good morning. president under pressure, as the first family visits vatican city for a meeting with the pope. president obama's approval rating here at home starts dipping. this morning, new fears his plan to fix the troubled economy isn't working. dollars for drugs. as police piece together what killed michael jackson, and the role prescription drugs may have played, nbc news uncovers just how easy it is for people with money to get their hands on strictly controlled medications. this morning the shocking cocktail we bought inside a doctor's office. and gored to death. a 27-year-old man tragically dies during pamplona's running of the bulls. the first deadly accident at that famous event in 14 years "today," friday, july 10th,

that famous event in 14 years "today," friday, july 10th, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, everyone. and welcome to "today" on a friday morning. i'm matt lauer. as you can see my partner has made her way back from the west coast. great job out there. >> thank you so much. i came back on a good day, rascal flatts is going to be here. >> welcome you back with cool music. seven times in a row rascal flatts has been named country music's group of the year. you're going to find out why when we check them out in just a little while. meanwhile ahead in this half hour, what's causing president obama's approval ratings to sag? the latest numbers put it about 57%. that's healthy but it's down from 68% at the start of his term. we're going to get into why in just a little while. >> and then also this morning, a story out of illinois that will disturb anyone whose had to bury a loved one.

an elaborate scheme in which hundreds of bodies may have been dug up so the buria plots could be resold. the outraged family members speak out. that's coming up. >> also she may have lifted the spirits of some people at some sporting events but police say this high school cheerleader also lifted the cash box from a fourth of july fund-raiser run by a 9-year-old wheelchair-bound girl and his friends. and those girls will join us to talk about what happened. and later, a truly unbelievable weight loss story. a guy who's featured in a new special called the 650-pound virgin and how he managed to drop, get this, 410 pounds. >> wow. >> he's here to reveal his remarkable new look. >> okay. but first, the latest on president obama. his approval rating, and the first family's trip overseas. nbc's savannah guthrie is traveling with the president and she is in vatican city this morning with details. savannah, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. the president, along with the first lady and their two daughters will be here at the vatican today for their

first-ever meeting with the pope. on the final day of the g-8 summit, president obama and world leaders met for breakfast. and got in some last business, promising billions to help boost food production in some 6 the world's poorest countries. the three-day summit put a spotlight on the earth-quake ravaged down of l'aquila, italy, even actor george clooney came to see residents still living in tent cities. today the focus leaves l'aquila for vatican city, where president obama and his family will meet with pope benedict. continuing a rite of passage for u.s. presidents. an audience with the leader of the catholic church. >> for barack obama to be in league with the pope on all sorts of things will help him a great deal, not only with believing catholics around the world but among the very many people who respect what the pope stands for. >> reporter: but while the

president makes a splash with world leaders this week, at home he faces a barrage of bad headlines. from concerns his stimulus package isn't creating the jobs promised fast enough, to snags on health care reform. and one ominous sign from the campaign bellwether of ohio, a new poll shows the president's approval at 49%, down 13 points in two months. >> this is one poll, in one state. it's an important state, and it's a relatively reliable pollster. but i think what it says is that we have an administration that, after six months, is really looking at the end of its honeymoon. >> reporter: on thursday, the white house dispatched vice president joe biden to cincinnati, to fire back at critics. >> i hear nothing, other than the criticism. i didn't take this job. barrack didn't take this job to do nothing. we took this job to rebuild america. >> reporter: later today, the president will travel to ghana, where he's expected to speak to parliament and visit an old slave trading post that's on the

coast of africa. matt? >> all right, savannah, thank you very much. that's savannah guthrie in vatican city this morning. dee dee myers was president clinton's first white house press secretary. she's now contributing editor for "vanity fair" magazine. former republican presidential candidate pat buchanan is an msnbc political analyst. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> good morning, matt. >> dee dee, let me start with you. two camps it seems. when you look at the popularity numbers for the president right now down from 68% to 57%, one camp says, it's just the afterglow of the election is over. the other camp, and i think pat falls into this camp will say, no, this is about this president, and this administration screwing up with the stimulus plan and the economy. what's the truth? >> well, the truth is that this president started his term with a tremendous amount of political capital, and he made clear from the very beginning that he was going to spend that trying to do not small things but big things. he started with the stimulus, wee now in the midst of a very complicated health care reform process, and the president is spending some of that political capital. >> yeah, but -- >> the poll numbers are down as

a result of that. >> but if people look and think that the spending of it has got positive results, they wouldn't be jumping off the bandwagon. so a lot of people are not thinking this is going well? >> well, you know, we always react in the short-term when sometimes the process is a longer-term issue. you know, we all know that. so, do we know what the result of the stimulus are yet? no. the administration says we spend about a quarter of it in 2009, another half in 2010. we're on track to do that. is it having the rules that the president had hoped? maybe not quite yet. will it over time? we don't know the answer to that yet. so people have to keep their hair from going on fire and try to be a little bit more patient. the president is going to need to come home, though, and address this. he's going to have to reassure people, reassure them why he's taking these big, difficult steps and why we might not see the results as quickly as some peep might hope. >> pat, give me your take on this. why are these numbers dropping? >> becaused patience of the american people is understandably running out, matt. the president of the united states got an $800 billion stimulus package. he's running the largest peacetime deficit by far in american history.

and americans are saying, where are the jobs? we're losing them still at the rate of 500,000 jobs a month. the work-week is diminishing. hours are getting shorter. real wages are not going up. and people are asking where are the results? that stimulus package. $800 billion, we learned that only 10% has gone out the door. that is not a stimulus package. questions are being raised about the competence of the congress and the president of the united states, who have a stimulus package only 1/10 of which is out the door. it's not working, matt. that's the problem. >> dee dee, you remember the debate in congress at the time of the vote on the stimulus plan was between, do we take this money and use it for government spending, or do we put it into tax cuts? that was where the line was drawn. are you starting to worry at all that perhaps they erred in the wrong direction here? >> well, i mean, the first thing the president had to do was pass the package through a democratic controlled congress. so you do have to make some

compromises in order to get the votes to get it done. he did that. you know, in a perfect world would there have been a little more tax cuts? in my view, yes. but over time, will this package work? the administration continues to believe that it will -- >> you know, matt. -- >> i don't think we know the answer to that yet. the last thing to recover in any onomic recession is jobs. and yes, the administration is worried about that. yes, we want to see more job growth. but that's the way these things unfold. >> but i think we do know the answer, dee dee, for this reason. what the president could have done, he had congress -- he had the whip hand over congress, he could have said, look, cut those payroll taxes right now, cut them in half for all businesses, all individuals, money would have gone into the pockets of people every week, every month in the paychecks. you would have got that booster shot into the economy by now. we would have ignition. this engine hasn't even turned over yet and the reason is, the way you structured this package was more for the politicians, i think, than it was for the people. >> i don't want to make this feel unfair andive you a double last word here, pat, but this question really is for you.

in just ten seconds if you don't mind. the common belief is that republicans are sitting on the sidelines quietly or not so quietly rooting for the economy to stay in the slump so they can recover in the midterm elections. true or false, fair assessment? >> false. i think what the republicans are saying now is we were right all along. i think they got the momentum now. i think they've got some of their grip back. i think health care is in deep trouble and cap and trade is in deep trouble, and rightly so. >> pat buchanan and dee dee myers. dee dee, i can see your mouth open. five seconds. >> i was just smiling. >> oh, okay. we can end on a smile. >> the republicans have not offered any alternatives. they stood on the sidelines and fired barbs. that's not an alternative and the american public recognizes that. >> you ended up getting the last word. dee dee and pat, thanks so much. nice to see you both. >> she's no fool, she's going to get it in. now let's get a check of the rest of morning's top stories from natalie morales, who is in for ann at the news desk. >> good morning, welcome back, meredith. good morning to you, matt.

today, a new chapter for general motors, as it emerges from chapter 11, as a leaner company. one largely owned by the u.s. government. gm has spent the last 40 days in bankruptcy. the new gm now will focus on four core brands, chevrolet, cadillac, buick and gmc. after a firestorm of criticism over bonuses earlier this year, aig plans to resume paying millions of dollars in promised retention bonuses next week. the company wants the obama administration's compensation czar, ou, to approve those payments ahead of time. a horrible scene this morning in pamplona, spain, and a warning, the video is graphic, where a 27-year-old spaniard was killed during the running of the bulls when he was gored by a bull. another man was also gored and tossed into the air. but amazingly he walked away from it. the death was the first fatality in pamplona in almost 15 years. thousands of people turned out last night in nashville at a memorial service for former nfl quarterback eve mcnair, who was shot to death last weekend

by his girlfriend. former teammates called his death heartbreaking. overseas markets this morning are mostly lower. now to wall street nbc's trish regan is at the new york stock exchange watching it for us. trish, what are we watching there at the end of the week? >> hey, good morning, natalie. we're still at the very beginning of the earnings season, but a lot of investors are voicing concern that corporations just aren't meeting their profit expectations as they had anticipated. and for those few that actually are, natalie, they're doing so by cost cutting. and that's a problem. because, corporations need to be growing sales. they need to be growing their revenues. they can't really save their way to economic prosperity. so while it may work in the short-term, it's a long-term issue. the other thing, of course, keep an eye on retail companies again today. they posted their results for the month of june. very weak results, but the good news here, i suppose, is that you probably will see a lot of back-to-school discounts in the fall, natalie. >> i've certainly seen them already. a lot of sales out there. trish regan at the new york

stock exchange, thank you. and two brothers in brazil are combining their love of climbing with art. they eat, sleep, and they work perched on the side of a building more than 30 feet high. their street art exhibit began late in may and they plan to keep hanging around until august. but you see they've got a dining room table there, a chair, a hammock, even. that was better than my first new york city apartment. not a bad deal. matt, meredith and alexandra. >> all right, natalie, thanks very much. meredith, alexandra. >> nice to meet you. >> doing a nice job while al's taking some time off. >> let's talk about it, really one of the first huge stories, of course, the heat aroundhe t country. how about 115 degrees in buffalo, oklahoma yesterday. first time in 13 years. so the heat is the big story. really the pinnae of it today and then we'll begin to level off. as we look towards the day in the northeast, dry skies and a little bit warmer than it's been. southeast in florida, scattered

good morning. at sunrise looking to the west we have the moon getting low in the western sky. it's a fresh and cool summer morning. 65 in washington. low to mid 60s around the region now. highs reaching near 80. way below the average of 88 with low humidity and a few clouds. tomorrow partly sunny, warm and humid, highs mid 80s. maybe passing thundershowers, a small chance of that. a greater chance on sunday. still humid. monday into tuesday lower humidity returns. meredith? >> thank you, alexandra. now to the latest on michael jackson's death. nbc news has confirmed that during the private gathering ahead of tuesday's memorial the jackson family viewed his body in an open casket. meanwhile, you may remember that during the public memorial, texas congresswoman sheila jackson lee called for a house resolution to honor jackson's legacy. well, maybe she should have checked with the house speaker first. nbc's kelly o'donnell is on

capitol hill to explain that. kelly, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. i've been watching all of your coverage, and the global interest in michael jackson, and i would have never thought i'd have a capitol hill angle for you. but today, i do. and like so many things with jackson, there's controversy. ♪ who would have thought she was about to be starting something. the most powerful woman in politics said no to the king of pop. >> i don't think it's necessary for us to have a resolution. >> reporter: no on a vote to honor michael jackson. house speaker nancy pelosi appeared uneasy. >> we're into the popular culture now, and michael jackson was a great, great performer -- >> reporter: kind words are enough for the speaker, who says she will not permit the house to celebrate the superstar with a formal bill. but wait, at jackson's memorial, senator sheila jackson lee promised that honor with

millions of jackson fans watching around the world. >> this resolution 600 that will be debated on the floor of the house, that claims michael jackson as an american legend and musical icon, a world humanitarian -- >> reporter: that resolution, in page after page, lists jackson's hits and chart topping successes, credits his crossover appeal as an african-american entertainer, and outlines nearly 40 examples of jackson's charitable giving. >> someone who will be honored for ever and forever and fover. >> reporter: but not with a vote. >> a resolution, i think, would open up to contrary views that are not necessary at this time. >> reporter: meaning an awkward debate about the hugely talented but troubled star. republican congressman peter king already made clear he's n fan of jackson. >> this guy is a pervert, he was a child molester. >> reporter: even without a

resolution, the house did pause the day jackson died. in happier days, jackson had played washington's biggest stage, honored at the reagan white house. >> thank you very much, mr. president. >> reporter: a guest on capitol hill to support aids funding. and sheila jackson lee says she can be patient, and will try to push her resolution again. >> this is very shortly after the death. so no door is closed. >> reporter: and the texas congresswoman tells me she's concerned that michael jackson's children and family could be hurt or disappointed by this. so she's going to try to get more support. while aides to speaker pelosi say that with so much going on here in washington, nancy pelosi feels they just need to work on some other business right now. meredith? >> all right, kelly o'donnell, thank you very much. it is 7:15, once again here is matt. >> meredith, thank you. betrayed and violated. that's how dozens o families are reacting to the news of an elaborate scheme that's been busted in the chicago area. police say a cemetery manager

and three workers dug up hundreds of corpses so they could resell the cemetery plots. nbc's kevin tibbles is in alsip, illinois, with the latest on what is a terrible story. kevin, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. the cook county sheriff says as many as 300 graves may have been desecrated here so that they could be resold, all in the name of making a quick buck. families lining up, desperate for information about their loved ones whereabouts as authorities reveal the disturbing scale of this crime. >> it's a whole new dimension that shows us what lengths people would go through for financial gain. >> reporter: as many as 300 graves may have been desecrated here during the past four years. in what investigators said was a for-profit scheme to resell burial plots. >> there's nothing to tell me to make me feel better about my

father's remains being disturbed. >> reporter: cook county sheriff says he's never seen anything like it. >> they would take a back hoe, dig out the top of the casket, put the rest of the remains down. >> reporter: crush it? >> crush it down and put another on top of it. >> reporter: four cemetery employees have been charged with removing remains from the graves. in some cases dismembering them. many of the remains were reportedly dumped in a weedy area. >> there should be no bail for them. there should be really a special place in hell for these graveyard thieves who have done so much to hurt these families. >> reporter: this cemetery was the first in the chicago area to allow african-americans to be buried there, and it is the final resting place for many iconic figures, including civil rights symbol emmitt till whose grave has not been disturbed. and blues legend dinah washington. for the count also families who have relatives buried here, this crime means they must mourn their deaths all over again. >> we know exactly the area, but it's not -- he's not there.

>> out of 23 family members out here, i have grave sites that haven't even been used, headstones that are missing. this is ridiculous. this is sacred ground. >> reporter: and an fbi forensics team with experience in the mass graves of sera is now on the ground here to help sort out this jigsaw puzzle of identification. matt? >> all right, kevin tibbles in illinois for us this morning. kevin, thank you very much. it's now 19 minutes after the hour. once again here's meredith. >> thank you. now to ghana. the next destination on president obama's week-long overseas trip. and as he visits one of the capital city's new es hotels he might feel right at home. nbc's digital reporter maria scheeveo campo has more on that. good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith. well, today's newspaper says it all. welcome president obama. ghanaians here are eagerly anticipating the president's visit and in the days leading up to it they've been clamoring for everything obama related. singing obama songs, wearing

obama shirts and now some are getting the chance to sleep in obama's room. visitors here aren't just staying at any hotel. they're guests of obama. hotel obama, that is. brand-new come indications in ghana's capital city where every room is designed around a barack obama theme. >> they have a hotel washington, why not have a hotel named off obama? >> reporter: it's run by a ghanaian american whose father owns the business. she worked for this obama during the campaign and then moved to ghana to work for this one. it's a budget conscious hotel featuring 18 themed rooms priced at $60 to $100. >> and this room is the obama suite. most people stay here that come for a special occasion or coming with their family. we have michelle obama right next to barack obama, across from obama. it's joe biden's room.

>> reporter: and in case you never make it to the white house, you can always stay in the lincoln bedroom here. they're not just politically themed ros. at hotel obama you can stay in rooms like harvard, or the chicago room. even though this obama was inaugurated less than a week ago, it's already the talk of the town. >> when the u.s. president is coming, the hotel obama -- >> people just love the idea that the hotel is named obama. >> reporter: in fact ghanaians are so taken with the new american president they're naming lots of things after him. everywhere he goes people tell 12-year-old felix he bears a striking resemblance to a certain american politician. what part of you do you think looks most like? >> everywhere. >> reporter: tell me like where. >> my ears.

my eyes. my nose. my mouth. the way i smile. >> reporter: even the way he writes. felix is a lefty. just like the president. how do you feel when people tell you that you look like obama? >> i feel good. >> reporter: president obama won't be staying at his name sake hotel during his visit, but in this nation, he'll be greeted everywhere, as the guest of honor. now, along with the excitement there is a little bit of frustration that obama's not holding a big public event like clinton did during his visit. people here really want a chance to get to see him and are disappointed that for the most part he's going to be kept behind closed doors. >> thank you very much. and still ahead, nbc news goes undercover in the wake of michael jackson's death to reveal just how easy it is to buy prescription drugs for cash at a doctor's office in los angeles. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

still to come the cheerleader arrested for robbing fourth of july fund-raiser. >> plus rascal flatts live in concert t on the plaza. so instead of searching for "deals" out there... you get everyday low prices, right here. vo: ave money. live better. walmart. delicious flavors... expertly blended... because great tasting dressings aren't just made, they're crafted. you' ready for the mid-morning rush thanks to a good breakfast. one coffee with room, one large mocha latte. medium macchiato, light hot chocolate hold the whip, and two espressos. make one a double. she's fiber focused! i have two cappuccinos, one coffee with room, one large mocha latte, a medium macchiato, a light hot chocolate, hold the whip, and two espressos, one with a double shot. gonna take more than coffee to stay this focused. stay full and focused through the morning... wita breakfast of kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats® cereal;

an excellent source of fiber that helps you avoid... the distraction of mid-morning hunger. good morning. welcome. i'm barbara harrison. it's friday, july 10, 2009. the time now 7:26. in the news, people are looking for three masked robbers who attacked a couple in prince william county. the couple says it happened monday night in lake ridge while they were out walking their dogs. one of the victims says he was punched and tased during the holdup. from the tracks to the platform. metro could be in for a face lift. the system is planning a rehabilitation project in 2010. it will cost $177 million and could take years. metro's full board could arove the plan next week. fios guy! where ya headed? ah, just installed fios in the whole building. now everyone has the fastest upload speeds.

and we're giving them a mini netbook. well, i'm sticking with cable. so's ted. (voice) no i'm not! he's just goofing. (voice) no i'm not! (sighing) ted has betrayed me. (announcer) switch to verizon fios tv, phone and internet today and get an ultra-sleek compaq mini netbook. ll the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v

another comfortable summer morning. in the 60s with low humidity and sunshine. clouds to the west of washington in and out later on today, highs near 80 with low humidity. tomorrow and sunday, steamy, highs mid 80s. could get late afternoon and evening thundershowers on saturday it's a small chance. a greater chance on sunday. lower humidity for monday and tuesday with sunshine and highs in the 80s. jerry, how's the friday traffic? >> was a slowspot, 66 eastbound had an accident. showed you at route 20 in centreville it's over to the shoulder. we'll check things headed up to baltimore. 95 northbound, up near the harbor tunnel thruway. >> tonight on "news 4 at 5:00" the things workers want that can make going to work on a nice day

more bearable. we'll tell y what those are tonight on "news 4 at 5:00." ococ

7:30 now on this friday morning, july 10th, 2009. you can see we have an overflow crowd out on the plaza. they are ready to sing along to music of country superstars rascal flatts. live concert just about an hour from now. meanwhile inside studio 1a i'm meredith vieira, alongside matt lauer. and comin up in this half hour, a high school cheerleader who police say lost her spirit in a big way. she allegedly stole the cash box from young girls who were trying to raise money for their dad's business, which is struggling in the bad economy. we're going to speak with the girls in just a bit. >> also ahead, how about this for a remarkable transformation? we're going to meet a man who could not have a normal life because he weighed 650 pounds. he wouldn't go out during

daylight because he was afraid people would make fun of him. now he has lost 410 of those pounds. he's going to join us to show off his new look. >> good for him. plus, a story that has south beach crowing. mr. cocky, one of the city's most fame russ residents is facing eviction. but that rooster is that going down without a fight. we're going to get his side of the story coming up. >> but first, some serious news to get to. an undercover "today" show investigation. police investigating the death of michael jackson believe that doctors may have written him prescriptions in exchange for money. drugs that could have contributed to his death. nbc's jeff rossen is in los angeles with more on this. jeff, good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning to you. we actually have some new information in this case. homicide investigators from the lapd are now collecting medical records from several of jackson's doctors. they're checking to see if there was any criminal activity. which brings us to our undercover investigation. it's an open secret around here, if you're a celebrity and you

have money, you can get all the drugs you want. these aren't back alleyrug deals, either. these are reputable doctors, in nice offices, taking cash in exchange for prescriptions. and this morning we'll show you just how easy it is. ♪ well baby what i couldn't do ♪ ♪ with money and you >> reporter: in a town where celebrities rule and anything goes, it's the new epidemic. stars buying off doctors. >> it's not like buying crack off the street. but it's as simple as that. >> reporter: that easy? >> easy as ordering a pizza. >> reporter: we're about to find out. our decoy is an ex-performer in hollywood. he's agreed to go undercover for us as long as we hide his identity. we're watching as he walks in to a doctor's office with a wad of cash. he'll see a doctor with a reputation for taking care of celebrities. >> if i walk in his office, i pay the fee, i give him the

money, i have a doctor, i have drugs, i have whatever i want. >> reporter: as our guy walks inside, you have to remember, he's never met this doctor before. he just made an appointment saying he has a tv pilot coming out. he was with the doctor for only five minutes, and handed over nearly two grand in cash. when he walked out, even we were surprised. prescriptions in one hand, a goodie bag of samples in the other. the drugs that were prescribed to you, could those drugs kill you? >> this is a suicide cocktail on paper. could these drugs kill me? they could kill 20 people. >> reporter: the doctor wrote him prescriptions for four different drugs, including a heavy dosage of oxycontin, a schedule ii narcotic. 240 pills of the painkiller vicodin, sleeping pills, and for good measure, cialis for erectile dysfunction. what did you tell the doctor to

get these prescriptions? >> i had a strain in my arm and i reinjured an old back injury. >> reporter: did he examine you? >> i didn't even take my shirt off. he did not examine me at all. he said i have exactly what you need and started writing. >> reporter: just as shocking, the timing of this. the doctor sold prescriptions to our decoy -- ♪ -- right in the middle of the michael jackson drug investigation. police are hunting down the doctors who may have contributed to his death by overprescribing meds for money. and yet here we are, with prescriptions for cash in l.a. what do you think of these doctors who are prescribing this medication at will >> it makes me sick to my stomach that people who have sworn such an oath, to help their fellow n, are actually killing their fellow man. >> reporter: doctor howard samuels runs a luxurious wonderland rehab clinic in malibu. sources say the jackson family called him to run an intervention for michael just weeks before his death. how much will the mega star pay

a doctor to be at his beck and call 24/7? >> oh, $30,000 to $50,000 a month. and 50 could be conservative, depending on really what the addict or the celebrity wants. >> reporter: truth be told, it's the celebrities in this town who allow this to continue to happen? >> it's the celebrities, and it's the doctors who feed on greed. >> reporter: celebrities like jeff conaway. that's jeff in "grease." he also played bobby wheeler in "taxi." jeff was a rising star until he got hooked on painkillers and hit rock bottom. jeff played himself on the sw "celebrity rehab." >> i used to get like, you know, anything i wanted. you know, could i have some of this? could i have some of that? >> reporter: done? >> done. script, script, script, script.

>> reporter: done? >> done. over. go get high. >> reporter: he's recovering now. no thanks, he says, to hollywood dr. feel-goods looking to make a buck. it's hard to say no to a celebrity if you're just a normal doctor? >> yeah. >> reporter: for our investigation, we spoke with dozens of celebrity insiders who told us this is the new hollywood. doctors are the new pushers. for example, in the anna nicole smith case, two of her doctors were charged with writing illegal prescriptions. >> there are people who are dead today that would not have been dead if there were doctors who were using their authority the right way. >> this is a wake-up call to the celebrity world that they have a problem, it's called a drug addiction, and it needs to be stopped. >> reporter: but it seems unstoppable. the list of dead celebrities is growing.

and so is the list of crooked doctors willing to sell their power for a brush with fame. >> this is happening everywhere. right now, as we speak, the same thing i just did is happening all over. dozens and dozens of times. >> reporter: this is scary stuff. >> yeah, this is scary stuff. how many celebrities have to die? michael jackson, 10 more, 20 more? how many movie stars before this stops? >> reporter: here's the problem, there's actually a loophole in the law. to arrest and charge a doctor for overprescribing medication, police have to show malice or gross negligence. and we're told that it's difficult to prove in court. so the doctors know that and continue to do it. by the way, it's important to note, we destroyed all the pills you saw from our undercover sting. matt? >> all right, jeff rossen in los angeles. jeff, thank you very much. we're going to get more insight into hollywood's drug culture from the host of celebrity

rehab, dr. drew pin ski a little later on in the morning. >> now let's get a check of the weather from alexandra steele who is in for al. >> a lot of texans here. howdy from austin,in, texas. i don't know if it's rascal flatts, the country band, or the heat. oppressive heat in texas. the warmest temperatures they've had in 13 years. it was 115 in buffalo, texas, doklahoma. unbelievable. again, record highs today. a slight risk of storms from interior areas of new york state down toward western pennsylvania. a slight risk for a tornado or two. and then saturday night in the northeast, rain showers, the saturday showers move farther north toward northern new england. around the washington region, off to another gorgeous start on this summer morning with low humidity, blue sky once again. and comfortable temperatures in the mid 60s in washington and the nearby suburbs. around the region low and mid

60s. highs reaching the low 80s. clouds in and out, highs near mid 80s on saturday and sunday with increased humidity. partly sunny both days. might get a late day thundershower tomorrow. a greater chance on sunday. maybe you're traveling this weekend, you want to check the weather, of course, go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com. matt? >> all right, alexandra, thank you very much. coming up next, the high school cheerleader busted for stealing from ad-uner fisra un r a 91-bynd 1year-old girls. those girls are here to share their story. nd

[ female announcer ] give your eyes the attention they deserve with covergirl exact eyelights. mascara with light reflecting metallics and a hint of tint that brightens eye color while defining lashes. turn up the ght in your eyes. [ female announcer ] with exact eyelights from easy breezy beautiful covergirl. waking up to breakfast delicious. now, we're making it more affordable. with five one-dollar-off coupons... in specially marked boxes of cereal.

wake up to breakfast... on kellogg's. the best to you each morning. wake up to breakfast... medication to lower your bad cholesterol but your good cholesterol and triglycerides are still out of line? then you may not be seeing the whole picture. ask your doctor about trilipix. statin to lower bad cholesterol, along with diet, adding trilipix can lower fatty triglycerides and raise good cholesterol to help improve all three cholesterol numbers. trilipix has not been shown to prevent heart attacks or stroke more than a statin alone. trilipix is not for everyone, including people with liver, gallbladder, or severe kidney disease, or nursing women. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take and if you are pregnant or may become pregnant. bld tests are needed before and during treatment to check for liver problems. contact your doctor if you develop unexplained muscle pain or weakness, as this can be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. this risk may be increased when trilipix is used with a statin. if you cannot afford your medication, call 1-866-4-trilipix for more information. trilipix.

there's more to cholesterol. get the picture. look up to 5 years younger in 14 days. satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. go ahead. take the anew ultimate skincare challenge! avon introduces anew ultimate gold emulsion. combining technologies so breakthrough skins moisture levels surge by more than 400% on day 1. look up to 5 years younger in 14 days. satisfaction guaranteed or your money ck. anew ultimate gold emulsion. call 1-800-for-avon to find a representative and take the anew skincare challenge! and we are back at 7:42 with a teenage cheerleader in georgia in hot water after police say she ran off with a cash box from a local fund-raiser. what makes it worse, the event was organized by two young sisters just trying to help their dad in this tough economy. we're going to speak with them and their friends and their dad exclusively in a moment.

but first nbc's ron mott has the details. . >> it just made me mad, basicry. >> reporter: give me a t-h-i-e-f. that spelled trouble for 17-year-old high school cheerleader chelsea steele in atlanta's famously conservative suburb of cob county. she's now admitted to stealing a box of hard-earned money from children, including one in a wheelchair at the neighborhood pool. >> we had $147. >> reporter: what's worse, this was no ordinary fund-raiser. it was to earn some summer spending money while helping a parent struggling embroidery business. >> my dad's business has been hurting. so we -- we had nothing to do this weekend, so we thought it was kind of a cool idea to just sell these t-shirts and hats. >> reporter: the kids were selling a little bit of peace, love and freedom. and got much more than they bargained for when the cheerleader and a few of her friends showed up. >> one of them asked for a green hat and she had a $20 bill and

then she took the $20 bill, took the box, her friend was holding the gate and they ran and the car went. >> reporter: hearing the commotion, dad literally sprang into action. >> mr. joe, mr. joe, they took the money. as soon as i found out, i immediately ran out the gate and jumped the wall and crossed the street. >> reporter: hours later, chelsea steele was arrested and charged with felony robbery. charges that could lead to serious prison time. >> she is just torn up about what happened. she'd like to express to the children who were involved in this and had to experience it, as well as their parents, that she is extremely sorry for what happened. >> reporter: the kids picked up where they left off, with one lingering question. >> i wanted to ask her why she did it. >> reporter: but so far, like their money, the answer is still missing, and police have yet to decide if they'll also charge chelsea's friend. for "today," ron mott, nbc news, atlanta. and we have now exclusively are joe greene, his daughters sidney and sophie and their

friends megan cobbler and caroline pierce. good morning to all of you. joe this started out as something so sweet. your daughters wanted to help you out, business is not very good right now, having a sale at the local pool. in a nice community you've been there, what, 12 years now? did you ever think something like this would happen? >> not in my wildest dreams. we were just blown away by it. it's just unbelievable. >> reporter: sydney, this was your idea originally. you're there, you've got about $142 in the cash box at this point? and you're selling the t-shirts and the hats. this girl comes up, chelsea steele, to the table. what was your impression of her? >> well, one of my baby-sitters is her age, so i usually think of those types of girls as sweet and caring. but i guess not. >> reporter: but at first she was sweet, wasn't she? >> yeah. she was telling us how cool this was, talking to my dad, asking all about what we were doing.

>> reporter: and then when she suddenly grabbed that box, and actually she started to hand you a $20 bill, right, you thought you were going to take that, instead she grabs the box, jumps into the car. were you scared? >> i was scared. >> reporter: you were? caroline, were you scared, too, honey? yeah. because nobody expects that. and the good thing was that everybody in the community seems to have jumped to the rescue there to try to find out what was going on. even your little brother helped out. what did he do? >> he remembered her name. >> reporter: so he recognized her? and knew the name. and then how did you piece the rest together, joe? >> well, after we got the first name, a friend of ours had an iphone, and we tried to get a yearbook first, that didn't work out. so we got the iphone, got on the website of the high school that she attended, and someone said she was a cheerleader so we went to the cheerleading page and sure enough we saw chelsea, and

at that point we still didn't know if it was the right gi. so someone said let's check her on facebook, so we clicked on facebook. >> and saw her picture? >> face popped up and we said that's her. we called police. >> and the police actually knew her, knew who she was, as well, right? >> they did. later that night, after they picked her up, i think they had seen her before. >> i think she's had some problems before. i want to read you something that her attorney said. she is in jail, as you girls know -- i'm sorry, she's out of jail on bond. she was in ja. but her attorney said this, chelsea steele and the family have asked me to convey their most sincere apology to joe greene and the childn and eir families no words can adequately express her remorse and the family's regret for what happened. she intends to cooperate fully with the police and prosecutors in their investigation of this case. she hopes to have an opportunity in the future to apologize personally to the children, as well as to their falies. i know that her mom also contacted you and said please don't press charges. at this point, how do you feel?

what do you want to see happen to her? >> ipt a tough decision. i want her to learn a lesson from this. you know, she affected all of us, our community. even the other girls, too, need to learn a lesson. >> that were with you. girls, have you lost your faith in people because of this? or has it been renewed by -- i know there was somebody that came to help out? can you tell me a little bit about, wasn't there a man who actually replaced the money? >> yes, there was this man who came by and he felt really bad for us because we lost all our money so he gave us $200. >> which is great. which is even more than you lost. i think most people in the end are nice, and what you set out to do, girls, is really terrific. so keep that spirit, for sure. joe, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> sydney, sophie, megan, caroline. irony of the name, too, the last name steele. still ahead, the souli beach rooster, mad at city hall. but first these messages.

when it comes to being more like the original, some 100-calorie snacks just fall flat. ( thud, ding, applause ) 100 calorie right bites. make the most of every bite. (announcer) imagination soars with crayola at an unbeatable price. save money. live better. walmart. (woman) vibrations.

(announcer) turn on new pulse peection vibrating mascara from maybelline new york. woman) the breakthrough. (announcer) our exclusive motor inside pulses the brush 100 times a second. maximizes each lash like no hand can. beyond length... beyond volume... to a truly fess fan of lush, perfect lashes. just turn it on. (announcer) new pulse perfection. (woman) maybe she's born with it. maybe it's maybelline. a day on the days that you have arthritis pain, you could end up taking 4 times the number... of pills compared to aleve. choose aleve and you could start taking fewer pills. just 2 aleve have the strength... to relieve arthris pain all day. ♪

our natural sweetener comes from the stevia plant, where zero cories taste perfectly sweet. it's nature's ultimate guilt-free indulgence. we promise it won't end up on your conscience or your thighs. try the first great-tasting, zero-calorie natural sweetener born from nature. truvia. honestly sweet. find it at your grocery store. ( applause ) good...cuz here's something else to love -- free mccafé mondays at mcdonald's. enjoy a sweet, scintillating sample of chocolate bliss... that'll leave you shivering for more. and you thought we couldn't get any cooler. or warm your soul with a chocolate and coffee combo... that'll send you to mocha heaven -- only thing better... is that it's free. they're giving me the light, so i give you... mccafé! ♪ ba da ba ba ba

strawberries. i'm catching the smell of strawberries. the smell of strawberries? tim and richard smucker grew up in a family... known for making extra-delicious jam. the secret? a way to capture the flavorful aroma... that used to escape when jam was made. hey! don't let it get away. okay, okay, don't worry. for five generations, with a name like smucker's, it has to be good. still to come we're going to meet a man who lost an astonishing 410 pounds. we're going to find out how he did it. >> terrific. and plus a live concert from country mega stars rascal flatts. but first your local news and weather. i don't always let my bladder problems... or the worry my pipes might leak... compromise what i like to do...

like hunting for bargains, not always bathrooms. i take care with vesicare. (announcer) on-dai vesicare can help control your bladder muscle and is proven to reduce frequent, sudden urges and leaks... day and night... if you have certain stomach or glaucoma problems, or trouble emptying your bladder, do not take vesicare. tell your doctor right away if you have a serious allergic reaction, severe abdominal pain, or become constipated for three or more days. vesicare may cause blurred vision, so take care while driving or doing unsafe tasks. common side effects are dry mouth, constipation, and indigestion. you deserve better than to always be compromised by urges and leaks. ask your doctor today about taking care with vesicare. real steamed milk, and decadent chocolate... in mcdonald's mccafé mochas. now come to mcdonald's any monday through august 3rd...

and get a sample size free! awesomé. ♪ ba da ba ba ba - no to fake foods. - and yes to real. yes to hellmann's. made with eggs, vinegar and oils... that are naturally rich in omega 3. with all the taste in the world. mmmmmm. hellmann's. it's tree r fo waking up to breakfast delicious. now, we're making it more affordable. with five one-dollar-off coupons... in specially marked boxes of cereal. wake up to breakfast... on kellogg's. the best to you each morning.

we speak rpms so you can zip by other cars. but we also speak mpgs so you can fly by gas stations. in fact, we speak mpgs so fluently, we can say one more thing. the new ford fusion is the most-fuel-efficient midsize sedan in america. and that's something no one else can say. we speak the 2010 ford fusion. get in... and drive one.

a beautiful morning. another one. 64 degrees, very pleasant temperature under sunny skies in the nation's capital. is it going to warm up? we'll find out. i'm barbara harrison. it's friday, july 10, 2009. in the news, the d.c. council chairman is expected to announce an investigation into barrion barry around his use of tax dollars to pay his then girlfriend. police arrested barry accusing him of stalking her but prosecutors say they decided not to bring charges. police are lking for three masked robbers in lake ridge. one of the victims says that he was punched and tased during the

holdup. we're going to come back with weather and traffic in a moment.

good morning. live pictu fro the city camera showing the morning sunlight on the banks of the potomac river. there is the lincoln memorial. and around the region plenty of sunshine. off to the west there are clouds and temperatures around the area are in the mid 60s now. we'll have afternoon highs reaching the low 80s with clouds in and out. and then tonight turning humid. by dawn low and mid 60s. during saturday steamy, afternoon highs mid 80s. there is a small chance of a late afternoon or evening passing thundershower. otherwise partly sunny.

sunday mostly cloudy, humid, highs mid 80s. a small chance of a morning shower. a greater chance of an afternoon shower. lower humidity monday and tuesday with sunshine returning. how's traffic? >> good news. nothing too dramatic at this hour. happy friday everybody. along i-270, we're calling it heavy traffic but moving at a pretty good clip as you head down to the split. one more stop. we're backed up a little on 395 to and across the 14th street bridge. >> thank you. tonight the things workers want 1x

♪ my wish for you ite clock now on a friday morning, it's the 10th day of july, 2009. it is really a spectacular, spectacular day here in the northeast. even though we're in july, it's only about 63 degrees. it feels like an early fall morning. and what a day. rascal flatts picked to be here. they're going to be performing in our next half hour. they're going to heat things up with live music in front of one of the biggest crowds we've had here in a long time. >> and as if that isn't enough, check this out, harry potter himself daniel radcliffe is out here. where is he? there he is. we're going to talk with the star of "harry potter and the

half-blood prince" just ahead. he's all grown up. >> also, we've got an amazing story. we're going to meet a guy, well it's a young man, he started to gain weight and gain weight and gain weight and at his heaviest he weighed 650 pounds. never had a job. never had a girlfriend. then he set out to lose that weight, and with the help of a physical trainer, a personal trainer, he has lost an astonishing 410 pounds. we're going to have him step out in front of us in a little while. we're going to reveal his new physique. >> that is great. plus the best of the best when it comes to plans. first we're going to head inside to natalie morales who is filling in for ann curry today. >> good morning, meredith and matt. good morning to you. today, president obama wraps up three days of talks at the g-8 summit in italy before heading to africa. and for the first time the president and the first family are meeting with the pope this morning at the vatican. the president and the pope share similar views on helping the poor and the mideast peace process but are divided an abortion and stem cell research.

earlier today, president obama and other leaders pledged billions of dollars to help boost food production in some of the world's poorest nations. today, general motors emerged from bankruptcy a leaner company. minus its massive debt, and with tens of thousands of fewer employees. the new gm is largely government owned. a pennsylvania pool club is at the center of controversy this morning amid allegations of racial discrimination towards some camp kids. nbc's ron allen is in huntington valley, pennsylvania, with more. ron, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, natalie. at the valley swim club is facing barrage of criticism and calls for investigation. a day camp of mostly minority kids who signed up to swim here once a week through the summer. they paid some $2,000. and everything seems fine until the children showed up. the children from creative steps day camp had joined the jewish community center's pool. each summer they vis local clubs. but at the valley club in a mostly white suburb, some campers say they heard the members talking. >> she was complaining to an

employee that like w are there so many black kids here and that she was afraid that we might try to do something to our children. >> reporter: after the children left, the club canceled the invitation and refunded their money. >> i'm hurt for the children. and this won't be tolerated, and it's unacceptable. it is unacceptable in 2009. >> reporter: at first the club president said the children affected the club's complexion and atmosphere, and then later he said, allegations of racism are completely untrue. we underestimated the capacity of our facilities. >> i was the first person to talk to the president about it, because the pool was overcrowded. >> reporter: still, some parents have been comforting their kids. >> i told him to be comfortable in his own skin. i said, what happened at that swim club does not define who you are. >> reporter: members of the club insist that this is all a big misunderstanding. hoump the day camp staff and parents want an apology to the

children, and they say they have no interest in coming back here again. natalie? >> all right, ron allen in huntington valley, pennsylvania. thank you, ron. for the first time, nevada senator john ensign acknowledged that his mistress received a payment of nearly $100,000. in a statement released thursday, ensign said his parents wrote a check for $96,000 last year out of concern for her family. his attorney said no campaign funds were used. today, illinois senator roland burris is set to announce he will not seek a full term in 2010. burris has come under fire ever since i was appointed by ousted illinois governor rod blagojevich to fill the former senate seat of president obama. hundreds gathered at the california state house in sacramento late thursday calling for the u.s. to help secure the release of laura ling and euna lee. the american journalists were sentenced to 12 years in a north korean prison for illegally crossing into the country. it is 8:04 right now. let's go back outside once again to matt and meredith.

>> natalie, we have got one of the most positive crowdrowds ou here. al is taking some time off. we've got alexandra steele from the weather channel with a look at the weather, alexandra, take it away. >> all right, good morning, guys. we've got big and little fans here from allentown, pennsylvania. and a lot of people from texas. let's show you right now our pick city and head to st. louis, missouri, where you will see cloudy skies and a few afternoon thunderstorms and temperatures in the 90s. but that pales in comparison to the heat in texas. holtest temperatures there in 13 years, 115 yesterday from texas to oklahoma. and actually even the heat on the pacific northwest, seattle and portland in the 80s. you should be in the low 70s this time of year. and rain with a good morning. one more day with low humidity, then it will turn more humid over the weekend. at this hour pleasant, in the

mid 60s. 65 at washington with sunshine here, clouds to our west. highs reaching just in the low 80s later on today. and still not too humid but humid tomorrow and again on sunday. we'll have a small chance of an isolated thundershower tomorrow afternoon and evening. mid 80s sunday, mostly cloudy, a chance of afternoon showers and thundershowers. back to you, meredith. >> i am getting in the mood for rascal flatts. up next, an astonishing transformation. we're going to introduce you to a man who lost 410 pounds, made a best friend in the process, and then just a little later, a o,ve concert by you know wh untry superstars rascal flatts. when morning comes in the middle of the night, [ rooster crow ] it affects your entire day. to get a good night's sleep, try 2-layer ambien cr. the first layer dissolves quickly... to help you fall asleep.

and unlike other sleep aids, a second dissolves slowly to help you stay asleep. when taking ambien cr, don't drive or operate machinery. sleepwalking, and eating or driving... while not fully awake with memory loss for the event... as well as abnormal behaviors... such as being more outgoing or aggressive than normal, confusion, agitation and hallucinations may occur. don't ta it with alcohol... as it may increase these behaviors. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath, swelling of your tongue or throat may occur... and in rare cases may be fatal. side effects may include next-day drowsiness, dizziness, and headache. in patients with depression, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide may occur. if you experience any of these behaviors or reactions... contact your doctor immediately. wake up ready for your day-- ask your healthcare provider for 2-layer ambien cr. edible arrangements' bouquets are gorgeous, made from fresh fruit and taste delicious... ...you can even add chocolate! so make any occasion special. ordering is easy, visit a location, call or go to edible arrangements.com

but now they have new areas where i can find the brands i use every day-- and save even more. so that's what they mean by unbeatable. save money. live better. walmart. 100 calorie right bites cheez-it crackers... are made with 100% real cheese. 100 calorie right bites. make the most of every bite. "is three more than two?" that's silly. three is definitely more than two. (announcer) quilted northern ultra plush® is the only three layered bath tissue with plush-quilts® ...it has two layers for softness

and a third fo absorbency. it may change the way you feel about premium bath tissue... i think you're looking for this. three is more than two. (announcer quilted northern ultra plush. experience three layers for yourself. if you're not delighted we'll give you your money back. ( women vocalizing ) ♪ there's a reason ♪ for the sunshine sky ♪ there's a reason why i'm feeling so high ♪ ♪ must be the season... announcer: you get more power and more space, the worldets fewer smog-forming emissions. the 3rd generation prius. it's harmony between man, nature and machine. we're back now at 8:09. and imagine being so embarrassed by how you look that you waited until dark to go outside. for years tt was the life of

32-year-old david smith from phoenix, arizona. before he lost a staggering, and i mean staggering, 400-plus pounds. a journey that's cranicled in a new tlc documentary called "the 650-pound virgin." here is david in his own words. >> my name is david. and at one poi i weighed 650 pounds. i used to live a lonely life. the only thing that made me happy was food and soda. at 17 i dropped out of high school. i want to be human. just a regular human. interact with other people. i had no friends. or job. i never went out in public, because people would stare or laugh at me. in 2003, i realized i needed to change my life, because if i didn't, i would end up in the hospital, or dead. i contacted my local tv station for help. chris returned my call and volunteered to become my trainer. up until now my life has been nothing. i mean, i ate, i slept, i

watched tv, and that's about it. and then i met chris, and he's changed my life. in 26 months, i lost 401 pounds. i am looking forward to the changes. instead of being a dud, i want to be a stud. >> before we bring david out, one more look at how he used to appear. all right. that was david before. david, come on out. how are you? >> nice to meet you. >> nice to meet you. come on in. and this is chris powell, the guy who helped make it all happen. david, sit down. you look incredible. >> well, thank you. >> do you feel incredible? >> i sure do. >> new life? >> new life. >> when you look at the video of yourself from that time gone by, what goes through your mind? >> just, you know, it's a different person. it's not me anymore.

>> you said you had no job. you had no friends. no girlfriend. you go out only at night because you didn't want people to stare at you. and yet you picked up the phone finally and maded decision to change things. why? had you tried other diets? >> i have. and i realized if i don't act on this and give it my all, it won't happen. >> when you met chris -- chris when you met david, you called the local television station, you were introduced to chris. what made you decide you wanted to help him? >> i couldn't stop thinking about it. it actually took me about a week before i even contacted him back beuse i had no idea how to help somebody who was so large. and i couldn't stop thinking about it. and it was curiosity. i went out to go see him. and i couldn't look back from there. >> everybody's going to ask, how. so, what did you two do? what was the course you put him on that allowed him to lose more than 400 pounds? >> the biggest thing is not to make a drastic change. and so i needed to not just handle it physiologically, because the body can lose

weight. but psychologically for the mind. i created a series of high and low days that allowed him to reward himself every other day. because if i said you can't have pizza, you can't have soda, you can't have ice cream, it's too much. we feel deprived. but i said if you can't have it today, you can always have it tomorrow. >> baby steps. >> baby steps, exactly. >> as you started to shed the pounds, and you've lost over 400 pounds, one of the biggest concerns you had was excess skin. >> yes, correct. and believe it or not, i still need one or two more operations. >> we're taking a look at some pictures. and this is what happened after the weight loss, the skin that your body had stretched out, and so you've had how many operations so far? >> three so far. and i'm going to need one or two more. >> i think one of the nicest things is that not only has he become your kind of task master, but a great friend. >> true. >> through the course of this. >> we're a bt friend. we've lived together for a year now. he's a personal train are, and we're working together to help other people. >> and that's what this is all about. that was our deal from the

get-go is that i was going to help him. he has to pay it forward. >> you got something alongside you, chris. >> i do. >> this is just a dramatic kind of example. >> this is the shirt david was first wearing when he answered the door when i met him. i don't know if you can see this. >> that was 410 pounds ago. >> correct. >> are you confident you can keep the weight off now? >> i sure hope so. i might do a little bit of body building. >> congratulations. >> well, thank you, matt. >> what a terrific transformation. chris, well-done. job well done. it's fantastic. and the show, "650-pound virgin" premieres this sunday on tlc. up next, harry potter. meredith chats with daniel radcliffe, right after this.

[ female announcer ] we were flattered when regenerist beat the $100 cream. flabbergasted when we creamed the $700 cream! for under $30 regenerist micro-sculpting cream hydrates better than 32 of the world's most expensive creams. fantastic. phenomenal. regenerist. (announcer) get colorful fruit of the loom underwear for the family at unbeatable prices. save money. live better. walmart. chocolatey taste in 60 calories? ♪ ♪ oh, so delicious who cares? jell-o sugar free pudding. every diet needs a little wiggle room.

you're ready for the mid-morning rush thanks to a good breakfast. one coffee with room, one lge mocha latte. medium macchiato, light hot chocolate hold the whip, and two espressos. make one a double. she's fiber focused! i have two cappuccinos, one coffee with room, one large mocha latte, a medium macchiato, a light hot chocolate, hold the whip, and two espressos, one with a double shot. gonna take more than coffee to stay this focused. stay full and focused through the morning... with a breakfast of kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats® cereal; an excellent source of fiber that helps you avoid... the distraction of mid-morning hunger. no thanks, i'm good.

the distraction of mid-morning hunger. > "today's entertainment" is sponsored by buick. the renaissance continues with the new buick 2010 lacrosse. >> harry potter fans are gearing

up for the saga's sixth installment, "harry potter and the half-blood prince." the movie is filled with all the things normal teenagers face, friendship, love, and lust. with potions and battling the dark lord thrown in for good pressure. and daniel radcliffe is back as the chosen wizard. good morning to you. >> good morning, how are you? >> i'm doing great, thank you. this is the sixth film. you're filming the seventh one. half your life will have been spent playing harry potter? >> yeah. >> have you morphed into him? how similar are you two? >> i don't think we're -- it's funny, i think when you play a character at such a young age you can't help but respond to that aspect of that personality. i certainly think that the way we both value our friends and friendship and the importancof our friends in our lives is so great. but i think that's probably the main, also a kind of natural curiosity which gets us into trouble. >> gets u into a lot of trouble, as well. >> me not quite as much trouble as him. i've been in far, far fewer life or death situations.

>> do you ever go back, your fans have seen, fans of harry potter have seen the movies probably and read the books over and over and over. do you ever go back and look at the first films? never? >> no, i haven't seen the first film since it came out in 2001, was it? >> really? why don't you go back? >> oh! >> what the heck was that? >> exactly this, you see that little frog thing on the right. >> it's just weird. seeing myself, it's very -- >> look at him. >> that's what i've heard about you, daniel, that you don't like your work very much. you're too critical of your work. >> i think a lot of actors are. i think i've been told that, you know, the moment you think you're good, you're not. >> so it's better to -- >> i think it's better to be on the self-critical side than say, my goodness, i'm marvelous, aren't i? i think it's much healthier to be critical of yourself. >> i know that off screen that you all are good buddies, right?

you and rupert and emma, and she was just here the other day. actually yesterday, and she told us about the ping pong matches. >> i don't know what she's talking about. >> you're not the best? she's better. >> no, she was the best last year. the point is i've been playing this year and i'm better than her. i've practiced. i worked at it. >> didn't you just say you don't brag? >> i don't brag about my acting. ping pong, i could probably beat anybody in the world. i have actually been the score this year is me two, emma nil. >> look at you. >> i'm really -- i didn't lose this side of my personality i didn't want to air, this competitive monster that i actually am. for the same reason. i don't cheat at monopoly. >> this is like a -- meeting we're having right now. there or here -- >> yeah, it's a struggle for me.

they have to wrestle me into clothes for this. obviously -- >> i want to show a scene from the film, because this is a clip of you and jim broadbent who is a terrific actor. he plays the new potions professor slughorn and holds the key to the evil wizard's past. so take a look at this and then 'll talk on the other side. it's got me wondering is there some kind of magic you're not allowed to teach us? . he and i don't exactly see eye to eye, sir. what i mean to say is, he's not like you. >> i don't mind watching that. >> you enjoy the man, right? >> i do enjoy him. you think there's a definite connection between the two of you. what do you mean? >> me and him share a -- >> what's happening? >> me and him share a love of a really incredibly bad joke which is what is the difference between a stoet and a weasel? >> i don't know.

you don't remember. >> i'm laughing because i'm about to tell this really horrendous joke on national television. a stoat is totally different from a weasel and a weasel is recognizable. >> oh, that's a good one. cute sound effects again. >> anything to cover that punch line. it's a really bad joke and i walked up to him on the first day, i just heard that joke and i thought i invented it. >> of course. you known it. >> and i went up to him and said that and he said the punch line back to me before i got to it. and i knew we were going to get on. >> and i know that you really want to be an actor forever. i mean once harry potter is done you've shown you can do other things. what do you see yourself doing to get because i mean you've got to move beyond harry at some point? >> of course. i just want to keep working. i mean i want to work hard, and for as long as possible. i mean i don't have specific things that i -- i'd love if they made aovie about him, i'd love to do that. there's nothing like that, particularly. but there's one thing i'm tasked to do called the journey is the

destination. about a guy in somalia, a true story, and it's an incredible story. so that will be great. >> well, we adore you. you're terrific. and you're an excellent joke teller. not so good at ping pong but an excellent joke teller. and a new theme park, i have to mention that. >> no, i haven't told you anymore. >> daniel radcliffe, thank you very much. >> thank you. >> "harry potter and the half-blood prince" opens next wednesday, july 15th. it is 8:23. now here's matt. >> all right, meredith, thank you very much. they say you can't fight city hall but one south florida resident is saying, dock doodle do to this. michelle kosinski explains. >> reporter: of all the cocktails on south beach, one rooster's story is turning heads like nothing else really can anymore. yes, mr. clucky. the free-wheeling, tourist thrilling, apartment dwelling,

bar hopping rooster that everyone seems to know. he's just been given the boot from this town. and so has taken on the cause of freedom. >> we are individuals. and we have the right to speak. ♪ freedom oh, freedom ♪ >> reporter: two years ago, mark buckley found clucky wounded in some bushes. nursed him back to health, to become a south beach sensation. he's fronted magazines, grand marshalled parades, picked up chicks. the city law does say no farm animals. even though other birds are okay. and after one anonymous complaint they gave clucky a week to clear out. >> look at this. what do you think of this? what do you think? >> where does he live? we investigated if he's in violation, it was over. >> reporter: this is not over.

>> yeah, you're right. >> reporter: the result has been outrage. >> one complaint from one person. >> reporter: spread being like spandex on miami beach. >> give the chicken a break. >> reporter: is mr. clucky the weirdest thing you've ever seen on south beach? >> not even close. >> mr. clucky may be an outlaw but he's not a criminal. >> reporter: don't cluck with me. they filed an appeal. the poultry taking on city hall will have his day in court. mark says it's a wake-up call. they say live and let live ought to apply to all the characters here. ♪ freedom >>'s a good guy. >> reporter: for "today," michelle kosinski, nbc news, miami beach. >> and just ead on a friday morning, rascal flatts, live in concert. right after your local news and weather.

our time right now is 8:26, 68 delightful degrees this morning. beautiful sunshine as we look at the jefferson memorial, we'll get the forecast coming up. good morning. i'm joe krebs. in the news for today, d.c. chair is expected to announce an independent investigation into marion barry according to the washington report it centers on barry's use of tax dollars to pay his then girlfriend to work for him. police arrested him but decided not to bring charges. metro could soon be getting a facelift. the system is planning a project in 2010 that would cost $177 million and could take years to complete. the plan includes track repairs, upgrades and new escalators. the full board could approve the plan next week. oyoñt

having the right tools is crucial to being able to manage your diabetes properly. it's very important for me to uh check my blood sugar before i go on stage.

being on when i'm feeling low can be like a rollercoaster. it does at times feel like my body is telling me to do one thing... and, my mind, my heart is telling me to do something else. managing my highs and lows is super important. with my contour meter i can personalize my high/lo settings so it really does micromanage where my blood sugar needs to be. i'm nick jonas and never slowing down is my simple win. good morning. temperatures around the region in the upper 60s with low humidity and we have clouds to our west. sunshine to the east. highs today low 80s. tomorrow partly sunny, warm and humid, mid 80s. a small chance of a late afternoon shower or thundershower. greater chance on sunday. how's traffic? >> doing pretty well. let's take a live look along 270. not much in way of delays. derate down to the split. downtown, it's heavy but no incidents blocking, just volume. 395 to the 14th street bridge. >> tonight the things workers

want that make going to the job on a nice day more bearable.

♪ all that you have 8:30 now on this friday morning, july 10th, 2009. we are packing them into the plaza today for one of the biggest acts around. a live concert from rascal flatts just minutes away. also ahead in this half hour, matt you are our world traveler and you're going to give some tips. >> i travel a lot but i'm not the one giving the tips. travel and leisure magazine, the people who read that magazine must be pretty good at knowing where they like to say, they have just come out with a reader's poll and we're going to

announce the top picks for best city in the unid states, best hotel, things like that. >> based on their reads are. >> based on the reader's poll, reader's survey. >> very good. also why can't a lot of us seem to kick the urge to splurge, especially in this economy? so many people struggling but yet still wanting to spend the money and buy something new. we're going to tell you why you do it, and more importantly how to control it. >> and i know everybody's excited about rascal flatts, right? but, you can't forget that we have another special concert coming up on monday. the fray is going to be here. so 25 lucky fans will walk away with free tickets to one of the fray's upcoming shows which is very cool. bring your best fray fan sign or poster and the band,l wil pick thvor w. fateri >> first a check of the weather from the weather channel's n ter foa steele who is al. where is she? >> behind us. >> "today's uv index" is brought

to you by the american cancer society. the official sponsor of birthdays. >> here i am, down with these throngs of fans from mississippi and texas. they can't wait for the concert. and the incredible heat through texas one of the big stories weatherwise. lrer a'sook at the uv index. the predominance of the countries is 9 to 10. incredibly hot, 30 minutes to burn. a lot of sunshine and a lot of heat, even in the northeast and the southeast. today, a slight risk of showers and storms from minneapolis to missouri. even warmer than average in the northwest. temperatures in seattle and portland in the 80s. the southwest, dry and steamy. but again, record highs. the warmest good morning. our temperatures now in the upper 60s, again another morning with low humidity in place. as the day progresses it will turn a little more humid as highs reach the low 80s in an east-southeasterly wind and clouds in and out as well. then turning humid tonight, humid over the weekend.

saturday and sunday steamy both days. highs mid 80s. partly sunny saturday. there may be a late afternoon or evening shower or thundershower. then look like a greater chance sunday with clouds around. meredith? >> alexandra, thanks very much. up next, from airlines to hotels, the very best in travel. plus rascal flatts live in concert. these kids are so excited, right guys? ♪ (announcer) worst-case scenario. so i'm thinking we need a better way to save money. better than subleasing office space?

ideally. (announcer) best case solution. switch to verizon high speed internet and phone for business-- with a dedicated high-speed connection from our office to yours, so you won't be slowed down because your neighbors are online. as low as $79.99 a month for 12 months with a 3 year agreement. plus, get over $180 back in available online rebates. call 1-888-845-8854. you'll also get unlimited nationwide calling, 24/7 tech support, and our advanced internet security features all backed by the reliability of the verizon network. call 1-888-845-8854. for as low as 79.99 a month for 12 months, you'll receive over $180 back in available online rebates when you get the verizon single line business pak and data protection pak. one of the many tools in the verizon small business toolbox.

we're back now at 8:35. this morning on "today's" travel, the world's best. each year "travel & leisure" magazine asks its leaders to rate their travel experiences from the destination to the way they arrived and the hotels. this year's results are featured in the august issue. leyland mohammed is the

magazine's feature editor. nice to see you. >> good morning, matt. >> what kind of things do you ask the readers? >> oh, no, it's a very elaborate survey. it's the 14th year we're doing it. we ask them everything from hotels to airlines to cruise ships. cities and more. and honestly, the readers of "travel & leisure" know their stuff. >> there's a lot of categories. we only have time for several of them. let's start with the world's best city, and your readers chose udaipur, india. >> it has been called the venus of the east. the city of leaks. if it was a woman you would call her an exotic beauty. this is one of those places that is magical and just lovely to visit. and what i think this speaks to is our readers search for adventure, for -- >> something exotic? >> authenticity, as well. >> some of the other cities, cape town, south africa, bangkok, thailand, buenos aires,

argentina and chang mai in thailand. now let's move on to the best u.s. city. kind of home team. >> honestly, i'm so excited it's new york. it makes total sense. >> did your readers say why? >> they did. they love it for the kult your. they love it for the shopping, for the food and the restaurants. i can't blame them. new york is a fantastic city. it's home for one thing, but even though it's a financial capital it is accessible. we have hotels that have opened up for under $200 a night or the ace hotel for $ 39 a night. and we're having a mini pizza boom. burgers. there's great stuff to be had here and you don't have to be intidated by coming to new york. >> let me talk about some other cities, san francisco, obviously, is on the list all the time. quebec city. charleston, south carolina. and santa fe, new mexico. >> honestly, i think -- >> there's diversity in that. >> but also, the running theme which is places where you can feel like you can connect with the locals. >> all right. and let's go now to the next category which is the world's

best hotel and i have to say this surprised me when i was reading my notes last night because they chose actually an endangered wildlife sanctuary in south africa. it's called bushman's kloof, and this is a place to go if you're looking for a safari experience or a wilderness experience. what's amazing is safaris are considered to be so costly. and this is $323 a night all-inclusi all-inclusive. . and there are -- there's cave drawings there, as well as amazing safari rides that you can do. it's really a worthwhile experience. >> in second place, the overray vanyavilas in india. jade mountain in st. lucia. sabi sabi private game reserve in south africa. >> and let's move on to the best resort in the united states. and we've got one in south carolina. >> closer to home, and close to charleston whi did really well.

palmetto bluff. this is actually very well in the world. this is a place if you love golf. if you want to go away with your family. it's very close to hilton head, super accessible and this is definitely all-american. >> once you get to your vacation, that's always the fun part. getting there is often the most difficult part. you actually asked your readers to talk about airlines. airlines get a lot of criticism these days. and when it comes to domestic airlines, your readers picked one that might not come to the mind of a lot of people plp >> well, this is a new airline and it's called virgin america and it's their second year in business and their second year on top of our list for airlines. >> they're doing something right. >> they're doing a lot of things that we see on jetblue, plus more. i know ann curry is really big into tweeting. if she goes on this airline she can tweet in the air because they have wi-fi in the whole cabin. you're kind of rolling your eyes. >> as long as the cell phones aren't ringing. >> exactly. >> jetblue second, midwest

third, west jet fourth and southwest fifth. those all did well. our last category that we're going to talk about this morning, the best car rental agencies and the winner on your list is once i've never even heard of. >> can i tell you that i had never heard of it either, the winner is sixt. 1679 i-x-t. and i'm upset i never heard of it. because i went to europe last week. >> they don't operate in the united states? >> they have 95 countries, not including the u.s if you're traveling an abroad, i use an american car rental. and i have to say, i got really, really, really taken advantage of. >> what company was that? >> i'm not telling you. but i will tell you that if i'd known about sixt i would have used them. they have mercedes, audis and at affordable prices. >> we're talking about the readers of "travel & leisure" and they travel a lot so they should know their stuff. thanks very much. >> thank you. >> important information. when we come back, one of our favorites, rascal flatts live in concert out on the plaza. first this is "today" on nbc.

the "toyota concert series" on "today," brought to you by toyota. toyota, moving forward. >> get ready for a little country in the big city. ladies and gentlemen, rascal flatts. >> new york city! ♪ >> let's put your hands together. ♪ ♪ way on down to southern alabama with the guitars jammin' that's where we're headed ♪ ♪ straight up to butte, montana singin' lord i was born a ramblin' man ♪

♪ california to oregon even new york city got one or two hillbillies ready to hit the road ♪ ♪ it's a brother and a sister kinda thang ♪ ♪ raise up your hands if you all wanna hang with ♪ ♪ me and my gang we live to ride we ride to live ♪ ♪ me and my gang jump on that train grab a hold of them reins ♪ ♪ we gonna rock this thang cock this thang ♪ ♪ me and my gang ♪ me and my gang let tell you what we got ♪ we got hippies, gypsies freaks and geeks ♪ ♪ high class women in daisy duke denim banging and singing our songs ♪ ♪ dude named elrock jammin' on an ipod ♪ ♪ beer and bonfires wide open throttle coors in a bottle ♪ ♪ it's all for one

and one for all, ya'll ♪ ♪ it's a brother and a sister kinda thang raise up your hands if you all wanna hang with ♪ ♪ me and my gang we live to ride we ride to live ♪ ♪ me and my gang jump on that train grab a hold of them reins ♪ ♪ we gonna rock this thang cock this thang me and my gang ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ it's a brother and a sister kinda thang ♪ ♪ raise up your hands if

you all wanna hang with ♪ ♪ me and my gang we live to ride we ride to live ♪ ♪ me and my gang jump on that train grab a hold of them reins ♪ ♪ we gonna rock this thang cock this thang ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ me and my gang ♪

>> thank you. >> rascal flatts, thank you. another song just ahead. but first, this is "today" on nbc. fios guy! where ya headed? ah, just installed fios in the whole building. now everyone has the fastest upload speeds. and we're giving them a mini netbook. well, i'm sticking with cable. so's ted. (voice) no i'm not! he's just goofing.

(voice) no i'm not! (sighing) ted has betrayed me. (announcer) unlike cable, fios brings 100% fiber optics straight to your home and when you switch now, you can get a free compaq mini netbook. just pay shipping, handling and taxes. with fios, you'll get razor-sharp tv, blazing fast internet and crystal-clear phone service all for just... sign up today. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v, and for a limited time, get an incredible compaq mini, to get the most out of your fios internet. get it all together with a great deal on fios tv, internet and phone plus get a free compaq mini netbook. just pay shipping, handling and taxes. callhe verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v before time runs out on this astonishing offer.

the academy of country music has awarded rascal flatts the honor of group of the year for a record-breaking seven consecutive years. so it is no wonder why their current tour and their current album are both called "unstoppable." they're here, rascal flatts, gentlemen, good morning. nice to see you. >> good morning. >> in a moment we're going to do a little interview here. but we want to kind of brag on you guys. you released your first album together back in 2000, right? so it's been a decade. >> yeah. >> so we want to present you guys with something. we can bring it up here and put it down. this is a plaque that commemorates the 20 million albums you have sold in the past ten years. >> wow. >> the consecutive, four consecutive number one debuting albums. the multiple number one singles in that time, and to being country music's group of the year seven consecutive years. so that is for you. >> thank you. >> and we have to -- you have to actually carry it home.

>> apparently gary is the only one that gets one, though. >> no, no, no, it's for everybody. but gary, it is also a special day for you. >> yes. >> so if you would step forward for a second. >> stand right there. bring this out. it is your birthday. and your fans have already been starting this morning by singing, so ladies and gentlemen, can we start it one more time for gary? ♪ happy birthday to you happy birthday to you ♪ ♪ happy birthday dear gary happy birthday to you ♪ >> i got to tell you, you look great for 50. >> thank you guys so much. >> we have a tradition around here. did you smelthat cake? >> i did. >> you usually end up with a face full of icing. >> i was ready. >> tell me about the tour. >> we're very, very proud of our

tour. it's the american living unstoppable tour with jcpenney. we just started our partnership with them and it's been an incredible year so far. we're going all over the place. we just started about a month ago. >> scranton p.a. on sunday. >> what are you going to sing for us next. >> a song called summer nights. >> we'll get this cake out of the way. ladies and gentlemen, rascal flatts. >> y'all sound lovely. ♪ ♪ come on ladies it's time to pop that top ♪ ♪ new york city are you rdy to rock ♪ ♪ we went crazy

cooped up all winter long ♪ ♪ and school is out so let's get it on ♪ ♪ flip-flop tans and some white sand ♪ ♪ i know the perfect spot ♪ well the sunset better set soon so we can get in the mood ♪ ♪ things start getting all heated up when it starts getting cool yeah ♪ ♪ summer nights everybody, are you with me ♪ ♪ let that igloo cooler mark your piece of paradise ♪ ♪ summer nights everybody's feeling sexy ♪ ♪ holler if you're ready for some summer nights ♪ ♪ ♪ now fellas you better watch your step ♪ ♪ let let those teeny french bikinis make you lose your breath ♪ ♪ back to the ladies y'all keep doing y'all's thing ♪

♪ cause everything about you makes me want to scream ♪ ♪ the sun is getting low there it goes here we go ♪ ♪ things start getting all heated up when it starts getting cool yeah ♪ ♪ summer nights everybody are you with me ♪ ♪ let that igloo cooler mark your piece of paradise ♪ ♪ summer nights everybody's feeling sexy ♪ holler if you're ready for some summer nights ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ it's a party down bar fight on the beach ♪ ♪ it's wild and it's free ♪ summer nights

everybody are you with me ♪ ♪ let that igloo cooler mark your piece of paradise ♪ ♪ summer everybody's looking sexy ♪ ♪ holler if you're ready for some summer nights ♪ ♪ summer nights everybody are you with me ♪ ♪ let that igloo cooler mark your piece of paradise ♪ ♪ summer nights everybody feeling sexy ♪ ♪ holler if you're ready for some summer nights ♪ oh, yeah ♪ new york city are you ready ♪ summer nights yeah oh, summer summer ♪

>> the boys will be back with one more song in just a little while. but first these messages, your local news, and weather. time now is 8:55. a lot of nice sunshine. we get a live picture of the wilson bridge. meteorologist tom kierein coming up. i'm joe krebs on this friday. in the news today, the man

accused of opening fire in the holocaust museum could make a court appearance. james von brunn was injured but is expected to survive. metro is cracking down on distracted train and bus operators. beginning monday any caught using a mobile device on the job will be fired. it comes days after video posted online that showed a metro train operator texting with his head down while the train sped ahead on the tracks. the operator was suspended for five days with pay but returned to work this week. 8

at suntrust, we help you manage your money at home. and make it easy when you're away. and where ever you go, atm fees won't follow. get back to what really matters switch to suntrust checking today suntrust. live solid, bank solid.

another beautiful summer morning with low humidity, temperatures near 70. afternoon highs low 80s. tomorrow and sunday more humid, highs mid 80s. might get a shower or thunder shower on saturday. a greater chance perhaps on sunday afternoon of passing showers and maybe thundershowers. and then as we start off next week looks like lower humidity returns for monday and tuesday. highs in the 80s. great beach and pool weather. by midweek it may get more humid with a chance of maybe thundershowers on wednesday and highs near 90. remaining hot and humid as we get into thursday as well. now let's check the mid morning traffic.

jerry, how's it looking? >> good morning everyone. settling down for the most part. i-95 northbound and southbound moving pretty well. unfortunately we have a late problem with an accident on the beltway in virginia. on the inner loop of the beltway around 123 and tysons. at least one lane was blocked. be prepared. outer loop looks all right. >> tonight at 5:00 the things workers want that make going to he job on a nice day more .arleab

here comes the start of every sleepless night the first of every tear i'm gonna cry ♪ ♪ here comes the in here comes me wishing things had never changed ♪ ♪ and she was right here in my arms tonight ♪ ♪ but here comes good-bye ♪ >> rascal flatts. ended up another song.

there is more music from the guys coming up a little later on. meanwhile welcome back to more of "today" on this friday morning. 10th day of july, 2009. out on the plaza on a pture perfect day for a concert, for anything for that matter. i'm matt lauer along with maria celeste, from telemundo who has been nice enough to help out all week long. you have any fun? >> i've been very cold but i've joined it tremendously. i'm purple everywhere. >>t is unseasonably cool today. >> of course, yes. >> by the way, if you love music today, monday more music. we have the fray here on monday morning. not just a concert by the way, they're giving away other concert tickets to some of their future shows. so if you're a fray fan, design a unique and creative sign, bring it down to the plaza. they will pick 25 of the best, and then give concert tickets to people holding tse signs. that's monday, right here on our plaza. and maria, coming up in this half hour, we talked about what seems to be a dangerous deal going on in hollywood, and other cities across the country for that matter. apparently if you have money and

some celebrity, you can go into a doctor and trade that money for prescription drugs. and in the wake of the death of michael jackson there's a concern that prescription drugs may have played a role in that. dr. drew pinski is going to join us to give us some perspective on what could be a very troubling situation. >> only ironically, it really can be deadly. >> no question. >> if your mind reacts like a pinball machine when you see a sale sign at the mall you could be headed for trouble. we're going to be talking to experts on why some people use shopping as their therapy, and if that describes you we'll give you tips on how you can get your spending under control. >> all right. a lot to get to right now. ann is wrapping up a week of vacation. natalie's over at the news desk with all the headlis. that lie, take it away. >> good morning. president obama heads to africa today, wrapping up what he called a productive three-day summit to italy. before leaving the president, first lady and both daughters visit the vatican for their first-ever audience with the pope. at a press conference earlier,

president obama said the g-8 leaders pledged to work harder towards tackling climate change, and the global economic recovery, which he said is a long way off. four workers at a historic cemetery south of chicago have been charged in an alleged scheme to resell burial plots. officials say hundreds of corpses were unearthed, and it could take months to identify the remains. in pamplona, spain, this morning the first fatality at the running of the bulls in almost 15 years. a 27-year-old spaniard was killed when he was gored by a bull that separated from the pack and started charging at the runners. another man was gored and tossed into the air, but amazingly, he walked away from it. two other people were also red, iluding an american who is in intensive care. tragedy thursday near detroit, where a driver apparently tried to get around a railroad crossing gate as an amtrak train was approaching. all five people in the car were killed. today, a leaner general motors emerged from bankruptcy,

after being in chapter 11 for 40 days. and a big day thursday at washington's national zoo, where officials threw a panda party for tai shand's fourth birthday. the giant panda got a special cake made of bamboo and shredded beef. looks like he likes it. it's all over his face. four minutes past the hour. let's go back outside to matt and maria. so cute. >> very, cute. natalie, thank you very much. we've got al wrapping up cation, as well. alexandra steele of the weather channel has been doing a great job. alexandra, take it away. a groat c wote' c gve g he. of people from nn esot k sandsaan asa oklahoma. all the incredible hot sps. let's take a look at the satellite and radar picture. ere inhe northeast forhe concert on the plaza, couldn't unny cer as we look up, s skies, a few fair weather clouds. you can see farther to the west from minnesota down to missouri, scattered showers and storms will fire up. even the potential for an isolated tvd and some hail today. and you can see it right there. right in the red the slight risk

for severe weather. to the southwest, temperatures warm, steamy in the deserts, and in the northwest, temperatures a little bit above average there. in the southeast, sunshine, and here in the mid-atlantic and in the northeast, well, good morning everyone. looks like a great day in our nation's capital with temperatures climbing into the low and mid 80s. right now 70 degrees. 70 in frederick, all is quiet on doppler radar and that's the way it's going to stay until late tomorrow afternoon. that's when another frontal bend pushes toward the area. on the satellite image we're clear, a couple of clouds with temperatures climbing into the low 80s. tomorrow a chance of thunderstorms. natalie, back to you. >> all right, thank you, alexandra. prescription drug abuse was once hollywood's dirty secret, the cat's certainly out of the ba since michael jackson's death we're learning more about rampant abuse.

dr. drew pinski is an addiction spekzist, the host of celebrity rehab with dr. drew an vh1 and co-author of the mirror effect how celebrity narcissism is seducing america. good morning. >> good morning. >> toxicology report not due back for another three to four weeks. but we've heard so much about the reported drug use that michael jackson, apparently all the drugs that he was using. bring us up to date, demerol, diprivan. >> those are opiod painkillers, highly, highly addictive. michael had a history of being addicted for opiate addiction years ago. he strugged with this for a long time and clearly had access to these things from physicians. i guess physicians, some, don't understands that when you give opiates to an opiate addict their disease is very active. >> these are powerful painkillers. diprivan is something that only is used in surgery as an anesthetic. >> the diprivan thing even caught me on guard. diprivan is something that's

used in intensive care un its to keep ventilator dependent patients unconscious. it's used for anesthesia. ed outside of a hospital, i have never heard of it. people say are you astonished? i've never heard of it. it's outlandish to have somebody prescribed and given that medication outside of a hospital. you can't imagine how bizarre that is. >> as an addiction expert we hear so much about the painkiller addiction. but this is not just a problem among celebrities. how prevalent is this even among our youth in america? >> that's where the really big problem is. quoting data from the national association school of nurses, 2500 12 to 17-year-olds will abuse prescription medication for the first time to day. >> 12 to 17-year-olds? >> 2500 today in this country. one-third of high school seniors say they have used prescription drugs. it is a massive problem. think about it. we become very casual about it. everyone should open their medicine cabinet and you will find a sleeping medicine, an open yad left over from a dental procedure or something and our kids see that. they seehe casual attitude.

>> and that's where they're getting it? >> not the parents are negligent, we've adopted a casual attitude and we need to talk to our kids about this. >> let's talk about what's going an on as we showed an undercover report jeff rossen showed us how easy it is to get prescriptions for these powerful drugs with just having cash in hollywood. take a listen to how he used our undercover decoy and describes to jeff exactly what he was able to get. >> this is a suicide cocktail on paper. could these drugs kill me? they could kill 20 people. >> i mean, he got enough drugs to kill, as you heard, 20 people. >> yeah. >> this is pretty prevalent in hollywood celebrity culture, right? >> yes, it's prevalent everywhere, unfortunately. here's the problem. the very, very wealthy and powerful and the very, very poor have very much in common when it comes to their health care. they have trouble getting good health care. the problem is the standard of care in the health care community is the standard, because it's the best. and people that tend to become celebrities tend to think that they need special care. when you get special care, you

get substandard care most of the time. doctors, you know, we have our own narcissistic liabilities ourselves and we sort of could be he is seusseddy the celebrity. >> if you're got somebody giving you cash. >> it's not even the money, it's this bigger than life person thinks i'm a good doctor. you could imagine michael jackson or somebody coming and saying you're the best doctor i ever had. only you make me feel good. oh, my goodness, i'm helping this guy. i'm paying you all this money to give me what i need, and you don't give me, i'm going to sell everybody what a horrible doctor you are. >> your reality show, celebrity rehab you treated jeff conaway known for his roles in greece and taxi and i told you as well as our reporter jeff who interviewed him once again that he could get just about anything he asked for. how did you then help him break that habit? >> we do what we do, we get them off the drugs. and in our world, about the vast majority of times the patient come in telling us on a scale of 10 their pain is 20. jeff is a chronic pain patient.

just by taking them off the opiate pain medication, two weeks later they will tell us almost without exception the pain is a 4 or under. the pain actually intensifies, the opiates actually intensifies the pain and doctors aren't aware of it. peccents aren't aware of it. then we confront the addiction. even in jeff's case, we got him good treatment. we confronted it actively. you have to have the active participation of the patient and even then the outcomes are not that great. >> there have been success stories, robert downey jr., britney spears. >> britney is a great example of what happens when the people around the individual are enlightened and listen to a good team, and take their advice and do something very, very difficult. the one thing people are afraid to do is risk their access or their jobs to a celebrity. in this case, imagine this, her parents stepped up and risked their access to their daughter. can you imagine if they'd done the conservatorship and the daughter had said, britney said i'll hate you, i will never speak to you again. they did that and did it to save her life and the woman got good

care. britney is alive because of it. very few celebrities that have that kind of enlightened people around them. >> is it different dealing with a celebrity working with them to try to breaked habit? >> no, the reality is it's no different. humans are humans. but the world they live in makes it more difficult to keep them engaged in the treatment process, because they do tend to be insulated from the world, tend to be surrounded by the people who give them what they want. and what celebrities often need is confrontation, frustration. >> they need people to tell them no, which they don't get. >> exactly. they don't get that. and it's very hard for physicians to do that themselves. >> all right. and last question, i mean, what can we do to try to put this problem -- >> well, i think we can really all start in our own home. that realize that these medications in our medicine cabinets are not benign. all medications -- i grew up with a physician father who raised me with the idea that all medications are dangerous. we've got to remember that and look in our medicine cabinet and talk to our kids about the potential risk of things we've

come to take so casually. we start there and in my plow fegs, takes a really good look at itself as it pertains to powerful people and celebrities. in interviews with my peers i say don't attempt this alone. celebrities need teams of people around them. if they d't have that, they will run amok. >> dr. drew pinsky, as always, great to have you here. still to come this morning, another kind of addiction. shopping. we're going tell you why you are spending your money on things you may not need, and how to stop. then later, it's going the way of "today's kitchen" for some easy gourmet treats that will go perfectly with your grilled steak. there's the life i live. and the life i want to live. fortunately, there's enbrel. enbrel can help relieve pain, stiffness, fatigue, and stop joint damage. because enbrel suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal, events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma and nervous system... and blood disorders have occurred.

before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis. also ask your doctor if you live in an area... with a greater risk for certain fungal infections. don't start enbrel if you have an infection, like the flu. tell your doctor if you're pre to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding or paleness. help bridge the gap. ask your rheumatologist... if enbrel is right for you, and about our co-pay and financial support programs. finish jet dry will fix that. with finish jet dry, dishes dry faster than with detergent alone, leaving fewer spots. see? spotless.

(announcer) finish jet dry. brilliant diamond shine every time. unlike some brands, dove has 18 times more moisturizers to care for skin. no wonder dermatologists recommend dove most. trust dove. on tuesday i go in even earlier than usual. thank goodness for eggo, a nutri-grain waffle... with a quick smudge of cream cheese. at least that part's easy. there's only one way to eat an eggo... your way. l'eggo my eggo. a heart attack at 53. i had felt fine. but turns out... my cholesterol and other risk factors... increased my chance of a heart attack. i should've done something. now, i trust my heart to lipitor. when diet and exercise are not enough, adding lipitor may help. unlike some other cholesterol lowering medications, lipitor is fda approved to reduce the risk... of heart attack, stroke, and certain kinds of heart surgeries...

in patients with several common risk factors... or heart disease. lipitor has been extensively studied... with over 16 years of research. lipitor is not for everyone, including people with liver problems... and women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. you need simple blood tests to check for liver problems. tell your doctor if you are taking other medications, or if you have any muscle pain or weakness. this may be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. i was caught off-guard. but maybe you can learn from my story. have a heart to heart with your doctor... about your risk. and about lipitor. your brain often interferes with your shopping. research from stanford university shows more than one

in 20 adults are compulsive shoppers. oprah magazine has solutions. susan galon is contributing editor to "o" and robi ludwig is a psychologist. good morning to you both. you don't have to be a compulsive shopper to do some heavy damage at the mall. i don't consider myself a compulsive shopper and yesterday i did. why do we do that? even when we don't plan it, expect it or need it? >> it can be because in these very scary economic times it's a self-soothing mechanism. we think if i were economically secure, would be shopping, so if i'm shopping, i must be economically secure. so it's a bit of a trap. >> and also, people who kind of self-soothe through shopping, if that's the way they make themselves feel good, then even during economically tough times, they're still going to shop, or maybe even more so, to get them to feel successful, like beautiful. whatever the case may be. >> it's the old retail therapy

thing. >> absolutely, biochemically that it helps out to make you feel better. let's go then to what to prevent, how to do it in order not to keep doing that. first of all, don't buy everything in one store, which is what i did yesterday. >> yes, yes, when you buy everything in o store it becomes a bit of a free for all. you lose sight of how much you're spending. you think to yourself, i've already hit the $200 mark, what's another 20 and you throw near t-shirt into the pile. so it's -- >> yeah, i mean, there are stores sometimes you're getting a bargain, or you're getting lots of cheap things, and you can deny yourself, you can -- it's called denial. you just say oh, well this is only $20. this is $10. but the truth of the matter is, you should only be spending a dollar on a regular basis and still be a compulsive buyer. it's howou use the shopping. >> whether that really determines if you're compulsive or not. >> don't buy into bargains because the anticipation of getting a good deal drives you towards it whether you need it or not. >> how many times have we bought

something that doesn't even fit that we never wanted or needed or can use, but i got it on sale. and getting the bargain is such an achievement, there's a thrill involved in that. so you have to kind of ignore it a little bit. >> right. and also we feel like we're rewarding ourselves. >> yes. >> which increases, you know, the chemicals in the brain that tell us to feel good. feel like oh, i'm being nice to myself. i'm just going to get this and everything will be okay. and of course, you know, it's a catch-22, because once you actually have the object, you lose the high. because things don't stay shiny and new indefinitely. >> another way to control the urge to overspend is to ration your willpower. and you talk about the 24-hour rule. >> yes. i have a 24-hour rule. because when in "o" we found that when you have to expend too much willpower. say you're resisting all the goodies at the food court, you run out of willpower and you're going to buy those shoes that you didn't need. i ask myself, okay, if i want those shoes 24 hours from now,

i'll go back and get them. an hour later i have forgotten about them completely. >> so sometimes if you don't act impulsively, then you won't give in to getting that extra something that you don't need. and also, you may not want to bring credit cards with you if you have a compulsive buying disorder. because credit cards almost feels like play money. it's like fantasy. and you think you can afford things you really can't. >> especially don't use your credit cards if you're in a bad mood. >> oh, my goodness, yes. there was a study that showed people who were in a sad mood offered to pay 300 times more for an item than people in an okay mood. that's a lot. >> and that's where you know it's like an addiction because it really does fool around with the neurochemicals in the brain that help you to feel i'm okay. and there are certain medications that do address mood anxiety and compulsion that when people take it, they do find they're less vulnerable to this impulse to shop till you drop. >> and something for sure, when the credit card bill comes in.

thank you both. coming up, one more song from the rascal flatts. but first, these messages.

light & fit has 80 calories versus 100 in the other leading brand. and a taste you'll find... [sluuurrrrpppp!] irresistible. now try new watermelon and cantaloupe flavors. ms w no k kthatmoid netfolcm aliuhegrr y .thowth t yo d owdiu bu t atlpu o heth absorcalcm, iuo eeth ntaeyd d? n mid mos omoose yopit. .. e iv gei rm caiiulcann viiumitad.mi yokiplt at trurgoogant.ixur -gan e iv gei rm caiiulcann viiumitad.mi ththtae stey love. e an e iv gei rm caiiulcann viiumitad.mi d ca anmthe iulc d miiutavin d they need. yoplait, the one for kids.

so i use air wick freshmatic mini. each automatic burst renews the scent. it's small and keeps my house fresh. air wick freshmatic mini. renews the fragrance with every burst. air wick. it's good to be home. ♪ pop-tarts®! i'll have a frosted strawberry... as an ice cream sandwich. ♪ chocolate fudge... on a stick please! ( crunch ) with the endless possibilities of kellogg's® pop-tarts, it's sure to be a picture perfect summer. pop-tarts®. made for fun.

all right, prepare yourself for incredible special effects and edge of your seat suspense, without making a trip to the theater in a new two-part mini series, "meteor," scientists discover a giant meteor three times the size of mt. everest has been knocked out of orbit and is barreling straight for the earth. the all-star cast includes jason alexander and christopher lloyd. part one of "meteor" premieres this sunday at 9:00, 8:00 central time right here on nbc. >> sounds exciting. also, coming up frohe mre, the mother/daughter team that came up with 113 things to do by 30.

how many washes did it take cheer brightclean to get this from dingy to bright? one might be surprised. twelve. no. uh, excuse me! four? one... would think it would take that many washes. ten? man & woman: okay, we got it this time. yes? it's six. seven. why? why is... one-derfully bright, hmm? oh, one... yes, yes! hundred. cheer brightclean. surprisingly bright in just one wash. (announcer) introducing new tums dual action. this tums goes to work in seconds and lasts for hours. all day or night. new tums dual action.

bring it on. generally speaking, men. men don't merge. the woman will sit there and wait... until there are 8 tractor trailer trucks length back there. merging would mean to come up and then go over. this is what men do. you see where i am over here? and then she'll come out at 30, 35 miles an hour. and kablam! and talwee 'rl an hour late. the new depend brand. for women and men. hi, may i help you? yeah, i'm looking for car insurance that isn't going to break the bank. you're in the right place. only progressive gives you the option to name your price. here. a pricgun? mm-hmm. so, i tell you what i want to pay. and we build a policy to fit your budget. that's cool. uh... [ gun beeps ] [ laughs ] i feel so empowered. power to the people! ha ha! yeah! the option to name your price -- new and only from progressive.

call or click today. scientific explorations in the kitchen? bring it. it started bubbling. new bounty is thick and absorbent. it cleans the mess with less. then you know what, daddy? it exploded! pssshhh! it hit the ceiling! in lab tests, bounty absorbs twice as much... as the bargain brand. and it's more durable it was really cool. why use more when you can use less? new bounty. the thick quicker picker-upper. beautiful picture of washington on a gorgeous morning. it's going to warm up. right now it's 68 degrees here in the nation's capital friday,

july 10, 2009. good morning. metro's red line could get a face lift. the transit system is planning a major rehabilitation project in 2010. it could take years to complete. metro's full board could approve the plan nt exweek.p

good morning everyone. looks like a beautiful day in our nation's capital. plenty of sunshine with temperatures climbing into the low 80s. there are changes on the horizon for the weekend. a frontal band does push toward the area. we could have late day thunderstorms for your sarday. jerry, how's traffic in >> steve, good to see you. traffic seems to be doing pretty well. college park to silver spring. looks like the lanes are open there. we'll be watching for midday road work inner loop is looking good, no accidents or incidents to report at this hour. looking good.

>> thank you, jerry. tonight at 5:00 the things workers want that make going to

♪ >> and that was a surprise performance on "america's got talent" wednesday night, when susan padilla from houston, texas, blew the judges away with her silky soprano. pee cancer svivord saiethe maorrfnce was dorereamom com ue . em rkable voice sheem has. reminder "america's got talent" airs tuesday and wednesday nights at 9:00, 8:00 central time, right here on nbc. the competition is getting stiffer. i'm natalie morales along with

maria celeste. ann and al are off today. lester is here with a look at what's coming up this weekend. >> loet me tell you what's comig up this weekend. we're going to tell you about tag team parenting. a new reality for lots of parents with two working parents and no money for child care. plus love and food. why being in a relationship can make you gain weight and how your diet can poison your partnership. oh, joy. then the ice cream truck goes gourmet. high end chefs are hitting the road in cities all across america selling fancy desserts like chocolate mousse and creme brulee. whatever happened to the torpedo? >> no the rocket. we get those every weekend. >> we'll get a taste of that this weekend on "today." >> all right, thank you, lester. we'll be watching. talking about chefs and desserts, maria, you're going to be cooking a little bit. >> i'm getting my apron ready. we'll have a chef here tohow you everything about steaks in your main dish weekend. especially side dishes, very

suitable and delicious side dishes. >> that's the hard part. i've got the steak down, chicken is the other part. what do i serve with it? plus one more song from the country crooners rascal flatts. first, though, let's get another check of the forecast and for that we turn to alexandra steele who is in for al. >> hi, guys >> it's been fun having you here. >> thank you. the story, of course, all the heat around the country. other htanig r here in the northeast, although saturday will see pleasant temperatures here and then saturday night some rain moves in. but earlier in the day, the slight risk of showers and storms in western new york and western pennsylvania. and in the southeast, of course, you can see that's a toaster there popping out. hot conditions from georgia to the carolinas. of course, record heat from texas to oklahoma and kansas and missouri. and then on sunday, warm today and tomorrow in the northwest, well, good morning everyone. looks like a great day here in the beltway. plenty of sunshine with temperatures climbing into the low 80s. right now we're at 70 degrees for a good part of the area.

all is quiet on doppler, that's the way it's going to stay until late tomorrow afternoon. there is a storm system right here, and this storm will drop down into the region as we head to your saturday, bringing us a chance of showers and thunderstorms. but ahead of it you can see it's pretty out there. today, a mix of sun and clouds with highs in the low 80s. across the board pretty decent weekend for much of the country. >> you've been really good to us. we've had fantastic weather. >> we didn't have to stand outside on the rain in the plaza. >> come back and visit us more often >> thank you, alexandra. up next, 113 things to do before your child turns 13. right after this. announcer: there's a place called hidden valley. where kids not only eat their vegetables, they can't get enough.

hidden valley ranch, makes vegetables delectable. now rediscover the delectable taste that can only come from hidden valley, the original ranch. dinner with the girls tonight. mmm... mexican, or italian? i really want dessert tonight. i better skip breakfast. yep, this is all i need. ( stomach growls ) skipping breakfast to get aad? research shows that women that eat breakst, like the special k® breakfast, actually weigh less. the special k® breakfast, now in blueberry. so why skip? when you can eat all this... and still weigh less. victory is... sweet. and still weigh less. could be home to bacteria.

but, lysol disinfectant spray can also be used on soft surfaces to kill 99.9 percent of bacteria. lysol. disinfect to protect. ♪ you don't have to be a witch either, it's true ♪ ♪ you just have to love a fun, tasty dinner ♪ ♪ and wearing some of that dinner on you. ♪ ♪ you just have to love a fun, tasty dinner ♪

new sunnyd smoothies. as much calcium and vitamin d as milk... and a taste so creamy, smooth and bold, they'll love getting calcium and vitamin d... to help bones grow. new sunnyd smoothies. the years leading up to 13 can be tumultuous, so the drama, mean girls, crushes, tons of trend obsessions. so to help 'tweens make the most of those precious years, terry mccloud and her daughter brittany collaborated on 113 things to do by the time you're 13 with tips from your fave celebs and 'tween insiders. and they survived working on it together. terry, brittany, good morning. brittany, before you really even thought about this book you actually wanted to do 100 things before you turned 13. you're now 14. but terry, that actually kind of got you thinking, there's a book here, right? >> right. when she came up with me to the

list of 100 things, i flashed back and remembered the mean girls and the gossip and all the crazy drama. it's a tough year. i think as a parent you want to protect your child. so i thought, what a great gift to do sort of a guidebooko surviving your 'tween years. and also put in a lot of fun because you don't want to make it too serious and too heavy. >> this is a mom/daughter collaboration. but writny you wrote a lot of the book yourself. >> kind of not really. we both, each other -- >> i did a lot of the core writing of it. and i would actually turn to brittany and say would you really say something like that? and she would correct my lingo a lot. >> let's hear some of the ideas that you had, and brittany, on your list and how they contrast to your mother's. you say number five on the list is play truth or dare. be the daredevil, you say. i'm not sure mom likes that one. >> no. >> number 13, make a massive sundae and pig out. that is the favorite on my list. write a fan letter to your

favorite star. eat dinner in reverse. start with dessert, then your entree and finish with your appetizer. >> that's the funnest. >> i have to agree with you. and paint each of your toes a different color. so in general, what would your advice be for a 'tween? >> my advice to a 'tween is definitely just to have fun and be yourself. and ignore all the gossip and mean girls. just have fun. >> and good advice. terry, taking a look at some of the things that you added, and again you're giving that more motherly point of view is travel outside your hometown. number four on the list. keep a journal. hang with your mom. >> hang with your mom is important. >> even though they're probably not into that as 'tweens. know and practice good manners. and as you said, say no to gossip. so everyall your advice to 'tweens? >> and i think the most important thing, when you're younger is to try to figure out a talent and go for it and not be afraid. because i think when we were younger we had so many hang-ups and we're worried that we're not going to be able to worry about our friends and what everyone thinks of you and be inspired, learn to say no.

and just be appreciate you and look in the mirror and like what you see. >> and you're a producer for "access hollywood" so you were able to get some interviews with celebrities who are teenagers themselves and you haday tr lo swift contribute, and she is number 14 on the list, discover your talent and work on it. we know brittany has really worked for hers. >> well, taylor swift is definitely amazing. at age 10 we discovered her talent of singing, and at age 11 she drove with her mom to nashville to like, even though she got rejected, she still -- >> she kept knocking on those producer doors. >> she kept doing it. >> and at age 19 she was a star. >> exactly. >> number 33, make a friend outside your neighborhood. >> right. >> and i think that's an important lesson for everyone. sell nan gomez basically said don't judge. try to remember that just because they look like you or don't live in the same neighborhood doesn't make them less of a person. try to be kind to all. >> great piece of advice. and number 94 from the the

trilight vampires ashley green and rachel lefebvre, develop interests outside school. >> the twilight girls talked about how they both experienced mean girls growing up. and they were both isolated. sat at a lunch table by themselves. stories we hear too often. then they both side they tried to put being popular outside their head and look where they are today. one of them said she was never in the popular group but was class president. >> there you go. was it stressful working to the as a mom/daughter team, brittany? >> well, we did have our moments, definitely. but i found out that my mom haddon inner 'tween. >> oh, yeah? the mean girl 'tween? but you want to work on another one? >> yeah, absolutely. i mean, there's so much to say about 'tweens and teens. and we got a 16th birthday coming up. we'll have 116 before 16. >> well, again, 113 things to do by 13. terry and writny mccloud, thanks so much for coming by.

coming up next, we' gngoio t go into "today's kitchen" for the perfect sides to those perfectly grilled steaks right after this. is the price you pay. tag get a 2009 pontiac vibe for $13,708 after all offers. or get 0% apr for 60 months on most 2009 pontiac models! all are backed with the best coverage in america, including a 5 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty. get some excitement while you still can, during the pontiac summer closeout. visit pontiacdealer.com (woman) vibrations. (announcer) turn on new pulse peection vibrating mascara from maybelline new york. woman) the breakthrough. (announcer) our exclusive motor inside pulses the brush 100 times a sond. maximizes each lash like no hand can. beyond length... beyond volume... to a truly fwless fan of lush, perfect lashes. just turn it on. (announcer) new pulse perfection.

(woman) maybe she's born with it. maybe it's maybline. - no to fake foods. - and yes to real. yes to hellmann's. made with eggs, vinegar and oils... that are naturally rich in omega 3. with all the taste in the world. mmmmmm. hellmann's. it's time for re . mmmmmm. on tuesday i go in even earlier than usual. thank goodness for eggo, a nutri-grain waffle... with a quick smudge of cream cheese. at least that part's easy. there's only one way to eat an eggo... your way. l'eggo my eggo. dinner bell sfx: ping ping ping fancy feast elegant medleys tuscany entrées restaurant inspired dishes with long grain rice and garden greens is it love? or is it fancy feast? step aside pumice stones. now there's a new way to ften and smooth skin fast. and it's cute! new smooth my sole™ by dr. scholl's for her™ is the only one with the prosharp™ microfile for fabulous feet or your money back.

dr. scholl's for her™. of bleach accidents? new spray n' wash bright and white is your safe bleach alternative. it does the job... stop-- don't do that! without the accidents. add it with your detergent to help whiten and keep colors bright while the resolve power gets rid of stains. trust spray n' wash bright and white. i'm working on my digestive health. whatcha eatin'? yoplus. it's a yogurt for digestive health. here... blackberry pomegranate. i can't find my hand. (announcer) yoplus... a delicious alternative for digestive health... ...from yoplait. this morning in "today's kitchen," side dishes to complement your grilled steak. if you're ready to try a new spin on that predictable salad and corn than hot chef david walter has something for you. he's the executive chef at s.w.

in las vegas. >> thanks for having me. with all the current events these days, you know i thought i'd bring a current event of my own and it's summer vegetables. nothing is better right now in the summer than the ripe vegetables that are just from the field. these are the things that we need to kind of put around erything that we cook. whether it be great steaks like we do at f.w. at winn or a piece of fish or anything off the grill. >> we're going to start with corn and tomatoes. start with corn. a corn dish. >> this is a really cool zish. you know, i like to use the corn custard. it's a sweet corn custard that we make with jalapenos and white onions. so the onions are in here. if you just add it, here's some blanched corn that i have here. add the onions in. >> which i'm afraid, it's not the typical onion, it's a sweet onion that looks like a regular onion. >> you're right. it will kind of play on the sweetness of the corn. then some jalapenos, some chapped gore lick, ground coriander and cumin also goes in.

some egg yokes, and heavy cream. and you're just mixing away, and you want to get that kind of mixed up. then we're going to either use a regular blender, or something like this, which is a stick blender. it's very convenient. hang out with that for a sec. so we're going to blend this until it's smooth. it can be a little bit coarse but you want it realively smooth. watch the dress. watch the dress. >> and you guys watch. >> and that's about it. so you want to kind of pulse it. it's smooth. it's got a little texture to it. we bring this around. we can come back here. let's do this. much easier. so we have these here. these are disposable aluminum cups. they make life really easy. you knock it out once they're cooked. a quick spray of canola oil.

pour of that in there. >> the mixture we were just doing. >> and you cook any sort of like custard or pudding like this in a water bath. and we're going to put this in a 300 degree oven. for about 40 minutes or so. and i have some that are already baked. you want to grab those? >> okay. >> watch the dress. >> thank you very much. for keeping that in mind. and voila. >> and voila. and out they come. so, again, to test that these are done, it will feel firm. it will have some firmness to it. you just want to separate these from the edge. and knock it right out. nice and easy. >> we decorate them like that? >> see that's the great thing abouit is the sweet corn, it's kind of the medium and then we can add different things. spring onions that are charred on the grill. summer squash. white asparagus and green asparagus. little squash again. and porcini mushrooms. this is the medium and we're

adding fun things >> and they go along great with the salad you made with different tomatoes. >> everybody sees a big, red, ripe tomato. that's a lovely tomato. but at the same time there's tomatoes such as these yellow or golden tomatoes. heirloom varieties that have all different flavors. and this is simple. this has so many different flavors. you just have to leave it alone and allow the tomatoes to kind of act on their own. and there's different flavors. and this is the real, rich, beefsteak tomato. >> it looks and probably tastes a little different. i love that you put them with onions and you're going to make some croutons. >> sure. with bleu cheese. >> that fantastic homemade croutons. thank you david for all those recipes. up next one more song from the als.tt y"n first, this is "da nbc.

wú

the art of getting dirty. the art of getting clean. new powerfully formulated wisk®... is better on tough mud stains than tide total care. . sk®powerfully clean. perfectly priced.

[ speaking spanish ] >> thank you. >> it's a great time. >> and still to come, how to save hundreds on your groceries with hoda and kathie lee. especially if they're shopping. but first here's one more song from rascal flatts. ♪ ♪ i can hear the truck tires coming up the gravel road ♪ ♪ and it's kind of like nothing's on the radio ♪ ♪ two steps on the front porch i hear my doorbell ♪ ♪ she used to come right in now i can't tell ♪ ♪ here comes good-bye here the last time ♪

♪ here comes the start of every sleepless night the first of every tear i'm zbona cry ♪ ♪ here comes the pain here comes me wishing things had never changed ♪ ♪ and she was right here in my arms tonight ♪ ♪ but here comes good-bye ♪ ♪ i can hear her say i love you like it was yesterday ♪ ♪ and i can see it written on her face that she had never felt this way ♪ ♪ one day i thought i'd see her with her daddy by her side ♪ ♪ and violins would play here comes the bride ♪

♪ but here comes good-bye here comes the last time ♪ ♪ here comes the start of every sleepless night ♪ ♪ the first of every tear i'm gonna cry ♪ ♪ here comes the pain here comes me wishing things had never changed ♪ ♪ and she was right here in my arms tonight ♪ ♪ but here comes good-bye ♪ ♪ why's it have to go from good to gone ♪ ♪ before the lights turn on yeah and you're left alone ♪ ♪ oh, but here comes good-bye ♪

♪ yeah ♪ ♪ but here comes good-bye here comes the last time ♪ ♪ here comes the start of every sleepless night ♪ ♪ the first of every tear i'm gonna cry ♪ ♪ here comes the pain here comes me wishing things had never changed ♪ ♪ and she was right here in my arms tonight ♪ ♪ but here comes good-bye ♪

♪ ooh wñwoy8g

our time is 9:56. 70 degrees out there, taking a live look at the washington monument, the jefferson memorial. we'll get the forecast coming up. i'm joe krebs on this friday. in the news for today, police are looking for three masked robbers who attacked a man and woman in prince william county monday night at lake ridge while the couple was walking their dog. one of the victims says he was punched and tasered. metro's red line could get a face lift, the system planning a rehabilitation project next year that would cost 1$177 million ad could take years to complete. metro is cracking down on distracted train and bus operators t. any operator caught using a mobile device on the job will be fired. the policy comes days after video posted online that showed

a metro train operator texting with his head down while the train sped ahead. the operator was suspended five days with pay but returned to work. let's get a check on the forecast. we go to steve up in storm center 4. >> good morning, joe, everyone. looks like a wonderful way to end the work week, sunshine out there today. temperatures climbing into the low 80s. right now we are sitting in the upper 60s, low 70s. it is very comfortable outside. dew points are in the upper 50s, that's low for this time of year. these will go up into the weekend as we see more of a southwesterly wind flow. we are clear, high pressure sitting off the coast of new england, helping to keep our skies clear. we do have an easterly flow which will keep us in the low 80s. we'll watch this system into tomorrow. ahead of that system we'll see humidity increase, plus as the front moves through we could have late day storms on saturday

and early on sunday. how's traffic? >> let's see how we are doing. the good news is there is good news to report. top side of the beltway, college park to silver spring, no hangups at the wilson bridge. northbound and southbound doing fine. headed for counsel down along 395 northbound, look at the speed of those vehicles to the 14th street bridge. >> thanks, jerry. the things workers want that make going to the job on a nice day more bearable.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television and it is friday. thank god it is friday. it's july 10th. >> it's friday. we've decided only to drink on fridays. >> wait a minute. i wasn't brought in on this decision. >> cheers. >> cheers my darling friend. the only reason we're doing this. only reason is to show you a new little product called a woozy. which you might get a little woozy if you -- it's supposedly it's this little sleeve that will insulate your wine glass. of course it's a dead giveaway

that you take your drinking very seriously. >> well it keeps it cold. so the glass doesn't sweat, whatever that means. >> yeah. >> and they're cute. they come in different colors and they're pretty. what do you think? >> i think it's a lovely little gift. a hostess gift. >> that's a great idea. so on your friday if you want to enjoy this, you can get it for $7 to like $12 on mywoozy.com. what else would it be? >> now a dead giveaway that you are getting old is that you're reading a book on the beach called "how not to act old" because nobody would read this book unless you're thinking to yourself, i'm getting old, right? >> pamela satran, this is what she says. number one, one of the things is learn to type with your thumbs. like blackberries-ish. >> in other words, who carries if you're totally literate and you've gone to school and you know how to do -- just look like an idiot. >> you counter each one of this. do not send greeting cards. >> oh, no, because just be rude. that would be good.

>> all right, all right. no matching anything. stop trying to wear all gold together or silver together. things can mix and match. >> just be a slop. >> i love your whole take. here's one. no poodles. poodles are out. >> poodles are precious and they happen to be the smartest of all the canines. so, there you have it. >> okay here's one that made just especially for you. >> i look like a poodle today. >> here it is. stop talking about menopause. >> that's the only way you get through it is talking about it. she's obviously not old enough yet. yet. because to make fun you have to laugh at yourself or you'll either want to kill yourself or you will kill someone else. and there's enough of that going on. >> you think it's fine talking about it? >> i think it's fun to laugh about it. you shouldn't moan and groan about it. >> unstrap your rolex. kids these days don't wear watches. they all get their stuff on blackberries and cell phones. >> rolexs are expensive watches and you probably worked your

dare i say heinie, your heinie off to afford one. you know when i knew frank might be the guy for me? second date, gives me a rolex. >> no he didn't. >> mm-hmm. >> he did? are you kidding me? >> mm-hmm. >> you were friends for a long time. >> just had lunch and dinner. >> a rolex at your second date. >> and we were not in a romantic relationship. we were just really -- it wasn't really a date. he just said the face of it which was brown reminded him of my eyes. >> hmm oh, my gosh. i love that. >> so i'm going to wear that rolex proudly because it's been 23 years since he gave it to me. >> can i tell you one of the best lines i just heard from someone. a guy who's a charmer. he's good at charming people. take it for what you think it's worth. we were having our very first meal together and he said, midway through the meal, would you get sick of me if we had a drink tomorrow at 6:00? >> i think that's adorable. >> i loved that line. i think that's a great line. >> yeah.

>> but don't you -- i worry sometimes about charming people. if charming people are -- they can charm anybody in the room. >> yeah. >> and you have to sort of wonder if you're unique or if you are one of many who can, you know -- >> well you have to be especially careful right now. because you are so hot. you are so hot. and you're going to have men that are going to want to be with you because you are now a trophy girlfriend. you're hot. come on, let's give it up for hoda. hot hoda. come on! it's the truth. it's the truth. you're going to have to be extra careful to discover whether these people are interested in you because you are a fabulous woman, or you are a fabulous woman who happens to be on television. next to that incredible woman -- no, just kidding. there's another cool thing. >> what is the study about men and women and sex? you don't care? come on. >> no, no. >> here it is. men seem to agree universally on what makes a woman sexy. they think it's physical features, confidence and being

seductive. women do not agree. on what makes a man sexy. we don't -- we don't seem to have a universal deal. >> well the confidence i think we would all agree. >> and come on. >> i just think people -- >> yours are cute. i haven't seen them all. there's so many. but i've seen a couple of them and they're cute. but some pple will walk right past a blonde. we were talking to maria celeste in the room, she said every time she sees a blond she walks right past him. >> she's not interested in the nordic, scandinavian, aryan look. >> frank isn't a blond. >> surfers have that look. surfers don't like me anymore. they're like their friends' grandmother. i think intelligence is so sexy. and sense of humor. >> humor is definitely. what were you going to show me here? >> i don't know, i was sitting here. we should explain these things. >> what is it? >> you know you're always

chopping stuff, getting ready and all stuff goes flying and you have to pick it up -- >> no, i don't know. i don't know what you're talking about. >> here's what you do, you chop it on your chopping board and you create a little sleeve for it. there you go. and everything goes right in. unless you've been drinking with your woozy, and you miss the pot. that could happen, too. >> it's cute. >> another cute thing. another cute thing is what our sara is wearing today, and paige is wearing. >> what is your name? >> casey. >> casey and paige are over here. >> look at these little dresses. >> those are so cute. >> these are smocks. finally smocks tat aren't unattractive. >> they're very, very cute. >> do you guys like them? >> have you ever worn an apron until this moment? >> yes. >> i have. >> i haven't. this will be a first. >> look at you in yours. >> look how cute. >> how adorable is everybody? >> where can the fine people at home get these? >> on somethinghat's called

smockdesigns.com. >> not snot, smock. it's smockdesign. >> they're either $35 or $45. they make you look cute. sara has one on over there, too. adorable. >> does this make me look fat? >> no, just kidding. >> guys, thank you. >> do you like being pages here? >> it's fun. >> they're interns. >> that's what i meant, interns. >> the intern program here is like one of the toughest things in the world. 7,000 people apply to be interns here at nbc. >> who gets them? >> what? >> who gets them? >> people that are highly, highly qualified. regis was an nbc intern, page i mean. >> he must have known somebody, don't you think? >> no, i was wrong, okay, sara. correction. >> you know what? >> okay. >> so this is tragic. okay, will ferrell has created a line of sunblock. is this a real ing? >> it really is. it really is. >> it's real?

>> because he has a friend that is battled skin cancer twice. >> we need a camera to show this to. we desperately need a close-up. please, somebody. >> the options for the sunscreen forbidden fruit. >> now pan over here. come to me. >> look at this one. >>sunstroke. >> like the copper tone. >> and this one is like -- >> i don't add. i added 57 yards and a rich, dark tan. i guess he's a football player? 57 yards, i don't know. >> but if you have trouble putting on sunblack, if you're at the beach by yourself or with someone you don't want touching you, you can get -- >> why would you be at the beach with someone you don't want touching you? >> sometimes you go to the beach with people who are just friends and you don't want them on you. what you do is you get a hold of one of these, it's called do my back, and you put the sunblock on it. put that knife down. >> i'm just going to use it. i'm going to use it. >> put it down! >> you use it like you would a

back scratcher or thing that you wash. >> and i guess the lady that designed that was at the beach one day and wanted to put some sunscreen on and can't do it. now she can. >> you can get these available, $22 bucks. anyway. >> and also, it could be a really good fly swatter. >> there are so many mosquitoes and flies around here. did you notice? >> yeah. >> they're all over the studio. >> some of them are the size of birds. >> they're all over. >> it's summertime, hoda, it comes with the territory. you were moaning and groaning about where's summer? that little guy brought it. when you see those things -- >> okay. i think -- >> this is funny. >> so in finland they do this deal where men have to physically pick up and carry their wives, and it's like an on stackle course. if they win -- >> i don't think frank could do it anymore. not because he's older, i'm too heavy. i don't think he could do it anymore. >> you're not that heavy. >> yes! >> i'm kidding. >> didn't put up enough of a stink about that.

>> here's some pictures. if you love your wife over and you win this race, you get, look at them, that's the wife behind as you can tell. okay there's a few other -- >> here's the part. >> whoever wins gets the equivalent, receives the equivalent of their wife's weight in beer. >> yes. >> look at that. >> so the chubbier your wife is, the more you have to gain. >> he's not going to get a lot for her. >> no. >> but that's a big deal in finland. >> and the biggest one is in maine coming in october. did you know that, hoda? >> what don't you know? >> others are held in michigan and coloro. >> i think we should check in with sara. >> i love that do my back. in case you were wondering if he likes you, when you get that out, i guess not. we have a question of getting to know you question. christina wants to know if you had a different job out of the spotlight what would you each do? >> i would definitely be a schoolteacher. i'd teach third grade. >> i'd be a woozy tester.

>> what would you do, seriously, if you weren't in any kind of show business? >> i'd be in architecture and interior design. >> you would? >> mm-hmm. >> sara, what would you do? >> i think i'd be a teacher. i don't know what grade, but i like the kids, the excitement when you can kind of -- >> you do. when you're around kids you become a big kid yourself. >> you are a kid. >> i relate better to them than to people. terry wants to know what's your favorite board game, back in the day when people actually played games. >> i always liked monopoly when we were kids. when i was really young i loved chutes and ladders. >> how to know if you're old. >> i was a shoe, usually. >> that was my sister. >> in clue, in what game? >> in monopoly you have to pick the little silver pieces. >> what were you snvp >> i don't remember. >> banana grams was my life. >> what's your obsession with that? >> because i've never had so much fun with my family playing a game. and with other people as banana grams. >> really?

>> it's just so much fun. i've got to bring it to you. you know what, next week for my favorite things i've got to bring. >> cranium, though, that's an awesome family game. >> cranium. >> it is? >> yes. >> sara, thank you. >> thank you. >> happy friday. >> happy friday. >> happy woozy. >> coming up next we've got harry potter's rupert. >> he's adorable. he plays ron. he's with us, and we'll talk with him. - hey susan. - hey spence. uh, i was thinking that these third quarter nbers... ( pop, pop, pop ) it's 3 o' clock and all you can think about... is grabbing a snack. timto reach for something you can feel good about. introducing special k crackers. count 'em! 17 delicious crackers for 90 calories. crunchy yumminess, without undoing your day. you know what i'm talking about? uh-huh. thanks, susan. special k crackers.

fight munchies with a crunch. congratulations! you're learning healthy habits for a lifetime. so keep up the good work and remember, when you drink better, you live better. take the challenge today. that's outlast lipstain from covergirl. light as air lipwear that does what a lipstick can't. it's never sticky cuz it's a stain. and it won't leave your lips cuz it's outlast lipstain. [ male announcer ] from easy, breezy, beautiful covergirl. one pound of ground beef, a packet of hidden valley ranch. ranch burgers! my family is so much more loveable when they're not hungry. announcer: hidden valley ranch.

mix it up. t you anmake me another atloaf ♪ -i♪ no valley ranch. - ♪ forget the mac and cheese ♪ - ♪ oh no ♪ i want some fun piled on a bun ♪ ♪ i want a manwich, please... ♪ make tonight a manwich night. - ♪ i want a manwich, please ♪ - ♪ ahh-ahh-ahh. (laughing through computer) good night, buddy. good morning, dad. (announcer) oreo. milk's favorite cookie. or sit on her bed and talk about her day. but she's ready. thanks to walmart's unbeatable prices, i was able to get her everything she needed. as well as what she wanted. letting go? mom! (mom) that's the hard part. set them up for success, for less. save money. live better.

walmart. >> had a little late night snack, did we? >> it was on your bed. >> or 20. i can't stop thinking about her, harry. >> obviously it's starting to annoy you. >> she didn't annoy me. i love her.

>> that was harry potter star rupert grint under the influence of girls and love possessions in the latest harry potter installment. >> it's called "harry potter and the half-blood prince" and rupert is here with us now. we feel, of course, like we know you. >> yes. >> so it's lovely to meet you. you're feeling better since a little stint with a nasty little thing called swine flu? >> yeah, that was last week. it was just like normal flus. for about five days. >> when i saw those pictures of you guys on the red carpet in london. it poured rain. this is you guys drenched to the core out there. i've got to stand it to you for staying out in the rain. >> the fans were out so you had to be there, too. what was it like that day? >> it was really good. because there was like thunder and lightning. kind of added to the excitement of the day. it was good, yeah. >> but were you sick at that time? >> i was getting over it. still got a bit of a sore throat. >> okay. >> yeah, yeah, yeah. >> we'll stay over here. >> have any idea where you got it? >> i don't know. it just kind of -- i just kind

of noticed feeling quite achy. >> i think you got it from that girl in the movie you smooched so much. >> i'm sorry this is a whole new harry potter. this is girls, this is testosterone, estrogen, this is -- puberty in action. >> was it mo fun doing this one, rupert? >> it was, yeah. this was a good one. there's a lot of romance, a lot of relationship kind of things. it was fun. >> who is your love interest in this? >> there's a few. one kind of finds herself in a love triangle. he gets a girlfriend for the first time, lavender, which is -- >> which is very funny. >> she's great, yes. and the whole thing with him and hermione has been developing throughout the films. >> yes, yes. don't give that away. too much, too much. >> had a chance to talk to emma who is also in the movie. she's adorable. >> oh, yeah. >> is she a love interest of anyone in real life on the show? >> not, no on the show. she's got a boyfriend. >> does she? >> but you did have a crush on her? >> you did. >> come on -- >> you're with us.

>> do not deny it. >> i think dan did, yeah. we were all quite young and we kind of had like a school kind of school-like atmosphere. >> and you have so much -- so many hours with each other, right? each movie takes how long, would you say? have they all been pretty similar how long they take? >> about eight months. this last one we're doing now is about a year and a half. >> oh, my gosh. and this is the last one, right? >> the last one, yeah. >> how do you feel about that emotionally? it's going to be quite sad. because it's been sh a massive part of my life. and i've loved every second of it. >> how long has it been, rupert? how many years? >> it's been about ten years, i think. >> wow. >> so what is it like to be you now? you walk around on the streets and i'm sure people just go crazy. what's it's like living in your skin? >> i tell you what, it's really kind of once a year, when we do these kind of-ish. >> you come out of the unveiling? >> every day is kind of, we get recognized occasionally and it's quite strange. >> it is? just occasionally?

>> i mean, yeah, we do. gradually as the films come out there's been more and more of it. >> if you haven't seen any of the other harry potter movies and you walk in and see this one, will you sort of know what's going on? will you be up to speed, do you think? >> yeah, i mean, it kind of helps if you've seen the oers, i think. but you could enjoy it. >> you know right off the bat who is the bad guy. >> how do you all get along in real life? >> we get along great. because it's been such a long time. we've kind of, work with each other like every day for every year. >> yeah. >> you do get quite close. >> can you imagine if you weren't, though? ten years of your life having to work with somebody that you just couldn't stand and had to pretend that they were like your great friend. >> yeah, it would be awful. we're quite lucky because we all get on. >> that's great. we have a lot of questions. >> we do. >> fans want to ask you some questions. so our dear sara haines over there is going to ask you a few of them. >> trish wants to know, what is the craziest thing a fan has done to or for you?

>> that you could talk about on morning television. be very careful, rupert. >> i don't know, really. i mean, i get sent a lot of things. >> what kind of things? >> pajamas. >> really? >> which seems -- yeah, i get a lot of kind of japanese-style pajamas. >> really? >> that's very kinky. >> and disturbing. on many, many levels. >> you're 19 years old? >> 20 now. >> how is the dating scene for you these days? >> i mean, i'm not seeing anyone at the moment. but, yeah, we're quite busy, that's one of the hardest things, you can't really get kind of weekends off and stuff. >> it would be hard, wouldn't you think, to find out at this point, being so famous and so successful if this young would want to be with you for all the right reasons just because she loves rupert grint. >> yeah. >> you have to be careful. >> yeah, yeah, that's true. it's always in the back of your head. >> we love you for rupert grint. we do. >> good >> okay, another question? >> linley wants to know, knowing

what you know now about fame and how the harry potter franchise has changed your life, would you do anything differently? >> well, really, no. i mean, it's quite a weird way of growing up, i guess but i've reallien joyed it. it's been a great few years. yeah, i don't regret it. >> we wish you the best. you're adorable. >> really natural. >> we do wish you the best of luck with your movie. >> rupert great movie. fabulous. "harry potter and the half-blood prince" hits theaters wednesday, july 15th. >> up next we're going to meet bru she is about to come along and talk to us about her inspirational journey.king oh, i had a knot in my chest. (dad) i didn't really want her to go but... i knew she could do it. i feel like there were bigger and better things for me to do. (mom) she took what she was doing seriously. (spc 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. (announcer) if your son or daughter wants to talk about joining the army, listen.

you made them strong, we'll make them army strong. find out more at goarmy.com - no to fake foods. - and yes to real. yes to hellmann's. made with eggs, vinegar and oils... that are naturally rich in omega 3. with all the taste in the world. mmmmmm. hellmann's. it's time for real. time to deploy the chex mix boring potato chip decoy bag. now no one will want to steal the deliciousness.

with five different taste and textures, chex mix is a bag of interesting...

still to come a woman who once weighed more than 700 pounds is down to 3 pooh. she is doing it all with your help. we're going to meet ruby. >> plus it's been about a month since we had any animals around here and hoda just couldn't stand it anymore. so she wanted to invite some to our studio. we're going to meet them, and this yellow guy. but first a little visit with our loc n als. m.hm isn't that nice? enjoy yoplait whips two delicious ways.

in the fridge it's a light and fluffy mousse... ...but put it in the freezer... and... ...voila! yoplait whips becomes a luscious frozen treat. yoplait whips, it is so good. simple ingredients like soft white winter wheat gathered together for 22 grams of whole grain goodness. it's what makes triscuit worth every bite. triscuit. weave some wonder. which beneful prepared meals. tonight? roasted chicken recipe? okay, savory rice and lamb stew. [ barks ] you're right. tonight is a beef stew kind of night. you've made another fine choice. look at those beefy chunks all packed with protein, the real vitamin-rich vegetables, the wholesome grains. and you think you're getting spoiled. it's so good for you too. [ announcer ] beneful prepared meals. three new entrees.

healthful. flavorful. beneful. well, good day everyone. it is pretty outside. we have plenty of sunshine with just a couple of clouds here in our nation's capital. looks like a wonderful day. we have changes on the way for the qeñweekend. right now 72 degrees here in the district. we're heading into the low 80s. the dew points are low. all is quiet on doppler radar.

we're bck on this friday with more of "today," and a very incredible woman. >> her name is ruby from savannah, georgia, and she's the star of her own reality show on the style network. but her claim to fame is not her celebrity. it's her weight loss. at 350 pounds ruby has lost more than half her body weight and she's not done. and i understand now after meeting ruby why everybody is in love with you. >> well, you know what -- >> welcome. >> here's the deal, ruby's a hugger. >> you go to ruby, you get a hug every time. i knew you liked you from the very first second. >> oh, we love it. >> you're inspiring a lot of people, ruby. i mean, was it difficult to decide, you know, say to yourself i'm going to do this in

such a public way? >> well, i started out as a documentary where after i completed it, then i would show the world, you know, once i got there. but now i'm doing it in front of the world. and it's like, okay, but the part i was not expecting was the mental part of it. because i really thought it w just eating habits. something i needed to learn. because i've never been small. and i never knew it was going to show the mental part of ruby. this is more mental because i don't remember my childhood. >> you don't? >> and you're going back. >> not at all. and that's the scary part. >> was it hard? because doing something in the home, in your own private way is one thing. but doing it knowing a gazillion people are watching you do it adds a lot of pressure, doesn't it? or -- >> it does. but then again, it's almost like i want to be the guinea pig. >> right. >> i wanted to find out why, there's an academic going around, the politicians, they tell you, next year, 75% of americans are going to be obese. >> right now, a statistic said 26% of america is obese at this

point. you think it's more. >> oh, it is. i'm telling you, i've been reading like crazy, and what's crazy about it, people are coming up to me, telling me they're doing something for the first time, they're losing weight because ruby could do it. she's walking. and i'm looking at them going no, you're inspiring me to keep on. every time i hear a story. and i have kids writing me telling me that they're cutters. i have people with other addictions. >> when we said originly that you weighed about 350 pounds. it wasn't your highest weight. >> over 700 pounds. >> loy. >> when you think back to that day, those days, do you wonder how did i get here? >> yes. i do not underand that that's why i'm on this journey to find out. and that's the part i find out is so mental. and people do not realize that there's -- what am i trying to please? what was the, you know -- >> the food. >> the security blanket. >> right. >> and that's the part you're going to find out on this season, too. i'm going -- i'm trying to find out my memory.

but it's the hardest part. i want to find them out more than ever now. >> your father passed away, didn't he? >> yeah. it breaks my heart. he was my hero. i loved --he loved me unconditionally. he's the only man that's ever loved me unconditionally and never said one thing about my weight. >> how did you take off the weight for those who aren't familiar with the show? how did you drop that weight? >> first i was so mad because i got on this program called our life fresh. it's not processed food. but i had to go cold turkey and just eat their meals and it changed my palate. i did it for six months. i was mad. i was pouting. that was the only diet i promise y'all that i've ever done that i changed my palate. i craved eating fish for the first time. >> you craved healthy things. what was your downfall before? >> candy, spaghett everything. bad for you. i was a fast food and snack eater person. that's all i did. and the only time i ate dinner was thanksgiving and christmas. >> oh, my goodness. >> so you never ate real meals? >> i went out to meet with my

friends. i would eat double cheeseburgers. but i would always try to diet. my whole entire life i tried it. so people would go oh, what is the big deal. all you have to do is diet and exercise. i would tell these people i don't want to live like this. i didn't want to be 716 pounds. you don't want to hurt a have pain and people look at you, and -- >> that's when they told me that you're going to die if you don't do something. my ac one was 9.7, it was supposed to be under six. >> wish we could sit and talk with her forever. >> i'm so excited for you. you really have inspired a lot of people. >> oh, that's so sweet. >> i just really want to do this so i can tell people they can do it. this is an addiction just like alcohol and drugs. it really is. i promise y'all it is. >> we wish you the best of luck. you're an inspiration. >> thank you. >> you're such a sweetheart. >> thank you. >> up next your favorite. i'm going to stay with ruby. you go ahead and deal with the animals. >> did you see that snake? >> oh, yes. don't get close.

>> it is trouble. we're going to talk about the snake and all the rest of the outdoor animals right after and fruit can be difficult. nine out of ten adults don't get the commended amount. that's why there's v8 v-fusion juice. it's one hundred percent juice with a full serving of vegetables, a full serving of fruit and antioxidants a, c and e. you get vegetable nutrition we all need but what you taste is the fruit. try new goji raspberry and passionfruit tangerine flavors. v8 v-fusion an easy, delicious way to get more vegetables. brand power. helping you buy better. kids are hungry after school. that's why i always have totino's pizza rolls. big pizza taste. in a bite size roll. kids can't resist their delicious pizza flavor. totino's pizza rolls. the pizza way to snack.

a heart attack at 53. i had felt fine. but turns out... my cholesterol and other risk factors... increased my chance of a heart attack. i should've done something. now, i trust my heart to lipitor. when diet and exercise are not enough, adding lipitor may help. unlike some other cholesterol lowering medications, lipitor is fda approved to reduce the risk... of heart attack, stroke, and certain kinds of heart surgeries... in patients with several common risk factors... or heart disease. lipitor has been extensively studied... with over 16 years of research. lipitor is not for everyone, including people with liver problems... and women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant.

you need simple blood tests to check for liver problems. tell your doctor if you are taking other medications, or if you have any muscle pain or weakness. this may be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. i was caught off-guard. but maybe you can learn from my story. have a heart to heart with your doctor... about your risk. and about lipitor. where all your cat's favorite flavors, including real carnation milk, come alive. friskies feline favorites. feed the senses. friskies feline favorites. you'll never go back to your old mop again. ♪ don't you want me baby? ♪ don't you want me ohhhh! [ female announcer ] why go part of the way clean? swiffer wetjet antibacterial cleaner kills 99.9 percent of bacteria mops can spread around. swiffer cleans better or your money back guaranteed. ♪ don't you want me baby?

whether you're hiking, vacationing at the beach or walking in the park there's a good chance you're going to spot some pretty amazing wildlife this summer. >> david from the national

wildlife federation has brought along some wild animals that you might encounter on your journey. he's here to tell us what to do in case you come in contact with one. >> where are we going to come in contact with this? >> this is a species that is exotic in the u.s. but they're a population in florida in the everglades that is down there reproducing, eating alligators. >> wait, eating alligators? >> this species can get to be about 20 feet long. he's just a baby here. he's not even close to being full grown. >> is that the bottom of him? let me show you another species -- >> how long is this little guy? >> about seven feet long. >> they're actually beautiful. >> they are dangerous. >> this is an albino by theway. >> can i ask one thing? what does he eat besides alligators? >> anything smaller than him. >> sma mammals, birds, things like that. our next animal. this is a liver otter. an asian species. we have a north american species that's a little bit bigger.

so much fun to watch in the wild if you're canoeing, kayaking. >> an egg. >> it's not dangerous, right, a little otter? >> anything with a mouth can bite so we don't want to put our hands too close. >> that includes males. that includes males. >> how cute is he? he's totally adorable. >> what do they eat other than hard boiled eggs? in the wild, fish and crayfish and frogs. >> if you do encounter one of these? >> you should watch it, look at it, have a great time doing that but you should never try to putsch it, pet it, make it a pet. because they are wild animals. and if they have a mouth, they will bite with you. and they will not mess with you if you don't mess with them. let's bring on our next critter. >> stuff running around. okay. take the leg. take the egg. >> really, really cute little guy. one you can hold if you want. >> i'd like to hold that. >> oh, hoda you're so brave. >> okay. >> if there is a pond or a lake or anywhere near -- >> see, look.

>> she's petting it. >> what about this? >> is a really, really common turtle species found -- that's the next animal, we're going to make kathie lee hold that one. this is found in ponds and lakes all across the country. a lot of times you see these turtles sna s stacking up on t each other. >> are they mating? >> no they're basking in the sun to regulate their body temperature. >> is this full grown? >> no, it will get a little bit bigger. that's a male. the females get to be about that big, the males are a little bit smaller. >> look at that. >> oh, i'm really impressed. >> so this next animal here kind of looks like a domestic ferret, right? it's called a polecat. and it's actually native to europe. actually -- >> oh, okay. i'm sorry. >> did you notice that they get that, that was me trying to get the little polecat. >> very brave. >> but these guys, they're related to skunks, i don't know if you can smell him. >> yeah. >> a little bit of a muskie scent. >> muskie is kind. >> yeah, he's fragrantly

challenged. >> but very beautiful, isn't he? beautiful coat. >> yeah. are they rare? >> this is a european species. they're fairly common. they're very similar to minks or weasels that we have in the u.s. her they're pretty common but they're very hard to see because they're nocturnal and they're very elusive. so if you do get to see one of these on your wildlife watch you're lucky. >> and his coloring is camouflaging. if he were up on those things you'd bare plyly see the difference. >> you'd smell him from a mile away. >> let's move on to the big finale. we have two baby black bear cubs. we can see them over here. doing what they do best, which is playing around. >> run. >> climbing itch on the tree. i thought they were going to climb up on the tree. >> he did. they were up there. >> that's the thing when you work with bears, they do what they want. but these guys, these guys are species that is -- >> oh. >> now these things, i got to say they look harmless, if you see one around. >> oh, he's going to climb.

go up. >> these live over a big part of the country, and if you encounter a black bear the best thing to do is make sure it knows you're there, make noise. you want to walk away. >> make sure it knows you're there, right? >> it will either run away or you won't surprise it. because you don't want to surprise a bear. if you surprise it, that's going to make it react with fear. make some noise, crash around, talk to it and slowly back away. you don't want to run because that will maybe trigger it to chase you. >> if you're camping they can smell everything. >> if you're camping, if you're out and about doing any kind of outdoor activity like that and you have food with you, you want to store that food far away from where you're sleeping in your campsite. >> what do you have in those bottles that they're drinking? >> the purple stuff is actually just like a sugar water solution. just a treat for them and helps distract them. they also drink a special kind of bear formula. >> bear formula? >> yeah. >> thank you so much. >> we left unscathed. i like shows like that. >> unlike you the last time you

were here. up next how to save hundreds on your groceries. (mom) i'm not going to be able to see her every day. or sit on her bed and talk about her day. but she's ready. thanks to walmart's unbeatable prices, i was able to get her everything she needed. as well as what she wanted. letting go? mom! (mom) that's the hard part. set them up for success, for less. save money. live better. walmart. one pound of ground beef, a packet of hidden valley ranch. ranch burgers! my family is so much more loveable when they're not hungry. announcer: hidden valley ranch. mix it up. [ female announcer ] nature fusion from pantene helps make hair strong against damage in 14 days. good housekeeping gave it their seal. damage protection results leading salon brands can't beat.

[ female announcer ] nature fusn from pantene. but i've got a warm, fresh baked strawberry toaster strudel. see the difference? mmmm. i do. (announcer) pillsbury toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat. unlike some brands, dove has 18 times more moisturizers to care for skin. no wonder dermatologists recommend dove most. trust dove. uh, i was thinking that these third quarter numbers... ( pop, pop, pop ) it's 3 o' clock and all you can think about... is grabbing a snack. time to reach for something you can feel good about. introducing special k crackers. count 'em! 17 delicious crackers for 90 calories. crunchy yumminess, without undoing your day. you know what i'm talking about? uh-huh. thanks, susan.

special k crackers. fight munchies with a crunch.

and we're back with "today's health," and a lesson in safely storing your food. >> get this, "prevention" magazine found that the average family of four, this is hard to believe, throws out almost 122 pounds of food per month. that's the equivalent of -- >> with that much food. >> plus 25. >> that much food does not have to be wasted if you know how to store it. so courtney smith is "prevention's" executive editor. that is a staggering number. think of all the people starving in this world, how are we wasting this much food? >> it's true. a lot of us misunderstand the sell by date. that's when the food is at its peak freshness and flavor. >> why does it say that then? >> window of -- >> it's for the store. it's not for us. so the store can sell it in a timely manner. >> if you keep your fridge at the right temperature tha's one of the smart things you can do to make sure your stuff doesn't

go bad quickly. what's the right temp? >> 40 degrees or below. over 40 and bacteria can multiply much faster. so under 40 degrees the bacteria stays low and that prevents spoilage. >> less than 32 you're going to freeze it. and you worry about things like milk and butter and all those kind of things. you want to pop up the spring and let's see what we have inside. >> absolutely. we have our thermometer. milk stays good for one week past the selby date. and the key is you want to store it in the back on the shelf, not on the door where it's warm. >> okay. >> the same thing with yogurt, 10 to 14 days past the sell by date. and eggs, those last three to four weeks past the sell by date. >> huh? no wonder we're wasting so much. >> what should you put in the door. what kindf things are okay for the door? >> condiments are okay because they have vinegar and acidity and they last longer. perishables you want them in the fridge. >> got it. >> all right. now canned goods are something that people do think last forever.

>> they do. >> not true. >> no, they don't. >> they last for two to five years which sounds like a long time. remember firstin, first out. fifo is what we say. you want to put the oldest cans in the front so you take those out first. and oil is another surprise. it lasts six months unopened. >> or it can get rancid. >> and what about vinegar? same kind of thing? >> no, but with the oil once you open it, you only have three months at that point. you want to keep in mind how long you've been using them. >> ybe even mark it from the date. you don't remember. >> you don't remember. >> how long have they been on the shelf in the store. 1250i78s they' sometimes they'r when you buy them. i'm just saying. >> dates are given for the home for people to remember. >> so fresh herbs and things. >> yes, you want to store these, you want to wrap them in paper towels to soak up the moisture and then put it in a plastic bag and put it in the crisper. that's where you want to put all your leafy greens in the isper. >> how long will that last?

>> it varies so much. one key is you don't want to store herbs with your fruit. you want to keep fruit separate from vegetables and herbs. >> why is that? >> the fruit when it ripens is releasing a gas that speeds deterioration. >> that's what the smell is? >> so these will get worse fast. >> when you have fruits and veggies should you immediately wash them when you get them home? does that do anything to them. >> you don't want to wash them immediately. because the added moirs your might create mold. so you wash them right before you eat them. >> doing absolutely everything wrong. okay. >> and for these -- >> should you leave these out? >> you can leave them out until they're ripe but then you want to move them into the cold because that will slow the ripening. and keep them at their peak for longer. >> okay. >> berries, and grapes you want to store them in their original container, wash them before you eat them. store them in this container, though, because it has ventilation and that will help keep the mold growth down. >> i think my daughter eats ten pounds of grapes a day.

a day. >> wow. >> now. coffee is one of those things i always heard if you put it in the freezer you can go back a year later and it will be still fresh. >> i'm sorry, hoda, but you're wrong. anyway, when you take it out from cold to hot it will contense in the bag and ruin the coffee, so store it in an airtight container on a shelf or counter. >> just a couple seconds. what about potatoes and onions? >> these you want to store in a cool, dry place like a cabinet. and don't store them together, because the potatoes will make the onions go bad faster. >> oh, really? and smell, too. >> courtney that was helpful. >> thank you. >> for once i learned something. >> for once? >> we can save you money at the grocery store. >> this is "today" on nbc.xxxw

that's going to do it for us on this friy. come back next week, we're going

to throw a wedding live on "today." >> david arquette is going to be with us. something about live rejects. i don't know. i don't know. >> rejects. >> we're going to leave you with a look back at the week that was. >> very nice. >> i should have cleaned them. >> i didn't wash these. >> good-bye. ♪ >> secrets to great summer hair. >> okay. ♪ >> feel my legs. feel my leg. >> that is unbelievable. >> thank you. oh, let's get out of here, guys! >> night and day. >> feeling crazy that's the only way ♪

>> that's awkward. ♪ ♪ just enjoy yourself ♪ >> i want to meet kathie lee and koda. >> natalie, bring it on in. ♪ smile though your heart is aching ♪ ♪ smile even though it's breaking ♪ wú

fios guy! where ya headed? ah, just installed fios in the whole building. now everyone has the fastest upload speeds. and we're giving them a mini netbook. well, i'm sticking with cable. so's ted. (voice) no i'm not! he's just goofing. (voice) no i'm not! (sighing) ted has betrayed me. (announcer) unlike cable, fios brings 100% fiber optics straight to your home and when you switch now, you can get a free compaq mini netbook. just pay shipping, handling and taxes. with fios, you'll get razor-sharp tv, blazing fast internet and crystal-clear phone service all for just... sign up today. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v, and for a limited time, get an incredible compaq mini, to get the most out of your fios internet. get it all together with a great deal on fios tv, internet and phone plus get a free compaq mini netbook. just pay shipping, handling and taxes. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800.974.6006 tty/v before time runs out on this astonishing offer.