the fourth ballot. a lot of those who watched the vatican closely think this may take a bit longer because there is no clear front-runner. nonetheless, the chimney did bell. out that smoke. actually it went for a while, stopped, and then started again. again the signal is black smoke, there is no pope yet. they are still hard at work. on a break right now. they took a lunch break after the two morning votes and some time for prayer and reflection. they'll go back at it this afternoon. we may have more smoke here in the next couple of hours. we're all waiting. the world is waiting. and certainly all of rome is waiting to find out who the next pope is, matt. >> we're happy to have you, lester because when we are in doubt we can put the onus on you. thanks. >> we'll go to the vatican in st. peter's square with a great vantage point. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. behind me you can see people filing in to st. peter's scare

making their way despite the terrible rain trying to be first to watch and see what happens. to explain, the cardinals will make their way across the back of the vatican to the sistine chapel. you can just see the sistine chapel poking out of the back of the basilica and then we expect in the next hour if it's anything like this morning thousands of people to fill the square. there are big screens up so they can see the chimneys clearly but as you say, this morning, here in the square people weren't sure whether it was black or white smoke. people began to realize, no, we haven't chosen a pope yet. we'll see what happens later today. >> thank you. earlier this morning i spoke to vatican senior communications adviser greg burke, and we began by talking about the issue of the day, the black smoke which we've now seen twice and why there was so much confusion because it was a great deal darker last night. >> there were lots of tweets last night saying very, very black smoke, you know, no doubt about it.

but i have to admit this morning brought back a little bit memories from eight years ago where the white smoke was actually gray for a long time and we spent five or ten minutes trying to figure it out until they started ringing the bells and told us and they'll do that this time as well. but i think today also showed you there may be an initial 30 seconds of doubt but after that it's pretty black. >> and it would have been extraordinary if this had been white smoke today and we would have had a pope selected so long, in fact, with no clear front-runner as far as all of us on the outside know how much urgency is there among the cardinals to select a pope within a matter of a few days? are they concerned the longer a conclave goes on the more people on the outside feel there is contentiousness within the ranks and it smou diminishes the person ultimately selected? >> savannah, they're aware of that, that if it goes on too long that is the case. there are a couple important things to remember. one is that you need two-thirds of the cardinals, so that's a

really broad consensus. and if it were to happen, if it had happened this morning i think that would have been a great surprise, as you said. the other thing is they're aware of what people are thinking on the outside to a certain degree but not really because they're locked off from television and from the newspapers and all the rest and as of yesterday the climate really changed. they have gone into essentially a retreat. a lot of catholics, a lot of christians make retreats for a day, for two days, for five days. some actually make a month-long retreat. i don't think they'll be doing that here. but this is the kind of retreat for the catholic church. they go in to pray. that's essentially what they're doing and they're not too worried at this point about getting it over in a day or two days or some people said getting back by palm sunday but really choosing the person they believe that should lead the catholic church. >> as you mentioned, they are not unaware of what's going on in the outside world. i know the general congregation discussion centered on that. most recently we heard of the

los angeles diocese here settling a handful of sexual abuse cases for $10 million. how much concern is there that the next pope is somebody able to restore credibility to the institution, get a handle on these scandals whether the sexual abuse scandal worldwide or some of the financial and government scandals that the vatican has seen? >> reporter: well, i think some of that came out in the general congregations and the american bishops spoke very clearly as well. it's a broad issue of responsibility, of accountability. i mean, they've made great progress in terms -- because of the sexual abuse crisis in terms of dealing with that and there is no doubt about that. that is not true globally so, obviously that does have to be addressed and the other issues as well. it is part of it. i think there is one thing, though, that one cardinal has said, too. it's interesting that the media has one idea of what's going on in there and then there is the real news which is going on in there so i think it's part of it.

i don't think a responsibility, accountability, or perhaps the top thing, they are in the end looking for somebody they call the vicar of christ and that is really the key thing they're looking for. >> there was a newspaper report in italy that benedict xvi was watching all this on television. do you know anything about whether he is following these proceedings? >> i don't think he's watching every day. he watched the initial things yesterday and i assume from now on it'll be the news just like he watches every day. >> our conversation a bit earlier with vatican senior communications adviser greg burke. >> we seem to be making a lot about the color of smoke. but it's significant. on the left of your screen, that is the black smoke from earlier this morning. on the right of your screen, that is what the smoke looked like eight years ago 2005 when we had the election of the pope, pope benedict xvi. so that's what we're looking for. >> we don't want to sound defensive, but, you know, sometimes -- >> they're similar. >> a little ambiguous and the

different camera shots and the lighting. >> and the volume going now, really pumping it out. >> we should have sent a picture from yesterday because the smoke was so dark, thick, black, very clear. >> like they had thrown a tire in there. >> yes. chemicals. >> anyway, of course white, black, gray, whatever we will have our eye on the chimney all day long. we'll bring you live coverage as it happens. >> natalie, what do you have? >> all right. let's get to the news. a pipeline fire has erupted in louisiana bayou this morning after a tug boat pushing an oil barge hit the line. officials are waiting for the liquid petroleum remaining in the 19-mile pipeline to burn off and several crew members of the tug boat were injured in the blaze. lawmakers in colorado have now approved a measure to allow civil unions for gay couples. the measure is heading to the state governor, who is expected to sign it. seven years ago colorado voters banned gay marriage making civil unions the only option for same sex couples there.

the federal aviation administration has approved a plan for boeing to redesign its troubled 787 dreamliners' lithium ion batteries which had been overheating and causing fires forcing the faa to ground the fleet. a colorado judge has entered a not guilty plea for accused mass shooter james holmes. holmes' attorney said they were not ready to enter a plea for the july 20th shooting rampage at an aurora movie theater that killed 12 people and wounded some 70 others. legal analysts say the lack of a plea from holmes' team could be part of a long-term plan to avoid the death penalty. and as savannah mentioned darryl earlier a $10 million payout for the roman catholic archdiocese in los angeles as the church settles four sexual abuse cases. newly released files show he confessed to cardinal mahony in 1986 he had been molesting two brothers for years. mahony sent baker for

psychological treatment but ultimately allowed him to return molested once again. mahony is now at the papal conclave in rome. a long time ago on a planet not so far away there could have been life. the curiosity rover on mars has found evidence of ancient water showing the red planet could once have been a habitable environment. and now let's head to wall street. cnbc's mary thompson is at their world headquarters. good morning, mary. >> hey, mary. stocks are lower in earlier trade despite good news on consumer spending. february's retail sales up 1.1% the fastest increase in five months driving the gain higher gasoline prices along with stronger auto and online sales. this offset a decline in sales at department stores as well as furniture stores. and apple's ipod is forecast to garner less than half of the market this year. smaller android devices are gaining in popularity. >> thank you. and an historic win in

alaska this morning. 53-year-old mitch cebe is now the oldest winner ever of the thousand-mile-long iditarod sled dog race. the second win for him but the third in his family. his son dallas won last year at the age of 25 becoming the youngest winner ever. looks like they have a family dynasty going. you're up to date. over to you, mom. >> all right. natalie, thank you. >> actually had to run part of it at night because the temperatures were so warm it was really dangerous for the dogs. >> interesting. >> and as a 53-year-old at night he had to stop several times. >> we can understand that. >> yes, we can. >> right. all right. how about a check of the weather? >> yeah. let's see what we have for you. our friends in the pacific northwest, unfortunately, the victims of a pineapple express. moisture coming in from hawaii all the way across into the pacific northwest. going to bring a lot of rain while seattle will see not quite as much. we are talking about areas with

as much as 4 inches of rain over the next 48 hours. we'll get to your local forecast right after this message. you are the pig to her bnketla. that's not breakdancing, that's break-up dancing. don't give up on us america, we're not done yet! now two must dance as one. you won't run into the top ten appliance brands just anywhere... only sears carries them all. and only sears delivers them all with $70 in shop your way points. this is sears. 7:12 on a wednesday morning. warmest day of the year so far headed our way. 80 degrees in livermore today. 83 for gilroy. we head through the next few day, we'll stay unseasonably warm. getting into the end of the week and the weekend, temperatures will start to drop off. st. patrick's day looks good, 75

degrees. by monday and tuesday, cooler weather and cloud cover. that's your latest weather. savannah? >> thanks, al. there are new developments in the budget battle raging in washington. probe heads to capitol hill for a rare lunch with house republicans. kristen welker has details this morning. good morning. >> reporter: savannah, good morning to you. the last time president obama spoke face to face with house republicans was june of 2011. today's visit on capitol hill comes as democrats and republicans are unveiling dramatically different budgets leaving many to wonder if the meetings will produce more than just talk. president obama ramping up his outreach to congress with four meetings on capitol hill this week. today, a rare lunch with house republicans. on tuesday, a give and take with democrats behind closed doors. beyond the smiles, not everyone at the white house is happy about the meetings. the national journal reports an

unanimous senior white house officially called the meetings a joke and said, i hope you all in the media are happy. we are doing it for you. >> i have no idea who said that. but that opinion has never been voiced in my presence, in the president's presence, in the west wing. >> reporter: adding to the tension, both parties are rolling out starkly different budgets. senate democrats unveiled theirs today. sources say it will cut the deficit by $2 trillion through tax hikes and spending cuts. gop leaders say the plan will raise taxes without balancing the budget. >> we believe we owe the american people a balanced budget. >> reporter: republican paul ryan's budget released tuesday balances the budget in ten years. highlights include repeal of the health care law, an overhaul of ped care making it a private insurance plan funded by vouchers and unspecified reforms of the tax code with a goal of creating two brackets -- 10 and 25%.

>> to inflate the claims of deficit reduction. >> reporter: hours after the president meets with house republicans he will speak at a dinner for organizing for action, the retooled version of his campaign in a move that's rankling some republicans saying it runs counter to his outreach. despite the rhetoric, lawmakers haven't ruled out the possibility of a grand bargain for deficit reduction. that seems like tough sled eing given how sharply divided both sides remain. matt? >> kristen welker at the white house. thank you very much. we have an important health alert this morning tied to the commonly prescribed antibiotic known as the z-pack. 50 million people take it every year. now the fda warns it may lead to a fatal irregular heart rhythm in some patients. dr. goldberg is a cardiologist from the women's heart program at nyu. dr. goldberg, nice to see you.

>> good morning. >> the headline is -- >> zithromax could cause fatal heart rhythms but more commonly in people with existing heart disease. it's pretty small in healthy people but makes us think twice about calling the doctor for the z-pack. >> in 2012 there were first warnings issued about this. why is the fda acting in this way at this time? >> it was a research study in the new england journal of medicine. a panel had to investigate if it was a real b problem. it alerts doctors and patients that there is a potential problem. >> if you have issues with irregular heartbeat, low potassium levels, low mag menes levels should you not get a z-pack? >> talk to your doctor about it. there are ways we can determine if you are predisposed to fatal

heart rhythms be w a baseline electrocardiogram in the office. >> what is the alternative for those people if they have pre-existing conditions? >> there are lots of alternatives. we have amoxicillin and other penicillin-like drugs. so people won't be without antibiotics but they have to discuss the riskins and benefit of any drug with their doctor. >> it does point to the fact that in in country as a society we use a lot of antibiotics. >> that's right. sometimes they are overused. many times they are given for viral infections. azithromax doesn't work on viral infections. we have to refocus and make sure people are getting the antibiotics they need safely and for the appropriate infection. >> thanks for the information. appreciate it. >> thank you. >> here's savannah. a golfer from missouri is recovering after encountering a

hazard on the course nobody could have expected. john yang has the story. >> reporter: golfers usually hit the links looking for a hole in one. look at this picture. mark myhall ended up the one in the hole. a sink hole surrounded by his stunned golfing buddies. >> i had 20 minutes to hang on. it was more about a surviving, trying to stay calm and not move. >> reporter: it happened at the ann briar golf course outside st. louis. they were in the middle of the 14th fairway when the ground suddenly gave way. >> hank said, tell mark to get out of the way. i said, hey, mark -- and i saw him disappear. >> reporter: disappear what looked like a tear in the carpet. >> when i was going down i thought that was it. i didn't know where i would land. >> reporter: he landed 18 feet under ground in a cave-like area bigger than the opening above. within minutes a ladder was put down the hole.

mylar in pain from a dislocated shoulder couldn't climb up. >> i asked if he could move his fingers and toes, if anything was broken, was he bleeding. he said, no, no. quit asking me questions, get me out of here. >> reporter: in the men's mind the sink hole in florida that swallowed up a man in his bed, a man whose body hasn't been found. they made a sling for his shoulder and tied a rope around him so otherses could pull him out. with the happy ending myhall's wife said it reminds her from "space jam." for now myhall is happy to be alive. he's looking forward to getting back on the links but hopes never to play another hole like this one. john yang, nbc news, chicago. >> scary. >> there are times i wanted to crawl into a hole on the golf course. >> the golfer at the bottom going -- ♪ i'm all right

♪ don't nobody worry about me >> coming up, are you saving your hotel reward points? book your stay now if you want to take advantage of them. >> and the college freshman asked billy joel if he could play the piano with him and got his wish. we'll meet him. first, this is "today" on nbc.

coming up, does getting paid to lose weight work? you may be surprised by the answer. >> first, a check of your local news and weather. ♪

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to help relieve your pain and stop further joint damage. good morning to you. it is 7:26. i'm lawyer wura garcia-cannon. police are searching for a man who robbed a woman at knifepoint before assaulting her at the glass slipper inn. he also tried to rob the woman's associate on his way out. police looking for this man who allegedly approached three young girls on their way to school on almonor avenue. he tried to ask the girls questions but they kept on walking. he was last seen driving a white-colored work van. investigators say the man matched description of a man wanted in an indecent exposure case that happened in the same area last month.

time now to check that forecast with meteorologist christina loren. look at that sunrise. >> so beautiful. i wanted to show you the blue sky above the low clouds. thick fog you'll have to contend with this morning. just about everywhere, patchy, dense fog on your way to work. we'll be tracking that drive with mike in just a moment. temperatures will be comfortable, talking about the warmest day of the year so far, 83 degrees in livermore. here in san jose, 77 degrees. we will peak today, cool iing y off a couple of degrees heading into thursday. friday and saturday, things start to change. onshore flow increases. more fog to start the day and cooler afternoons as a result. saturday to sunday, st. apatrick's day weekend looks good for your outdoor plans and next rain comes into play tuesday and wednesday. we need mike inouye right now. >> we need something. congestion as well as the low clouds right here, 101 north of

680, low clouds in the background. very thick in spots. can't even use our camera at 280 and 16 because of the fog rolling in there. north 87, we have to see that clearing, just cleared from the roadway, five-car crash is cleared. monterey highway, great alternate for you, very slow off 87. 85, slow all the way up into cupertino. we'll end with this map, laura, and show you this. >> thank you very much. enjoy this beautiful morning. the rule is whenever i get something new,

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i'd like to play with you. ♪ some folks like to get away ♪ and take a holiday from the neighborhood ♪ >> back now at 7:30 on march 13, 2013. this is one college student's dream sequence. he just needed the nerve to ask billy joel, the original piano man if he could play with him. he'll tell us how the incredible encounter happened coming up. is that our cue, guys? that's the cue. >> piano man. we started singing the song in the break and he wouldn't play for us. >> we have a chance here though. ♪ it's 9:00 -- now he's getting

fancy on us. i don't know this part. well, good morning, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie with matt lauer, al roker and natalie morales. we'll have the story coming up. >> it is fun to watch. all right, michael. got it. also, are you saving up for a big trip? at some popular chains it's about to get harder to earn the free night's stay. coming up, how to get a deal before it's too late. >> with growing concern over sec sal abuse in the military a woman at the center of a controversial case in the airport that had a jury's verdict overturned. she'll speak out in a story getting a lot of attention on capitol hill. we begin with more from the vatican as the cardinals carry out the secretive process of electing the new pope. keir simmons joins us again. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. there are still crowds in st. peter's square despite the black

smoke this morning. from here you can see the top of the sistine chapel and the famous chimney. from above the tuscan kol nads, our studio gives you a bird's eye view. here is a look at what's going on behind the scenes. from up here you get a terrific view of the basilica in st. peter's square in the sistine chapel. we even have one camera fixed on that famous chimney watching for the black smoke or the white smoke when a new pope is chosen. we have a team of nbc news operators and engineerses bringing you all the latest, cap curing every moment of history as the 266th pope walks out to face the world. down stairs is the heart of the operation. come and have a look. below the studio is the newsroom where modern technology is allowing you at home to witness an election based in,000 years

of history. a team is monitoring for news about the conclave looking through local newspapers for inside information and, these days, watching the internet and social media. at the back here the live feeds. the picture of st. peter's square where people gathered to hear the words "habemus papum" or we have a pope and the chimney above the sistine chapel. back in the square the vatican erected giant tv screens so people can see the chimney when the pope is selected. the atmosphere will be electric and we'll bring it to you as it happens. >> turn around, keir. keep an eye on that chimney. we'll bring you the news as soon as we get it. >> a little bit of breather in between votes now. let's get a check of the weather. mr. roker is out on the plaza. >> thanks, guys. rolling spring breaks begin. where are you from?

>> ohio! seniors in high school. >> oh, yeah. we have lake effect snow to talk about a including ohio. look at that rotating around, bringing snow from chicago to cleveland up to syracuse. not a lot. talking basically about one to three inches locally. could see five inches in parts of western new york. as we check out the temperatures for today, going to be in the 90s in the southwest. 80s in southern florida. 20s as you make it through the northern plains. light snow around the great lakes. plenty of sunshine up and down the east oh coast. more heavy rain in the pacific northwest. the heat is on in the southwest. 81 degrees in las heat's on here in the bay area as well. good morning, i'm meteorologist christina loren. this is san francisco, though it's hard to make out with this blanket of fog overhead. that sun is up, the fog will

clear. good to see the bay bridge peeking out at top. 83 in gilroy, 80 in livermore. making this the warmest day of the year so far. make sure yew ready for that. we'll cool off just a touch for thursday and friday. saturday into subpoenaed looking good. laredo, texas, hanging out. any time you need your weather go to weather channel on cable or weather.com online. matt? >> all right, al. thank you very much. a senate panel holds a hearing on sexual assaults in the u.s. military. some lawmakers are outraged over one case in particular. an air force general who just overturned the conviction of a top combat pilot for assaulting a woman at his home. now in an exclusive interview with nbc fews the accuser is telling her side of the story. here's nbc's michael isikoff. >> i couldn't let this guy get away with it. >> reporter: kimberly hanks is speaking out for the first time about testifying last year that

she was sexually assaulted by air force lieutenant colonel james wilkerson, an f-16 combat pilot in italy. hanks, a physician's assistant, and some co-workers were socializing at wilkerson's home and she ended up sleeping in the guest bedroom. >> i felt some -- discomfort. the lights came on which woke me up. i opened my eyes and he was in bed with me with his hands down my pants. >> reporter: a military jury believed her. wilkerson was convicted in a court-martial last november, stripped of his rank and sentenced to a year in prison. but now a startling reversal. a top air force commander, lieutenant general craig franklin, has dismissed the verdict and freed lieutenant colonel wilkerson.

what was your reaction? >> i was absolutely stunned. it looks to me like he is protecting one of his own. >> reporter: general franklin never attended the trial, but after a thorough review of the entire record and related materials concluded there was insufficient evidence to support a finding of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, a spokesman said. the decision is creating an uproar on capitol hill where members say it sends precisely the wrong message to a military suffering an epidemic of sexual assaults. >> i question now whether that unit that the man returns to whether there is any chance a woman sexually assaulted in that unit would say a word. the general said that jury's decision didn't matter. >> reporter: now they are pressing to strip his authority to over turn jury verdicts. in a statement wilkerson's lawyer accused them of political grand standing and said they hope others will recognize some women make false claims of

sexual abuse. kimberly hanks said she's frustrated but has no regrets. >> i did the right thing. i reported it. i told the truth. >> reporter: michael isikoff, nbc news, washington. >> up next, we'll head to jamaica to investigate the sophisticated and often cruel scam costing americans millions every year. and new proof that financial incentives really do pay when it comes to losing weight. first, these messages. ♪ [ instrumental ] [ boy ] i used to hate eating healthy stuff. but badger likes it, so i do too. i used to have bad dreams, but not anymore. [ barks ] i used to be scared of the basement. but when badger's with me, it's not so bad. [ barking ] [ announcer ] we know how important your dog is to your whole family. so help keep him strong and healthy with purina dog chow. because you're not just a family. you're a dog family.

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americans who could lose hundreds of millions a year. lisa myers went to jamaica to check it out. good morning to you. >> reporter: hey, savannah. good morning. scams defrauding the elderly through bogus promises of wealth have been around forever. authorities say jamaican scams have become increasingly sophisticated, aggressive and successful. so many americans are falling for them that jamaican officials complain it's hurting their country's reputation. ♪ it's an island of ocean breezes, sandy white beaches and a laid back life. jamaica has an unattractive side -- scammers. >> we are trying to have you receive your cashier's check of the $2.5 million dollars and also a brand new car. >> this check we are trying to deliver to you, ma'am, is a large check. >> you're not going to win a single bloody cent by sending them money. not one red cent ever.

>> reporter: 81-year-old norman is teaching seniors a lesson learned the hard way. he gave more than $400,000 to scammers who told him he'd won a foreign sweepstakes involving millions in cash and a new car. norman dreamed that would enable him to bring home his wife who was in a nursing facility suffering from dementia. >> i was doing everything i could to try to get money to bring her home to take care of her. >> reporter: even after she died, norman kept paying until h he lost his home and every penny he had. >> you want to believe that they are legitimate. it turns out they're scum. >> reporter: the ftc reports 30,000 complaints related to jamaican scams last year and estimates fewer than 10% of victims even report the crime. some callers claim to be fbi agents or u.s. government officials confirming the senior has won something and just needs

to pay a little more. others pretend to be romantically interested in the senior. >> it is a sophisticated, cruel and pernicious scam that the jamaican government, until recently, has done virtually nothing to stop. >> reporter: jamaican authorities say they have cracked down on drug trafficking and more criminals have poved in to scams for easy money. all you need is a phone, a computer and phone numbers. >> once we realized it was such a huge problem we knew what we had to do. >> reporter: last year, jamaica formed a special lottery scam task force to work with the u.s. to track down the con artists. >> this is a dangerous part of town. >> reporter: an american special agent from homeland security investigations who asked that we not reveal his identity showed us the scammers' extravagant homes by jamaican standards with guilded gates and security

cameras. >> reporter: don't they realize this will draw the attention of authorities? >> you would think so. >> reporter: violent gangs are now into scamming with folks killing each other over lead lists of u.s. phone numbers. what's more, authorities have to battle public opinion. many here don't see scams as a crime. >> i think the one who give it should be blamed. not the one who just makes a little phone call. >> reporter: in fact, one of the most popular songs in jamaica is a form of reparation. ♪ big up every scammer ♪ who make u.s. dollar >> reporter: the government took the song off the air. american kim nichols estimates her father gave scammers more than $85,000 in six months. >> i was amazed at how layered the scam is and how good at their job they are. >> reporter: norman has advice.

>> hang up the phone. if they get their fingers into you, they've got you for goods. >> reporter: seniorses w who ge scammed are advised to please report it to authoritieses. and if you have older parents talk to them about promises too good to be true and strangers that may call. >> up next, popular hotel chains making it harder to cash in loyalty points. what you need to do to get the free night's stay. the story right after this. t ma♪ ♪ i got it made ♪ i got it made fresh at subway® ♪ ♪ breakfast made the way i say ♪ i got it made, i got it made ♪ i got it made ♪ i got it made fresh at subway® ♪ ♪ breakfast made the way i say [ male announcer ] get breakfast made the way you say. like your very own sunrise subway melt™ with turkey, bacon and black forest ham. want chipotle southwest sauce, toasty flatbread? you so got it made. ♪ at subway® ♪

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[ all kids ] twooooo! [ moderator ] you sure? i am absolutely positive! [ little boy ] two times is awesome. the thing i can do is wave my head and wave my... that's amazing. i've never seen anything like that. look i can do -- hold on -- i'm watching this. i'm getting dizzy... [ male announcer ] it's not complicated. doing two things at once is better. and only at&t's network .on . . . . . this morning on rosen reports why your next vacation may get more expensive. some of the big hotel changes are making changes in reward programs you use to book rooms. good morning, jeff. won't go over well with the people who are loyal to these chains. >> they were talking about points program. people spend a lot of time

building up enough points to take the next family vacation perhaps and get a free night. many of the most popular hotel chains in the country are changing their policies. many hotels now are charging you more points to stay for a free night. some are going down. >> give pe examples on how much pr difficult, how much loyalty you have to show to get a free night. >> you have to show more love. we want to get to the chains doing this first like starwood, westin and intercontinue fen tall hotels. if you belong to programs in wnndham, hilton or marriott there is still time. >> if i book a room for six, eight months from now as long as i book it before the change goes into effect i still have the old system. >> exactly. that's the way to beat the system. why we wanted to do the story today. those chains are starting later the week. if you book today you can slip in even if you get a vacation

next summer or winter. >> it is all about money, right? if those hotel chains keep you from getting a free room the room remains empty and they can sell it to a paying customer. >> experts say the hotel chains want to pour water on the program to keep more paying kpers available. the hotels say we re-evaluate every year. but experts say this is the most dramatic increase they have seen in a while. we brought examples of what it will take. take the wyndham cane like days inn, ramada and howard johnson's. say you want the garden inn no new york city. today it costs 16,000 points to book it. after tomorrow it will nearly double up to 30,000 points for the same room. at the hilton in miami, standard room, if you book today it costs 50,000 points. after march 28, 80,000.

>> dramatic difference. >> a huge change e at thousands of hotels. >> you have a cheat sheet so people can see where today stand. >> cheat sheets can give you an example of where you want to go. as we mentioned some hotels are going down. it pays to wait because the change in policy could help you. so go to today.com, click on the rossen reports section, check the hotel you want to go to and see if it pays to book now or wait. >> great information. the programs are so popular. jeff, thanks so much. coming up, one of billy joel's biggest fans gets the thrill of a lifetime. after your local news. nts. [ female announcer ] could your "i want" become "i can"? talk to your doctor. orencia reduces many ra symptoms like pain, morning stiffness and progression of joint damage. it's helped new ra patients and those not helped enough by other treatments.

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good morning to you. 7:57. soon deciding on charges for a morgan hill preschool teacher trying to drug the kids in her care. a co-worker spotted deborah gratz dropping an over-the-counter sleep aid into sippy cups last week. luckily, none of the kids drank the substance. she was fired from morgan hill kiddie academy after that. they're trying to figure out if this is the first time gratz has done this. kiddie academy is cooperating with police. laura, good morning to you. 7:56 now. overlooking the city by the bay where that fog is already starting to clear, but it's going to take a while before it completely clears. now in oakland, you're really dropping off, as well as san jose. watch out for thick pockets of

santa rosa. it will be out there, getting worse before it gets better. 80 degrees in livermore. fog will clear quickly after sunshine and high pressure boosting your numbers toward near-record numbers. 76 in fremont. touching on the low 70s tomorrow. bay side at the coast. cooler day on tap for your thursday. beautiful day shaping up. rush hour. let's check the drive with mike. really nice green shot here on the side of the roadway. you can clearly see that sign as well but also see that fog, which is creeping in, as christina said, through many parts of san jose. 101 near 680 and 280 at 17. very slow with the crash, half an hour of clearing time but still slow there as far as your westbound commutes. southbound 880 out of heyward, fremont. fog there is the orange stuff. back to you, laura. >> thank you very much. another local news update for you in about half an hour. hope you see through the fog.

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8:0 7:30 on a wednesday morning. it's the 13th day of march, 2013. we have a huge rolling spring break crowd out on our plaza this morning. looks like we have people from around the country, maybe high schools as well. on a beautiful day here in new york. i'm matt lauer with savannah guthrie and mr. al roker. >> it's a nice day. you went without the coat. >> without the coat. >> you did. i people like a bit of a wimp now. most people would love to meet their idol. a young man in our studio, michael pollack, got the chance to meet his, billy joel at an event at his university.

you know what, he had the nerve to get up and say, mr. joel, would you mind if i played with you? >> that takes guts. >> look what happened. when you see this tape, you'll like it. we'll talk with michael in a little bit. >> also ahead, money can be a motivator for a lot of things. research that suggests money can be an incentive to lose weight. we'll talk about the results of the study, talk about why it works with three people who did it and it really works. >> it's a controversial? do people think you shouldn't have to be paid to do that? >> the caveat is once the financial incentive is taken away, can you keep the weight off. if you've had success losing the weigh, it's a motivator. >> the creative minds behind the adrenaline packed reality shows like deadliest catch. wait until you hear how tom beers got his start in reality tv. >> i get seasick looking at that from the cockpit. let's go inside. natalie is standing by with a

check of the other headlines. natalie? >> good morning everyone. black smoke at the vatican this morning signalled that today's second and third round of voting by cardinals in their secret conclave failed to produce a new pope. the first inconclusive vote was held last night. the cardinals recon voen convenient today to choose a leader for the 1.2 billion catholics. president obama travels to capitol hill today for talks with house republicans over the budget impasse. he's seeking an alternative to the across the board sequester spending cuts that took effect this month. both sides have been clinging to positions on new taxes and spending cuts that have prevented deals so far. meantime, house budget chairman paul ryan will -- that would slash money from programs the president supports and repeal his health care law. your sweet tooth can rejoice because twinkies are coming back. after going into bankruptcy, hostess agreed to sell off the

snack cakes, including the twinkie for $410 million. one of the classic snack food buyers says you can expect to see them on store shelves by this summer. and in steubenville, ohio, today, trial begins for two high school football players charged with raping a young woman during a night of party hopping. nbc's ron allen is at the courthouse. good morning, ron. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. this case is absolutely consumed the small town. where just about everyone has some connection to the local high school football team. it got national headlines when tweets, texts and pictures from the night in question exploded across social media igniting allegations of a small town's cover-up. this picture defense attorneys admit shows defendants trenton may and malik richmond holding the 16-year-old girl they're accused of raping. prosecutors claim the girl was intoxicated does not remember what happened that night and the two defendants treated her "like

a toy." >> we believe the evidence will show that the victim was in no condition to give consent and she did not give consent. >> the defense says the accuser and mays were in a relationship and she willingly spent the evening with him. >> the young lady's intention throughout this evening were going to pursue our client and engage in sexual activity with our client. >> as word of the incident spread on social media, fueled by this video. >> she's better than -- >> showing a young man who authorities say did not witness the alleged incident mocking the victim. >> activists converged on steubenville demanding more arrests, accusing local officials of turning a blind eye to protect the big red. steubenville's powerhouse high school football team and source of great pride. state prosecutors who have stepped in to avoid local conflicts of interest say they're still investigating. for now, the focus is on mays,

richmond and their accuser. >> the defense doesn't have to prove anything. it's the prosecutor that has to prove she was unable to resist or consent. >> reporter: consent will likely be the most important issue in this case. there is no jury. a juvenile court judge who does not live in this part of ohio has been brought in to decide the case. an attorney for the accuser and her family have said they're ready for the trial to begin so they can move on and continue healing. natalie? >> ron allen in steubenville, ohio. thanks so much, ron. now for a look at what is trending today. our roundup of what has you talking online. dynamite. entertainment websites are buzzing with word that a big screen of good times is in the works. the groundbreaking 1970s sitcom starring j.j. walker as the big brother in a close-knit african-american family in chicago. it will be set a decade earlier in the volatile 1960s. one direction will soon be

in two places at the same time. members of the boy band were measured recently for wax doubles that will go on an international tour of madam tussaud's in london, new york and sydney. they will offer sneak previews of the wax heartthrobs. jimmy fallon fans are replaying this bit from his audience last night. suggestion box. >> sim jimmy, my favorite tv personality is hoda kofi and my favorite is yoda. can you combine them to make yoda coffee. >> fourth hour of the "today" show it is. >> that was our own hoda kofi and she's done the routine before as you may remember on our star wars themed halloween show in 2009. she makes a perfect yoda. so tall. let's go back outside to al with a check of the weather.

>> this young lady. what's your name? >> you're 12 years -- you were here 12 years ago. how you've grown up. >> thank you. >> thanks for coming back. let's show you what's happening as far as our weather is concerned. >> burlington vermont, pick city of the day. nbc 5, partly sunny, cool. 39 degrees. okay. the midwest chill, we've got -- look at these temperatures. chicago, cleveland, lexington, birmingham, they're going to be anywhere from 10 to 15 degrees below normal. then the jet stream goes up to the north and look at this. phoenix, las vegas, 14 degrees above normal. billings, montana, getting up to 65 degrees today. look at the sunshine to the southwest. on into the gulf coast. light lake effect snow. easy for me to say around the

great lakes today. northern showers of northern new england. otherwise a beautiful day throughout much of the i'm meteorologist christina loren. this is the bay bridge peeking out from the low clouds. that fog is burning off from the top down. as we head through the morning hours by 9:00 a.m., it will peel back to the coast. as we head noon to 1:00, good conditions. 80 on the way to livermore, 81 fairfield, tomorrow and friday we cool you off. good looking st. patrick's day weekend ahead. >> that's your latest weather. >> all right, al. thanks very much. coming up, a new weapon in the fight over weight loss, cold hard cash, but does it work. we'll talk about that. the man behind interesting reality television shows, like "ice road truckers" and "the

deadliest catch" tells us how he does it. wait until you see these places right after these messages. [ male announcer ] why is kellogg's crunchy nut so delicious?

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if you've had enough, ask your dermatologist about enbrel. we're back at 8:12. we told you about a diet trend where people get money for losing weight. this morning there is proof that the idea is working. on a daily basis we are inundated with weight loss programs. >> it's easy. >> traditionally they ask people to pay a fee, join a group and get healthy. >> save 20% off your order. >> reporter: there are online programs now promising cash for pounds with dieters gambling their way to a leaner figure like dietbet.com. now there is evidence money talks in weight loss. in a new study the mayo clinic says people with financial incentives were more like ly to lose. >> people are motivated by money. when we advertised to employees

and dependents for the study people were interested. >> reporter: researchers followed a hundred clinic employees and family members 16 to 63 considered obese. they were asked to lose four a month for a year. half were offered an extra financial incentive. $20 cash if you exceeded and a $20 penalty if you failed. of those in the financial incentive program, 62% lost weight. without the addeded cash benefit only 26% reached their goal. >> in could be one piece of the puzzle to help people achieve their healthy weight goals. >> well, mindy, shelly and john have tall achen part. and dr. raj is an internist at nyu langone medical center. can't wait to hear your stories. doctor, we have seen things in the past with financial incentive to lose weight. what about this study impresses

you? >> in the previous studies unfortunately the weight loss wasn't sustained. this was a year-long study and every month sees a financial incentive. as much as we love to get money, we hate to lose money. it worked and motivated people. >> the study followed people for a year. just to be clear there were groups that had to pay a penalty if today didn't lose, a group ta got money in they lost and a separate group with no financial incentive at all. they did the work. >> there was a difference in weight loss. on average the group that got the reward lost nine pounds as opposed to two. our brains respond to rewards. unfortunately you would think being healthy, having a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer is a reward. that's a long term tinge. >> pun is good, too. >> let's talk to folks here. john. fun of you talk part in the mayo clinic study oh. you lost how much? >> 125 pounds. >> how much did you wager? what was the program? >> i did the 10% challenge and a

team challenge. i guess if you sum it up i wagered about $160. >> 10% challenge is you put down money to lose 10% of your body weight. >> you have six months. >> why do you think it worked? >> healthy weight learned the trick of put the money if, you've got skin at the game, the risk of losing your money, the carrot at the end. >> shelly, you're down 91 pounds. >> i did the 10% challenge for the second time. i'm also doing the bmi challenge which ends in september. i will be doing both. >> mindy, i understand you won $1200. >> it bought a lot of clothes. i did the 10% challenge and the match up which is a team challenge through work which is how i heard about healthy wage and i did the bmi challenge that

ended in february. >> do you think it wouldn't have worked as well without the money incentive? have you tried to lose weight before and it didn't have an impact? >> i have struggled with my weight my whole life. it got down to pedicle condition. the pun helped. you put your pun up and you don't want to lose that. the year-long change-up for the bmi helped. >> anyone worried about keeping it off once you remove the incentive? john? >> i'm feeling better. i started out much heavier. arder to exercise. now it is a motivator with my family and myself. >> all right. food for thought. >> absolutely. >> congratulations. great accomplishment. coming up next, the college freshman who got to play with his idol, billy joel. right after this. ♪

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we're back with the man called the king of blue collar reality tv. thanks to hits like "storage wars" and "deadliest catch." today correspondent jamie gangel has the story. good morning. >> good morning. he may not be a household name but thom beers has 13 shows on eight networks thanks to t to t recipe for success. start with plenty of danger in a far-off place. add a competition, a cash for cash. then top it off with a ton of testosterone. >> you want to go? >> yeah, i think i will. >> reporter: and you have a thom beers hit. >> i love a good story. that makes great television. great ark ters, unique

locations, high risk, high reward but it has to be a great story. >> reporter: audiences agree. his shows are so popular beers is one of the kings of reality television. what andy cohen is to shouting social life and mark burnett is to cut throat cast aways thom beers is to the blue collar everyman. >> i take people on a journey in places where they probably won't ever go. they experience the journey through these interesting characters. >> reporter: for the audience they are armchair adventures. >> absolutely. >> reporter: for the most part they are also real reality television. although occasionally the story line gets a little help. and these once unlikely stars now have hollywood agents. do they make a lot of money? >> some of them can make a lot. >> reporter: how much? >> remember, snooki money. >> reporter: any of your guys make -- no. any of them make a million dollars? >> oh, i -- maybe.

maybe. >> reporter: it's also made beers a multimillionaire, which he can't quite believe. a college dropout four times, he wantered from job to job until a trip to alaska in 1999. he got stuck on this boat in this storm. >> little did i realize we were about to sail into the worst storm in 40 years. within 24 hours we were 200 miles at sea and the winds are pushing 70 knots. and the waves are cresting at 40 feet. it was insanity. but there was something about it. >> reporter: you weren't scared? >> i had no reason to be scared. i thought i was going to die. >> reporter: did you kiss the ground when e you got off the boat? >> i didn't say a word. i grunted for 24 hours. >> reporter: when he stopped growling beers knew he had something special. the inspiration for "deadliest catch."

>> watch out. >> reporter: ever since he's been coming up with ideas faster than he could produce them. who knew abandoned storage lockers could be so exciting. >> hey! >> reporter: after more than 50 hits he still hangs on, creates the sound effects, narrating the action. >> tonight on "axmen". >> reporter: and when necessary, taking a punch. >> all of the sudden the fists started flying. i'm going, whoa, whoa. we'll be back. >> reporter: despite his success in a world with kim, kloe and kourtner reign supreme he admits there is one show he just can't get right. could you create a show for women? >> put it this way. could i create a successful show for women? i have created a lot of bad ones. >> reporter: that said, a new show just out, are you tougher than a boy scout? >> seems like they don't know what they're doing.

>> reporter: if beers has his way he will be in the middle of it all because in the end his shows are really his fantasy. >> that's perfect. i was stuck in a ship wreck in alaska. the waves are pounding and someone had written on the wall if you're not living on the enl you' edge you are taking up space. i have adopted that motto ever since. >> reporter: that's you? >> that's me. >> reporter: he is like a kid. h he sees shows everywhere. watch out, guys. morning tv wars could be next. matt? >> it's been done already. >> still living it. >> thank you very much. >> we have all imagined our wildest dream coming true. but michael pollock doesn't have to dream anymore. he had the courage to ask a question to his idol, billy joel at a recent concert.

take a look. >> okay. there is a fan club here. >> i was wondering if i could play with you. >> okay. [ cheers and applause ] ♪ ♪ i'm in a new york state of mind ♪ >> michael, good morning to you. >> good morning to you guys. >> how were your fingers not putty playing before billy joel? >> i was way more nervous asking the question. you can hear my voice shaking when i say can i play with you. i got up there. i was so excited. i wasn't even nervous. >> once he said yes did you know what you were going to play? >> yes. in the question i said my favorite song was "new york state of mind." i played with his sax player who is the most talented musician. kind of name-dropped there. he said, okay.

i jumped out of my seat, got up there as quickly as i can. >> you're a kid from long island. you have been playing the piano since 7 years old. to play with your idol has to be surreal. >> every long island piano player aspires to be billy joel. you don't have a choice. i have been playing his music since i'm 10, 11, 12. he's just been an idol of mine. to actually play with him was the greatest. >> we want you to play something now. can v you stayed in touch with him? he has good contacts in the business. >> yeah, he does. i heard from his publicist through a friend, through a friend. he said good things. >> he also said remember your name. i think when people hear you play they will do that. chopsticks not an option. you went with "new york state of mind." >> take it away, michael. ♪ linko carmichaeler linko

camerleng i'm laura garcia-cannon. police sent extra patrols to foothill high school after a threatening note. in a note on the website, the principal said the graffiti included a threat towards the school and it takes safety very seriously. the threat was apparently spray painted on the walls of one of the girls bathrooms. so far no word on who spray painted the message. there is an anonymous tip line set up for anyone with information. let's get the 411 with the morning commute. >> things are tough with the fog already. looking at east shore freeway towards berkeley. we can barely make out folks out of the fog. top of the screen a big concern.

foggy through oakland and approaches through the maze, slowdown through richmond and fog. east 80 as you're headed past the road, a crash, injury and medical helicopter that landed on the freeway. i'll track that for you. that fog will make it difficult to go through the area. i'm watching all these very carefully, it will be slow because of this. back to you. >> thank you very much. i'll have another local update for you in half an hour. hope to see you then. enjoy your wednesday morning.

♪ 8:30 now on wednesday morning. you're listening to the beautiful sounds of our resident piano man this morning. michael pollock wowed billy joel and is wowing us with amazing skills. the crowd out there on 49th street gathered to take a look and a listen to him. we thank him for the beautiful music this morning. good morning. >> we should have a piano player on the show every day. >> i'd like that!

>> a little live combo. >> some karaoke. i don't know, michael, are you for hire? he's still in school. right? >> on holiday. >> it's an internship. >> exactly. >> good morning, everybody. as we listen to the great music, hello again. i'm savannah guthrie with matt lauer, al roker and natalie morales. take a little peek inside some of the lavish celebrity homes. it's a rare chance to take a look at them. we'll tell you what's on the market now if you have the means including david hasselhoff's southern california home. >> and how to save money on your next trip without short-changing the fun. we ask you to e-mail us and tell us ways you cut costs when you're traveling. the ideas were great. our travel expert will take them and up the ante to tell you how to save more money. >> a story i enjoy. what would you do if you had a

year or two left to live. coming up, the remarkable story of a woman who was a wife and a mother and is now experiencing that fate. but she does have an incredible spirit about her. she'll share her story with us. >> okay. on a much lighter note, we don't want you to forget our search for the next great magician. head to today.com. we'll show you and you can send in your best video of your trick or illusion. you could perform it for us and david copperfield live on "today." it would be like the magic version of michael pollock getting to perform a magic trick with david copperfield. >> no pressure. >> not much. >> if you could perform the weather. >> we don't want to make the sunshine disappear. it is spectacular in the northeast. let's look at the rest of the country. we have a beautiful day making its way through the gulf coast into the southwest. lake effect snowshowers in the great lakes. heavy rain in the pacific northwest. beautiful in l.a. today. sunny and 82.

tomorrow, down right hot in the southwest with temperatures in spots reaching the 90s. we are looking for sunshine up and down the eastern seaboard. little on the chilly side. more rain and snowshowers in the upper mississippi river valley. 8:33 on a wednesday morning. good morning, i'm meteorologist christina loren. this is san jose. you can vaguely make out 280 under that thick fog. take a look where we're headed, san jose socked in with fog, sunol nice and clear. we're an hour, two hours away from the same beautiful sky in san jose. 77 degrees as a result of all that sunshine today. 83 in gilroy and 73 on the way to san francisco. the next couple of days, temperatures stay steady and we'll cool off for the weekend. that's your latest weather. >> coming up next, a look at some celebrity homes for sale. >> girl scouts should have been here yesterday. we had cookies and everything. >> first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on today's real estate, a look at celebrity homes for sale across the country. barbara corcoran is today's real estate contributor and an expert. good morning. nice to see you. >> good morning, matt. >> we are criss-crossing the country with things in all different locations. the first is great for people who love celebrity properties and horses. this is owned by tommy lee jones. >> this is an amazing house. the polo field alone is a good enough reason to buy it. he's an oscar-winninging actor. it comes with 50 acres. imagine having your own polo field. three times bigger than a football field. >> it's in wellington, florida, horse central in the winter months. >> they have 5,000 horses come

from 30 countries. if you like horses this is where you want to be. this guy is within a stone's throw of the event. it's a beautiful property. >> $26.75 million. do you get a string of ponies with the price? >> no and worse than that you don't get tommy lee jones. >> 48 stalls and a pond. this is about the house but mostly about the property. >> it's mostly about the property. this guy put two big parcels together. he paid nickels and dimes for the property, made it the taj mahal. anybody who gets it has the ego of saying it was tommy lee jones's place. what a piece of property. now to tennessee where rascal flatts guitarist. what do you like? >> i tliek beauty salon. when you see the closet you will say every girl in america wants it. it's a sprawling 9,000 square

foot mansion with a home recording studio and the beautiful salon. the weird way of looking at it is this is so far from his hometown in oklahoma which i checked out to see the priceses. it has six homes and only one business. the placefalling apart. this is where he lives now and the place for sale. >> $1.6 million. >> in this part of the country it's under priced. i don't know how he priced it but this house will fly off the market. >> what's this house called manland? >> it has everything every guy wants. video equipment, tvs on every wall. every guy will pay extra for that. >> actress mary louise parker's apartment is for sale in new york. on sale for the third time snm that's no problem in this market. it takes usually three times to offer a sale on a big house like this before you get enough buyers. but the price has come down, not

by much. it's no good for the market. >> from $7.25 million down to $6.99. so call it $7 million. 3,000 square feet. it's a co-op. special? >> it's right in the middle of washington square park in greenwich village where everybody wants to live. as you look at the house it's been totally renovated. that's just a spare room upstairs. there are a lot of spare rooms here. she has two children. perfect for children. they are the neatest kids in the world in my book. this house is meticulous though the price should be slightly lower. at least she's coming down in price. >> let's go to encino, california. the hoff's house is on the market. he lived there since 1998. what are the features? >> the one i like the best is the two guest cottages in the back. i like the guest cottages better than the rest. that's a house you can brag about. looks beautiful from the top.

when you see the circle drive way it's at the end of a long gated driveway with lots of locks. by the time they get to the front door people say, you are rich for sure. >> there is a pending offer on the home. the price tag, $3.795 million. do we know what the offer is? >> we don't know but when you have a pending offer you have a 30% chance it will come through. these houses, a lot of people get involved and get scared and back out. >> if you are the person with the pending offer you must love seeing that home featured on the "today" show. >> you're going to make the deal for that guy. >> great choices, bash rachlt thank you very much. still ahead, creative ways to save big on your next vacation. first, this is "today" on nbc.

we are back at 8:42. if you had just a year or two to

live, how would you spend it? natalie has one family's emotional story. >> when you watch the story you will want to hug your friends tighter, hold your kids closer. susan spencer wendell is an award winning journalist in her prime. when she learned her body was failing she dropped everything to tackle her bucket list. it turned into a surprising and meaningful adventure. it's the precious moments with loved ones that punctuate life's wild roller coaster ride. for the wendell family with tear three growing children, the coaster soared up and up. >> cheese! >> reporter: with thriving careers for high school sweethearts susan and john it was just about perfect. >> just magical. >> mm-hmm. >> reporter: in 2011 a blowing strike. >> i knew. >> reporter: on top of the world, healthy and in her prime,

43-year-old reporter susan spencer wendell began to experience unusual muscle weakness. then came a staggering diagnosis. she had als. also known as lou gehrig's it is a progressive degenerative disease that destroys muscles causing paralysis and death, often within just several years while the mind stays completely sharp. there is no cure. >> you have chosen not to fight it. not to have a feeding tube. not to take the drugs that could perhaps lengthen your life. why not? susan's speech is nearly gone now. her husband john helps translate. >> she thinks nature is perfect. >> reporter: facing the impossible choice to languish or to live, susan embraced her fate. >> you're happy? >> she's lucky. >> reporter: before her body completely failed she began a

journey, a year dedicated to living with happiness. a celebration to create positive new memories with loved ones. memories that could live on when she couldn't. >> reporter: this really is a journey you take, not just the places you go, right? >> it's a journey, not the destination. >> reporter: while her physical strength diminished, her drive grew. with just one finger she began a chronicle, one letter at a time on her iphone. the result, a love letter in a heartfelt memoir "until i say good-bye," my year of living with joy. she described a trip to the yukon with life long best friend nancy. you ended up not seeing the northern lights. >> not really. >> reporter: but it didn't matter? >> it didn't matter. >> reporter: the sky didn't shine but susan's spirit sure did. >> she's always so fun-loving. she never once broke down and

cried. you know, i thought, how did you do that? she said, because of you. because of you. but it was because of her, too. she's the one who showed us how to live through it like that. >> reporter: it's about finding the peace, the grace to live life to its fullest. >> absolutely. >> reporter: on a cruise with her only sister stephanie, they grew closer than ever before. >> i don't want her to ever feel she has to worry about anything. >> reporter: stephanie vowed to help john raise the children. >> you know, i told her. i'll crawl in and hold you and -- i won't let you go. you know. i'll be with you through the end. >> reporter: for her three kids, priceless new memories. with little wesley, susan's youngest it was swimming with the dolphins for his ninth birthday.

for 10-year-old aubrey, a family trip to sanibel island. and for daughter marina, then just 14, new york city. where marina tried on wedding dresses at kleinfeld's bridal shop. susan writes i wanted to see my beautiful daughter on her wedding day, a moment i will never share. with husband john, visiting budapest to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary. susan writes, i have known remarkable love. i am content no matter what happens tomorrow. >> she's my inspiration. you know, i see her wake up and you're smiling. i probably should be, too. >> reporter: susan says she's not afraid of dyinging. she has peace of mind. >> she knows the children will be taken care of. >> reporter: why do you think she wanted to write this.

>> to give to us. i really feel to give to the world. >> reporter: susan won't just leave behind countless images and memories for her family. she recorded this lullabye. ♪ good night, sleep tight >> reporter: one she sang to her children before bed. ♪ here's a wish ♪ and a prayer >> reporter: it's a journey that's not over. there is still so much joy, laughter and smiling. it's not about dying. it's about living. but a chapter is closing and susan is starting to sign off. i leave you, my children, the memories of all we enjoyed and discovered. i leave this book. the one i worked on each day for most of our magical year. good-bye, my loves. ♪ adios >> the message in the book is to live every day like it's your last. you don't know. and i think to live it with joy.

>> reporter: one of oh susan's favorite quotes in the book is from dr. seuss and it sums up her positive outlook. don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened. her memoir is out now. you can find an excerpt on today.com. such an incredible woman. we're both tearing up. she's an inspiration to all. a positive great message we can all learn from. >> giving those children a valuable lesson that's so priceless. >> a love letter to her kids and her family and to all really. >> it speaks to the power of acceptance. an amazing story. thanks. we are back in a moment. first, this is "today" on nbc.

>> announcer: today's travel is brought to you by the venture card from capitol hill. earn double miles you can actually use. back at 8:51 with today's travel. you don't have to spend a fortune to take a great vacation. the proof is in e-mails you sent us talking about the budget friendly trips you have taken. ladies, good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> the viewers sent these great ideas. the idea here is you're going to take them and do better and tell them how to save more money.

let's get to the first e-mail from linda in charlotte, north carolina. my boyfriend and i always wanted to go to new orleans but money was an obstacle. the opportunity arose to attend the jazz and gumbo festival in new orleans. we took advantage of mega bus for the transportation. the cost $35 for both of us round trip. it allowed us to stay at a nice hotel. we came back with money in our pockets. talk about mega bus. >> love it. there is also gold bus and greyhound express. discounts getting you from city to city for as low as a dollar. go on 30 to ha days before the trip for the best prices. >> you go to new orleans. you like the city for a budget trip. there are a lot of ways to do things inexpensively. >> new orleans is a great place to save money. they have amazing vintage trolleys for $1.25. amazing louisiana food like mother's or a place called

morning call for the best beignets in oriolnew orleans or jazz festival for a great feeling of authentic new orleans style. >> sometimes just to hear great music you pay for one beer. >> right. >> hawaii on a budget. this is from janell in houston. last year we treated our family of six to a dream vacation to hawaii. we used air miles to travel for free. we rented a house an hour from the beach $325 a night. everything was there. beach toys, surfboards, snorkel gear, beach towels and sand chairs. we prepared fabulous meals in our home. what did they do right? >> she maximized her rewards travel miles. for those at home who want to do the same get a card that rewards you for airlines that you love or is airline agnostic like bank rate.com or credit card.com. >> you say they should have

considered swapping homes. >> they could do better. spend no money on the home by doing a home exchange. we love home exchange.com or house swap. the reason i love it is because you really feel like a local. the stuff they got in the house they didn't have deal with schlepping it from home. >> andrea says my husband and i took a 3,000 mile from washington to california, nevada and through sacramento. we found a road pro crock pot that plugged into the cigarette lighter. we took our cooler, heated up leftovers from home in the crock pot. stayed with friends and family. only one night in a hotel. three meals out, groceries and gas. okay, the crock pot meals in the car is a little much. what did they do right? >> they went for freebies. now there are sites like couch surfing.com. this family did it organically but you can connect with locals where you are headed. go to couch surfing.com.

type in the destination to meet locals who will invite you over for free dinner or free lodging. >> road trip. you have to pay for gas. >> especially in the summer time. we worry about the cost of gas. gas buddy.com has a free app. find the closest gas station to you and compare prices before you get to the pumps. >> we'll read the next e-mail and put stuff on the website so people can find out more. the most fun my boys had on a trip cost me zero. this is from missy in tennessee. in 1997 i took the boys to gatlinburg to my dad's timeshare. one night we ate pizza in the room oh. the next day we cut the pizza box into two pieces and rode into the smoky mountains sliding down on the pizza boxes. necessity is the mother of invention. >> creativity is free. >> priceless. >> we'll put a lot of ideas on the website. thank you so much.

appreciate it. coming up, take three. is there an ideal age gap for couples? first, your local news. good morning to you. 8:56 now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. the corner of walsh and marle, the address for the new stadium, calling it bill washington drive. where is the sunshine? let's check the forecast with christina loren. >> good morning, laura.

we're getting a little more sunshine but taking time for fog to burn off. pretty clear conditions. temperatures are the warmest of the year so far. 81 inland, 77 bayside, 72 at the coast. a cooler day on tap for tomorrow but we're going to stay nice and level. hope you have a great wednesday. hello? the words are going this way-there's no way. oh, the lights came on. isn't technology supposed to make life easier? at chase we're pioneering innovations that make banking simple. deposit a check with a photo. pay someone with an email. and bank seamlessly with our award-winning mobile app. take a step forward... and chase what matters.

welcome to "today" on wednesday morning the 13th day of march 2013. pretty nice day out here in new york city after we got soaked yesterday. i'm willie geist with al roker, natalie morales and our special guest this morning, the great alex wagner. >> the great. >> i will take it. >> she's a good one. the host of msnbc's "now with alex wagner". >> great to be here. >> can we go back to natalie's piece? that was a beautifully well done inspirational piece. >> i have to encourage everyone to read the book. no matter what you are going through in life it puts everything in perspective. if you can live with the joy and live in the moment. it's an incredible story. >> if you didn't see it go to the website. >> "until i say good-bye" is the name of the book.

>> what a woman. incredible. let's begin today's take three with the pope. or not yet the pope. mixed smoke signals we are getting. this morning we had the second smoke signal from the sistine chapel chimney. it was black smoke but wasn't clear. is it gray? black? right there. >> that's gray at best. >> it left people thinking we had a new pope. then it turned darker and we realized we don't have a new pope. let's look at the white smoke for when pope benedict xvi was elected in 2005 and the black smoke this morning. the black on the left. white on the right. >> that's what we are looking for is white. >> i guess it's a little darker. >> in the past it's been confusing. so they have started to add chemicals to make sure it would be more clear. >> it didn't work out. >> they didn't add enough chemical or something. >> if the pope is tweeting, isn't there a more modern way to

get the message out? >> they're not allowed to have phones or anything. >> in the past century it's a tradition. >> a black flag? a white flag. >> when the bells toll you know. >> you young ones with all your talk of flags. maybe a touch screen voting. >> even reporters were confused this morning. >> lester is in vatican city and tweeted for those of us covering the conclave ambiguous smoke color could be the hanging chad of the papal election. keeps us on our toes. i was at "morning joe" and we had brian kelly the head coach of notre dame on set. we thought we had white smoke and thought, we have brian kelly of notre dame, effectively the leader of the catholic church in the united states, and the pope at the same time. but it turned darker. so there was confusion. >> there is something nice about the idea that it is not digital.

it's analog. something that goes back hundred, thousands of years. >> they should go for smoke rings or maybe o's or x's. >> you're thinking of the camel sign in times square from the '40s. >> or maybe smoking. >> alex wagner, roasting in hell. >> who's to say i wasn't before? i'll be on pope watch at noon. >> hopefully a better distinction ability than the rest of us. >> i hope they dye it green for st. patrick's day. >> this keeps getting worse. take two, jerry has hot wheels cars for us. there are mom bloggers. we'll pass them down. >> i will admit i really don't play well with hot wheels. >> really? it's not hard. >> i know. i got bored.

my son has a thing and he was trying to get me to get the track going and everything. i just -- eh. >> one of the vice presidents at mattel was essentially blaming the shall we say light sales of mattel on the fact that moms don't know how to play with their sons with the carses. this upset a lot of people who said, it's not that hard. number two, moms know how to play. one executive was quoted as saying mom has never played with them. she doesn't get why cars, engines and the shapes and crashing and smashing are so cool. >> oh, boy. >> p i do think you can't -- it's slamming, a condescending slamming of moms everywhere. i play. i just lose interest in crashing and smashing. let me see your car. >> it's probably not much different from dads playing with

barbie. you can figure it out, but we're not great at it. >> do you do the barbie voice and everything? >> barbie has a voice? >> mom probably doesn't have time to be crashing and smashing because mom is maybe working or -- >> washing and drying. >> we are pulled in so many directions. >> to some degree whose to say there needs to be more crashing and smashing. maybe it's about getting kids to play with crayons or read books. >> okay, first, you had the pope thing. now this. what's with you? >> you will never see me on this show again. i mean laying it squarely on the doorstep of mom. >> they hosted a luncheon with the idea to teach moms or give them tips on how to get their kids playing. >> and they would teach other moms and teach other moms. >> i don't know. the spokesperson said there is a real purpose was to listen to

the moms. are there challenges you have playing with the cars. they let the moms know some playing tips. >> with all due respect to the take two there is a good chance we are overthinking this one. go like this and crash into a wall and do it again. >> you have fun doing that. >> we asked you what you think. do moms know how to play with hot wheels? yes. 79% of you said yes. >> and some said they have to add the deductible for the insurance. >> this is a good one. take three, the end of the e-mail sign off. slate.com says it's time to do away with at the end of the e-mail writing, best, regards, warmly or xoxo and just write your name. it's an old tradition from the time of writing letters. best regards, regards, respectfully yours, warmly, cheers, xoxo, sincerely yours. >> why is that bad? >> it's redundant is the

argument. >> gee, let's be polite. sorry. >> sometimes i put a greeting at the end. other times i just send it. but i feel if i just send it that it's very abrupt p. >> depends on the audit a yens, too. >> if they know you, you're not dissing them. >> you often sign off e-mails, i hate you, or out. that sends a different message. >> or g.o.a.t. greatest of all times. that rubs people the wrong way. >> i don't see anything wrong with it. >> niceties are one thing. this is advocating getting rid of hi and hello. just a straight up, here's the message. >> cut to the chase. >> p hit reply. >> i do it a lot. get straight to the message. if you're in communication with the person regularly it should be like, here's a quick note. >> oh, gosh. you know. >> there is one. the cheers where we have become

pseudo british, i don't know about that. do you know what i mean? you're from minnesota. >> there has to be middle ground. >> wow. cheers! >> i don't know. what should we have called the show with ted danson in it? is hello? >> that's toasting. >> what's wrong with it? >> we're not toasting a drink. >> i don't think you would ever get off the phone saying, cheers. >> cheerio. >> as long as you're not writing the e-mail. >> sometimes i say "all the best, sincerely". >> best regards. >> i'm going to keep doing it. it's a funny piece at slate. >> they're a laugh riot at slate. >> bonus take. this is a 24-year-old college guy named alex perman going for $50,000 at a basketball tournament the other day on sunday. he had to hit a lay-up, a free throw, three-pointer and a half court shot in the space of 24

seconds. >> that's a lot. >> he made the lay-up. there's the free throw. he makes the three-pointer, skips the three, goes all the way to half court. he didn't know he had to take a three. this is half court. makes it. thinks he won 50 grand but they say, you skipped the three-pointer. no cash. the truth is he wouldn't have had time for the extra shot. tournament gave him lifetime tickets. to the conference tournament. >> impressivement. >> absolutely. >> natalie, let's get to other headlines. president obama heads to capitol hill to meet with house republicans as the paerrties unveil different b budgets. paul ryan's plan balances the budget in ten years, repeal it is health care law and overhauls medicare. today senate democrats unveiled the plan to cut the deficit by almost $2 trillion over ten years with a mix of tax hikes and spending cuts.

a colorado judge has entered a not guilty plea for accused movie theater james holmes stemming from last summerer's attack that killed 12 and wounded 70 others in aurora. the move came after lawyers said they weren't ready to enter a plea. prosecutors are expected to decide whether to seek the death penalty in the case. the trial is set to begin august # 5. boeing dream liners are a step closer to flying. the f.a.a. approved the plan to redesign the lithium ion batteries on 787s. the batteries caused fires forcing dreamliners to be grounded two months ago. even with approval it could take a month or more for the batteries to be tested and the planes to be retro-fitted to get back in the area. google will pay a $7 million fine to settle complaints that it intercepted e-mails with other information over unprotected wifi networks while using cars to take street level

photos for the mapping service. google stopped collecting the data three years ago. the $7 million fine won't do much to the company's bottom line. goolg makes that much about every hour. puts that in perspective. twinkie is making a comeback. hostess brand wills sell twinkies to two investment firms for $410 million. one of the buyers hopes to have them on store shelves by summer. al will be happy again. >> yay. >> a sleeping dog has become one popular pooch online. take a look. his name is beckham. some say his snoring makes him sound like daffy duck. take a listen. >> donald duck. >> more like donald than daffy? okay. trying to catch up after losing some sleep this weekend, chasing cats. >> that's fantastic. >> i love it.

>> i want that as my ringtone. >> i hope it's real, not edited in there. >> looks real. >> believe in the snore. >> by the way, soda ban over turned, the return of the twinkie, american freedom on the march again. america is back, baby. >> no peace, no twinkies. >> how about a check of the weather snoo. >> our friends in the northwest getting hit hard. two to four inches of rain. lake effect snowshowers around the great lakes today. wet weather in northern new england moves away. we have a beautiful day on the eastern seaboard. nice and warm through the southwest. gorgeous in los angeles with a high of 82 degrees. look for a high of 32 in chicago debartolo debartol 9:12 on wednesday morning. good morning, i'm meteorologist christina loren. a live look high atop san bruno where you can see pretty thick fog lingering around the bay at

the immediate coast. coloring out nicely. by 11:00, should see mostly sunny conditions making way to near record warm, 80 degrees. heading into tomorrow, a few degrees off your daytime highs, the weekend a little cooler, st. patrick's day looks good, 75 on sunday. that's your latest weather. >> thank you very much, al. alex wagner, thanks to you. the debate over hot wheels continues at noon on msnbc. >> hot rods. can't beat it. >> see you in a couple of hours. up next, old favorites that are cool again. jill's must haves by the decade after this. honey! we're pregnant! what? we're pregnant! we're pregnant? yeah! you're going to be a mom! you're going to be a dad! there's a little baby in there? there's a human being growing inside your stomach? yeah! now what? i don't know? what? introducing huggies mommy answers.

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i love the graphics. on jill's must haves, everything old is new again. from the pop collar shirts to big hair, the looks from the past are back. jill, good morning. you are channelling your inner lisa welchel from "facts of life," blair. you're doubling down in the denim. >> i'm stuck in the '80s. i have the denim shirt and the jeans. >> you look good. i like it. we're going back in time. everything old is new again starting with the 60s. >> seeing more mod fashion. the polka-dots are back in a major way. >> and with updated versions. you see scarves from echo design, go jane.com has the shoe. don't mix and match too much. wear it with a basic outfit but the mod look is in again.

>> and keds reinvent themselves every decade. they go way back. >> back to 1916. they kept reinventing themselves. look how great they are. doing collaborations with kate spade, madewell. they have new spring colors. taylor swift. look at the baby ones. >> oh, my gosh. hello kitty. adorable. >> and the white ones. adorable. >> slinky. this is a toy we played with. they're back. >> i love this. invented in 1945. original price was a dollar. anyone with stairs could use this toy and afford it which was great. 1960s. in 2013 at walmart, $3 to $10 you can get all the new. >> me the i don't know. >> -- neon. >> and card games are back. old maid, crazy 8s. >> they are so much fun. go fish.

also at walmart. this is a classic game. the classic deck of cards. >> keep the kids away from angry birds. >> back to the basics. >> okay. >> and the candy we all love. remember the candy necklaces. >> remember these? >> forget the soda ban. deweyscandy.com. you can get a retro look and put different packages together. >> jordache jeans for $16 at walmart. heidi klum is working with the brand. and hill shorts for all ages. now they are even putting babies back to the 70s. >> tie dye is still hot. >> and then the ez bake oven reinvented. >> they make terrible cookies. >> erica in the control room said i still cook with these. doesn't have a lightbulb. easy to put in.

they have whoopie-pies now. and new play-doh. it's funny to see our toys back. >> look at the candy. we are really going to the '80s here with the joystick, pac-man. >> all the retro candy. it's a shop in brooklyn that i love. going back including neon. >> we have been seeing this trend. i hesitate, but it's good in small doses. >> also really useful. we shouldn't be wearing this all together. not that we're not youthful. >> you crushed me, jill. >> i'm right there. go jane. they have different neon. h & m. all different versions. use it sparingly. >> reunite on ice, so nice. would you like to try it? is it good? >> screw top wine. you can't go wrong. reinvented. $6 in grocery stores. >> that's sweet.

>> it's back. everyone was singing the jingle down stairs. flavored makeup. remember the tinses? this is great. love it. and the boom box also back in a different way. joseph said he yous it on the beach. it's blue tooth and wireless. are you putting it on your shoulder? you're going to rock it. ♪ in your eyes ♪ the light ♪ the heat >> now you don't come in and sing. >> from "say anything," right? john cusack holding up the boom box, best scene ever. >> e we all remember the candy. nerds, gummy bears. big league chew. >> okay. i feel so old now. jill martin, thanks so much. coming up, she's handled some of the biggest scandals in

the country. the woman they call the fixer after these messages. let's see what you got. rv -- covered. why would you pay for a hotel? i never do. motorcycles -- check. atv. i ride those. do you? no. boat. house. hello, dear. hello. hello. oh! check it -- [ loud r&b on car radio ] i'm going on break! the more you bundle, the more you save. now, that's progressive. backflips and cartwheels.mile? love, warmth. here, try this. mmmm, ok! ching! i like the fact that there's lots of different tastes going on. mmmm! breakfast i'm very impressed. this is a great cereal! honey bunches of oats. i hear you crunching.

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9:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. san jose police asking for the public's health catching two purse snatchers in the southbay. police say the victim and two suspects seen in these pictures got off a light-rail train at the ray street station. the female suspect, described as hispanic in her early 20s, aldly punched and kicked a woman until she fell to the ground. they say male suspect helped female suspect rip the purse from her hands. they took off on bikes. the robbery happened in early february. today a jury will decide the fate of a software engineer accused of killing a man in a case of road rage. he's accused of killing the man during a fight. he say he stabbed the man in

self-defense because the man reportedly knock him on the ground and charged at him. he claims the man cut him off in traffic several times before that fight. we'll have a look at the forecast and the morning commute right after this.

welcome back now. the time 9:28. still getting pretty thick fog. we're expecting this until about 11:00 a.m. this, of course, is san francisco fog drifting around here. let's show you sunol, where we're headed, towards a beautiful sunshiny day with temperatures rivalling records. 82 in gill ray, 80, 76 fremont, 74 in oakland today. a comfortable 73 on the way to san francisco making this the warmest day of the week in the year so far. as we head throughout the next several days, temperatures will drop off. we'll see sunshine only after thick fog in the morning. saturday looking good, temperatures in the mid-70s. cool off, bringing cloud cover for the start of next week. check the drive. good morning, mike. >> we do have that burning off. happens to be sitting right here

right at the street level for 880 coming across -- 280, lighter volume of traffic. orange overlay, thick fog may be a factor as it was in the middle of the screen. 85 and 101 as you pass by 17, 880 respectively showed the slowing. slowed through clearing in fremont, better visibility. live look outside. show you the foster city side. some hope for visibility here but bay bridge still socked in. back to you. >> another local news update in half an hour. have a great morning.

we're bringing sexy back. >> we're bringing sexy back. ♪ bringing sexy back. >> bringing sexy back ♪ ♪ bringing sexy back ♪ take it to the bridge ♪ baby ♪ i'm your slave ♪ i'll let you whip me if i misbehave ♪ ♪ no one makes me feel this way ♪ ♪ take it to the bridge ♪ go ahead be gone with it >> that's justin timberlake giving a little help to jimmy fallon and the ragtime gals

barbershop quartet. more to come tonight. i'm willie geist with natalie morales and al roker. coming up, the woman who has received a phone call during just about every crisis in the country from iran contra to monica lewinsky to kobe bryant. she'll answer some of your dilemmas coming up. >> okay. also coming up this morning, this is an odd story. we told you about a golfer out on a course and all of the sudden a sink hole opened up and the golfer, lucky to be alive, fell about 18 feet when the course gave way. we have his incredible story. >> you may think you don't have time to cook a hearty meal for your family. we have a one-pan recipe you can whip up in b about 20 minutes. >> that sounds good. first a check of the weather. >> today we are looking at sunny skies on the eastern seaboard. beautiful day as you get through the southwest into the gulf coast with temperatures in the 60s and 70s. 80s in the southwest.

into tomorrow the sunshine continues on the eastern seaboard. snowshowers through the upper midwest. look for rain in the pacific northwest. sunny and hot through the southwest. looking at temperatures into the 90s into the southwest tomorrow and the day after. nice and mild through florida with temperatures in the 80s and 7:32 on a wednesday morning. taking a live look high atop san bruno where you can see the sky above the low cloud cover. this is going to clear as we head to the next hour and a half in particular. it's just a matter of time before that sun brings your temperatures up towards record level today. 83 degrees, the forecasted high in gilroy, 10 cooler, hold onto the 70s in san francisco today. as we head through tomorrow not quite as warm, staying comfortable. then st. patrick's day looks good. 75 degrees. >> latest weather. >> thanks a lot. when it comes to crisis management judy smith is known as one of the top fixers.

over 25 years she's represented everyone from monica lewinsky in a presidential scandal to wesley snipes in a tax evasion case to jesse jackson, jr., who resigned after pleading guilty to misuse of campaign finances. her career inspired "scandal" starring kerry washington. judy, thank you for being here. >> thanks for being here. >> enron, iran-contra, chandra levy investigation. you are known in washington as the fixer. what does that mean? what do you do? >> well, except for no sleep, of course. i'm a crisis manager. what i really try to do when people have a crisis or a problem, help them navigate it. it could be big or small. really help them deal with the crisis is and protect their brand and their reputation in the process. >> is it a job that involves a lot of late night phone calls? >> it does. it's a job where if you want to do it, you can't go into it thinking it's a 9:00 to 5:00

job. it's not. >> do you get a call and say, this problem is too big? i can't deal with it? >> i don't. there are some cases i don't take because i don't want to, not because the problem is too big. >> let's talk b about what people do when faced with a crisis. what should someone do? >> first thing to do is admit that there is a crisis or a problem. a lot of times they don't because it's difficult. one of the biggest mistakes is people tend to lie about it and deny. it makes it bigger. in washington we say the cover-up is worse than the crime. that's usually accurate. >> probably the best thing to do is call judy smith first. >> yes. put that out there. >> there is an entire television series loosely based on you. kerry washington plays you on "scandal." do you watch? >> i do. it's a weird scene one time. i was coming home.

watched the show and i sat down and said, oh, i'm so tired. let me have some wine and popcorn. there she was having a glass of wine and popcorn at the same time. >> she nailed it? >> yes, yes. >> is there a little bit of a dark art to what you do? do you find yourself in seedy situations? >> i would say in difficult situations sometimes. you know, crisis, you don't want to find yourself in one, but you can't predict them. >> let's talk about things happening now. then some viewers have dilemmas for you. one in the news, justin bieber has had a squeaky clean image over his career. the last couple of weeks haven't been that kind. does the information age change the way people handle scandal? they can react, say things instantly on twitter, post things of themselves that are probably ill advised in hindsight. >> yes. >> does it make it more difficult? >> it makes my job so much more difficult. it's immediate.

you're right. they can go on twitter and send their response out. then say, oh, my god, why did i do it? with justin, we shouldn't take it seriously. he needs to think about does he want to have a career like the rolling stones or be a teen idol? his problem is no different from any young person. he's growing. those are bumps along the road. >> he's just growing with the world watching. >> exactly right. that's a can i have cult thing. very difficult. >> let's get to viewer questions. these aren't iran-contra. >> it's all relative. >> our first e question deals with social media snafus. you say the questions come up all the time. say you find out from a neighbor that your teen posted something inappropriate on a social media site. how do you fix it? what do you do? it speaks to the problem of facebook, twitter, teens posting things that maybe mom and dad

don't want out there. >> first the teen has to apologize. assume it is an inappropriate picture. we have seen it a lot lately. i think the teen needs to do that. the second thing the parent wants to think about is there may be legal ramifications. we need to make sure we are prepared for that. third thing i would do, i'm a parent of two kids, that teen's butt needs to be kicked. you know -- >> sometimes it just comes back to that. >> it does. you need to understand the consequences for your actions. that's important. >> good advice. the next comes from andy in indianapolis. she writes my husband works full-time. i'm a stay at home mom. my husband has it in his head that i should be responsible for everything involving our kids. i start going to college this fall and i know i have to rely on his help more. is this going to fall on me or is there a way to convince him to be more helpful with his kids? >> that's a great question. first of all, i will say we

can't communicate by mental telepathy. we have to be clear about what we want our spouse to do. she should do it. if we want him to pick up the kid. do you know what i mean? if we want the husband to make dinner twice a week. we have to be very forceful in how we communicate. a lot of times, too, as women we try to take on a lot and think we have to do all of it. we can't and we shouldn't. be clear about what you want. >> all right. a little free advice from judy smith who handled the big problems of the last 25 years. so nice to meet you. >> thanks for having me. >> as if golf weren't hard enough now we have to worry about sink holes. the man who got the scare of a lifetime, next. hungry for the best? it's eb. want to give your family the very best in taste, freshness, and nutrition? it's eb. want to give them more vitamins, omega 3s, and less saturated fat? it's eb.

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a st. louis area golfer encountered a hazard no one could have expected. here's nbc's john yang. >> reporter: golfers usually hit the links looking for a hole in one. look at this picture. mark myhall ended up the one in the hole. a sink hole surrounded by his stunned golfing buddies. >> i had 20 minutes to hang on. it was more about surviving, trying to stay calm and not move. >> reporter: it happened at the ann briar golf course outside st. louis. they were in the middle of the 14th fairway when the ground suddenly gave way. >> hank said, tell mark to get out of the way. i said, hey, mark -- and i saw him disappear. >> reporter: disappear what looked like a tear in the carpet. >> when i was going down i thought that was it. i didn't know where i would land. >> reporter: he landed 18 feet under ground in a cave-like area

bigger than the opening above. within minutes a ladder was put down the hole. mylar in pain from a dislocated shoulder couldn't climb up. >> i asked if he could move his fingers and toes, if anything was broken, was he bleeding. he said, no, no. quit asking me questions, get me out of here. >> reporter: in the men's mind the sink hole in florida that swallowed up a man in his bed, a man whose body hasn't been found. they made a sling for his shoulder and tied a rope around him so otherses could pull him out. with the happy ending myhall's wife said it reminds her from "space jam." for now myhall is happy to be alive. he's looking forward to getting back on the links but hopes never to play another hole like this one. john yang, nbc news, chicago. >> very lucky to have quick thinking friends. up next a fast dish you can make tonight that will taste like you spent hour miss the kitchen, but really just minutes.

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♪ this morning in today's kitchen, what's for dinner? a budget friendly one-man meal. allie louis clapp is food editor for bon appetit. >> thighs are the new breasts. >> are you a thigh man now? >> i am now. >> it's true. that is breast-obsessed culture and it's really alling about the thighs. >> the thighs are cheaper. >> they are cheaper. >> they taste better. >> they don't dry out. they're moist and with these boneless skinless chicken thighs, they cook as fast as a breast. >> so you're sauteing them in a pan. >> olive oil, salt and pepper. >> and slicing up lemon. how come? >> we are in love with lemon. >> is lemon the new lime?

>> i can't go that far. >> all right. >> we are all big lemon fans. >> just slices? >> i will save this half to finish the sauce. scatter these over. i browned these for five or six minutes. >> both sides? >> just on the bottom. the whole skill let goes in the oven. you need an oven proof skill let. we call it pan roasting. if you don't have one, get a skill let that goes in the oven so the handle isn't plastic. it's great to sear things. put the skill let in the oven. >> you have done that for six, seven minutes. >> exactly. pull out the chicken. this is a quick pan sauce. >> you have left the lemon in? >> you see all the delicious browned bits? >> the fonde. >> oh, my. quite a vocabulary. >> i used to watch the fonde on "happy days."

i'm sorry. >> that's all right. i'll laugh for you. this is deglazing over a low flame. you want to scrape all the brown bits up. a little bit of white wine. cook it down for a minute. add in chicken broth. and i forgot all this stuff. >> shallots, garlic, red pepper flake. that was supposed to happen before anything wet happened. >> we won't tell. >> we're faking it anyway. so it doesn't matter. >> you end up with this beautiful sauce. >> nice. >> you put it right over. >> so you made a pan sauce. >> look how thick it is with the chicken broth and wine cooks down. it's beautiful. >> lovely. >> that goes right over top. we can squeeze a little bit of extra lemon on top if you like, put it in the sauce or over top for some fresh lemon flavor. the cooked lemon flavor is amazing. you have two flavors coming out of the same thing. simple salad.

whatever you want on the side. rice, couscous, whatever. >> what's back here? >> another ode to chicken thighs. this is a simple ka bob. the marinade is yogurt, coriander and cilantro. blend it up. broil it, make some salsa. we have cucumber, scallion, chilies, lemon juice. >> hi! this smells amazing. >> that's it. a little bit of salt and pepper. that's pretty easy. again, we love lemon. >> nice. >> right over top. >> delicious. >> fantastic. >> thank you. >> thank you so much. good to see you again. remember, chicken thighs are -- >> the new breasts. >> ooh! who knew. >> we're back in a moment. first, this is "today" on nbc.

coming up tomorrow on

"today," how to look five years younger instantly. up next with kathie lee and hoda actress jennifer espisita talks about her new reality show. >> how to paint like a pro plus kathie lee and hoda as you have never seen them before. >> seriously. >> really. >> you'll be surprised. >> local news and weather is next.

it is 9:56 now. good morning, i'm marla tellez. we have new details about a world renowned restaurant in berkeley rebuilding after a fire last week. chez paniis is reopening to march 30th according to a note on its website.

the restaurant previously said it would chancel all reservations through march 23rd a week earlier. we do have some new video of the restaurant from construction is already under way to repair the front porch destroyed in the fire. the berkeley fire department said it looks like an electrical problem caused the flames. starting off foggy but nice. christina loren is tracking the forecast. >> thanks, marla. amplifying high pressure bringing our temperatures up to near record levels today. thursday will be just about as warm. temperatures today in the 70s, isolated 80s on the way. high pollen. we do have moderate air quality. we could be doing much worse in the air quality department. you probably notice the haze over san jose and east as we head through the day today. 80 livermore, 77 in san jose. a big weekend, st. patrick's day on the way. temperatures will level off. a little bit cooler but staying

nice. check the drive. >> good morning. some haze in san jose. no, look at this. haze and fog both starting to move around. fog mostly burning off. good stuff, 280, not a problem speed wise. a live look at fremont heading south through the area. couldn't show it to you a half hour ago. burned off, clear view approaching mission boulevard. better through fremont. san mateo bridge, no relief here. toll plaza, a few headlights toward us. both directions smoothly through the fog. bogging down around the coliseum downtown. peninsula side, san francisco, the other san, slow there. marla, back to you. >> if you can't see the traffic, does that mean there's traffic? >> good question. >> we'll be back.

♪ from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb, live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. ♪ who let the dogs out ♪ who let the dogs out it's wednesday wines day. cheers. i'm kathie lee gifford. this is my co-host "dateline" hoda. >> used to be. used to be. we're so happy. this is a very big day. >> it's very important. the reason we are wearing our dog outfits, it's our way of saying thank you.

thank you for liking us on facebook. you guys, it was crazy. yesterday -- i can't breathe. i swear i can't. >> does this make me look fath? really? >> okay. i'm going back. >> we should explain. >> here's the deal. >> are we really nbc news? >> not anymore. we made history yesterday. thanks to you guys. we had 497,000 and change in facebook likes. and then something happened on our show that changed all that, okay? you guys really started liking us. it took some effort, especially on the part of this one. she got down on her knees as she's been known to do. >> please. please. never had any complaints. >> get on your knees, kathie.

>> we did it! we did it! >> after that it wasn't over. the hits kept coming. >> after that 500,000, then to 51, and then 52. >> it's amazing. >> 51. sorry. >> so this is our way of saying thank you. thank you very very much. we figured, to keep it going -- by the way, if something is more than -- never mind. >> if we hit 1 million, we've agreed to let some of our nbc family members sink us in a dunk tank on our show. >> we're never going to do that. >> which means for hoda woman a very bad hair day. >> we're only halfway there. >> i know, but after we barked. >> i'm not barking. >> you have to beg and bark, hoda. >> bark, hoda. >> i'm not barking.

>> we'll give you a treat, we'll give you a doggy treat. >> you know what you can do? do you know what you can do? >> do i have to do it again? [ dog barking ] >> okay. now it's getting weird. >> now bark. >> i'm not barking. okay? i have my journalistic standards. it's hot in this suit. >> it's really hot. >> can you unzip me, kath? >> no. hold on a second. we're delighted and very grateful. >> we are. >> i'm not on facebook personally, but i'm told it's a very important thing. >> it's a great medium. >> that's what i hear. >> this was a stupid idea. >> no, because it's helping. >> sarah, is it helping? >> let us its working. >> that feels good.

>> why, why, why did we do that? >> i don't know, but i think it was worth it. we want to say thank you. our gentle way -- >> you didn't bark. i'm personally disappointed. >> so keep liking us on facebook. we might do something else. >> just leave it by your feet. >> okay. are you tired of resetting your passwords -- >> can we talk about something fun? >> no. >> this is really fun. last night jimmy fallon knows how to put on a show. >> yes, he does. did he get you to bark? >> he had justin timberlake. he had clyde davis. allison williams, brian williams' daughter. he had charles barkley. >> barkley woof clam. >> i didn't bark, but he asked me to do something. >> jimmy, my favorite tv personality is hoda kotb and favorite jedi master is yoda.

do you think you could combine them to make yoda kotb? that sounds interesting. put your hands together for yoda kotb. [ clearing throat ] >> fourth hour of the "today" show it is. >> there you go. >> that was my yoda impression. >> you'll do that, but you won't bark? >> yes, i have standards, i told you. >> okay. >> anyway, but you know what -- >> it did bring back a memory. remember that halloween. >> that was the ugliest, i think, that i've ever been. >> pretty much. i loved that you kept asking for lipstick, because it made you look prettier. >> i did. i have to tell you, i felt insecure without it, with the

wisps and all. >> everybody is still talking about justin. justin bieber had a great performance. >> you mean justin timberlake? >> yes. sorry about that. timberlake was on fallon. >> on all week. >> they do this barbershop quartet, and you know the justin song "sexy back." they turned itself a barbershop number ♪ we're bringing sexy back ♪ we're bringing sexy back ♪ bringing sexy back ♪ all the boys know how to act ♪ i think it's special don't turn around ♪ ♪ and i'll pick up the slack ♪ take it to the bridge ♪ baby ♪ i'll let you if i misbehave

♪ just that no one makes me feel this way ♪ ♪ take it to the chorus >> they say bring it home. >> it was so. >> wasn't it great? >> it takes a lot of courage to do that. >> by the way, they were rehearsing at 3:30 over and over again, and justin has a cold, and he said, let's do it one more time. like he's a pro. he really wants to do it right. >> you know, we share a great history. he owes his whole career to me. >> what happened? >> his first movie was "model behavior" for me and cody with disney. >> what role did you play? >> i played the top kid model's in the world mother, and cody played my son. we shot it in toronto. he was a total pro. >> i didn't know that. >> yes. yes. >> so there is a commercial out there, and it talks about the ipad versus paper. i know a lot of people love love

love their ipads. >> i do, actually. >> you do? >> i like that. that's the one thing i do. >> there's a commercial out. it's overseas, the ipad versus paper. take a look. >> emma. ♪ >> emma. ♪ >> emma. emma. oh, emma. emma? >> oh, clever. >> cute. cute. >> yeah. [ speaking foreign language ] >> yeah, that's funny. very cute. there was this kid who loved loved loved billy joel so much. he was sitting in the audience

at vanderbilt when billy joel was there. >> giving a concert or speaking? >> i think so. he asked billy joel a question, and this is what he asked him. >> i was wondering if i could play with you. i would accompany you -- that is. >> okay. ♪ i'm in a new york ♪ state of ♪ ♪ mind >> isn't that great? ♪ a new york state of mind >> his name is michael pollack.

>> what a dream come true for him. as billy joel said at the end, don't forget that name. >> good for him. that's the thing we were talking about yesterday, the lean in book, you know what? you're not going to get it if you don't ask for it, if you don't go for it. >> you have to raise your -- >> you went through a health scare. i found out that something is available on the fourth hour. you went to the boss and said i want that. >> i do think you have to have the mentality you can't be afraid of something. >> so why are you afraid of barking? >> because i've already embarrassed myself over the last few days and friday is going to be. >> the fans are writing in, they want you to bark. >> a little bark out of hoda woman. >> woof. >> all right. now you're in "good housekeeping" magazine, featured you looking adorable. the mousse unabashed woman we know.

really. wait until the people see the show at the end of the week. you're very, very meed this set has already come out. >> yes indeed. i am. we have a big show coming up, don't we? >> i don't think so. >> yes, we do. jennifer esposito is plays with fire. >> going to dish about her new series, and more right after this. it seems our angels have been busy building a new, stronger so it holds up better, kind of angel soft®. it's now built with two softshield™ layers. when wet, new angel soft® is one, two, three times stronger than the leading value brand. well done, angels! stronger, holds up better... all wrapped up in a value you love. new angel soft®. now stronger than ever. new almay smart shade mousse is like smooth velvety magic.

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has been turning heads for 20 years, now she's taking her talents to the kitchen, opening a gluten-free bakery right here in manhattan and appearing in a new documentary reality series called "playing with fire." it. >> it focuses on the lives of chefs trying to make it. and jennifer turns up the heat. take a look. >> this looks good. yeah. what do i have? i have no measurement on salt. it just says salt. >> i never heard of a baker that doesn't measure. >> honestly i do things my way. people say to me to be a baker everything has to be so precise, and i'm like, yeah. look, that looks like a gnocchi. >> you're in a time -- >> you're repulsed by me, i know. >> hi. good to see you. >> thank you. >> happy to have you with us. >> thank you.

>> you took a lemon that you were given, this silly diagnosis, and you turned it into lemonade. >> i had to. it was years of trying to figure out what was wrong, and it was to the point where i was -- i lost a tooth, my hair was falling out. yeah, i couldn't stand up. i had such a severe panic disorder. >> it's an autoimmune disease. pea don't understand that. it took a year to try to understand what was even happening. little by little, i realized not only did doctors i was seeing not really know, but i didn't know, so i had to learn. and if i felt this way, there were people that felt like this outside as well. >> i don't know, how did you work and live and function in that not-knowing period? you must have thought i'm tired -- >> you know what it is? i saw my mother suffer like this, so i thought this was a delicate stomach, or i had, you know, i just had a weak immune

system, i had to take care of myself more. >> tell us your symptoms so people at home, it might put a name on what they're suffering with. >> jennifersway.org has been helpful, and i say that because it's not the same symptoms. >> a blood test? >> i think it's an endoscopy, you have ton a biopsiy of the small intestine, from stomach problems to skin allergies. it's so varied. that's why there's so much misinformation. i'm just trying to get the word out there about this disease and what to do, because seriously, people think it's a gluten-free diet and that's it. that's not true. >> you even wear gluten-free makeup. if there's anything in your mouth or gets into your skin affects you. >> i was having such insane scalp fire, that's all i can say. it literally felt like -- i

realized the shampoo i had had gluten in it, and i took it out, and it felt better. >> you turned this problem into something productive. tell us about the show. >> "playing with fire" was an awesome opportunity that came up. i've been talking about pitches a show for a while about celiac disease and talking about it, but unfortunately no one wants to hear about a disease. so i said let's focus on the food portion. >> more and more people are trying to go gluten-free. >> and i want to focus on doing it the right way. the show came along -- oh, hello. >> hey. >> we have a little -- you brought us some stuff. >> yes, i did. people think it will be cardboor if it's gluten free. >> and i know you're lactose intolerant. these are completely vegan. those are devil food cakes.

they taste like the old hostess cupcakes. i wanted it to taste like it used to taste when i was a kid. even we have a bread. there's a chocolate chunk cookie and a vegan chocolate chip. >> delicious. >> what's the bakery called? >> jennifer's way bakery, in east village on tenth. >> great to see you. >> glad you're turning this into something so positive. >> absolutely. thank you very many. it premieres this sunday at 10:00 p.m. on e. >> try that one. we've all sorted through the hysterical photos you sent in. that's a like, we haven't seen them, but sarah has. >> right after this. [ hosmer ] i kinda knew their reaction would be a little like, you know, "what are you thinking?" oh, i had a knot in my chest. i didn't really want her to go but...i knew she could do it. i felt like there were bigger and better things for me to do. [ mom ] she took what she was doing seriously. [ hosmer ] my self-confidence just went through the roof. [ dad ] it was awesome to see her transform from a girl,

in a small town, to a soldier. [ male announcer ] you made them strong. we'll make them army strong. talk to your son or daughter about joining the army. find out how at goarmy.com/parents. talk to your son or daughter about joining the army. sometimes all you need is the wow... sometimes all you need is the smooth creamy taste of werther's original caramel to remind you that you're someone very special. now discover caramel apple filled werther's original. [ female announcer ] hamburger helper stroganoff. beefy. creamy. stroganoffy. helpers. forty dishes, all delicious.

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wait...you relieve nasal congestion? sure don't you? [ nyquil bottle ] dude! [ female announcer ] tylenol® cold multi-symptom nighttime relieves nasal congestion. nyquil® cold and flu doesn't. it's scary how much dirt your vacuum can leave behind. add resolve deep clean powder before you vacuum to expel the dirt within your carpets. resolve's deep clean powder is moist. absorbing and lifting three times more dirt than vacuuming alone. leaving you with a carpet that's truly fresh and clean. don't just vacuum clean. resolve clean. yeah, a little. >> it's wines day wednesday. it's time for "what the what?" when we look at the unusual photos. >> sarah haines sifted through the three of them and came up

with these. >> how is facebook? >> people are liking it, but they're begging from a bark. >> i said "woof". >> that does not count. you need it to come from like here. >> it needs one of those. okay. our first photo, this is actually the winner of the caption contest. >> we loved that one. >> last week we put up this photo, and the winning caption is from our fan vicki atkinson clark. "i wanted to be in the budweiser clydesdale commercial." >> that's great. we'll reveal at the caption, but moving to the first photo, from dana hansen from peachtree city georgia. energy drinks fourth hour style. >> i like it. >> liz lester from centreville, ohio -- a good way to keep healthy is to eat more chinese food. just come back to business.

>> that's very clever. next up, a photo from deb darby. it's definitely not an advertisement "you can smell our butts for miles." kind of like the dog costumes. >> those dog costumes have been around. >> i mean it. finally jill oldford from newfoundland, pennsylvania submitted this one -- are they trying to appeal to the men's demographic? >> our panties are half off. and here's the photo for the caption contest next week. it's from kristina -- >> that's a great one. >> you know he's watching hoda bark. >> she hasn't done it yet. >> watching the friday show. >> that's true. >> that's the one. >> you mean that one? thank you, darling. and you can like us on facebook, too. >> yeah, keep liking us.

it's auld about st. paddy's day. and we're in the homestretch i want to hear about your date all afternoon. well, he showed up in a van. [ women ] oh-awww. [ voices in background ] [ female announcer ] swapportunity. the opportunity to swap a higher calorie snack for a delicious 90 calorie yoplait light. ♪ sorry... about your date, the details of your date. [ female announcer ] just one swap a day helps keep the calories away. yoplait. it is so good. [ female announcer ] just one swap a day helps keep the calories away. now from l'oreal...a most exclusive haircolor collection... preference paris couture. all new shades designed by l'oreal's master colorist, christophe robin. each sparkles with layers of shine. rose gold blonde...iced golden brown ...rich merlot. preference paris couture. from l'oreal paris. fruit just got cooler. fruit on one side, cool on the other.

ice breakers duo, a fruity cool way to break the ice. mommy! i went potty! that's great, honey... where? for life's bleachable moments. good morning to you. it is 10:26. i'm marla tellez. in menlo park police are stepping up patrols near behm haven elementary. they are on the lookout for a man approaching three young girls as they made their way to school. police say the man tried to ask

the girls a question but they kept walking. here is a sketch of the suspect. he was last seen driving a white colored work van. police say the suspect may be the same man wanted for exposing himself to a young girl in the same area last month. after the break we'll check the forecast and mike will take a look at the roads.

welcome back now. the time 10:28, taking a live look at a clearing sky over san bruno. good day for outdoor plans especially by the water. we still have lingering cloud

cover. overall looking good for today, 81 degrees, 77 bayside, 72 at the coast. can't wait to tell you about a comet you might see later today. check your morning drive. mike. >> looking here at a frozen picture. we stopped the video. i want to show it to you. northbound was stopped, southbound moving. traffic wreck at the coliseum for about 10 minutes. a dobman pinscher in the lane. chp didn't have any advisories. we have the unleashing of the traffic. here we are live, a smooth drive through oakland. san mateo bridge starting to recover. we can see the roadway now. that's better than half an hour ago but can't see the high writes. that -- highrise. traffic clearing up. >> dog gone commute along 880. the day's stories coming up.

jon kelley and i hope to you at 11:00. we'll seen you then. we are back with more of "today" on this wines day wednesday. "who knew?" get your green on. we're celebrating st. paddy's day. kathie lee is across the street with the folks who will pin a hundred bucks if they guess right. if they don't, they get her cd. >> it's a story one, hoda, very big. >> yeah, that one. here to help me out is dr. miriam nyhan, the irish historian at nyu's house. >> look at this adorable girl from texas. how charming is she? all righty, honey. each leaf has a mean. which of the below is not represented on the clover.

hope, faith, love and fortune? which one is not represented? >> can i see it again? >> yeah, sure. >> i'm going to say c, love. >> oh. ♪ everyone has a story >> you're going to love that. >> what is the correct answer? >> the correct answer is fortune. it's d. usually in ireland it's the shamrock of more significance than the clover. it's actually the fourth leaf is for fortune. >> don't you love her accent. >> i could hear her speak all day long. where are you from? >> i grew up in texas, but i live here. my niece is here for her birthday -- >> okay, thank you. i'm just teasing you you. on the arch days 5.5 million pints of ginness are consumes. how many are consumed on st. patrick's day? 8 million, 10 million, 13

million or 15 millions guinnesss. >> i'm hoping it's 15 million. >> i'm hoping you're going to like the cd. >> the correct answer is 13 million. >> yeah. i guess that's an easy number to remember. this year it's 2013, so it's an easy tie this year, and drunk all over the world on st. patrick's day. >> st. paddy's day is bigger in the states than in ireland? >> yeah, you could argue that. it's a huge celebration here in new york, and all over the world. my parents are in spain at the moment and they're talking about st. patrick's day celebrations there. it's the weekend, so it's a big thing. >> and you get the best lamb chops, and hoda, you know where. there you go. another texan, this is unbelievable. on the average day -- no that was yours. sorry. true or false, honey, the first st. patrick's day parade was in dublin, ireland. >> false. >> wow, you broke my streak.

nice. >> where was it? >> it was actually here in north america. we believe it may have been in the 1760s in boston or possibly new york may have been the first one. there's a bit of -- there's still debate, but 1762 is the first parade here in new york, so it's pretty old. older than in ireland we think. >> older than a lot of things. >> this girl is irish, but she's from texas. i don't able this. all right. sweetheart. how many st. patrick's day cards do americans exchange annually? 2 million, 3.5 million, 5 million or 7 million? >> i'm going to go with 3.5. >> look how sad she is. >> the correct answer here? >> 7 million. i'm surprised by that number. >> more cards are sent than people who reside on the whole island of ireland. that's your 6.3 currently living

in ireland. >> back across. >> you're not going to believe it. they do not know one another. where are you from? >> texas. >> are you kidding? >> you don't have any of those in texas, do you? do they make shoes for fairies, sell their pots of gold? do they make green and red jackets or make fake gold out of the chocolate? >> d? >> all right. the correct answer here is they make shoes for fairies? >> yes. that's right. apparently. they're -- the origins is all very murky, and we think they're related back to old folklore traditions, but apparently their 9 to 5 is making shoes for fairies. >> thanks for coming to see us. happy st. paddy's day. >> no, no, wait, hoda. >> what? >> we want everybody in texas to

friend us on facebook. >> oh, yes. >> we have something for you. okay. everybody. let's go! [ barking ] >> bark your brains out! bark your brains out. >> woof. we're going to talk about the five skills that made you a success in school. oh, it might kill our career. back after this. ( ♪ ) for those nights when it's more than a bad dream, be ready. for the days when you get a sudden call from the school, be ready. for the times you need to double-check the temperature on the thermometer, be ready. when you have children's motrin on hand, you're ready. for high fever, nothing works faster or lasts longer than children's motrin. be ready with children's motrin.

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does this sound familiar? back in school you were an overachiever who studied hard, you kept your nose to yourself, in the books and you succeeded. >> but now in the workplace that talent and hard work is getting you nowhere. it turns out the skills that got you ahead it cully hurt you in your career. >> here to explain is the founder of playing big women's leadership program, and ann fullen-wider, is editor in cheer of "marie claire" magazine. >> this is an interesting topic. they talked about it with sheryl sandburg. when it comes into the business world, we feel like we have to be overly prepared. >> school teaches us to get into the comfort zone of preparing. we study for the test oret ready for what the teacher will ask, but in the workplace, we

have to shift gears and get used to improvization and get as good at it as preparation. >> why is that? >> we have to response quickly. >> what mommy and daddy can't do for you. hmm. >> exactly. >> and being the good girls, getting the right answer, check it off, you get an "a." >> nobody likes that person. >> at work you have to do your job, but often more than that. >> enough to get ahead. >> right. >> i think women are rule followers. they do exactly what's assigned to them, they don't step outside of it, but we shouldn't stay in that lane, should we? >> that's exactly right. in school there's one authority figure for each class. it's the teacher. students get into the pattern and figure out what the authority figure wants, and provide it. then you get into your career. as you know, you have to challenge authority and influence authority. >> but when you have a boss and your boss says this is what i

expect and want, isn't that similar to having a teacher? >> but i'm a boss and i do appreciate when my employees do what i ask, but i also appreciate when they help me do my job. i really appreciate someone coming to the table with more than just what i've asked them to do. >> it's adding the different unique perspective of what your boss might not be seeing. >> better to not asks for permission, ask for forgiveness afterwards if things didn't work out? that seems like an oxymoron. >> you want to be diplomatic, and gracious, but you want to share your void and adding value, not just following what they're already thinking about. >> what do you think about the whole "lean in" thing, that we've been discussing, that we often opt out of things, and that hurts us the most in the workforce? >> this is really the work i do. i too feel that women have internal barriers around our own self-doubt, not seeing ourselves

as ready going for the leadership. i feel like i'm surrounded by brilliant, capable women who don't quite own their own brilliant. i believe let's look at the internal barriers and undo some of those. >> i think working hard gets rewarded, but that you need to, especially when you get to upper levels of management, women need to make a little noise at what they're doing. >> in a nice way. >> right. >> no one likes the tutor. >> and women can't self-promote themselves in the same way men can. we have to find the more grateful and subtle ways to let people know that we're doing great work. this is another thing we don't learn in school. >> thank you very much, lady. team hoda takes on team kathie lee. >> our getting fit girls are getting ready to sweat. >> they've done well. >> hats off. hats off. [ male announcer ] at the 2012 world championship cheese contest, the cheese judges awarded cracker barrel

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♪ i like to move it move it our final competition before the big finale. today we are competing in the fitness challenge. if you've been following us, you know and love them. team hoda, elena, jessica and -- >> and zakiya, and kathy via skype. >> and our fearless leader, mistress of ceremonies, joy fowler. >> this is intense, because right now your team has three points. team hoda has two points. it's the last challenge. >> we got this. we got this. >> we're going to do weights? >> weights first i want to remind the viewers, go to the website, get the meal plan. these women's are losing. elena started at 145, now 125, down 20 pounds.

. jessica started at 206, now 188, down 18. >> wow. >> and mindy started at 198, she's 174, down 24 pounds. [ cheers and applause ] >> amazing. >> zakiya started at 235, she's now 216, down 19 pounds. >> good job. >> and lastly, heidi started at 182, she's in and out 158, down 24 pounds. >> wonderful. i am so proud of you guys. >> what are we doing? here's what happens. the objective is how many exercises can each team do in a 60-second time frame. >> okay. >> we tossed a coin. your team is going to go first. >> of course we are. >> what does that mean? >> when the clock stars, you are going to reach in, you're going to pick out one card. this pot is filled with all sorts of cards with activities. you're going to say it out loud, and they're going to do ten

repetitions. when all three are done, you pick the second card, as many as they can get in in 60 seconds. are we ready? ready, set, gone. >> mountain climbers. ski jump. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. >> windmills. >> 1, 2, 3, 4 -- 8, 9, 10. >> jumping jacks. >> 1, 2, 3, 4 -- >> squats. >> 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 -- >> bridges. bridges. >> see, that looks like fun. >> pushups. >> you got it. you got it.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. >> crunches. [ buzzer ] >> we had a half. >> no, no, no. >> 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 exercises. >> eight. >> good going, guys. >> are you ready? all right. ready and -- ready, set, go. >> pushups. >> squats. >> 1, 2, 3, 4 -- 7, 8, 9, 10. >> windmills. >> 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,

10. >> mountain climbers. >> these are exercises without any equipment. >> bridges. >> you've done way more. >> jumping jacks. hurry up. >> 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 -- >> that's it. you can do regular. >> bicycle crunches. >> 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. >> you won. we have to go. we'll be back!

today's home is brought to you by -- okay. time for "today's home" and choosing the right paint colors, which is often more work and stressful than the actual painting itself. >> here with tips and tricks to have you painting like a pro designer, and valspar paint color expert is genevieve gorer. >> gorgeous, by the way. >> so complimentary this morning. thank you. >> i tell the truth. what's the biggest problem? >> we have a lot to get through. the harde thing, i think, is choosing the right color. this is so overwhelming. and no one knows what to do, so they paint beige. >> and there's lots of different beiges. >> but they all seem to go with the -- this is a quick couple suggestions that work. the first being bring your

swatches with you. bring your upholstery, a chunk of your floor, a piece of your countertop, so that when you get to the paint store, you can then compare and figure out how it works. >> it works kind of well. i like the yellow a lot. valspar paint is running this wonderful guarantee now until october 7th. if you choose the wrong color, we'll replace it for free. if you change your mind, it's a great safety net, so -- >> that's a great idea. >> people are terrified to make an idea. >> people are paralyzed. >> when you cover a room with something, it's so much different than when you saw a swatch like this. >>ant you supposed to paint a small spot? >> there is no science to it. but i would say, a bit bigger on the wall. watch how the light hits it all day long, because the color will change. >> that's right. >> don't do it at noon and think that's what it is. after you're doing, save your

brushes, this is a lot of money that people throw away. clean your tools. >> okay. >> moving on. >> the neutrals. >> okay. new neutrals. everyone thinks of beige, beige, beige, but every -- grays are the coolest neutral. everyone loves a good gray. and you complement it with the accent bold colors, the mustard, you bring it into the flowers and the burgundied. this is actually a blush, not a beige, with pink undertones. >> are you ready? >> get over here. >> what are we doing? this is how to paint the perfect stripe. . see the strips, peel it down at a 45-degree angle. you now how it decent raggy,

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we start with a live look at the chimney on the roof of the sistine chapel where we are waiting to see what color smoke rises. black smoke signals no pope, whereas white smoke signals a new pope has been selected. also on today's show, sleeping pills in sippy cups. charges filed against a south bay child care teacher. punishment for a mother and father letting their toddler smoke pot out of a bong. san bruno mountain towering over the bay area. things heating up outside. we're told to expect the hottest day of the week. meteorologist christina loren here with your full forecast coming up in just a matter of minutes.

good morning and thanks for being with us. i'm marla tellez. >> i'm jon kelley. good morning, everybody. yes, we are still watching and waiting as we give you a live look at the vatican where cardinals wrap up an afternoon session of voting at this hour. still no pope to report. of course if black smoke comes out once again rising from the chimney at sistine chapel that means no pope and no consensus on who will be the next pope. right now the 115 cardinals will meet again early tomorrow morning to continue their voting. give you a breakdown here, this is kind of how it works. the cardinal vote as many as four times a day during two separate sessions. they have a morning session and then an afternoon session. the smoke only goes up twice a day, at 4:00 in the morning local time and 11:00 in the morning our time. that is unless the pope is chosen and in that case the white smokeil