good morning. supreme decision. the nation's highest court set to hand down its ruling on president obama's sweeping health care law today. this morning the potential impact on all americans and the presidential race. >> inferno. at least 300 homes now lost in one neighborhood alone as firefighters try desperately to get control of that wildfire raging in colorado. the conditions are not on their side. >> and magic pill? the first fda approved weight loss pill in 13 years. does it work? when will it hit the market? is it safe? we'll get the answers today, thursday, june 28, 2012.5 is it safe? we'll get the answers today,

is it safe? we'll get the answers today, thursday, june 28, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television live from studio 1a from raul plaza. >> welcome on this thursday morning. i'm ann curry. >> and i'm matt lauer. the health care law, president obama's signature achievement, the the nine supreme court justices will either uphold a decision that will uphold or invalidate the law. >> it will have huge ripple effects for health care across this nation. we'll talk about the fallout this morning. >> and a high school teacher fired after a year after she used some pretty harsh words to describe her students in a blog, words like lazy and rat-like. the school claims that had nothing to do with her dismissal

but she insists that it did. we're going to hear what both sides are saying in this story. >> and also a little bit later on on a much lighter note, matthew mcconaughey is going to be here. he stars in not one, not two but five movies this morning, including a steamy role in "magic mike." heap also got married less than three weeks ago. we're going to talk to matthew about his big day, his very busy career. we're excited about that. we begin with this morning's highly anticipated ruling on president obama's controversial health care law. nbc's justice correspondent pete williams is at the supreme court with more on this story. >> reporter: after all the courtroom battles, political fights and six hours of arguments here over the law opponents call obamacare, it's up to the supreme court to answer the fund al question, is it constitutional. it became a flash point in the presidential campaign. >> we're going to have to have a

president and i'm that one that's going to get rid of obamacare. we're going to stop it on day one! >> reporter: and it's a hall mack of the obama presidency. >> everybody should have basic security when it comes to their health care. >> reporter: 26 states and a national business group challenged the law's central requirement that all americans get health insurance. they say congress's power to regulate commerce does not extend to people who choose not to buy something that, is, who don't have insurance. if congress could do that, one member of the supreme court said when the case was argued it, could order people to eat their vegetable. >> everybody has to buy food sooner or later so you define the market as food. therefore everybody's in the market, therefore you can make people buy broccoli. >> reporter: but some of the nation's largest insurance companies now say even if the court strikes the law down, they will honor some its requirements anyway, keeping children on parents' policy until age 26,

covering blood pressure screenings. but insurance honors would not honor other popular parts of the law. >> they can't guarantee they will sell you a policy regardless of your health status. they can't guarantee that i won't be charged much more for the monthly cost of my premium than my 32-year-old daughter would be. >> reporter: president obama himself said when urging congress to pass the law that the industry could not afford some popular changes without the mandate. >> and unless everybody does their part, many of the insurance reforms we seek, especially requiring insurance companies to cover preexisting conditions just can't be achieved. >> reporter: those are the big questions. so now what? we'll know the answer soon when the court issues what may be one of its most important decisions. >> so what will the fallout be? david gregory is monitor of

"meet the press" and savannah guthrie is here. it's not going to be a one-page decision, it's going to be weighty. how much are we going to digest this before we know what it says? >> it may not be capable to be quickly reduced to a headline. there are four complicated issues. number one, is it too premature to hear this? number two, is the mandate constitutional or not? if they strike down the mandate, what part of the law if any can survive? and finally this law had a huge expansion of medicaid, some of which the states would have to pay for. states have argued they have been put under such a burden that the federal government has exceeded its power. >> if the court decides that congress does not have the power to force americans to buy something and in this case health insurance, do you think the other provisions in the law will follow? >> that is the essential question here. because some of the supporters of the law have said, wait a minute, you can let some of the

law survive but the opponents of the law say forget it, it's too interdependent. if you strike down the mandate, the whole law has to go. >> david, the white house is waiting anxiously for word on this. they are putting out this idea that it's not all or nothing, that they can claim a partial victory if some provisions of this law are upheld. is that spin or reality? >> reporter: well, what the president will try to do, i'm told, if part of this law is struck down is really go out and tell the american people what the implications are, positive and negative, that are there are other parts of this bill that will still be held up. it is an opportunity for a president who, frankly, has not won the argument on health care yet, matt, to explain to the american people why it's necessary and how it will actually affect people's lives, something he has not done totally effectively yet if you look at the polling. >> this will have ramifications if three separate arenas, in the legal arena, the policy arena that you were talking about and of course in this election year

in the political arena. what is at stake for both democrats and republicans depending on how this decision goes down? >> reporter: here's the overall point i think is so important. health care reform was passed on a party line vote. what happens if it is struck down in part or in whole by a 5-4 decision? would that not underscore how dysfunctional our government is, the major institutions of our government are? that is a real nightmare scenario i think for the political class in this country. republicans no matter what happens today will stay on the offensive because they want health care to be replaced, to be repealed. mitt romney, republican leaders. the president has an opportunity if it's upheld to say this is the right policy, it is constitutional and it's more important now than ever. still an opportunity there for him to go out and say this was really necessary. if it's struck down, he's got some work to do here because it would be a real blow. >> savannah, in the last few seconds i have left, this is the

highest court in the land. is this the last in terms of legality that we're going to be hearing about this health care law? >> depends on what they do today. it may be litigated further down the road. but this big legal question, the epic showdown between the federal government and the states and who has the power, that goes back to our founders. >> thank you very much. nbc news will have complete coverage of that supreme court ruling as soon as it is handed down. here's ann. >> firefighters are struggling to gain ground on that massive wildfire raging in colorado, the flames so intense the full scale of the damage has yet to even be determined. miguel, good morning. >> reporter: ann, good morning. on friday the president plans to tour the damage here, a close-up look at a blaze that is dangerous and getting bigger. the destruction in colorado springs has yet to be tallied. shrouded in smoke, decimated by

fire. but as these images show, entire neighborhoods have been wiped out, their charred remains too dangerous for crews to reach. this was a war zone where firefighters had to retreat. >> we have seen what this thing can do. it got in a good shot and we intend to be prepared for the second shot. >> still only 5% contained, the waldo canyon fire has ripped pacifier breaks and hopped across ridges. in just hours the inferno doubled in size this week. 32,000 people have been forced to evacuate, ordered to find safer ground. sarah could see the flames closing in on her childhood home. >> we're all here for each other. that's what's important. >> reporter: with 20,000 home still threatened in colorado springs today, many of those who haven't evacuated are on notice to be prepared to leave. in the fog of choking smoke and

falling ash, neighbors cleared trees and loaded cars. >> this is everything we're taking in all these vehicles just this first trip. we'll get another trip later or tomorrow. >> reporter: this morning colorado springs isn't the only community on edge. in utah, the wood hollow fire is raging. a life was lost here, 56 structures destroyed so far. this one of six burning across the state. >> it can be grueling, long days. >> reporter: from new mexico to arizona, 6,000 firefighters remain on the front lines across the west. and even back in colorado where home after home has been lost -- >> your sister's over there. >> reporter: -- a sense of home still remains. in colorado springs here, this blaze has charred some 15,000 acres. while crews are making progress, they say they do believe hundreds of homes have been lost. later on today from the air they

hope to get a better count on the damage but they believe it is in the hundreds. ann? >> mig et with sobering news this morning. thank you. is now 7:10. here's matt. >> the brother of bernie madoff is expected to plead guilty tomorrow to involvement in the biggest ponzi scheme in u.s. history. mara, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning. the fraud perpetrated by bernie madoff cost investors billions of dollars. for years he said he acted alone. this expected guilty plea changes all of that. more than three years after bernie madoff pled getty to the biggest ponzi scheme in history, federal documents say that bernie's younger brother is expected to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit security fraud and other charges, including falsifying records. the punishment carries a ten-year prison sentence.

>> given the fact this is the biggest ponzi scheme in history, this is probably the best out m outcome peter madoff could have hoped for. >> reporter: peter madoff was in charge of can't's day-to-day operations. >> peter madoff was the second most important person at bernie's firm. he was bernie's kid brother, eight years younger and whenever bernie was out of town, peter was in charge. >> reporter: madoff's wife and sons all worked at the firm. mark committed suicide. >> people have this incredible vision of him as a spectacularly skillful trader and it just never occurred to me that it was all fake. >> reporter: peter madoff is the first family member to be

charged in the fraud, but those following the case say other relatives are not necessarily off the hook. >> peter madoff's guilty plea on friday does not necessarily put all the other madoff family members in the clear because the prosecution investigation remains active. >> reporter: along with his ten-year prison sentence, prosecutors say peter madoff will also forfeit all of his possessions, which prosecutors value at more than $143 billion. but legal experts caution in the thend staggering figure may be symbolic and just represents the amount of money that flowed through the phony business. >> reporter: in the real world that's a paper number. the victims should expect little if any of that to be coming to them from peter madoff. >> reporter: when peter madoff does appear in court to plead

guilty, he's not expected to admit to knowing about the ponzi scheme himself. >> thank you very much. it's 13 minutes after the hour. once again, here's ann. >> now to an unanswered question tied to the shooting death of florida teen trayvon martin. just who was recorded screaming for help on that fitful night in february? we have details on why investigators may be one step closer to finding out. >> reporter: good morning, ann. it's a new piece of critical evidence that may finally answer once or for all the question of who was screaming "help" moments before that fatal shot was fired. was it george zimmerman, who is charged with second degree murder, or trayvon martin who is now dead? who tear george zimmerman tell the eves of that february night it was 17-year-old trayvon martin who attacked him. but that rainy night when 17-year-old trayvon martin

stopped at a 7-11 and then came face to face with george zimmerman, their ensuing confrontation resulted in at least eight 911 calls by residents. in one of those calls in the background you can hear a scream for help. >> do you think he's yelling help? >> yes. >> but who was it? listen again. now prosecutors have a recording to compare to the 911 call. >> help, help, help. >> reporter: that may sound like a dog barking but it's george zimmerman screaming one month after the shoot persian gulf. >> we're just going to have the gentleman reenacting a few things. >> reporter: investigators took zimmerman back to the neighborhood and asked him to call out for help. >> help, help, help, help, help, help. >> reporter: and later another recording.

initial fbi analysis of the 911 calls could not determine who was screaming. prosecutors wanted a sample of zimmerman's voice to make a comparison to the 911 calls. what would make it easier, say experts, would be a similar recording with trayvon martin. >> you have george zimmerman able to respond to police requests to make this 911 call and have it recorded but you don't have a comparison to trayvon martin because he's now dead. >> reporter: when trayvon martin's mother heard the scream, she said "a mother knows her child's voice." >> that was my baby and he was pleading for his life. >> reporter: but zimmerman is adamant it was his voice. >> help me, help me. >> reporter: george zimmerman will be back in court on friday. his lawyer wants him in civilian clothes and not shackled in handcuffs.

he says it suggests his client is guilty. george zimmerman has entered a not guilty plea. >> natalie is standing by at the newsdesk. good morning to you. good morning, everybody. the how the is set to vote today to o hold attorney general in civil and criminal contempt of congress over the fast and furious gun tracking operation. the house is expected to pass the resolution. >> for the first time in 13 years the fda has approved a new prescription diet bill. belviq has been approved for adults who are clinically obese or overweight with a medical complications like diabetes. u.s. doctors have been calling on the fda to approve weight loss treatments as the nation's obesity rate has skyrocketed to 35%. it is expected to be available as early as 2013. we'll have much more on this coming up. >> a plan to split rupert

murdoch's board has been approved. now let's head to wall street. kayla -- is on wall street. >> the markets here are losing steam. spain's cost to borrow money is rising sharply and fears europe won't solve its debt crisis are on continuing. investors here in the u.s. are also watching shares of news corporation. that split is expected to be divided this morning. shares are rising and it's a stories investors like. >> kayla taushe, thank you. >> a 15-mile dust storm called a haboob hit the phoenix area wednesday. it zipped through at about 25 miles per hour. no one was harmed. and some beautiful pictures of

our planet to marvel as taken by nasa crews turning them into a time lapse whirl wind of our home spinning away in space. it's absolutely stunning to see the whole video. it's 7:19. back over to matt, ann and al. >> wow, that music is beautiful. wow, bring it. >> can you see the haboob down there also. >> i got called that last night. >> i think there was something else you were called. >> let's see what we've got for you. first of all, we're talking about unfortunately the weather for these fires, these wildfires, the waldo canyon fire, not great. afternoon scattered thunderstorms, dry winds. we've got fire watches, red flag warnings and fire weather watches from nevada all the way to ohio and we've got more heat to talk about. we've got dangerous heat advisories throughout much of the mid section of the country,

on into the east by friday. 27 states will have temperatures over 100 degrees, affecting 50 million people between now and friday. >> good morning. it will turn a little hotter today but the humidity will be in the comfortable range. high temperature near 93. >> and that's your latest weather. ann? >> al, thank you. just ahead a real estate developer in michigan this morning behind bars this morning accused of trying to hire a hitman to kill his wife's alleged murderer.

just ahead, the first fda approved weight loss drug in years. is it safe? >> and matthew mcconaughey on his wedding after your news. i am from baltimore south carolina... bloomington, california... austin, texas... we are all here to represent the country we love this is for everyone back home it's go time. across america, we're all committed to team usa. the tree house i built with my dad. (girl) really? yeah. there you go. okay, i'm gonna work on the roof. dad, i'll be right back! (announcer) it's more than just that great peanut taste, choosing jif is a simple way to show someone how much you care.

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that sun won't quit. and neither will we. thanks to new coppertone sport pro series. let's go ! that's how we embrace the sun. >> this is wbal 11 + news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i'm stan stovall. it 726 and here are the top stories. a grand jury indicts the baltimore county police officer on manslaughter charges. james laboard was off-duty demand -- the night he chased teenager christopher brown away from his door. they engaged in a physical confrontation in the teenager went unconscious. the coroner's office said it

was homicide by asphyxiation. if convicted, officer james laboard could face 20 years in prison. >> busy on the west side with an act of an approaching south western that is now off to the side, but the delays are all the way down the west side. 40 miles per hour on average. a pedestrian involved accident along maryland ave. security boulevard, another accident coming in. the about 295 gorda 100 and slowdown on 95. we will update you for it on the west side. moving better toward wilkins ave. we had an accident and some heavy delays, but let's switch over to a lie if you on 95 south of the belt when northeast, the slowdown is approaching all the way towards the 895 split. that's the latest on tropical sullivan. let's get a check on the forecast.

>> temperatures are still comfortable for now, but that will change. 63 in parkton. dew points in the upper 50's. do not look for relief from the heat that way, the humidity will not be back today even though we will make it into the 90's but will not feel that oppressive. the seven-day forecast has us in the upper 90's tomorrow. both days we will be slightly over 100, probably over 102. the jets for a storm will last all with for the middle of next week. >> what's coming up tonight at 5:00? >> most of us have heard of zumba. there's now a new dance fad sweeping the nation. sarah caldwell will and introduce us toto summer

concert. that's tomorrow on our plaza in our 8:30 half hour. meanwhile, it's 7:30 on a thursday morning, june 28, 2012. i'm matt lauer alongside ann curry. just ahead, news for millions of americans struggling with their weight. >> for the first time in 13 years the fda has approved a new

prescription drug for weight loss but there are concerns about its safety. >> and americans spent an astonishing $1.7 billion every day at restaurants. we hope you're making healthy choices when you eat out. this morning consumer reports tells you if you're spending your money in the right restaurants. >> and matthew mcconaughey is in the house. you know he just got married. congratulations are in order for him. also he's going to talk about his role in a movie called "magic mike," in which he actually didn't have to but decided that he wanted to strip down, seriously strip down. and he says he enjoyed it. so we're going to find out why coming up. >> he has his tie loose this morning. he might could it right here in the studio. >> i would not complain. >> and a teacher fired after a year she blogged about her students calling them disengaged lazy whiners. she's filed a lawsuit. we'll be hearing from her. >> also we'll begin with a

strange case in michigan. a man charged in an alleged plot to kill the suspect in his wife's murder. craig melvin is in detroit with more on this story. craig, good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you. bob is being held in the job behind me on a felony solicitation of murder charge. they say he was trying to pay one hit man to kill another alleged hitman. this is wealthy business man bob bashera in prison garb wednesday appearing for his arraignment. >> he met with another person, not a law enforcement official, on several occasions for the purpose of hatching a plan to kill mr. gents in jail.

>> reporter: he was charged with the brutal killing of his wife back injanuary. bashera was named as a person of interest in his wife's death but was never charged. >> the evidence will show he didn't want mr. gents to testify in any future proceedings. >> reporter: the mother of two was found in her luxury mercedes, far from the gross point neighborhood where she and her husband lived. she'd been strangled and severely beaten. gents confessed he was offered $2,000 and an old cadillac to kill jane, his wife of 30 years. he maintains he had nothing to do with his wife's order or nothing to do with hiring someone to kill gents. >> i think the evidence going to show that he was set up. >> reporter: in an interview

conducted by dennis murphy that aired last month, he would not talk about reports he had a secret life still and an mi mistress with an underground sex dungeon. he says in an interview he misses his wife. >> let me tell you i loved my wife dearly. >> reporter: he is being held on a $15 million bond. prosecutors allege he met with two middle men, made them strip down to check for wires before making the down payment on the jail house hit. if he is convicted on the solicitation of murder charge, he faces the possibility of life in prison. ann? >> craig melvin this morning. thanks. and now here's matt. >> a high school teacher in pennsylvania who was caught slamming her students in an online blog has now been fired and she's fighting back claiming

school administrators held her to an unfair standard. dede is in doylestown, pennsylvania. >> good morning. this week natalie found out she won't be coming back. natalie monroe is looking for a teaching job. >> this is my career. this is what i want to do. >> reporter: for six years she was an honors english teacher. on tuesday the board dismissed her following a unanimous 7-0 vote. she gained national attention last year for calling her students "utterly loathsome," lazy, frightfully dim and rat-like on a blog that went viral. >> i'm not sorry for what she said. >> reporter: natalie says her posts were meant to be anonymous. they didn't name the school,

students or colleagues but she did post a photo of herself. >> it was to get out my feelings like a diary. >> reporter: her remarks stunned students and her employers. >> her comments were unprofessional, disrespectful and disturbing, particularly coming from the heart of an educator. >> reporter: monroe was suspended in february of last year when word of the blog spread on facebook. her students who she'd called tactless and dunderheads. in one part monroe took on parents asking "don't you know how to raise kids?" >> i think she owes it to the parents and students who apologize. >> reporter: monroe offers no apology sfp. >> sometimes the truth hurts. >> reporter: she was allowed to return to work and ultimately was dismissed. monroe says she was fired in

retaliation for her protected free speech. >> it is clear that's what they were leaning toward the entire year because they were holding me to different standards as other teachers. >> reporter: monroe hasn't been blogging much these days, but she did respond to her dismissal in a post saying "i've been set up." >> i know that people are mad about it but it's true. i stand by it. >> reporter: nbc news did reach out to school district official bus we did not hear back. the school board has said monroe's dismissal had nothing to do with her free speech, had everything to do with her job performance and her release process was the same as that of other teachers. >> thanks so much. >> let's great check of the weather now from al. >> matt, thanks so much. what are the odds we got a mother/daughter -- it's both your birthdays? >> yup. >> what's your name?

>> lisa and courtney. >> where are you from? >> boston. >> and you're only 12, 15 years apart. you look like sisters. oh, she gave you a look. what was going on there? yikes. i don't know what to tell you. let's show you what happens happening as far as today is concerned. 50 million people affected by 100 degree heat. then for tomorrow that heat is going to be making its way east with record break highs moving into the ohio mississippi river valley, a few more showers in the midwest, sizzling conditions into southern california into the southeast. it's going to be hot in th's >> good morning. the humidity will got a little bit this afternoon. we expect mostly sunny skies.

>> i guess i owe these folks an apology. i almost ran you over with my bike yesterday? >> yes, almost did. >> those are the people you told me you almost got, al. thanks very much. still to come on a thursday morning, the parents of a 9 week-old baby who was killed by a wild dog speak out about their 32-year fight for justice. we'll talk more about that right after these messages. stages. but when joint pain and stiffness from psoriatic arthritis hit, even the smallest things became difficult. i finally understood what serious joint pain is like. i talked to my rheumatologist and he prescribed enbrel. enbrel can help relieve pain, stiffness, and stop joint damage. because enbrel, etanercept, suppresses your immune system,

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it was ruled that a dingo killed a baby 32 years ago. sara james, we go to you. >> reporter: this has been a long battle looking for acknowledgement that a dingo is a wild animal that can be dangerous and deadly. >> half a lifetime ago, half a world away, an anguished australian mother would utter that unforgettable phrase, but it would take 32 years before a coroner agreed. >> please accept my sincere sympathy on the death of your special and loved daughter. >> reporter: baby azara had indeed been killed by a dingo. >> finally you're exonerated and finally it's done. >> reporter: for lindy and her husband, the nightmare began in 1980 with a family camping trip to airs rock.

what happened that evening as a slumbering 9-week-old azara was snatched from the tonight would be portrayed in "a cry in the dark." they insisted a wild animal had taken their child. >> it was a powerful beast with sharp teeth. >> reporter: but authorities were skeptical and lindy was put on trial for murder in 1982. >> the senior prosecutor labeled the dingo story a lie. >> reporter: this pastor was shocked of the rumors. >> with why we should be accused of being linked with satanic activity is completely bizarre to us. >> reporter: he writes about the case in his new book entitled "heart of stone" and attributes suspicion surrounding his family with the culture of the time and a fascination with movies such as "the exorcist" and rosemary's

baby." >> i thits it was the back drop that drove the belief we were up to no good. >> reporter: but michael admits he had his doubts about exactly what his wife saw. you mentioned the fact that at one point you did question lindy on what happened at the tent. >> a father needs to know exactly what's happening when it's to do with your own daughter. >> reporter: lindy faced criticism from all sides about her stoic demeanor. >> by the time it came to trial, it was two years later and they expect you to be crying the same way as you were on the night that it happened. >> reporter: but what clinched the prosecution's case at the time was forensic evidence which experts said showed blood in the family's car. >> she sat in the front seat of the family car, held azara out in front of her and slit the child's throat. >> reporter: the jury found lindy, then eight months pregnant, of murdering her own

daughter and sentenced her to prison for life without parole. just a few weeks later, lindy was whisked to the hospital only to have her newborn daughter taken away. >> i was losing another daughter all over again. so it was like losing two of them rather than one. >> reporter: there was a heavy toll on your family. >> a huge toll on the kids in particular. and it's hard to go to school with kids coming up and telling them your mother's a murderer. >> reporter: then three years after lindy was convicted and sent to prison, authorities discovered a tiny jacket that had belonged to baby azara near a dingo layer, further undermining her conviction. so a soundproofing spray, some copper dust and a spilled milkshake and somehow that gets

mistaken for baby azara's blood? >> stranger than fiction. >> reporter: in light of the new evidence, lindy was immediately released from prison with her conviction overturned two years later. >> we will continue to fight for a just conclusion and for our names to be cleared. >> reporter: which finally happened this month with a death certificate stating what the family has known all along. lindy and michael divorced in 1991 and each has since remarried but what happened all those years ago is both past and present. is it over? has the final chapter been written? >> there are questions for sure and why did it take so long? who was involved? and how could so many mistakes be made systematically? >> reporter: for her part lindy is working to help others who have been wrongly convicted and is looking to the future. >> i can look the world in the eye. now i've got a clear conscience

and know that god knows i've got a clear conscience. >> reporter: she says she'll remember azara always. >> when people tell you you'll forget, they've never lost anyone. anyone who has ever lost anyone knows you doesn't forget, you just learn to handle it better. >> reporter: both lindy and michael say one reason some may have been reluctant back in 1980 may have been a concern that dingo attacks could hurt tourism in the area. they say this has brought relief to them and their children. matt? >> up next, the fda approves the first diet prescription pill in years but does that pill work? right after this. now there's a new way to help put bedwetting frustrations...

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the fda has approved a new diet pill called belviq. good morning. this drug i understand changes the brain chemistry so it makes us feel like we are full? >> right. this drug took me by surprise. there are several in the pipeline. when it was announced yesterday, i zeent it coming but it does target the serotonin levels in the brain that makes you feel satisfied and good. if you adjust serotonin levels it's believed you will feel satisfied and eat left. >> does it work, joy? >> it does work but there's only a small impact. we fond people lost while they were taking the drug about 5% of their body weight which translated to about 12 pounds on average, compared to people taking the placebo who lost about five pounds.

the other thing is you have to have a good diet and get regular exercise along with taking the medication. so the medication alone does not work. >> at the same time, this is the same drug that the fda rejected in 2010? >> it comes down to they say these drugs are dangerous, there are heart problems, people get agitation when their brain chemistry changes. it's not perfect. but the drug marvs come back and say if you lose this percentage of weight you lower your risk of diabetes. it goes back and for the. i don't love this drug. long term we'll have to see if people will comply with changes in diet and lifestyle. 5% sounds great and if you're a diabetic and that little bit gets you going, it's fine. this is not meant for people with congestive heart failure.

i think this will get fda approval and will be on the market in '13. i'm watching this cautiously. >> there are a number of drugs for weight lost in the pipeline. is there a rush now to get them out? >> there's a rush for the pharmaceutical companies to get them out but we've seen a pretty slow fda for approval. >> this is not for everybody. it's for people defined with obesity. you want to be at least 30 pounds overweight to consider the drug or have an issue because of your weight. >> thank you so much. >> any time. >> much more coming up, including matthew mcconaughey after your local news. no! but, i'm about to change that. ♪ every little baby wants 50% more cash... ♪ phhht! fine, you try. [ strings breaking, wood splintering ] ha ha.

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>> the time is now 7:56 and it's time for a check that your morning commute. >> unfortunately, still pretty busy as you trapezes read -- travel eastbound on 40. extra delays due to an accident and looking and heavy volume on eastbound 70. you're down at 32 down towards 59. was fined outer loop, looking at a problem right near maryland ave. this accident is a clearing. sell about 182 at 95 and treat

that as a stop sign. 153 in philadelphia, accident clearing. let's give you a live view to update you on some of the delays this morning. on the northwest corner come on traffic a little bit heavier right here and that is not all that bad. westbound is the heavy delays. they live view of traffic on 795 f. franklin. right around owings mills down to the beltway. that's the latest on traffic paul sullivan. >> a comfortable start. -- traffic pulse 11. >> 65 in columbia. 63 in parkton. was when that nine and will not be as breezy as the last few days. mostly sunny skies and it will be warmer than yesterday with humidity's the comparable period at temperatures between 90-95. with over 1000's

both days ended 30% chance for

♪ ♪ 8:00 now on a thursday morning, the 28th of june 2012 as the crowd at rockefeller plaza wave at home to the loved ones. the music is a reminder that adam levine and the boys from maroon 5 will be rocking our plaza tomorrow here on "today." i'm ann curry alongside matt lauer and al roker. we have a star in the plaza. we have got matthew mcconaughey. he leads a band of male strippers in a new movie called "magic mike." and heap also got married just a few weeks ago. we have a lot to talk to him coming up this morning.

>> talk about a rude awakening. i walked out of the door this morning and people are saying "matthew, i love you" and i thought, how nice. they're all pointing at that guy over there. also the new york yankees are in the middle of their hope week where they honor some really deserving people in the community. i got to chip in and spend the day with a really wonderful 5-year-old boy and wait until you see what he got the yankees captain, derek jeter, to do for him. >> that's pretty cool. on another note, how does your favorite restaurant chain stack up when it comes to value, food and nutrition? nearly 48,000 folks took part in a new survey for "consumer reports" rating things like taste and value. we will share those results. >> matthew mcconaughey still saying high to people in the crowd, really nice. now let's get a check of the morning's top stories. hey, natalie. good morning, everyone. in one of its most anticipated

decisions, the supreme court today is ruling on president obama's health care reform legislation. the justices are examining the constitutionality of the affordable care act and specifically the centerpiece of the plan that americans be required to get health insurance. 26 states challenged the legislation. firefighters are desperately trying to get control of the huge wildfire still raging in colorado. dry weather conditions, strong winds are fueling flames that have forced more than 30,000 people from their homes and burned some 300 homes in one neighborhood alone. >> the younger brother of convicted swindler bernie madoff is expected to plead guilty tomorrow for his involvement in the biggest ponzi scheme in u.s. history. court documents show peter madoff will plead guilty to conspiracy to commit security fraud. the punishment is a ten-year prison sentence. >> new audio released in the

shooting death of trayvon martin that may help investigators determine who was screaming for help on that fateful night, martin or the accused shooter, george zimmerman. the recording released has zimmerman yelling "help" several times at the request of investigators in an of the to compare his voice to the voice on the 911 call. and now here's brian williams with a look at what's coming up tonight. >> good morning. coming up tonight, we'll know much more about what the supreme court decides. and whatever they come down with on the topic of health care, it will affect all of us by the end of the day. we'll look at all of it for you tonight on "nbc nicely news." >> and for a look at what's trending today, one of our favorite chefs around here paula deen is showing off her new slimmer self on the cover of "people" magazine. the queen of southern cooking has dropped 30 pounds six months

after she revealed she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. >> this reing is not getting a stamp of approval from twitter users. it's an anti-cheating wedding band engraved with "i'm married." this will set you back $550 and comes with a lifetime guarantee of till death and all that. >> and a new demo of google's goggles are racking up hits. you can share the experience of flying in realtime. google is also trying to take a bite out of apple's ipad dominance, unveiling its new nexus tablet computer. >> not bad. mr. roker is --

>> over here! >> right there. louisiana girl. what's your name? >> kennedy. >> and where in louisiana do you live? >> bell flat. >> you had to check with mom first, right? you got it right. let's see what we've got for you. our pick city today, seattle, washington. showers developing, temperature about 74 degrees. we've got a lot of heat in the mid section of the country unfortunately. we're going to be looking at sunshine here in the east. look for showers moving into the pacific northwest. record highs stretching from the southwest into the upper ohio river valley. cincinnati today will get to 101, as will detroit, as will chicago. earliest hundred degree readings >> good morning. it will turn a little hotter

today but the humidity will be in the comfortable range. high temperature near 93. >> and that's your latest weather. matt? >> al, thank you very much. when we come back, matthew mcconaughey is here. he's talking about life as a newlywed and his brand new movie. we'll get to that right after these messages. [ female announcer ] introducing a match made in skin heaven.

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back now at 8:09. matthew mcconaughey is having a great year. he got married to his long-time girl friend earlier this month and he has five movies out this year, the latest is called "magic mike," a stripper review, where mcconaughey plays the over-the-top boss named dallas. >> can you top this? can you top this? no, no, no, no, no. can you touch this? no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. the law says that you cannot touch, but i think i see a lot of law breakers up in this house tonight.

>> matthew mcconaughey, good morning. you look like you're having too good a time up there. >> oh, that was a ball. that was so much fun. >> first let me talk to you about getting marry to camilla. you've been together for such a long time. you're i'm sure enjoying being called a husband. but she didn't say yes at first? >> she didn't say yes right away. i took a knee. i said will you marry me and take my name? i won't say what she said but yes was not the first word out of her mouth. took around 30 seconds. i told her i'm on this knee, i'll outlast you, i'll stay down here for a while with a little chatter from my family and her family in the background, too. >> they all knew what was going on? >> they knew, she didn't. >> she was just shocked because i don't know who would say no to you. >> she said she was shocked. >> you had this big wedding, and were the two kids you have with camilla in the wedding as well?

>> they sure were. levi brought the rings on the necklace. vida brought the rose petals. i don't think she dropped one pet al. they -- >> sounds like a great time. not many people get engaged and learn how to strip at the same time. >> no coincidence. >> good for camilla. >> what caused you to decide you wanted to play this role? >> i got a call from steve soddenberg, never got a call from him, a director who i respect. there's this guy dallas who runs the show, the emcee, the business man, believes he's the

messiah of the male stripper universe. >> why did you say yes when you didn't have to take off all your clothes? >> well, i was going to regret it. if i was going to be in the one stripper movie of my life and i'm sure as heck not going to be a real stripper, i would have regretted not giving that a punt and not saying -- >> why? >> because it scared me. i don't want to do that and as soon as i said i don't want to do that, i said you got to do that. you got to give it a try. if i didn't do that, i would have regretted it. >> so you've always been a guy who likes to confront his fear. >> the fun fears, yes. and this was a fun one. >> really? there was a wardrobe malfunction in this one, want there? >> there was. i snuck out on that. >> i don't know what we can say on morning television. we're talking everything came off. >> not everything.

a thong with two little strings on the side when i was down in the mosh pit, and i felt it happen and i'm glad my left hand knew what to instinctually know what to do and what to cover and i rolled out of there. >> you actually got so good at figures out these moves that you actually have names now -- >> i do have names now and i definitely cannot say any of those. >> i didn't know what the names were or i would not have asked. >> yesterday i had a lot of fun, we all danced outside. he is pretty cool about this having been a part his past, trying to make his way in life. how much did he help you get into the groove of thinking what's going on in the minds of

these young men? >> well here, shared some stories. we went to a male review in new orleans about an hour and a half and that was about all the behind-the-scenes research i felt like i needed to do. channing was sort of the technical adviser for everybody on the film. this was a time in his life, 18, 19, 20, which is a universal story for a lot of young men and women at that age and you're not sure what you want to do with your life and it's not a bad thing to make $200 for two hours at that age. >> and you get to stand up in front of 200 women screaming as you're taking off your clothes. describe that experience. what exactly is that like? >> the hardest part is that entrance from, okay, it's about to be action. you're going to step from behind the curtain on to the stage to go perform. the heart's ponding, very er -- pounding, very nervous.

and then after you get into it, it starts to get fun. when it's over three minutes later and everyone's on the ground laughing, including myself, you want to do it again. so you go out there and hopefully get take two. i mean, it a hoot. you're on the stage, it kind of fun rock star stuff, do you know? >> when you say you want to do it again -- >> no, no, no, i'm probably done. >> good. well, no, not good. >> with public displays of nudity, stripping. >> what are the other movies you have out. >> we had "bernie" come out. then "magic mike," then a film called "killer joe" where i play a hit man. that will come out july 28th. and october 6th "the paper boy" and a beautiful story called "mud" will be able out late next

fall or early next week. >> so life is great m. >> it is healthy. personal life is good, career feels good and we'll just keep on cultivating. >> keep doing it, matthew, mcconaughey. you're great. thanks so much for joining us. >> thank you. the movie is "magic mike" and it comes out in theaters tomorrow. >> and coming up, a special boy who got to live out his dream with derek jeter. that's coming up next. on like somebody had set it on fire. on and the doctor said, cindie, you have shingles. he said, you had chickenpox when you were a little girl... i said, yes, i did. i don't think anybody ever thinks they're going to get shingles. but it happened to me. for more of the inside story, visit shinglesinfo.com

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>> we're back here at 8 :20 with a special week here in new york city that even fans that boston red sox fans might be able to appreciate. hope week signs a spotlight on very special people and i got to be a part of it. >> 3,000!

derek jeter has done it. >> as far as heros go, they don't get any bigger than this. >> 3-2. that one is drilled deep to left field. that ball is going to be gone! see ya! >> world champions for the 27th time. >> but even heros need someone to look up to. and this week it's a 5-year-old with fortitude, a cook with compassion and horse lovers with unbridled heart. the yankees hope week is a week-long community service initiative bringing care, attention and a few surprises to deserving honorees. >> reach for the sky! >> this may just look like horsing around but for 9-year-old owen atkins, it's a chance to be like everyone else. >> walk on. >> flying manes provides riding therapy to children with special

needs like owen with cerebral palsy. and this year mark texeira is trading his gold glove for day in the saddle. >> i thought about when i was a kid honestly and just it's great for him to have some of the same experiences that i had. >> stole home, yeah. nice job, man. high five! >> stealing home and hearts. he's called the angel of queens, the superman of roosevelt avenue. jorge munoz, a former school bus driver, has been cooking and delivering meals on his on dime to the hungry and homeless every single day for the last eight years. but today jorge has some help in the kitchen. a few yankee chefs including robinson cano. >> what's on the menu today?

>> it's amazing what jorge has been able to do in the community. >> and the yankees wanted to help him by filling his pantry. and invading him to their house. >> jorge munoz will throw the ceremonial first pitch. >> it's clear for jorge sel selflessness is his main ingredient. and finally, my buddy. andy has a condition that requires him to stay out of the son and has left him legal live blind. like any little boy, he's dreamed about playing baseball and that dream has it and him all the way to yankee stadium, from throwing out the first pitch to high fiving the players after the game. his energy and curiosity

unending. >> what's that? >> that's an air conditioner. >> why do you get to have gum? >> i haven't had any gum yet. all the players walk in there and go in that door and shower and wash their clothes. >> oh, they'll be naked in there? will they be naked in there? >> for a little while. >> reporter: he was fearless, even when meeting yankee captain derek jeter. >> he's the captain of the new york yankees. >> what's the significance of hope week? you do this every single year for kids like andy and other kids. what's the significance? >> it draws attention to people doing great and wonderful things in the community. i think a lot of times they get overlooked and people do a lot of wonderful things. >> and it reminds you a little bit of priorities. playing ball is great but when you can help somebody with a gesture, a simple gesture, a shake of the hand, it must mean a lot. >> no question.

spending time. i think the easy way is to give money but when you look at people who give their time, i think that's something cherished a little bit more. >> reporter: even when it's getting a 5-year-old something as simple as water. >> i need this a little more cold. >> you need a colder water. >> captain, can you do that? >> yeah, i'll be right back in one second. >> and though andy may not appreciate it now, his parents know one day he will. >> this will sink in in ten years or so and he's going to look at the video and say i asked derek jeter to get me an ice cold water. >> but the thing is derek jeter got it for him. >> that's the story of the week without a doubt. >> and i loved spending the afternoon with andy. he's a great kid. >> just ahead, consumer reports ratings of chain restaurants. but first your local news.

>> live, local, late-breaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. 8:26 not get a check on your morning commute. >> good morning. still dealing with some accidents. in hartford county westbound route 7, philadelphia road closed at 153 due to an accident. some traffic lights here are defective coming down from the harford county line. in park bill, on the beltway, an accident here. western side is still very heavy approaching all laid out to edmundston. eastbound 40, delays at rogers

avenue treaties down 70 beginning at 32 all the way in to 29, a slow go. this is just passed right up the road. in the city, an accident near maryland ave. let's get an update, looking good on the inner loop. outer loop is where you're experiencing delays. but send you over to live view of traffic at 795 and franklin blvd. and more from owings mills down to the beltway. john collins has a look at the forecast. >> good morning. a warm start. warmer than yesterday. 77 at the airport. humidity down and the barometer down a little bit. a west breeze at 9. making the heat field a little bit more comfortable. you can draw a line right here where you see some stormy activity. south of that area, high- pressure and warm air.

it gets humid and then hot. the humidity is still low. >> we will have another update.

8:30 now on this thursday morning, the 28th day of june 2012. tomorrow if you stand by the plaza, you'll be treated to a concert from the grammy winning band maroon 5. you're listening to a little of their music right now. it should be a great summer

concert. stop boy in our 8:30 half hour. out on the plaza, with ann curry, al roker and natalie. what do we have coming up? >> we have an assessment of all the food you can choose between at chains, restaurant chains. "consumer reports" is out with the list and we'll give you the results coming up. >> and a lot of people heading to the beach this weekend and next week, july 4th. what are some of the best beach reads throughout? we have two great beth selling authors. they've got their picks for the hottest books to bring to the beach. >> speaking of hot, today's professionals are here. they're back and they'll be tackling some of the hottest issues of the day, including the latest change to facebook that has outraged many users. we'll have that and a lot, lot more. >> how about some weather? >> it is going to be downright hot. >> what?

>> i was going to say darn and then it's hard to say down and i went asian on you, yeah! showers in the pa sek northwest for tomorrow, sizzling conditions in the south. as we move on into saturday, more heat, it's going to be rough. heat all the way up to new england. sunday it gets even hotter with the temperatures in the mid to upper 90s. sizzling weather southeast, gulf coast into >> good morning. the humidity will got a little bit this afternoon. we expect mostly sunny skies.

that's your latest weather. now let's check in with big willie scott. hey, uncle willie. >> here we are in the beautiful sculpture gardens at the national gallery of art. a lot of people walk past it and don't see it. it's right next to the national gallery. happy birthday from smukers. beautiful morning. leslie oldt, 100 years today plus seven. 107 approximately follows poll tex all the time and loves to cook for the family. >> eddie, it's a lovely lady because her father wanted a boy and said by god, i'm going to

name her after it. 105. loves to play wii bowling. never heard of it. i've heard of it. it's a video game, right? that's all i know. anyway, take a look at clarence. we're proud of clarence. he's the pride of portsmouth, virginia. clarence "ace" parker. he played as a professional football player and baseball player and is the oldest living member of the nfl hall of fame. yes, they are proud of him. and we have catherine babbitt of friendswood, texas, 100 years old today. proud veteran, served as a staff sergeant in world war ii, one of the lady members of our armed forces. william murray from wheeling,

west virginia, 100 years old today, world war ii veteran and was on the first boat that landed on k day. send shivers up my spine. lillian and don corbin, sarasota, florida. they've been married five years and they love to cruise all over the place. >> thank you so much. coming up next we're going to get the consumer reports ratings of the best restaurant chains as voted on by you but first this is "today" on nbc.

. americans spent $1.7 billion a day eating out at restaurants. what are the best chain restaurants in the country? nearly 48,000 diners weighed in on their favorites in this

month's "consumer reports." todd marks is here with the results. four basic criteria, right? >> food, mood, value and service. it doesn't get any more elemental than that. >> did all of them carry the same weight? >> they're all key parameters, they're all the same. >> let's get right to the italian. one of the best rated was bravo cucina italiana and the low was ram romanio's macaroni grill. >> romano's did about average. and bravo, which is according to the size did an exemplary level. >> in food and in quality of ambience. >> part of the mood, which is part of the dining experience.

it's very important. >> let's move on to the pub style or grill, on the highnd you have houlihan's and on the low, hard rock cafe. why? >> houlihan's has improved their game in recent years. >> it's subdued. >> you want to talk about hard rock, a lot of people gave it bad marks for value. that pulled it down. and it was also considered it had worse servicing, more people complained about than any other restaurant. >> hard rock responded saying today's report doesn't align with our own independent research and isn't indicative of our recent business performance. let's move on to the family

category. first watch was on the highnd and friend lip's on the low. >> if you've never heard of first watch, you should. they've topped the ratings for a long time. they're informal, great for kid, indestructible and you can be yourself. they generally lack when it comes to the quality of the food and the service. >> friendly's has been at the lower end of the ratings but they fell short, especially in the cleanliness area. >> let me give friendly's their say. they said as friendlies emerged from bankruptcy in january of this year, the company has had a singular focus on improving the customer experience in every one of our 389 restaurants across the 16 states. we understand the root cause of this issue and have seen recent improvements in our customer experiences. maybe they'll be on the up swing next time around. let's talk about other major

chains, cheese cake factory, red lobster, uno's. >> very big chain, middle of the road chains. they're above average but the bar has been raised so there are better players in their respective categories. >> as i mentioned, $1.7 billion a day spent by americans in restaurants. some quick tips, snip out some specials or eat when others don't eat or eat at the bar. >> you order off a smaller menu. you can even get cheap drinks at fancy restaurants. >> and join an e club. >> at imaginian open's just for signing up, you get a $10 coupon for your first meal. >> reporter: to find the full resorts, you can head to today.com. up next, two best selling [ male announcer ] millions of dollars for new schools and teachers...

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back now with today's sizzling summer reads. two best selling authors are here with their picks of this year's 12 must reads. charlesaine harris and janet evanovich. good morning. >> good morning. >> we're going to break this into three categories. the first one is the beach season. charlene, you like "wicked autumn" and "let's pretend." >> i love both of them. "wicked autumn" has a priest who

is a former agent. it's fun, it's not too serious. it's wonderful to read. >> and "let's pretend this never happened? >> it's fabulous, it's bitter, it's funny, i laughed so hard tears came to my eyes. >> that sounds like a good beach read. janet, you like joan rivers' book "i hate everyone starting with me." >> yeah, yeah, i love joan rivers. she's funny and there's such an element of truth to all these funny things that she says. i started a book tour flying out of florida in the middle of a tropical storm and i had joan with me. so if i could laugh through that, that's a good book. >> so the laughter translates from the page. >> yes.

>> and you like "the after wife." >> very compelling. it starts off with the death of a husband but it's about a strong woman. it's very well written. it's a page turner. very uplifting and funny book. very entertainmenting. >> it rocket yours emotion around. >> it does but it picks up and it's not some read. you like "the rook" by daniel o'malley. >> i love that look. it opens with a woman standing in a circle of corpses and she had no idea who she is and she she nodes she needs to retrace people. it's incredibly complex, weirdly funny and just fascinating all the way through. >> and "defending jacob." >> that's a more serious book

temperature. defending jacob, if you're a parent, can you identify with the central character very strongly. he's a district attorney whose son is accused of murdering a classmate. and there's a lot of discussion about the violence. >> it has some serious -- >> it's a chewier book. >> speaking of chewy, your rainy day pick is a little different. you have "media raw." >> i love anthony. he's gorgeous, he goes to places i would never go, he eats food i don't have the courage to eat and this book is so beautifully written. he writes better than i do so of course i hit him for that. >> but you at mitt it. it's a great book about the food industry. it's very entertaining.

>> and then lady karn eelus f m from -- it's a wonderful book about a woman at the turn of the century. >> we could either be talking about scary mysteries or the romance novels so "once burned" about jannine frost? >> i picked one of each. >> look at those rippling pecks. >> she ripples pecks with the best of them. jannine frost is an intelligent, witty writer who has chosen romance as her genre and super natural romance at that. >> and those across the river by christopher biehlman. >> scary. scary, scary, scary. >> "heat rises" for you, janet. >> again, this has the television tie-in. we don't actually know who writes these books but it's a

good mystery story, good sexual tension, a fun read. >> and rafa and then -- if they had a whole body shot, i would have paid twice as much. >> maybe the sequel you'll get the mid section. thanks for your picks. we're back in a moment but first this is "today" on nbc.

welcome back, everybody. it's 8:50. this is not easy to say but this is going to be my last day as a co-host of "today." i'm going to be part of the family still but i'll have a new title and new role. i never expected to leave this couch after 15 years but i am so grateful, especially to all of you who watch because matt and i and everyone who sit on this couch weeks often call ourselves a family but you are the real "today" show family. you are why i have ventured into dangerous places and interviewed vick tateors and jumped off of planes and bridges and climbed mountains and landed in the south pole and convinced the dalai lama to come live in our studio.

i have loved you and i've wanted to give you the world and i still do. they're giving me some fancy new titles, which essentially means i'll get tickets to every story we want to cover with a terrific team of my choosing and we're going to go all ofrt world and all over the country at a time when the country needs clarity. we're being given the chance to do the work most of us got into skrournlism to do. t -- got into journalism to do. after all of these years, i don't even know if i can sleep in anymore. i'm not sure if i can but i know whatever time i wake up, i'll be missing you and i'll be believing in you. i love all of you, especially all of you who are behind the scenes, behind the cameras, i love you guys, mark and anthony, all of you guys, davey, i love all of you. and i love all of our brilliant, brilliant producers. and for all of you who saw me as

a ground breaker, i'm sorry i couldn't carry the ball over the finish line but, man, i did try. so to all of you who watch, thank you from the bottom of my heart for letting me touch yours and thank you for your tweets and your e-mails and for your support and i will keep trying. i'm so sorry i've turned into a sob sister this morning, please forgive me and i hope you'll miss me well. >> oh, do we. i'll start with the group and i'll say something we've said a thousand times. you have the biggest heart in the business. >> i wear it on my sleeve this morning. >> no, you put it on display every single day in this studio and you have for, what, almost 20 years on this show? the way you care about people comes through in every single story you report. there could be a thousand examples. a few we just want to remind our viewers about. i will never forget the way you handled the story of those american hikers who were held

captive in iran, the ordeal they went through and your interview with ahmadinejad and because of you that we were told he would release those hikers. >> and i recall the tsunami and the day you reunited that family with their daughter. >> they were great, great family. >> and you being the queen of tweet, you were able to use the power of twitter and reunite them. >> but our whole team was involved with that. that was so nice. and thank you. >> and most recently, ann, who could forget the incredible efforts you are still making and will continue to make to help all of those military families who are returning to the front lines and you helped with the hiring heros campaign to help

them find jobs and that was your doing. >> i'm proud of the show. >> you have a beautiful voice and you're going to continue to use it. >> thank you, my sister. i'm proud of the show for putting that kind of material on tv. i'm really sorry, forgive me. >> can we just say it's not good-bye, not by a long shot. we're going to continue to put you on planes, maybe jump out of one or two. you'll be with us at the olympics. most importantly you've made us better and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. >> thank you. thank you so much. >> we'll be back with more.

>> good morning. here's a look at the top stories. starting today, baltimore city residents will have to pay more for the use of city water. the board estimates approved a 9% increase that translates to about $97 per year for the average family of four.

average family of four. assistance

clucks plenty of sunshine. we changed from warm to hot. mostly sunny skies with a high temperature in the low to mid 90's. >> thanks for joining is. >> thanks for joining is.