he was called the most trusted man in america. >> this is walter cronkite reporting. >> a reassuring authority who guided the country through triumph. >> whew. boy. >> we're going to be busy for a minute. >> and tragedy. >> appareny official. president kennedy died at 1:00 p.m. central standard time. >> legendary newsman walter cronkite. >> and that's the way it is. >> remembered today, saturday, july 18, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

and welcome to "today" on this saturday morning. i'm amy robach. >> and i'm savannah guthrie in for lester holt today and we have sad news to. walter cronkite, the voice of america, for more than a generation died last night after a long illness. he was 92. >> it is such a loss for our industry as a whole, but i like what he said. he guided america through so many rough waters, rough seas. >> for those big events in history, he became as much a part of them as the stories themselves. >> cronkite was known for that steady delivery and iconic sendoff, that's the tway is. he domanated the television industry one of the most volatile periods of american history. >> broke the kennedy assassination report extensively on vietnam and watergate and seemed to be the very embodiment of television journalism. >> president obama remembers cronkite saying, his rich

baritone reached millions of living rooms every night and in an industry of ico walter set the standard by which all others have been judged. this morning matt lauer looks back at the life and legacy of walter cronkite. >> the flash apparently official. president kennedy died at 1:00 p.m. central standard time. >> reporter: walter cronkite was a natural born reporter. he became as much a part of our lives as the events he covered. >> tension is mounting here at cape canaveral. >> our interview with the senator will be entirely unrehearsed. >> reporter: it made him the most trusted man in america. chronicling the nation's triumphs and its tragedies. >> dr. martin luther king, the apostle of non-violence in the civil rights movement has but shot to death in memphis, tennessee. >> quintessential american. came from the heartland, wasn't flashy one way or the other and his reporting was straight

forward. >> i just fell into whatever it is i do naturally. >> in a hostile environment of outer space. >> reporter: born walter leyland cronkite in 1916, isn't st. joseph's, missouri, to helen and walter cronkite sr. he was an only child. an enterprising boy, first job at age 7's, selling magazines and later the "college star" then a local radio station where he met the love of his life. >> down the corridor i could see her coming, the most gorgeous creature i'd ever seen in my life. absolutely sensational red head. >> reporter: cronkite married that sensational red het, in 1940. his lifelong advocate and partner. parents of three children. nancy, kathy and chip. at 23, cronkite took the job where he would first make his name. as a wire service reporter for

united press covering the second world war. >> united press bure pep make it snappy. >> reporter: he learned to write, as he said later, fast, accurate and unbiased. >> it's just one of the most exciting businesses you can be in. >> reporter: cronkite accompanied bombing missions in germany and covered the landing of american troops at nomenedy on d-day. >> i'm just back from the biggest assignment that any american reporter can have so far in this war. >> reporter: after the war, he cover the nuremberg trials. by 1950, a new medium beckoned. >> in the last 24 hours. today's news -- >> reporter: the brave new world of television. edward r. murrow asked him to join cbs news. at the time tv was less reputable. >> unfortunately the plane seems to be upside-down. >> reporter: for the young

reporter, at the time television was the future. without formal broadcast training, cronkite seemed born for the job. it wasn't always hard news, at the time he co-hosted with a puppet. but in 1962 he was named anchorman of the "evening news," then, 15 minutes long. >> hello, i'm walter cronkite. >> television news grew in stature, cronkite made "cbs news" respectable. >> reporter: viewers increasingly tuned in to cronkite and saw his job as a mission to get the facts fast and educate his audience. stanford sock lowe was his longtime producer. >> you kind of believed and trusted what he said to you. he had more experience, more knowledge. there wasn't a day when it wasn't a much more serious teaching toll. >> the higher calling, try to

get the facts straight and report them factually, fairly. >> seemed comfortable the moment he got behind the camera. why was he so well suited? >> he just was a presence that america took to. maybe the one guy to calm america down after the kennedy assassination. walter cronkite, he would tell everybody, take it easy. everything's going to be fine. i think he an open mind about almost everything. >> he detected the ways that many of us felt. he showed the emotions. he was family. he was sun who made us feel safe and secure. >> good morning, and it's windy. >> reporter: for nearly 20 years cronkite brought the news to as many as 22 million americans every night. his broadcast was the number one evening show for 13 years. he covered presidents s from tp

ton clinton and fascinated by politics. went to convention after convention perched in his booth over the floor. sometimes his emotions showed on air. >> i think we've got a bunch of thugs here, dan. >> reporter: and once in 1968, in a cbs documentary, he dropped his anchorman objectivity, in his opinion, about the vietnam war. >> to say that we are mired in stalemate seems the only realistic if unsatisfy conclusion. >> t minus 19 seconds. >> reporter: when it came to space he was particularly excited and awed. >> that's one small step for man. we're going to be busy for a minute. >> oh, boy. i'm speechless. >> probably be the story which will be most remembered of the 20th century. >> reporter: during a tumultuous

time in our history, his nightly signoff became one we all counted on. >> and that's the way it is. >> and that's the tway is. >> and that's the way it is. >> repte ever the working reporter, cronkite was the first anchor to be named managing editor of his broadcast. >> the abc approach to every story, which was go back to the beginning, try to tell it and answer the question, how, why, what, when and where. >> reporter: away from the anchor chair he had many interests. a passion for fast cars, and song and dance. and most of all, for sailing. he sharerd with his beloved betsy, their family and others. march 6, 1981, after nearly 20 years on the "cbs evening news" he anchorrd his last broadcast. >> good evening. president walter was -- >> walter was a gold standard,

he set the pace. personification of integrity. >> sometimes television is a sports stadium. sometimes it's theater. sometimes it's a movie house. sometime sometimes it's strength. people would come to him and he'd say, walter was the ultimate television preacher who they came to to be told, everything's fine. >> reporter: walter cronkite live out the rest of his years ill itching to cover the big stories that broke. accepting the celebrity that followed him everywhere. he worried, though, about the fate of journalism, compromised, he feared, by more instant and sensational global communication. >> journalists, about telling people what they need to know. not what they want to know. you must be responsible if we're

going to have the informed public that we need to have to make this democracy work. >> i want to see a script. >> reporter: in the end, walter cronkite remained an optimist who believed mightily in america. >> anything i learned, it's that we americans do have a way of rising to the challenges that confront us. there's reason to hope for the 21st century. >> and nbc's tom brokaw joins us this morning on the phone. tom, good morning. >> good morning, amy. i'm out here in montana where it's a little earlier than where you are watching that remarkable life and career of walter cronkite. i'm reminded again what a blessed life i've had to be able to follow in his footsteps. walter and i became good friends, even though we were compitors. obviously, he was always, as i said earlier in the interview with matt, the gold standard for all of us. and i think what's important for everyone to remember this morning is not just that he was

a famous reporter, but that no other american reporter had ever been in the middle of more historic stories than walter cronkite. in the history of our republic. maybe in the history of the world. do you think that heegan with world war ii and goes all wait through the landing on the moon, the assassination of a president, the resignation of another one, and yet through it all he seemed to be the guy on main street. it was not by accident that he was often referred to as "uncle walter" the avuncular fig here seemed to be coming over on thanksgiving morning to help you get ready for dinner that night and then sharing with the rest of the family the stories of what were important in their lives. >> and, tom, speaking to what you just said and what we just saw, there is so much he will be remembered for. that said, then, what do you think his ultimate legac will be? the impact he would have had on our industry and on america? >> well i think people have been asking the last 24 hours what

was the one story walter was most -- i don't think you can single one out. he sat on that chair during a tumultuous time and night after night he got it right. he was not just the voice of authority but the personification of integrity. he did seem, in this vast country of so many parts, the one figure that we could all identify with, and i think that was critically important a time when america was, if you will, knocked off its feet a little bit by what was going on with the counterculture movement, vietnam, the civil rights movement. how do you make sense of all this? and every night at 5:30 in the midwest, 6:30 in the east, walter cronkite was there to help the country get through it. i think that really is his lasting legacy. also, i'm watching him now. he loved being walter cronkite,

which is what was always appreciated about him. he knew that he was a famous man in america, but he loved the idea of leading a reporter's life. being able to go to where the big stories were, and because of his celebrity in new york, he was invited to movie premieres and broadway openings, and he rarely missed one, with betsy at his side. they were -- youknow, i -- i think that we've lost not just a great journalist but a great citizen and a great member of the american family. >> tom, it's savannah. you have an interesting we are spective on him. of course, having work for a rival network. what was your relationship with limb and was he competitive? >> well, he was -- you know, it was tough. chet huntley and david brinkley, obviously in the early days of news really set the pace, and then when walter sat in that chair and began to build that remarkable team that cbs had, chet decided to retire, and cbs caught us and then with walter

in the chair, passed and became the dominant news division in the evening news. nonetheless when i first met him irs was young correspondent in washington covering watergate at one of those big white house, white house correspondents' dinners i think it was. he came over introduced himself and said, we're keeping our eye on you and over the years we really did become good friends. meredith and i have often talk about how walter and betsy were a model of how you get through this kind of superexposed life, and keep your marriage intact and your eye on the professional ball and move forward. we had a lot of great times together. what a lot of people don't know about walter cronkite. at a party after maybe drink or two he loved to put on a kind of a fan dance. he would come out and imitate sally rand or one of the grand scriptese artists and drift on by. he liked to have a good time.

he once told me when he was doing the "cbs morning news" that he'd get up at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning and go to work, but before we went to work he would sp at the copacabana, a famous club in new york in those day, and have his breakfast there with guys still in tuxedos and girlfriends in the night before and then go off to work. so walter cronkite lived every moment, and i think that he was for the rest of us just a model but the way he conducted himself personally as well. >> it's interesting. we heard, tom, there, him talk about how he was worried about the fate of journalism. 24/7 news. we have twitter, facebook. how do you think he would have handled this journalist if he were still in the business today? >> he was not crazy about it. we used to talk about that a lot and sometimes i'd call him up and say, walter, you know, the

world has changed. he'd say, you just got to put on all the news you can jam into that half hour. sometimes he wouldn't be happy with the time taken up by charles kuralt, so important to the success of that perhaps, and commentaries, if there was a lot of breaking news he'd wonder why he'd have to spechbd so much time on a calmedary. he began as wire service reporter and that really informed his sense of abilities for rest of his life. his ide of journalism was to get out there and cover the hell out of the news, get it before the american public quickly and efficientland as accurately as possible. >> and that he did. nbc's tom brokaw. thanks for being up early in montana and sharing your perspective. really appreciate it. >> my pleasure. we've all lost a great friend, but i think this is not a time for mourning. it's a time for celebration. it's a great american life and a role model for generations to come. >> thanks for helping us remember, tom. much more on walter cronkite coming up. right now it's time to say good morning to bill karins leer with

a check of your weekend forecast. bill, good morning rmts good morning to you as well. i want to see matt's story again. is that possible? it was really nice. as far as the forecast, nice changes. st. louis to kansas city southward down into even the deep south. enjoy it. the low humidity has arrived. the temperatures only in the 80s from the hottest portion of the summer. you'll take it. unfortunately for all our friends out west, the heat wave continues. vegas, 113. should be about 114 in phoenix today. the only aware areas that wwawaa

that's a look at your weekend forecast. >> bill, thanks. still to come on "today," tributes from all over the country for walter cronkite. we'll hear what president obama had to say when we come back. ?e'yoyç           <

we are remembering walter cronkite this morning. the tribute has been pouring in from all over the country. nbc is at the white house with the president's reaction. good morning, mike. >> reporter: good morning, amy. from the kennedy assassination to the lbj administration, vietnam, watergate on down the line, and indication and tribute to this great newsman's impact on america's policy and politics that so many giants of politics in government reacted to overnight to the passing of

walter cronkite. president obama saw fit to release a video with his tribute. let's have a listen. >> for decades, walter cronkite was the most trusted voice in america. his rich baritone reached millions of living rooms every night, and in an industry of icons, walter set the standard by which all others have been judged. he was there through wars and riots, marches and milestone, calmly telling us what we needed to know, and tough it all, he never lost the integrity he gained growing up in the heartland. but walter was always more than just an anchor. he was someone we could trust to guide us through the most important issues of the day. a voice of certainty in an uncertain world. he was family. >> reporter: and president obama's predecessor, george w. bush, also read a statement. as a pioneer in television a towering, respected figure. many americans heard from walter first that president kennedy had died, or that a man had walked

on the moon. he is already missed. secretary of state hillary clinton has also released a statement, she says in part, walter cronkite, being a presence, almost like a member of the family year after year. it's a great time to look back and think about someone who played such a major role in explaining what was going on and did it in a calm, fact-based way, without embellishment that too often get in the way of really understanding what's going on. he will be greatly missed. finally, neil armstrong, the first man on the moon, the leader of the apollo xi mission, we celebrate that mission monday. for a news analyst and reporter of the happenings of the day to be successful he or she needs three things. accurateness, timeliness and the trust of the audience. reaction pouring in now from around the political world. american heroes all reacting to the death and passing of walter cronkite, amy. >> at the white house, thanks so much. and here's savannah. >> amy, thanks. walter cronkite, of course, was an anchor for all generat n

generations, young and old. ron allen is outside cbs headquarters in manhattan where cronkite reported the news more than 30 years. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. listening to all this takes me back to a time 30 years ago when i first walked into this building from my first job in the business as a cbs news desk assistant learning to become a reporter at the cbs newsroom just opposite the cronkite area and evening news fishbowl. hard to describe the power and reverence and respect for walter cronkite that exists in this building. around the world and throughout this business, of course, and, today, people especially those who watched him on tv in the '50s, '60s and '70s are remembering the most trusted man in america. >> all of europe daily waits for word of this expedition now. >> when i was a kid growing up he was the newscaster we always watched. the quintessential news anchor that started news television, as i remember it growing up. >> president kennedy died at 1:00 p.m. central standard time.

>> to me sort of the old school quintessential newsman. >> good evening. president reagan today opened his second white house news conference -- >> still hard to pin it down to one thing. certainly as an american he represent sewed much of what great journalist meant and continues to meet and from arizona state, obviously, our guiding light. >> at first it was called the watergate caper. >> he was our mentor, and we continue to look to him to help build this journalism program here at asu and to help teach and mentor our students and how he really was much more than just a name. how he was int grael involved how we shaped the school here at asu over the past 25 years. >> reporter: quite a life. and the chief executive officer of the cbs corporation released a statement saying in part, he was a great broadcaster and a

gentleman who experienced honestly, professionalism and style, defined the role of anchor and commentator. and the president of cbs news said it is impossible to have cbs news or america without walter cronkite and our friend katie couric who sits in his chair, the personification of excellence. and indeed he was. savannah? >> nbc's ron allen, thank you. amy, interesting to hear so many say the same thing. he felt like family. >> absolutely.ñ

a 5-year-old boy has died after a riverdale fire. the boy's 7-year-old brother was critically injured and their father suffered cuts and smoke inhalation trying to rescue them. it happene around 5:15 friday evening at the oak ridge

apartments in riverdale. the fire was ruled an accident. an this is the last weekend some virginia rest stops are scheduled to be open, 19-42 are slated to close, one on i-95 in dale city. all but one are expected to close on tuesday. the closings will save the state about $9 million a year. we'll take a break and check your forecast, when we come back. stay with us. ydb@

let's get a check on the forecast now with meteorologist steve villanueva up in storm center 4. it looks nice, steve. >> it looks so nice outside. it's going to be a petty day, with plenty of sunshine and highs climbing to the mid 80s and the humidity has dropped. so it's going to be quite comfortable out there. here's what it looks like outside. if you don't have a window, yeah, here it is. look at that. it's so pretty outside. plenty of sunshine with just a couple of clouds moving across the area. temperaturewise, here's the deal. 68 degrees right now in the beltway. 61 out towards martinsburg. the dew points are very low, just a few clouds sitting overhead. mostly sunny for this afternoon. maybe partly cloudy at times. but you get the idea. it's going to be very comfortable outside. mid 80s, low humidity with ample sunshine. more of the same tomorrow. then we start to change things up for the work week as some rain returns to the area. that's your forecast, eun, back

to you. coming up on "news4 today" at 9:00 a.m., a full hour and a half of your news, weather and enorts, see you th. we're back on a srt morning. the 18th of july, 2009. i'm savannah guthrie in for lester holt this morning alongside amy robach, and coming up in this half hour, the memories of walter cronkite continue from the man who succeeded him in the anchor chair, dan rather, and later, joining us live. plus another story we're following. family and friends mourning the deaths of melanie and byrd billings, murders in their home during a robbery. the parents of many adoptive parents, some with special needs. the big question now, who will care for these children? we're going to ask melanie billings sister who join us live

in a few minutes. and on a much lighter note, paul mccartney bringing beatlemania back to the u.s., 45 years after it all began. earlier he played at the ed sullivan theater where they made their american debut and last night re-created another famous concert. we'll take you there. >> first memories of walter cronkite. cronkite was the face of broadcast news for decades until he retired from the anchor chair in 1981. here's how the man who followed him, dan rather, remembers his life and legacy. >> our interview with the senator will be entirely unrehearsed. >> as a television news anchor, without question, he set the standard of, set the standard by expanding the public's understanding and connection to big stories. before walter cronkite, i don't think there was anybody on television who to do that. it was a proverbial household name, and overworked phrase, a living legend. there's another side to it. he loved race cars.

race cars, when he was a younger man, loved sailing. he was an excellent sailor and really did sail pretty good sized sailboats for a long while. >> but i miss terribly the stars. at night. you can't see the stars in new york, of course. >> as a foot note, walter was a tremendous competitor. yes, he was yunkal walter, yes, all the social graces and professional graces, which made him a legend, but down where he lived, he was turning the wind and every was climbing, nbc, abc, and he became a champion of the space program in many ways you would see -- >> to ensureman's survival in a hostile environment of outer space. >> reporter: being on television, particularly being a supernova star, such as walter cronkite, wasn't news. it's an egocentric, narcissistic

business, and but you rarely if ever saw that in wter cronkite. one reason was his wife betsy. saying, hey, come on, big guy, that sort of thing. she would have kept him on an even keel. walter never talked in terms of power. never saw hip as a powerful person. he saw himself as an honest broker of information that he gathered information and walter was one hell of a reporter, he wasn't just an anchor and he knew good reporting, demanded good reporting. >> this is my last broadcast of the "cbs evening news." a plan which nerve are the les one must -- after all a medium like this, i'll miss it. that was dan rather remembering walter cronkite, and we have much more coming up in a bit,

including a tribute from our own brian williams. let's head outside to the plaza and get a check of the weather fro from meteorologist karins. >> good morning to you, ladies. we are watching concerns weatherwise this weekend. the worst of it out west. where it will be very hot. we could see temperature, look at that, death valley, 71212 degrees. thankfully no one lives there for a good reason. las vegas, 113. phoenix around 114, boise record highs, once again 103. the heat wave that was in texas slid out west, but the reward for everyone in the southeast is a cool day today. only 84 in atlanta. the middle of summer with low humidity. enjoy it while it lasts.wawawawa

remember, if you want your hour-by-hour weekend forecast you can get that at weather.com. now inside to amy and savannah. a couple murdered during a home invasion is laid to rest in florida. >> what will lap to their children? we'll talk to melanie billings sister about that coming up after these messages. you can walk with a purpose to end alzheimer's... by joining us for memory walk. [ man ] you invite three people. [ woman ] and they'll invite three people. and before you know it, you have a team. more than 5 million americans... may not be able to stop the progression of alzheimer's. but we can. step up. ve nation to end alzheimer's.

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mourners gathered friday to remember byrd and melanie billings. they leave behind a large family. many of their children with special needs. we're joined now by some of their loved ones. melanie billings sister, a friend and the family attorney. good morning to all of you. >> good morning. >> i want to express our condolences. funeral was yesterday and we can't fathom what you must be going through. how was your sister and her husband remembered yesterday? >> they were remembered for all the wonderful and amazing things that they have done for their family and their community.

just how absolutely wonderful they all were. >> julie what would you want people to know about your sister? >> that she was giving and loving and she loved life and loved her kids and loved her family and unconditionally she loved without seeing any disability, color. she just loved everyone. >> they had 17 children. 13f whom were adopted. they obviously had a lot of love in their hearts. was this their calling? >> yes, it is. my sister always -- i was the one who wanted to grow up and be the lawyer. she always wanted to grow up and be a mommy, and she did. she was a fabulous mother. >> julie, how are the kids doing? i know nine of them were actually home at the time. how are they handling all of this? >> they are doing very well.

they were with family and they will remain with family. >> carla, let me turn to you. you are a close friend. this investigation has been so shocking. police saying this was quite organized. eight people have been arrested. what has, looking at this investigation, learning these details, been like for you and the family? >> just unbelievable. just -- just shocking that something like this could happen to people like us. just unnecessary. >> and i know so many people are wondering what now for the kids? particularly the young ones. those still at home. some with special needs. where are they now and who will care for them? >> they're all being cared for, and they'll remain with family, altogether. >> that was important, wasn't it, julie? you wanted to keep these kids together, after all theve been through? >> yes, ma'am. that was never a question. they will all remain together.

>> and to crystal, let me bring you in here. i know this has been a very fast-moving investigation. you are the lawyer representing the family. have the police been communicative? are they keeping everybody looped in as to how this investigation is proceeding? >> absolutely. we've been involved all along the way. of course, it's required, the family's cooperation as part of the investigation. they've been very good to keep us in the loop and particularly the state attorney's office has been eremely professional, letting us know what's going to happen each step of the way, and, again, involving us in the investigation and keeping us informed of the latest developments. >> all right. well, julie and carla and crystal, thank you so much for your time this morning, and once again, our condolences to you. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you. and we'll be right back. while i was building my life, my high cholesterol was contributing to plaque buildup in my arteries.

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help stay protected, stay with plavix. and albacore tuna, crab, salmon and ocean fish flavors. former beatle paul mccartney on tour and getting back to where he once belonged. the most memorable concert. nbc's michelle franzen joins us from one of those sites in queens, new york. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, amy. paul mccartney returned to the spot where he and the beatles performed more than four decades ago. then it was shea stadium, now city field. mccartney offered samplings of his latest music but also a

heavy dose of the classic rock 'n' roll tt made him famous. ♪ what he wanted to be >> reporter: paul mccartney "back in the u.s." rocked the crowd at city field, opening the first concert of the new home of the mets with the beatles' hit. ♪ baby you can drive my car >> reporter: he continued the two-hour set way mix that spanned his musical career. ♪ baby you can drive my car >> reporter: mccartney call his return to the stage a farewell tour. a performance fans wouldn't miss. >> i loved how much fun paul was having onstage. >> he thought he was awesome a bunch of different songs from a bunch of eras. >> one of the best shows i've ever seen in my life. >> reporter: it comes 44 years after mccartney and the beatles made history, claiming the first concert at shea stadium and the biggest with more than 50,000 fans. syd bernstein, credited with

bringing the beatles to shea wanted to relive it this time. >> these are the breaks and the fact that i'm still alive. >> reporter: full circle for bernstein and fans like ira march lowe who attended the concert at age 13. >> after 40-some odd years to come back and watch paul perform again, i'm on a lie. i'm absolutely rocking and rolling inside. i'm jumping. >> reporter: on the eve of the concert, marlo and his family pored over beatles photos and the original tickets back then costing less than $5. just the year before, liverpool's fab four had landed in the u.s., bringing their music and beatlemania with them. that adoration for the men and music exploded over t decades, even as the band went their separate ways, fans were left wanting more. and at age 67, mccartney is still ready to deliver.

>> not so arguably, paul is the greatest living rock star today. used to sell out stadium, few people can do, continues to make vital music. ♪ >> and paul mccartney will play two more shows here at cityfield and his minitour hits atlanta and dallas to flake a few. he was joined onstage last night by legendary piano man billy joel for a song. returning a favor and another nod to history last fall before shea was demolished. paul mccartney joins billy joel for the last play at shea. >> michelle franzen in queens. thanks so much. what i loved about that piece, waging every person come out of that concert with a huge smile on their face. so nostalgic. almost living their childhood. >> these people are ageless. so much energy. i saw bruce springsteen. amazing they have so much get up and go. makes me feel so lazy.

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7:56 is your time now, 68 degrees. it's going to be a lovely weekend. steve will have your forecast after the news. good morning, i'm eun yang, it's saturday, july 18, 2009. in the news this morning, legendary news anchor, walter cronkite, has died. he passed away yesterday at the age of 92. he was known as the most trusted man in america. as a long-time anchor of the "cbs evening news" he broke many big stories to americans. president barack obama calls cronkite the voice of certainty in an uncertain world. the fairfax county police department is cracking down on street gangs. today, police in reston are kicking off operation summer heat. it's a month-long campaign targeting criminal gang activity. in the past few months, the

reston area has seen its share of criminal and gang-related activity on trails. police will patrol those trails and educate residents and businesses about crime prevention. and a leesburg dmv will be open this morning, despite an accident that left a hole in the brig building. police say the driver went to the dmv to get her title renewed. she was pulling into a space, but instead of hitting the brakes, she hit the gas. the car crashed into the building, no one was injured. the office was closed, yesterday, but is scheduled to reopen in few minutes. wel yo'lorec ft,urasn eche om ck wee back. america, whattaya say big chey-steaeakyckess! - subway. eat fresh! - eat fresh! when you wanna kick it up with zesty chipotle sauce. - eat fresh! - eat fresh! the flavor-fullest sub only subway can offer. - eat fresh! - eat fresh! try the new subway big chipotle cheesesteak. an upded all-time favorite: juicy steak layered with zesty chipotle sauce... and melted cheese, piled high with only...

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let's get a check on this lovely forecast, with meteorologist steve villanueva up in storm center 4. good morning, steve. >> good morning, eun and good morning, everyone. it will be a beautiful day, plenty of sunshine, temperatures climbing to the mid 80s and low humidity. here's what it looks like outside. as we look across the potomac. it's just a really petty start to the day. very low humidity out there. and again, plenty of sunshine. so here's what's happening now. 68 deges here in the beltway. it's 61 in mafrtensberg and 69 down the road in quantico. dew points, are in the 50s and that where they're going to stay this weekend. thanks to a normally flow. which will continue to bring in less humid weather. a couple of clouds sitting on top of us, but not a big deal. still ample sunshine for today. temperatures in the mid 80s region-wide.

tomorrow being more of the same. and a little cooler. and monday and tuesday, a few showers and storms. >> coming up at 9:00 m.a., he was called the most trusted man in america. >> this is walter cronkite reporting. >> a reassuring authority who guided the country through triumph. >> whew. boy. >> and tragedy. >> apparently official. president kennedy died at 1:00 p.m. central standard time. >> legendary newsman walter cronkite -- >> and that's the way it is. >> remembered today, saturday, july 18, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

and good morning once again everyone. i'm amy robach along with savannah guthrie sitting in for lester holt today. coming up this half hour we are remembering walter cronkite. >> the legendary newsman died friday night at the age of 92 after a long illness. president obama paid tribute to him calling him a voice of centerny an uncertain world and he said he was family. he invited us to believe in him, and he never let us down. this country has lost an icon and a dear friend. >> and, of course, as a broadcasting pioneer recruited by edward r. murrow, walter cronkite defined television journalism, not just for the millions of american whose tuned in to this newscast every night for decades, but for so many of us inspired by him to become journalist, and his approach to news, that straightforward delivery an his passion to be a reporter, not just a news anchor i think lives on in never

newsroom and hopefully will inspire the next generation of journalists. >> hon necessity at key moments in our history. >> looking back at the life and career of the legendary newsman. >> from cbs news in dallas, texas, three shots were fired at president kennedy the motorcade in downtown dallas. >> reporter: he'll be forever linked to the assassination of our young president. and with american's space flight. >> man on the moon. whew. boy. >> we're going to be busy for a minute. >> reporter: and the downfall of a president. >> we shall try tonight to pull together the threat of his amazing story quite unlike any in our modern american history. >> reporter: for 20 years in this country, 25 million americans each night got their news from walter cronkite. >> and that's the way it is. >> reporter: and for all those watching in living rooms across the country, it was the way it was. cronkite's audience was so big,

he was so influential, at times it seemed more like he was addressing the nation on a nightly basis than just anchoring the news. when a survey named him the most trusted man in america that title stuck. walter cronkite came from humble roots to get there, beginning with his high school newspaper. then as a cub reporter for the "houston post" at age 19. he covered world war ii for united press. >> i'm just back from the biggest assignment that any american reporter can have so far in this war. >> reporter: then came the cold war, and, again, cronkite was there. >> exploded at 5:20 our time. that's 2: 20 seconds from now. >> reporter: he was named anchor of the "cbs evening news" in 1962. he was 47 when his career defining moment arrived a year later in the form of a bulletin from dallas, texas. >> the flash apparently official. president kennedy died at 1:00

p.m. central standard time. >> reporter: an old promotional black and white film by cbs news, "a day in the life of walter cronkite" shows us an anchorman at the height of his power in a different era, when tv was still new and back then there were just three networks to choose from. with that power and his huge viewing audience came influence. after a trip to vietnam in 1968, he concluded the war couldn't be won. >> to say that we are mired in stalemate seems the only realistic if unsatisfactory conclusion. >> reporter: just weeks later, president johnson announced he wouldn't seek another term. >> when he saw this on the air, he said, if i'd lost tonight, i've lost middle america. >> reporter: he took place in an accidental diplomacy when sadat of egypt told him he was willing

to visit israel. >> that could bey say, within a week? >> you can say that, yes. >> reporter: cronkite ruled the airwaves and the newsroom at cbs, always demanding the best. always demanding more, and he gave up the anchor chair with delayed but profound regret. >> old anchormen you see, don't fade away. they just keep coming back for more. >> reporter: years ago he was asked to sum up his own legacy. >> he tried as a journalist that he had a vision of what journalism should be, and in his own practice he'd adhered to it. >> reporter: he was every inch a journalist, but he became an american icon. a true celebrity. >> it's an honor to meet you, mr. cronkite. >> call me walter. >> reporter: among the first to be known by a single word. he was simply, cronkite. and there was no other.

>> and -- >> this is walter cronkite. good night. >> and brian williams joins us now on the phone this morning. brian, good morning. >> thank you, amy. thanks, savannah. >> and we just heard walter cronkite in your piece try to sum up his own legacy, but with all that he contributed to the industry and to america what do you think he will be most remembered for, brian? >> well, it's hard to overstate his place in life just as it is hard to take ourselves back as we've been trying to in our coverage of the moon mission, for example, 40 years. three networks, only three choices at night in the evening, and yet this -- this one giant emerges as kind of the arch-type anchorman, even though i have to quickly add, huntley-brinkley on abc gave cbs more than a run for his money, but he'll be remembered, i think, for

creating the mold of that job when done right. a guy who was a huge influence, and to him it was journalism that was important. it was just being a guy from missouri who told the story right. the american people found so much in him they seemed it like. >> and, brian, ate of us are remembering those iconic images of cronkite, whether it was tears at announcing the kennedy assassination or this joy that he had at the moon landing. what was it about those genuine reactions he had that helped americans process these big events in our history? >> savannah, it's so little by today's standards. just too little places in a long career removing those massive glass frames, the day kennedy died, just for a moment. a catch in his voice. he pauses, gathers himself, continues. and the night we landed on the moon, same thing, but a different set of emotions. you know, i was saying last

evening, we've got people now on cable who burst into tears once a day, easily. it was such a different era, but it was just enough. it wasn't -- with this new medium in america, we're watching a man be himself, and that's why we're still talking about a moment when he removed his glasses in 1963. it struck us as the most natural thing and the most natural vessel we could imagine. >> and, brian, back in 1972, and we continue to refer to hims this even today to be the most trusted man in america, and then back in 1981, right before we retired, 81% of polls said he was still the man they trusted most to deliver the news, and then in 1995, it was repeated again. funny enough, they asked him

about this. he said, hey, they must not have polled my wife. typical of walter cronkite's personality. how important is this in this business, you're the person to pose this question to, is it to have a sense of humor? >> oh, and a great partner, betsy cronkite was every inch. and that was the thing about walter. he was self-deprecating. he always tried to defla himself, if given the chance. i think it's absolutely crucial. you could tell he was a playful sort, if you watched walter regularly. he had a kind of a glint in his eye. he got it. and that was important. and he got it in more than just that one way. you know, in the narrow funnel of just three networks, it is hard to imagine today. we're all so fragmented in our time, and our time is at such a premium, but try to envision a country that kind of sat down at the end of the day. in that one way we were probably

better for it then, because we watched things as a group, though it led to a very singular view of our news that day, but for those years there, he was the guy amerins watched. >> and, brian, for those wondering, how did cronkite spend his retirement? he had approval ratings, a lot of politicians would have been jealous of and certainly could have run for office. yet he stopped with journalism. didn't he? >> he did. he wasn't altogether tlimed to have retired. he made it, made a game effort, but looked back with some regret and some bitterness and i'm afraid it gave his retirement year as tinge of sadness. he did stay in the game, kind o like the movie the front page in respect was no way he was going to just give up and not be interested. he was just -- he was a terrier. so he read and saw everything that happened, and did some work, oddly, he covered the space mission of john glenn on

the space shuttle, his return to manned spacecraft for cnn. wealthier's relationship with cbs kind of soured over the year, but he just couldn't leave the game and be happy. >> brian williams, we appreciate you join us early this morning, and the for your reflections, and memories of walter cronkite. thank you. >> it's my pleasure. thanks for having me. we'll have more on walter cronkite, of course, coming up. first a check of the weather from nbc meteorologist bill karins outside on the plaza this morning. bill, good morning. >> well a good saturday morning toyou. we are watching a beautiful day here on the pla.az nia s trtnior fhe weekend. how's your weekend looking? shorouow what woue're dealing with. some areas that aren't at great. rain heading up through maine today. that gets better as the afternoon progresses. also we have showers and thunderstorms out there. down along the louisiana coast and alabama an also watch out today in north florida. big storm. slight risk of severe weather today heading out into northern texas, our friends in amarillo

and back up into the denver area, strong storms, too. and that july heat continues all wait through the desert areas wa?a?a?a?a?a?a?a?a?a?a?a?a?a?a?ú that's your weekend forecast. hope you have a wonderful weekend. ahnnva? >>ksan?th. ilst to me,il walter onkite on orhisttey, journalism, politics and his deep love of the sea, and his last in-depth interview with us coming up after these messages. but even with calcium, vitamin d, exercise,

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mom vo: my job is to give him mom vo: i can't do his history everythsucceed.eeds to mom: that's why i go to walmart. vo: find all the brands those other stores have but for low walmart prices. vo: like dell, hp and toshiba. save money. live better. walmart. after retiring as anchor of the "evening niz" walter cronkite had time to devote to the his own passion. sailing. jamie gangel got a chance to talk to the legendary newsman about both of his favorite topics at his home on martha's vineyard. >> reporter: sailing with walter cronkite on company time is a guilty pleasure. >> here we've got these wonderful breezes all summer long. we can almost count on a breeze

like this, almost every day. >> reporter: at 85 years old, cronkite is not only a gracious captain and guide, but also an expert on the history of our sea coast. the subject of his new book. >> the history of the country, much of it was made upon our coastline. >> reporter: what is it about america's coastlines that so captures people's imaginations? >> everything. the -- the -- principally the fact that, of course, this is our frontier. everybody who came to this continent came by boat, crossed this coastline. the coastline had a special meaning to them. it meant safety. it meant security. it meant getting back on solid land again after a dangerous voyage. >> reporter: but while writing and sailing are his passion, 20 years after leaving the anchor chair at cbs, cronkite admits he's also still a news junkie.

what do you think of coverage today? >> i think it's inadequate. >> reporter: inadequate? >> inadequate. >> reporter: because -- >> it's skewed towards the more sensational. the profession of journalism ought to be about telling people what they need to know. not what they want to kn. we're ignorant today. take a poll to the public of the united states on the issues of date, important foreign issues, important domestic issues, that couldn't pass an i.q. test, because we don't give them enough to understand it. >> reporter: a lot of people remember in 1998 you took president clinton and his family out for a sail. the week after he admitted having had the affair with monica lewinsky, and mike wallace said at that time, if i was president of the united states, i would want to be hanging out with walter cronkite, too. a lot of people did feel that you helped him a lot.

was that on purpose or by accident? >> it was not my purpose to help him, except in one regard. i had a feeling that the man who was carrying the burdens of the presidcy of the united states at a time when he was under attack was almost solely the scandal that he himself had created, needed a little surcease. i thought he needed to get away for the day's sail, and that was my point in inviting him to come. i think the scandal, the monica scandal, was a terrible thing. a terrible, terrible lack of judgment, for heaven's sake and an insult to the people of the united states. overall, the purposes of this kind. so i have no -- i have no -- you know, i'm not carrying any awe for clinton in that regard.

>> reporter: there are momts in your career that for all of us are unforgettable, because you brought us along. space coverage. >> liftoff. looks like a good flight. >> reporter: i gather you would still like the opportunity to go up in space? >> oh, you bet. >> reporter: really? >> that's my biggest disappointment in life is that i haven't mad it into space. when john glenn was announced he was going to go up the second time and he's going to test the effects of age, t affects of space on age. called him up. he's a good friend. i called him up. i'm two years older than you. if anybody is going to test age in space, i should be going up. he said i'm better qualified. good answer. >> reporter: another time, when you went to vietnam and rarely expressed yourpinion, but you did on vietnam.

>> well, i went out to vietnam because we had been told by the military and by the president that we were winning that war. well, i did a straight reporting job for an hour-long feature except for the close. i said after this message from our sponsors i will have a personal word about this. and i did my little bit, and i said that i thought that we had done the best we could and we ought to get out. >> reporter: at the end of the broadcast everyone remembers is november 22, 1963 when cronkite had to report the assassination of president kennedy. >> from dallas, texas, the flash apparently official. president kennedy died at 1:00 p.m. central standard time. 2:00 eastern standard time. some 38 minutes ago. >> at that moment i realized

what i'd been covering emotionally. it's like, god, this young man is dead. our president is dead. and it gripped me for a minute. took a second to recover. i'm not ashamed of it. no. i think it's perfectly natural. >> reporter: when you look back at your life and your career, what do you hope people will remember about it? >> that he tried. as a journalist. that he -- that he a vision of what journalism should be, and in his own practice he'd adhered to it. >> that was walter cronkite speaking to nbc's jamie gangel back in 2001. we'll be right back, but first, this is "today" on nbc. ññññññññ

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happened around 5:15 yesterday evening at the oak ridge apartments in riverdale. the fire was caused by unattended cooking and was ruled accidental. and this is the last weekend some virginia rest stops are scheduled to be open. 19-42 rest stops are slated to close, including one on i-95 in dale city and another on i-66 in manassas. all but one are expected to close on tuesday. the closings will save the state about $9 million a year. we're going to take a break now and check your forecast with steve, when we come back. stay with us.

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(announcer) it's right here. it's easy. p♪ tel it's the money you could be saving with geico. r♪ looks like it's shaping up to be a nice weekend, meteorologist steve villanueva is up in storm center 4 with the latest. >> it will be a wonderful weekend here in our nation's capital. plenty of sunshine out there. here's what it looks like down on the mall. you can see the washington monument looking beautiful this morning. plenty of sunshine out there. it's going to be a great day. temperaturewise, right now it's 70 degrees here in the beltway. a bit cooler out in our suburbs, we're in the 60s there. but we're heading to the mid 80s for this afternoon. dew points, that's the important thing, dew points are in the 50s, so the air again, is very comfortable for this time of year. there are a few clouds sitting overhead, but not a big deal. we'll continue to push on out towards the atlantic. temperatures today, again mid

80s under mostly sunny skies, tomorrow looks great as well. and a few showers and storms for monday and tuesday. we're back on a saturday morning. july 18, 2009. we have a great bunch of foebs here out on the plaza. i'm savannah guthrie sitting in for lester holt today. cong up the story i'll be honest completely freaks me out. when you're diving and giant squid comes up from behind, this actually happened. >> and frightening and terrifying for this woman. we'll meet a diver that came face-to-face way jind squid. we'll hear her story and see why so many of these squids are turning up in southern california. also when you think street

vendors you probably think hot dogs, pretzels. a new twist. gourmet trucks. we'll sample desserts. >> tough. chocolate in the morning. i don't know if i can handle it. just kidding. there they are coming up. first, the morning's headlines. haven't had that yet from tam ran hall. >> reporter: good morning, everyone. investigators in jakar are still trying to identify two suicide bombers responsible for friday's deadly attacks at the ritz-carlton and jw marriott hotels opinion the blast killed eight people and injured discuss r dozens including at least two americans. we have the late ef from ian in bangkok. >> reporter: good morning. investigate verse been sifted through the debris of the ritz charlton and marriott hotels in jakarta looking for clues at the identity of the suicide bombers, but also themastermind who sent them. they say they do have a suspect. that person is a malaysian

fugitive by the name of northern topp. he was a member of the jemaah islamiyah the j.i. they came to prominence early in the decade. the bali bomb that killed nearly 200 people, they were blamed for that. indonesian authorities have done a pretty good job on cracking down on them arresting and killing a lot of leaders of that group, but topp leads a faxz of that group and investigators believe that yesterday's bombing, high profile western target, very well planned, has all the hallmarks of j.i. and most importantly, topp, in the past one of their most effective bombmakers. a little bit of information emerging as well. they now think that the bomb may have been smuggled into the marriott hotel inside a laptop computer before the bombers set up a command unit, a command room, on the 18th floor. they also believe this was, as i

say, an incredibly well-planned bombing. >> nbc's ian williams. thank you very much. pope benedict xvi is recovering this morning one day after having surgery for a broken wrist. the pope fractured his wrist friday after falling while vacationing in northern italy. the 82-year-d will wear a cast for about a month. and talks resume tomorrow in california hoping to solve the state's $26 billion budget gap. lawmakers wet behind closed doors with governor schwarzenegger. huge progress made during hours of negotiations. this as most state agencies including the dmv were closed because of furloughs. and five space walks planned after safely docking with the international space station. 13 crew members from five countries are living onboard the space station. the shuttle will spend the next 11 days making repairs on the shuttle and loading supplies. finally, upset at british

open. tiger woods fell one stroke short of making the cut and it is only the second time in his career that has happened. meanwhile, tied for the lead at the open is 59-year-old tom watson. watson, by the way, is the oldest player to lead a major golf championship. at the age of 69. the oldest. trivia. that's the news. back to bill at the plaza for a look at the weather and also savannah and amy. hey there. >> hey! >> turn it over to bill, a look at the weather. bill karins, take it away. >> amy and savannah, do you agree, ladies, you get more beautiful and perfect as you get older, right? >> just like fine wine. right? >> i don't think you'll find an argument. >> i have four ladies over here that just turned 40, and they are brave enough to bring out, the high school yearbook pictures. >> 1980. >> all right. the hair is what always gets people when it comes to these things. how long did that perm take?

>> oh -- hours, i'm sure. >> how much would it cost to the have you do that again? >> i don't think there's enough money. >> not enough? well, you're all friends, as, a 40. thank you for coming out this morning. and a good saturday. the forecast out there today, watching beautiful weather out there in the middle of the country. it's cool. all of a sudden things have definitely changed in many areas. we're in the 80s right now in areas typically in the 90s. enjoy it in the southeast up to the great lakes. cooler than you'd like especially in the northern portions of the great lakes. west coast, hot. boise, scorching the last couple of days. call it 114 isn't the deserts of phoenix. it's supposed to be hot. that's sizzling. sunday, not a lot changes opinion?a good morning, everyone, it looks like a beautiful day here in our nation's capital. plenty of sunshine out there. and very low humidity. so it's going to be quite comfortable. 70 right now. we're heading to the mid 80s. 69 up the road in baltimore.

68 in winchester. dew points in the 50s. that's just so lovely for this time of year. there are a few clouds overhead. they should slide offshore. we'll call it mostly sunny for today. heading to the mid 80s. tomorrow, a smidge coer, but still nice. a few show now fascinated by the people that, you just took your first cab ride ever. probably nervous about it. how was it? >> it was good. >> you going to go on the subway next. >> i'll try, yeah. >> i'll try. back to savannah. >> bill, thanks. coming up next a squid invasion off the coast of california. we're going to meet a diver who had a very frightening underwater encounter. that's coming up. i feel like i have to wind myself up just to get out of bed. then...well...i have to keep winding myself up to deal with the sadness, the loss of interest, the trouble concentrating, the lack of energy. if depression is taking so much out of you,

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100 calorie right bites. make the most of every bite. well, it sounds like something out of a horror movie. they're jumbo sized squid known to attack hewns in native waters off mexico now have head nor and for many are getting too close for comfort. nbc's miguel has more. >> reporter: you could call it

an invasion. >> i've never seen anything like this before. >> reporter: they've been called humboldt flying squid, jumbo squid or red devils. aggressive, fiveoot long, 100-pound sea monsters. thousands of them swarming california waters. dive video shows the self-propelling tentacle grabs, invert brey launching creatures lunging towards divers in camera light. shandon mcgill was on this dive. >> i was terrified. >> reporter: some would call this an attack. nearly everyone would say they fear them. >> the humboldt grabbed my high pressure hose strapped here and velcroed, yanked it backwards and pulled me down. >> reporter: not just out at sea. >> most of them are still alive. >> reporter: they're hitting the beach. >> wow. ip think it's huge. >> reporter: in san diego, they're washing ashore at a troubling rate. >> i have never seen squid in 42 years that i've lived here. >> reporter: we play not know

why they're here. >> why are the squid mere? i cannot honestly tell you. >> reporter: but nearly everyone wants them gone. >> we try to ge out swimming. it's like five around us. it was really scary. >> reporter: for "today," nbc news, along the coasin southern california. diver shanda mcgill had that encounter with one of the squid and joins us from san diego to tell us all about it. good morning. >> good morning. >> were you injured at all or just incredibly frightened? >> you know what jie ended up with a really severe headache, and chest pains. i think in was due to stress. a little bit of a sore neck, but pretty frightening experience. >> was this your first giant squid encounter? had you seen them before? what was it like and how did it happen? >> the night before i went out with two other divers and encountered at least 100 or more of the humboldt squid. they surrourned us, hit us

gently from behind. they come from abover behind, you don't always see them coming. they weren't aggressive saturday. sunday night i went out way different group of divers. we dropped and i encountered the first one and sent note to my buddies. shortly thereafter, i felt just a -- a huge bolt of energy hit me from behind, and the squid momentarily after that just grabbed my inflater hose and my light. drifted me backwards and down. first thing i did was cover my mouth, because my regulator which is my air supply, i didn't want that to go flying, or for him to grab that. and after that it was, i was able to kick as hard as i could and get to the surface and, escape him without, you know -- it could he gone really, really badly. i mean, he could have graged me into really deep water.

they got that razor sharp beak. obviously he was just, maybe a little curious to see if i was a possible food source. he didn't pursue me after that. so that's the good thing. obviously -- >> did you know, shanda, that these squid were dangerous and did you fear them when you had seen them earlier? >> you know, i knew they had a reputation as being pretty ferocious. i knew that they wereery powerful, but i think the amazing thing about it is they're not generally in our waters, and when you hear about something like that, your curiosity gets the best of you and, yeah, you want to see something like that. that's very cool. i didn't expect to have any type of encounter with them. i didn't even think that i would see them in the water. so it was, i was pleasantly surprised. a dive dive of a lifetime on saturday. sunday, a little different situation.

completely. >> will this experience keep you from diving again, after experiencing something like this and knowing those giant squid are in the water? >> at first i thought i'd never get out in the water again. i went out wednesday and thursdaynd i'm back in the water today. you kind of get over it. the odds of it happening again are, i'm hoping, very slight. so just keep our fingers crossed. >> i'm crossing them right now for you. thanks for sharing your story. we're glad you're safe. >> thank you. coming up next here on "today," street food goes

when you think of buying foods from a food vendor you probably think hot dog, pretzels. not exactly creme brew lei. in cities across america you'd be surprised at the fine dining you can do out of a truck. >> catch-up? >> reporter: the familiar sights

and sounds of the city from coast to coast, food carts serve hungry lunchgoers and midnight snackers. but now there's a new kid on the block, and it's gone gourmet. ♪ >> we get a milk chocolate mousse. >> trying to make really good food accessible. it shouldn't be rered for the most expensive restaurants. >> reporter: this pastry chef traded in his digs at four-star new york city restaurant for a four-wheel drive truck complete with warming oven, freezer and prep counter. jerome's specialty, desserts. >> everything is real, whole cream. we take the creme brulee and add to the chocolate. caramelized -- and homemade vanilla ice cream, inspired by a

classic french dessert. some people cannot wrap their heads around the idea you can actually eat de certs, get from a truck and walk down the street and enjoy it. >> why waste your time with a restaurant? get the good stuff. >> reporter: more gourmet food trucks are popping up in cities across the country. proving that for good food, it's not where it comes from but how it tastes. and joining us now, you worked at the french -- graduated from the french culinary and now working at a dessert shop. are people really coming up and buying gourmet desserts from the street? >> absolutely. a wild success. >> what made you think of doing it? >> we really believe that everybody deserves well-made desserts. >> i do. >> and just an easy way for people to get it. >> what's the initial response? people come up and order something. i would think if you get a hot dog in here, maybe french fries. not a gourmet dessert. >> out of wows. a lot of astonishment.

we've been around about a year and a half. people are getting to know us. we're getting a lot of regular customer, and people are starting to expect good food on e street. >> show us what you have. >> a creme brulee. >> yum. >> new york cheesecake with caramel and strawberries, signature bread pudding. >> that's what i'm having here. >> chocolate cake. >> i just have -- sorbet? >> you have a peach lavender sorbet, very fresh and almond meringue. >> lete ask, how long does it take to make all these desserts and is worth it, given how you're having to spend the day -- how much do these cost? >> $5 to $6 each and actually quite a bit of work goes into them. >> i imagine. >> we have a central kitchen in midtown, and we have a little crew basically pumping out desserts every day. >> and melting is not a problem? >> melting? we have refrigeration in the truck, got it all. all rit. jerome, thanks. we'll be back right after these messages. know no she ♪

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we are starting a new summer series here as lester, jenna and i try out some typical summer job. i went the fast-food route but did it with a twist. on roller skates at the carhop. classic summer scenes. now the carhop tradition lives on, and at this sonic drive-in i was about to get my first taste. hi. i'm amy. >> hi. >> if i want to be a carhop what do i need? >> first you need your uniform. >> oh, great. i love it. >> here's your name tag. >> complete with a name tag. >> and no carhop is complete without the roller skates i. was not good in the '80s. i don't think i'm going to be good now, but we'll give it a try. rule number one of a carhop, safety first. looking good, huh? this is going to be dangerous. i can feel it.

whoa! >> all right. you ready? >> no. >> with a little bit of help i was ready to take my first step. >> this is not going to be good. >> i'm scared. >> how are we going to serve food when i can't even, like, balance? wow. i'm going to put the helmet on. i think lester should have done this, instead of me. he would be more coordinated. >> to avoid a major spill we took the carhop training inside. >> all right. one of the most important things you said was my apron? >> yes. to hold our wallet. also, i always put ketchup in there, napkin, straws. things customers need. so you don't have to come back for it. >> rule number two of a carhop, always be prepared. >> everything that goes out the door goes on the tray. >> you can hold it -- open the door, give change. >> use my hand to break my fall. >> exactly. >> now time to test my carhop

skills. i may have ditched the skates, but rule number three of a carhop, it's all about the service. >> all right. stall one. here we go. hi. welcome to sonic. i'm amy. i'll be your carhop. >> hi. welcome to sonic. >> here's your food. >> ooh i think i have barbecue sauce. here you go with your first drink. i have two straws for you. the total a $16.63. thank you. have a great day. bye-bye. >> fast, friendly service. did a very good job. >> good. >> being a carhop, way harder than my summer job. i was just kind of standing maybe even sitting behind a counter at a party supply store. i have a huge newfound respect for carhops. my first day on the job. do you think i did okay? >> did you a good job. give you a five. half way there. >> reporter: and finally, it's break time. >> can i help you out today? >> thank you. and that smile, of course. thank you for the opportunity. >> have a good day.

>> you, too. >> reporter: nothing like a hard day's work and a big, juicy, greasy cheeseburger to top it off. hmm, hmm. >> i'm much better at eating. >> you won't be making a career in the food service? >> well, just -- hold your horses. >> no tip for her. >> i know. talking about summer jobs, lester and jenna will do hers. jenna hits the beach as lifeguard and lester as a new york city tour guide. you know he's saying all sorts of stuff that isn't even true. that's going to do it for us on this saturday. our thanks to tamron hall, and billñsr karins and savannah guthrie. >> nice to be with all of you. see you for "nbc nightly news" tonight. see you tomorrow. have a great day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

coming up in about one minute on "news4 today," the weekend edition. this morning, investigators are back at the scene of last month's deadly metro crash. what the weekend work will mean for metro riders. if you're planning a long drive through virginia this summer, be aware, some rest stops are just days from closing. and tired of grilling the same old burger or chicken? we'll have tricks of the trade for a different type of grill scene. steve? >> and weatherwise, the weekend is here and it's looking pretty good. all the details, coming up. "news4 today" is straight ahead. we'll be back in just a moment. stay with us. hmmm... well... naaa... yeah! calculating for getaway. ♪

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good morning, and welcome to the 9:00 edition of "news4 today," it is saturday, july 18, 2009, i'm eun yang. the news is straigh ahead, but first we'll check in with steve villanueva in the storm center. >> the weekend sheer and the weekend is looking great. we did have a front that came through yesterday, it brought us a few showers and storms.