Transcripts For KNTV Today 20140608 : vimarsana.com

Starting kentucky are the only 20 available eligible to run in all three races. This is the cowards way out. Some hard feelings there. Many folks attached to that great back story. California chrome bought for just 10,000. For his part, the official California Chrome twitter says it just wasnt my day. He thinks his chromemies and hinted maybe hell be back to race in the fall. People arent giving up hope some day maybe well see a triple crown winner in our lifetime, lester. All right, kristen. California chromes owner steve coburn is with us this morning. Mr. Coburn, good morning. Good morning. We just heard a little bit of the comments you made after the race, we heard them from kristen. A lot of talk about specifically you calling some of the other owners cowards for only racing their horses in this race. Do you stand by those comments this morning . Sure. Why is it that you feel theyre cowards . Well, because you know what . There was only three horses in this race that had run in all three. There was California Chrome, general arod, and ride on curlin. The other horses hadnt competed in the other two races. So you keep these horses out of the game. And then you bring one in to upset the apple cart when they havent raced in the derby or the preakness. So when you nominate your horse for the triple crown, that means three. Not one out of three, but three. So thats what i meant by it. Its a cowards shot at people or horses. Because they dont have the they dont want to see a triple crown winner. Because they get to have their horse in the other two races. There has been i hope you can hear me. We definitely can hear you, sir. Go ahead. I was going to say, there has been some support for your position. People have said maybe this wasnt the right way to go about it, in a rant after the race, there has been some support for that position. Realistically, do you see that changing . Well, if it does not change, i will never see a triple crown winner. Because thats just the way it is. Theres more trainers and owners that do not want a triple crown than there are trainers and owners that do. Yesterday was a fine example of that. Why would they not want a triple crown . Well, where was he at the kentucky . Where were they in the preakness . They werent there. We were there. There was three horses in that race yesterday that were in all three races. None of the other ones were. Do you think that those owners then believe its better for the sport to not have a triple crown . Is that what youre saying . Yes, i do. Its all about money anymore. Its not about the horse. Or the sport. Its all about their pocketbook. Does it make you want to continue with racing . You know, we we discussed this last night. And if theres ever a chance that we have another horse that has earned his way to the Kentucky Derby, well run in kentucky. And then the hell with the rest of them. So you would only do the derby. You wouldnt try for another triple crown . Why . Theres too many people out there that that doesnt want a triple crown. Mr. Coburn, we appreciate you being with us this morning. We appreciate your time. Thank you. We brought on Carolyn Manno who covers horse racing for nbc sports. Good morning. Good morning. You heard that interview. I think we get the idea that the fresher horse might have a better chance. Is that something new to the sport or is that something we deal with every year . Weve been dealing with it for generations. What we saw in the 70s was that horses used to run a lot more often than they do. You would see more horses run at the derby, in the preakness and then come to the belmont. Lately, it has been that some horses will skip the preakness. In speaking with our racing analyst last night after steve cobu coburns comments, the problem with the comments are threefold. One was the timing. It was really poor sportsmanship after the belmont when all was said and done to come back around and Start Talking about the derby and the preakness p. The other was calling somebody a coward. Thats probably not the right word choice. The third was if you had a horse that had to run in the Kentucky Derby and preakness, between injuries and defections that wouldnt be that many horses running in the belmont. There would only be a couple. Hes going against some fresh horses right now. This is a longer shot. Sure. This is a grueling stretch not just for the horses but for ownership. For the jockeys. For the trainers. Its a lot of pressure. And there was so much pressure on steve coburn and his family and California Chrome. And he is a genuine and authentic man. What you see is what you get. Thats what we just saw in that interview, you know. So he has a right to feel that way. But, yeah. You know, to comment at the belmont when its said and done is probably not the right way. To make a case people have made in the past, this is a difficult thing for a horse to do when there are new shooters and spoilers coming into the race who have fresher legs. Thats a legitimate argument and a conversation thats been had. A lot of people have been talking about spacing the races out. Giving a chance for a horse to recover. The horses arent just really engineered to run the distances that they were at one point. But thats a different conversation. This conversation is forcing a horse to run all three legs. Its just not realistic. Itll be interesting to see how that does impact that other conversation. Sure. Enjoyed your coverage. Thank you. Thanks very much. Appreciate it. Actor tracy morgan remains in Critical Condition in the hospital this morning a day after he was involved in a deadly sixcar pileup on a new jersey highway. Morgan was a passenger in a limo on his way home from a comedy show in delaware. Ron allen is here to tell us more about it. Ron, good morning. Good morning to you, lester. That 35yearold truck driver from georgia was charged saturday with causing the pileup that critically injured tracy morgan. His name, kevin roper from georgia. He was driving a walmart truck that police say failed to observe slower traffic ahead on the new jersey turnpike, slamming into morgans chauffeured limousine, flipping it, hitting another truck and suv. In addition to morgan two others remain in Critical Condition. Roper is expected to surrender to police. Walmart has said in a statement saturday that were praying for the family and friends of the passenger who lost his life in the terrible accident in new jersey. If its determined our truck caused the accident, walmart will take full responsibility. Morgans family remains at his bedside according to his agent. No details about his treatment or his injuries. But a very serious situation. Ron allen, thanks very much. Lets get a check now of the mornings other top stories. Jenna is following those for us. Good morning, again. Good morning, everyone. Hundreds of unaccompanied children who illegally cross the border from mexico into the u. S. Are being taken to a makeshift Detention Center in Southern Arizona this weekend. The move has delayed the effort by the Obama Administration to deal with the influx of people from Central America streaming into texas in recent months. Mark potter is live in arizona with the details. Mark, good morning. Reporter good morning, jenna. Were at the u. S. Border patrol in nogales, arizona, about a mile north of the u. S. mexican american. Inside some 760 children are being held in a refurbished warehouse where cots and portable bathrooms are being brought in. They also have been given vaccines. More children are expected to arrive here today and in the days to come. Theyre all picked up crossing the u. S. Border in south texas recently. Part of the surge of Central Americans the white house is now calling a humanitarian crisis. Since october, more than 47,000 unaccompanied children have been picked up at the border. That number is expected to climb dramatically as many try to flee the poverty and violence in Central America or simply try to reunite with family members already in the United States. Many are even being held in military bases as officials try to stay ahead of this crisis at the border that shows no signs of letting up. Jenna . All right, mark potter, thank you very much. Police in canada are on the hunt this morning for three inmates who escaped from a prison near quebec city with the help from a helicopter. It happened saturday night making it the second time in two years that a helicopter was involved in a prisoner escape in quebec province. Last march a helicopter pilot was forced at gunpoint to pluck two inmates from a prison. Again, the rangers and kings played. Again, the rangers jumped out to an early commanding lead. And, again, they blew it. Game two of the stanley cup finals. Lots of scoring in this one but in double ot when scoring was most important, Los Angeles Kings dustin brown scored at 10 26 giving the kings a 54 win over the rangers. Double ot. And a 20 series lead. Game three is monday night here in new york. Finally this morning, has it always been your dream to be a polar bear for a day . No . Cool. Check this out anyway. Back in april, scientists attached a camera to the collar of a female polar bear in alaska to see what life is like on arctic sea ice, obviously. Okay. So watch this. The bear sees a potential mate. How you doing . How you doing . Okay. Acknowledging the awkward moment, polar bear is mortified. Jumps in the water. This is a riveting soap opera. I could go on all morning. Just know the point is they did all this to see how polar bears are dealing with the loss of sea ice due to global warming. Perhapsmy commentary was a little more than what you saw in the pictures. Just know thats what happened. I appreciate the commentary. Erica totally gets it. I know because i have always wanted to be a polar bear. Exactly. This all comes full circle. You guys are my audience right here. Thank you. Jenna says, youre welcome. Yes. 100 . You got it, guys. Still catching up on all this. Polar bear. And some ice. Or lack of ice. And a camera. Basically polar bear adult film. Got it. Were going to shift gears a little bit. President obama is back home at the white house after his overseas trip. And his administration this morning still doing damage control over that controversial deal to bring Sergeant Bowe bergdahl back home. Kristen welker is at the white house this morning. She joins us. Good morning. Reporter erica, good morning. President obama is hoping to pivot back to his domestic agenda this week. Jobs, immigration, education. Questions surrounding the release of Bowe Bergdahl continue to loom large. President obama facing increasing anger this morning after a week of defending his decision to swap five taliban prisoners for Sergeant Bowe bergda bergdahl. He spoke exclusively to brian williams. When somebody wears our countrys uniform and theyre in a war theater, and theyre captured, were going to do everything we can to bring them home. Reporter but members of congress on both sides of the aisle are furious they werent consulted about the swap as required by law. Were very dismayed about it. Reporter another problem . Shifting stories from the administration about why it kept the operation secret from congress. First saying bergdahls health was deteriorating. But later asserting there were concerns the taliban would kill bergdahl if news leaked out. We had to act fast in a delicate situation that required no publicity. Reporter National Security adviser susan rice is also on the defensive after saying this about bergdahl last sunday. He served the United States with honor and distinction. Reporter but the department of defense is investigating allegations that bergdahl may have deserted his unit. On friday, rice tried to clarify. This was a young man who volunteered to serve his country in uniform at a time of war. That is itself a very honorable thing. Reporter meantime, a new reuters poll shows 78 believe the u. S. Should make every effort to recover prisoners of war. But only 29 think trading taliban prisoners for bergdahl was the right thing to do. The worst thing for the white house at this point is the clock is ticking. Every day hes been talking about an issue he doesnt want to talk about is a day thats lost to talk about something that he wants to achieve or some part of his legacy that he wants to burnish before he leaves office. Reporter and this week will undoubtedly be overshadowed by bergdahl as well. Secretary of defense chuck hagel is set to testify on capitol hill on wednesday. Erica . All right, Kristen Welker this morning, thank you. Dylan is here with a check of the forecast. You were at the race yesterday. I was. Beautiful out there. It was beautiful and it was so intense because i was right at the turn. I couldnt really see what happened. But then you judged by nobody cheering that California Chrome didnt win. Didnt win. You saw the top of the show. Yeah. This is where i found out. But the weather was gorgeous. Not so nice down in dallas, texas, where we do have pouring rain. Add oklahoma to that as well. You can see all the flashes of lightning. We have flash flood watches in effect because it is pouring and it is going to stay very wet down there. That whole area in red from colorado right over into parts of alabama we could end up with some strong some strong storms this thats your latest forecast. Erica . Dylan, thanks. Up thnext, rising to the to. A High School Graduate who wouldnt let any obstacle get in his way of achieving success. Thats right after this. After people find a dentist through us, they often say, i wish id done this sooner. Dont let that be you. You know your teeth are important. So dont put it off any longer. Call 1800dentist today. Were back on a sunday morning with the inspiring story of a High School Valedictorian who wouldnt let major obstacles in his life to keep him from achieving his dreams. Heres rehema ellis with his story. Reporter graduation is a monumental achievement for all students, but especially for griffin furlong. He managed to earn a 4. 65 grade point average. He was named valedictorian and was accepted to college. All the while his family life was in turmoil. I never really wanted to show my face. I was just really down on myself because people didnt understand, like, my fears. They didnt understand. They didnt understand what i was going through. Reporter his mother died of cancer when he was just 6 years old. Soon afterward, griffin, his father and older brother ended up living in homeless shelters. Tell me about your mom. She wanted the best for me and my brother. Thats what i remember most. Her spirit. Reporter for a while the family had a rental home. But the financial hardships persist persisted. In april just before finals and a. P. Exams, griffin was homeless again. I would just think to myself at night, like, do i continue to do this or do i make something of myself . Reporter his girlfriends parents put him up for a while. Then he moved in with an aunt and uncle. He never asked anyone for anything. He did this all by himself because he wants a better life. Reporter through all the ups and downs, griffin never missed a day of school and kept his struggles to himself. He is a remarkable kid. He loves to learn. Reporter and he loves baseball. You even have a noble idea of hard work right in your cap. Yeah. Never give up. Inspires me to do great. Reporter griffin was accepted to Florida State university. And friends set up an Online Fundraising website to help him pay for college. Overwhelmed, griffin says the only thing missing now is his mom. I just want her to hear my speech. I know that without her, none of this is possible. Its amazing what you can do with your life when you have motivation, ambition, and most importantly, a purpose. Thank you. Reporter with his purpose clearly defined, griffin furlong is well on his way to even greater success. For today, rehema ellis, nbc news, jacksonville, florida. Great kid. Great story. Still to come, levar burton on bringing back reading rainbow and the unbelieving outpouring of support thats helping him do it. But first these messages. Still to come this morning, an update for you on the young victim who was nearly stabbed to death by two classmates. Police say the classmates were trying to please a fictional online character. A day that changed history. First, these mes 4 25 on your sand morn. A 5 picture of san jose. We exto have a hey dan day on our hands in not to laumg. Were seeing some areas of patch ehlo loudz cl misch along the most and then mostly sunny sighs sd warming temperatures soaring into the niept. Essentially theivalies and the east bay and south bay. Well hold on to thosethi temperatures. Hes nire 90, in fact, the fiveday temperature trend will show you the next two days look downward hot. And then the soo breeze toibs to cool us off as we approach the middle part of the week. A fire in a metal yard is renewing questions about the company who own s it. This is the third fire at the bay area in just seven months. Latest blaze broke out at the receiver facility on industrial parkway and heyward at 1 third yesterday afternoon. People were called and warned to shelter in place. Firefighters had the plames within control within 20 minutes. Two have been deems arson, including december 17th fire in redwood city. We have less than two months to serve this morning. That inmate is on the run. Hes identified as 40 yeert timary midgett. He escaped by taking out a trash. A deputy tries to cash hem but lost him on a creche trhrough te city. Furious allegations of a back room deal of sorts from the city of san bruno. It was the site of the 2010 gas, ploekz that kills eight. Its a halt into the velz into missing p g e durments. Theyre calling on them to immediately reopen their investigation into thousands of missing pipeline strength reports. P gg e said we cant speak abou the actions they have faken, adding we are oaken to trangs parent communication with the cpuc, and anything else is not factual. Well have local reaction to the disappointment of California Chromes run. And well hear from one of his coowners and why this was an unfair race from the get go. For now, we remember you to the 250d show. Well learn you in a little bit. We are back on this sunday morning. It is the 8th of june, 2014. Nice folks out there on the plaza enjoying a beautiful sunday morning. Looking forward to going out and saying hello to them in person in just a little bit. Lets get you caught up this morning on the headlines. California chrome failed to win the triple crown after coming in fourth place at the Belmont Stakes on saturday. His owner told us he doesnt believe it was a fair competition because tonalist, the horse who won, hadnt raced in the other legs of the triple crown. A historic meeting will take place later today when pope francis holds a special prayer session at the vatican with israeli president shimon perez and palestinian president mahmoud abbas. Families of the victims of malaysia air flight 370 say they want to raise 5 million to create a reward for any information that will help them figure out what happened to the missing plane. Today is the threemonth anniversary of the planes disappearance. Still to come in this half hour, we have much more for you this morning on the debate over Sergeant Bowe bergdahl. The american p. O. W. Who was recently released after a swap out with the taliban, a prisoner swap. This morning were asking whether people see him as a hero or trader. Levar burton is talking about the overwhelming support hes received to bring reading rainbow into the digital age. With begin this half hour with a serious story weve been following all this week on today. One that has really shocked parents. It has to do with a fictional online character known as slender man. This morning the 12yearold wisconsin girl who police say was stabbed repeatedly by two classmates fascinated with that fictional character is out of the hospital. As nbcs mike taibbi will tell us, the ultimate tragedy just barely averted. Reporter the evented villain slender man may have inspired the attack by two preteens on their classmate and friend. The victim only saved when a passing bicyclist found her and called police. She said she was stabbed multiple times. Reporter but the parents of the 12yearold girl now out of the hospital say she was able to crawl out of these woods inspired by an authentically human instinct. I wanted to live, her parents quoted her as explaining. Adding, she is excited to be out of the hospital, see her pets and continue along the road to recovery. In the milwaukee suburb on saturday, expressions of thanks and love over a victim who escaped death. Really its about hope for the future and letting her know that she is loved by the community, people that she might not know, and people that she knows and loves as well. Reporter police say the two 12yearold girls now charged as adults with attempted murder had hoped to prove themselves to the mythical slender man. Who theyd come to see as based on a real figure. One suspect held the victim down while the other suspect stabbed her 19 times in the arms, legs and torso. Reporter the slender man character created about five years ago became the favorite spook for many younger followers. Some both young and gullible. Theres no question that fantasy and reality can blur in a 24 7 media world. Reporter in fact, though, our mass entertainments often aim for the slippery line between fantasy and reality. Sometimes with real world consequences. The 1938 radio broadcast war of the worlds caused an actual panic. Creators e eors orree eor orson to apologize. Well have to think carefully about future broadcasts. Reporter in this real life chapter of the slender man saga, bloggers like parent amy hatch are on the alert. I dont think anyone needs to freak out. But i think its a really sobering moment to take stock of whats happening in your home. Reporter and especially on your kids computers. For today, mike taibbi, nbc news. Lets head outside to the plaza for another check of the weather. Dylan has made her way out there. Hello again. Hello. Good morning. Everyone got the memo that were on for two hours today. So where are you from . St. Louis. Are you having fun in new york city . Yes. Well, thats all that matters. Were enjoying some gorgeous weather in the northeast. Its going to stay pretty nice around here. But it is hot in the southwest. Look at all the excessive heat warnings, the red flag warnings because of the hot and dry, windy conditions. Temperatures will be about 10 to 20 degrees above average. That means fresno tops out at 109 today. Vegas, 106. Palm springs, 112 degrees. It is scorching out in the southwest. Then across the rest of the country, we are looking at the chance of some stronger storms from colorado through texas, right over into parts of mississippi and alabama. Its an area not so much for tornadoes, but we could end up seeing some large hail and also some damaging wind gusts and torrential downpours. It is pouring right now in dallas. So keep an eye out for that. That water could pile up on the roadways pretty quickly. Tomorrow that threat spreads just a little bit to the east. Still most of texas looking for some p and for todays top spot, we are heading to beautiful michigan. It is coming from our wbiv affiliate in michigan. Its the yasu greek festival in ann arbor. This festival has everything you could want from greek dancing to amazing greek meals and pastries. There will also be jewelry and souvenirs. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to therapeutic riding, inc. Which provides horseback riding for disabled children and adults. So a lot of fun, greek traditions going on in ann arbor, michigan, today. Lester. Dylan, thanks very much. In a courthouse in michigan there is an iron fisted judge who goes by the nickname scary mary. Judge mary uses a combination of fear, tough love and humor to try to save the addicts who come into her drug court. And that includes a 15yearold who has a pot habit and a tumultuous relationship with her mother. The philosophy for me is to get into their lives to help them understand that theyve got a problem, that the problem is ultimately going to kill them. Im not your mother. I am not your friend. I am your judge. I really am so sorry. You dont want to hear sorry, but i am sorry. The whole concept of a drug court is a favor to help you. To teach you humility z. Were documenting everything. For the better part of a year dateline producers and crews were imbedded with three addicts from judge marys drug court. We watch mary cajole them. And cheer them on as they struggle toed to stay clean and fought quite literally for their lives. 15yearold danielle bergel. Shes been battling her mom, blowing off classes and doing drugs for several years. I want to smoke weed really bad. Because, like, when me and my mom will be driving, well see people smoking. Theyre just having a good time. I miss being able to do that. Reporter its november 2012. And danielle is being driven by her mother to a drop. Thats street slang for peeing in a bottle. Something scary mary makes danielle do three times a week. But judge mary knows that shes also dealing with a dysfunctional family. If i had met you at the beginning of you entering this program, describe where you were in life. I wasnt doing good at all. I had a really bad attitude. I didnt really care about anybody or anything. She told me she hated me and she wishes i would do. Just hurtful things like that. She treated me like her enemy. I need two people who are committed to the program. You agree that you are going to become part of this team and try to assist your daughter. You are enabling her, and its got to stop. Reporter in 2012, Police Caught danielle smoking pot in a park. Thats what landed her in drug court. But that didnt stop her from using again. I started drinking. And then there was weed on the table. I was like, why not . Reporter judge mary threw her in juvenile jail for three weeks. And i saw her with im going to cry. With the shackles on her legs. And that was the hardest part for me. Shes such a free spirit. And for them to have her chained, it broke my heart. She needed to learn i meant business. We meant business in the drug court. The team works hard with you. Were not fooling around. Courts adjourned, folks, thanks. See our full story tonight on dateline. Thats at 7 00 6 00 central right here on nbc. Looking forward to that one. Turning now to a story of perseverance in the face of a huge struggle to get back to life as normal. For one new mom, she suffered a medical emergency when she was pregnant two years ago. Heres janet shamlian. Reporter balance is still pretty new for 2yearold adeline scott. But shes learning fast. Look at those steps today. Those are looking great. Reporter balance is an old skill for adelines mom, amber. She has to relearn it. Beautiful steps. Reporter but shes making progress every day. There you go. Reporter and getting stronger with each step. And shes finally able to experience some of the simple joys other moms do. Like adeline playing with her bunny, minnie mouse. Push, push, push, push, push. Reporter with physical and speech therapy, amber scott has come a long way in two years. I just remember talking on the phone. I dont remember anything after that. Reporter in may of 2012 amber was nine months pregnant when she suffered a blood clot on her brain. Doctors performed emergency surgery and delivered adeline. But amber remained unconscious, missing the first precious few weeks of her daughters life. Now, she doesnt want to let go. I want to get down. No. Not yet. Not yet. Reporter at times, adeline seems unstoppable. Stand up and get on the bed. Reporter just like her mom. That was good. That was pretty good. Its amazing to see the progress shes made. Shes very determined. She doesnt give up. Ive never really seen her come in and have a really down day. Shes always giving her best. Reporter her husband tommy has been with her for every step, every victory. That was a good one with the left knee. Good. Reporter you see the progress in therapy, you see how good shes doing. I really think one day shell have a normal life. Just her being part of adelines life and being more independent. Thats what im most proud of. Reporter amber is determined to walk again and some day go back to work. But for now, she has a message for her young daughter. Never give up on whatever you want to do. Never, ever give up. You can do anything you want, you put your mind to. Reporter a mother full of life. And hope for the future. For today, janet jshamlian, nc news, houston. Just ahead, remembering maya angelou as politicians, celebrities, family and friends come together to honor a woman that they say changed lives. And up next, a big debate across the country. Is former p. O. W. Bowe bergdahl a hero or a traitor . Thats right after this. Welcome back. A deal that freed former p. O. W. Bowe bergdahl has people more than angry. The fbi says authorities are investigating threats against bergdahls family. In the meantime we wanted to get an idea of what some people had to say about him. Sparked a lot of emotion. Some people think of him as perhaps a traitor. Something else. We sent nbc news military analyst colonel jack jacobs to georgia to talk to some folks. Reporter at this Atlanta Health club, Sergeant Bowe bergdahl was a hot topic of conversation. We sat down with club members, a former marine, a woman with two nephews currently serving in afghanistan, and a retired attorney to hear their opinions. Marty, what did you think when you first heard that Bowe Bergdahl was coming back . Kind of happy to hear that we were getting one of our guys back. And i understood that there was a trade for five other guys who were in prison down in gitmo. And that really didnt bother me much in the moment. Rob, what did you think . I got marine buddies talking about it. You know, i just i want to know the truth, i guess. If its all true or if its if its Something Else going on there. Because if it is true, then actions need to be taken. Reporter leann, how about you . What do you think about that . I was happy to hear that, you know, he was coming home. It just it seems like the right thing to do. Reporter when you heard that he came back as a result of a trade of taliban, what did you think of that . First reaction was, probably not right. I have no real problem with the concept of trading our people for some of the, quote, others, unquote. I think its okay to trade for him no matter what. You know, im all about getting our men back. Reporter at any cost . At any cost. Reporter are we giving up too much because we want him back now . I do feel that we were giving up too much. You know, when you sign that contract, you understand. Especially during a time of war that things can happen. Reporter if our policy is, if the white houses policy is nobody left behind, in these circumstances, do you think we need to think that over again . I like the policy. I like the nobody left behind. I just think theres other ways of going to get him. How about you, leann . Absolutely not. You would have a hard time to get people to volunteer for volunteer army if they didnt have that guarantee. I mean, i wouldnt leave my child behind. Reporter so bergdahl, hero or traitor . Traitor. Neither. Neither a traitor nor a hero. How about you, marty . Hero or traitor . He has done nothing by any account to be called a hero. Whether or not he was a traitor or just a jerk remains to be decided. Colonel jacobs is with us now. Recipient of the medal of honor and two purple hearts for his service in vietnam. Interesting discussion. I think everybody feels they have to have a reaction to what happened. The fact is we dont all have the facts right no w. The army is going through the process. Can the army go through the investigation process in a vacuum or are they painfully aware of the Politics Around this . We like to think the army is going to be in a vacuum and establish the facts and make decisions based on the facts unimpeded by any other influence. But at the top of the food chain in washington, all those generals are breathing rarefied air thats infused with politics. Its absolutely impossible for them to ignore it. No matter what happens, whatever happens, even if bergdahl gets convicted of something, in the end the president of the United States, the political apparatus has the last word. Because the president can always pardon him. But its all politics in washington whether youre wearing uniform or youre not. Jack, you served in combat around 18, 19, 20, 21yearolds. A lot of stuff going around. Did you ever get the sense that someone was about to go over the wall or, you know, expressing regrets about the situation . How was that handled . You know, its really kind of interesting. Because life there is in two bits. Theres the life before and after an actual combat engagement. In which there are frequently people who look a little sketchy and they might be leaving. And youve got to deal with them and their emotions very, very directly. And then theres the middle of the combat operation when the bullets and shrapnel are flying around and everybody is depending on everybody else. And in all the combat ive ever been in, ive been in plenty, ive never seen anybody break under those circumstances because theyre all fighting for each other. All right. Colonel jack kjacobs, thanks vey much. Up next on today, hundreds of paratroopers recreating the dday jump to honor the troops that help save the world. But first, these mes we are back on a sunday morning on today with a very special jump to show you that happened earlier today by american and french paratroopers. One more celebration of the mission to save france from germanys clutches 70 years ago on dday. Peter alexander is in normandy this morning with more for us. Peter, good morning. Reporter erica, good morning to you. The commemorions, the celebrations continue here through this weekend. But what strikes you most is the number of french you see wearing u. S. World war ii military uniforms and draped in american flags. The sacrifice for these two countries was immense. But so, too, now is the affection that they share. In the small town of picoville, 91yearold Jack Schlegel is bigger than life. 70 years ago private schlegel was among the paratroopers who dropped from the skies above normandy. Remember, i can call you a youngster. Im old. Youre one year older . Im older than you. Reporter for this mnative nw york, these french villages feel like a second home thanks to the warm reception and the bond hes built with the people here. I like to say thits the 51s hes dedicated his life to schlegel and other veterans who return here year after year. He remembers clearly the lesson his father forgot him. We must never forget what these young soldiers did for our freedom. Reporter and the people here didnt forget. Schlegel showed us the road that now bears his name. All these people knew you were coming. Look at this. They all came to greet you. What do you think . [ applause ] for my comrades that died in some of this action, that they are not here to get the welcome, the type of honor. And it is very honoring for me to have all these people here. And they appreciate what the americans did. Reporter we appreciate you. Thank you. Reporter that gratitude on display again this weekend for the banquet celebrating this enduring friendship. How do they greet you . You feel like a rock star. To see these veterans. Theyre like our real life heroes. Theyre real life heroes. Reporter today here above the first town liberated, a new generation honors that legacy. Hundreds of american and french paratroopers jumping side by side. After all these years, Still Standing together. The good news is, todays flight went off without a hitch. You see that . Thats a mannequin of a u. S. Paratrooper. Thats the good news. It does celebrate the story of the u. S. Paratrooper who in 1944 actually got caught on that steeple here. 70 years later, erica and lester, they still celebrate his story. All right. Peter alexander for us this morning. Peter, thanks. Up next, he is bringing back reading rainbow. Well talk to levar burton about the childhood classic and why hes determine the popular childrens show reading rainbow that ran for more than 20 years starting in the 80s is coming back. It wont exactly be the reading rainbow your kids might remember. Its all happened because of Levar Burtons passion for education and thanks to millions of dollars in donations that people from around the world are pledging to help bring it back. Levar burton is here with us this morning. Good morning. Thank you so much for the invitation to be here. I love the reaction when you hit the Million Dollars in a single day. How surprised with ed were you . We had no idea. We set our campaign for 35 days hoping if we needed the extra time towards the end of the campaign we could really push it over the top. We never in our wildest dreams could ever have thought wed reach our goal in 11 hours on the first day. This is a Kickstarter Campaign. A Kickstarter Campaign we raised to have every child everywhere have access to reading rainbow. The ipad app came out two years ago. And our goal for raising the money was to have a larger footprint. To put it on the web and then create a specific product for teachers. Reading rainbow is loved by teachers. We wanted to put our app in their hands in the classroom so that they could have access to the library of books and video field trips that we are. Can i just say, by the way, you havent aged since the 80s . You look like the exact same person you were back in the 80s. This is the logical next step for you. This was probably the plan all along . It was. It absolutely was. We are thrilled to be able to carry on the mission of the show. Look, television was the technology that we used in the 80s and 90s to you know, to reach kids about our message of magic of the written word. If you want to reach todays kids, youve got to be in the digital realm. Weve got to be on one of these very engaging devices that we are all fascinated by and love to spend time on. Is this something, too, that could go you talk about these devices we all have. Is this something you could eventually see, too, as an app for a phone or are you looking s stricting at t inly at tablets. At 5 million, that gets us on phones. It gets us on mobile. It gets us on android. People who really want the reading rainbow brand on their android devices. It gets us on gaming consoles. How many kids in America Today are on the xbox or the playstation platform . Lester is on two of them. Right now. Everyone has so many wonderful memories of reading rainbow. What does their support mean to you and the history of the show . This is the amazing thing to me. The millennials and gen xers. They have made this possible. They have gone into their pockets. They have said reading rainbow really important to me. I want to make sure future generations have reading rainbow. As well. Im so proud of them. I have the song in my head right now. Its a very cool thing youre doing. So glad you came by to talk about it. Thank you, lester. Thank you all very, very much. We look forward. Well be back with more after this. Good morning. Triple crown. California chrome, the latest horse to make that historic bid, only to fall short at the belmont. It wont be a triple crown this year its going to be close its going to be very close and tonalist got there the horses owner lashing out at the competition after the race. This is a cowards way out, in my opinion. This is a cowards way out. This morning in an exclusive interview, he tells us just what he meant by that. Critical condition. Actor tracy morgan surrounded by his family at the hospital this morning as the man who police say was responsible for the deadly pileup that killed one man and seriously injured several others faces criminal charges. Honoring a legend. Hundreds turn out to remember and to praise the life of maya angelou and the legacy she leaves behind. Band of brothers. This morning hundreds of paratroopers recreating that historic jump that so many brave men made during the invasion of normandy. Today, sunday, june 8th, 2014. Announcer from nbc news, this is today with lester holt and erica hill. Live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. Good morning. Good sunday morning. Im erica hill. Im lester holt and long with jenna wolfe and dylan dryer. Dylan who was at belmont yesterday. I almost heard the air come out of the crowd when there was no triple crown. Its almost like a wave of cheers. Theyre cheering and cheering. All of a sudden it stopped. I guess he didnt win. Kind of like watching tv. Anyway, californias loss at belmont is our top story today. Kristen dahlgren was also at the race on saturday. Im starting to feel a little left out here. Kristen, good morning. I know. Dylan and i watched. Our hearts were beating, we were so excited. Then, like you said, the air just out of the crowd. But theres a reason only 11 horses have won the triple crown. Its hard. And it was hard on the crowd who had such high hopes for whats being called americas horse. It wont be a triple crown this year its going to be close its going to be very close and tonalist got there reporter it wasnt the ending so many had hoped for. We thought that would be history. We thought that would be California Chrome doing it. Reporter California Chromes coowner steve coburn, as crushed as anyone. And angry that tonalist, a horse who didnt run in either the Kentucky Derby or preakness, came out on top in the belmont. Im 61 years old and ill never see in my lifetime ill never see another triple crown winner because the way they do this. Its not fair to these horses that have been in the game since day one. This is a cowards way out. Reporter belmont is traditional where triple crown dreams are put to the test. 13 horses have now gotten this far and failed since affirmed won in 1978. Around the far turn reporter the 1 1 2 mile race is much longer than the derby or preakness. And for horses going for the triple crown, it comes at the end of an exhausting fiveweek stretch. He was not the same like before. Thats why i decide just to wait a little bit longer and behind all the horses. Reporter California Chrome had all the makings of a cinderella story. The colt with bluecollar beginnings was bred for just 10,000. In a sport where top horses cost hundreds of thousands. Even his name was luck of the draw. Literally. Picked out of a hat. His colorful owners and a little colt that captured hearts and a legion of chromies on twitter. A record 120,000 packed into belmont. While his place in racing history may remain elusive, win or lose, theres no doubt California Chrome earned his place in the heart of millions. I think everybody still loves him. We still love him. Some may wonder if the Current System may leave us without a triple crown winner. Others say theyre not giving up. One thing is certain, there will be another field of horses trying again next year, erica. That is for sure. Kristen dahlgren, thanks. Earlier this morning i spoke exclusively with steve coburn, California Chromes coowner. I started off by asking him why he chose that word coward last night and whether he still stands by those comments. Well, because you know what . There was only three horses in this race that had run in all three. There was California Chrome, general arod and ride on curlin. The other horses hadnt competecompete ed in the other two races. So you keep these horses out of the game and then you bring one in to upset the apple cart when they havent raced in the debrb or the preakness. So when you nominate your horse for the triple crown, that means three. Not one out of three, but three. So thats what i meant by it. Its a cowards shot at people, or horses. Because they dont have the they dont want to see a triple crown winner because they didnt have their horse in the other two races. There have been i hope you can hear me. We definitely can hear you, sir. Go ahead. I was going to say there has been some support for your position. While people have said maybe this wasnt the right way to go about it in a rant after the race, there has been some support for that position. Realistically, do you see that changing . Well, if it does not change, i will never see a triple crown winner. Because thats just the way it is. Theres more trainers and owners that do not want a triple crown than there are trainers and owners that do. Why yesterday was a fine example of that. Why would they not want a triple crown . Well, where was he at the kentucky . Where were they in the preakness . They werent there. We were there. There was three horses in that race yesterday that were in all three races. None of the other ones were. That was just a portion of my conversation with California Chromes coowner, steve coburn. Some of what hes saying has touched raw nerves out there. Dylan is in the orange room with what people are saying on social media about California Chromes loss. Dylan. No surprise here, California Chrome and the comments made by his owner are trending on twitter. There were 150,000 tweets about California Chrome last night. While most of those tweeted agreed that the system is stacked against horses like California Chrome, they didnt like the owners use of the word coward. Lets take a look at some of the comments coming in on twitter. Understand that he was very upset, but that was absolutely, positively, uncalled for, the way he did it. Others are saying, his argument holds common sense weight. Hes not complaining about the race circuit, hes talking about fairness in competition. And vanessa says, he was angry, but he was right. We will never see a triple crown winner this way. So people do agree with what hes saying and the gist of what hes saying. But maybe not so much the way he said it. Guys . Dylan, thanks very much. Were learning new details this morning about that terrible accident that left actor tracy morgan in Critical Condition at a hospital. As morgan fights for his life, the driver of the truck that crashed into morgans vehicle now faces charges for the accident. Ron allen is here with the latest. Ron, good morning. Good morning to you, lester. Yes, the latest word we have is that morgan remains in Critical Condition. The comic actor and several other performers on their way home to new york after a show in delaware. Police say the driver of a big truck rearended a limo that morgan and the others were riding in on a new jersey turnpike, setting off a deadly chain reaction. Im going to the suburbs. Heres comedian tracy morgan at a delaware casino friday night. [ bleep ]. Reporter a provocative performer who first made it big on nbcs saturday night live. And then on nbcs hit 30 rock. You can read about that on the interweb. It must be true if its on the interweb. Reporter hours after his sell out performance at 1 00 a. M. Saturday, police say the driver of a walmart truck failed to observe slower moving traffic ahead on a new jersey highway, swerved but still smashed into morgans chauffeured limo. The mercedes spun around, hit another truck and an suv in a six vehicle accident. The limo driver was not seriously injured. Just heartbroken right now. I saw traffic and i stopped. And i was upsidedown. Reporter word and worry withette kei oo sprot mal frer sprolen are twotb sprofrten bol are are twoling brog thaelg eel to treegb are chb nob are morgan killed in the crash, jamed mcnair, 63, close friend of morgans. The drivers now chase faces charges. A comeendian who also has ignited controversy in the past with offensive byebye Public Comments and has naced drunk driving cants, now an out pouring of support. Ntsb is also on the scene fwraup washington, helping new jersey investigators. An accident that was so intep, it closed a busy highway for five hours. Lester. Thanks very much. Tribute for one of this generations greatest writers and poets. On saturday, hundreds came out to honor and to remember the woman who has touched so many lives with her words. Heres kerry sanders. Reporter hundreds gathered to remember dr. Maya angelou. A celebrated national treasure, who as a child was raped and for five years did not speak. The loss i feel, i cannot describe. Reporter but at wake forest university, where she was a longtime professor, the one time mute was memorialed in dea death by the powerful words she did speak. Ill fly away, when i die. Hallelujah, i will fly. I was a devoted student of maya angelous. Learning up to our very last conversation the sunday before she died. She touched people all across the globe. Including a young white woman from kansas who named her daughter after maya and raised her son to be the first black president of the United States. Reporter former president bill clinton was born 25 miles from stamps, arkansas, where angelous book i know why the caged bird sings was set. I knew the people she was talking about. The problems she was talking about. Reporter her son chose his own melody of words. There is no mourning. We have added to the population of angels. I hope you dance reporter maya angelou once said, try to be a rainbow in someones cloud. At her memorial, she was that rainbow. I hope you dance reporter for today, kerry sanders, nbc news. I hope you dance looked like a beautiful service. It really yeah, it did. She touched so many people. Lets get a look now at some of the mornings other top stories. Jenna is following those for us. Good morning. Good morning. An historic prayer summit set to take place in the vatican gardens later tooed. Pope francis has invited israeli and palestinian president s to join him in pray b for peace. Chief Environmental Affairs correspondent Anne Thompson is in vatican city with more on the significance of todays meeting and joins us now. An anne, good morning. Reporter good morning, jenna. Pope francis says that many people build peace every day in small gestures and acts. And today it is his turn. He will pray as he did this morning, marking the end of the easter season in the catholic church. And he will pray tonight in the vatican gardens where he will be joined by israeli president shimon perez and Palestinian Authority president mahmoud abbas. The three together will pray for a peaceful end to the Israeli Palestinian conflict. They will spend about two hours together, including that onehour Prayer Service where prayers will be read in the jewish, christian and islamic faiths. Including the prayer of st. Francis, which begins, lord, make me an instrument of your peace. It will be recited in arabic. The three men will exchange a sign of peace, they will each speak and they will plant an olive tree. Then they will meet privately. The vatican says dont expect peace to break out after this meeting. Instead the goal is to try and galvanize Public Opinion to push for a peaceful solution to a situation pope francis calls unacceptable. Jenna. Anne thompson, thank you very much. We are hearing this morning what it was like at the scene of the shooting at Seattle Pacific university now. Seattle Police Released three 911 calls recorded shortly after thursdays rampage. Officials say the calls show remarkable calm and resourcefulness of students, faculty and other witnesses. One student hiding in a professors office gave directions to the dispatcher. Hes in the lobby. Hes in the lobby. Whats going on there . Somebody shot someone. Police say the suspected gunman, aaron ibarra, killed one student and wounded two others. He was arrested after a student tackled him while he was reloading his gun. Its three months to the day since that Malaysian Airline jet vanished. This morning relatives of those aboard are launching an online fund to raise money for a reward and private investigation. Family members released a statement saying, the project aims to encourage a whistle blower to come forward. The effort is being launched on the fundraising website indygogo. Com. Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared march 8th with 239 people aboard. Finally, the next time your kids complain about going to school, share this little nugget with them. Genevieve johnson is 94 years old. All she wants to do is go back to high school and get her diploma. Johnson had to drop out back in the 1930s to work in a mill to help her family during the great depression. She says she knows she doesnt have many more years left. This is something she wanted to do. She always wanted to earn her diploma and she did. She said, quote, if i go to heaven im taking my diploma with me. That is the news. Lets send it over to dylan. Great story. Great. Love it. As you mentioned dylan is here with a check of the forecast. I was getting a jump ongoing over to dylan. It was unofficial. Story of my life. Now that its official, talk about some torrential downpours. Look at the heavy rain moving through oklahoma and just to the west of dallas. Its lightening up a little bit. You are going to see a round of really heavy rain in dallas shortly. Flash flood watches are in effect in a good portionood porn thats your latest forecast. Jenna. Well played. I already ran out of words. Dylan, thanks. Still to come, will miami heat player lebron james ever be able to live this one d wondering what that is . That, my friends, is everything. And with the quicksilver card from capital one, you earn unlimited 1. 5 cash back on everything you purchase. Not just everything at the hardware store. Not everything, until you hit your cash back limit. Quicksilver can earn you unlimited 1. 5 cash back on everything you could possibly imagine. Say it with me everything. One more time, everything and with that in mind. Whats in your wallet . And with that in mind. A long term struggle. Needs long term relief. In. Eucerin calming creme. Used everyday. 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The person getting the most heat for what happened at that game, lebron james had to be carried off the court when he started cramping after the airconditioning went out. Hasnt really been able to live that one down yet. Jenna is in the orange room with more. This is getting a fair amount of play, i would say. Are you surprised . It has so obviously become the latest social media sensation. Its called lebroning. It all started when that airconditioning went out in san antonios arena. It was hot, it was crowded, it was stuffy. Lebron james seemed to be affected the most. With only minutes left in the Fourth Quarter his leg cramped up. He had to be carried off the court by two people as you see here. As you can imagine the twitter tweets ran amok. Even the big corporations get in on the craze. Jeff lou tweeted, enjoy the most legroom in coach. Particularly if youre traveling between south florida and texas. Cramps. They went on to say, best cure for leg cramps more leg room. Gatorade tweeted the person cramping wasnt our client. Our athletes can take the heat. Ouch. Gatorades leader apologized but they didnt delete the tweet. Take a look at this. So many other people took to social media posting hilarious photos of themselves, lebroning with six minutes left mowing my lawn and i couldnt continue. He had his daughters pull him off here. A couple more great pictures. This one tweeted by priscilla. This one by claire. Lebroning. Lester and [person]you know why so many of us here sleep on a tempurpedic [person]its all because of. Sharon [person]sharon. [person]. Sharon. [person]shes our librarian. And not a very quiet one. [person]so. Every monday morning it was. You know whats wrong with your life. You dont sleep on a tempurpedic. [announcer]there is nothing like the feel of a real tempurpedic. Now with the new, washable zipoff cover [person]my tempurpedic makes me very happy [person]. Thank you. Sharon. [person]. Thank you. Sharon. [person]. Thank you. 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The sun starting to peek out there, and it will be wek well on it way to a ha dhot day. Some areas of patchy low clouds and myg. And warming temperatures soaring into the 90s in the east bay and southi. Well hold into the laurm permtures into the east pay and soth way. The 70s closer to San Francisco. Around the north bay and try krara, well show you the hex two day look down right heart. And then the sea breeze begins to cool us off. A fear at aimatal yard renewing concerns about the company thas operates it. Sims company quased questions about two fires last month. This broke ought the receiving facility in heyward,b ubd welcome back 30 saturday afternoon. Peach who live east of the sea where robocalled to stay in place. Two of the fires have been deemed osterucaer including the october 18th sire sgln aman fire from San Francisco is on the run. The Sheriffs Department says he aeescapes from San Franciscohaul of justice saturday, bt lithaush lim. He was arrested last summer on a nartotics warrant. He was dug for release last month. Furious algaugzs of a gakyard deal from san breno. It killed 8 and devastated an enti entire narktd. City leaders are slamming a sudden and shocking halt into the investigation of missing pg sknrx e documents. The statements, pg, and e noted, quote, we cant speem for them for any acs they have taken, we are open to transparent communication, and anything contrary is simply not factual. Coming up alt avenue 00. Local reaction to the disappointment outcome of California Chromes run to higry. And why his cokoeowner said th roswas cut peoplely unfair from the start. Well see you in about an hour and a half. Ery bottom, jenna, sharks. Before we can get to that shark dylan has a final check of the weather for us. Speaking of the beautiful weather, its going to last up and down the east coast today. Warm temperatures to in the south and southwest. Thats where its going to be exceptionally hot. Temperatures about 10 to 20 degrees above average. Look at those high temperatures. Topping out around 111 degrees in palm springs. We do have an area of very strong storms from colorado stretching east through texas through oklahoma and right over into mississippi and alabama. We could see some of our strongest storms producing isolated tornadoes. But its more or less just the hail and the damaging wind gusts downpours. Tial downpours. And that is your latest forecast. Lester. Dylan, thanks. This morning an incredible scene over normandy as hundreds of paratroopers jumped over the first town to be liberated on dday. Recreating that infamous day in history. That famous day in history. The paratroopers both from the u. S. And france honoring the legacy of the 70th anniversary of the invasion in normandy. Many of the heroes of that day were on hand on friday for a special ceremony. That includes one veteran who was absolutely determined to make it back to france, even though he was told he wouldnt be able to make it. Annabell roberts is in london with his story for us. Good morning. Reporter lester, good morning. Its another great escape. The veteran who snuck out of his home and vanished. Showing at 89 years old, he is still full of that indominabledday spirit. Buddy jordan waved cheerfully to the crowd. 70 years before hed crossed the English Channel in the opposite direction. A Royal Navy Officer taking part in the normandy landing. He wanted to return to france this past week for dday commemorations. When he finally got back to britain, he was happy. Marvelous. Absolutely marvelous. Reporter but just how he got to france this time, well, that was an adventure. Staff at his care home in brighton couldnt get him a place with an official group of traveling veterans, so bernie decided to go it alone. Thursday morning mr. Jordan walked out of his home as he does most days to get the bus into town. The only hint he had a plan, under his coat. He was wearing his medals. He boarded a ferry, joining up with fellow veterans and others making their way to normandy. But back at home when he hadnt returned by evening, the search was under way. Eventually word got through, bernie had crossed the channel and gone awol to join his brothers in arms. Bernie, come the morning, he thought, its dday now. Im off. Im going. Reporter proof the dday spirit lives on. Are you going to be in trouble when you get back to the home . Are you going to face the music . Yeah. Ill have to face that. But there we are. Its one of those things in life. You get good things, you get bad things. You do your best in whatever your situation. Reporter a heros homecoming for a veteran still with a bit of fight. Now, lester, the Ferry Company has offered bernie free travel to normandy for the rest of his life. And i reckon if he wants to go next year, no ones going to try and stop him. What do you think . I dont think so. Annabell roberts, thanks very much. Time now for a look at the latest hollywood headlines. Orange is the new black is back. There are a few surprises at the Weekend Box Office as well. Alicia, good morning. Good morning. We have to start out with the sad news about that horrible crash in new jersey, fatal crash. We know tracy morgan was injured. You spoke to him recently. I did. A couple of months ago. We just had an hour conversation just off the record, relaxing. We were just talking about life. What a good of place hes in. My husband was with me, my brotherinlaw and a friend of ours. He said the birth of his baby girl, his fourth child, his only girl, has really changed his life. He talk eed about his father di of complications of aids and his comedy was born out of that. Tracy used comedy as a weapon when kids would talk about his family situation. This is just really sad to see. Twitter has been such a great place for people to express their thoughts. Outpouring from comedian friends. Just people that have watched tracy for years on snl and 30 rock. Prayers and thoughts to tracy and his family. As we move on, a little tough turn here. We do need to take a look at the Weekend Box Office. The fault in our stars, which if you have not read the book, by the way, its phenomenal. Its just blowing it out of the water. Doing so well. This movie was made for 12 million. Expected to bring in 52 million opening weekend. Huge returns. As you said, the book, john greens book about two people that meet in a cancer outpatient center. This one is just sh it has always makings to be a success. The producers that did twilight. A young hot star. Based off of a hit novel. Even though the novel essentially was a young adult novel, it really im proof. My mother loved it. It has such wide appeal. Its something so many people if youve ever watched a loved one suffer can relate to. Are you going to see the movie . Yeah. People looking for Binge Watching opportunities, orange is the new black started season 2. I got through two episodes yesterday. Lester. Season came out friday. What do you think so far. First episode i was a little bit thrown. You go into the second one and its back totally to what it is. For those who have not seen season 2 yet, the First Episode is all about piper. Youre wondering, where are the other characters. In episode 2 it starts to come in. The whole thing for those who dont know, all 13 episodes are posted at one time. If you have the stamina, you can watch it at one time. I was talking to some of my girlfriends. Some of them have started watching it as we have. They were saying they love this because theres not another show that has such Strong Female characters from different backgrounds. You start to see people who they are. In good ways. Except for the fact theyre all felons. Minor detail. No ones perfect. This does. It flashes back to their childhood. You find out exactly where these characters are coming from. Its more about character development. Isnt it fun anyhow we operate now in terms of Binge Watching. When a show ends, what do i do now . You need a show. You go through withdrawal. A lot of my shows ended this fall. Ive been in this hunt. You were right for season 2. How many episodes will you be watching today, lester . I work two shows today. Probably none. Im still working on house of cards. Im going to watch that on my ipad later. Still on season 1 . Season 1. No spoilers. Still to come here on today, we are celebrating fatherhood with a dad and daughter duo behind these photos. No, no children were harmed or fathers in the making of these photos. Theyre with us right afte nineteen years ago, we thought, wow, how is there no way to tell the good from the bad . So we gave people the power of the review. And now angies list is revolutionizing local service again. You can easily buy and Schedule Services from toprated providers. Conveniently stay up to date on progress. And effortlessly turn your photos into finished projects with our snapfix app. Visit angieslist. Com today. A long term struggle. Needs long term relief. In. Eucerin calming creme. Used everyday. Its triple Ingredient Formula is clinically proven to provide 24 hour moisture and to relieve dry, itchy skin, with 92 of people reporting improved overall skin condition overtime. Eucerin calming creme. Experience the difference that over 100 years of skin science makes. Calm, healthy skin starts with eucerin. Modern dads is brought to you by dove men plus care. Celebrating the many ways dads care. Fathers day is just a week away. Were celebrating all things dad by kicking off a week long series on today called modern dads. Dove men plus care just released new research taking a closer look at the ever changing role of fatherhood. This morning we celebrate our today fathers through your home videos and photos. Fatherhood. Millions strong. The tenderness of fathers and their children shown in these private moments. Yet according to some recent findings by dove men plus care, 3 out of 5 dads say the media portrays them negatively. I. I. Love. Love. You. You. In the same research of 1,000 dads, 80 of fathers say theyre proud to be a strong presence in their childrens lives. With words like caring and loving most commonly used to describe their roles as dads. And while an overwhelming majority of dads surveyed say their prioritize families over work, theyre still torn between providing financial versus emotional needs. A stress those same dads agree is much greater than it used to be. Love that laugh. One dad with a humorous take on fatherhood is dave engeldow. Hes compiled his first few years of being a dad with his book. Good to have you here. Every new father knows theres a real stress you dont want to get this wrong. You kind of parodied those fears with these photos. How did it begin . It began when alice was about 9 weeks old. I was feeling clueless and exhausted. I wanted to create an image that would capture what i was feeling and make fun of myself. We took a picture holding alice using his milk for my coffee. Created a coffee cup that said worlds best father. There she is sitting on a toaster. None of this happened. This is photoshow pped. Well shoot my shot first. Then alice second. You guys can appreciate the first time i pick up this book and i look at those pictures, im like, no, they didnt. People are shocked sometimes, right . Yeah. Sometimes. I want to see. You want to see . Do you have a favorite picture . Jen, you help stage these photos as well . I do. I try to keep everything safe and sane. So keeping alice happy. Making sure daves not going over the top with the pictures. And then just keeping everything working. Originally this was something you just shared among family and friends. It went viral. Yes, thats right. But i do want to get back to that question. For people who look at this and go, i dont know. I know this isnt real. But its still disconcerting. Yes. We were really surprised when the images went viral that the majority of folks have been really positive. We found a lot of other parents have a really similar sense of humor. We do get people unfamiliar with our work. We had a woman a couple weeks ago who saw a picture of alice on the barbecue grill and said if you want to teach a baby how to use the grill, theres safer ways to do it. Again, not real. But you spent an awful lot of time doing this. Yes. You want to see the fishy . We have some fish youre going to see in a minute. We have sharks. A pelican. Does chefshe have a favorite . Which one is your favorite, alice. Do you like this one . You like that one . You got to have a lot of patience. We do have a lot of patience. Doing those photos. Getting back to your question about the length of time, it can take a couple of hours to do the shoot. And then, you know, another five to ten hours in editing afterwards. I think weve lost her. Dave, alice and jen, great to have you. She wants to go over and see weve got penguins in t studio. Well tell you what thats about in a few minutes. Were all going to be locked on to that as well. Great to have you here. Congratulations. Be sure to tune into today all week long for much more of our modern dads series. Find out a lot more about modern dads and our survey on the new today parent section of our website, today. Com. Then very special fathers Day Celebrations right here next sunday. Now over to dylan in the orange room. Shes with the plaza fan of the day. I am with leigh and Craig Zimmerman from spencerville, maryland. 35th anniversary and theyre both still mile ismiles. Still to come on today, from under the sea to studio 1a. Celebrating World Oceans Day with sharks, penguins and more. But first these messages. Coach, making decisions is a big part of your job. So, which would you choose . This one that cleans or this one that cleans and protects against dryness . That one. Thats it. You got one question for me . Dove men care bodywash cleans and protects against dryness. [ male announcer ] fresh, local milk, real cream, and no preservatives. From the farm to our fridge in just six days. Philadelphia® cream cheese. So rich, creamy, and delicious. Only philadelphia®. So rich, creamy, and delicious. You best settle in for the most dependable relationship of your life. So bring on your smelly things. Your dirty things. Not your electronic things. Youre welcome. But most definitely your delicate things. Because with maytag, all kinds of things can get the best cleaning in the industry. bell rings may is maytag month. Shop now and grab big savings on dependable maytag appliances. To prove to you that aleve is the better choice for him, hes agreed to give it up. Thats today . [ male announcer ] well be with him all day as he goes back to taking tylenol. I was okay, but after lunch my knee started to hurt again. And now ive got to take more pills. Yup. Another pill stop. Can i get my aleve back yet . For my pain, i want my aleve. [ male announcer ] look for the easyopen red arthritis cap. This morning on todays call of the wild, we are talking about World Oceans Day. Thats today. We have a few Sea Creatures in the studio to help us learn a it will little bit more. World oceans day was designated by the United Nations to raise Global Awareness to raise challenges facing our oceans and ocean dwellers. Weve brought along friends to honor the day and give a little lesson as well. Nice to have you back. Thank you. Of course, every day is World Oceans Day at seaworld, right . There you go. When you go to places like seaworld, people get a chance to see under water and learn all about what is this extraordinary life that is living under there. It is so extraordinary. The colors are just almost something that you cant imagine. But these are also endangered populations. Both the fish and the coral reef. As were talking about this awareness, whats being done at this point to preserve some of these different habitats . Well, you know what . Things that those at aquariums are doing right now is looking at sustainability. Thats really what it all revolves around. Everything needs to stay in balance. All the life. Even the Chemical Properties of the water with acid rain and things like that. So what weve kind of concentrated on are rather than collect those fish. Theres so many hobbyists. Were working with universities. Were working with public aquariums and hobbyists. Rather than take it out of that natural environment. Rather than take it out of the natural environment, were raising them. Clown fish is probably one of the most popular. Because we all know nemo. You also have also really very well done in terms of raising these fish in captivity. You also have penguins today which is, i think, where dylan is going to take over. Shes been practicing her walk. Showing the penguins right now. They are the most popular ocean ambassadors. What a lot of people see is the penguins on the ground, of course. But penguins spend up to 70 be careful, though. Oh, be careful. Stay down with him here. There we go. Penguins spend up to 70 of their time in the water. Theyre very much ocean dwellers. We kind of compete with them, dont we . Thats exactly right. Penguins are coastal animals. We oftentimes are going out there and doing our fisheries. Were collecting anchovies and sardines for people. I dont eat those anyway. Thats good. The exact same places these guys would find their food as well. Penguins are having to swim farther and farther out to find food to bring back for their chicks. One of the things we can do is make sure we only buy sustainably harvested fish. Theres the food. Lester, now is a good time. With that, do you have any birds that fly, by chance . We do, actually. Were going to bring out panama. Look at him. This is a rescued pelican from seaworld in orlando. Weve rescued over 4,000 pelicans as well as 23,000 marine animals. Ive read these guys are taking it on the chin from pesticides. Thats exactly right. Theyve done the same issues also with finding enough fish in the ocean as well as one of their big problems is getting caught up in fishing line. So something that people can do is make sure that they always put their fishing line that they cut up come on up here, panama. Come on. Do you want to fly . Fly up here. There you go nicely done. Were going to have to leave it there. Thank you. Panama, it was nice having you here. Be right back after this. [ jennifer ] i was not aware of how much acidity was in my diet. I was so focused on making good food choices, i had no idea that it was damaging the enamel of my teeth. I wanted to fix it. I wanted to fix it right away. My dentist recommended pronamel. He said that pronamel can make my teeth stronger, that it was important, that that is something i could do each day to help protect the enamel of my teeth. Pronamel is definitely helping me to lead the life that i want to live. So do tire swings this is our ocean spray cranlemonade. Its good, oldfashioned lemonade. Only better whoa [ splash ] ocean spray cranlemonade. A bold twist on an old favorite. [ girl ] my mom, she makes underwater fans that are powered by the moon. She can print amazing things, right from her computer. [ whirring ] [ train whistle blows ] she makes trains that are friends with trees. My mom works at ge. On the hit usa show, gina torres plays Jessica Pearson. A no nonsense attorney who will do pretty much whatever it takes to make sure her law firm always comes out on top. Take a look. Where is he . Donna said he had a morning meeting outside of the office. And where is donna . Right here. I prefer to appear at the exact moment im needed. I wish i could say the same for harvey. Oh, harvey has a very i know that morning meeting doesnt mean morning meeting. Gina is with us this morning. Good morning. Good morning. How are you guys . Good. Great to have you here. Fiercely loyal. Theres a little personal issue, little conflict of interest coming in the beginning of this season. Which is a little fun but could change things. It could change things. Yes, i know. Jessica finally, finally has a little bit of a love interest. I think it took three seasons to just find the right guy. She is such a calm, cool, collected, sharp dressing woman. Is there part of you when you play a character like that that parts of her youd like to incorporate in your own life. Absolutely. She is an inspiration. There are things she gets away with and the way that she gets away with things that you go, you know what . I bet i could talk to the plumber that way. I would actually get this stuff done faster. She doesnt question herself. No. Thats the beauty of her. She is completely comfortable in her own skin. She apologizes for nothing. You know, we had some boys on the show. They said behind the scenes its just like a mad house. Practical jokes after another. You all have so much fun its barely work. Do you really have as much fun off screen as we see on . We do. I wouldnt say a mad house. That was their word. Boys. I think theyre easier on me. I think the persona of Jessica Pearson sort of carries over. They dont mess with me too much. Thats good. But it is great. And theyre fantastic. And its a great cast. We get along beautifully. And real quick, i just have to ask, what is it like playing with your husband . Playing a married couple on hannibal . Lawrence fishburn. This is a great place for a joke. But the fact is, its wonderful. Hes amazing. Gina torres, great having you on. Thanks so much. No season of suits starts wednesday 9 00 8 00 central. In paris, championship sunday afternoon dons with the match most anticipated an nothing has anticipated no one has anticipated this match more than one man for the last year as Novak Djokovic awaits his chance to walk on this court. Court phillippechatrier to try to win the french open championship. A quest to find a long and difficult road to do something, that would be an understatement