good morning. george zimmerman speaks. the man who killed florida teen tr trayvon martin eeopens up about the shooting in his first interview. >> powerful storms break that heat wave, slam being a wide area from virginia up into new england with hail, rain and dangerous lightning. but al says more brutal heat is brewing out west. and chilling video. a 10-year-old girl walks down the sidewalk with her brother when man tries to abduct her. she fought and got away.

police are turning to the public to track down that suspect today, thursday, july 19, 2012. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> and good morning. welcome to "today" on a thursday morning money i'm savannah guthrie. >> and i'm matt lauer. >> good morning. george zimmerman has already admitted he shot trayvon martin. in his first interview, he lays out what happened that night specific some of what he says is slightly different in the past. >> he did offer an apology to trayvon's family. looking back he says there's nothing he would have done differently. >> first let's get to dave gutierrez. he's in sanford, florida with

more of zimmerman's comments. >> he apologized to trayvon's parents and the public. but it's a comment that he eventually qualified. >> do you regret getting out of the car that night? >> no, sir. >> do you regret getting out of the car that night? >> no, sir. >> on "hannity," george zimmerman says he did nothing wrong. >> i think it was god's plan. for me to second guess it -- >> do you think there's anything you would do differently after retrospect. >> reporter: he had these word for trayvon martin's parents --

>> i'm sorry they buried their child. i can't imagine what it must feel like. i pray for them every day. >> reporter: he admits killing the 17-year-old a few blocks from his town home but claims it was self-defense. in this reenact mean, he told police he feared for his life that night. >> are you following him? >> yes. >> we don't need to you do that. >> reporter: why did he continue to follow martin even after a police dispatcher told you not to? >> i meant that i was going to the same direction as him, to keep an eye on him so that i could tell the police where he was going. i didn't mean that i was actually pursuing him. >> reporter: zimmerman says he lost track of martin and that he only left his car to find an exact address for where he was but zimmerman claims martin soon confronted him. then he says martin began punching him more than a dozen times and pinned him to the ground. he recalls they both reached for

zimmerman's concealed weapon. >> at that point i realized that it wasn't my gun, it wasn't his gun, the the gun. >> reporter: did he say anything, because you said he was talking a lot, did he say he noticed the gun? >> he said, "you're going to die tonight, [ bleep ]". >> reporter: zimmerman says he didn't realize he killed trayvon martin until about an hour after the accident. zimmerman revealed he never heard of the statute before the shooting. the case gripped the nation. civil rights leaders protested the initial decision not to prosecute zimmerman. they argued the neighborhood watchman racially profiled martin, claim zimmerman strongly deny. >> i'm not a racist and i'm not a murderer. >> reporter: he blames a rush to judgment. >> i think people assumed i was

white because of my last name. my father is caucasian, my mother is his it andic but english was my second language. >> reporter: despite saying he had no regrets earlier in the interview, zimmerman does admit he wishes he'd not been forced to take martin's life as he looked straight at the camera. >> you'll sorry for my actions. i hate to think because of my actions i polarized america and i'm sorry. >> reporter: zimmerman never said why he was speaking out w now. fox news say they didn't no not patriot him for that interview. >> miss fulton and mr. martin, did you watch the entire interview last night?

>> yes, we did. >> did you find anything particularly revealing about what he said and wait he said it. >> >> i found a lot of things revealing about what he said. first and foremost, he had no regard for trayvon's life and he don't regret taking trayvon's life. had he stayed in his vehicle, trayvon would be with us today. >> i don't know he says he doesn't regreat aching his life. he says he wouldn't have done anything differently. he also says i can't imagine what it must feel like, i pray for them daily and then he also said this, and it getting a lot of attention this morning, "i feel it was all god's plan." mrs. fulton, what's your reaction to that? >> i think it's ridiculous. i wish trayvon was here to tell his side of the story.

i don't believe it's god's plan for him to kill an innocent teen-ager. >> he said he was only pursuing your son that night and he said he only got out of of the car to give an exact address to the police. do you think that's what happened this evening? >> matt, it speaks for itself when you listen to the objective evidence. just listen to the 911 tapes. there's so many inconsistencies when they listen to those tapes. >> we don't know who initiated the confrontation between your son and george zimmerman. we do know it turned violent, both reached for a gun and it ended with your son being shot. george zimmerman said that your

son said you are going to die tonight and then an expletive after that. can you imagine your son saying something like this in. >> no, he's a child. he's a 17-year-old child. >> those were the word of george zimmerman. george zimmerman said they were fighting over the gun. there are no witnesses to say he was fighting over a gun. george zimmerman is here to tell his story. trayvon is dead. >> i understand but are you answering that question through a parent's love and unconditional approval? is it possible trayvon said those word? >> you listen to his word he says so many things. it's about his credibility and i think everybody in america would say his credibility cannot be relied upon. >> and mr. zimmerman says he's been unfairly convicted in the court of blackopinipublic opini

there's been a rush to judgment. would you agree he deserves to be treated as an innocent man until proven otherwise? >> i think him saying there was a rush to judgment, i think there was a rush to judgment for him to think that trayvon was suspicious. for him to think we're rushing to judge, he rushed to judge trayvon. >> and he says he would be opening to talking you to you. is there any from on your part to talk to george zimmerman? >> absolutely not. >> i appreciate your time this morning. i really do. >> we want to turn now and get the other top stories of the day. natalie morales over at the newsdesk. >> good morning, everyone. an escalating crisis in syria

tho this morning as bashar al assad constructs he response to the bombing the other day. >> reporter: rebels have promised to take the fight to the seat of power on damascus. rebels managed to plant a bomb at the national security building at a meeting of the regime's most senior and security officials killing the powerful minister of defense, his feared brother-in-law. it has enboldened the rebels. the regime by some assessments is now fighting to survive. since the attack, president assad has not been seen or heard from. the latest escalation is reviewing calls by leaders

calling on assad to step down from power. the united nations is expected to vote on a new resolution that would impose tougher nonmilitary sanctions on syria. >> thank you. >> security has been stepped up at jewish community centers and synagogues in new york city as a bombing in bulgaria killed seven people on wednesday. they were killed on a tour bus in a resort bus near the black sea. a michigan's driver's license was found on the bomber seen in this newly released surveillance foot and. they are calling the i.d. a fake. >> three muslim men are accused

of traveling to pakistan for training. >> a rare close encounter with a great white shark right here in the u.s. this diver spotted the shark while he was compete in a spear fishing tournament in florida. as the 12-footer circled him, he relied on his instinct, swimming backward to his vote, spear drawn. he said he shot this video because he didn't think anyone would believe him. oh, we believe you right now. apparently the shark then circled the boat a couple of times once heap got back on it. >> i'm impressed with the multi-tasking, he had the spear and was shooting video? >> and the shark roker, wow, di storms come through here yesterday. >> talk about tweeting. a twit pick from former nflor jones as he's landing at laguardia airport.

he took this from the plane. this just amazing storms moving through the northeast. and, in fact, we have video from glen cove, long island and trees knocked down and power lines knocked out and people were injured and just a lot going on throughout the northeast as this system pushed through. we still have a risk of strong storms today and back through the midsection of the country. heat advisories still in effect stretching from the dakotas all the way to southern ohio and as far south as texas. the big area of high pressure continues to dominate keeping those temperatures still high in the midsection of the country. we'll look at a those temperatures and show you what we're expecting over the next 24 hours coming up in the next half hour. that's what's going on around the country. >> tom kierein in storm center 4 this morning. little sunshine breaking out and quite a bit of cloudiness and we're still in the 70s and still very humid. high 90s with increasing clouds and noontime into this evening

and into tomorrow and occasional showers and some of them with thunder and lightning and some heavy downpours that might cause localized flooding. then on saturday and sunday, things settle down. that's your latest weather. now back to savannah. >> now to shocking claims about the background to a long-time aid of hillary clinton. on wednesday republican senator john mccain came to her defense. kelly o'donnell has this story for us. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. this is an unusual story. it goes to the heart of one of hillary clinton's closest relationships. it was john mccain who came out swinging to say what hillary clinton as secretary of state could not say publicly. described by the secretary of

state as her second daughter, she is hillary clinton's dear friend, closest senior aide and seemingly all at her side, elegant, glamorous, profiled in vogue. she also happens to be muslim american and she's now the swept up in controversial insinuations made by former gop presidential candidate michele bachmann. >> it seems there has been deep penetration by the muslim brotherhood. >> reporter:? an official statement alleging serious security concerns, bachmann and four others have made security claims. they >> these attacks have no logic,

no basis and no merit. these allegations about huma and the report from which they are drawn are nothing less than an unwarranted and unfounded attack on an honorable citizen, a dedicated american and a loyal public servant. >> the state department calls the allegations preposterous. in a statement bachmann said she will not be silent and that her inquiries are unfortunately being distorted. huma is just emerging from another painful public storm. remember last summer she was pregnant and her high-profile husband, then new york congressman anthony weiner tumbled from grace, caught sending lewd photos to young women online. now she's speaking out for the first time. "i'm proud to be married him. my husband did a really stupid thing in an extremely painful time but there was love and

commitment in this marriage. i want people to know we're a normal family." and she's tried to have a private life. mcgain goes on to say she represents the best of market, doing good alongside hillary clinton. >> thank you. >> as the presidential race heats up, there will be more pressure than ever on the candidates and their families. >> the romney five, the boys are all smooth looking, that, smart and disciplined surrogates for their dad. this is their first tv interview that they've sat down for their far's campaign. mitt romney's five sons range in

age from 31 to 42. craig's the youngest, then ben, josh, matt and the old ses tag. their homes are scattered across the country but when they get together, they clearly have fun. the mama's boy in the group? >> josh. >> thanks, guys. >> for a candidate who has been called aloof, the romney guy's highlight their father's humorous side. >> he's goofy. >> he said i was gafine. and then heap said "i love them like they were my own sons." >> he's our father, that's what

we grew up with. >> my dad had the opportunity to nominate one person who showed great to your knowledge to run a leg of the tour and he chose my mom, who had been battling with m.s. she was able to actually take the torch and run a quarter mile or so. it was just a really neat bonding moment for us and a really neat experience to see her participate in something so meaningful to all of us. >> reporter: the brothers are all married with families of their own. mitt romney now has 18 grandchildren. if he wins, he'll have more grand kid than any sitting president in u.s. history. the newest arrivals, tag's twin boys conceived through surrogacy. >> you and your wife have six kid. the twins were born recently. >> yeah, they're six weeks old. >> reporter: they were born by surrogate. that's a very personal decision.

walk us through that choice. >> we tried for a long time to have another child and weren't able to do it. we found someone who was willing to do it for us. she became close to the family and offered to do it and we took her up on it. >> reporter: did you consult your parents? >> not really. it was a personal choice between my wife and me and certainly we felt good but. we wanted to add to the family so we decided to do it. >> it turns out four of the final romney sons initially didn't want their father to run for president again this year. this time around they are now all on board. >> peter, thank you very much. you can see more of peter's interview on "rock center" with brian williams. >> it's now 20 minutes after the hour. here's savannah.

>> it was a case of double duty for a utah state trooper recallier this week when he was called in to help deliver a set of 2010s on the side of a highway. yes, his patrol car's dash cam was rolling. minutes after starting his shift, this officer got a call that a couple on the way to salt lake city hospital had pulled off on the road, the woman was in labor. >> i pulled up, there they were by themselves, a little honda accord. i walked up, she's in the front passenger seat, already had one baby in her arms wrapped up in a towel. >> my water just broke. >> thanks to help from dad and a dispatch operator, one baby was out and the umbilical cord tied off with a shoe lace. she wasn't done yet.

>> she was holding ton this baby and getting ready to have the second one. >> then minutes after the officer arrived on the scene, baby number two, a little girl, was on the way. >> just came right out. obviously i had anyway gloves on and everything and caught the baby and cleared the air way with my pinky fing other. -- finger. >> there we go. it's cold, i know! oh, good, good. >> held her up, a lild breeze came in the door and her arms went like this and she let out a good healthy cry. >> he said he'd been there before during his own wife's labor. he's a father of four. >> it's a little different emotion when it your children versus somebody else's but it still a neat experience to help bring a child into this world.

>> good job, mom. >> and happy ending. >> just ahead, tom cruise spends more time with his daughter in new york city but has he seen katie holmes? and is their split really going as smoothly as it appears? [ male announcer ] where did all the obama stimulus money go? friends, donors, campaign supporters, special interest groups where did the obama stimulus money go? solyndra: 500 million taxpayer dollars. bankrupt. so where did the obama stimulus money go? windmills from china. electric cars from finland 79% of the 2.1 billion in stimulus grants awarded through it went to overseas companies.

[ romney ] i'm mitt romney and i approve this message.

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[ thlurp! ] aflac! [ male announcer ] help your family stay afloat at aflac.com. plegh! good morning, it's 7:26 now on this thursday, july 19th. i'm aaron gilchrist. let's get a check of the weather with tom kierein. >> good morning, a little sunshine breaking out and a little croloudiness, too. it's still steamy, humid. 81 at reagan national and later today not as hot as yesterday into the low 90s and we'll have a lot of cloudiness. during the afternoon, some showers and thundershowers and some producing heavy downpours that may cause localized flooding. that may continue through the day on friday. only a smaller chance on saturday, sunday partly sunny, mid-80s. and now back to you, aaron. >> thank you, tom. we'll

> good morning. if you're taking i-66 eastbound

your delays start at 234 and then jammed from fairfax county parkway. that drive taking about 25 minutes. aaron?

you're looking at a terrifying child abduction attempt in the act. in broad daylight, a 10-year-old girl walking with her young brother when a man grabbed her. we'll tell you how she managed to get away in just a moment. i'm matt lauer alongside savannah guthrie at 7:30 on a thursday morning. >> scary to see that. also tom cruise making the most of his time in new york city. we've seen him out and about with his daughter suri, even heading off on a helicopter ride. is his split with katie holmes as civil as it appears? >> and then we'll talk to a doctor who says she died and went to heaven, even spoke with angels before coming back to life. this was the result of a

kayaking accident. she's written a popular book about her experience. her story is us wanting to know if you believe in near death experience. >> and the working mom, can you have it all debate? >> and we begin with that video and attempted abduction. >> it happened in philadelphia. it was captured by not one but two security cameras and now police are trying desperately to find the suspect. surveillance video captured the attempted abduction of a 10-year-old girl in her south philadelphia neighborhood in broad daylight tuesday. >> i want this creep off our streets immediately. >> one neighborhood surveillance camera shows the girl walking with her 2-year-old brother when a man in a white car got out and

started to follow them. a second surveillance camera shows him coming up from behind. >> literally picks her up physically, attempts to carry her to the highway. there's a struggle. >> the suspect ran off and he dropped the little girl. she ran off and waited for her brother. her parents said she bit the man and struggled to free herself something she watched while watching "law & order." >> what's he capable of doing any other time? >> police are searching for the suspect, a white four-door sedan with a scuff mark on the front bumper. philadelphia's mayor has announced a $10,000 reward

leading to an arrest and conviction in this case. thankfully that little girl did everything right. >> let's get a check of the weather now from al. >> today's weather is brought to you by the seven bold flavors of bush's grillin' beans, the boder side of bush's. >> and a little bit cooler than it was yesterday. everybody enjoying the day. st. louis going to feel like st. louis feel like 110 and feeling like 100 in billings. now, we've also got a risk of strong storms in the dakotas, as well, as that front drops to the south and we move east just a little bit. strong storms from central illinois all it way back into west virginia. damaging winds and hail and torrential downpours. you can see heavy rain already pushing now through ohio and

rainfall amounts, we're fautalk anywhere from chicago to new york city. another one to three inches over the next 24 hours and sagging as far south as the virginias. that's what's going on around the country and here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> tom kierein in storm center 4. this morning a little sunshine in and out and temperatures in the 70s to near 80 and still very humid and highs today with a lot of cloudiness into the low 90s and likely passing showers with downpours this afternoon and thunder and lightning and some of the downpours might cause some localized flooding later this afternoon and off and on tonight and off and on on friday. saturday and sunday, things settle down and only a small chance of >> and we've got a lot of young people from kansas city, kansas you lined upour plaza. wow! >> is the very public split

between tom cruise and katie holmes as civil as it seems? mara? >> reporter: this a couple who certainly knows how to move fast when it comes to these things. over the last few days the attention has shifted to tom cruise. yesterday he was seen flying height with the couple's daughter. it was a high flying adventure for tom cruise and his 6-year-old daughter suri wednesday, the two boarding a helicopter in new york city, destination unknown. this week is their first face-to-face advice the since cruise reached a divorce settlement with katie holmes almost would weeks ago. the actor jetted to new york after wrapping filming of his latest movie. holmes has been photographed with suri all around town at the zoo, grocery shopping. but until tuesday cruise was noticeably absent. wednesday his lawyer lashed out at a tabloid report that cruise

was abandoning suri, telling the "los angeles times" that the quote is a "disgusting, vicious lie." the attorney said cruise couldn't visit sooner because of his production schedule adding "he spoke to suri every day, tom really loves suri, the last thing he would do is abandon her." now he's been spotted several times currying suri into his hotel. cruise is also on the cover of "people" magazine reading "tom's shattered world." >> they can't control the magazine headlines but there is an effort going on on both sides to control what the media is saying about the divorce. >> reporter: cruise and holmes have reportedly not seen each other during his visit and wednesday holmes was seen going to the gym alone. >> tom and katie are very

sophisticated with the media. >> reporter: while cruise and holmes were married more than five years, they reached a divorce settlement with lightning speed in just 11 days. the settlement wasn't only fast but seemingly civil. holmes' attorney even praised cruise lawyers saying their professionalism and diligence helped bring about this resolution. >> it was one of the most amicable and quick settlements in recent history. >> reporter: cruise will be here in new york city for a few more days before returning home to his two older children. >> jacob bernstein is a corre contributor to the "new york times" who has written about the split. bonnie hunter, they still have a lot of publicity.

what's your sense this is as civil as it seems or are we seeing this duelling p.r. strategy going on playing out on the front pages? >> we're absolutely seeing a p.r. strategy and these people are both excellent at it and they're doing a very good job. we know that tom was sitting there. first of all, he was filming a movie. he couldn't come back, that's true. it was probably driving him crazy his wife was getting fantastic publicity, showing she was a good mom. he's a good dad. he wanted to get out there, too. plus he missed him daughter, i'm sure. >> you wrote about this in the "new york times" saying the divorce rolled out like a movie in some sense. do you think katie is using it to her maximum professional advantage? >> yes, i think this is a show and and both of them are selling tickets to some degree. she did not have to run

downstairs and pick up her milk at whole foods when there were two dozen paparazzi outside but she chose to do it because there's an image she's trying to put forward now. now you see it with him with the helicopter ride. this is a guy who jumped on oprah's couch, he had this kind of fantastically public engagement to her. i think he almost thinks in the third person at this point. and this is how they're going about their breakup. >> you do have to scratch your head about the paparazzi because on the one hand they're human and if they want to go outside with their little girl, they should able to do that. on the other hand they've been movie stars for a long time, they know how to avoid the press. >> they don't want to avoid the press right now. this is a public relations campaign. tom cruise took some hits at the start of this and first katie filed and there was talk about he was going to fight her. he realized this wasn't a good idea for his image and for his

daughter. he does want the world to see that he's a key votdevoted dad made the first move he could after his movie heeshs came here to see her. >> thanks for your time. appreciate it. coming up, a major change for a popular web site coming up right after this. this man is about to be the millionth customer.

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tomorrow's opening of "the dark knight rises," a popular movie review web site has been forced to take unprecedented action after comments about early reviews grew heated and even threatening. jason kennedy is in los angeles. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. it's the most anticipated movie of the year and so far early vee vi -- reviews have been very positive. but that's not good news to critics who have taken exception to everything that's happened and a few rot i don't knten tom. the anger and ugly attacks of critics of the film forced the site's editors to pull the plug. the editor asked fans to tone it down saying, quote, just take a

deep breath, step away from the computer and maybe go for a walk. there are plenty of other things to get angry about like war, familiar in, poverty and crime. but not movie reviews. marshall fine was one of the reviewers singled out for abuse by fan. >> i just said that i felt that it was not very exciting and not a lot of fun, which to me are sort of two of the prerequisites of a comic book movie. >> reporter: fans are so fash n passionate about the film, they teak it personally. >> they're not going to be able to see it till this weekend. it's like a knife in the heart. >> this is sort of box market teflon, if will you. >> reporter: expectations are high because of the previous "dark knight" featuring keith

ledger's experience as the joker. >> there's enough going on there and mystique and those caught up in the first movie and "batman" before it will want to see "the dark knight rises." >> people on rotten tomato are thinking of changing their format so people can't post anonymously. people are on the internet to scalp tickets to the first midnight screening. the starting bid is over 1d 00. >> threats over a review. it is just a movie. >> still ahead, primetime emmy nominations. and the duchess begins her olympic dults. we'll show you what's she's up to after this.

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>> that's what i was thinking. >> meanwhile, how about prince charles, climbing a rock wall this morning -- >> in a double breasted suit. >> that's how i do it. >> he's got pretty good form. >> if they widen up, you'll see he's three inches on the ground. see? >> the suit's made out of velcro. >> and prince harry caught the premiere of "the dark knight" last night in london. he was there for it along with a lot of celebrities. >> did we move to britain? >> we're just getting exciting. we're trying to get in the mood. >> two premieres by the way in london on wednesday. a lot of the stars went to one and sarah went to that one. >> coming up, will yahoo!'s new and pregnant ceo prove that women really can have it all? we'll get to that. okay, team! after age 40, we can start losing muscle --

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good morning, everyone. i'm erika gonzalez. trees still down blocking streets and lightning believed to be responsible for a fire in an attic of a house. tom kierein, what can we expect today, tom? >> well, i don't think we're going to have nearly the wind we had yesterday. there's the view over the potomac. around the region, we've still got the humidity in place, but a lot of cloudiness around 83 now at reagan national and 70s most other regions and later today, low 90s and afternoon showers and thundershowers much of the risk today flooding from heavy downpours and that may continue into friday, but looking better into friday, but looking better for the

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good morning. slow trip on the beltway inner loop as you approach braddock. travel speed about 32 miles per hour and that trip will take you about 24 minutes. back over to you

morning, the 19th day of july, 2012. we have a huge, live, boisterous crowd on the plaza enjoying this night cool morning. we've been listening to hot chelle rae. who are going to be live on the plaza. the heat has broken. come on down to the plaza. >> it's going to be in the 70s tomorrow, right? >> chance of showers but still pretty good. >> you can wear that linen suit you've been wanting to wear. >> it's that one right there. >> good morning, i'm savannah

guthrie alongside al roker and matt lauer. coming up, marissa mayer. she is pregnant and it's reignited that debate about whether women can really have it all. >> also, what happens when you die? we're going to me a doctor and self-described cynic who said she did die, she went to heaven hshs an encounter with angels but was told that her work here on earth was not yet finished. it's a fascinating story. she's written a book about it. we're going to talk to her in a couple of minutes. >> and we're going to head out to los angeles for the primetime emmy awards. find out who is going to get nominated. and we'll explain why these ad featuring david hasellhoff have

become very hot news. >> the 17 month rebellion against syrian president bashar al assad has escalated to civil war. government troops are shelling neighborhoods in and around the capital of damascus, one day after a rebel bomb killed three members of assad's inner circle. >> trayvon martin murder suspect george zimmerman answered no when askedif he regretted getting out of his car to follow martin or regretted having a gun. he told fox news channel that, quote, it it was all god's plan, though he later said he was sorry for killing martin. martin's mother called that statement ridiculous. he has pleaded not guilty contending he shot the unarmed teen in self-defense.

>> a loophole in security checks put in place after 9/11 attacks exposed. u.s. citizens on the no-fly list because of terrorist threats are not band from taking flight lessons in the nation's flight schools. >> and a quick roundup of what has you talking online. the hoff keeps taking off from new england stands all across new england. they are part of an advertising campaign for iced coffee. he turned 60 this week, still looks good. >> and teak a look. ♪ so call me maybe

>> the choreographer said it was hard to find moves the troops could learn quickly and feel tough doing it. >> and will farrell threw out the first pitch and announced the starting loonup. >> batting fifth and playing right field, he loves playing banjo and loves doing tricks with his pet dog, number 6. >> batting sixth and playing catcher, in his spare time he's an accountant at a styrofoam cooler company, number 18, giovanni soto! >> i think they should do that all the time. they also ordered a chicago deep dish pizza had and it delivered to the pitcher's monde. that's awesome. >> they now how to live! >> they do. these are two cuteies.

who do we have here? >> this is sophia, this is powell. >> do you guys know each other or just met here? >> you're already betrothed. lovehat's going on as far as your weather today. pick city of the day just happens to be astoria, oregon, news channel 8. on the radar, satellite combo heavy showers and thunderstorms moving through chicago heading towards indianapolis. we have a little scattered shower activity and basically risk of strong storms through the upper midwest today and also in the plains sunny, cooler and new england 81 in boston today. nice day in the specific northwest and mid-80s with plenty of sunshine and heat continues in the midwest back down through texas where we will have some really hot stuff. and, it's your birthday -- >> it's my birth day! >> all right, that's what's

going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning, a mostly cloudy sky on this thursday morning. tom kierein storm center 4 with temperatures in the upper 70s to near 80. it's still very humid and more clouds today than yesterday and that will keep the heating rays of sun giving us more reasonable temperatures. highs reaching low 90s later this afternoon and this afternoon and tonight passing showers with thunder and lightning and some of them could be heavy downpours that could cause localized flooding. that may continue off and on friday looking better for the and that's your latest weather. >> mr. roker, thank you. when we come back, yahoo!'s new ceo who has reignited the debate over working mothers and if they can have it all. we'll talk about it right after this. father: ouff, hey guys

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wife: yes i am. husband: i booked us a couples massage. wife: you booked a what? ♪ . back now at 8:09, can working women really have it all? can you reach the top of your profession and have happy fallly, too? one executive is about to put that to test in a ground breaking way. >> former google executive marissa mayer was named the chief executive of yahoo!. she also just revealed she's pregnant. what mayer is saying about how she'll balance new job and her

new arrival has people talking. >> the former google executive told fortune magazine she disclosed the pregnancy to yahoo!'s board and that they showed their evolved thinking in higher her. >> we've been going for years and years saying why can't we get women to the top? we can't get women to the top unless we allow the top women to have babies on their timetables regardless of what's happening in their career. >> pregnant and powerful, mayer now faces challenges ahead, starting with her new job. >> yahoo! is in rough shape. they're on their fourth ceo now in just a few years. they need a sense of stability. >> but mayer's comments about how she'll handle her time off to give birth has raised a few high b-- eyebrows. she said my maternity weeks will

be a few weeks long and i'll work throughout it. >> on the one hand i'm absolutely thrilled. it's about time. on the other hand i worry that the message is that women have to squat in the field and have the baby and then start back picking the crops. it's just not that simple for a lot of women. >> high powered working moms have been a hot top being lately thanks to a recent cover story in "the atlantic," why women still can't have it all. the author left a high level job at the state department to return to work as a college professor so she could spend more time with her teen-age sons. with mayer's announcement, the debate has heated up again online with comments ranging from "balancing the leadership of a multi-billion dollar company and taking care of a newborn is not compatible."

>> mayer's first days at google was tuesday. she said that she and her husband are expecting a boy. >> ivanka trump is married and has a baby daughter and rachel is the mother of six, author of "stay home, stay happy. good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> can't wait to get your reaction on this. when you heard marissa mayer isd you think hooray for women or did you think this is going to be hard? >> what bothered me were the very early announcements, the adjective they chose to kie skrooi her was the fact that she was pregnant.

i felt that was not a good this evening -- thing for women. i think it is an amazing thing for women but i haven't loved how the debate has ensued around it. >> our poll on our web site, 89% thought it was a bad idea to try to do both. rachel, she says she's going to take maternity leave for a few weeks but continue to work. do you think that's realistic? >> i think we should stop pretending her situation is like the average working parent. she can afford a team of support, 24/7. so her situation i think might be workable for her. that said, i don't think that it's sexist to talk about the trade-offs of being a working mom, especially at a high level like that or being an at-home mom. there are trade-offs and they're rule. >> ivanka, you mentioned you just had a baby and you went back to work rather quickly.

>> i did. i think you made a very, very interesting point about the fact that she has an infrastructure that can support her. this happens every day. women across the country are having children. not all have the privilege to be able to craft their own schedule. the great thing about the ceo, it not the demands on her are less, they're probably more but that being said, she has the flexibility to determine when she's going home, when she's having meetings. i this h that as well. >> is this the right question to be asking in this context? >> what is having it all? it involves trade-offs and involves time. i can say as a parent that being an at-home mom doesn't make me a better parent. it gives me a lot more doovers when i do things bad. allows me to um prove my parenting. we hear a lot about quality

time. i think there's a lot of things about quantity time. >> it's a good discussion. thank you so much. coming up next, what happens when you die? we'll talk to a doctor who said she went to heaven and back. her story right after this. ♪ [ dog barking ] ♪ [ female announcer ] life is full of little tests, but your basic paper towel can handle them. especially if that towel is bounty basic.

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the beaches are beautiful, the seafood is delicious. last year, many areas even reported record tourism seasons. the progress continues... but that doesn't mean our job is done. we're still committed to seeing this through. 13 years ago dr. mary neal was kayaking when she said she went on a spiritual journey. she write house she drown, went to heaven, talked to angels but was sent back to her family with a very powerful message. we'll talk to her in a moment. first kristen dahlgren. >> reporter: it was a day of kayaking. dr. neal said she never imagined where it would take her. >> i had children, hi a full-time job. i was too busy to be thinking

about my spirituality. >> reporter: the spine surgeon who was an admitted cynic said she died. her bolt was pinned under the rapids and she became trapped by the rushing current. >> i was out of air and i was too far from shore for anyone to see me, let alone come and save me. >> reporter: neal was with her good friend, experienced white water rescuers chad and tom long. when they noticed mary was missing in the rapids, they followed safety protocol, they started a watch. more than 15 minutes later, they saw her take a breath. did you think she was dead? >> absolutely. >> reporter: she saw her peel away from her body. >> i was overcome when w this physical sensation of being held, comforted and reassured. >> reporter: she said a group of

spirits were there to greet her. >> they took me down this exceptionally beautiful path toward this great domed structure of sorts. >> reporter: but she was told it wasn't her time. >> i was sent back to share my story. >> reporter: she was told her family would need her because her oldest son willie would die. >> i knew that would happen at some point. i didn't know the details. >> reporter: ten years later, willie did die after being hit bay car. >> i'm not going to pretend like i don't wish he were here but i'll see him at some point. >> reporter: after willie's death, neal published her best selling book "to heaven and back." a a doctor who thought near death experiences could be explained by science, until it happened to her. >> i know that there is life after death and i absolutely know that, no doubt.

>> and dr. mary neal is with us this morning. doctor, it good to see pup. >> good morning. >> good morning to you, matt. >> we have all thought about this. anybody who says they haven't thought about what happens after we die is probably lying. the thing that kept coming to me as i was reading your story is why mary neal? why was she saved when so many people are not saved? how do you explain that? >> i've asked that same question many, many times because i have loved one who is have died and i did not want to return. and almost everyone i've talked to who have had a near death experience does not want to return. and i think that -- >> because it's beautiful? it's comforting? it's soothing? why don't you want to return and why didn't you want to return? >> because i felt absolutely like i was home. i -- >> at peace? >> not just at peace. i had returned to god's kingdom

and i was home. it was my absolute true home. >> are you a deeply religious person? were you to begin with? >> no. i would never claim to have been particularly religious beforehand. i certainly believed in god and i think i was very typical. i sort of hoped there was something more and there was a reason that we were here but i was very busy. i didn't put spirituality in the forefront of my life. >> let me just ask you the question everybody would want to ask you if they were sitting across from you. this encounter with the angels, what did they look like, what did they say? what was the experience look? >> they were exploding with an absolute love. they looked like compassion, even though that's not an adjective. and i'm embarrassed to say it now and i wish i took notes but i didn't really note what they looked like or what i looked

like because it didn't matter. i wanted to get to this entrance to god's kingdom. >> you met jesus? >> i feel very presumptuous saying that but i feel jesus was holding me when i was in my boat, comforting me. >> did he look like the image we've come to know? >> he didn't look like the image in my sunday school books, no. but i didn't look at him critically saying okay, what color is that hair? i looked at him and what i saw was infinite kindness and compassion. >> you say that in an encounter with an angels you were told you needed to come back, your family was going to need you, your son was going to die. i say a lot of people die and their families experience

tragedy afterward. again, why did they think you needed to be here for your families and others are taken, even though their family is about to experience tragedy -- another tragedy. sf. >> i don't know all the answers. one of my kids would say i was kicked out of heaven. my primary mandate was not being here for my son's death, which indeed was something we talked about. my primary mandate was to return and share my story because my story is comforting, reassuring and inspires other people to really look at their own lives and find god working in their own lives. >> oo u say you're a cynic, you're a doctor and will say there's a explanation for everything, seeing angels, it's a drifting in and out of consciousness because you were

drowning. do you share some of those thoughts that some of those experiences could be purely biological? >> i absolutely would share those and would accept those because i am an absolute cynic and skeptic. if my experience had been four, five, six minutes long. but my experience timed was a minimum of 15 minutes and that didn't include the five plus minutes of figuring out that i wasn't there, where was i, et cetera. i don't believe when you look at a minimum 15, maximum experience 25 minutes, j i don't believe that can be explained by a dying brain. a brain does not survive that long. >> 89% surveyed said they believed in a near death experience. only 7% said no. >> we're back after your local

news. good morning, 8:26 now on this thursday, july 19th. i'm aaron gilchrist. another hot one today. let's take a look outside if we can this morning. 79 degrees outside our studio and we're already having a morning that is humid and mugging out there, tom kierein. >> we're still humid around much of the area and temperatures generally in the upper 70s to around 80 degrees now. off to a steamy start and then later today we'll likely get some showers and maybe some heavy downpours with thunder and lightning and some might caused localized flooding. better for the weekend,

good morning. if you're traveling along 29, you are slow, in fact, delays start at new hampshire avenue. these cars are sitting at a light at lockwood drive, but sluggish as you make your way to the beltway. no accidents along your road,

just delays at this time. crossing over the american legion bridge on the outer loop, slow as you make your way to the dulles toll road. very sluggish. again, no accidents

misty, she's like a quiet warrior. >> i want to win a gold medal in london for a third time. 8:30 now on a thursday morning, this 19th of july 2012. we have, as savannah mentioned, a very big, very noisy crowd out on the plaza. there are al's friends from kansas city, shaking the southnd of o

of our plaza. we're here in the middle. coming up, the best of television. >> we all have our favorite shows. we're going to find out who emmy likes this year. we're going to run through the nominees coming up. >> and we have a legend in the house. speaking of television, for 19 months since his last live broadcast on cnn, larry king is donning the suspender one more time. >> is he bigger than a bread box? >> he's going to tell us about his new online show coming up. >> and former president bill clinton and his daughter chelsea, who help honsor nelson mandela on his 90th birthday. >> before we get to that, fresh from a night of of what you describe as -- >> kathie lee gifford joins us

this morning with a very big announcement. >> i can't believe the words are coming out of my mouth today. we're announcing today that a musical that i've been writing going on 13 years now will be coming to broadway this fall. >> broadway! >> i know. thank you. yeah, i know. it called "scandalous." there's orleading lady. we're going to be at the neil simon theater! >> are you kidding me? >> look at this. i get o to cast that leading man. she's the most amazing woman i've ever read about, real woman, 1920s, scandalous beyond belief. yet did amazing things with her life. there's still great mystery about her. she disappeared for five weeks back in 1926. she said she had been kidnapped

and held for ran some in new mexico. the district attorney said no you weren't, you were with your married lover in your love nest in carmel. so if you want to find out where she really was, you have to come to the neil simon -- we we start previews on october 14th and we have opening night on, pichb might, november 15th. >> and you'll have a big party riesht? >> opening night. absolutely. >> congratulations. kathie lee gifford on bro this. kathie lee gifford on broadway. >> love ya a, see you at 10:00. >> thanks. >> now she's gone. >> and like that, she's gone. let's show you what you have as far as your weather is concerned. a risk of strong storms, i should say tomorrow through the lower mississippi river valley and risk of strong storms back through the western plains and wet weather in the mid-atlantic states. saturday, we expect to see more

wet weather and gorgeous great lakes into the northeast and then sunday, sunday, more beautiful weather in the northeast to new england and sizzling weather continues into the plains and all the way to texas and the heat expands out west heading into central and southern california. few showers along the pacific northwest coast. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. warm and humid all around the region. we're in the upper 70s to around 80. and a lot of cloudiness. highs today not as hot as yesterday, the low 90s and a lot of clouds into the afternoon hours and we'll probably get some scattered showers, maybe some heavy downpours from time to time from as early as 1:00, 2:00 into this evening. some heavier downpours might cause localized flooding and that will continue tonight. and then the weekend improving, although still a possibility of >> believe it or not, these

people never met each other today. >> nelson mandela turned 94 on wednesday. bill clinton and chelsea clinton shared some time with them. here's their video. >> i told the president every time i'll be thinking of him. it really means a lot to me, wearing this red jacket i know. >> this program city year in december 1991, more than ten years ago. i said that's it, that's what i want to do. that's the model for youth services. it's just the beginning. they make so much difference. when you see the work of all these young people -- i'm good with a shovel.

i once had real jobs. i had to actually do real work. ♪ happy birthday to you >> some years ago i began trying to come to africa. in 1991 my daughter, chelsea, was just a little girl. and i sat her on the kitchen counter and we walked him walk out of confinement into south africa. we worked very closely together. it was very touching. she said how much this meant to her. and he was so humble.

he said all over the country, it so nice. really in all of the world. >> it's the great thing about life. if you give it back, it keeps coming back to you. >> former president bill clinton if n a video diary from south africa. up next, this morning's primetime emy nominations. but first, this is "today" on nbc. ♪

♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] everyone likes a bit of order in their life. virtual wallet helps you get it. keep track of spending, move money with a slide, and use the calendar. all to see your money how you want. ♪ we're back at 8:39 with the very best on primetime television. >> the emmy awards are about to be handed out. we're going to break it down. good morning. what are the big headlines you're expecting? >> there are four things i think we should look out for today. it's probably a given that john

hamm and brian cranston will be nominated for best actor. this is going to be death match. john hamm has never won an emmy award. hes the problem of being too good looking to win. >> here it goes. >> welcome to the academy of television, arts and sciences in north hollywood, california. >> good morning. i'm bruce rosenbloom, chairman and ceo of the academy of television arts and sciences. welcome to the 64th primetime emmy awards nominations announcement. this is truly a golden age of television and this morning we are honored to unveil those who are in the opinions of our members at the top of their crafts. joining me for the presentation this morning is the star of abc's drama series scandal, miss kerry washington and the most of

oum jimmy kimmel live," mr. jimmy kimmel. kerry, jimmy, thank you so much for being here this morning. >> this is a sex dream, isn't it? >> wow. >> they rousted me out of bed in the middle of the night last night. >> clearly. >> this could be just as good at noon. really. >> jimmy, who are you wearing? >> this is from the husky baby collection. thank you for asking. would you like to givbegin, lad first? >> i shall. the nominations in the outstanding drama series are "breaking bad," game of throwns," homeland" and "mad men, downtown abby."

>> lead actress nominees are kathy bates, claire danes, elizabeth moss, glenn close, michelle dockery, julianna margolies. >> and nominees for leading actor are: hughes bonneville, steve busczem, bryan cranston, michael hall.

>> nominees for outstanding mini series, american horror story, game chance, luther. sherlock. >> the nominations for lead actress are ashley judd, julianne moore, emma tom on, connie briton, any cold kidman. >> the nominations for lead actor in a mini series or movie are kevin costner, benedict, clive oafing, bill packston,

woody harrellson. >> the nominees for outunderstanding host, tom bergeron, cat deeley, ryan seacrest, phil keghan and betty white. >> the nominees for outstanding reality program, the amazing race, "dancing with the stars," "project runway," "so you think

you can dance," "top chef" and "the voice ". >> the nominees for variety programs are "the colbert report," "the daily show with jon stewart," "jimmy kimmel live," "late night with jimmy fallon," "realtime with bill maher" and "saturday night live." >> the nominees for lead actress in a comedy series are zoe deshnell, lena coleman, edii

fal falco, tina fey, melissa castay. >> the nominees for lead actors are alec baldwin, don chaedle, louis ck, jon cryer, larry david and jim parsons. >> and now we're going to bring back bruce. >> the nominations in outstanding comedy sears of "the big bang theory," "curb your enthusiasm," "girls," "modern family," "30 rock" and "veep".

>> thank you so much for your participation this morning. jimmy, congratulations on your nomination. tune in on sunday, september 23rd forbes the live telecast to find out who is going to take home the emmy this year. have a wonderful day. thank you. >> janice, come on back. did anything jump out at you? >> huge snub. hugh lorie. this is the last year of "house." shocking. >> interesting to see so many new shows great nomination. >> hbo's "girls," it's on hbo, it's small but academy voters are old and they got awarded with a nomination for the creator and best comedy. >> we love one of the actors on the show. >> you said this was going to be

a big battle between john hamm and brian cranston. john hamm has been nominated four times? >> yes. he's the bridesmaid of the emmys. critics thought it was an uneven of "mad men" but it was still a great season. to have five seasons be that well received, that's a huge deal in hollywood. >> still ahead, we have larry king live in our studios and with suspenders, too. [ male announcer ] where did all the obama stimulus money go? friends, donors, campaign supporters, special interest groups where did the obama stimulus money go? solyndra: 500 million taxpayer dollars. bankrupt. so where did the obama stimulus money go? windmills from china. electric cars from finland 79% of the 2.1 billion in stimulus grants

awarded through it went to overseas companies. [ romney ] i'm mitt romney and i approve this message.

larry king is back in the saddle or should we say the suspenders. he has signed up to host larry king now. how have you been?

have you been egging to get back in the game? >> you got it. i've been all over the world doing speeches, moderating panels, i did a comedy series, doing standup stories but missed it. when i sit at home, i never realized i'd miss it that much. even though i have more time with the kids and more time with the wife, she was glad to get me out. >> by my calculations, you're slightly older than 50 and you could have sat and and relaxed. >> i could have. >> i think you have enough money. >> i guess, yeah. i make a living. >> so you really think, though, you want to get back in this on a daily basis? >> it really hit me the night that osama bin laden was killed. i'm watching this, i wanted to jump up, go to the studio and interview the head of the cia and department of defense and what happened at that table and how did the president do that and i wasn't doing that. and luckily i had -- >> the guy backing this.

>> the richest man in the world. i interviewed him, he came on my show, i did a charity for him in new mexico. he thinks the internet is tomorrow and to bring a presence to it of someone who had did -- i started the first network national talk show. it was like a pioneering event. >> are you like me you sit home and you watch interviews and you scream out questions you want people to ask? >> the things i hate the most in an interview are when an interviewer says "i was wondering" or "let me ask you this." >> "can i ask you a question"? no, you can't ask me a question. who do you want to interview? >> castro. i want to havana and he's one i

missed. he's always fascinated me. high probably was the longest leader of a country ever. if you think about it, who in history led a country for 60 years? and also the coming from the hills, a rich family and in prison and out of prison. >> from the category you can't always believe what you read, i read you have never interviewed bruce springsteen, is that true? >> no, i never have. that shocked me. bruce, you're coming to hulu. eight differe it's a different setting. it very relaxed. you're going to come on. >> i will. are you going to get a group of viewers that weren't familiar with your work from the last couple of decades? >> hopefully new, sure. hey, i'm still good. >> do you ever watch piers

morg morgan? >> yeah. >> do you like it? >> i like a lot of it. it's not my style. i like piers. i've never been someone who rooted for people to do poorly. don't you love our industry? >> i do. >> are you competitive? >> a little. >> welcome back. i'll see you after the olympics. >> want me to do the tease? >> go ahead. >> hey, larry, thanks again. the new program is called "larry king now," watch it all the time, you can get us everywhere on hulo via aura-tv. we'll be back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc.

still ahead, we're looking for the bes good morning, everyone. i'm erika gonzalez. let's get a check of the forecast can meteorologist tom kierein. >> good morning, still very humid and temperatures are hovering right around 80 degrees much of the region. reagan national now at 84. not going to be as hot today as it was yesterday, but into the low, maybe briefly mid-90s by

early afternoon and little sunshine in and out this afternoon and then a lot of clouds this afternoon, could get some brief, heavy downpours with thunder and lightning and some of those heavy downpours could cause localized flooding this afternoon, tonight and off and on for friday. >> thanks a

good morning. seeing delays on the beltway, let's start with 193 university boulevard on the inner loop. your delays start from connecticut avenue slow as you pass 193. now, the outer loop delays start in college park and continue to georgia avenue. no accidents in either direction. back over to you, erika. back over to you, erika. >> thanks, danella. the middle . in this day and age you can only accomplish so much without a degree, and traditional institutions are simply not set up to accommodate people who have jobs and families. university of phoenix works for those people who have real lives and real demands. the degrees that we offer are things where people can fulfill their goals with even brighter hopes for the future. my name is katy white, i'm committed to making a difference in people's lives and i am a phoenix.

we're back with more of "today" on thursday morning, july 19th, 2012. i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie and al roker. coming up, we asked for it and they delivered in our "quest for the best" series, we wanted to find the best amateur comedian in the country. we have three finalists in our studio this morning. we're going to hear from them. and we have two surprise judges we'll be checking in with as well.

>> and we've all had that experience in life when you kind of ask your "now what," maybe it's dating after a divorce or kids have grown up and you have an empty nest. it's feeling fabulous about some of those moments in life where wh you really wonder what's coming next. >> do you hear that? >> no. >> it's london calling. the olympics only eight days away now and if you are thinking about throwing an olympic party, we are going to show you how to do it. >> we're going to be away for more than two weeks. are you packed? you have done that yet? >> i haven't even thought about packing. but i know you guys are all organized and ready. >> we have to get our products ready. >> the face creams and masks. natalie morales has the headlines. >> good morning. an escalating crisis in syria as president bashar al assad plans his response to wednesday's bombing that struck the heart of

his regime. government forces are said to be shelling neighborhoods around damascus after a bomb killed three members of president assad's inner circle. british prime minister david cameron is calling on assad to step down. the u.n. votes today on non-military sanctions again syria. >> israel is threatening a powerful reaction to a deadly attack wednesday in bulgaria. at least seven were killed when a suicide bomber attacked a bus carrying israeli tourists. dozens were wounded. israel blames iran. the suspected bomber was seen on a surveillance tape about an hour before the attack wearing a back pack. he reportedly carried a fake michigan driver's license. >> today the family of trayvon martin is reacting to comments made by george zimmerman who claimed his shooting of the teen was "all god's plan." in an interview on "hannity,"

george zimmerman says he did not regret he had the gun but said he is sorry about the shooting which was in self-defense and says he's sorry martin's family buried their child and said it was all god's plan, something martin's family said was ridiculous today. >> primetime emmy nominations are out this morning. nominated for best comedy, "the big bang theory," curb your enthusiasm, "30 rock" and veep." primetime emmys will be handed out on september 23rd. >> well, there's a new study out on the importance of dads. it finds the way fathers interact with babies as young as three month s old appearance to

influence whether they develop problems later on in life. children who do best had dads who were actively engaged if their lives. the children with the most behavioral problems had fathers that sat back when they were infants. >> and this picture shows beyonce with baby blue. the internet is in a tizzy over a slurpy machine at 7-eleven. it pours out mashed potatoes. >> if your kids are too cool for school, they'll appreciate this

video "teach me how to brushy." ♪ ♪ all i need is to brush, brush, for you ♪ >> no word on where you can actually get the floss on a gold chain necklace just yet. very cool, cute. it's now five minutes past the hour. let's gouel "teach me how to flossy." >> today we have the heat continuing out west from the rockies to mississippi river and temperatures will feel like 100 to 110 degrees. we've also got the cooler air coming in, but that's also bringing in severe storms from central illinois down into tennessee. we've got also out to the east and parts of the west virginia and you can see that line of showers and thunderstorms pushing in already. we're going to be looking at anywhere from one to three inches of rain from milwaukee all the way as far east as just

to the north of new york city. that's what's going on around the country. here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. it's still humid and around our region, we have a little sun breaking out from time to time. tom kierein in storm center had. right now 84 at reagan national and low to mid-80s now throughout the region and mid-afternoon, early afternoon might have a shower, but a greater chance mid to late afternoon and into the evening passing showers with thunder and lightning and maybe brief, heavy downpours that might cause isolated flooding, as well as tomorrow. then better for the weekend, more this morning round two of this morning's "quest for the best." it's all about being funny. we asked you to submit your most hilarious sketches and some of your standup routines and some of these really stood out. among the wig wearing and piano playing antics, we discovered our three finalists here today to compete for the title of today's best. brad meehan is from kansas city,

missouri, ali is from washington, d.c. >> you ready to be funny? >> we'll try. >> we want to introduce to you our surprise celebrity guests, with glasses of wine, kathie lee and hoda. >> is that all we get? we came in an hour early? >> what are you ladies looking for? >> a few laughs and a little bit of wine. that's why we're here. a chuckle or two. that's all we need. the bar's low. >> which is more important? the wine or the laughs? >> we'll drink first. >> brad, let's start off with you. you're a technical architect by day. you actually wanted to be a weatherman. >> i did want to be a weatherman but i didn't have the grades, al. >> neither did i. but it worked out okay. your family is often the butt of your jokes in your routine.

how do they feel about it? >> i don't make fun of them but i make fun of the situations they get themselves into. they've been to one of my shows and they're absolutely proud of me. >> you ready? >> yes, sir. >> you have a minute. >> i'm a dad. i love ak dad most of the time. some days i come home that maury povich comes out of the closet with new dna results. it's hard to threaten to turn the car around when you're still facing the house. i told them we were taking them to a boarding school. 13-hour drive, not one time did i hear "are we there yet"? my daughter didn't think that was funny. i asked her what she wanted for her birthday this year she said "how about a step dad"? ask your mother. >> all right! >> brad, very nice.

we'll see how you fare with the ladies. first, let's bring in marie. >> hi, marie. >> so now you don't even know who we are because you don't get up before like noon. >> i don't. i don't have a job so i get up at like 2 on like an early day, maybe 2:30 if i'm feeling comfortable. >> are you feeling comfortable right now. >> well, hi to get up at like 5 to be here. >> take it away. ament on the clock. >> i've never been on national tv before and i wanted to impress everybody. tom cruise might be watching this. hey, tom. so i got this dress, i wore this dress for you guys today. it's dry clean only so you know what that means. it's dirty as hell. don't touch me, al, okay? i like nice things i just can't afford to keep them clean. anyway, speaking of nice, whenever i go out, i always gets the we' the weirdest compliments. the other day i went out and

this guy was like "wow, you have a great chin." i'm like serious? no one has ever complemented me on my chin, to my face. but i know ever compliments it when i leave the room. look at it, it's the greatest chin. that's like somebody coming up to you al saying your baby pinky toenail is amazing, the back of your knee? phenomenal? what does that mean? i don't know. i'm still trying to figure it out. >> and now we've got ali coming on in. this is the first time you've ever appeared in front of an audience? >> are you trying to make me more nervous, sfal? >> so you chose a national tv show to do this. >> i've always had a passion for writing and comedy and i think i'm pretty good at it and i look good on camera. >> take it away. >> the olympics are coming up on nbc.

i predict one day facebooking will be an olympic sport. i'm prepared to represent the usa. every like i've clicked on pictures of girls outside bars posing like this. every status i've updated out of cereal again, how am i going to eat breakfast now? every post on my facebook page, "dooud, is that a picture of your mom, she's hot"? >> commenting on a new puppy album, oh, so cute, i want one. and countries using illegal performance-enhancing drugs, clicking on the finger. and creepy countries would be disqualifies for trying to impress other countries they barely know. >> all right. good effort. >> can we pow-wow? >> all three were good but we

picked one that was better. we like the one in the dirty dress! >> me? >> congratulations. >> i was told there was going to be a crown. is that going to meet me in the car? are you going to mail it? >> that hair is crown enough. >> thank you. hey, tom cruise. >> what did it for you? >> personality. you're a natural. i hope something good cops out of it. >> i hope so, too. >> are you hiring comedians? >> can you sing and dance? you can play a hooker in my new musical. >> i can play a hooker. >> in the next round, we're looking for the best pet tricks in america. go to today.com to submit a

video of your pet's being trick. three finalist will win a chance to compete live. growing older, feeling fabulous and how to get the most out of life when you have a what now moment. and olympic inspired beauty and fashion. tom, call her. >> hi, tom cruise. ch ili' s lunch break combos are a sizzling deal, starting at 6 bucks. try our new lunch-size chicken fajitas, sauteed onions and peppers topped with grilled chicken, served with soup or salad.

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this morning, finding yourself during life changing moments. whether you're an empty nester or jumping back into the dating pool later in life, you're left asking yourself now what? good morning to both of you. you've got it all covered. let's talk about these now what now moments in general. there are these transitions we experience in life and it cab little scary just because of the change. >> exactly. and often it's about loss and about adapting to something you may not have expected but then it's really how you discover what this opportunity brings for you, how you can restore yourself, renew yourself and very often the loss lead nooss a change of attitude, which can be positive. >> must be all about the attitude. >> absolutely. we've all faced those situations that come and knock us out of our footing. and it's certainly, you know, common to say i don't know what

to do, now what, to see it as a negative but you also have an opportunity to think of it in a more positive light to turn it around. >> let's run through some scenarios. the obvious one is empty nest. the kids grow up and leave the house. a lot of folks feel empty. >> i think it's different when you're married and when you're single. when you're single, this may be the child who was your whole life and you didn't have somebody else there. so part of it is really preparing, if you can. and understanding that you have to have this evenings in your life that give you meaning, that give you a sense of purpose and that fill your time. that's one of the things you want to be sure to do before the child leaves. after the child leaves be in touch but one of the things i try to caution people about, don't make them feel guilty about the fact that they left. >> because it's ultimately what you wanted them to do. >> exactly. you raise a child to be independent. when you're married, you want to reconnect. >> it may be another occasion

for our next scenario, which is rekindling the flame when you've been married a long time. what do you recommend for couples to spice it up and rediscover each other? >> i always say whatever did you to get them, that's what you have to do to keep them. continue to date, continue to buy flowers for no reason. >> date each other. >> date each other. that's very, very important. but you really have to think about that person and think about the times you didn't have the kids around and when you didn't have all these responsibilities. these are the best years of your life. you should embrace it and enjoy it. >> what if you're divorced or widowed and dating again? >> you want to think of yourself as a person out there, a person who knows yourself well. sometimes we focus on that we don't any longer have. it may have to do with our parents or whatever it is. but i think what we need to do is really focus on what we've learned. we generally as we get holder feel pretty confident about the

things that we've done. i like to say to people in you've gotten through this, can you probably get through anything else but look at dating as an adventure. it's different than it was. we've got the internet. we've got sites for meeting people, not just for dating. >> and 30 seconds for our last category, which is finding yourself. what do we mean by that? trying to find something new about yourself if. >> i think what we mean is making sure if there are things that you've never done for yourself, maybe it's changing the tires, don't know about 401(k)s, iras, asking people for help, making sure that you know how to take care of yourself is i think the first step to happiness in the latter years of your life. >> that feeling of accomplishment is really great. >> dale atkinson, tiffany

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2011, bill is training another dog to play sunny in "annie." i understand she's a shelter dog and you find shelter dogs for the production. >> last 35 years i've been only using shelter dogs for production. they make great stars on broadway and great stars in your home. >> are there any challenges when you pick a shelter dog? >> well, right now she's telling

me about her past life. as i'm training her, i've had her four months. she's telling me she doesn't like men in dark costumes, doesn't like loud noises or dark cars, because she was probably hit by a car. >> what's interesting about the sandy character, she has to act like a normal dog, which might look easy but not in a theater setting. >> she's an actress. she doesn't do tricks. she has to act like a normal dog on stage that annie finds and saves. we start with normal commands like how to sit, how to stay and lie down. >> and deal with loud noise with the audience. >> and orchestra. >> and she has an understudy, too, doesn't she? >> she does. also a rescue dog. >> casey. >> you have a couple of months to train her still? >> we have two more months, opening night is november 3rd.

it's a brand new production. people should come and see it. >> o >> "annie" begins in october. hmm, it says here that cheerios helps lower cholesterol as part of a heart healthy diet. that's true.

...but you still have to go to the gym. ♪ the one and only, cheerios good morning, 9:26 on this thursday, july 19th. i'm aaron gilchrist. after strong storms yesterday, another hot day today. let's check in with meteorologist tom kierein. sg but not as hot, yesterday got to 101 and probably get to the low to mid-90s later. right now low to mid-80s and some clouds coming through and it is steamy. later today, we could get some do downpours and enough maybe to cause localized flooding along with thunder and lightning. off and on this afternoon and through friday. looking better for the weekend. a small chance on saturday of a passing shower mainly south of the metro area, more storms monday, tuesday, aaron. >> thank you,

good morning, crash in d.c. blocks the left lane at pennsylvania avenue.

and you're jammed as you make your way southbound. just 12 miles per hour as you pass benning road and, again, stick to the right. over to you, aaron. over i'm barack obama and i approve this message. [romney singing]: oh beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountains majesty, above the fruited plain, america, america, god shed his grace on thee, and crowned thy good, with brotherhood...

♪ ♪ ♪ there's a party on the edge of the word tonight ♪ ♪ i don't know if i'll make it, watch how good i'll take it ♪ >> who sings this song, al? >> i would say that hot chelle rae. >> it is hot chelle rae. they've been making themselves at home at the top of the charts for a long time now. they're getting ready to rock the plaza where their catchy pop rock hit tomorrow on "today." it's going to be fun. al knows all the words. he'll be singing along. if you're in the area, come on down and join us. i'm natalie morales along with

savannah guthrie and al roker. >> if you have young kids, you hear it -- >> over and over again. >> and coming up our countdown to the olympics is on. if it's kind of put you in the spirit, you do not have to head across the pond to enjoy the games. we'll show you how to root for team usa when a huge bash. it's really fun with food and games. and bobbi tom has has beautiful styles inspired by the olympics. maybe you can wear it to the olympic party. >> and we're cooking with one of the most renowned chefs in the country. >> "america's got talent" began season seven with cross country auditions and now we're just one week away from naming the final 16 contestants. eight acts were sent home last night including rock star

juggler mark price. good morning. >> good morning. >> how are you with juggling while we do this? can you talk and juggle at the same time? >> i can. >> you seem to be able to do it all. unfortunately you dropped one of the pin last night. what happened? >> i don't know. sometimes you're on, sometimes you're not. >> sharon was a little tough on you. >> she's tough but i would have been the same way. i'm a pro so i should have been on my game that night. >> besides pins you do knives, fire? >> knives, fire. i'm known for doing glow stuff and working with lasers. >> let's see a little bit of what you do. >> this is a tricky drafted. let's see if i can redeem myself. i go from my nose to my chin, my

chin to my nose, off my foot and behind my back. if i could have only done that last night, i would not be sitting here, though, with you guys. >> but they were on fire last night. >> they were in fairness on fire. >> good thing you didn't bring the knives, though. >> somebody else is a juggler. >> go ahead, jerry. >> do we want to see jerry do this? >> i'm not that good, no. >> are you kidding me? the pressure. i can't take it! >> season eight, season eight right there! >> do it again. >> the remaining 12 contestants of "america's top talent" compete next tuesday night at ext year.0 central right here on we're going to get a check of the weather. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. warm and humid now.

we're in the low to mid-80s and some clouds coming through from time to time and looking at the regional radar, you can see there are heavy showers there, the areas in red and orange and ohio coming out of indiana and, yes, heading our way and we'll also have maybe ahead of that, downpours developing this afternoon with thunder and lightning and we'll have potential for localized flooding as a result. off and on, showers and downpours tonight and tomorrow, too. but looking better for the weekend. and that's your latest weather. >> fabulous. look at that. >> whoo! >> coming up next,olympic fever is contagious. i don't know, juggling at the olympics? maybe it could happen. we'll help you throw a winning party for all your friends right after this. >> nice! a mattress. a sausage link. mermaid. honey!? driftwood. come on, you gotta help us out here a little. [ male announcer ] febreze eliminates odors and leaves carpets fresh. ♪

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they're raised right here in florida, and passed with care from our hands to yours. 100% pure. 100% florida. florida's natural. this morning on today's countdown to london, just eight days to go until the olympics opening ceremony, but you don't need to be in london to celebrate. today elizabeth has some really cute ideas to throw an olympic party. the first thing is the invitations. >> i'm a big fan of paperless post. what's amazing about it is they do all the work for you. they're going to monitor your guest list. when you get the e-mail, it comes in an envelope. you click on the envelope and

the invitation pops out. they're just really fun. it's not free, let's say, like a lot of things online. it's about $5 for 25 invitations. you get coins, it's like buying stamps and you send it out. it's great looking. >> let's get to decor. i love the idea about the olympic torch, the tiki torches. >> you can line them up outside and if you want have somebody at your party carry it through. >> i think this is my favorite idea you have, which this is grass runner, a kind of starting or finishing line. i got this at lowe's, it's a little more than $3 a foot for this fake grass. i think you can start your party ter front door and put the finish line at the bar if you want. you can also paint your grass outside. if you go to a florist shop, you

can buy a paint that's chemical free and you spray paint the letters on to your grass so it will disappear in the rain. >> and you've got wall decals. why do you find these? >> he's can be on your wall forever. they go on your wall, they feel off and you can place them in some other place. it peels right off and you put it back on. >> we'll get to some jelly bellies of an olympic theme. like the ring. >> all diwas go to jellybelly.com, order them in bulk. you can take your glass vase, put a smaller vase in the center, put it with water like this, you put jelly bean around it. >> paper goods. >> these are all from party city.

if you buy solid colors, you'll use them throughout the year. this is also a thing to pick up things from 4th of july. >> we're going to eat like the londoners do. >> we're borrowing from our host country. it's all different english cheeses, cold ham, chutney. a great resource is british aisles.com. you can get walker's chips, all of the chutneys. >> of course, you've got to have the british beer. here -- it's half beer, half lemonade. in ghaend it's really more like a sprite or sparkling lemonade. so something a little different. >> it is different. kind of refreshing. i'd probably just take my beer with beer but it's good. >> for dessert all we did was

make money mini cup kings. then when you lay them out, they mim mimic the games, you can do a shot putt, you can do medals and you can get all of these things at party.com. >> thank you. it's very inspiring. >> coming up next, olympic-inspired fashion and beauty tips of the athletes, coming up right after this. work... errands... ♪ ...a greasy bag of deep-fried easy. ♪ but you have hamburger helper on your side. with 40 varieties that are all fast and easy to make,

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♪ born in the usa." >> back now with bobbie's style

buzz. i love that you found some unusual beauty routines from the u.s. synchronized swimming team. they use jello in their hair? >> when this comes to the pool, in order to keep their hair in place, they use jello essentially. >> not the red jello. >> the unflavored gelatin by knox. adding water, it can become a paste. it's nourishing. many swimmers use chapstick or vaseline on their skin as a face primer to stop the chlorine from drying out their skin. they call it fool face. that's an interesting trick. >> if you don't want pool face and don't want to put vaseline on your face, you found a london primer. >> "that gal" is a popular

primer and just for the summer it's a london edition. >> does it give you that shiny quality? >> makes your skin look fresh and nice and keep your make-up on. >> and they also have a londinnium fragrance, right? >> it has a wonderful fragrance, it's pressure. >> it smells great. i put it on me. i love it. >> a lot of groups are getting into the act. butter london came out with these adorable sets. these are their heavy metal collections. metallic nail polish is so on trend this summer. not only can you get into the spirit -- >> gold, silver, bronze, all your medals. they had usa, usa smart gold. it's all about this red, white

and blue sparkle you could add. nail art is such a big trend it, might be an excuse to get you in on something with the kids. these stickers are very easy to apply. it's as easy as sticking it on, filing the end off. >> and tell me about the jewelry. >> i'm a big fan of alex and annie, they produce here in the u.s. they're an official licensee of the olympics. their olympic collection, a lot of fun. >> a lot of charms. >> they also have a gods and goddesses collection and of course bunny's sunnies are all over the run way. can you look through those lenses or inspired by our own flag. >> represent team usa. >> and you can do it in more fashion here. >> wear your pride.

a guy in the studio was having a couple questions of where can i get those? guys are into their colored footwear. >> new balance i love. >> la cost? >> they're offering up 15 different countries. my mom is from portugal, my stepfather is for greece. >> and then over here -- from the gap they've done this vintage throwback idea for their limited edition. and they have the old olympics. i just bought my kid that t-shirt. >> you can go to old navy, 4d for flip-flops. last but not least, feel this, natalie. this is so soft. this is from alternative apparel.

>> bobbie tom, a great finds for us. >> next, we go to

i'm barack obama and i approve this message. [romney singing]: oh beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountains majesty, above the fruited plain, america,

america, god shed his grace on thee, and crowned thy good, with brotherhood... this morning on "today's kitchen," what's for dinner? how about flank steak and salad? when you put it in the hands of our chef, good things happen. flank steak, skirt steak, interchangeable? >> they're very similar in texture. it's not like fillet mignon.

i will show you how to make it more tender. you start on the grill, put pepper. >> how long are we cooking this on each side? >> you should do it medium. too rare it will be too tough and too well i don't like it. >> now potato salad, you cut them up but you don't peel them. >> i cook them with the skin so you keep all the flavor of the potato. >> yukon gold? >> yes. >> sometimes when i buy potatoes, they are a little green. what does that mean? >> they harvested them too soon so they won't get the best flavor. >> so they're not ripe? >> they're not ripe. in the store you can't tell. >> so you boil these?

>> when the potato stays in the water, it means they are cooked. for the potato salad, i'm using mustard. >> a spicy brown mustard? >> yes, i like mr. spicy or something like that. some mayonnaise. i diluted it with water. >> it looks kind of thin. >> that way it's easy to fix. oh, good, al. good call. i'm putting some chiefs, of course some salt. >> a little pepper. >> and then we mix the potatoes like that. can you do that like an hour before you use them. the herbs, you cut them at the last minute as well. >> you don't put them in a food processor? >> no, i hate to use food processor for the herbs because it bruises them, they become black and smell like when you

cut the grass. you did a very good knife, very sharp. we have some chiefs. the movement is starting from the point of the knife and going like that. then you grab the chives with your hand. you have to be very focused. >> very nice. >> then we're going to make the chimichuri. garlic, vinegar, gives you something light. >> just show really quickly how you slice. >> i'm going to show you. >> when you slice, you slice very thinly and you go against the grain of the meat. and then you have it. [ obama ] i'm barack obama, and i approve this message. [ female announcer ] every woman who believes decisions about our bodies and our health care should be our own

is troubled mitt romney supports overturning roe versus wade. romney backed a law that outlaws all abortion -- even in cases of rape and incest. and that's not all. i'll cut off funding to planned parenthood. [ female announcer ] for women, planned parenthood means life-saving cancer screenings and family-planning services. but, for mitt romney... planned parenthood. we're going to get rid of that. friends, donors, campaign supporters, special interest groups

where did the obama stimulus money go? solyndra: 500 million taxpayer dollars. bankrupt. so where did the obama stimulus money go? windmills from china. electric cars from finland 79% of the 2.1 billion in stimulus grants awarded through it went to overseas companies. [ romney ] i'm mitt romney and i approve this message. good morning, everyone. i'm erika gonzalez. it is a another hot one out there. let's get a check of the forecast can meteorologist tom kierein. >> not as hot, thankfully. yesterday got to 101 today into the low to mid-90s and right now in the mid-80s throughout much of the region and a lot of humidity in the air and during the afternoon and this evening and tomorrow, occasional showers and downpours with thunder and

lightning. some of the downpours might cause localized flooding and then improving for the weekend could get more storms monday, tuesday. danella, how is traffic? >> still checking things out on 295 headed southbound. earlier crash at pennsylvania avenue and still seeing delays and looks like it's out of the roadway. yo

i'm barack obama and i approve this message. [romney singing]: oh beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountains majesty, above the fruited plain, america, america, god shed his grace on thee, and crowned thy good, with brotherhood... captions paid for by nbc-universal television

hello, everybody. it's thirsty thursday, july 19th. of all days, thirsty thursday, jerry's not around with the wine. >> you know what? this is a big day. >> thanks, jer. >> it's bigger than a wine day. it's a big celebratory day here at the "today" show. there was a grand announcement. we should set the tone with a little bit of music first. ♪ they say the neon lights are briton broadway ♪ >> we're starting there. >> because kathie lee gifford is going to broadway. yeah, baby! >> thank you, guys. miracles do happen, hoda woman. we started my friend david friedman and i started writing songs for it really 13 years ago. then it was jimmy neitherlander

sr. who listened to the songs and said, i love it. let's do it. then he looks at me and goes, where's the book? the book is the script. i went, i'll get some schmuck to write the book. >> you did. >> i ended up doing it. it's taken 12 years. we are still working on it and it's called "scandalous, the life and trials of aimee mcpherson." >> thank you, jerry. >> let's do a toast here. >> to our girl. >> i feel like miss america. >> where is your crown. >> "scandalous." something i know about. >> is where it going to be? >> i can't believe i'm saying this. it's going to be at the neil simon theater 250 west 52nd street. starring the most amazing woman. her talent is absolutely -- i'm in awe of her.

car car carolee carmelo. she channels aimee semple mcpherson. >> if pu ever heard this song you're about to hear right now, you know her name. you just don't know who she is. >> hooray for hollywood. thanu,n of her day. most celebrated controversial woman today together, they would not be what aimee was in the 1920s or 1930s. she was born in 1890. she was an evangelist dirced twice. in the of the 1926 f five had been mexico. >> "time" magazine called her kidnapped and held for ransom in one of the most intriguing -- >> influential -- >> women. >> no, people. >> of a generation. >> of the 20th century. if she is one of the most

influential people of the 20th century, should we know about her? >> aimee semple mcpherson. can we get some of the casting photos? there is a cute guy. let's go a little closer. >> aimee would preach, but find the most gorgeous people in hollywood and put them in loincloths and things and have them gyrate and bring the bible to life. it will make you look at the bible in ways you never thought about. she entertained people. it was during the prohibition. anyway, our show takes place regarding the trial. it's the night before she is supposed to get the verdict on her trial. she tells the story of how she got to where she is today. >> here is the thing, these tickets are going to go -- the box office opens -- >> i can't believe you're saying this. say it again. >> the box office opens august -- >> i think august 20th. >> okay? the actual opening night is thursday november 15th. >> that's why i've been on the

train every night. >> been busy. >> we've been in casting every day all day till 6:00 at night. >> congratulations. it's been a labor of love. everyone at the "today" show is pumped up and excited. you can find out more if you go to scandalous @broadway.com. >> we are not the only ones with good news around here. congratulations to all the emmy nominations today. >> jimmy kimmel showed up in pjs. >> he was hysterical. >> he was dragged into it at the last minute. whoever was supposed to do it got stuck in new york because of the storm. >> this storm yesterday, we were in auditions and people couldn't hear themselves singing. >> best comedy -- >> as usual. "big bang theory," "curb your thufl." "girls." >> it's scandalous. >> "modern family," "30 rock"

and "veep." >> hugh lori of "house" didn't get a nomination. >> that i don't understand. everybody agreed he gave one of the greatest performances consistently year after year. this is a man who is not going to have trouble finding work, you know? all righty. you may be wondering why we've been looking like dorks in a different way than we normally look like dorks. this is why. >> there, that's dirty. >> west virginia. >> they're both dirty. >> okay. the "today" show facebook page -- >> that's really dirty. >> the "today" show facebook page has over 100 million -- that's not right. over a million. i'm just reading. >> if we said 100 million, who is going to check? >> 1 million likes. if you go to our special page which is different from the

"today" show page, we have 388,976 likes. that's not enough likes. >> we are grateful for them. >> we need more likes. sara, you just click on a button. >> we are up to 391,402. our fans are listening. if you go to our kathie lee and hoda page, it has a "like" button on the main page. just click that. >> is there a detest click you can make? a "hate you with all my heart" click? >> we should have a love button. >> people pay good money to see our shows. can you see the group of ladies behind the news desk. all of them paid money to come here, which is fascinating. >> they gave to charity, not to us personally. big, big, big amounts and we welcome them all. >> this is the coolest thing

ever. there is now, this is in singapore in 7-elevens in singapore, may be coming to the united states. there is a mashed potato machine. it makes the mashed potatoes come out like a slurpee. >> they are watery, aren't they? >> now the chicken gravy. plop it. you take it just like that. they are very popular. people want a nice warm comfort food thing. it's like a slurpee machine. they are only available in singapore. maybe soon. we would like to know if you think this is a like or not. we say like. it may be coming here soon. we just don't know. >> just what we need with our obese society, more mashed potatoes and gravy. >> you want to talk about a big baby, by the way? >> speaking of. >> i didn't mean that. there is no connection. gorgeous, gorgeous. >> a healthy child. >> this is beyonce's baby.

>> look at her little feet dangling. >> she is 6 months old and like a little toddler. look at her toes. she is really long. she is a beautiful baby. >> that almost looks like katie holmes with suri who is 6 years old. >> jaycee is 6'2" and beyonce is 5'6". she lost all her baby weight. >> she opened in click city and looks great. she's a -- >> a definite like. you've got something to talk about, a festival? >> dear friends of mine have a great camp for the performing arts that they do every summer out in paso robles. august 25th, they are hosting a worship song talent competition. some of the greatest inspirational bands are going to be there. if you think you have written one of the greatest worship songs, inspirational songs of

all time, you can make an entry of your song and the top three finalists will perform at the festival. they are going to fly you in, give you a prize of $2,000. more importantly than that, it may be done in churches and festivals all over the world. >> you know what's interesting? i decided this week since it's ihoda week. >> cantinas music festival.com. don't ruin my happy mood today. >> this is important. this is a gospel song. it is called "he still loves me." it's a great song. i was watching "the fighting temptations" with beyonce? they sang this song and i was looking for it online. this group called ramona fink gospel choir sings it. you're in your apartment, crank it up. ♪ i ain't good enough ♪ but he still loves me

♪ i ain't no superstar ♪ but light is shining on me ♪ i ain't good enough ♪ but he still loves me ♪ loves me ♪ wake up some days wish i stayed asleep ♪ because i went to bed on top of the world ♪ today the world's on top of me ♪ >> i know the feeling. ♪ everybody's got opinions ♪ and it breaks my heart when i hear what they have to say about me ♪ i ain't good enough ♪ but he still loves me >> good one, hoda. >> should we do okay or not okay? >> is it okay or not okay to let dogs roam on the beach? >> not unless you own the beach.

it's your drift beach. >> if you're sharing it with people, it's not okay. >> hoda says, it's not okay. as cute as your dog is, everyone on the beach doesn't want to get up close and personal unless it's bambino. >> i actually had to say that. >> there is bambino. >> of course, he's always here. >> you've got to have friends, but sometimes making new friends isn't easy. >> the latest way grown women are finding friends for life. >> and ambush makeovers. [ telephone rings ] [ female announcer ] every day, there seems to be a new reason not to make a home-cooked meal. work... errands... ♪ ...a greasy bag of deep-fried easy. ♪ but you have hamburger helper on your side. with 40 varieties that are all fast and easy to make, nothing stands in your way of a home-cooked meal. hamburger helper. help is on the way.

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all they see is you. facebook friends, but when it comes down to it, how many are close enough to count on? >> as we get older, it's not always as easy to make good friends. where are we supposed to find them? we hit the streets to find out some of the craziest ways you guys have made your friends. >> craziest place we made a friend is in the bathroom. sometimes you need to share a square. underneath the stall we made a friend. >> i met my best friend on the subway about 18 years ago. trying to figure out where we were supposed to get off. then we got off together and we just started hanging out. >> an accessory party. invited a lot of ladys to come in and look at the products and ali was there and that's where we met. >> traveling. hanging out in different places. bumping into people and you go, i heard you talking about such and such.

that's a great way of making friends. >> all good ways. dale atkins is a psychologist and shasta nelson is ceo of girlfriend circles.com. >> she is big trouble. >> i heard the rumor. >> ever since third grade. >> good friends. should we have -- >> often we take them for granted. we have to wonder, are we still as friendly with the people we thought we were friendly with? are we nurturing the friendships we really want. you never want to take a good friend for granted. >> sometimes we outgrow a friendship. >> nothing really happens except you have children or something happens. >> we are replacing half our friends every seven years. if you were take your bridesmaids and pick them today, if you did it seven years ago and seven years from now, half would be different. >> it's healthy. one of the things i'm concerned about when people are changing their friends like changing their clothes, they are not necessarily really focusing on

the history they may have shared. there is something to be said for history and something to be said for shared experiences. you go through changes, yes. you still may have a lot in common you want to use as your root. >> sometimes you get off track with friends because either you have children, your life gets busy and complicated. sometimes friendships do die on the vine. how do you know when it's worth saving and holding on to? >> that is the big question. that is a hard one. i'm totally with dale on this. i encourage women. we need to practice the skill of forgiveness and skill of not judging as much and work on our own self-esteem. a lot of relationships crumble when we get jealous, if you have the baby before me, you got the job i wanted. >> got the man i wanted. >> right. now i want you to be my single sidekick and now you're married. having to learn how to show up in a different way. >> is this common you have a friend from college like my

friend jan. i talk to her once a year. we pick up exactly where we left off andcherish her friendship. >> it's a heart-felt connection. when we have those we can keep them connected more frequently. know this is somebody i'm going to touch base with and it's really important. i want to go back to something shasta said. you mentioned breaking up with people. yes, we do have to be much more forgiving and be able to welcome people. when you are going to say to somebody, this just isn't working for me or we are going to different places, you have to take responsibility for that and not blame the other person. >> unless they are really guilty. >> you can say i find that i just can't be the kind of friend you want any more. >> people say it's not you, it's me when it's really you. >> it's always you. >> people do have trouble finding new friends. especially when you get older. >> or you move someplace new.

>> this is what you do for a living. what is a good spot? >> girlfriend circles.com. that's where we want to meet women. it's like shaping serendipity. be wherever the people are you want to be friends with. when you join meeting groups to go hiking or join a choir or join a church. whatever you are enjoying and want to do. do that. >> how did you meet your best friend? >> boy, which best friend? i have several. they are all from different places in life. i've been known to walk up to my next door neighbors and knock on doors with cookies. >> i think what you want to do is i did when i was teaching with someone, we were really close and remained best friends. the issue is do things that make your own heart sing. you'll be your best and open to people. travel with people. take classes and learn something

new. do something you're really passionate about. i know somebody who is a gardener. she joined a community garden. >> join a book club. >> you have to realize you have to make the time and effort. >> i think you attract what's within you. >> of course. >> we feel like it should happen automatically. we are walking around not feeling as connected because it happened automatically when we were in school. consistency what is happened automatically. >> we used to talk to one another are involved with technology. we are missing opportunities. >> all right. thank you. >> i have my hodi. >> man's best friend as a cool encounter. [ female announcer ] tori gilbert posts,

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it is time to get webtastic

when our very own sara haines finds the next video everyone will hit "send." >> little malik went crazy when the owners turned on ac in their car and it was all caught on tape. check it out. he was only 3 months old. they turned it on and saw he was reacting in a funny way so they started to roll. you can hear them laughing in the background eventually. he's a little wheaton terrier. they posted it june 19th and has 28,000 hits. i think he's trying to drink it. >> might be the condensation from it. >> it seems like it's going to be drinkable, but it's not. >> with the heat lately, i've seen a lot of people doing that, not just dogs. >> thank you, sara. two ladies from our crowd get

ready to strike a pose with our ambush makeover. >> last-minute family vacation ideas. >> and picture this. what you can do with all your vacation photos. who are these guys? oh, that's just my buds. bacon, donuts. -my taste buds. -[ taste buds ] waffles. how about we try this new kind of fiber one cereal? you think you're going to slip some fiber by us? rookie. okay. ♪ nutty clusters and almonds, ♪ ♪ almonds. ♪ fiber one is gonna make you smile. ♪ [ male announcer ] introducing new fiber one nutty clusters and almonds. with 43% daily value of fiber for you. crunchy nutty clusters and real almond slices for your taste buds. and real almond slices you don't disappear at midnight. and now, you've met your match. new revlon® colorstay™ 16 hour eyeshadow. 64 colors that will take you from night to day without smudging, creasing or fading away.

♪ [ snoring ] [ male announcer ] introducing zzzquil sleep-aid. [ snoring ] [ snoring ] [ male announcer ] it's not for colds, it's not for pain, it's just for sleep. [ snoring ] [ male announcer ] because sleep is a beautiful thing. [ birds chirping ] introducing zzzquil, the non-habit forming sleep-aid from the makers of nyquil.

[ female announcer ] every woman who believes decisions about our bodies and our health care should be our own is troubled mitt romney supports overturning roe versus wade. romney backed a law that outlaws all abortion -- even in cases of rape and incest. and that's not all. i'll cut off funding to planned parenthood. [ female announcer ] for women, planned parenthood means life-saving cancer screenings and family-planning services. but, for mitt romney... planned parenthood. we're going to get rid of that.

[ female announcer ] every day, there seems to be a new reason not to make a home-cooked meal. work... errands... ♪ ...a greasy bag of deep-fried easy. ♪ but you have hamburger helper on your side. with 40 varieties that are all fast and easy to make, nothing stands in your way of a home-cooked meal. hamburger helper. help is on the way.

it is thirsty thursday and time for today's plaza makeovers. our ambush makeover team dove into the crowd to find two women and surprise them. >> "today's" contributor and stylist to the stars louis licari. and jill martin. >> we had great signs today. one of our picks had three signs. so there was no choice. >> first up, lynn hamilton, 51 years old from lubbock, texas. she wears very little make-up

because no one taught her how to put it on. she was thrilled when we approached her on the plaza. let's listen to her story. >> a lot of signs, a lot of excitement. i know you wanted this for so long. why do you want this for your wife? >> something she wanted to do for a long time. she always a watches the "today" show and says i'd love to do this. i'm excited for r. >> you're not a big talker, but you are excited for your mom. >> yes. absolutely. works very hard and never really seems to take any time for herself. definitely something good for her. >> i know you're busting. are you ready to go? >> yes. so excited. >> adorable. she is busting. mark is there her husband and her son eric. keep on your blind folds until i give you the green light. here is limb hamilton before. >> let's see her. >> wow!

all right, guys, take off your blind folds. >> oh, wow! >> you look very new york. spin right here, sweetie. >> wow! >> that is sexy. that looks great. >> look straight ahead at camera 12. tell us about the hair. >> the first thing i did -- lynn would go for highlights every six weeks. she went so often it turned into a single process so he made it into a single process. this color is just a caramel color that works with her skin color. brigitte gave her the a-line bob. it works great. she is a science professor. >> stop it. >> she works with fungus and look at her now. >> what do you think? >> it looks great. i love it.

>> she looks who. >> the dress is great. >> a hot science professor. from maggie london. i love a dress you can wear and feel like you could sleep in. it's a great material and embodies everything for summer, all the different patterns and colors. maggie london. >> beautiful. >> big round of applause. congratulations. >> our second lady is mindy ford, 54 from st. louis, missouri. her friend who works as a florist told her how to cut her own hair so she begged us to give her a brand-new look. let's listen to her story. >> i love maddie's sign. >> there once was a mom from st. lou whose appearance made her feel blue. she made to the city to be made pretty by hoda, kathie and you. >> how cute is that sign? i know you really want this. >> oh, yes. i watch hoda and kathie every week with. always on thursdays for the ambush makeover.

and you and louis la-la-la-la. we're stunned and shocked. can't believe we are going to do it. >> she is adorable. let's take one last look at mind ford before. bring the new mindy out right now. >> oh, oh, oh! >> oh, my gosh! >> all right. maddie, are you ready to see your mom? >> i am. >> take off your blinds. >> it's pretty amazing. she looks so great. >> turn around. >> it's adorable. cute. >> you can run your fingers through it if you want. it's adorable. >> obviously, she is in shell

shock. let me tell you, you look gorgeous. what a great haircut can do to completely update your look. >> so modern. >> and the hair color change was minimal. she colored her hair at home. consistently worked the color through. got darker on the ends, the old mistake. but because brigitte cut so much of her hair off, the warm hair, natural make-up. >> how long was it? we can't tell. how long was it. >> about there. >> and down here it was darkest brown, almost black and light brown on top. >> she had the raccoon thing happening. >> we have a couple of seconds. the dress. >> the dress is senia. we added a great belt. >> i love it, love it. i see a lot of grecian influence. >> i love it. i've never seen her with short

hair before. it looks great. >> everybody come out. great job. how about a change in scenery? >> we'll help you plan that last-minute vacation. [ female announcer ] what makes florida's natural orange juice taste so uniquely fresh and delicious? is it the rich florida soil? or the perfect blend of sunshine, rain, and temperature? maybe it's the fact that florida's natural oranges are never imported. they're raised right here in florida, and passed with care from our hands to yours. 100% pure. 100% florida. florida's natural.

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time for "today's travel" and last-minute family getaways. whether you haven't had time to plan a vacation or can't figure out where to take the crew, help is here. >> beverly bloom is in bloom expecting a little baby. she is the deputy editor of "travel and leisure" magazine. she stopped for five minutes somewhere along the way. congratulations. >> thank you. >> you've got five picks for us for top vacation destinations. number one is san diego. >> i love san diego. >> this is a great hotel for

families. called the rancho bernardo. conveniently located to legoland and the san diego zoo for kids. $219 a night. that including a welcome bucket with toys and activities for the kids in room. pizza party and s'mores. they do treasure hunts, drive-in movies. >> tucson, arizona. >> the westward look. built in the early 1900s and 80 acres of property. incredible.five nights, it's >> seven nights they bring it down to $69 a night. it includes horses with wranglers for the kids, a telescope to watch the stars in the sky, humming bird and butterfly garden. >> kids love that stuff. >> telluride is next. >> you've been there? it's gorgeous. >> i've never been. >> summers out there are the best. >> a great value in summer. at the fairmont klummer lodge,

250 a night, you get to stay in a two or three-bedroom residence. they throw in tons of things for kids like wilderness survival or cooking classes, trekking and tracking. >> a little welsh town there in telluride. >> orlando is a hot spot. >> there is so much there. it's a natural. you've got disney in your backyard. at the sheraton buena vista, a $169 a night deal for families that includes a full day at the pool cabana with a pool captain to do things for the kids like limbo classes, bingo, movies. >> a class to play limbo? >> chair massages for the kids and pedicures. they offer shuttles to disney worlds and spa treatments for mom.

>> st. marten. >> i've got a fantastic package, $290 a night, all-inclusive. includes all your foods, snacks and drinks and scavenger hunts, treasure hunts, snorkeling and scuba. it is offseason, but there are always great trade winds. this hotel is built on the beach, five minutes from the airport. super convenient. >> awesome. >> thank you. and congratulations. >> thank you. >> we are happy for you. thanks. >> all those photos you've taken on vacation still sitting on your phone somewhere? >> or in your camera. what to do with them after this. sweetie, you have to scrub it first. no you don't, honey. yes, you do! don't! i've washed a few cupcake tins in my day... oh, so you're a tin expert now. is that... whoa nelly! hi, kitchen counselor here. he's actually right...

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and i approve this message. >>. >> so you went on vacation and took a ton of amazing photos. >> "in style" magazine has some

ideas. you're here to tell us about and she is pregnant, too! congratulations. >> what should we do? >> we've got lots of really great easy ideas. we wanted to focus on easy and economical. >> okay. >> we have a wine label, first and foremost we thought you would enjoy. it's a great opportunity for celebration. >> i have a question. who thought this was a good idea? no, no, who picked that? this is hideous and ugly. >> i want a case of that. >> good to know. >> nothing but class around here. >> $9 for about nine labels. it's a great keep sake, great for a party. >> very cute. yes, isabel whitaker. >> this is from pinhall press.

you upload your photos. they make it super easy. >> you put it in your library. >> you can do guest albums or holiday cards. >> we can send these out. >> we don't know where we were on that. that romantic vacation we took. >> i keep wearing the same shirt. >> what are you doing with my husband? >> tell us about this. >> with the same theme and same company pinholepress, calendars, great magnets. these started around $3. when your house is full of frames, this is another nice way to display your photos. >> this is a great section, the baby section. >> first of all, here is sami, our producer's daughter right here in the center. >> what we love is this idea of posters.

this is called image snap. these are ceramic tiles. if you want to do back splash with them you could could that. we like the idea of coasters or trivets. they are $13 and they dye the photo on to the ceramic tile so it doesn't bleed. >> what a great gift that would be for grandparents. >> and lasts a long time. >> ella. >> there's ella. >> that child is precious. >> she is so cute. >> this is when you're on vacation. an app called postagram. costs $1. you literally upload the photo to the app. it asks you to type in a message and mails it for you. >> i'm personally offended the way you call my mailing snail mail. i don't want to hear it again. don't look at me in the eye when

you talk to me, all right? >> oh, my gosh! >> we've got great iphone cases from case to gram. it's an app. >> losing me. >> $35. >> zoning out. >> somebody can get this for you as a great gift. >> no thank you. okay. >> now we have stickers. this is great for kids. these are adorable little sk sticker books from instagoodies. good for scrapbookers, too. >> we have these vinyl stickers. what we like about vinyl stickers, no glue residue. you can stick it straight on your ipad and you can peel it off without any residue. >> that was a great segment, by the way. >> we've got to go. i bet that was wonderful.

>> ever wish you could replicate a favorite recipe on the road? >> we'll show how. i'm barack obama and i approve this message. [romney singing]: oh beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountains majesty, above the fruited plain, america, america, god shed his grace on thee, and crowned thy good, with brotherhood...

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cracker barrel. it is time for "today's kitchen what's cooking." a satisfying salad can be healthy and nutritional alternative for your entire family. >> here to put a zip in your salad keeping calories in check is cracker barrel nutritionist. >> we've been waiting for you, pam. >> you want to turn that chicken soon. >> how many calories are we

talking about? >> less than 600 calories, which includes all of the salad fictionings, but also the dressing and even the deviled eggs and because it's the south, we are talking about saltine crackers. >> got to have them. >> you're sauteing chicken breast. >> because this is grilled chicken and fresh vegetable salad, we want to start with the star chicken tenderloins. we just have those sauteing in the nonstick skillet. we'll come back. they cook so quick. only about four minutes, we are good to go. the real focus of a great salad is a great vinaigrette. >> let's making dressing. >> we are oftentimes subject to -- >> i'm going to start pouring because we only have two minutes. >> honey and dijon mustard and a little bit of orange juice.

how about a little salt and a little bit of cracked pepper. while you're doing that, i'm going to start with the oil. this is an upsidedown vinaigrette. we don't use very much oil which keeps the calories low. with all the great flavors. we have wonderful apple cider vinegar, balsamic and red wine vinegar. do we want to add the garlic and shallot? >> dump it all in. >> that makes the country vinaigrette that we are not only going to use to toss the salad in but also to use with this beautiful cucumber and onion. this is a great salad in and of itself. actually we serve this with great tomatoes. >> we have one minute. >> we are doing great. we can do this quickly. this is a corn relish, taking advantage of the fresh produce

of the market. we are adding to it a chow-chow, a southern heritage tradition. >> is it like a chutney? >> yes. just a great flavor. parsley, a touch of garlic sauce. >> show us our final dishes back here. >> we'll put those all together. what we've done is we have plated that quite beautifully. >> yes, you have. >> this is what we serve with the beautiful cucumber and onions. you can eat well. >> thank you for coming to see us. all right, tomorrow jennifer tilly comes bay. >> elvis durant from z-100 morning show. love him. >> see you tomorrow. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com