good morning. michael's memorial. los angeles prepares for hundreds of thousands of michael jackson fans to descends on the city ahead of tuesday's public farewell. as police close in on the doctors who supplied the king of pop with powerl prescription drugs. why did she quit? debate raging over what led to sarah palin's stunning decision to resign as alaska's governor. is it the start of a white house run? this morning we're live in her hometown with what supporters and critics are saying. crucial day. one of italy's forensic scientists takes the stand at the thurd trial of amanda knox and pokes a hole in the prosecution's case as her sister joins us and speaks out in an

exclusive interview, today, monday july 6th, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television welcome to "today" on this monday morning. i'm meredith vieira. >> i'm natalie morales. matt lauer has the day off. constitue the city of los angeles is preparing for a huge turnout for the public memorial at the staples center. >> we leave for the service today and reporting wednesday out of l.a. and this is the ticket that's causing all of the commotion. there it is. 1.6 million people entered an online drawing but on sunday just 8,750 won two tickets each and they have to pick them up in person today ahead of tomorrow's service that starts at 1:00 p.m. eastern, 10:00 a.m. pacific time. those tickets are the only way in.

despite that fact and calls by the lapd to stay home, up to 75 million fans may show up any way. >> the area around the arena is going into lockdown this morning with surrounding streets blocked off to keep anyone without a ticket away. as for a private bureau ial, we learning that could happen today. >> jeff ross season outside of the staples center with more on all of this. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning to you. you and natalie were talking about how much this event is growing and how fast it's growing. the area locked down as you said you need these wristbands just to get in within a block or two of the staples center. we're still a full day out. good reason for that. you have fans showing up already. you have celebrities flying in by the dozen trying to perform and rehearse here ahead of tomorrow's service. the lapd now urging people to stay home tomorrow. it is the hottest ticket in the

world, the michael jackson memorial service and the guest list is coming together. nbc news has learned possible performers include stevie wonder, mariah carey, justin timberlake, lionel richie and jennifer hudson. diana ross will attend the service as well. jackson named her in the will as a backup guardian for his three kids. >> we've never seen anything quite like this. you have potential of a billion people watching and certainly hundreds of thousands of people that will be in and around the district. >> reporter: 1.6 million people registered for tickets online but organizers are only giving out just over 17,000 of them. this e-mail notification went out to all of the winners sunday. congratulations it says. from there you enter a special code and download the tickets. what was it like the moment you got this e-mail that you were in? >> the moment i got the e-mail i freaked out. the idea of being able to share this service with his family and with his closest friends and with the masses of people from

all over the world is really a gift. >> reporter: not everyone can get to l.a. on such short notice. >> i'm not able to afford a plane ticket. >> reporter: outside houston rob won a pair with young kids at home he and his wife just lost their jobs and put the tickets up on ebay. >> for right now i posted it at $15,000 just to see what happens. >> reporter: while los angeles police are urging people to stay away, up to 750,000 people are expected to ignore the warning and show up any way. before the service even starts, michael jackson may already be buried. nbc news learned he will be laid to rest at the forest lawn cemetery in los angeles. sources say it could happen as early as this evening. while tributes continue from fans and churches to celebrities on stage, madonna took a moment while performing in london. >> all right people. let's give it up to one of the greatest artists the world has

ever known. michael jackson! long live the king! >> reporter: over the weekend investigators made progress hunting down the doctors that supplied jackson with pills. according to published reports they're looking at five doctors possibly involved. nbc news has learned members of the jackson family were so worried about michael's health just weeks before his death they contacted dr. howard samuels to lead an intervention. he runs a well known rehab center and says jackson's death exposes hollywood's open secret, celebrities paying cash for meds. how much will a megastar pay a doctor to be at his beck and call 24/7? >> $30,000 to $50,000 a month. $50,000 could be conservative depending on what the addict or celebrity wants. >> reporter: one other notes about jackson's final days. his life was so complicated during the end, even his own mother isn't sure who he was close to.

she's trying to delay a scheduled court hearing for later today and wants to investigate who he was close to before guidividing up those ass. >> thank you very much. the reverend jesse jackson is advising michael jackson's family and plans to attend tomorrow's memorial and is also in los angeles this morning. reverend jackson, good morning to you, sir. >> good morning to you. >> reverend, we're hearing that a private burial may take place as soon as today. is that your understanding as well? >> you know, i really don't know. there will be a private ceremony. this is a religious family. there will be a private event and then a public event on tuesday. >> can you enlighten us anymore about who will be participating in that event? anything you can tell us about the program itself?

>> well, the entertainers of the world want to be a part of it. stevie wonder was close to michael. justin timberlake. don't know what role diana ross will play. there's excitement in the air and potentially a nightmare if 2 million people converge on l.a. at some level or another so that will be a real big logistical nightmare. let me say to you, i'm so impressed and i think here's 11 people, 9 children, four-room house in gary, indiana, under the discipline of a mother that's a religious leader and the cook and dad who is a welder and crane operator and music teacher, out of this situation comes this phenomenal world class family. i think it's a great story. >> wonderful family as you say that is suffering right now the loss of their son, their brother, michael jackson. last week with regard to the investigation you said the wound

cannot heal until you get the glass out referring to questions about how michael jackson died and why he died. now we're hearing that five doctors may be be under investigation. does that only add to the family's suspicions and their doubts? >> they've had little time to mourn. the joy of the global response redemp tif to michael's musical career but the bizarre behavior of the doctor and was absent for a while and showed up with a lawyer created suspicions and that was an inquiry that's now a full scale investigation. these unanswered questions about his business, about his children, the business of the matter is really overwhelming. >> we are hearing nbc news is hearing that the family was so concerned about michael that they had planned an intervention just a few weeks before his death. do you know anything about that?

>> i didn't hear you. >> we had heard, nbc news has learned that the family was so concerned about michael jackson that they ordered an intervention just a few weeks before his death. do you know anything about that? >> no, i do not. >> all right. reverend jesse jackson, thank you so much. >> thank you very much. >> and i will be at the staples center for live coverage of tomorrow's event that begins tomorrow on "today." brian williams will host nbc's coverage of the memorial service. it's 7:09. here's natalie. >> now to the fallout from the political bombshell dropped by alaska governor sarah palin. she announced on friday she is stepping down and has kept a low profile ever since. what does it mean for her political future? andrea mitchell is in palin's hometown with the latest. good morning, andrea. >> reporter: good morning. sarah palin's decision to quit

surprised everyone in republican circles and no one was more shocked than the people here back home in alaska. on a holiday weekend, people were trying to figure out why she's quitting. >> i'm stunned and shocked. >> reporter: like palin supporters -- >> didn't see that one coming. >> she's letting us down by quitting midterm. >> reporter: palin was invited to take part in the july 4th parade. she was barely noticed. after a rambling announcement on friday that she would quit. >> it would be apathetic to hunker down and go with the flow. we know that only dead fish go with the flow. >> reporter: she tried to explain again. a post on facebook said -- her lawyer denies any federal investigation or other legal problem.

>> she did not step down for any kind of scandal or wrongdoing which has been alleged. >> reporter: palin's lawyer says she has piled up more than a half million dollars in legal fees to handle 16 separate ethics investigations. he says 15 have been dismissed. the last one is pending. palin sold advisers she's sick of the constant scrutiny and tabloid attention to her family. the joke, some admittedly misguided. >> one awkward moment during the seventh inning her daughter was knocked up by alex rodriguez. >> reporter: what will palin do now? the lieutenant governor says she'll try to expand the conservative movement, her base of support. >> she has a wider opportunity to advance our core values. she'll take that opportunity and lay that out in the future as who how to do that. >> reporter: palin has hurt her chances to being taken seriously as a contender for the white house. >> by exiting the governorship

2.5 years through the term and put herself on a national stage that she may not be prepared to operate in. >> reporter: now palin can make millions of dollars with her book deal a paid lecture tour and talk shows as she keeps speculation going and keeps people guessing that she may still run for president. natalie? >> andrea mitchell, thank you. william crystal, good morning to you. nice to see you here. i, like so many others, was trying to read between the rambling lines on friday. she did have more to say on her facebook page. it's honorable for others to leave their positions for a higher calling and without finishing a term of course we know for some reason a different standard applies for the decisions i make. so, bill, your best guess, this higher calling she's talking about is it a run for the presidency in 2012? >> probably. i think she wants to run. she honestly believes and

there's some truth to this are the citizens of alaska spends a lot of time running around country campaigning for other republicans and getting briefed on national issues or should she turn over the job to the lieutenant governor and just launch her campaign. i think she's what she's doing. i don't think she decided to run. she's entitled to take a shot at it. if she performs, she'll do well. >> talk about the risk. a lot of republicans are agast over this. very high ranking republicans saying they don't understand that she's crazy for doing this. you say she's crazy like a fox and this might actually work for her. how? >> none of those people in the republican establishment was going to support her even if she finished her term as alaska governor. there's a lot of false limbenting about what she's done by people that don't like her any way. she's making a reasonable decision to quit and to take a shot at it and she's now depending on her own abilities.

either she'll perform or she won't. it is interesting how many people in the establishment and really in the mainstream media don't want to give her a chance. they want to bury her now. what a terrible performance. i don't agree with that. i thought her speech was charming and personal. it wasn't stage managed. she did a good job explaining how much pressure has been put on her by the assault on her family. she'll take a shot and either perform or she won't. >> if during the presidential campaign was blasted for not having accomplished enough and for not knowing enough about the issues, by dropping out now, doesn't that solidify and ensure she'll come under further attack in a new "vanitiy fair" article some people from the mccain camp say she wasn't fit to be vice president much less president. >> that vanity fair" article appeared before she stepped down. she'll be a candidate.

she'll give speeches and be at 20 debates with republican candidates and either perform or doesn't. this is like in 2005, 2006, people in the hillary clinton machine saying barack obama, are you kidding? what's he done? he can't run against hillary clinton. he ran an impressive campaign and proved himself. let sarah palin have a shot. >> we'll have to see what the next couple of years bring. william crystal, thanks so much. >> let's get a check of the rest of the morning's top stories. ann has the morning off. hoda kotb is at the news desk. >> good morning, everybody. president obama is in moscow this morning hoping to reset relations between it the u.s. and russia. savannah guthrie is traveling with him. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the u.s. and russia are no longer cold war enemies but they're not exactly friends. the president here trying to warm up a cool relationship. all four obamas arrived in moscow, russia, this morning. first stop, russia's tomb of the unknown in the shadow of the

kremlin. today the president's second meeting with russia president as the u.s. tries to reset russian relations. secretary of state hillary clinton gave a red reset button to russia's foreign minister earlier this year but it was a bit lost in translation. >> did we get the right word? >> you got wrong. >> reporter: tensions escalated over russia's military action s in georgia last year. the president is not as popular here as in other world capitals. >> president obama needs to repair a relationship not only with the government in russia but forge a new relationship with society. >> reporter: the two leaders are expected to announce a frame work for a new start treaty to reduce nuclear weapons and a deal that will allow the u.s. military to transport supplies to afghanistan through russian territory. hoda?

>> thank you. more violence in honduras. protesters clashed with police on sunday leaving one person dead. police in nashville are declaring the death of former nfl quarterback steve mcnair a homicide. his body was found over the weekend shot four times along with the body of his girlfriend who was shot once. official its stop short of calling it a murder/suicide. two monorails collided on sunday in disney world killing one train operator. it's unclear what caused that crash. general motors has taken a big step to emerging from bankruptcy. >> reporter: this is good news from gm. a federal judge approved the company's plan to sell its assets to a new company. the new company would be owned by the u.s. government, the canadian government along with a trust for the uaw workers. effectively what this does, hoda, is it creates two companies. the good gm and bad gm. the good gm is the new gm that

will have assets including the cadillac and chevrolet brands and the bad gm is responsible for unwinding that debt while in bankruptcy. the home is that the new gm will be spun out to the public next year. >> all right. thank you so much for that report. and roger federer claimed a record 15th major championship on sunday after beating andy roddick in a five-set more than four-hour marathon. the longest men's grand slam ever. it's federer's sixth title at the wimbledon. what a match. it's now 18 minutes past the hour. let's join the all girl team. >> a sense of power here. no matt. no al. the cat are away and the mice will play. stephanie you are in for al this morning. >> a great fourth of july weekend here in the northeast. >> thank you for that. >> you're

>> meredith, over to you. >> thank you very much. and now to south carolina where a manhunt is under way for a suspected serial killer who police say has already claimed five lives. ron mott is in gaffney with the latest. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning to you. police aren't sure whether they're dealing with a copycat killer, perhaps someone trying to mimic the terror that reigned

over this town 41 years ago but whatever the motive, they want this man caught and soon. dive dead over the past five days and a suspected spree killer still on the loose. eerie reminders of the so-called gaffney strangler who murdered four women in 1968 over the same time frame. it's enough to put an entire community on edge. >> it's got us real frightened and to whoever it is doing killing in gaffney, we're looking for you. >> reporter: the first murder victim was a farmer followed by an elderly woman and her daughter and educator and the most recent deaths a teenager and her dad attacked thursday night at their furniture store. all five gunned down. this 50 year old followed her mother's path into the classroom. both were teachers. 72 years of service between them. on sunday both were laid to rest with mourners remembering the daughter as the number one fan of the football team her

husband, scott, coached. >> many felt this was her mom as it was her biological kids and scott the same way. he was like a father. a role model. too nice of people for something like this to happen. >> reporter: this is a sketch of a man authorities hope to find and soon driving a light colored suv. the gaffney strangler eventually was caught and convicted. residents find themselves once again hoping for the same outcome. police have received more than 1,000 tips so far and the sheriff says he will not allow this town to become paralyzed by what he calls simply a murderer. meredith? >> ron mott, thank you. coming up, the deadly rowe factor. does she want custody of all three of michael jackson's children? we'll get the latest on that. first, this is "today" on nbc.

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still ahead, "today" investigates a hidden danger found at many public pools. exclusive details from one of the last people to work with michael jackson after your local news and weather.

>> good morning, everybody. i'm stan stovall. here's a look at one of our top stories. baltimore police said they arrested two people after a double stabbing, a wrong 1:50 a.m. this morning. basic a group were leaving the club when an argument broke out and a fight ensued. we are told the male victim received a cut in his arm and a second more seriously wounded. he is this morning listed in critical but stable condition. let us check the morning commute

with sarah caldwell. >> i think folks are still on vacation because we are looking at a quiet ride. just one delay in white marsh southbound, and one problem spot southbound 29 with some debris in the road. otherwise, speed sensors look really good and you're driving times as well. 11 minutes on the west and north side of outer loop. southbound 95 from of the 895 split -- west side, 40 west looking good and we will switch to the one delay this morning, southbound 95, not even as bad as we normally see it from white -- white marsh to the beltway. >> absolutely gorgeous. the son will be up until 8:36 p.m. when it sets and then beautiful clear skies tonight. 68 degrees downtown, 61 at the airport. cooler than normal start but we will go to normal level,

seasonal conditions, 84 degrees to 88 degrees. winds are light out of the northwest. mostly sunny -- partly cloudy tomorrow. after the front hits we will be cooler for the middle part of the week. 80 degrees wednesday, 76 degrees on thursday and 81 degrees on friday. more humidity returned by saturday and sunday. >> thank you. check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic.

7:30 on this monday morning. 6th of july, 2009. happy looking group of folks enjoying some of the best weather of the summer out in rockefeller plaza. we'll step outside to say hey in just a bit. inside studio 1a i'm meredith vieira alongside natalie morales. matt is off today. coming up, debbie rowe and the future of michael jackson's children. will she seek custody of the two children with jackson and his third child? we'll get into that coming up. a "today" investigation that every parent will want to see. there are a number of public pools continuing to use drain covers that were banned by the government last year. it's been the cause of dozens of

injuries and some deaths. we'll tell you what you need to know. later the sister of amanda knox will be with us exclusively live from italy to update us on her sister's murder trial and tell us how amanda knox is holding up. first, let's get to what could become a difficult custody battle for michael jackson's children. chris jansing is in enseeno, california, with the latest. good morning to you, chris. >> reporter: good morning. as part of the custody case we learned that child welfare officials are looking into the care michael jackson's children got while he was alive because of the large number of drugs allegedly found in the home. they have been here to katherine jackson's house because she's the temporary guardian and if debbie rowe decides to shoe fue custody, she'll be next for investigators. as we see in this new tape, debbie rowe may already feel at pressure. she's the mother of the world's most watched children. >> are you ready to fight for

your children? are you ready to get your butt kicked? don't touch me. >> reporter: she wasn't from a dermatologist assistance to international intrigue with her shocking marriage to michael jackson in 1996 and the birth of two children. now 12-year-old prince michael and paris now 11. after a 1999 divorce, she all but disappeared until now telling nbc los angeles anchor chuck henry that she wants the children, including blanket, jackson's son by a different mother. >> she said, michael and i had an agreement. he broke the agreement. he died. >> reporter: under california law, rowe has a clear legal claim to custody but a judge will consider much more than biology. >> put yourself in her shoes and say i want them. they're mine. it really begs the question of they don't know her. >> reporter: rowe admitted as much. here she is in 1997 saying the children were her gift to michael. >> he feeds them.

he changes diapers. he reads to them. he sings to them. i don't need to be there. michael -- i would have nothing to do. >> reporter: again in an interview with britain's gm dtv in 2003. >> my kids don't call me mom because i don't want them to. they're not -- they're michael's children. >> reporter: in his whiill, jackson specified none of his assets should go to rowe. katherine jackson wants her grandchildren in a 22-page petition for guardianship, she says the grandkids have no relationship with their mother. if rowe fights for custody, her house will be next to be inspected. >> what's the biggest thing debbie rowe has going for her? >> she's their mother. >> reporter: whether by preference or legal agreement, rowe has always avoided the spotlight. to win custody, she'll have to willingly step into the media

glare. >> do not touch me! >> reporter: now blindingly brighter than ever. debbie rowe said she has a good relationship with the jackson family but we don't know if she's been invited to the public or private memorial for michael jackson. we're told katherine jackson will decide whether the three children will attend tomorrow's public service. meredith? >> chris jansing, thank you very much. dan abrams is nbc's chief legal analysts and we also have a psychologist here with us. if debbie rowe decides to fight to get custody what will work in her favor and what will possibly work against her? >> number one working in her favor is her biology. the fact that she's the mother. there's almost a presumption. >> we're not sure that she is. >> if she says she's willing to take a dna test and if she turns out to be the biological mother, that's going to be the most important thing working in her favor. the most important thing working against her is the fact that she's basically said throughout

the years i don't need to see the children. she's given up the right to visit these children. the presumption going in if she's the biological parent that she would get the children. she's going to have to ask for all three children and not just two. >> she said she would ask for all three if that would mean she would get custody and keep them together. would a judge agree to something like that? the third child, blanket, has no relationship with her. none at all. >> the third child does have a relationship with the other two. when you look at what's in the best interest of the children, a court is going to want to try to keep that family together particularly because that's going to be the most important thing to the other two children if one other shichild they know keeping that child with them. >> when you pay attention to quotes from debbie about relationship with kids she said in 2003 my kids don't call me mom because i don't want them to. they're michael's children. how damaging will her words be?

>> i think they will come back to haunt her if she wants to, you know, continue this fight. >> what do they say about her in terms of her mothering? >> well, it says a lot about her relinquishing her ability to want to mother and to be engaged as a mother. it says to not only us but to the children that i'm not a part of your life so for me the big concern is what does it say to children when they might feel rejected by the mother who is the only person they knew as mother and she wasn't even their mother. their mother was michael and she w was also their father. there would have to be a lot are work to be done to create a relationship. it's not to rebuild but to build from scratch a relationship. the issue about the three siblings together is paramount because the children lost their father, the only parent they knew, and to keep them together is a major important issue. >> any indication that the judge would favor katherine because

that's what michael wanted. he wanted his mother to gain custody. >> it helps a little. you can't just say in your will what happens to your children. the legal standard remains what's in the best interest of those children. so the judge is going to have to look at the totality of the circumstances. it's a factor but it won't necessarily rule the day. >> any chance they would call the children into the court or do some sort of deposition outside of court and say what would you like? >> possible. they would like to avoid it but possible. >> they like to avoid it. it is possible. the other thing in favor of his mother is the children have a relationship with her and have had an ongoing relationship with her as the grandmother. >> working against her is her age. >> her age is definitely against her. >> we have to leave. thank you so much. your website is launching today. good luck on that one. >> tomorrow i'll be live at the staples center with the latest from the michael jackson memorial and live coverage begins at 1:00 p.m. eastern,

10:00 a.m. pacific time. let's get a check of the weather from the weather channel's stephanie abrams, who is in for al today. >> what are you here doing? >> dancing.

>> sheriff, thank you for >> all you have to do is go to weather.com. over to you. >> thank you. still to come, new development from the murder trial of american college student, amanda knox. we'll talk to knox's sister who is in italy to celebrate her sister's birthday. warning to parents. the safety violations in public pools that could put your family at risk. that's right after this.

this morning "today" investigates safety violations in public pools across the country that could put your family in serious danger. lisa myers has details. good morning. >> reporter: the danger involves these. pool drain covers that can trap a swimmer under water. they're so hazardous that the federal government banned them in all public pools last year. our investigation found that these illegal drains are still being used in thousands of pools from coast to coast. for children, pool drains are a natural curiosity. they also can be deadly.

drains can pack up to 800 pounds of suction force. if a child gets too close, their hair or bodies can be sucked in. in some cases trapping them underwater. watch what happened when we put this rubber toy on a drain. three adult men could not pull it off. >> i've been doing injury prevention for 15 years. these stories are as tragic and horrific as i've ever heard. >> reporter: 6-year-old abigale taylor fell on the drain at her family's club. the suction pulled out her intest yens and she later died. it took the death of 7-year-old graham baker, granddaughter of james baker, to finally spur federal action. >> she couldn't get up. >> reporter: her mother says her

daughter was playing here when she became stuck by the suction and drown. >> it took two adults to pull her off. >> reporter: after five years of tireless lobbying for the baker family, congress passed the virginia graham baker pool safety act mandated that all public pools, any pool outside a private home, replace their flat screen covers with new safer covers by the end of 2008. >> the new drain covers are engineered differently so that they are domed. you won't get that entrapment. >> reporter: our investigation found that many public pools are violating this federal law. still using the folksily dangerous drain covers six months after the government mandated they switch. we found them in pools all over the country as family resorts like these in south florida and at three different hotel chains in southern california.

at this marriott inn outside of l.a., we found kids playing just feet from illegal drains in the pool and spa. they said that new drain covers will be installed soon. officials say most of our pools are in compliance and the consumer product safety commission did not mandate that pools be closed while awaiting modification. in your view in the case of public pools or hotel pools which aren't compliant, should they be closed down? >> absolutely. >> reporter: of the 14 pools we checked in four states, half were not in compliance. and health departments across the country gave a similar number. in denver and indianapolis, roughly 50% of pools use illegal drains. in some counties in florida, it's 70%. in los angeles county, a

whopping 90% of pools still have them. so who is supposed to be enforcing this law? the consumer product safety commission is the federal agency in charge but it doesn't have the resources to conduct nationwide pool inspections. that's up to state and local officials. but some of them tell us that they don't have the power to enforce this requirement because it's a federal law. that has left thousands of public pools free to operate with potentially dangerous drains. >> that's absolutely not acceptable. >> reporter: we shared our findings with the newly appointed chair of the consumer product safety commission. are you prepared to tell the states that any pool which has not complied with this law needs to be closed down immediately? >> i'm prepared to tell the attorneys general that and the state agencies that compliance is mandatory. there was no grace period. they have to comply with this

law now. >> reporter: marriott hotels says that your agency is not mandating that pools be closed down while awaiting the safety changes. >> i'll call the ceo and say you need to make sure all of your pools make these standards. >> reporter: nancy baker worries every day of delay could mean heartbreak for another family. >> if they don't fix it, it will happen. it's just a matter of where. it will happen again. >> reporter: some cities are taking the law seriously. for example here in washington, d.c. all municipal pools have been converted to new safer drains. where we found noncompliant pools we notified the pool owner or manager and in many problems the pool was fixed. it's tough to tell by looking whether a drain is complaint or not so the recommendation is families talk to the pool manager before taking a swim. >> so much work needs to be

done. what about pools in private homes? what's the advice there? do they need to have the new safe drains? >> reporter: these private homes are exempt from the new law. safety experts recommend that you make the change any way. it should cost only a few hundred dollars. they also recommend that you teach your child to stay away from all pool drains to be safe. >> good advice there. lisa myers, thank you so much. such an eye opener. just ahead, michael jackson's unheard new music. his collaborateor and friend, akon shares exclusive insight.

that was the odds of winning tickets to tomorrow's public memorial for michael jackson. rob from houston, texas, was one of the lucky view to win a pair. just how shocked were you when you got the news? >> i was brolown out of the wat. you can't go to l.a. to get the tickets. why did you want to sign up for the memorial in the first place? >> sometimes you enter a contest just for the fun of it never expecting to win anything. in this case i just happened to win. it shocked me to death. >> and as i know as you told jeff rossen earlier, you lost your job so you're in a

difficult situation. you actually planned to sell the tickets on ebay. have you had a lot of interest so far? i think you listed them for $15,000. >> i bumped the price down because i felt that maybe that would just be overextending things too much. i don't want to be the bad guy here. i'm doing something for my family and trying to look out for our kids. my daughter needs heart surgery. she was born with a heart condition. she's 6 months old. i'm just looking at things that have happened in my life recently and looking what i've been given as a gift that i won't be able to use and i rather put it to use doing something good to my family, my wife who has worked hard to keep us afloat. >> from what i understand, you have to personally pick up those vouchers with a valid i.d. otherwise the tickets are not valid at all. if you sell them, i don't think they're worth anything? >> if i do happen to sell them by chance, i have offered and i will continue to offer, a conditional refund policy if for

any reason the purchaser can't get admitted and can provide proof that they were denied access, i'll gladly refund the money. it's not really a big deal to me. >> all right. appreciate it this morning. congratulations. >> thank you very much. have a great day. >> all right. just ahead, the sister of amanda knox, the american college student on trial for murder in italy speaks out exclusively. >> the first time she's seen her sister since before the trial. an exclusive interview after your local news and weather.

>> good morning, everybody. i'm stan stovall. baltimore county police need help finding what they are calling a critically missing person. this is 46-year-old jeffrey alan neuberger, seen walking south -- shortly before 130 this morning. the search is on going but if you have seen this man called the county police at 410-22- 8610. let us check the morning commute.

>> good morning, everyone. we look at light volume. but some problem spot. northbound 95 at 32, right lane closure. heavy, northbound 295, 197 to 198. problem right at jarrett to build pike due to debris. -- jarrettsville. liberty road, an accident there. 95 from four mchenry come out of the tunnel, free. no other problems other than delay at the white marsh reappeared looking here at west side at baltimore pike. >> absolutely gorgeous. it feels pretty pleasant. 68 downtown. that is the warm location. chile in york. 65 in annapolis and the forecast for today calls for a high where it should be, 86 degrees to 87

degrees for central maryland. absolutely beautiful with mostly sunny skies but the humidity will be kept at bay. >> you can check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic throughout the morning and the next update coming at 8:25 a.m..

8:00 on this monday morning, july 6th, 2009. we have a terrific post-holiday group on our plaza. i'm meredith vieira. along with natalie morales. matt has date off. one of the last artists to work closely with michael jackson, producer and singer akon. he worked with the king of pop on new music. a man he describes as a big brother. akon is with us to tell us about those unheard songs and his relationship with michael as well. >> we'll hear a little bit of

that song that was released. i look forward to that. also the student who is on trial for murder in italy turns 22 this week and her family is there to be with her. we'll speak with her sister to find out how amanda is doing and what amanda told her about her one-time boyfriend also charged with murder. on a much lighter note, we'll show you the four gown options you get a chance to vote for for our "today" throws a wedding bride. one of the gowns has pockets. i love that. >> that's my favorite part. picking the gown. >> and the ring. i like the ring. let's get a check of headlines with hoda kotb. >> fear is gripping gaffney, south carolina, following five murders in the last ten days. on sunday funerals were held for two of the victims and what officials believe is a serial killer. suspect is believed to be in his

40s. they are following hundreds of leads. president obama is in moscow today for a two-day summit with the russian president. russia says the u.s. must scrap plans for a defense system in eastern europe. officials in los angeles are preparing for huge crowds for tuesday's public memorial service of michael jackson. it will be largely a somber occasion but 17,000 fans are celebrating after winning tickets to the event at the staples center. that's where the pop star spent his last night rehearsing for his comeback tour. meredith will be at the staples center for live coverage of tuesday's events tomorrow on "today" and at 1:00 p.m. eastern, brian williams will host nbc's coverage of the memorial service. the president of honduras will try to return to his country and reclaim his office. his plane was blocked from landing by military vehicles.

thousands clashed at the airport. one man was shot to death and at least 30 were hurt. violent street battles in western china killed after a group rigoted on sunday. this is the deadliest ethnic unrest there in decades. a rare tire at the top of the box office. "ice age dawn of the dinosaurs" and transformers revenge of the fallen" took in 42.5 million over the weekend. "public enemies" was next. time for a check of the weather. in for al is weather channel's stephanie abrams. >> announcer: today's weather brought t t

>> natalie, dancers every where i see you found some. >> they're from rockford, michigan.

the rockford dance group. here they are looking beautiful in pink i should say. thanks to you, stephanie. coming up, the sister of amanda knox, the american college student on trial for murder in italy speaks out. we'll hear from her as she gets ready to see her sister for the first time in more than six months. right after this. (announcer) home is a stubborn optimist.

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adding lipitor may help. unlike some other cholesterol lowering medications, lipitor is fda approved to reduce the risk... of heart attack, stroke, and certain kinds of heart surgeries... in patients with several common risk factors... or heart disease. lipitor has been extensively studied... with over 16 years of research. lipitor is not for everyone, including people with liver problems... and women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. you need simple blood tests to check for liver problems. tell your doctor if you are taking other medications, or if you have any muscle pain or weakness. this may be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. i was caught off-guard. but maybe you can learn from my story. have a heart to heart with your doctor... about your risk. and about lipitor. now to the latest from the murder trial of amanda knox. in a moment we'll talk exclusively with her sister.

first, keith miller has the latest from court. keith, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. in fact, amanda knox's defense team is attempting to take the prosecution case apart. they called to the stand today one of italy's leading forensic scientists and he took the stand with very strong affects. arriving from her prison cell, amanda knox was aware this was a crucial day in her effort to prove her innocence. a crime scene investigator was called to explain how a victim was attacked and killed by a single assailant in the house she shared with knox. the prosecution theory is that knox, her former boyfriend and another man were high on drugs and killed the victim in a sex game gone wrong. court was closed to the public because of the graphic nature of

some of the crime scene evidence. using pictures taken by the police, the forensic scientist dismissed the knife the prosecution contends was the murder weapon explaining the wounds were too small to be caused by such a large weapon. knox will turn 22 years old this week. her second birthday behind bars. her mother cannot bring a cake but presents are allowed. >> not anything wrapped. we're bringing her a few things. the same stuff we bring her. cloth clothes, cds, books. >> reporter: in a bizarre twist, the prosecutor could also face time in jail. he was in court last week in florence the subject of an investigation into improper conduct in a previous ongoing murder investigation. a verdict in his case is pending. the way this trial is evolving you can tell by the nicknames given to amanda knox. she started out when she was

arrested 20 months ago as foxy knoxy and then the italian press called her the black widow morphing into angel face and now we're told on good authority that amanda knox is known in prison as bambi. what a trial. >> you can see that again. amanda knox turns 22 on thursday. members of her family are in italy to celebrate her birthday with her including knox's sister. she is with us this morning. good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith. >> the last time you saw your sister it was last december before the trial. you said at the time she seemed nervous to you. how does she seem now? >> now that she's finished with her testimony, she feels confident and she's less nervous about the trial now that her part is finished. >> when she walked into court this weekend she, was smiling and happy. i know you were able to sit a

few feet from her and mouth words back and forth. at one point she flexed her muscle at you. what was that all about? >> that was the fourth of july. i was telling her that i was wearing red, white and blue for the american pride and she put her arms up and was, like, yes, strength and showed it to us. it was something really silly that someone snapped a shot of. >> over the weekend the defense turned a lot of attention to your sister's former italian boyfriend. prosecutors described him as a wild womanizer but the court heard testimony from some of his friends who describe him as shy. right after amanda met him sh, sent you an e-mail. what did she say in that e-mail? >> she talked about how she met this nice italian boy who was helping her with her italian and

said he looked a little bit like harry potter. >> that's how she compared him? >> yeah. lighter hair. if you see him in person, you can definitely tell that he looks like him. >> it's my understanding that they broke up after the arrest but but they communicated through letters while in jail and this weekend he gave her a piece of chocolate. how would you describe their relationship right now if there is a relationship? >> i think their relationship is good. i would describe it as friends. they sit on the same table in the courtroom. they talk -- they can't talk but they smile at each other and he can also wave at us. their relationship is good. >> i know he sent letters to your family as well. what does i write about? >> well, he writes to our stepdad about computer game

stuff because he's into computers like our stepdad is. nothing about the trial. just normal stuff. >> the last time i talked to your mom and also to a friend of aman amanda's both were confident when this is done she'll republbe released and found not guilty. do you share that thought after the testimony of this expert witness? >> yes. i feel much more confident after today. i always have known that she would be released but today boosted everyone's confidence she'll be found innocent soon. >> she'll celebrate her 22nd birthday on thursday. family and friends will be with her. what present are you giving to her? >> well, we're not allowed to bring in a lot of stuff into the jail. we have some clothes for her for stuff that she can wear to trial

and i have a big stack of birthday cards from everyone that she knows that i brought in my suitcase and will give to her as a package in the jail. >> and your birthday wish for her? >> to be happy. to be confident. we all know that she's not going to be released by thursday so i want her to be confident and happy. >> i thank you so much for joining us this morning. >> thank you for having me. >> and up next, akon joins us exclusively to talk about the unreleased michael jackson recordings that he worked on with his mentor and his friend. that's right after this.

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gramny nominated artist akon was one of the last to work with michael jackson. they worked on new material for what would have been jackson's next album, "the comeback album" akon is with us exclusively. good morning to you. how did you end up collaborating with michael on that album? >> it was exciting. peter lopez, who was an attorney working with mike at the time, me and him were close friends. mike was trying to find someone to work with this release and peter called me and michael on the phone in a freeway. i thought he was joking. i hung up on him. >> no way michael jackson would be talking now is. >> of course not. peter plays games like that sometimes. i thought it was a prank. come to find out it was really him. i flew out to vegas the following day and hooked up with

him. >> was this like a dream come true for you to work with jackson? >> absolutely. >> so he was somebody that you had admired as a person and an artist for a long time? >> he was definitely on my top to do list one day hopefully to work with mike. >> what was your impression of him when you did finally meet him? >> that was the strangest experience i ever had in my life. from the perception, i never knew what to expect. i didn't know how the chemistry would work. we met it was, like, as if we knew each other for years. an instant connection. >> he put you at ease immediately? >> immediately. he is extremely funny. we had a lot of good times and talks. it was not the personality i expected from mike. >> what did you expect him to be like? >> i expected him to be more like a diva. less talkative. distant. send messages through other people. he was so direct. so humble. it was incredible.

>> that work experience, working with him as a performer, how would you describe him his work ethic? >> his work ethic was immatchable. in the studio -- we reminded each other of ourselves because of the way we work in the studio. of course on stage there's no comparison. he's a perfectionist. he wants it to be right. if he presents it to the rest of the world there will be people pay attention so he wanted to be sure he gave them a show. >> you not only collaborated on the album but you completed a song called "hold my hand." it was for your album. let's take a listen. ♪ tell me what you're waiting for ♪ ♪ hold my hand

♪ hold my hand ♪ you've been ever for ♪ we'll be all right ♪ when it gets going hold each other tight ♪ >> how do you feel when you hear that song? the first line, this life don't last forever. >> it's just -- it's more so the conversations that we had before we did this record. he always wanted to bring people together. out of that came the concept of holding hands. unite. make the long chain. that connection as one. it didn't really hit me just now until you asked that question. life don't last forever. you have to make the best of it and leave something behind that people can cherish. >> it sounds beautiful. why wasn't it released? why do you want it out now?

>> it was the anticipation of it. when you have an audience base that's so strong, people don't want to wait. unfortunately the song got leaked over the internet. >> why did it end up on your album? >> it was supposed to be for his album. for the new album. it was more so the time line of when the album would be done. we said we'll put it on both. >> the dream is that it would eventually come out. you last spoke with him three months ago. at that time was he optimistic about his future? what was his move? >> excitement for the new tour. he didn't realize just how much

people were still into him after he sold out those dates. it was, like, wow, i'm back. not like he ever went anywhere. it was just a sense of knowing and that security of knowing that my fans are die-hard fans and they'll be here for me. i want to give them best i got. >> you said it was important to show his kids because they had never seen him as a performer. >> never seen him in that light. this is something he wanted to do for them. he wanted them to experience what they had been hearing about and thinking about forever. he wanted to allow them to see his performance firsthand. >> he was a good dad? >> absolutely. he really was. he motivated me to become a better father. even now i'll be on the road just a couple weeks ago i was on a tour bus and i stopped and put the boys on the bus and rode out. knowing how big he is and how

famous and just so overwhelmed with so much if he can make that much time to dedicate to his kids, there's no reason i couldn't. you know what i mean? >> has this sunk in? >> it's starting to sink in. this is my first official public, you know, announcement towards the situation because i was really trying to -- it was just too emotional to deal with. it didn't really kick in until recently. >> if you had to sum up the man in a word? >> unreplaceable. >> will you be at the service. you won't be performing but you'll therebe there to celebra michael's life? >> absolutely. >> that song will be released, right? >> we'll let the family decide. >> thank you for sharing your insights about michael jackson. akon will perform his

>> good morning, i'm mindy basara. here is a look at one of our top stories. one teenage boy is dead and another seriously injured after they were fine -- found on the light rail tracks sunday afternoon not far from blue circleville station -- station. a spokesman says they are confident it will not passengers and zero conductors recall seeing or striking anything. if you have information, -- now a final check of the morning commute. >> good morning, everyone. watching as an act that wraps up on the inner loop southwest side a live view of traffic, wilkens come inner loop at the exit. off to the side.

still attracting attention, enough for delay. watch for that to affect the ride on inner loop. switching to the white marsh area, looking a lot better as the volume is a lot lighter. let us check on on number of other spots -- don goeke, accessible on liberty parkway and a crash at silesville at 97 and liberty road, northbound 95 at 32, an accident, and delays 295 approaching 97. >> look at our temperatures. anywhere from 58 in north pennsylvania to 73 downtown. 67 in bwi marshall. we are right where we should be this time of year commit 80's. wins out of the northwest at 5 miles an hour to 10 miles an hour, and that will keep the humidity at bay. we will see clear stars overnight. an isolated showers, slight

chance of that tomorrow. other than that, a high of 86. >> thank you for joining us. another update at 8:55 a.m.. g $úi@wú" l d@w@z l@'ú$ú'@s @@@

8:30 on this monday morning, july 6th, 2009. hopefully you enjoyed your independence day weekend. coming up in this half hour, akon is going to perform the remix he worked on with michael jackson. king of pop classic "want to be starting something." one week from wednesday we'll throw a wedding right where we're standing. we only have eight days, eight days, to get everything in order for the important day.

that's where you folks at home come in. we need your help picking all of the details. first up, the wedding gown. we'll show you the options in just a bit. >> he doesn't get to see nothing. >> nothing. >> our later segment how to deal with your in-laws. isn't that sweet? we'll meet an explorer on the submission to find the largest freshwater fish on the planet. you will not believe the size of one of the creatures that he's already managed to catch. >> let's get a check of the weather from the weather channel's stephanie abrams in for al. >> good morning

>> you got to check out this cutie here. look at this. it says my face was made for tv. give us a smile there. yeah. 7 year old. over to you. >> i would have to agree with

that sign. made for tv. adorable. coming up next, we need your help in selecting the beautiful gown for our blushing bride for "today throws a wedding" choho@

>> announcer: "today" there's a wedding brought to you by purina. your pets. our passion. >> this morning on "today throws a wedding" it's time to plan nick and leigh's special wedding day. they were picked by you to be the tenth couple to tie the knot here on the plaza. with a wedding about a week away we need your help to pick details starting with the wedding gown and leigh and nick

are here. good morning to everybody. >> good morning. >> leigh, you're breathing differently. deep breaths. you went home over the weekend. how did family and friends react to all of this? >> they're so excited. they're so thrilled. so excited to be here in new york and come celebrate with us. once in a lifetime opportunity. >> today we are going to take a look at the wedding gowns which means you can't look, nick. we have a blindfold. we also have for you headphones because we don't want to you hear anything. time now unless you have one last thing to say? >> i'm good. >> okay. >> so you looked at thousands of gowns in preparation for this. you know it's a vineyard theme. what are you looking for? >> we were looking for -- leigh is petite. we wanted to choose silhouettes

that wouldn't overthrow her frame. >> the first gown brings a red carpet feel. tell us about this. >> gorgeous dress. fabulous on your figure. a nice slim line. at the top it has a crumb catcher that's a beautiful piece of lace and then a lace boddis. look at the skirt. it has a beautiful mermaid silhouette. >> it is very, very elegant. >> very dramatic. >> thank you. we'll move on to dress number two. this one is color for the bride. it's a trend we're seeing. >> a touch of color. you can barely see it.

a touch of pink all over. it's a gorgeous look of the a beautiful waist. detailing around her neckline. beautiful around the top. it goes into this icing. it feels like icing. and look at that dramatic back. a gorgeous back. this is a beautiful tie on there. >> more colors in terms of the bridal gown. >> it has a layer of pink underneath. >> you'll be able to see that. thank you so much. and third up is classic elegant gown. tell us about this particular gown. >> you float down the aisle in this dress. it's light and airy. a beautiful natural waist here. what we loved was the bodis.

a gorgeous accessory. they have pearls and crystals. tiny capped sleeves. the bottom is where they gather the fabric. beautiful. creates shape there. and the skirt is simple to look good on anything but particularly on leigh. >> i love the sleeves. it's so beautiful. >> it's different. it's a gorgeous, different look. >> i'm not noticing any veils. is there a reason? >> we want to focus on the dress. we decide that when we put her all together. >> lastly a modern sleek option. i love this dress. i'm not going to say why. you tell me about it. >> this is just a beautiful dress. it's light and fresh and airy. it would go with the vineyard

theme. tiny seams there. and the best part about it is check out these pockets. no longer search for your lip gloss. >> that's why i love the dress. it's brilliant. >> it's so light. you can dance. it's a really fun and it's just a fresh and light dress. >> a very young looking for a young bride. >> it's not big and dramatic. it feels sophisticated. >> let's bring all of the models back out. if everyone can come back out. leigh, you can get a really good look at all of the gowns. i don't want you to reveal a favorite but what do you think of the gown selection in general? >> they're all amazing. i knew whatever you picked out would be gorgeous. i don't think you can go wrong

with any of them. they're taking my breath away. amazing. >> what is it that you like so much? >> you know, i just think they all have a modern touch but classic in different ways and i like the way that they would fit a more petite figure and they're just all beautiful. >> i love the way nick is blindfolded with headphones on but he was reaching for you, groping for you. they are gorgeous. lovely from very solphisticated to a blush of color and capped sleeves and the pocket. beautiful but different look. >> i would be lucky to wear any of the four. >> thank you so much. now we need the audience to help in solving this. up to you to choose leigh's gown. dress number one, dress number

two, dress number three, or dress number four? you can vote at todayshow.com or text the number of your favorite dress. you have until 4:00 p.m. eastern today. we'll have a decision very, very soon. thank you so much, guys. we'll be back but first this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:44 with national geographic zeb hogan's mission to find the largest stingray. it can kill with a swipe of its tail. this is part of "hooked." zeb hogan is with us. good to have you here. you heard about this giant

stingray on your hunt to find part of a giant catfish which is in southeast asia and thailand. tell me about the project and the megafish project. >> i'm director of the project. it's a search for the world's largest freshwater fish. another way to think about it is to find sturk, study and protec largest species. these are two dozen of freshwater fish that can get over six feet long or weigh more than 200 pounds. >> these are just baby stingrays that we have in our tank this morning. >> they could be carps, catfish, trout, sturgeon, fish that people have heard about before but enormous size. one of those giant fish species is the giant freshwater stingray. >> tell me about your hunt for them. you had local fishermen help you find them. >> that's one of the great things about the project.

we have fishermen who can volunteer with the project to help us catch the fish, tag them, do our science and release them back into the river. >> you caught a bunch but there was one in particular, a pregnant stingray that was just huge. >> yeah. that was amazing. the biggest stingray we got was a huge fish. it was about -- >> all of those people having to hold that net. >> eight feet wide. took 12 people to carry it. we weren't able to weigh it because it was pregnant. we needed to get it back into the river. that stingray could have been the world's largest freshwater fish. >> look at the size of that thing. >> stingray are dangerous. they have a barb. they're not aggressive. unless you step on one or unless you're actually touching a stingray, it's very unlikely that you'll get stung. >> there are a lot of scary looking fish on this series as

well. including the vampire fish which was the last series that aired. you're not on that one. can you tell us about that one as well? >> what i always tell people is people say, zeb, these fish are so ugly. >> why do you do what we do? >> hurts my feelings. >> my gosh. >> ugly but endangered. 70% are threatened with extinction. unless we do something, it's quite likely that some will go extin extinct. >> they look prehistoric. >> they have been on earth for 200 years. >> and that's the vampire? >> yes. >> what about the cousin to the piranha. >> the reason they're weird is they have teeth like we do. you see their teeth. they use them to eat nuts. if you look at their teeth -- >> they don't eat flesh, i hope? >> just strong teeth to crush

nuts. >> what's next in the series? >> we have two dozen species of fish that we're focusing on. we have the stingray tonight on national geographic channel. giant trout. giant white sturgeon in the pacific northwest and species of man eating catfish in india. >> when you look at these babies, these are nothing. >> they're so cute. >> i still wouldn't touch it. you can. i won't. zeb hogan, thanks so much. good luck to you. sounds like a great special. you can catch "hooked" on the national geographic channel. >> a special performance by akon to honor his friend and

we talked to him about his friend answered mentor, michael jackson, earlier. now to perform the remix "wanna be starting something," ladies and gentlemen, akon. ♪ ♪ i met her on a walkway ♪ staring as she walked pass ♪ she looked back at me sideways

and said i can't help but to ask ♪ ♪ i said you wanna be starting something ♪ ♪ we end up going back to her place ♪ ♪ wish i could tell you what i saw ♪ ♪ the sexiest woman in a neclace shade ♪ ♪ we hit off until the morning ♪ until you heard her say ♪ ama ma se ♪ billy jean is always talking ♪ when nobody else is talking ♪ telling lies and rubbing shoulders ♪ ♪ so they called her mouth a motor ♪ ♪ someone's always trying to

start my baby crying ♪ ♪ hard to get over ♪ too low to get under ♪ you're stuck in the middle ♪ the pain is thunder ♪ you love to pe tend that you're good ♪ ♪ when you're always up to no good ♪ ♪ you really can't make him hate her ♪ ♪ so your tongue became a razor ♪ ♪ someone's always trying to get my baby crying ♪ ♪ talking squealing lying you got my baby crying ♪ ♪ it's too high to get over ♪ too low to get under ♪ you're stuck in the middle ♪ and the pain is thunder ♪ it's too high to get over ♪ too low to get under ♪ you're stuck in the middle

♪ and the pain is thunder ♪ ma ma se, ma ma sa ♪ ma ma coo sa ♪ love my baby ♪ always thinking about you ♪ i want to be back ♪ with that look on your face ♪ ma ma se, ma ma sa

♪ ma ma coo sa >> we'll look at his new tribute in pictures to the king of pop and how to get along with the in-laws. first, your local news and weather.

>> good morning. i mindy basara. here is a look at some of our top stories. baltimore city police arrested

two people after a double stabbing. just before 2:00 this morning near east lombard and president. people leaving a club when an argument broke out in a fight. a male victim received a cut on his arm and a second was more seriously wounded. a person was taken to the hospital and listed in critical but stable condition. in 19-year-old was stabbed shortly after the downtown fourth of july fireworks. 33-year-old derrick for and got into a fight with a group of people. a 14-year-old was also taken to hospital. police say the juvenile was very uncooperative, making the investigation harder.

let us take a look at your forecast. >> a good monday. beautiful sky conditions. mostly sunny, 87. but we will lack the humidity which is typical for july so feeling even better.

83 in ocean city because of a nice lead-based seabury's. northwesterly float in baltimore. for tomorrow, maybe a few more clouds of the afternoon. that will cool things down for wednesday, thursday, and friday. thursday, only 76 and maybe pop up afternoon thunderstorms. by the weekend the humidity and he tries to become that. >> thank you for joining us. another update at 9:25 a.m.. another update at 9:25 a.m..

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