>> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and meredith vieira live from this is "today" with matt lauer and meredith vieira live from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning. welcome to "today." >> a lot of hope on this latest attempt to stop this oil leak. hopefully bp is going to attempt to plug it today. >> it's a big question though. it's called a top kill method. we have heard a lot about it. it involves pumping heavy dri drilling mud into the leak hoping to slow it down. if that works the well would be cemented over, but bp says it only has a 60% to 70% chance of working. take a look at a live camera showing what's going on 5,000 feet below the surface of the gulf right now. we'll have much more including an interview with the ceo of bp coming up. also ahead, sarah ferguson, the duchess of york here in new york just days after she got caught trying to sell access to her ex-husband prince andrew. plus, dramatic video of a baby on a stroller rolling onto the tracks in front of a train. we want to begin with bp's attempt to plug the gusher of oil in the gulf. anne thompson is there this morning. anne, good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. diagnostic tests go on at this hour on the blowout preventer as bp readies for that top kill procedure. this as the committee releases information showing there were three indications in the hour before the explosion of flow and pressure problems. and all of this just makes people here in venice lose patience. >> where in the heck does it come from in the united states that corporate levels dictate to the government what they are going to do and not going to do. >> reporter: people here are not holding back. >> obviously -- >> do you real -- are you really serious that you cannot answer this question? [ applause ] >> reporter: as more and more oil invades louisiana's wetlands and beaches, patience is in short supply. tuesday night at the town hall residents let bp and federal officials have it. >> we want the president, the epa, the federal fashions to step up. >> reporter: one of the most contention issues, the use of a chemical to clean up the oil even after they were asked to find something less toxic. >> we've got the proof of katrina and now we have the proof of this. you're jerking us around. >> reporter: his callers are fed up. >> if this would have happened close to washington, d.c., i wonder how they would have looked at this. >> reporter: still spewing oil, bp has been working on the top kill method, an untested technique a mile below the surface. >> they want to make sure the pipe can with stand the pressure of the mud being put down it. >> reporter: the explosion that started the spill killed 11 men. five weeks after their death, the husbands, fathers, brothers and friends were remembered at a memorial service in jackson, mississippi. >> and may gordon, blair, steven, carl, jason, dale, wyatt, adam, shane, dewey, and donald rest in peace. >> reporter: today, the focus will be out at the leak site and the attempt on the top kill procedure. you will be able to continue to watch that live feed as they do -- not only the diagnostic procedures that are going on now, but also the top kill technique. matt? >> all right. anne thompson in louisiana for us this morning. thank you very much. tony hayward is the chief executive officer of bp. good morning to you. >> good morning, matt. >> let's get to the question. will the top kill procedure be carried out this morning? >> well, over the last week we have rebuilt the blowout preventer on the seabed to give it functionality. over the last 12 hours, continuing through the night, we have continued to take pressure readings and establish flow paths. that work continues as we speak. later this morning, i will review that with the team and i will take a final decision as to whether or not we should proceed. >> and if you determine that it's safe to proceed with this, will that happen today? >> our expectations are that if we determine we should proceed it would happen today. i have to say that it will be a day or two before we can have certainty that it's worked. those of you watching it live on the feed should be aware that there will be changes to the flow patterns. that should not be interpreted as either success or failure. it is simply a consequence of the impact of beginning to pump mud. >> a lot of people will be -- >> -- a day or two -- >> a lot of people will be watching this very carefully. if those pipes cannot with stand the pressure of pumping this drilling mud down there, if one, for example, ruptures, does that take out the next procedure as well -- the so-called junk shot? does that eliminate the chance of carrying that out? >> the next step of that plan is to move to a containment device that will be sealed on the top of the blowout preventer. that is on the seabed. and it would be deployed within a three or four-dayti time wind if the top kill is not successful. >> the former ceo of shell john hoffmeister suggested a different approach -- at least a temporary approach to helping stem the problem. that's bringing a group of tankers in in formation using their powerful pumps to suck up the oil and water from the area of the spill, then taking them to port, separating the oil and water, putting the water back in the sea and getting rid of the oil. is this something you have even considered? have you talked to him? could it be something that could be done while these other procedures are being examined? >> we have spoken to mr. hoffmeister. we have considered many options. we're focused on containment and elimination of the leak on the seabed and containment and collection of the oil on the water and defense of the shore. so all options are being considered, and we have a very rigorous plan that we're moving forward with in a very determined and disciplined way. >> when you talk about defense of the shore, i want to call your attention -- and i know you have heard a lot about this in the last couple of days -- to comments you made to sky news in the not-too-distant past. you said, quote, everything we can see at the moment suggests that the overall environmental impact will be very, very modest. when you see these images of oil-soaked shorelines and of wildlife damage and of fisheries closed down and of people hurting and the economic consequences of this disaster, do you understand why people think, "how in the world could he have said that"? >> i was on the beach yesterday, matt. i felt devastated and gutted about what i saw. i feel that we have let people down for sure. we are going to redouble our efforts in that endeavor. we have tens of thousands of people working along the shore, thousands of fishing boats. it's difficult to describe the scale of the operation that we have going down there. and even if a cupful of oil gets to the beach, it's a failure. i feel devastated that that's the case and we are doing everything we can, working with the local communities, the fishermen. >> right. >> the people from the communities to defend the shore to the best of our abilities. >> all right. in closing, just in ten seconds, we will know sometime today whether bp will go forward with this top kill method to stop this leak. that's correct? >> that is correct. i would expect us to be in a position to notify people that we are proceeding with the operation in the course of the day. >> all right. tony hayward, the ceo of bp. thanks for your time this morning. >> thank you. and now let's get a check on the top stories with ann curry at the news desk. >> good morning, everybody. also in the news secretary of state hillary clinton held crisis talks in south korea as tensions on the peninsula reach the highest point in a decade. she said the international community must pressure north korea to change its ways after it was accused of sinking a south korean warship. at least ten people were injured on tuesday, some with broken bones, when a united airlines flight from london to los angeles hit severe turbulence. passengers arrived overnight after switching planes in montreal. the retiring space shuttle "atlantis" passed the 20 million mile mark today on the way to the kennedy space center. world markets re bobounded after wall street recovered on tuesday. good morning. >> it was a wild ride. the dow lost as much as 300 points, reclaiming the 10,000 mark. traders believe the central bank will lower the cost of emergency funding. that would be a short-term fix but bigger issues remain. foremost how the european slowdown would impact the economy. ann, more volatility ahead. and dramatic video we saw earlier of a baby stroller with a toddler inside rolling off a train platform today in melbourne, australia, as a train was approaching. the little boy survived with scrapes and bruises. hard to look at. we know the boy was under the care of his good mortgage. bright sunshine and a few high clouds coming over. temperature are climbing into the low and mid 60s. in the 50s in the rural areas. highs into the upper 80s this afternoon. a slight chance of a thunderstorm. around 90. there is a likelihood of scattered thunderstorms. cloudy, cooler, occasional showers fr >> and that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you. she's still reeling after being caught trying to sell access to her ex, prince andrew, but sarah ferguson is in new york for a public event today. >> reporter: it's almost become routine. there is a celebrity scandal and then the celebrity hides. just days after her scandal broke sarah ferguson is hardly running away from responsibility. she'll be here at what's called book expo america. it's a gigantic convention for book lovers and sellers. she'll moderate a children's book panel. she has one good story to tell. in his first public appearance since the royal rattling scandal exploded, sarah ferguson's ex-husband prince andrew was tight-lipped tuesday. buckingham palace says andrew knew nothing of fergie's private deal -- exchanging access to him for cash. >> 500,000 pounds when you can to me -- open doors. >> reporter: the undercover video is so stinging, so stunning to viewers on both sides of the pond. despite the latest embarrassment, fergie is moving forward with her schedule in the u.s. as planned. there is speculation she may be moving here for good. today, the due which he is is in manhattan promoting an up coming line of children's books. she has an advice guide for parents coming out this winter. >> new yorkers and americans love a redemption story. this is the perfect place for fergie now. >> reporter: she accepted a charity award in los angeles as scheduled. >> quite a heavy day. [ laughter ] >> reporter: even charming the california crowd. >> i hate grown-ups. and i love children. >> reporter: the duchess of york is no stranger to the tabloids including the unforgettable topless shots of her caught in an affair. how's fergie doing these days? a soon to be released video with the british version of "reader's digest" may offer insight. fergie said she sought help from a priest after feeling despair over criticisms in the media and mockery of her weight. "i went into a church and told the priest i didn't think i could cope with it anymore," she said. now fergie may have to cope with an investigation. back in england the 50-year-old duchess reportedly has been told she must reveal details of all the introductions she made to andrew or face a parliamentary inquiry. having reinvented herself before, the duchess must begin picking herself up once again. >> for the duchess to restore her reputation, only time will allow that to happen. >> at $7.95 per book fergie will have to sell a lot to get out of debt. she'll sign them today and there is a book party for her in new york tonight. >> all right, peter alexander. thank you very much. now back to matt. >> thank you. now to an amazing 9-1-1 call from a brave little girl who was home alone while her house was being robbed. natalie morales has more on this. good morning to you. >> good morning to you, matt. it is chilling to listen to. this 12-year-old girl on the phone with a 9-1-1 operator as a robber entered her bedroom. >> reporter: 12-year-old mackenzie hughes was home alone waiting for her twin brothers to come home. >> i heard a knock on the door. it was this guy i have never seen in my life. so i just sat there really quietly. he kept on tapping on the door. all of the sudden i saw him try the knob. >> reporter: terrified, mackenzie ran to her room and dialled 9-1-1. >> where are you? what room are you in? >> i'm in my room. >> okay. don't talk so loud, okay? can you get in the closet? >> i can't lift up the phone. i don't hear anything. >> will the phone reach under your bed? >> i can't fit underneath my bed. >> okay. is there a lock on your door? >> okay. >> mackenzie, if you see him come in, don't talk to me. >> okay. >> tuesday she showed reporters what she'd done. hiding under the covers even though she knew the intruder knew she was there. >> i could feel one of them staring right at me like right there by me. i was freaked out. i felt so sick to my stomach. >> he's in my room. >> he's in your room? okay, be quiet. don't talk to me. it's okay. just don't talk. [ crying ] >> okay. take deep breaths, okay? think of something really fun, okay? try not to cry, okay? i know it's hard. >> reporter: luckily a patrol car was in the area and nabbed the intruders when they ran away when they sheriff's departmehea. they were booked with burglary, all thanks to her 9-1-1 call. >> she did exactly what everybody should do. >> reporter: for mackenzie and her mom -- >> i'm just thankful to god. it could have went really bad. >> reporter: a call that was too close for comfort. apparently her crime fighting duties didn't end with the phone call. she alerted police officers to a suspicious footprint in the kitchen. that 9-1-1 operator, a true hero. >> i agree, natalie. i think that operator was fantastic. she really was try to think of something fun, don't panic. we hear a lot of times where it doesn't go as planned. that sounds as it went just as she was trained to do. >> that girl is so brave. >> all right. coming up, an exclusive interview with charla nash, the woman who lost her face and hands in a brutal chimp attack last year. this morning an update on her recovery and her reaction to the death of the chimp's so, this is the new car? yeah, here she is. it's, uh...great. thanks! yeah. doors would have been nice. eh... they weren't in my budget. no biggie. hey, you wanna hop in, go for a ride? oh! that'd be easy, right? yeah! narrator: settling for less is not smart. what is smart is getting more car for your money at carmax. for the money you would spend on a stripped-down new car, you can get a fully-loaded, guaranteed-quality used car at carmax. now more than ever, the smart choice is carmax. the way car buying should be. coming up, they're calling her the bionic bride. a young woman being kept alive in a remarkable way. she had a virus attack her heart. it basically shut down her heart and other oregon ggans in her o. she now as an external battery. >> operating on a battery. and the extreme eating award. chain restaurants that pack on the calories and more. a 980-calorie hamburger. >> some of the meals at these popular restaurants -- one meal you get all the calories for a day. >> doesn't that look appetizing? >> announcer: this summer only on today, lay day dy gaga, just bieber, kesha. only on "today." @z@z @dh@ . @@@ . >> good morning. it's 7:26 on this wednesday, the 26th day of may. a suspect remains on the loose after a wild police chase earlier this morning that started in prince george's county after a suspected robbery, but ended when the police officer crashed on w street in southeast washington. he was able to escape. the officer has minor injuries and is expected to be okay. we will get an update sumner late may. it's on the way. temperatures are in the 60s climbing into the upper 80s and a small chance of a thunderstorm. tomorrow hot and humid and around 90 and a likelihood of afternoon storms. >> on the rails, there still delays on the red line because of the earlier problem at union station, but things will start to deescalate. southbound 270 as you approach germ ontown jammed as you make the drive from below clarks berg. an accident on the roadway. southbound 270 at 118. >> we will start the day off right. the news now begins at 4:30. get 7:30 now on wednesday morning, the 26th day of may. looks like the fleet is in. it's a picture perfect day here in the big apple. we have a lovely crowd soaking it in. inside studio 1-a, i'm meredith vieira along with matt lauer. coming up, an exclusive interview with charla nash, the woman whose face was torn off by a chimpanzee. we'll get rer hooher reaction t death of the woman who owned the chimp. >> and do you know the calorie count of the food you're eating? the results are alarming. one pasta dish from the cheesecake factory could pack in more calories than you need or are recommended to consume for an entire day. >> whoa. >> we're going to highlight some of the worst offenders. and later, something old, something new, something bionic. we're going to meet the 22-year-old woman planning her wedding while being kept alive by a battery-powered heart pump. >> that's an amazing story. we have a new twist in the chimp attack that left a connecticut woman disfigured and fighting for her life. the owner of the chimp sandra herold died this week. first an update from nbc's jeff rossen. >> reporter: sandra herold died all alone, villified all along for raising that chimp. she was fairly healthy so it was a shock when she died suddenly from a ruptured aortic aneurysm. her lawyer said in the end her heart, which had been broken so many times before, could take no more. >> he could open doors? >> he could drive. he took off with the car a couple times. >> on the street? >> yeah. >> reporter: to her dying day, sandra herold loved her chimp. i spoke with her just after travis attacked and maimed her friend, charla nash. >> it's a horrible thing, but i'm not a horrible person and he wasn't a horrible chimp. it was a freak thing. >> he's killing my friend! >> who's killing your friend? >> my chimpanzee? >> reporter: animal experts say they're dangerous, they're animals. >> they are the closest thing to human, the closest thing to us. we can give them blood transfusions, they can give us one. how many people go crazy and kill other people? this is one incident that -- i don't know what happened. >> reporter: police shot travis to death. that chimp, sandra told me, was all she had left. her husband had died five years earlier and her only daughter was killed in a car accident. travis was it. >> he could have been more my son than if i gave birth to him. >> reporter: you saved his drawings like you would save a child's drawing. >> that's right. i put them on the refrigerator for him. when he wanted them he'd come and get them. i used to buy everything for him. filet mignon, lobster tails, chocolate. >> reporter: after the attack police considered criminal charges against herold for missing key warning signs that travis was out of control. in 2003 he got loose and tied up traffic. no one was hurt. investigators never charged her. still, the family of charla nash has sued herold for $50 million. herold spent her final days defending herself. after what you have been through with this, your friend is in the hospital fighting for her life. do you still think chimps should be pets? >> would i have done it again? yes. it was horrific what happened and i had to do what i had to do. i will miss him for the rest of my life. >> reporter: her lawyer says sandra was generous, that she simply loved animals and people equa