say that al qaeda has been weakened, the threat from al qaeda has been weakened? >> al qaeda core in pakistan has truly been degraded significantly. with he have been working closely with our pakistani partners to do that, but al qaeda in the arabian peninsula is the most operationally active element of al qaeda these days. it has tried in the past to carry out attacks multiple times against aircraft. it's carried out assassination attacks in the peninsula and so it is a lethal organization, a dangerous one. that's why we have to continue to work very closely with our yemen partners so that we're able to stop these attacks before they get under way. >> you mentioned this would-be bomber, we don't have to worry about him. has he been killed? >> i am not going to go into any of the operational details again. i think the american people should feel confident that this device and the bomber that would use it are no longer a threat to the american public. this is something that we had visibility into early on and therefore what we're doing now is taking additional measures in the event there are other efforts out there on the part of al qaeda to try to evade security. >> all right. white house counter terrorism advisor john brenen, thank you on multiple levels this morning. michael lighter was director of the counter terrorism center during the failed 2009 underwear event, and he was a national security analyst. good morning to you. i imagine that you have got something to say about the fact that part of the story here is that the u.s. was able to take down this effort, foil this plot, that was apparently from the hinder lands of yemen. isn't that part of the story here? >> absolutely, anne. this is a difficult intelligence operation, to fuelly find individuals working with foreign partners and really have the entire u.s. intelligence community led by the c.i.a., have people in a position to identify these operatives before they get on planes, be inside the plat enough to disrupt them before they're close to our shores and that really represents an enormous victory for u.s. counter terrorism efforts. >> as you pointed out in the past, the 2009 bomb plot showed us that they're able to get a bomb, a device, past airline security but they weren't able at that time to ignite the bomb. if they are able, when we analyze what we have now in our possession, this bomb, that would have gone off, if we see that it could have been ignited, what does that do in terms of how we stay a step ahead of these plotters? >> as john brenen just said they're always trying to modify their means to produce a more effective weapon that can bypass our security measures. in the yas of abdul, it did not work well enough and simply started a fire. i guess they spent the last two years perfecting the mechanism so to keep them off the plane in the first place and at the same time make sure our advanced imaging technology and different screening methods, our intelligence in place to help locate those operatives before they even get on, if this bomb technique is more effective than their previous one, it is going to be that much more difficult to find them before they get on the planes >> michael lighter, thanks so much for your perspective also this morning. >> my pleasure. >> great thing we actually have our hands on that device. >> no question about it. hopefully we'll learn a lot from it. it is a very busy morning. a check of the rest of the headlines from natalie at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. author marie san dack who wrote and illustrated where the wild things are has died. she took generations of children on a wild ride along with max, a little boy sent to his room without supper. she was 83 years old. a new ally for gop presidential hopeful mitt romney and the race for the white house. peter alexander has the latest from washington. good morning. >> good morning to you. that new ally is rick santorum, but it wasn't exactly a resounding endorsement by santorum. it was sent out in the 13th paragraph of a late night e-mail urging his supporters to back mitt romney. here is what santorum writes. he says above all else we both agree that president obama must be defeated. the task will not be easy and it will require all hands on deck if our nominee is to be victorious and he has my endorsement and support to win this the most critical election of our lifetime. they met privately last friday after a bitter primary fight. you remember at one point santorum even called romney the worst republican in the country to put up against barack obama. still, this morning one romney senior advisor insists to me this demonstrates the party is now completely united. >> all right. peter alexander in the washington bureau. thank you, peter. the producer of finely textured beef commonly known as pink slime is closing processing plants in three states this month in the weak of the back slash against this product. beef products inc. says the criticism against the filler is unfounded and it meets federal food safety standards and has been in use for years. the search for two tennessee sisters is intensifying today. two bodies found behind the home of their accused kidnapper have now been identified as the missing girl's mother and older sister. authorities say the two missing sisters may still be alive with the alleged abductor, 35-year-old family friend adam maze. let's head to wall street. courtney reagan is at the new york stock exchange good morning to you, courtney. >> good morning. bank of america will begin mailing 200,000 letters offering certain customers mortgage principle reduction. it is all part of the $25 billion program that settlement reached between the government and the nation's largest mortgage servicers over so-called robo signings. elsewhere the treasury department is looking to reduce its stake and ensure aig to 61% to 70% and the government actability office reports the u.s. taxpayer could profit up to $15.1 million from the aig bailout. natalie. >> courtney reagan at the new york stock exchange. thank you. sad news to tell you about this morning after he curled up on our couch and won nationwide affection for tipping the scales at 39 pounds, meow the cat has dade. the santa fe humane society had taken him in after his elderly owner could no longer take care of him and he was put on a diet and started to lose weight and died on saturday of weight related complications. the santa fe humane society said a huge thanks to all who loved him and for their support. >> yeah. i guess reminds us once again we have to be very careful. >> very careful, absolutely. >> beef filler story. >> oh, the pink slime. >> i think you spilled a little of that. >> between his checks, can i say, and your stripes, i am feeling fashion threatened this morning. i really am. >> mr. roker. >> okay. let's see what we got for you. let's check it out. for today we have wet weather in the northeast, system moving through, going to bring rain and some heavy at times from an inch to two inches of rain up through new engldnd a intnd central new york and central pennsylvania and out west we have more rain where we really need i it, dall, texas, still under drought conditions, and rainfall amounts there, generally about anywhere from 3 to 4 inches of rain, especially southern texas good morning to you. well, you'll want to dress for the two parts of the day. we've got a warm day setting up inland. but temperatures right by the water will be perfect. temperatures today at 69 degrees by the bay at noon. you'll round out the day at 76 at 4:00 p.m. that means 86 degrees at 4:00 p.m. in places like san jose and livermore. it's going to be a hot one. we'll cool you off a little bit tomorrow as we head through this upcoming weekend, though, warming you up to the 90s on mother's day. matt? >> all right, al, thanks very much. disgraced former presidential candidate john edwards is back in court today, accused of violating campaign finance laws in order to hide his then-pregnant mistress. on monday, there was some testimony that may have gone a long way to helping his case. nbc's lisa myers is outside the courthouse in greensboro, north carolina, with more on that. lisa, good morning. >> good morning, matt. the one-time friend who spirited a pregnant rielle hunter away to an awaiting plane in the middle of the night is back on the stand today, testifying for the prosecution. but not all of the prosecution's witnesses have followed their script. in fact, analysts say a key witness actually helped the defense. alex forged, a longtime lawyer for heiress rachel "bunny" mellon was called as a prosecution witness but he proceeded to undercut key aspects of the prosecution's case saying that bunny mellon gave $725,000 to help john edwards because of a deep friendship, and not to further his campaign. forger said after mellon's husband paul died she had few close friends, she took a liking to mr. edwards. she liked him as a person. it wasn't because he was running for elected office. the government alleges the mellon money was an illegal campaign contribution, which edwards denies. after forger's testimony, edwards whispered to his daughter, cate, it was a good morning for the home team. >> i think forger was damaging to the government and helpful to john edwards. >> reporter: on monday the jury also heard from another campaign adviser, nick balding, who said rielle hunter caused so much turmoil as the campaign videographer that one staffer begged to get off the traveling freak show. and he says hunter was paid more than $100,000 for webisodes that were a disaster. >> can you read it? >> yes, i can read it. >> you can? >> yes. >> reporter: tim tobin, who will be back on the stand today, recounted being asked to do a big favor for edwards in december 2007. pick up andrew and cheri young and a pregnant woman wearing sunglasses in the middle of the night, and get them to a waiting jet, which flew them out of at the airport, tobin realized it was rielle hunter. tobin testified that john edwards called him later that day. he just wanted to thank me for what i had done for him, and he wouldn't forget what i had done for him, tobin said. >> it didn't cover the money trail, but it does put edwards back in the center of the effort to hide the affair. >> reporter: tobin testified that edwards once told him he might start a foundation and that it would be a chip shot for a wealthy supporter to give him $50 million. but tobin said a year later edwards claimed andrew had tried to bilk mrs. mellon out of $50 million. tobin said he used to be friends with both edwards and his chief accuser, andrew young, but then about three years ago, edwards told him he had to choose between them. tobin says he chose to remain friends with andrew young. matt? >> all right, lisa myers in north carolina this morning. lisa, thank you very much. it's 18 minutes after the hour. once again here's ann. >> matt, thanks. there's an extra special buzz in washington, d.c. today, and it doesn't have a thing to do with politics. britain's prince harry came to town to accept an award, and this prince was truly charming. nbc's kristen welker is on royal watch for us this morning. kristen, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, ann. fans pack third-degree area outside the ritz karlton for prince harry's arrival the other night. but inside, he was surrounded by some of the world's most distinguished dignitaries, including u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon and former secretary of state colin powell. he also sent a message about the importance of helping wounded warriors in this country and in his. once called the party prince, harry showed his serious side at a black tie event in the nation's capital monday, accepting a humanitarian award on behalf of himself, and his brother, for their work with injured soldiers. >> so many of our service men and women have made the ultimate sacrifice. the very least we owe them is to make sure that they, and their brave families, have everything they need through the darkest days. >> reporter: a veteran himself, prince harry spent more than an hour earlier in the day with wounded veterans. thanking them for their service, and sacrifice. royal watchers say the trip is yet another sign prince harry is growing up. >> he has really developed into a bit of a royal superstar. his naturalness, his ability to engage, and his humanitarian side has really made an impact. >> reporter: but his throngs of adoring, mostly female, fans, were just hoping to catch a glimpse. >> of course. he's very handsome. yes. well william is taken so i guess he's kind of my favorite by default. >> is there a tiny bit of you that dreams about becoming the next princess? >> it's more than a tiny bit. it's like a large bit. >> sorry ladies, the word is, britain's only single prince just got back together with his on-again/off-again girlfriend, chelsy davy. >> according to reports harry has been seeing his ex-girlfriend chelsy davy again. what we do know is they have remained in contact over the years. >> it's no wonder harry hasn't settled down yet according to royal watchers, because he's been busy with his royal duties. in march visiting south america and the caribbean. and last year, another trip to the u.s. this time for apache helicopter training. third in line to the throne, harry has always been a bit in his brother's shadow. but some say he is becoming his own man, carrying the torch his mother, princess diana, left behind. >> well, harry really has the gift that his mother did, which is knowing how to communicate with people and being devoted to his charitable causes. >> now guests here dined on grilled beef 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