good morning. breaking news. former president bill clinton making a surprise visit to north korea this morning to negotiate the release of two u.s. journalists. will they be coming home with him? depressed nation. a new report finds the use of antidepressants doubled over nine years. what's going on? and courtroom surprise. michael jackson's dermatologist asks for a say in the custody of

jackson's two oldest children. why is he so interested? we'll ask katherine jackson's attorney in an exclusive interview "today," tuesday, attorney in an exclusive interview "today," tuesday, august 4th, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and welcome to "today" on this tuesday morning, i'm meredith vieira. >> and i'm matt lauer. let's start by talking about that breaking news this morning. former president bill clinton is in north korea, hoping to bring american journalists laura ling and euna lee back home with him. >> president clinton arrived in north korea's capital city pyongyang in an unusually warm welcome. this is just the second time a former president has traveled to north korea. ling and lee have been detained there for 4 1/2 months. they were convicted of entering the country illegally and committing hostile acts in june. we're going to get the very latest in just a moment. >> a little later on, a very strange case coming to us from

wisconsin. three women are accused of luring a man who was supposedly cheating on all of them to a motel room to seek revenge. you aren't going to believe what police say they did to try to settle the score. let us just say it involves crazy glue. >> ouch. so those healthy sandwiches you pick up may not be so healthy after all. we'll get into that in a little while. but we begin with former president bill clinton's surprise visit to north korea to try to bring two american journalists home. nbc's savannah guthrie is at the white house with more. savannah, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. no comment from here at the white house on the former president's unannounced visit out of concern for the safety of the journalists. but experts say it's unlikely that clinton would go there unless assured of success. president bill clinton arrived in north korea this morning on an unmarked plane, greeted by a little girl holding flowers. the former president is reportedly there to negotiate for the return of two american journalists, euna lee and laura

ling. the two were reporting on a story in mid-march when the north took them into custody. they were later tried and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for entering into north korean territory illegally. lisa ling spoke to her sister in late may, appearing on the "today" show with matt lauer. >> they're very, very scared. you know, imagine 11:00, phone rings, and i hear this little voice on the other end of the line saying, hi, it's me. we haven't heard their voices in over 2 1/2 months. so, they're scared. >> reporter: secretary of state hillary clinton recently asked the north for amnesty. >> we're engaged in all possible ways to every possible channel to secure their release, and we once again urge north korea to grant their immediate release on humanitarian grounds. >> reporter: well, all of this comes, of course, as tensions between the united states and north korea are at a high point. this spring, the north set off another nuclear device, has been launching missiles, and there's

been a lot of tension between hillary clinton and the north. there's also new u.n. sanctions. so it's a very, very tense time. the white house all along has said that it hopes the north would separate these two issues, separate the journalist issue from the nuclear issue. unclear whether the north treats it that way. meredith? >> savannah, any indication as to why bill clinton was chosen as the special envoy? >> reporter: well, it's very interesting, it's a big name and a big part to play. of course the white house isn't commenting on it. but clinton has a history with north korea. he almost traveled there in 2000, and of course he struck a nuclear deal with the north in 1994. it fell apart in 2003. but the north feels that he has shown some respect, according to many experts. and of course his wife, the secretary of state, hillary clinton, has been deeply involved in trying to get their release. >> all right, savannah guth are you, thank you so much. we're going to bring in republican senator lindsay graham from south carolina. senator graham, good morning to you, sir. >> good morning. >> what message does this send to north korea, sending bill clinton as a special envoy to

try to secure the release of these two american journalists? >> it's a try orty of our government at the highest level and that the world is watching how you interact with president clinton, and hopefully they will step up to the plate and let the young ladies go. >> there are reports, senator, that the u.s. would never send bill clinton unless there were some assurances that, indeed, he would get the job done. so does this trip at all seem to you that there may be some improved relations between our two countries? that this is a sign of that? >> you would expect that you would not send a former president, knowing that he's not likely to be successful. i don't know what this is. from the family point of view of the young ladies, this is great news and i hope they are released and maybe we can build upon this to do something better when it comes to lethal weapons. >> when you say you don't know what this is, can you be more specific? >> i don't know if this is the beginning of something larger, or it's just a effort, a humanitarian breakthrough in this particular case. it would be nice if it's the found apgs for a better relationship. >> would you approve of the

former president addressing the nuclear program in north korea while he is there trying to release -- negotiate the release of these two women? >> if he has the authority to do so by the administration, i don't believe in cowboy diplomacy and i know this would not be that case. but, yes, if he could sit down with the north koreans and convey a message from the administration and the congress to be more reasonable when it comes to verifying their nuclear program, and getting away there the development of nuclear weapons, it would be a good thing. >> you were also one of the senators who had pressured the white house to classify north korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. >> right. they're not inconsistent. you've got to deal with people at every level. >> so you think you can have each of them and then that's fine. you can say first of all, this is a state sponsored terrorism, but we want to talk to them? >> exactly. the truth is you're doing things you should not do. let's see if we can have a better relationship. it would be a win-win for both countries. maybe this is a breakthrough. i hope. >> let me switch gears and talk about domestic policy. the whus said yesterday that the president is going to hold true

to his campaign promise that he will not tax the middle class, people earning less than $250,000. you smile as i say that. you not trust the white house when they say that? >> well, it's not a matter of trust. we all make statements to try to get elected. then you have to govern. you know the top 1% pay 40% of the taxes. the top 5% pay 60% of the taxes. when you look out over the next 50 years and have a long view of america, we're going to have toics and the tax base. we have 40% of americans who work, who pay no federal income tax, and that's just unsustainable over time. so eventually we're going to have to expand the tax base in this country to get more people in the game in terms of paying federal income tax. the sustained programs we already have that are, quite frankly unsustainable at the current revenue. >> you're saying the president cannot hold to that campaign promise? >> i don't think anybody over time can deal with medicare and social security, which are trillions of dollars underfunded, without tremendous reform and looking at ways to

generate more revenue. you've got to reform the programs, generate more revenue, but you can't tax your way into solvency when it comes to medicare, which is $36 trillion underfunded. >> one of the programs in the stimulus package is cash for clunkers, which seems to have been a success. it's bringing people into the dealerships. cars are being sold. but the administration has said that they are going to run out of gas, that program, by the end of the week, unless the senate approves another $2 billion. are you prepared to do that, senator? >> yeah, i think the program is real good. i hope it comes out of the stimulus package and doesn't add to the debt. it seems to have worked. the tax code has been used to get people to buy homes, an $8,000 credit for a first-time home buyer. you've got tax advantages if you buy a hybrid car that will help the environment over the time. so i think probably the senate will act this week and get some of the clunkers off the road. but we've got to realize where we're going as a nation. how much involvement by the government in the private sector, where does it begin? where does it end?

that's a big question for us all. >> but for now you will approve the $2 billion? >> yeah, i think the senate will pass it. >> senator lindsey graham, thank you so much for your time this morning. >> busy morning. let's go over to the newsdesk. ann, good morning to you. >> matt, and meredith, good morning. >> also in the news, today a plane skidded off a runway and crashed into the control tower in thailand. the bangkok airways plane with 72 people aboard had just landed in bad weather on a resort island. the pilot was killed and more than 30 other people were injured. the taliban is claiming responsibility for firing at least eight rockets into kabul, the capital of afghanistan overnight. at least one person, a child, was wounded. one of the rockets landed near the u.s. embassy in kabul. today, at least four people are accused of plotting a terror attack in australia. police say the suspects, with ties to a somali group linked to al qaeda, were planning to open fire inside an australian military base. overseas markets are mostly lower this morning and cnbc's trish regan is at the new york stock exchange. trish, what is wall street

watching today? >> well, ann, you know, there could be a little bit of profit taking on the heels of yesterday's rally. based on the s&p climb above 1,000 for the first time since last fall. overall, there's suddenly a little bit more optimism on wall street, which is a good thing. investors are anticipating that the economy will recover in the second half of this year. they're pointing to strong corporate profits, and also that gdp figure that we saw last week. now a number of top economists have come out and revised their forecasts going forward, anticipating positive growth in the third quarter, so all of that bodes well. ann? >> all right, trish regan, thanks so much. and facing a $7 billion loss this year, the u.s. postal service is considering closing or combining almost 700 post offices around the country. the postal service is losing money as increasingly people are turning to the internet. man the world is changing. >> all right, ann, thank you very much. weather changing?

>> our outfit should be changing. we're all wearing beige. >> khaki day here on the "today" show. >> ann didn't get the memo. >> i'm the holdout. i didn't realize. >> all right. actually we do have a little bit of a change coming up. looks like what we're expecting today, some severe weather in the midwest. heavy thunderstorms expected, strong winds, hail, from kansas city out to cincinnati, on into central ohio. columbus seeing some strong storms right now, as this front works its way through. we're looking at those storms firing up. rain falal >> not too far from our neck of the woods. high-pressure still holding up today. 87 to 91 degrees. calling for an official-90 at b.w.i. marshall. showers and storms by late tomorrow aft

that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al, thank you very much. now the latest in the michael jackson case, in a surprising court, jackson's dermatologist now claims he wants some kind of a say in the custody and upbringing of jackson's children. nbc's jeff rossen was in the courtroom when this happened. jeff, good morning to you. >> reporter: hey, matt, good morning to you. just when you thought custody was all wrapped up in a nice little bow, along comes dr. arnie klein, in a move that shocked the judge, it shocked the jacksons, and the entire courtroom. dr. klein's own lawyer suddenly challenged the custody deal. the judge asked why? and then the mystery deepened. dr. arnie klein just went from beverly hills dermatologist to self-proclaimed protector of michael jackson's kids. in court monday his lawyer dropped a bombshell, telling the judge, dr. klein has unique interests in michael's children, but wouldn't say what those interests are.

in a statement, he said, dr. klein was acting on promises he made to michael with respect to assuring the language long-term health and stability of the children. but this out-of-the blue move only fuels tabloid reports that dr. arnie klein is really the biological father of 12-year-old prince and 11-year-old paris. >> most sources have come forward to "us weekly" and said that arnold klein is the biological father of michael jackson's two eldest children. >> reporter: he didn't exactly deny it on cnn last month. >> i don't think i should go over my legal affairs. i think to the best of my knowledge i'm not the father. >> reporter: dr. klein was jackson's dermatologist, whose medical records were subpoenaed as part of the investigation. monday the judge denied his request for a voice in the kids' lives. >> we look at fatherhood and motherhood as who's been doing the job. not, who's got the genetics. >> reporter: the judge approved the original custody deal. giving katherine jackson full guardianship, and debbie rowe visitation. after the hearing, rowe's lawyer told me it was the right

decision. and said this at the podium. >> today's result, 5 1/2 weeks after the tragic death of michael jackson, eliminates uncertainty and offers some stability to the lives of these children. >> reporter: michael jackson supported his family. now that he's gone, so is the money. katherine asked for an allowance to help raise the kids. monday the judge approved it. the exact amount wasn't disclosed. but the biggest battle of all, lives another day. the battle over jackson's des tate and who controls it, has been delayed until october. >> busy day in court. we've also learned this morning that the jackson estate is negotiating four separate deals right now, including movies and merchandising. that could net the estate, matt, more than a million dollars in pure profit. >> all right, jeff, thanks very much. katherine jackson's attorney is with us exclusively this morning. good to see you again. >> good morning. good morning, matt, how are you? >> i'm all right. thanks very much. so the expected in court.

katherine jackson gets permanent custody of the three children. michael wanted that. he stated that in his will. the deal with debbie rowe that you helped to work out, the agreement, she gets visitation, and then this bizarre twist, landle, where the attorney for dr. arnold klein says he's got a unique interest in these children and wants some kind of a say. did that strike you as odd? >> it was quite bizarre. but let me first say that it was a great day for these children, it was a great day for mrs. jackson, and debbie rowe to put this behind them, and to many out there who are watching, to have one less thing to be consumed by on a daily basis. dr. klein's counsel's appearance was quite odd. he has no legal standing, and the judge was kind enough to at least allow him to be heard. but was quickly able to dispense with the appearance and his lack

of standing in the matter. >> but why -- what do you make of this unique interest, as you heard a second ago in a previous interview, he said to the best of his knowledge he's not the biological father of these children. now he's got some unique interest. he has no legal standing. what if he is proven to be the biological father? does that change things? >> well, the concept of unique interest has no legally cognizable standard in the law. he is not going to be the legal parent, even if he was somehow genetically connected to these children. >> well, might he have some input? here's what the statement says, dr. klein has always had a special relationship with paris, katherine and prince michael, loves and cares deeply for this children, is looking out for their best interests. dr. klein has been involved with the children in sharing holidays and other special events, and wishes to have the ability to continue his involvement as a very close friend of their father and offers his guidance

and protection forever. does katherine jackson have any intention of giving him visitation, any kind of a say at all? >> absolutely not, to my understanding. it is somewhat interesting from a media standpoint, but it has no basis of relevance from a legal standpoint. he has no standing, and we just moved quickly on to the proceedings that were at hand yesterday. >> let me just ask you another question. i know katherine jackson had expressed some interest in being an executor of the will, that hasn't happened. no court has sided with her on that. you said it might be a good idea if she becomes one of the trustees. what legal power would that give her? >> that would give her legal power to observe and to review, oversee and protect the legacy of her son, which, at the time of his death, there can be really no question, in fact, and we can prove that she was the most trusted person for her son,

michael jackson. not just from a personal standpoint, but also from a business standpoint. >> right. >> the will was drafted by mr. brankowicz's firm and he has a fine firm and a great entertainment firm. but at the same time, a lot has changed from 2002 to 2009. and a trustee is not whether or not you're a good lawyer or whether or not you're a good business person. a trustee is really whether or not the decedent trusted you at the time of his death, and whether or not the documents reflect that. and we intend to show additional documents which reflect, there is no better person than the mother of michael jackson to be at least one of the executors, and the fiduciary to oversee her son's legacy. you look at whether it's the elvis presley estate, whether it's the beatles estate, all of these estates have family members there looking at, watching over, their precious assets. this should be no difference in the michael jackson case.

>> real quickly, there were two autopsies performed on michael jackson after his death. one by the coroner's office, the other side to be a private autopsy requested by the family. has mrs. jackson learned the results of that private autopsy? does she know the cause of death? >> it's my belief that she is aware, at least from one report, and there are several reports happening. so we're going to wait until all of the conclusive evidence is turned in, and then we'll be able to at some point know exactly what's the best way to proceed. >> but she has received the results of that private autopsy? >> at least one, she has. >> and you can't divulge what the cause of death was on that autopsy? >> not at this time. very sensitive, potentially criminal matters associated with that, and that's not my role at this time. we'll let the reports come out in due course. >> all right. londell, good to see you again, thanks very much for your time. >> thank you.

>> all right. it's 19 after the hour. here's meredith. >> matt, thank you. and now to the latest on that emergency landing of a continental airlines flight after at least 26 passengers were injured when the plane encountered severe turbulence. nbc's kerry sanders is at miami international airport with details. kerry, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. it was about this time on monday we were getting details about the plane that was forced to make the emergency landing here in miami. the continental flight left rio de janeiro in brazil en route to houston when it hit what is believed to be is clear air turbulence. and for the passengers on board, it became a white knuckle nightmare. continental flight 128 with more than six hours into his flight from rio de janeiro at 36,000 feat and climbing when passengers say without warning the plane violently jolted up and then dropped and then another violent jolt and another drop. >> we thought we weren't going to make it.

>> reporter: at least 14 travelers were thrown so forcefully they had to be hospitalized. paramedics say it appears they weren't wearing their seat belts. at these photos show, some passengers who were not belted in flew out of their seats like missiles. in some cases so violently they smashed their heads on the ceiling, even cracking ceiling tiles. >> i didn't have my seat belt on and i hit my head on the roof of the ceiling, and then i felt down and i hit on the floor in front of me. >> while all planes have radar that can spot areas of dangerous weather ahead, there's no effective technology that can pinpoint clear-air turbulence. it's why airlines recommend passengers always keep their seat belts on during the flight, even when it appears to be a smooth ride. a veteran pilot who's encountered the phenomenon before says it doesn't happen often, but when it does, it can be dangerous. >> today's planes are very safe, and they handle turbulence well structurally, but the people still get thrown around if they're not attached. >> reporter: this past february

there was a similar incident involving a northwest 747 flying between manila and tokyo. 45 people were injured, including six crew. in 1997, a united airlines 747 with 390 people on board was flying from tokyo to honolulu when it hit severe turbulence, and dropped 1,000 feet. one woman died, and ten passengers were seriously injured. on this continental flight, the shock literally came out of the blue. >> not looking forward to getting on another plane at all. that has got to be the scariest thing i've ever felt in my life. >> reporter: the good news this morning, all who were hospitalized have now been released. theational transportation safety board has taken the black boxes off of the plane, sent them to washington for analysis to do a little bit more of a determination. and meredith, to give you an idea of how rare these severe turbulence occurrences are, the

faa looks at and studies them when they're really severe, and they only have about three or four a year. it's unclear whether this one is going to fall into that category. but certainly for the passengers on board, it was as severe as it gets. >> that's what i was about to say. kerry sanders, thank you so much. and still ahead, three women accused of torturing a man using crazy glue after finding out he was romantically involved with all of them. we get the details. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

still ahead, why are one in ten americans using antidepressants? >> plus the florida family living all alone in a 32-story condo building. their story.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. here is a look at one of our top stories. two paramedics are behind bars charged with film, does the bidding, and promoting child pornography.

they are in police custody. detectives say they found a child pornography in their home on computer equipment, cds, and a dvds. police to asking anyone who has had contact with the suspects to contact police. time for the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> all it takes is a disabled vehicle to create a mess. jammed conditions from white marsh to the 895 split. that is going to take awhile before those delays start to filter out. reisterstown and warren road, and a crash at finksburg at 140. a look at traffic on the west side of it at baltimore national pike, delays study to form their. live view of the delays at white marsh, where they do at the start. just in the white marsh area.

that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> pretty want to start things out. 68 at b.w.i. marshall. the difference between today and yesterday is that the due points will increase today. a little more money out there. -- a little more muggee out there. sun and at setting until 8 -- until 8:15. showers and storms ahead of this front. 85, a little bit of a cool-down on thursday to saturday and sunday, going to be sizzling. hazy, hot and humid. >> check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information. our next live update, 7:55.

7:30 now on a tuesday morning. it's the 4th day of august, 2009. we've got a sunny start to the day here in the northeast. that's good news for all the people lining the plaza here in midtown manhattan. we'll go outside to say hi to those people in just a little while. meanwhi meanwhile, inside the studio, i'm matt lauer alongside meredith vieira. coming up in this half hour, how should i describe this? case out of wisconsin that is

bizarre. >> to say the least. three women are accused of exacting a painful revenge on a bheet wheating husband who was having relationships with all of them. one of the women involved was that man's own wife. what are they accused of doing with krazy glue? we'll tell you in just a moment. >> also she's gone from lavish trips and multimillion dollar homes and subway rides, now having to explain any spending over $100. how life has changed dramatically for ruth madoff since her husband has gone to prison for running the largest ponzi scheme in u.s. history. plus dr. nancy synderman will be here. she'll explain why the use of antidepressants in this country revenge in wisconsin. them? in northeast wisconsin, a man they say was involved with each of them, including the man's wife. the prosecutor says the emotions

may be familiar, but the outcome isn't. >> one of them tied him -- one of them assaulted him. and they all confronted him about his infidelity. >> reporter: the women are charged with false imprisonment, a felony with up to six years in prison. in addition, one of the other women, these ra seeman is charged with battery and sexual assault. the women tells nbc news she dating other women, i wanted him fourth alleged assailant was not was. alleged plot began when the man's wife tell them he's married, with investigators he went to a motel room with seeman, who tied him to the bed and blindfolded him in the pretense of giving him a massage.

more? who do you want to grow old with? the prosecutor says the revenge didn't end there. >> this individual had a private body. >> reporter: the women in the wisconsin case are free on $200 cash bail and are due back in court later this month. for "today," john yang, nbc news, chicago. >> ken kratz is the district attorney in caluemet county, wisconsin. good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith. >> have you ever seen anything like this in your experience as a d.a.? >> well, we've certainly seen where revenge is the motive for contacting individuals that may have been involved in some indiscretion or infidelity. it usually doesn't raise to the level of four women and it certainly doesn't include physical harm that's caused, or any of the other things that happened in this case. >> do you know how this plan came to be?

who was the mastermind behind it? >> the mastermind is kind of an interesting term. i think that the wife in the case had found out about the other's existence, had somehow made contact with them, and then one of the women had lured this gentleman to a hotel room, at which time the plan was hatched. i think all four of the women that were there were equally involved in the planning and the execution of the plan, and so although one of them may have been the leader of the group, i think certainly all four played their part. >> aside from the women who have been arrested and charged, are there any others involved, even just romantically involved with this man? >> well, although each of those defendants enjoys the presumption of innocence, in that these are just allegations, one of the women did indicate that there were at least two other women that may have been

involved with this man. there are even some reports that they also were invited to participate in this confrontation, but for whatever reason, chose not to. >> has there been any comment from the victim as to what he went through? >> we haven't spoken to him. we do know that he made the report shortly after escaping from the situation, after extricating himself. he did go to the hospital. did receive some medical attention, and was released. so we do know that he doesn't have any long-lasting or long-term injuries. >> we also understand that he said that one of these women had a gun and threatened him with a gun. have you found any evidence that there was, indeed, a gun at the crime scene? >> we didn't. we looked for that particular evidence. obviously when you have firearms even to another level. we weren't able to find a firearm. we weren't able to find or

corroborate the existence of that, and although the case remains under investigation at this time, we are unsure if a firearm was used. >> very quickly, these women may have looked at this as sweet revenge. did they say to you all they were trying to do was scare him a little bit? or did they have other things in mined? in other words, he screamed and they ran. essentially is what happened. >> it's hard to tell what their real motive was. i mean, it's supposition to guess what the real motive was. but it sounds like what was actually executed was very, very close to the original plan. when things started to unravel, when things started to get out of control, when the man became much more combative, the ladies abandoned their plan at that time, and left. i think it's also fair to say that it doesn't take a whole lot of foresight to think about how much worse this could have been

with this matter just going a little bit further. that is either a weapon being used or this man freeing himself and even more physical harm coming. >> and there could be some people chuckling but this is serious stuff and these women could face up to six years in prison if convicted. thank you so much for your time, sir. >> thank you, meredith. >> and now let's get a check of the weather from al. >> all right. thank you, meredith. what's your name? >> quincy. >> and? >> justin. >> where are your folks? >> right per. >> oh, over there. they're just kind of -- hopped a plane and came down to the plaza. this must be your sister. what's your name? >> maya. >> where are you from? >> detroit, michigan. >> all right. detroit in the house! let's check your weather, see what's happening. show you on the satellite. clear skies, good news, finally. we've got some nice weather right now. air quality alerts, 10:00

>> we are going to see a high of 80 degrees in the mountains of western maryland. 91 is what we are calling for in baltimore. partly cloudy skies, mahdi as partly cloudy skies, mahdi as well. and that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al, thank you very much. now to a big adjustment for the

wives of convicted swindler bernie madoff. a bankruptcy judge is now imposing some very tight controls over her expenses. "today" national correspondent natalie morales has details on that. natalie, good morning to you. >> good morning to you, matt. yes, ruth madoff's life has gone through a lot of changes in recent weeks. the latest, a new order that freezes her assets and requires her to be on an extremely tight financial leash. it has been more than a month since bernie madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison for masterminding a $65 billion ponzi scheme. the biggest in u.s. history. with his sentence, madoff traded in his fancy new york city penthouse for a north carolina jailhouse. life has also changed for madoff's wife ruth. she lost nearly all of her assets, but did get to keep $2.5 million as part of the government settlement. living in the lap of luxury was recently seen riding the new york city subway, modestly dressed amid reports that she's been apartment hunting for a

much smaller home in manhattan. now, another change for ruth madoff. under a new order, signed by a manhattan bankruptcy judge, madoff must submit a monthly report of expenses that individually exceed $100 to a trustee. >> ruth madoff's legal position is, i didn't know. and essentially the trustee is now saying, we don't buy it. so she's now in a position where she's going to have to prove that any money that she has wasn't tainted. that's a tough spot to be in. >> reporter: in a statement to nbc news, ruth madoff's attorney said, quote, this agreement is a reasonable accommodation in the context of this lawsuit. but that lawsuit, filed by the same trustee, irving pickard, also calls for ruth madoff to return nearly $45 million allegedly transferred to her from her husband's firm. money he claims ruth madoff used to live a life of splendor, a

claim her lawyer calls perplexing and totally unjustified. and under the new court order, ruth madoff is allowed to spend her money on reasonable living expenses, including legal fees. but the order does allow the trustee to make sure she is not spending money on anything deemed inappropriate. >> all right, natalie, thank you very much. coming up next, is america becoming hooked on antidepressants. a look at some surprising new findings. a little early on, high fashion early in the morning why the sex and the city movie sequel has these ladies lining up.

we're back now at 7:44 and this morning on "today's health," americans and antidepressants. new research shows the number of people taking them doubled from 1996 to 2005, to 1 in 10 americans. dr. nancy synderman is nbc's chief medical editor. nancy, good morning. >> hi, matt. >> the optimist in me says this is because there's better diagnosis. the pessimist says we are a

pill-popping nation. what's the truth? >> i think a little bit of both. i think the stigma of depression has gone down a little bit. help because we're blue. and we are a pill-popping nation. there's no doubt about it. and i think the other problem is that insurance doesn't pay for a lot of counseling sessions. so doctors are prescribing them, and direct consumer advertising has made words like paxil, and prozac everyday terms. >> and the choices we have. i mean, 10, 15, 20 years ago you didn't have as many choices that didn't have dramatic side effects. it seems as if there are a lot more options out there for people suffering from depression. >> huge family of antidepressants now. and patients even know that there are serotonin is a chemical in your brain that can be altered. we know side effects of some medications. we've talked to friends who are on them. so we almost go in saying, hey, doc, i've heard about this, what can you tell me, can i try it? and doctors are saying yes increasingly. >> have we replaced one stigma

for another? the stigma of depression may be fading. but will we now see the stigma attached to popping pills for everything? >> well, what concerns me is i think we're not seeing the stigma of depression fading enough that people know that they really still require sit-down time with someone talking through their problems. we want this sort of fast fix. if you look at the push for health care reform to get more general doctors in the market, i think those general doctors are going to be pushed to give pills more than saying come on in for 45 minutes and let me spend time with you. so the whole idea of psychologists and psychiatrists having a hand in this, i would -- they're going to be pushed to the periphery. >> there's another element of this, this family of drugs that you're talking about, some of those drugs have had some negative side effects attached to them. suicidal thoughts. >> right. >> for example. especially among teens using 24e78. >> right. >> have they started to sort that out? >> the fda has required a lot of them to have black box warnings which basically say looks we know that bouts of suicidality

go up. there may not be a direct cause and effect but if you're on these you have to be worried and the fda is going to stay right on top of them. >> let me turn to swine flu. health officials have found treatment resistant trains of swine flu along the u.s. border with mexico. how worried should we all be about that? especially as schools reopen in the fall, and our children go back into spreading germs and things like that? >> worried enough that our government officials are watching things around the globe very carefully. and i think you have a couple of problems. increasingly, when you have pigs, people and poultry living together in tight communities, you're going to start to see these new viruss pop up in other countries and then spread around the globe. this swine flu, i think, is a harbinger of things to come. now, the school starting in a couple of weeks we know we're not going to have vaccine until october. expect an uptick in this country. and the fact that there's a resistant swine flu. a reminder, do not take the antivirals just because the kid down the block is infected. you take them when you're sick.

and one more thing most people die of pneumonia. talk to your doctor about getting the pneumonia vaccine along with everything else. that could save your life. >> before i let you go, stella, our patient yesterday getting rotator cuff surgery and using propofol to be sedated. how is she doing? >> she's doing great. she had her right rotator cuff fixed at the hospital yesterday for special surgery. tom quinn, the anesthesiologist and a real good example of how responsible people can use a great drug in a controlled segment. >> she came out of it fine. >> what a wonderful woman to let us peep in her life like that. >> nancy, thank you very much. appreciate it. coming up next, the family living all alone in a 3 did-story condo building. their story right after this.

how'd you like to have a 32-story building all to yourself? nbc's michelle kosinski is in fort myers, florida, with a family who has done just that. good morning to you, michelle. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. in this entire building only three people closed on their condo units. two paid cash. they were able to simply swap out for other units in the slightly more inhabited building next door. but this family has a huge mortgage. their lend irwon't let them do that. now not only are they under water in their loan, they are all alone. ah, life at the oasis, where they weren't kidding when they said, private. >> nothing works down here.

>> reporter: where all that peace and quiet is downright deafening. >> here's the club room. we have the tv. >> reporter: victor and family find themselves with more space than they ever wanted. >> it's a lonely building. >> reporter: yes, the only residents in 32 stories. no doorman. and no marina, clubhouse, cinema, restaurant, pro shop, amenities they were sold on. what they do have is creepy. >> dark, scary at night. >> love you. good night. >> one night, there was a pounding on the door, like a two-fisted pounding real loud. >> reporter: firefighter victor sunk his life savings into the condo that cost 430 grand. the developer related group offered to move them into a temporary unit in the tower next door where about 50 people live, but it's too expensive to maintain their building at the same level. >> is it fair to the people that live there that they don't have everything that they bought

into? >> i think it's fair to them that they're doing everything we can to resolve the problem. and we tried and tried and tried. you know, for months. >> reporter: they say the lenders won't let them simply buy the family out. related itself is in the hole $1.5 billion right now. all the novelty of a high-rise to yourself -- >> we have a good spot at the pool every day. >> reporter: -- has worn off. at this point they'd recomannoying neighbors. or someone else to annoy besides each other. >> i thought when we got here we would meet our neighbors, have them over. >> go like to a movie theater. >> reporter: so much for the tropical teenage social life. >> only neighbors we have are the insects and the animals. >> reporter: this oasis feels a lot more like a desert island. everybody took a gamble here. the developer, the lender and the buyer. now everybody is in a bad spot. but shortly after our interview, the related group says they may have a solution. everybody's going to talk today. meredith?

>> all right, michelle, thank you very much.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> hi, everybody. i am stan stovall. let's get a check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11 standing by. >> since last check, we are

dealing with problem spots on southbound i-95. we are dealing with heavy delays as we can see from the live camera here. just past mountain road, but the accident blocking the left lane. more delays from approaching white marsh to the 895 split with the disabled vehicle there. southbound 295 back up on the beltway and west nursery road. we are dealing with problems for the south. southbound 95 at 100, an accident off to the side. we have a crash of reisterstown and warren road another one at finksburg and route 140. >> we are looking at temperatures in the 70's. we still have a 68 at the airport. 75 in contrast downtown. humidity is creeping up and will continue to do so this afternoon. 87 and 91 is the temperature range true august-type weather

for us. not notable until tomorrow afternoon. a better chance of seeing scattered showers and storms, 50%. high of 89 tomorrow. a little break by thursday and friday. by the weekend, 89 on saturday and 93 on sunday. >> be sure to check the bottom of your screen for updated news and traffic information. our next live update, 8:25. it's a... a fork? you're a wombat. ( doorbell rings ) honey, it's the pizza guy. sure. me again. okay, now this is the last time alright? thanks, you know we don't deliver anything like this. this crispy flatbread. mmmm. mmmmm! so delicious! are you like havin' a party or somethin'? ( slam ) hello? introducing the taste that's never been delivered. digiorno crispy flatbread pizza. for deliciously italian-inspired toppings on crispy flatbread crust,

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8:00 on this tuesday morning, august 4th, 2009. and fashionista wanna-bes are lining up in new york city for a chance to appear in the next "sex and the city" movie. take a look at some of those. and we're going to take you there live in just a bit. meanwhile, we have a pretty fashionable crowd hanging out with us on the plaza this morning. meredith vieira here along with matt lauer and al roker.

speaking of fashion, matt, you made the best dressed last year. >> that was very flattering. and very nice of them to include me. >> and well deserved. >> thank you very much. >> you're another one who should be on that list. you always look dapper. we're going to talk about who made the list this year. >> apparently -- >> but -- >> but we might have heard by now. >> yes, exactly. also ahead, how many times have you done this? you go out to lunch, you're in a hurry, you grab a sandwich. then you grab a sandwich that's got grilled chicken and artichokes on it. you think that has to be healthy? >> has to be, right? >> wait until you hear how much fat and calories and sodium some sandwiches have. one sandwich we're going to show you today, very popular brand, has got as many calories as 16 fudge sickles. >> wow. that's -- >> i like fudgecicles. >> are you going to put a damper on our fun. >> ruining life for all of us. >> by the way, did you know

lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing sports in this country? we're going to learn the ropes. >> and that's why, because it's got cheerleaders. we're going to learn the ropes from members of a professional team. then we're going to have at it. matt and me versus meredith and ann. >> nat? >> oh, ann. >> are you going to play? >> i understand you're actually allowed to hit people in it? piqued my curiosity. >> oh, no! >> i think you get treated by the cheerleaders. >> stop it. go inside to ann to bring some decorum to this group. >> i don't think that's possible. good morning once again, everybody. in the news this morning, former president bill clinton arrived in north korea this morning to secure the release of two jailed american journalists. clinton was greeted with handshakes and flowers at the airport in the north korean capital. his first visit to the region. he is trying to win the release of un yeah lee and laura ling who were arrested in march for illegally crossing the border from china. they were both sentenced to 12 years of hard labor.

today, taliban fighters fired at least nine rockets into neighborhoods in afghanistan's capital of kabul. two of the rockets struck near the american and british embassies, as well as nato headquarters. at least one person, a child, was wounded in the attacks. republican senator lindsey graham predicted earlier on this broadcast that the senate will approve more money to continue the popular cash for clunkers program. the program has helped car sales and also salvage yards. that are cashing in on selling scrap metal. as early as today, debate gets under way in the senate on the supreme court nomination of sonia sotomayor. the 55-year-old appears to be on track to become the first hispanic justice to serve on the high court. today, the obama administration is to announce plans for a summit next month on texing while driving. the sum it to include safety advocates, transportation and law enforcement officials and members of congress, after a study found texting while driving increases the risk of an accident by six times.

and there were some tense moments on monday for swimmers at a michigan beach. diver crews crushed to rescue several people who were being pulled into the water by strong winds, high waves and rip currents. dramatic images there. but everyone is okay this morning. and now let's get a check of what's coming up tonight on "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. hey, brian. >> hey, ann, thanks. coming up tonight we have the story of 14 strangers, their destinies intertwined in the operating room. they formed an inspirational life-saving connection, a kind of chain of courage and charity. it's an emotional "making a difference" segment. we'll have that for you tonight. for now, ann, back to you. >> all right, a chain of courage. it sounds good. all right, brian. now let's go back outside to the twosome. hey, you two. >> hey, thank you very much. >> i like that. >> let's go to al, and make it a threesome. >> oh, no! no! >> i got my own cheerleaders here.

>> really nothing precipitation- wise. high-pressure sitting over us. it will be moving ashore today. that will allow for a more southerly flow. translation, more humid today. translation, more humid today.

we've got a multipart sign here. it's your 44th birthday. your mom's 44th, your daughter's 44th. my uncle. oh, i'm sorry. i snatched your sign down. oh, my gosh. and then your aunt's birthday and sister's birthday. what's your name? >> pam. >> happy birthday. >> meredith? >> all right, al. look a sign for uncle willard. we love you. very nice. thank you so much. coming up next, are dollar stores really worth it? the products you buy at bargain prices and more importantly the ones to avoid. up next, you think you're doing good grabbing a dunea sandwich for lunch? it may have as many calories as for lunch? it may have as many calories as a 12-pack of beer. can help save. shoppline doing it with bank of america can help save a lot more.

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we're back now at 8:10. this morning on "eat this, not that," today avoiding a sandwich snafu. you think of sandwich as a light lunch, prepare yourself for a hefty surprise. the author of "eat this, not that: the best and worst foods in america." david, welcome back. >> thanks. >> good to see you. >> good to see you, matt. >> i don't think of sandwiches as real healthy lunches. i see them as fast lunches. now they have hidden surprises. >> when mom used to make them they used to be fast and healthy. now you can have sandwiches that go above 1500 calories. but if you make 1345r9 choices, i'm going to show you how you can lose 14 pounds in a month. up to 14 pounds by good, smart sandwich slop. >> let's take a look at some very popular sandwiches from some popular restaurants. we're starting off with romano's macaroni grilled grilled chicken and artichoke. sounds healthy to me. what's the problem here? >> this is why it's so hard to lose weight. because this has 1,000 calories. this has got 55 grams of fat.

and it's got 76 grams of carbs. so you've got the artichoke spread, which has oil in it. and then all the carbs. 76 in the bun. it's the equivalent, the calorie equivalent of 16 fudgecicles. >> which is not your basic lunch. but this same place macaroni grill has a healthier alternative. >> this is the grilled chicken, and what you're going to do is save 600 calories. you go to lunch every day -- >> and 45 grams of fat. >> right. you go to lunch every day, you make that smart choice, you lose 5 pounds in one month. >> all right. next we have the blimpie special vegetarian, and that sounds real healthy. here's my first take on this, there's a foot of bread right here. that can't be good for you. >> right. that can't be good. but there's no meat in it. why does it have to be 1200 calories. so vegetarian, comes in here and says hey, it's vegetarian, it must be healthy. elephants are vegetarians, too. but if you eat too much you will

gain weight. in this case, this has the salt equivalent of 86 saltines. okay? this is 3500 milligrams of sodium. this is a day and a half worth of salt. so if you're going to be at blimpies and you don't want to take the word literally, get the six inch veggie. it's half the size. has a little bit of a mystery meat in there. a few servings of produce. and you're saving 700 calories. that's six pounds over four weeks. >> all right. let's move on. next we have the subway foot long meatball with cheese. i don't care how much you say, i like that. it looks good. >> but that is not how jared lost weight. he did not lose it eating that. don't take the subway home, walk for 12 miles because you need three hours to work off this 1300 calories and 54 grams of fat. it is the equivalent of these 42 onion rings. >> all right. but there is a healthier alternative. again, half the size.

but you say twice the meat. >> right. what you're doing is you're getting the double roast beef. you're asking for a second shot of the roast beef. you're getting a lot more protein. and here what you're doing is you're saving, you know, you're saving 850 calories. you're saving a pound every four days. that's seven pounds over the course of a month. that's what the whole idea of "eat this, not that" is. it's very easy to lose weight when you know what you're eating. >> and then substitute smartly. let's go for chicken lovers here. this next one is chili's buffalo chicken crisper bite sandwich. is this fried? >> yeah, it's a lot of things. it's definitely an unidentified frying object. it's got -- >> go ahead. >> it's got 100 grams of fat. okay? this is the equivalent, fat equivalent of all of this ice cream, 28 scoops of eddy's kookies and cream ice cream right heres. if you're at chili's just get

the chicken fajita pita. >> how much fat is in that one? >> that's 13 grams. >> you're going to save 87 grams of fat. you're going to save 1200 calories. you're saving a pound of fat every three days. that's ten pounds in a month. and you're still eating all your favorite foods. no diet, no exercise. no scary liposuction machine. >> tuna. everybody thinks tuna is pretty healthy. quiznos, the tuna melt from quiznos. and what the problem with this? >> it's 1800 calories. >> 1800 calories? >> they have taken a smart, lean food, tuna, and they have put this -- drowned this in a sea of mayo and cheese. and what it is, it's the equivalent of a half a case of budweiser. this is 12 beer summits. >> what's your point here? >> my point is, have six of these sandwiches -- >> how many of these? this is not a good alternative for this. >> if you're trying to lose weight, this is a 1500 calorie difference. you can have six of these and

still lose say 80 calories. so have two, save 1200 calories. >> and lose ten pounds. >> and drink the beer. >> all right, david, thank you very much. as always, important information. coming up next, "vanity fair's" picking for the best-dressed people in the world. plus "sex and the city: the sequel." we're going to take you to where the movies are holding a casting call. yes, you are. i know exactly what you love, don't i? - [ barks ] - mmm. aromas like rotisserie chicken. and filet mignon. yeah, that's what inspired a very special dry dog food. [ woman ] introducing chef michael's canine creations. so tasty and nutritious it's hard to believe it's dry dog food. chef-inspired. dog-desired. chef michael's canine creations. was about 30 seconds after i woke up. still not smoking! seven days. nicorette takes just enough of the edge off the need. i still want to light up, but i don't have to. (announcer) you can do it.

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stouffer's. let's fix dinner. back now at 8:19, and this morning on "today's style," the world's best-dressed. a special double cover issue, "vanity fair" is out with the coveted best dresses list. and a special correspondent for vanity fair and host of "who's in and who's not." amy, good morning to you. >> good morning, meredith. >> how does somebody take it onto the list in the first place? >> they are voted onto the list. it's a democratic process. polls are sent out. ballots to about 2,000 fashion insiders and professionals. >> and then you whittle it down to the handful of people that actually finally make it into the magazine? >> that's right. we're the electoral college. >> so let's start with some of the categories here. among your favorites we're going to start with the first ladies

and i'm talking about michelle obama and carla bruni sarkozy of france. not since jackie o. have two women so dominated the stage in terms of their fashion savvy. what is it about these two ladies? >> well, they're both young, in their 40s, tall, good-looking, and the world is watching. michelle obama got more votes than any other person. this year or any year. >> why is that? >> she's that popular. and she has brought back the dress. she has turned the planet into her own runway, without even meaning to. and she loves showing her arms and her legs, which is a bit refreshing. >> and individual style, really, i think. blending things like j. crew with high-end fashion. >> she goes high, she goes low. she's very interested in american designers, but she's not provincial. and she has a good sense of color and patterns. it's a strong, distinctive and consistent look. >> and carla bruni sarkozy, she was a model, so she knows how to carry herself beautifully.

>> that's right. the supermodel first lady is also a sexy pop star, too. she is the complete post-modern woman. you look at her one minute, and she is elegant consort to the french president. you look at her again, and she is a sex kitten on the stage. >> moving on to the men, not to be outdone by his wife, the jeans that he wore, he got criticized from the all-star game, president obama makes the look -- the list. why is that? >> obama is on the list for the first time because he has such natural ease and elegance. he's completely comfortable in his own skin. he is very much in the tradition of american classic dress, but relaxed. and he just watched the way he rolls up his sleeves and you can see how much he cares about the way he looks. but not too much. >> and joining him is brad pitt, without angelina. >> without angelina, although she does make a good accessory for him. he has found a lot of other accessories that men are imitating. the hats, the aviators, and he

looks good, and he does good. >> last year matt lauer was on the list. this year another of our colleagues is on, tiki barber, who always dresses beautifully. >> tiki barber is on for the third time. he's polished, he's so well-groomed. he's beautifully accessorized. and he also has a classic american look but with a little more continental flair. >> two a-list actresses, this time, first time around for them, anne hathaway, penelope cruz. starting with anne, tell us about why she made the lith. >> anne hathaway is the embodiment of the glamorous, nice girl. she is beautiful and fresh and clean and young and a little bit fragile in the tradition of audrey hepburn. >> and penelope? >> penelope, she is the kind of woman that men love, and the kind that women love. she's got a beautiful body and she knows how to showcase it in the best clothes without any vulgarity at all. >> and we're going to go out with a picture of catherine

deneuve who is on your hall of fame list. three times or more at 66, still just the most elegant woman around. amy, thank you so much for joining us this morning. >> thank you. >> special double cover issue of "vanity fair" hits newsstands nationally next week. thank you again. it is 8:23. once again here's matt. >> all right, meredith, thank you. the fab four of "sex and the city" always look stylish. carrie, samantha, charlotte are inching closer to the highly anticipated sequel to "sex and the city" the movie. today amy robach is at the only casting call for extras. hi, amy, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, matt. it's only about 8:20 in the morning here and the folks in this line, some of them have been here since midnight. it already stretches all the way back to sixth avenue. nearly 100 people and these gals, and i see one guy at least here in line, can't even get in the door until 1:30 this afternoon. so this line is only going to grow as we get closer to that 1:30 mark.

and we have an interesting casting call because the directors wanted a specific look. did you guys know what they were looking for? >> yes. >> what are they looking for? what kind of cast of characters? >> celebrity types. >> celebrity types. >> socialites. >> what types are you? >> i'm a fashionista. >> you're a fashionista? >> fashionista. >> model. >> you're a model, definitely. so you all think you fit certain reals. what are you going to do when you get in there? >> just look good. >> show them what we got. >> how long did you plan picking out your outfit? >> last night i threw it together as fast as i could. >> when you think about it, when you looked at yourself in the mirror? >> i said i'm going to go in there with my personality and blast them away. >> so this is great. so you got in early. you think you got a good shot today? >> absolutely. >> we're going to be following this line throughout the morning and seeing just how far it goes. they've got police barricades up here. police officers in the street. this is a major competition here to get the non-speaking role in

the second part of "sex and the city." matt. >> all right, amy, also blurry in the background. >> no. >> thank you. >> you know -- >> we'll come back. we are challenging you, ann and i versus these two. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. baltimore's budget crisis may claim the victim in one of the city's most of visible crime fighting units. the mounted patrol unit may be disbanded unless it can make up thousands of dollars in food and shelter costs for the horses. fred bealefeld says that the unit is a priority, and he vows to funded through private funds, including charitable donations.

the unit is the oldest continuously running unit in the country. let's get a final check on the morning commute. >> things are improving just a bit on southbound i-95 in harford county. we had an accident southbound just past mountain road. it looks to be moving a lot better at mountain road, easing up as you approach the accident scene. as you approached 295 this morning, let's switch over and point out other problem spots. accident at belair road at henry ave. looking pretty good as far as delays. these accidents have been cleared. 14 minutes of the outer loop with east side. 30 minutes on the west side outer loop. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11 barrac. >> temperatures at 76 degrees. 73 in easton and st. michael's.

79 at ocean city. anywhere from 87 at 91. partly cloudy skies, baugher humid. for tomorrow, 50% chance of showers and storms late in the day. that will close down for thursday and friday. in the weekend, back into the august heat. >> another update at 8:55.

8:30 now on a tuesday morning. it's the 4th day of august, 2009. you're looking at the members of the a professional lacrosse team.

and they are here having a little fun out on the plaza, with some special guests. and in just a little while they're going to teach us the art of that game, the basics. and then we're going to take on a little boy versus girl competition. you >> you know the losers in the old days were killed. >> right. >> i didn't know that. >> no. >> so let that be a warning to you. >> okay. >> out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer along with meredith vieira, ann curry and al roker. what else is coming up? >> also ahead, dollar stores. you know there are always bargains to be had there. but there are also things to avoid. we're going to tell you what they are. >> okay. also coming up this morning, low-cost home decorating at high style. >> hmm. >> so not much for a good look in your home. >> and plus, between the sun and the sand, the chlorine and the sweat, let's face it, we're a mess. our skin takes a real beating in the summertime. we've got a new online only series that's all about the science of skin care from the

real scoop on lotions and skin regiments to how to keep your skin looking good all year long, logon to our website, todayshow.com to check it out. >> okay. woman in a bikini on the show, do we? >> no, we don't. >> which is a weird segue, because i'd like to bring in vanessa hutchins. >> hi. >> hi. >> how are you? >> hi! >> good to see you. starring in a new movie called "band glam." vanessa, right in the middle here. this is not the same, innocent character like gabrielle. you play a girl named sam. >> very deadpan. kind of introverted. has a number in her name. she's doing her own thing. >> s-a 5 m. >> who also had to learn to play the guitar. >> i did. >> it was not easy on you? >> no. it's a little hard. my fingers definitely hurt. got some calluses.

rufrenned up. i had a blast

>> in our neck of the woods, we are the pink 76 downtown, 73 at the airport. by this afternoon, the upper eighties to low 90s. 90s at the airport this afternoon.

and that's your latest weather. now let's head on downstairs to washington, d.c. and say hello to willie scott. >> that's a good-looking crowd you got up there. bless your heart. >> they are good looking. >> how about waking up? is that hard to do? what time do you have to get up to do your show? >> i'm still getting up at 3:30. just put my pants on a little earlier. >> who do you put them on, you or -- you're the best. >> thank you. >> happy birthday from smucker's. our friends in smuckerland, beautiful orville, ohio, where it's summertime and the corn is growing through the roof. herbert adair, bethany, missouri, 111. 111, documented the third oldest man in the world. likes to play croquet. yes he does.

lin shee wong of san antonio in texas. known for having a smile that lights up the entire room and everybody is crazy about her. we have burness coats, little rock, arkansas. 100 years old. one of the best-dressed women of her time. and attributes her long ef toy clean living and the good lord. good combination. here's robert hall. remember him? he used to sell pants. colonial heights. 102. colonial heights, virginia, down near richmond. retired railroad worker and ww two vet. claims that he could hear a lot better and if he could, he would be a man and a half. happy days. libby silverstein of poway, california. former teacher. nicknamed the junkie, rewatches shows, anything. and very ma biddle, holyoak, colorado. 100. still drives and volunteers for the u.s. navy.

god bless. that's it. now matt is back in new york. >> hold on one second. >> thank you, matt. >> all right. when we come back, dollar stores. are they all they're cracked up to be? what mystery shoppers uncovered. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

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side effects may include next-day drowsiness, dizziness, and headache. in patients with depression, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide may occur. if you experience any of these behaviors or reactions contact your doctor immediately. wake up ready for your day-ask your healthcare provider for 2-layer ambien cr. back now at 8:39. this morning on "today's consumer," dollar stores. in today's economy, more people are heading to them to load up on household items. but do they really give you more bang for your buck? lisa lee friedman is editor in chief of "shop smart" magazine which is published by cononsume reports. >> good morning, meredith. >> you all surveyed about 100 dollar stores around the country. you're looking mostly at cost. but you also focused a little bit on quality, as well, and you saw that not all dollar stores are the same. >> right.

we found in general that dollar stores had some great deals. but you really to be careful because they are notorious for selling cheaply made items. and some of the items you'll find there are not even safe and many have been recalled. so you really have to watch out. even if you see brand-name items. they could be a knockoff. they might be expired. so you really have to watch out. >> pay attention, no matter what. >> absolutely. >> surprises when it comes to dollar stores? >> one of the things we found is that many of them don't take returns. and they don't take coupons. another surprise that we found -- >> you buy it, you own it? >> you might. you have to check the policies when you shop there so that you know what they do and what they do not accept. but also there are more and more selling food, particularly frozen food. which surprised us. and there were a lot of surprises. some of them have websites where you can buy things for a dollar but you have to buy buy the case. >> in our culture, we really need them. if you can find a good buy, why not. >> and our secret shoppers who

fanned out across the country to check prices really did find out they either had the lowest prices. >> these are six of the products you focused on. let's start with aluminum foil. better buy or not? >> we found that dollar stores won. dollar stores really have the cheapest prices on aluminum foil. they were about three cents a square foot. we found for as much as eight cents a square foot at grocery stores. but as you'll see, you know, this doesn't feel that thick. >> a little thin for what's called high quality. >> exactly. it's kind of a gamble. you know, you may get a good one. you may not. >> now moving on to wrapping paper. >> yes. >> dollar store or general store? >> well, dollar stores win again. we actually found that the dollar stores had it the cheapest. only two cents a square foot. you can buy it for as much as 17 cents a square foot. but, as you might know, you're not going to get the same selection at a dollar store. we found target actually has a really nice selection of prices and patterns on paper. >> so if you don't care so much about selection, go to the

dollar store. >> exactly. >> if you do, go somewhere else. >> you might find it's not as thick. this actually feels pretty good. now napkins are something that i definitely would buy at a dollar store because i figure that would be a great buy. >> well, as we found out, it was a tie. >> ah. >> so, many stores had napkins for about half a cent a napkin. at some drugstores and grocery stores we found it sold for as much as three times that. so, it's a toss. >> but if you go to a target or a costco. >> costco, walmart. we found good deals there, too. >> tissue paper i think of that as going with wrapping paper i'm going to assume maybe in this case it is dollar store. >> nope. actually this was the only item that was not cheapest at the dollar store. it was the most expensive at the dollar store. it was ten cents a square foot. we found it for as little as two cents a scare foot at a walgreens. so i think that they're going to get you somewhere and they really are generally pretty good at gift items. you know, in party supplies. but this is one of those items where it was not cheapest at the

dollar store. >> do you have to be careful when it comes to party items if you're at a dollar store? like kid's items? >> yes, party supplies. party favors. a lot of people like to buy those kinds of things there. they could be choking hazards there. we found many that had small parts. some of them were even labelled as choking hazards for children under three. we think they could be choking hazards for children twice that age. >> again, not a scientific survey that you did, but just buyer beware. look at it very carefully. >> absolutely. >> coming up this is cotton rounds now. what do you think? >> i would assume -- >> i don't know, tie. >> dollar stores. they were only a penny a round at the dollar store. and a lot of other places have them for three times that amount. >> and how does this quality compare? >> well, if they're 100% cotton, you know, they're pretty much -- it is what it is. so it's a good thing. >> and the assumption is if it's 100% cotton, it's going to be 100% cotton? >> well, it should be. it's a gapble.

again, you take it home, you hope the labels are correct, and you know -- >> i only ask you this, because a lot of these places you can't get it back. >> that's right. but it's only a dollar. >> it's only a dollar. >> so you try it and if it's a dollar. >> finally, kids going back to school, composition notebooks, every kid is going to need a lot of them. >> we found that they actually were about -- i can't put this in here, but they are about a dollar a page pretty much wherever you buy them. there were very few exceptions. so wherever you buy these you're going to get a good deal. so if you go to the dollar store, great, if you don't go to the dollar store -- >> no matter what, these are made well snuff? >> yeah, they're very similar. they're all very similar. >> any last words to the buyer about all these? >> the last words are be careful. we found a lot of safety hazards in addition to party favors. anything that could set your house on fire, we found lighters that didn't turn off. we found tiki torches that like went on fire. we found lots of medications that were expired like aspirin,

and gas relief drops for infants. so you've really got to be careful when you go to the dollar store. >> check everything before you buy anything? >> absolutely. >> lisa lee, thank you so much. >> you're welcome. >> up next, a lacrosse grudge match. ann and i suit up against matt and al. it's not even a match.

it has been called the fastest game on two feet. a combination of soccer, hockey and basketball. we're talking about lacrosse. and it's gaining popularity all across the country, with boys and girls. this is nikki polenko, he's the capitalen of a professional team called the long island lizards. good to have you here. >> thank you. >> welcome. >> when you shake his hand you know how he wins, because man. -- >> oh, boy. >> when i was a kid this was seen as a regional sport. it was northeast, atlantic coast. it's all over the country now, right? >> long island, maryland and

upstate new york really started. now it's worldwide. it's one of the fastest growing sports. >> and the basics are what? >> basics, it's a great team sport. ten on ten on the field. sticks just like this. trying to score goals and win the game. >> and it's gaining in popularity among men and women, as well. >> absolutely. boys and girls, both of all ages. >> and when you say it's gaining popularity all around the world, is it fair to assume that this is a quintessentially american sport? because i understand this was invented by the american indians? >> absolutely. >> so that -- >> we started playing over 2500 that play now. the world games, europe, lacrosse, the world games in 2010. >> so it's a great sport to stay in shape? >> awesome. one of the fastest games on two feet. >> long island lizards, how are they doing this season? >> a great season. we have an opportunity to be in the playoffs. we have a game this saturday, if we win we're in the playoffs championship weekend, august 22nd. >> yea, lizards.

>> we also have to mention, it is a very physical sport. there's a lot of contact. we need to know a little about the rules. can you just hit somebody like that? or can you jab someone like that? >> why would you do that to me? >> you cannot hit anybody in the head. you cannot trip. if they have the ball, you can engage contact, push them out and hit them. >> you wear pads? >> you do have pads, helmet, shoulder pads, elbow pads. >> we're not wearing those. >> no, we're not. >> what do you do? >> what is the number one -- >> initially catch and throw. because we're going to have a context in a little bit. you want to be in an athletic stance, sideways. hold in your fingertips. you do not want to hold your stick in your palm. >> we need sticks. >> absolutely. >> there's only three sticks here. >> i'll show you. real quick. we're going to hold our sticks in our fingertips, not in our palms. and this is your steering wheel, this is our gas padal. switch and follow through.

step sideways and follow through. >> two hands on your stick. >> yep. >> absolutely. >> both hands in a line. just like so. step and follow through. >> going sideways. >> why are they running around like that? >> what matt's talking about is the cradle. helps you keep your ball in your stick. if you keep it still, someone checks you the ball. >> okay. >> by the way -- >> he says carefully. >> we're going to have a contest. >> okay. >> we're going to have al and matt on this side and meredith and ann on this side. >> okay. >> let's go, we're going to shoot on cage right now. you have two of the top goaltenders brian daugherty and grew adams in cage. >> okay i'm a little worried about the people on the side here. >> okay. >> what we're going to do is stand in the boxes right here and once the clock starts we're going to change here and we're going to try and shoot in that cage. >> okay.

>> make sure you have your stick choked up a little bit. hands a little lower. matt and al, stick like this. look at my hands. got it. step and follow through. >> okay. >> step and follow through. >> you want to practice? >> one practice shot. >> take one practice shot. >> okay. >> okay, go ahead. >> whoa! >> all right. >> are we going? >> ready. >> it's a competition. >> frals start. >> you ready to start the competition? >> okay. >> whoo! >> who's with matt and al? >> on your marks, get set, go! . >> let's see what we got. >> go, go, go. >> all right. come on, al. >> come on. >> oh, baby. >> come on. that's it. >> stop forward, shoot. >> oh, the girls are coming back. >> the guys actually took the

lead. >> here we go. >> 20 seconds. >> all right. >> oh, a little help from the lizards. >> okay here we go. >> 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! >> oh, he won. >> you guys won. nice job. >> we won! >> whoo! >> one, two, three, "today" show! >> give it up for the long island lizards. >> thank you, guys. >> much more, this is "today" on nbc. how does jell-o sugar free pudding fit all that rich, chocolatey taste in 60 calories? ♪ ♪ oh, so delicious who cares? jell-o sugar free pudding.

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of innovative biomedical research for patients, their families, and our economy here in maryland. call senator mikulski today. tell her thanks for protecting the promise of biomedical research and the maryland jobs it provides. it's not just the future. it's life. nice shot! >> did that go in? >> sure it was in. >> do you understand that the women beat the men and we seem to be gracious. >> i think the goally on the other side did one of these. >> can i tell you really honestly, though, in abe sent times when one indian tribe would battle another indian tribe with lacrosse the ones who

won had the right to kill the ones who lost. so i think you should be very happy that we are of a generous, kind -- >> on the other hand if you did that, you'd be arrested and put avail for the rest of your life. >> okay. >> i want to say, this is a difficult sport. that's not easy -- >> i worked up a sweat. >> i know. it's great. >> got some nice kids with a chance to sthoot on the goalry for the lizards. signing autographs. nice. we'll be back with more of "today" after your local news and weather.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. more problems this morning for the property management company plagued by carbon monoxide scare. a new development is experiencing similar problems. 10 residents in the white marsh town, had to be hospitalized following a carbon monoxide leak. the property management group has refused to install co2 detectors in their home. >> you did not put carbon monoxide, and you already know that the apartments wbaltv.com -- that is something that is in there. >> it is believed that a malfunctioning water heaters are to blame for the week.

>> let's take a look at the forecast with sandra shaw. >> pretty blazing out there. 91 is the forecast high. mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies. southerly wind flow will pick up this afternoon. nice cecil court on the ocean city area. all in all, great each day. tomorrow, a great chance of scattered showers and storms. a front gets us into the mid- 80's. we're back into the upper 80s and low 90s by the weekend. >> we will have another update at 9:25.