good morning. terror bust. the fbi arrests a north carolina man for allegedly recruiting people in the u.s. to carry out jihad overseas. and prosecutors say at least six people, including his own son, were willing to join him. cause of death? nbc news has learned michael jackson's doctor gave him the powerful anesthetic propofol on the day he died. as new details emerge about the bizarre conditions inside the home jackson was renting. and the sunshine boys. al and i have gone south. way south.

to enjoy the sun and the fun of key west, florida, today, to enjoy the sun and the fun of key west, florida, today, tuesday, july 28th, 2009. captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good morning, everyone. welcome to a very special split edition of "today" on this tuesday morning. we hit the road. al and i are insunny, actually kind of sunny and almost stormy key west, florida, this morning. meredith and ann are back in studio 1a in new york city, where they've just come off a whirlwind trip to lake george in the adirondacks. good morning to both of you. >> and these ladies, too. good morning, girls. >> good morning, guys. you know, i thought ann and i

really had the best outfit with those waiters yesterday, but you take the cake, guys, in those shirts. questi, how much tequila did you down before you purchased them? >> actually, we didn't. we did this -- we did this on our own. >> completely sober. >> when we were looking for gifts for you guys, we found these. and what's great is they're polyester, so they really breathe. >> it's about 90 degrees and humid here. it's going to get only worse throughout the show. but we've got our friends -- >> this is bob the macau. >> we've got some of the other cast of characters that hang out here near mallory square every day. we're at the westin key west resort here and this is a scene that goes on here every single day. we're going to be showing you more of it. we're as far south as you can go in the continental united states, we're at mile marker zero along u.s. highway 1. we're about 90 miles from cuba, about 130 miles south of miami, florida. >> in fact, that's right.

key west may be small, roughly 4.2 square miles, which is really just about three times the size of new york's central park. right, bob? but it is filled with colorful characters and a heck of a lot of history. >> a lot of history. some really famous people have hung out here. harry truman spent about 11 working vacations here when he was president. earnest hemingway lived here in the 30s and 40s. did about 50% of his writing here, including the flasic "for whom the bell tolls" and tennessee williams completed a streetcar named desire. so a rich literary history. >> we tried to soak in all the best that key west has to offer. in fact, we tried some of the fabulous food, the laidback atmosphere. and of course the margaritas. and we even washed down more than our share of hot sauce. and i also went diving for sunken treasure. there are still millions of dollars worth of treasure out there just waiting to be found. >> all right.

we're going to show you all around, meredith, as the show goes on. right now we'll send it back up to new york and you. >> all right, looking forward to all of it. coming up from here in new york, the october toe mom, nadya suleman is back in the headlines. she signed her family up for a reality show but now a judge says she can no longer oversee her octuplets' finances. first the top stories of the morning, ann curry back at the news desk. good morning. >> we say welcome back to each other now this morning? >> exactly. >> good morning, meredith. good morning, everybody. first our top stories of the day. seven people are under arrest this morning in raleigh, north carolina, accused of plotting terrorism attacks overseas. justice correspondent pete williams joins us with more on the story. >> reporter: ann, prosecutors say the man at the center of this, 38-year-old daniel patrick boyd has been interested in jihad for more than 20 years, after training in terror camps in pakistan and afghanistan, then fighting in afghanistan against soviet troops. aftecoming back to the u.s., investigators say he recruited young men to join the jihadi

fight, including his two sons, thenent to the middle east and tried to engage in terror acts. the fbi says boyd came home again, amassed an arsenal of weapons, raised money, and practiced military-style tactics with two of the other defendants. federal officials say they've been aware of boyd's activities for the past few years and that an informant has kept investigators aware of his activities, but there's nothing in these charges to suggest that the men were planning to attack americans or targets in the u.s. >> pete williams this morning, thanks. a new study out will likely add fire to the debate over health care. it finds that 10% of spending on health care in the u.s. is because of obesity. according to the stud medical expenses for obese people average $1400 a year more than for people of normal weight. 34% of american adults and 70% of children in the united states are considered obese. congress is inching closer to a health care reform bill and the president is trying to keep the pressure on lawmakers to get it done. nbc's chief white house correspondent chuck todd has

more this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann. the pace of the president's campaign for health care might have slowed but he picks it back up today with a town hall with aarp, america's largest senior organization. the president took a day off fromushing health care to focus instead on china. >> thank you. >> reporter: the wnba. and even international diplomacy. it's a sign that the white house has given up on its goal of getting health care bills passed in congress before august. >> there's no new intermediate deadlines except to say that the president's encouraged that we're making progress. >> reporter: that's quite a departure from president obama last week. >> if you don't set deadlines in this town, things don't happen. >> reporter: nevertheless, congress is no longer operating as if it has a deadline to meet. >> they need the time that they need to not only get this bill written but to have plenty of time to review it. >> reporter: after lawmakers go home for the month of august, the depiet will move from congress --

>> the last thing americans want is for congress to rush through a flawed bill that would make our health care system even worse. >> reporter: -- to tv screens. >> now, the republicans say congress should slow down? that's because when something goes slow enough, it's easy to kill it dead in its tracks. >> reporter: some $50 million has already been spent on the airwaves. look for that number to probably go up exponentially in the month of august when these guys are out of here. >> chuck todd this morning. thanks for reporting this morning. today the senate judiciary committee is expected to approve the nomination of supreme court nominee sonia sotomayor. the nomination will then go to the full senate next week. swine flu fears in china have forced a second quarantine of morehan 70 high school students and teachers from meord, oregon. adrian young is in china this morning. why is this group being held now a second time? >> reporter: good morning, ann. this is the same grouphat was quarantined when they arrived in

beijing about a week and a half ago. it turned out that a couple of students in this group of 64 students and 7 teachers, a couple of them had tested positive for the h1n1 virus. and the chinese authorities here are taking a very, very serious approach to trying to contain the virus by resorting to quarantine. so groups here are now in central china, and it looks like five of the stunss have been taken away to local hospitals. three of whom have tested positive again for h1n1. and they're still waiting for test results for the other two. it's not clear when they'll be released. they're hoping to catch their flights on friday to go back to the states. ann? >> all right, adrienne mong this morning. it is now 7:08. let's go back to meredith. >> okay, ann, thanks. now let's head back to key west where matt and al are enjoying the morning. how is the weather looking? >> well, here we've got a few scattered showers and thunderstorms. we look off that way you can see some really good thunderheads

building up. but in the meantime, matt's ship has come in. >> nally. going to get a little more crowded here in a couple of minutes. >> a bunch of ships coming in. we've got another one of those carnival cruise lines 27bs with 3,300 people on board or at least passengers and 1200 crew members. a lot of folks coming into key west and enjoying things. we'll show you for today, we are looking at scattered storms. out in the pacific northwes portland yestday, 103. today, 105. in portland, oregon. record lies for a lot of the areas, high fire danger, as well. now, heavy storms moving on right now throughout texas, on into louisiana. and parts of arkansas. they've got -- they're looking at anywhere from one to fiveç#ç# good tuesday morning. i'm news4 meteorologist chuck bell. a cloudy sky hanging over washington first thing on your tuesday morning. mostly cloudy skies will give way to sunshine coming up later

on this morning and early this afternoon. off to a muggy start. 73 now at national airport. 71 in prince george's county. 68 degrees in montgomery county, maryland. 70 in fairfax county, virginia. hazy sunshine coming back late this morning. hot and humid later this afternoon with highs near 91 degrees. and that's your latest weather. meredith? >> al, thank you. now to the latest on michael jackson's death, and what investigators now think may have caused it. nbc's jeff rossen was in los angeles with the details. jeff, good morning to you. >> reporter: hi, meredith, good morning to you. for the first time, police sources are connecting the dots about what really happened to michael jackson. law enforcement sources now tell nbc news dr. conrad murray administered the drug propofol to jackson on the day he died. michael jackson battled with insomnia, haunted him in life, and may have played a role in his death. police sources tell nbc news his

personal physician, dr. conrad murray, gave jackson propofol, a generic of dip row van, to help him sleep on the very morning of his death. an anesthetic sew powerful, experts say it's only supposed to be used in hospitals. >> it certainly would indicate that diprovan, profol is a primary drug involved in the death. it doesn't say that the drug, by and of itself caused the death. >> reporter: police sources tell nbc news, detectives are now traveling to las vegas to gather more evidence. dr. murray has an office there. in fact, he's believed to be in virtua hiding, avoiding the press inside his home at this country club near the vegas strip. federal drug agents and the lapd have already searched his office and storage in houston. court papers reveal he's the target of a manslaughter investigation. >> this d.a.'s office in los angeles doesn't want another o.j. moment. and they're working very hard behind the scenes to make sure

that before they even bring the charges they have all the evidence. because they've gotten burned before. >> reporter: dr. murray's lawyer denies any wrongdoing andashed out in a new statement. i feel like a horse swatting flies, he wrote. everyone needs to take a breath and wait for these long delayed toxicology results. i have no doubt they want to make a case, for goodness sakes, it's michael jackson. but things tend to shake out when all the facts are made known. >> just a quick question. >> reporter: another key figure in jackson's life was out and about monday, debbie rowe. we spotted her inside this pharmacy in beverly hills. the very pharmacy michael jackson used. photographers follow her everywhere. >> do you know what propofol is? >> yep. >> what is it? >> it's a medication that is used in anesthesia. >> reporter: in an off-camera conversation, rowe spoke with me about the kids. she said she just wants them to have a private life. when i asked about a possible custody deal, she told me, everything will work out. katherine jackson's lawyer

hinted at that during matt's exclusive interview monday on "today." >> is it possible that there will be some shared custody between katherine jackson and debbie rowe? is that something that's currently on the table? >> what's best for the children is what michael wanted and what has been happening, for mrs. jackson to have custody of these children. we expect to make an announcement very shortly. >> reporter: but still, no announcement yet. as we wait for a custody deal, we actually have some fascinating new details about michael jackson's final days. a law enforcement official now tells the ap, his mansion, the one you're looking at right now, was a mess. jackson's bedroom was so hot, it was actually stifling and no one who works in the house is allowed to lower the heat or clean it up. there were 20 handwritten notes stuck on the walls. one of them read, children are sweet and innocent. and a porcelain doll, a girl, was in the bed where he slept. the mystery of michael jackson's life continues tounravel. >> jeff rossen, thank you very much. dan abrams is nbc news' chief legal analyst.

good morning to you. >> good morning. >> let's look at the case building up against dr. murray. according to the search warrant investigators are looking for, quoting here, evidence of the offense of manslaughter, and now we have confirmation from the law enforcement official that he administered this drug to jackson on the day he died. how significant? >> this explains everything. we've been wondering up to this point, how did they get to manslaughter? that's the reckless killing of another person. generally you don't charge a doctor with manslaughter if they, for example, prescribe the wrong pill. or they even give someone something they shouldn't have given them. the difference is, and we're talking with something like propofol. and one of the things apparently that was also found in his room was an iv is this idea that it was possible the doctor administered this via an iv. now you're talking about not just a doctor prescribing a pill and possibly michael jackson taking too much of it himself, et cetera. now, if all of this is true, we're getting into a better explanation of why the crime of manslaughter might apply. >> but propofol, i mean, it's

not a controlled substance. is it illegal for the doctor to administer it? >> it's not in and of itself illegal for a doctor to administer it. the problem that's going to be in this environment, particularly for the use of trying to help someone sleep, and it causing the death of michael jackson, if it did, then you've got the possibility of manslaughter. so you can administer a drug that is legal in certain instances in a way that could make it illegal. >> but his lawyer is saying, dr. murray's lawyer is saying that he did not administer anything that should have killed michael jackson. >> well, that's the key word there. should have killed michael jackson. but again, we have to be careful, parsing the words of a lawyer too carefully. that doesn't really tell us a lot. the fact that the lawyer thinks that whatever drugs were administered should not have killed michael jackson is an interesting defense, et cetera. and look, that might be the legal defense, too, which is no matter what was administered, this doctor didn't engage in reckless conduct. >> toxicology report comes back and confirms that propofol was

in michael jackson's system, is that enough to bring charges against the doctor? >> probably not in and of itself. but because of the type of drug, because of what was probably found in michael jackson's home, et cetera, the authorities may believe they have enough. >> all right, dan abrams, thanks very much. now to the latest on the arrest of a harvard professor that has led to a fire storm of controversy. henry louis gates jr. and sergeant james crowley have now agreed to meet with president obama later this week. this has police released the initial 911 call from the incident. nbc's ron allen is in cambridge, massachusetts. ron, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, meredith. this case has ignited so much anger and passion, but in sharp contrast to that, the police tapes sound very routine. that only raises more questions about why a call to 911 about a possible break-in has become so much more. the caller is a woman on her way past profess gates' home on her lunch break. eets an older woman who tells her what she just saw at the gates home. whelan calls 911 to tell police what they both witnessed.

>> she had noticed two gentlemen trying to get in the house at that number, 17 ware street, and they kind of had to barge in and they broke the screen door and they finally got in. and when i had looked, i went further closer to the house a little bit after the gentlemens were already in the house, i noticed two suitcases. so i'm not sure if these are two individuals who actually work there -- i mean who live there. >> do you think they might have been breaking in? >> i didn't see a key or anything because i was a little bit away from the door. but i did notice that they -- >> and what did their suitcases have to do with anything? >> i don't know. i'm just saying what i saw. >> the caller only asked about the race when asked? >> one looked kind of hispanic but i'm not sure. >> reporter: sergeant james cruelly, the first officer who arrive at gates door helds headquarters he is there. >> i'm with a gentlem who says he resides here. a little uncooperative, but keep the cars coming. >> can you also send a harvard university policeman in? >> we can send him in.

>> reporter: the recordings reveal very little about what happens next, and none of what gates a crowley said to each other. minutes later, gates is arrested and taken to jail. >> do we have a wagon coming to this cation? >> 17 ware street. >> reporter: cruelly has returned to work while gates has been filming a documentary in los angeles. >> can you please elaborate on the whole situation? >> reporter: back in cambridge, city leaders want to turn the page. >> we are confident that we can ultimately come out stronger, and more unified community. >> reporter: the police have invited a panel of law enforcement experts here from across the nation to help understand what lessons should be learned. but the city monger said investigating the officers involved in the gates arrest is out of bounds. >> the response and the incident speak for themselves. there's no reason to dwell on the incident. it's time to move forward. >> reporter: the next big step

forward, of course, is that much anticipated meeting between gates, crowley and president obama over beer at the white house. it's our understanding that will happen sometime thursday evening, just before dinner time. meredith? >> ron allen, thank you very much. it is 7:18, we're going to head back down to matt and al in key west, florida. >> all right, meredith, thank you very much. we just want to mention we have a very nice crowd of people gathering here at the westin key west resort near mallory square. getting up early for us here. we appreciate that. >> that's right. we've had a great time here so far. this area, key west, has it all. sun, fun, and a lot of history. >> and it's only 2 1/2 hours by car from miami. so it is a perfect family getaway. ♪ laid back, a little quirky, and off the beaten path. this is a vacationers paradise.

with a warm climate and an anything-goes atmosphere, key west has long been a mecca for tourists and artists like jimmy buffett. ♪ >> look at the water. look at the boats. look at the sky. look at the sunset. we get to wake up here every day. >> reporter: the island is about four miles long and two miles wide. 129 miles southwest of miami, key west is closer to cuba, which is only 90 miles away. the best way to see the city? >> all aboard! >> reporter: the conch train, hitting all the best sites. one of town's more popular attractions is the hemingway home and museum where writer ernest hemingway penned some of his most famous novels back in the 1930s. today, visitors come to see descendants of his six-toed cat. >> hemingway named all of his cats after famous people. so we follow that same tradition today. a few of my favorites, howard

hughes, charlie chaplain, ava gardner. great tabby cats with six toes. that was harry truman. >> reporter: the country's 33rd president was no stranger to key west. during his time in office, harry truman spent 11 working vacations in this building, which became known as the little white house. >> this was the functioning white house. presidents of the united states may still come and use the house. the obamas, we are reco will come one of these days. >> reporter: there's a bit of history at every turn. the mel fisher museum houses $450 million in sunken treasure, recovered off the coast of key west. while chickens can be spotted walking the streets and having breakfast at the blue heaven restaurant, locally caught seafood is prepared and served daily for lunch at the pier house. and for dinner, nine one five on duvall street is a must. at sunset, mallory square, key west's historic waterfront, is

the place to be. hundreds of tourists gather as entertaining street performers ranging from jugglers to the very popular cat man work the crowd for tips. when the sun finally goes down, the party kicks into high gear that bars like the famous sloppy joe's. there's something for everyone. in key west, the locals say they won't treat you like tourists, you're more like family. ♪ i don't know where i'm gonna go when the volcano blows ♪ >> it really is a cool place. by the way, even though we noticed that the girls didn't buy us anything at lake george, nothing from the adirondacks, we went on a major shopping trip for you ladies back there. we're going to show you our excellent adventure coming up. but first, this is "today" on nbc. me

you know, matt, you missed the part of t show yesterday where we did bring you gifts from lake george we got you lures, we got al a boat. al, you know that. you didn't miss that. >> i did witness it. >> i didn't see any of that. >> but you got it for free. >> got it for free? we paid for everything. >> we're kidding. >> they're flying. they're lures. >> oh, cool. i take it back. i stand corrected. i think you're going to love what we got. >> i certainly hope so. >> we're going to get rained on here. and al is going to search for sunken treasure.

good morning. welcome. i'm barbara harrison. it's tuesday, july 28th, 2009. the timright now is 7:26. prince george's county fire officials are investigating an overnight fire at the knights of columbus hall. the byrne manor on southern avenue went up in flames after 2 2:00 this morning. itut to a number of events over the last couple years. no one was hurt. drivers using the chain bridge should expect route changes. a right lane for route 123 as you leave the city so they don't

get stuck waiting to turn right. they restriped the roadway to sn make changes. we'll come back after we take a break and look at weather and traf if we don't act, medical bills ll wipe out their savings. if we don't act, she'll be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. and he won't get the chemotherapy he needs.

if we don't act, health care costs will rise 70%. and he'll have to cut benefits for his employees. but we can act. the president and congress have a plan to lower your costs and stop denials for pre-existing conditions. it's time to act. good tuesday morning. i'm chuck bell. sunshine getting on to abrahamom lincoln memorial on the western end of the national mall. a little on the thick side out there. haze and humidity in the air this morning. high today near 91 degrees. showers and thunderstorms return tomorrow. jerry? >> 270 southbound comes to a grinding halt in montgomery village and it goes all of the

way down to the american legion bridge. that's awful. the good news is the accident that generated the backup is gone but it whiill take a lot o time to get from point a l

♪ 7:30 now on this tuesday morning, july 28th, 2009. this morning, matt and al are in key west, florida, the southernmost city in the united states, getting down to the sounds of howard livingston and the mile marker 24 band. ann and i had a blast at lake george monday. it looks like you guys are giving us a run for our money.

are those red flowers or did bob the parrot have an accident? >> no they're red flowers. take a look. see? look at that. >> oh, all right. just checking. >> you like the shirt? >> yeah! >> very popular here in key west. by the way, can you just get a little pan of some of the nice people who've come down here? a huge crowd at lake george they are crazy here. >> this crowd stretches from here all the way over to the docks, going down toward mallory square. we've got people in boats and of course, if you add up the 3,300 people coming in on the carnival cruise ship, we give them a run for their money. >> by the way, i got down here yesterday. i was here for the weekend enjoying some things and getting to do some shooting. we're going to see some of that later on. but since i have been here, al and i have spent every waking hour shopping for things for you and ann. i just want you to know that. maybe not every waking hour.

>> no. but most of them. most of them. and of course, we can also say one of the interesting things about key west, there's quite a pecking order here. >> yes. >> when i say there's a pecking order you'll understand when you take a look at this next video. there are 2,000 to 3,000 key west gypsy chickens. when you talk about free range clickens. these are free range. but there's an ordinance. you're not allowed to harm them or kill them. they've been here since the mid 1800s, when they first brought them in for food and they just went nuts. >> wasn't there -- there was actually a time where they tried to hire someone to get them out of here and the people around here went crazy. no, we love the chickens. it's part of life and the culture here. meredith? >> okay, you look like you could be chicken catchers, actually, in those outfits. >> that's nice. >> you like the shirts. >> tomorrow they'll be wearing these coast to coast. >> no -- >> we're starting a trend, baby. >> oh, yeah you sure are, baby. you guys look great, actually.

we're going to check in with you in a bit. but first the latest on octomom nadya suleman. the california mother of 14, including octuplets. a judge has now appointed a guardian to oversee the finances of suleman's children. nbc's michael owku has the very latest. >> i can't express it in any ways. >> reporter: somehow you knew you hadn't heard the last of nadya suleman. in some ways it just may be the beginning. >> this is the tiniest one. >> reporter: the so-called octomom is back in the headlines. after a california judge appointed a guardian to oversee the estate of her octuplets, and to ensure they aren't exploited by tabloid photo shoots in a planned reality show. >> yes, it's unusual. but it's an unusual circumstance. >> reporter: the lawsuit was filed by paul peterson, a former disney mouseketeer, now an advocate for the rights of children in show biz. suleman's children stand to collectively make a quarter of a million dollars over three years appearing on the reality show. peterson's attorney, gloria

allred. >> we are seeking to make sure that their finance interests are represented and protected, safeguarded. >> reporter: suleman's lawyers called the case sickening and vowed to appeal. the suleman camp is on top of all the legal requirements. nadya will continue to fight to maintain her basic freedom to be guardian of her own children. >> this is noah and malia and they're doing really well. >> reporter: suleman went from obscurity to celebrity with the birth of her octuplets in january. but soon taken to task when it became clear the new mother of eight was not only single and jobless, but already a mother of six. early on she explained the harsh scrutiny to ann curry. >> it cuts you open, and it just wants to dissect you, and just wants to put you in a microscope. >> reporter: there was a big media crush worthy of a hollywood film set. complete with helicopters, and hangers-on. literally. some photographers clung to her

car when she brought the first of t octuplets home. in a deal she gave special access to film the kids to a website. later state labor regulators slashed the site with citations for filming the children too late and for too long. for suleman it's been a long 15 minutes. and counting. for "today," michael owku, nbc news, los angeles. >> we are joined now by gloria allred and paul peterson, president of a minor consideration. good morning to you both. >> good morning, meredith. >> gloria, nadya suleman is not the first mother to put her children in a reality show. why in this case did you file a petition? >> well, meredith, we filed and asked the court to appoint a guardian over the estate of these octuplets because nadya suleman, rather than allowing her children to have a normal life, has decided to commercially exploit them. and since she has chosen to enter contracts to sell their images in print, on video, and for broadcast, these babies are

entitled to their fair share of compensation. >> but how do you decide -- if i can interrupt for a second, first of all, do you have any evidence that she isn't in compliance with the law? >> well, we are concerned about whether or not she has complied. we are the ones, in fact, who did file with the departmt of labor standards in california. and did complain about violations of labor laws as it pertains to these babies, as you just stated. and they did find that they agreed with us, and that there had been violations, and, in fact, they cited the media who had violated these babies' rights. so we are concerned about their financial security. their financial future. we want to be sure that when they're 18 years old, their earnings, to which they are entitled under the law, will still be there for them and will not have been dissipated or spent. >> well, nadya's lawyer, chefry czech, issued a statement to nbc news ornight saying that nadya is upset that complete strangers

are taking away her parental discretion and freedom. and the statement goes on to specifically mention you, gloria. it reads, allred regurgitated the same rhetoric about how nadya is choosing to commercially exploit her children, rather than lead a normal life. who is exploiting whom, and just what could nadya do to support 14 children that remotely appears to be normal? it is sickening to both of us. in other words they're saying you're the one doing the exploiting. how do you respond to that? >> well, i respond by the fact that we were in court yesterday. they did object to the appointment of a guardian ad litem. and this is not a guardian over the estate of the children. this is simply our request for the court to appoint a guardian ad litem to investigate the underlying facts of these contracts, to make sure they are fair to these babies, and although they objected vigoro vigorously in court to this request, the court did grant our request for the guardian ad litem, and now, in the next month, the guardian ad litem

will do an investigation and then do a report to the court on august 31st. and then the court can decide whether a guardian over the estate of the octuplets is appropriate. and we think that they should be in agreement with this. and not fighting us on this. these babies have a step rat interest than their mother does. and we want to be sure that these babies, who have no voice, who have no representation of their own, are protected. >> paul, suleman's lawyers have said that you and your organization have no standing in this se. they called the case ludicrous. what is your response to that? why are you involved? >> well, first of all, meredith, good morning. >> good morning. >> i personally, my wife and i, personally wrote the law that was violated by the filming of these premature babies at ridiculous hours and at length. so, yes, i'm an interested party. i'm also the internation chair of actors young performers

committee. the money is the way we keep score in this country. and if i might, meredith, i want you to consider these octuplets as a litter of puppies. because if they were a litter of puppies, the american humane association would have an animal control officer there in a second. in a second. our priorities have been flip-flopped somehow. this is a dangerous undertaking. and i want to remind you and everyone else who's listening, just ten minutes ago, who were we discussing? michael jackson. wouldn't it have been great if some conservator had been inserted io the jackson family 40 years ago? that's what should have happened. >> are you worried that with or without a financialuardian that these children's future, their future is problematic, to say the very least? >> it's dangerous. this is not safe. eleven people who have participated on reality shows have committed suicide.

the company that is proposing to do this documentary, this reality show, is the same company that assisted in the destruction of danny bonaduce's family. the same people. we've got to stop this. >> all right. very passionate. paul peterson, thank you very. gloria allred, as well, thank you. >> thank you, meredith. >> and now let's head back town to key west where al has a check of the weather. >> "today's weather" is brought to you by priority mail flat rate boxes, only from the postal service. a key west institution. ladies and gentlemen, we're we're in on the train. coming in on the conch train. it's been around since 1958. locals and tourists alike consider it the best way to see the island. having a good time? there you go!

whoo-whoo! that's right. the conch train, ladies and good tuesday morning. i'm news4 meteorologist chuck bell. the air is on the thick side out there first thing this morning. haze and humidity out there. the sun is shining right now. temperatures are near 70 degrees in most of our suburbs this morning. 73 in downtown washington. 70 degrees in frederick, maryland. a few 60s on the map. winchester, culpeper, mid 60s. uppe80s and low 90s today with plenty of haze and midity. chances for thunderstorms return tomorrow. all right, that's your weather. i've got another stop to make along the conch train. not to be confused with soul train! meredith? >> hitting the tequila already. all right, al, thank you very much. still ahead, the surprising number of drivers who know exactly how dangerous texting

behind the wheel can be. and do it anyway. but up next, matt and al turn up the heat in key west. their hot spots showdown and more. right after this.

"today takes a vacation" is brought to you by expedia.com. it w a vkitery a very special split edion of "toy"da on this tuesday morning. coming to you from new york and key west, florida, as "today takes a vacation." al and i, with some of our close friends here, you know the story where, you know, the parents go

away and you get that, my parents went to key west and all i got was this lousy t-shirt? in this case it's my co-anchors went to key west and all i got was this lousy t-shirt. >> we did g all around looking for trinkets and souvenirs to bring back. but in a place like key west, it's easy to get sidetracked. >> hi, everybody. >> hey, there. >> how are you? >> hi. >> ready to run some red lights? >> here we go. >> where are your hats? we kicked off our shopping spree hitching a ride on an old town trolley, got some pointer on key west's best buys as we look for presents for meredith and ann. >> how much did you pay for that? >> $3.99. >> i'll give you five >> no, no, on sale. >> who wants some mist? >> come on. let's go, let's go! is that living? that didn't work so well. >> seemed like a good idea.

>> everybody come on. >> thank you very much. >> i think we got one. >> that cuts our shopping trip in half. >> there you go. this says meredith. >> oh, yeah. where you going? >> can i have one of the small cigars, please? $2. >> thank you very much. >> and a cigar for ann. enjoy, ann! >> the hottest spot for all your island booty >> mullet shampoo. you know anybody with a mullet? >> not offhand. >> okay. >> even i wouldn't do that to meredith.

>> that has you written all over it. >> yeah. >> are we a team? >> huh? >> woo-hoo! >> we' getting the pens. >> and the coke put bra. you know what? >> i got the last one. >> good idea. >> savvy tourists forego taxis and opt for pedicabs. >> seems much better for you in the front there. >> pedaling? >> yeah, why not. >> this thing have gears? >> doesn't look like it. but you're doing fine. we should be going a little faster, i think. >> oh, nobody likes a critic. you know, it's actually a nice way to see town. >> yeah, it's great. >> how about from your point of view? >> it's a great way to see town. >> how are you? >> this in like a 60 degree climate would be a lot of fun. 90, humid, not so much. >> yeah, you know, with the misery index, it's about 10 >> thanks, weatherman. >> you might really feel horrible.

>> next stop, peppers, for a hot sauce showdown. >> do you like hot sauce? >> sure. >> it's like a cartoon with smoke coming out our ears. sauce number two is our green lava. sauce number three is called orange crush. go ahead, shoot that one. >> huh-uh. >> oh, come on. >> that's pretty good. >> and we are jumping up a level. so if you need any milk, it's right here. >> we've gone to toothpicks. >> applesauce right away. >> oh! >> matt? kind of manly. maybe around macho. i'm impressed. you did a pretty good job.

al, definitely macho. >> if we got one last sauce. >> oh, my god. >> whoo! >> woo-hoo! >> the winner of our hot sauce contest is al. mr. roker. >> woo-hoo. >> all right, al. this time you drive. >> all right. >> a little bleary eyed we continue to prove our manliness in this hot rod. >> how you doing? >> last stop the pelican poop op. out back a secret garden under the apartment where hemingway wrote "for whom the bell tolls" with his favorite drink in hand, mojito. >> drink to the conch republic. >> that's right. may she live forever. >> how's your mouth?

i mean that in only the most legitimate way. >> it's great. i'm going to figure out how i'm going to talk without a tongue. >> oh, yeah. >> and we have our selected items for you, ladies, here on the table in front of us. al and i are having a little difficulty figuring out which one of you gets the coconut bra and which one of you gets the flatulent pen. >> thank you so much. >> you going to share the coconut bra? how is that going to work? >> one apiece. >> when you're not wearing it. >> so, ann -- >> i was just saying it's so interesting. we went fly-fishing and they went shopping. >> exactly. shopping and drinking and riding in a pink car. you've got a lot of explaining to do. >> what's your problem? >> later on we're going for a wax. >> all right. >> after this.

>> thank you for coming. >> look what i found out? also looking for sunken treasure.

a hot and humid day here in the nation's capital. 72 degrees as we look at a live picture of ronald reagan national airport. good morning. i'm barbara harrison. tuesday, july 28th, 2009. the te right now 7:56. in the news at this hour, alexandria's police chief should find out next week if he'll keep his job following a drunk driving arrest. police arrested him following an accident with another car. according to court documents, police smelled a strong odor of alcohol on baker who said he had two beers. the documents say he failed four field sobriety tests and had a

blood alcohol limit of f.19 mo than double the legal limit. more expensive to drop people off at the rpt.or t. you used to park for three for 30 minutes. now the fir hfralou h cost $2. airport spokesperson says ere's still a cell phone lot for drivers who are waiting for someone to arrive. he'll take a break and come itweatr and traffic in just aaxax1x

good morning, everyone. i'm news4 meteorologist chuck bell. the sun is up in a hazy sky right now. 73 in washington. 70 in fairfax and montgomery counties. highs today upper 80s to near 90 degrees with plenty of humidity out there. jerry? >> on the beltway south of town jammed on the outer loop as you head on through the work zone at van dorn street. two lanes to the left. one to the right. 270 bumper to bumper german town down earlier accident at the american legion bridge is gone. >> tonight at 5:00, lunch with lindsey and the skins young

♪ and we are back now on a tuesday morning. 28th day of july, 2009. a little music on a split edition of our show from key west, florida, and new york city as "today" continues to take a vacation. we have more music later on and get to see some of the people, the colorful people here in key west in just a couple of minutes. meanwhile, here along the water

i'm matt lauer along with al roker. meredith is back on the plaza in new york city. meredith, good morning again. >> good morning to you guys. you look like you're having such a good time there. it's infectious to say the very least. >> you know, it's a cool place. i have to say. when ponce de leon first discovered this place in 1521, you covered the landing i know, 488 years later, they welcome about 2 million tourists a year here. >> meredith, i -- i disavow that comment. >> thank you. >> i really do. >> thank you, al. >> absolutely. >> it's getting a little nasty. i'm still not over that flatulence pen or whatever the heck it was. coming up in the next half hour here in new york, a reason to keepour eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel. we're going to take a look at some new and frankly very scary evidence that some drivers are not getting the message about the dangers of texting while driving. but first, guys, what else do you have coming up in key west? >> well, you know what, this was back in the 1800s one of the

wealthy cities in america per capita. a lot ofhat wealth was shipping. a lot of the ships got sunk out in the waters. very treacherous reef waters. i decided to do a little treasure hunting myself and went diving looking for millions in treasure. what did i find? we'll show you a little bit later. meredith? >> all right, al, okay. looking forward to that. right now we're going to get to ann curry at the news desk. ann, good morning. >> good morning to all of you this morning. the news in the news this morning, this morning seven people are under arrest in raleigh, north carolina, facing terrorism charges. prosecutors say that american daniel boyd led the group and trained in terrorist camps in pakistan and afghanistan. and they're accused of plotting violent jihad overseas although prosecutors do not say where or against whom. there is nothing in the charges to suggest that the men wer planning to attack americans or target in the united states. defense secretary robert gates is in iraq this morning. he is speaking with u.s. troops at a town hall meeting and with

iraqi officials. president obama is keeping up the pressure on congress to keep health care legislation to get it rather passed. he holds another town hall meeting today. this one sponsored by the aarp, and it is expected to focus on how a new plan would affect seniors. today, the house begins work on legislation to rein in huge corporate salaries and bonuses amid evidence that some wall street firms may be returning to their old ways. nbc's chief investigative correspondent lisa myers is in washington with more on this story this morning. hey, lisa. >> reporter: good morning, ann. only months after being rescued by taxpayers, wall street's biggest banks are setting aside tens of billions of dollars for bonuses. and the weakest of the banks may end up paying $100 million to a single trader. all fresh ammunition for wall street's critics. the latest pay controversy involves citigroup, and its $100 million man. star energy trader andrew hall

whose contract entitles him to as much as $100 million this year. because the u.s. government now owns one-third of citi, the obama administration's pay czar would have to approve the payment, which the president spokesman thinks, is a tad high. >> i think they'll come to the conclusion that that's probably a bit out of whack in the pay scale. >> reporter: hall has reportedly earned $250 million in recent years. and owns this 1,000-year-old castle i germany, which displays his contemporary art collection. citi would only say that retaining the best talent is critical to its success. so far the top six wall street banks have set aside $75 billion to pay employees this year. up from $60 billion at this point last year. goldman sachs has put aside so much that if the pace continues, each employee would earn an average bonus of $773,000 this year.

even more than in 2007, a boom year on wall street. >> we're less than six months away from one of the worst economic crises we've ever seen, and already the wall street banks, at least those that are left standing, are again returning to the former ways. >> reporter: morgan stanley has set aside $6 billion for bonuses, despite its third raight quarterly loss. >> banks returning to the bad old days of before is really ignoring the mood of the country. >> reporter: beyond the bonus pools, there are other signs of some wealthy americans maybe returning to precrisis habits. even as much of the country remains in deep economic distress. there are, again, magazine spreads on lavish homes in the hamptons. and the latest fashion magazine features a $26,000 crocodile bag, and $4,000 mink and leather boots. as for the bonuses, the wall street firms say they are both

justified, and necessary, to compete for top talent. but, ann, this has only fueled the drive in congress to restrict pay packages. >> all right. lisa myers this morning. lisa, thank you for your reporting. now here's brian williams with what's coming up tonight on "nbc nightly news." brian? >> hey, ann, good morning. thanks. coming up tonight, an emotional story about children of war. raised in fear and in fighting, but now an extraordinary new program takes them out and away from that violence, allows them really to just be kids again. some of them for the first time. that and more when we see you tonight for "nightly news." ann, for now, back to you. >> all right, brian, thanks. it is now 8:06. let's go back to key west where al is standing by to give us another check of the weather. hey, al. >> hey, thanks a lot, ann. key west besides all the sun and fun is also the home to the only licensed veterinary hospital in the world that treats turtles. sea turtles. joining us is the director of e hospital. good to see you, rich. >> nice to see you. >> now this is ian. what was wrong with ian? >> me had a couple of tumors on

her body. we took those off. we kept her about two months, now she's feeling healthy. when we get done today we're going to take her about 20 miles out in florida bay and release her. >> now you take it even though you're here in key west you take turtles in from all over the world, don't you? >> absolutely, we have one from st. croix that's getting ready to go home. we're in the middle of the keys, and running the only turtle hospital in the keys, we're very busy. >> once you release ian, where is she going to head? >> we'll put her out about 20 miles and we think we'll probably stay there for another year or two. this is a subadult. >> 15 years old? >> about 15. she's not quite an adult. so she'll probably stay back there and eat some of our conch and some of our lobsters, fatten up and then goç#ç#ç#ç#ç#ç#ç#ç#ç. hopefully yoff tsd os to a pleasant art.st sunshine getting tough di mindhuty a haze out there.ty here's a look at the jeffeon

ri h sunshine on the me atte ermpures now 75 degrees in erwndo wagtinsh.onwn 73 iirfacon x .fatyun in fairfa. 7 75 in annapos. our forecast highs today near 9r degrees. en mostly dry. stmo dry.mo. and that's your latest weather. matt? >> all right, al, a coming up, you're going to dive for sunken treasure, right? >> that's right. we're looking for over a half billion dollars worth of treasure, coming up. >> find out what al found. introducing listerine® total care. everything you need to strengthen teeth, help prevent cavities, and kill germs. introducing 6 in 1 listene® total care. the most complete mouthwash. and to complete your oral care routine add superior plaque removal in places that are hard to reach

with reach® toothbrush and floss. get the complete routine, reach® and listerine tot care.

get the complete routine, ♪ ♪ i'm cool like that, i'm cool like that♪ ♪ i'm cool like that [ female announcer ] there's a smarter, cooler way to get your clothes brilliantly clean. and it's a turn for the better. ♪ i'm cool like that, i'm cool like that ♪ [ female announcer ] tide coldwater. it's specially formulated to clean in cold better than the other brand does in warm. ♪ cool like that and by washing in cold, you can save up to $10 on your energy bill with every 100 oz bottle. and that's cool. tide coldwater. get out of the old and into the cold. ♪ i'm cool like that [ announcer ] you make healthy choices every day-- oh, max! and you want to do the same for your laughable, lovable dog. [ barks ] that's why purina fit & trim is specially formulated... with high-quality protein, including delicious real chicken, to help him maintain lean muscle and a healthy weight, so he can make the most of every day. long live your buddy. long live your dog.

purina fit & trim.

has progress taken us to a better place? i'd say it's taken us for a ride. honestly, what thanks do we owe progress? we're up to our necks in landfill, and down to the wire in resources and climate change is out to get us. that's why progress plays no role inside post shdded wheat. here, we put the "no" in innovation. post original shredded wheat is still just the one simple, honest ingredient which naturally comes with vitamins, minels and fiber. all we did was make it spoon size. did we go too far? we are back now at 8:12. most drivers would never consider drinking and driving, but some of those same people would not hesitate to text and drive. which can be even more dangerous. nbc's michelle kosinski is here.

>> reporter: this new study shows a 23 times increased risk of having a crash when texting while driving, far more than previously thought. even among some of the most seasoned drivers out there. truckers. some have called texting while driving, or trying to drive, intex indication. and we've seen the crashes caused by the little messages that surely could have waited. this texas bus driver was texting away, right before this. no one was hurt. unlike this california train disaster, in which the driver had been texting. and 25 people died. several studies have shown that reaction time, and steering control while drivers were tap-tapping, suffered more than when they were actually drink. but now, the latest study by virginia tech of truck drivers over 18 months showed their risk of a crash was 23 times higher

while texting. because it kept their eyes off the road longer than any other distraction. 14 states and the district of columbia have nowed banned texting while driving. yet a new survey of drivers by aaa shows while just all of them see texting on the road as drunk driving, more than one-fifth still do it anyway. >> those people that admitted to texting or e-mailing while they drive, eight out of ten of those same individuals said they knew it was dangerous. and that's outrageous to me. >> reporter: these teen texters were caught on tape by their parents, even though they knew there were cameras in their cars. "the new york times" snapped this shot of a kid texting his girl while his buddy helped him with that other task at hand. but mark schultz will feel the effects for the rest of his life. slammed into on his bike by a 24-year-old texter driver, broken bones, serious

concussion, weeks in the hospital. >> when i see someone doing it while i'm riding, it terrifies me. >> reporter: aaa says people know the danger they hold. they just need to start caring. it's that irresistible cell could be as potent as alcohol on your driving. and potential as devastating. the study looked at other types of distractions, too, but texting was by far the worst. because, surprise, surprise, it took your eyes off the road for the longest amount of time, meredith. >> all right, michelle kosinski, thank you. he was only a mile away from home when he was killed in a head-on crash. witnesses say they spotted another driver, a 17-year-old texting behind the wheel. rita, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> it was november 15th, 2007. your husband, as we said, driving home from work. you're in a car, a distance from him, you hear that there's an accident, and you got there and realized it's your husband. >> i was five minutes behind him. i was coming home from work. i'm a teacher. north carroll high school, and i

had texted him -- i had called him on the phone. when i left school and said i'm on my way home. he didn't respond, but because of what he did, he was in agriculture and a consultant, he could be in areas that did not have good cell reception. but i didn't think anything about it. i came off and i got off at 83, off the interstate 83 and there was a lot of traffic on 439 at the time. >> it did turn out to be your husband who had been killed in an accident, and some of the people, witnesses said that they thought the young man in the other car had been texting. that young man was issued tickets for driving to the right of center and negligent driving, paid a $410 fi. your reaction to that at the time? >> i was very mad. a couple of miles -- if he'd been a few miles across the line in pennsylvania, he would have gone to jail. in maryland, if you don't have

drugs or alcohol in your system, then it is not considered a criminal offense. e police report said he should be charged with criminal. >> and since then you have made it a cause of yours to try to change the law in maryland to address things like texting, distracted driving. is the law changing? >> the legislature passed a bill on texting this past legislative session. it was signed into law by the governor, and it will take effect in october, that it will be a first offense, $500 fine, if a police officer observes you texting while driving. >> you are doing this to honor the memory of your husband chuck and others who have been in these terrible situations. what kind of a man was chuck? >> chuck was a wonderful person. in my eulogy to him, i said that if i could have, i would have gotten down and kissed his feet. but he would never have allowed me to do that. we met as freshmen at the

university of maryland when i was 18, and when people talk about soul mates, definitely. we were soul mates. that he was the kindest, most generous person, always involved with things with the university, or helping people. >> and he lost his life in such a tragic way. at least are trying to turn this into something positive for others. ri, thank you so much for your time this morning. >> thank you. >> and for your ef farther. >> thank you. (girl) really? yeah. there youo. 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. you made that for me? well you're making this for me. (announcer) choosey ms, and dads, choose jif.

everyone's nervous going back to school. ♪ a hallmark card. it's the biggest little thing you can do. you're ready for the mid-morning rush thanks to a good breakfast. one coffee with room, one large mocha latte. medium macchiato, light hot chocolate hold the whip, and two espressos. make one a double. she's fiber focused! i have two cpuccinos, one coffee with room, one large mocha latte, a medium macchiato, a light hot chocolate, hold the whip, and two espressos, one with a double shot. gonna take more than coffee to stay this focused. stay full and focused through the morning... with a breakfast of kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats® cereal; an excellent source of fiber that helps you avoid... the distraction of mid-morning hunger. no thanks, i'm good. garth, you're up.

hold on, i'm at capitalone.com picking a photo... for my credit card. here's one from my prom. oh, what memories. how 'bout one from our golf outing? ( shouting ) i know, maybe one of my first-born son. dad, mom says the boys gotta go. personalize your card by uploading... your own photo at capitalone.com. what's in your wallet? ♪ what do you see? what do you feel? sadness. loss of interest. what do they see? what do they feel? depression hurts. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is a prescrtion medication hatst trea any tr symptoms of depression. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens, you have unusual changes in behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18.

people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin or eyes. talk with your doctor about your medicines, including those for migraine, or if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles, to address a possible life-threatening condition. tell your doctor about alcohol use, liver disease, and before you reduce or stop taking cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. side effects include nausea, dry mouth and constipation. ask your doctor about cymbalta. dression hurts. cymbalta can help.

"today takes a vacation" is brought to you by expedia.com. welcome back to day two of "today takes a vacation." we'rin key west, florida, and it's time to eat. bobby mangelli is the owner of the hog fish bar and grill on stock island. what is a hog fish, bobby? good morning. >> good morning. thanks for coming back.

hog fish is a fish that's in the waters down here that's usually speared. so it's very rare to see it on the restaurants down here. so this is the hog fish. >> right here. okay, great eating. >> it's a lot like scallop. >> and this is grouper? >> the second best fish to eat, i think here. and then here we have pink conch. >> localdelicacies. >> show me how to make a hog fish sandwich. what did you bread it with? >> this is panko breading and a little bit of buttermilk. >> once you've got the browned fillets. >> this i'm going to have you make a little bit of ceviche if you can. we're going to put this shrimp ceviche over top of the hog fish. >> so a little bit of betters. >> just a little bit of all this, and then the lime and stuff. >> great. >> and then what we have here is the famous killer hogfish sandwich that we serve at hogfish bar and grill. >> why is it so famous? >> i don't know. we sell them like mcdonald es

hamburgers, you know. and this right here is key west pink shrimp off ricky toomer's boat. >> so i stir this up? >> put some lime juice in it. a little lime. >> okay, go ahead. what is this? >> this is a little lemon here. >> all right. so now we've got this ceviche and i'm going to put this right on top here? >> put that right on top. >> a little salt. >> a little salt. >> and a little pepper? >> that's just rest. >> let that do that. meanwhile, al's got some other recipes. we're talking desserts. >> that's right. everybody knows about key lime pie. well one of the best happens to be made by baker kermit carpenter. he owns kermit's key west lime pie shop and also the home of the chocolate dipped key lime pie. right? >> good morning, yes. >> so how do you -- what do we get started with? >> the basics on a key lime pie is good key lime juice, milk, eggs and a crust. we take the condensed milk, we

mix the egg yolks into the condensed milk. >> okay. once that's mixed up pretty good, we throw in the key lime juice. >> right. >> and in the old days, this would cook the eggs. >> right. >> now we throw it in the oven for about 20 minutes to bake it. >> then it comes out, you let it cool, you throw it in the freezer, right? >> throw it in the freezer. >> you stick the popsicle sticks in and cut it up. >> then we dip it. >> nothing goes better than a little chocolate on some key limes. >> and chocolate. throw it back in the freezer. bring it out. >> and voila. mr. lauer? >> there you go. >> dipped in chocolate. >> hmm. >> that's breakfast. >> that's the breakfast of champions. >> breakfast of champions. >> very good. >> kermit, thank you very much. >> you're welcome. >> kermit's key lime pie. still ahead, we're going diving for treasure.

but first you've got your local news and weather. it's a beautiful view through a window or camera lens but a very humid day ead. chuck bell will have your week long forecast in a moment. good morning. it's tuesday, july 28, 2009. our time is now 8:26. in the news for today, if you're one of those drivers in montgomery county saying you've been unfairly ticketed by speeding cameras, there's a changeoming up. the cameras have been set up inside school zones but they're snapping pictures and issuing $40 tickets even though school is not in session. speed camera laws will change in october. traffic and weather up next. stay with us.

>> tuesday morning. the air is thick outside across the washington area this morning. lots of haze out there. lots of humidity as well. certainly looks and feels like july. temperature now 75 in washington. 73 in falls chuh this morning. 73 in manassas. hazy sunshineor today. hot and humid. highs upper 80s and low 90s. our chances for afternoon thunderstorms return for late tomorrow into early thursday and another chance on friday. >> let's take a look and see how we're doing at this hour. a sampling topside of the beltway. police are checking on the beltway around connecticut avenue, george avenue for an accident. don't see that but we do see

jammed up traffic from i-95 over to silver spring. let's look at how things are progressing. 270 still jammed up earlier wreck on the american legion bridge long gone. tonight at 5:00 a

>> whoa! whoa! >> 8:30 now on this tuesday morning, july 28th, 2009. those are two f-5ns from the key west naval base saying good morning to matt and al. very impressive, guys. but not as impressive as our shirts here. we are getting serious.

>> that's very -- those are very cool. >> yeah, we're so loud,y ears are starting to bleed. >> we're going to have to show them our thongs. >> our mankinis. >> i don't think we can handle that. >> guys we're so miffed about these presents that you got us and your general demeanor today. we tried to elevate the show yesterday. you have brought it down. just brought it down. >> yeah. >> we brought you an autographed copy of -- >> we've got you a first edition of hemingway's -- >> that's what i wanted. >> exactly. >> there you go. >> highbrow. >> maybe it's me. does it seem like somebody back in new york is a little cranky? >> oh. >> i wonder why. >> maybe a little too much driving from lake george yesterday. having a great time down here. day two of "today takes a vacation" and coming up we take a look at the riches of this place. and i mean literally. >> that's right. we are going to go treasure hunting. they have found, mel fisher's treasures have found amazing

finds. they took me down underwater and i go looking for buried treasure. i won't tell you what we found. but it was a great time. >> and meredith and ann, if i can just say, we've got some other rather unusual people joining us here. i don't know if you can turn around. take a look at some of the people who gathered here alongside the water, reminding us that by the way, fantasy fest is a major event down here in key west. last week of october. this year's theme is villains. people dressed up in all kinds of villainous costumes. >> their version of mardi gras. and it's responsible for about $30 million to the local economy. >> big, big deal down here. if you're free at the end of october, check out fantasy fest in key west, florida. >> thanks, guys. there's actually -- go ahead, al. >> okay, i'll go ahead. you know, we've got a little bit later on, of course, there's more vacation fun to come. hoda and kathie lee head to san antonio on wednesday. can't wait to see what trouble they get into there. and then on the town, natalie

and amy hit it in las vegas. >> all right, al. how about a check of the weather? since that is your other job. >> that is my other job. although when you're down here, you kind of forget what you do. let's check it out, show you what's happening. as far as today is concerned, we are looking at some strong storms. texas on into arkansas. we're looking at record high readings in the pacific northwest. man, is going to be hot. and then, as we move on into tomorrow, the record highs continue, and we're expecting more showers and thunderstorms working their way through thesú >> good tuesdaymorning. i'm news4 meteorologist chuck bell. the sun is out and a hazy and humid sky this morning. there's a live picture of the lincoln memorial in downtown washington with plenty of bright sunshine on the east facing of it at this point in time. temperatures in the mid 70s around most of the region. 75 in washington. 74 in baltimore. our forecasted high today 91

degrees. plenty of humidity. don't forget your sunscreen i that's your latest weather. let's say hello to howard livingston and the mile marker 24 band. you guys had the number one pop rock song last year. and one of the things besides, i think one of the things that helps fuel your band are the margaritas. >> has to be. has to be. >> is that -- is that -- do you have to do a margarita when you're down here? >> we have to. and you have to. and i know you serve your breakfast with some key lime pie. >> what is this? >> it's a 1952 johnson outboard motor, and we've made a few modifications to it. >> i love it. how do you start this thing? >> we're going to have you start it. you yank on this right here. >> okay. >> that's it. >> and then how do we start -- >> pour it in. >> all right. here's some triple sec, some

tequila. just pour that in there. and this is early in the morning so we need a lot. >> okay. >> then we'll put some mix in it from the end one there. >> yeah. >> and then? >> and then. >> we start her up. >> then crank that dial right there. >> which one? >> right here. >> oh, no. >> oh, no. >> i turned it off. oh! oh! >> we're going to get her. >> there you go. >> there you go. >> there we go. that's what we're talking about. >> whoo! >> fill her up, howard! >> yeah. oh. it's noontime somewhere. hey, willard, i got one for you, baby. >> how many miles to the fifth? >> i don't know and i don't care!

>> you'll fly back. oh, that's terrific. >> i'm coming your way. >> love it. here we go. >> as we say, high as a georgia pieb. happy birthday smucker'owrn h t eeswwith our friends outheeehe e in tvndwonderful,woerful, wondl chpadygnnd ae landnd the ruth ruthanderson, of anderson, oft. a.11 0. 0. lived independently until she was 107. get this, breast cancer survivor okhaal w aurr vovial w s ir a lcwh.haee a 'satn inspiration. god bless. caos. johns of bayonne, new jersey. 100 years old. retired newspaper worker. remembers when newspaps were onesp nny.pe lifelong yankee fan.re ahey hera nickel a. nickel.nix, nix, tangerine, florida. attributes longevity to having good family genes and her mother itisro v fsm her visits from

friends. catherine hamen peoria, arizona. 106. has over 50 hats. as the hat asa she's oield bheutn a oldie but goodie. frank mitchell, cod,ornc north carolina, 100. still goes on a tractor and tills the garden. secret to longevity is vitamins, exercise, and having his own te h.te that that is advantage. calethaner,catheran, lavender on eutaw, alabama. 100 years old today. retired attributes her longevity to lots of water and eating vanilla ice cream every day. that's it, that's all. now back to meredith. >> all right, wird, thank you very much, sir. up next, al under water and searching for sunken treasure. hmmm... well... naaa... yeah! calculating for getaway. ♪ find your way to a perfect destination at busch gardens... and water country usa...

where family-fun surrounds you... and world-class rides astound. start at buschgardens.com. if we don't act, medical bills will wipe out their savings. if we don't act, she'll be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. and he won't get the chemotherapy he needs. if we don't act, health care costs will rise 70%. and he'll have to cut benefits for his employees. but we can act. the president and congress have a plan to lower your costs and stop denials for pre-existing conditions. it's time to act.

it's the all new sesame street forest of fun... at busch gardens in williamsburg. with four family-friendly rides... and everyone's sesame street friends. ( elmo giggles ) ♪ big and small! there's fun for all! ♪

back now on a tuesday morning. day two of "today takes a vacation." coming to you from key west, florida. al actually snuck out of new york a few days early. you've been down here over the weekend. you had a good adventure. >> i absolutely did. spent some time with some guys living out childhood fantasies while they go searching for -- all righty. so we're going to find some gold today? >> yeah, man. today's the day. >> everybody ready? >> all right. >> we're tracking a wreck 35 miles off the coast of key west, florida. the waters are notoriously treacherous. where fleets of ships have met their end, dashed against the reefs below. one of the most famous. the galleon part of a spanish squadron lost during a hurricane in 1622. after nearry four centuries, her treasure lays scattered across

the ocean floor. gold, silver, jewels, riches rumored so vast that one man and his family spent 16 years searching for it. >> hey, guys, today's the day, okay? >> mel was my hero. he was the most charismatic man you'll ever meet. he had a way to make you believe when there was no reason to believe. >> reporter: after reading "treasure island" as a kid, mel fisher set his course. >> okay i'm ready to go. >> reporter: by 1969 he was atocha bound. but tragedy overshadowed his search. he endured the death of his son at sea, five bankruptcies and the biting scorn of those who called him a fool. >> we just put all the negative stuff aside and just kept going until he accomplished his dream. >> reporter: in 1985, on the ten-year anniversary of his son's death, the fishers hit the mother lode. >> he said today's the day. that's what he said every day. finally it was. >> reporter: their reward, the richest treasure found since the

opening of king tut's tomb. hundreds of coins, gold and silver bars, chains, chalices, gems and more. estimated at half a billion dollars. just a fraction of what still lies beneath. mel fisher is gone now, but since that day in 1985, he left his family with a mission, to find the rest of atocha's cargo. what else do you think is left down there? >> well, i know that there's 130,000 silver coins somewhere out in this water. there's another 420 silver bars. another 60 pounds of ammo. >> that's where i come in. with metal detector in hand, i dive down to inspect the berm. it's the ten feet of sand pushed out of the hole and i work my way towards the center. >> the atocha was in one pile. we dig one more of those holes, al could be diving on hundreds of millions of dollars worth of treasure.

>> that's perfect. from the base to about right here and back and forth and make sure you don't miss any areas. >> after over an hour of inching, i see it there. >> all right, al, you found a silver coin, man. congratulations, man. 400-year-old treasure. >> that's amazing! look at this. this is so cool. >> you can't believe that that's really something that's been sitting under the ocean for 400 years. and you know, it sends tingles from the tips of your toes to the top of your head. >> two pieces, baby. two pieces of silver. >> this was one sailor's pay for about a month's work. >> really. >> in 1622, yeah. these are really beautiful ones. you can actually see the cross on both sides. on this one you can see a date. >> look at that. >> you know what? wow. how much do you think something like this is worth? >> probably five grand worth of silver coins. >> wow. not a bad day's work. >> but those are mine. >> oh, yeah, right. >> next stop, emerald city.

why the name? >> they used the air lift like a vacuum to suck away sand, rock, shells. but one day there was a little something more. >> all of a sudden you hear clank, clank, clank in the air lift and it started raining emeralds on us. >> whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. >> there it is! >> yeah! >> there we go. >> all right. that's what i'malking about. >> look at that. >> look at that bad boy. >> at a cost of $3 million a year, the business of treasure hunting doesn't come cheap. infact, fisher's kids admit they'd do better to sell their loot than keep hunting. but as they say, what fun would that be? >> i want to find a wreck that thwarts the atocha and my grand dad to smile down on me and say, that's my boy. >> and sean tells me our booty catch was about $10,000. >> that's not bad for an afternoon. >> that's right. >> hey, sean, how are you? >> mel fisher treasures. good to see you. >> nice to see up. >> what's amazing here is that the silver somewhat corrodes a

little bit but the gold you find looking exactly as it looked the day it went into the ocean. >> absolutely. gold shines forever. when we go down and find a gold bar it's almost surreal. looks just like that. finding silver or anything is great but there's nothing like finding a piece of gold. >> when you fd this stuff, how is it that you guys get to keep? do other people try to make claims on it? >> well, we actually have an admiralty claim. once you can identify an artifact from a ship wreck you can get a lease on the water. basically that wreck site is ours. if anybody wants to work that wreck site they have to do it with us or through us. we'veot the federal government backing us. >> just want to show this chalice. that is extraordinary. what was the reaction on board the ship when you brought that up? >> oh, it was incredible, man. we came up and immediately poured a glass of champagne in it. it tasted a little salty. but it was really, really good. this is one of the best pieces we've found in the last two years. almost $1.2 million just by itself. it actually has the crest of a

family that was on board the atocha. through research we can find the actual owners of this back in the 17th century. >> that's amazing stuff. your motto is today's the day? you ing back out today? >> the boats are back out there now. i'm waiting for them to call me. >> good luck. >> sean, thank you very much. >> thank you very much, al. >> you had fun, man. we're going to have much more ahead on day two of "today takes a vacation" from new york and key west, florida. but first, this is "today" on nbc. vo: since 2006, walmart has sold over 260 million compact fluorescent light bulbs. saving our customers over 7 billion dollars on their electric bills. save money. live better. walmart.

of every eligible associate's salary to their 401(k) andge profit sharing plan. ...even if the associate didn't contribute a dime... ...making good jobs even better. save money. live better. walmart. starting in the early 1980s, america was on a winning streak. everything, big and lavish. and over the past few decades, it remained that way, for the most part. until things suddenly came crashing down. kurt anderson is the author of the new book "recess: how this crisis can restore our values

and renew america." kurt anderson, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> it is a crisis here in america. but you say there's a silver lining? >> well, i think, as with any crisis, and crisis and a meltdown like this comes along rarely, it's an opportunity to rebuild. to get to kind 6 of a reality check that we can all in our individual lives, in america at large, get things back on track. >> this is a crisis according to our book that was essentially of our own making? >> it was of our own making. there are a lot of people to blame. you can blame wall street. you can blame the regulators in washington. but i think most of us, if we look into our hearts, can find that we also bought into this era of magical thinking. >> you can have anything you want, if you can't afford it, just go into debt. >> charge it, yeah. >> there were a lot of warning signs that the auto industry was in trouble back in the 1980s. >> for our entire adult life the auto industry h been in trouble. and for the last decade the media industry and all of its old forms has been in various terms of trouble. and now that push has come to

shove, i think, it's an opportunity for business, for government, for us as individuals, to rethink how we manage our lives. >> why did we ignore those warning signs, though? >> because, for the most part, for many people, if not most people, life was well. if your 401(k) is expanding, your house is tripling in value, looks okay. so, let's leave the worry to another day. >> so how do we reset? i know you have like a seven-point plan here. >> well, we have, among other things in the last 20 years, sort of been addicted to cheap money, cheap stuff. you know, credit, all that. so it strk me that this recovery vocabulary that we've developed over the last 20 years could be useful. kind of seven-step program to admit that the life that we were leading was unsustainable and get on with a new life. >> to give you two examples, how would an individual reset their life so that you don't go back? because i know even with gas prices for example, they go up, oh, we're not going to drive, they go down, everybody forgets

about that. >> exactly. that is the risk here. i think we should try to, for as long as we can, remember what it felt like last nter, last fall when we thought oh, my gosh, where is this going? you know, to look at -- to try to distinguish between what you want for a passing second, versus what you need. do you really, you know, all of the sustainability to me is not just about funny light bulbs and recycling trash, it's really what can i afford? what do i really need in my life? do i need a house that's 40% bigger than i have now, that we all thought for the last 25 years was our right as americans? >> and as a nation, you believe that this is the right time to tackle things like health care reform and the energy crisis. that given, you know, the bad situation we're in, it really is the time to address it. >> well, and however that comes out. the fact that this crisis has put everything on the table, that everything is on the table, because so many systems are broken, that we've been sort of the emergency, if you will, the crisis has chaked us into a

sense of, hey, let's really try to figure out, let's think the unthinkable on the upside. >> as you point out, we are a nation of amateurs. >> we are a nation of amateurs. the amateur spirit is the american spirit. i mean, franklin, jefferson, the founders, they were amateur politicians. you know, the wright brothers, steve jobs when they started, these were just amateur garage operations in every sense. and that is the part of the american spirit i think we need to -- >> in a recession, you're almost giddy. >> i'm not giddy. the word giddiness after the last 10 or 20 years. but i'm hopeful. >> kurt anderson, the book is called "reset: how this crisis can restore our values and renew america." pleasure to have you. >> thank you, meredith. >> we'll head back to key west where matt and al teach us how to make music with a conch shell. first, this is "today" on nbc. fiber one. i'm looking for some fiber. this bar is an excellent source of fiber. there's no fiber in this. tastes too good. there is fiber. [ chuckle ] no.

i can't taste the fiber in this chocolate. they have 35% of your daily value. hmm. oh, samples. hmm. autobahn. wackenschdol. fiber one chewy bars. cardboard no. delicious ye

this is the music of lloyd mager who runs a great bike tour in this area. he's a champion at this. impresses judges with this rendition of strangers in the night. how are you? >> that's right. >> it's good to see you. >> thanks for having me on the show. >> how hard is it to learn to do this? >> it's not very difficult. first thing you have to do is, you know, tighten up your cheek muscles. >> mm-hmm.

>> not those. >> yeah. >> everything in key west is named after the conch shell. we are in the conch republic. >> there you go. let's give this a shot. quickly because we need to try this. >> from the diaphragm. tighten up -- >> whoa! >> got meredith and ann in new york. i believe they have conch shells, as well. how are you doing, girls? >> listen to meredith. >> well that was great. >> i'm giving you guys -- >> can you hear me now? >> i can hear the ocean. very good.

the sun shining brightly over the national cathedral but you need a butter knife to cut through the humidity out there it's tuesday, july 28th, 2009. our time is now 8:56. in the news, there's no word on what sparked a floor that destroyed the knights of columbus hill. the building went up in flames just after 2:00 this morning. it was rented out to a number of events including a popular go-go night. no one was hurt. crews created a separate lane for drivers going straight and turning right on route 123 as they ave the district on the chain bridge. hopefully it will ease traffic hingni m this afrnoon. your tffic and wther updat are next. are next. ay with us.n. we've all heard about the trouble in the housing industry.

the fact is, with all the talk of a national real estate market, your town, your neighborhood, your home, or the home you'd like to buy, are each unique. the national conversation may not apply at all. if you've been worrying about what your property may be worth, or wondering if your dream home may finally be affordable, ask a re/max agent or go to remax.com. nobody sells more real estate than re/max. and get the best cheeseburger of the summer. all for less than a dolla kraft singles. goodness. squared. (boy) if you love kraft singles ur summer just got more fun! bring a kraft singles wrapper to any tuesday minor league baseball game - buy one ticket, get one free from kraft singles! for more info go to kraftsingles.com

good tuesday morning. i'm news4 meteorologist chuck bell. the sun is shining but it's shining through a hazy and moisture laden sky. 75 in town right now. low to mid 70s across most of the metropolitan area. mid 70s by the bay. low 70s up across the higher terrain west of the blueridge.

our highs today upper 80s and low 90s. plenty of humidity and haze around. don't forget your sunscreen. better chance for thunderstorms returns tomorrow and tomorrow evening and another chance on friday. jerry? >> we'll start on the top side of the capital beltway and show you the outer loop of the beltway past george avenue. travel lanes are open. this is outer loop just after connecticut avenue toward rockville pike. 270 struggling to recover with a long standing accident earlier in the day at the american legion bridge that's gone but you unfortunately the memory remains. tonight at 5:00, a redskin sandwich. lunch with lindsey and malcolm telly and devin xxóoóoo?óeó

♪ and we're back with more of "today" on this tuesday morning. the 28th day of july, 2009. day two of "today takes a vacation." with a cast of colorful characters here in key west, florida. we're at the westin key west resort next to mallory square with some pirates and the silverman and other street performers. this is a typical tuesday in key

we west. >> that's right. >> they aren't here for us. >> every day is mardi gras here. >> absolutely. i'm matt lauer along with al roker. this is a place known for its laidback lifestyle. it's been a stomping ground for pirates and presidents a great literary figures, as well. and we are about 130 miles to the south of miami. only about 90 miles to the north of cuba. so closer to cuba than we are to miami, florida. and we've been having a good time throughout the morning. >> absolutely. althe folks who were born here are called kavrnlgs. >> right. >> and then if you're a tourist or you move here you're a fresh water conch. >> so we are? >> we are toast. >> we will be very careful. we need these jobs. >> that's right. just ahead we've got ann cry and natalie morales back in new york telling us what's going on there. >> hey, guys. you're looking like you're having so much fun. we're kind of worried you might not come back home. >> well, no, we have to to shower. >> you can leave the shirts there, though. >> yeah. >> you can leave the shirts behind.

it's so loud the colors are so loud our ears are starting to bleed, matt. >> well, by the way, i've done some sunken -- duncan. >> dunkin doughnuts, some sunken treasure, we've sampled the local fare, and it's amazing. that's why 2 million people come to key west every year. >> that's right. we're going to show you our shoppi excursion. also if you're thinking flipper? think again, these are dolphins, working as predators and working in cooperation with one another. we're going to show you that coming up as well. >> we're looking forward to that. also from here we're going to introduce you to a woman who went after the cash. an incredible story. two weeks ago she was on the verge of foreclosure. but now she's become a national sensation. we're going to tell you how she baked her way out of potential financial ruin coming up. it's a great story. >> it is a great story. >> before we get toll of that, you've got a check of the top stories. >> as usual i do.

here's some news. seven men, all but one of them u.s. citizens, are in federal custody this morning charged with plotting supporting terrorism and plotting violent jihad aproud. the fbi arrested 39-year-old daniel patrick boyd on monday in north carolina, along with his two sons and four other men. prosecutors say that boyd trained the terrorist camps in pakistan and afghanistan in the 1990s. the coast guard is searching for as many as 85 haitian migrants who are missing after their boat capsized and sank off the turks and caicos islands. more than 100 others survived. president obama takes his push for health care reform to older america today. he will answer questions during a town hall meeting at the aarp headquarters in washington. meanwhile, a bipartisan group of senators says it is making progress on a health care plan. as congress debates the rising cost of health care, new research is finding that medical expenses for obese people average $1400 more a year than for someone of normal weight. the study shows that nearly 10%

of all medical funding is to treat obesity-related conditions. today defense secretary robert gates is in iraq where he's praised security gains there. he is meeting with u.s. troops and commanders, as well as with iraqi and kurdish leaders. a harvard professor and the cambridge police officer who arrested him will meet with president obama on thursday at the white house. 911 tapes, meantime, released on monday reveal that the woman who called to report the possible break-in at the house of henry lee gates made no mention of race until she was asked by the dispatcher. she said she thought one of the men was hispanic but that she hasn't sure. a new study finds texting while driving dramatically increasethe risk of a crash. the virginia tech tranortation institute found that the risk goes up by 23 times when drivers take their eyes off the road to send text messages. the institute recommends that texting be banned for all drivers. and here's some stunning images from florence, kentucky, where a

home explosion was caught on a nearby security camera. the home was vacant at the time. officials suspect it was caused by a gas leak. oh, gosh. look at that. you're up to date at four minutes past. let's go back outside -- actually back down to key west to matt and al. >> all right, ann, thank you very much. >> that's right. and joining us right now, the mayor of the florida keys, george noonan, and the mayor of key west, morgan macpherson, who have findly offered to make matt and myself honorary conchs. >> you're no longer toast. >> we're very honored. >> you joined that great fraternity of honorary conchs like myself, of course morgan. morgan macpherson was born here so he is a true conch. and you now are honorary conchs. >> does this come with any -- that's al roker. does it come with any special privileges? can we run red lights? >> you can run key west and do anything and everything you want. >> whoa! >> all right. there you go. >> all right. >> got the official plaque for

you. >> oh, i love it. thank you mr. mayor. >> the conch republic. >> the conch republic. >> and we saw a couple of babies who had been born here, even though their parents aren't conchs, can the babies then because they're conchs transfer their powers to their parents. >> it takes a certain freedom. that's what the conch republic is all about. >> you don't make things disappear. >> you don't have superpowers? >> you can't becom invisible or anything like that. this is really an honor. thank you very much. >> as my first official act. it's tequila tuesday. >> mayor, thank you both very much. there is so much to do down here we got here yesterday. i got here yesterday. one of the first things we didç# good morning, everyone. i'm news4 meteorologist chuck bell. it's a sunny start here in washington. plenty of humidity out there for you this morning. summer lovers will like this one. highs close to 90 degrees. we're already at 77 in

washington. 77 also in springfield and fairfax. 64 in culpeper. near 90 in most neighborhoods. not much of a threat for rain f or but better chan needed rain showers return tomorrow. > "today takes a vacation" is brought to you by expedia.com. as this nice lady would say, there's so much to do around here. >> yes. >> if you got here yesterday, one of the first things she did was she went shopping. >> that's right. but as this lady will tell you, here in this town, it's easy to get sidetracked. >> hi, everybody. >> hey, there. >> hi. >> ready to run some red lights.

>> here we go. >> where are your hats? we kicked off our shopping spree hitching a ride on an old town trolley, got some pointer on key west's best buys as we look for presents for meredith and ann. >> how much did you pay for that? >> $3.99. >> i'll give you five. >> no, no, on sale. >> who wants some mist? >> come on. let's go, let's go! is that living? that didn't work so well. >> seemed like a good idea. >> everybody come on. >> thank you very much. >> i think we got one. >> that cuts our shopping trip in half. >> there you go. this says meredith. >> oh, yeah. where you going? >> can i have one of the small cigars, please?

>> $2. >> thank you very much. >> and a cigar for ann. enjoy, ann! >> the hottest spot for all your island booty? bass buck's. >> mullet shampoo. you know anybody with a mullet? >> not offhand. >> okay. >> even i wouldn't do that to meredith. >> that has you written all over it. >> yeah. >> are we a team? >> huh? >> woo-hoo! >> we're getting the pens. >> and the coconut bra. you know what? >> i got the last one. >> good idea. >> savvy tourists forego taxis and opt for pedicabs. >> seems much better for you in the front there. >> pedaling? >> yeah, why not.

>> this thing have gears? >> doesn't look like it. but you're doing fine. really. we should be going a little faster, i think. >> oh, nobody likes a critic. you know, it's actually a nice way to see town. >> yeah, it's great. >> how about from your point of view? >> it's a great way to see town. >> how are you? >> this in like a 60-degree climate would be a lot of fun. 90, humid, not so much. >> yeah, you know, with the misery index, it's about 105. >> thanks, weatherman. >> you might really feel horrible. >> next stop, peppers, for a hot sauce showdown. >> do you like hot sauce? >> sure. >> it's like a cartoon with smoke coming out our ears. sauce number two is our green lava. sauce number three is called orange crush. go ahead, shoot that one. >> huh-uh.

>> oh, come on. >> that's pretty good. >> and we are jumping up a level. so if you need any milk, it's right here. >> we've gone to toothpicks. >> applesauce right away. >> oh! >> matt? kind of manly. maybe around macho. i'm pretty impressed. you did a etty goojob. al, definitely macho. >> if we got one last sauce. >> oh, my god. >> whoo! >> woo-hoo! >> the winner of our hot sauce contest is al. mr. roker. >> woo-hoo. >> all right, al. this time you drive.

>> all right. >> a little bleary eyed we continue to prove our manliness in this hot rod. >> how you doing? >> last stop the pelican poop shop. out back a secret garden under the apartment where hemingway wrote "for whom the bell tolls" with his favorite drink in hand, mojito. >> drink to the conch republic. >> that's right. may she live forever. >> how's your mouth? i mean that in only the most legitimate way. >> it's great. i'm going to figure out how i'm going to talk without a tongue. >> oh, yeah. >> can't believe i drank milk out of a sippy cup on national tv. and how long did you sweat profusely for after that? >> i'm just kind of stopping right now. >> for about a half hour. diamond dave gonzalez, the events director at the ernest hemingway home and museum.

good to see you. >> good to see you guys. >> how long have you been here? >> i was born here. >> what makes this place special? judge is it so quirky and fun? >> it's a very laid-back lifestyle. anything goes. you come down here, let your hair hang down, do whatever you like to do. that phrase for las vegas, what happens in key west -- >> they ripped you off? >> oh, no. >> a lot of people don't know. but for a brief time in 1982, you were your own country. >> we were, we seceded from the union. we feel they violated our constitutional right for searching us without cause. we deseeded from the union, declared war on the united states. surrendered immediately and asked for financial aid. >> very smart man. >> and formed the conch republic. >> do a lot of people come here to get lost? is this kind of a place where you get that almost that hippie lifestyle? would that be fair? >> yeah. i'd say people come down here to get lost. some people come down here to find themselves. >> and stay forever.

>> they do. >> and one of the things that people really come down here for is something in a sense environmental. they come for the sunsets. >> they do. it's a great sunset celebration. it's daily. rain or sun we com out here to mallory square and watch the sun go down. >> did tennessee williams start that? >> i think it caught on right from there. >> and when you ever -- do you ever feel isolated down here? i mean you're 130 miles from miami. but you've got a lot of bridges to cross before you get here. do you ever feel like you've lost touch with the rest of the world? >> we're never isolated here. we are the center of the universe. >> tell us about hemingway and his legacy here. >> hemingway lived here in 1931 to 1940, the most prolific peri of his life. he wrote 70% of his lifetime work in that nine-year period. a lot of writers have caught on that same ergy 27 prize winning novelists have called key west home. >> so have presidents. harry truman came down here eleven times during his

presidency. >> he spent 175 days here. almost half a year. >> is there a major effort under way to lure the obamas here for at least a family vacation. >> the obamas are more than welcome. love to see them here. >> all right, dave. thanks for your hospitality. to all the people of the keys, it's been great. >> thank you. >> we're going to be back right after these messages with more of "today takes a vacation." >> tiki barber looking for lp.hins kellogg's has always made...

waking up to breakfast delicious. now, we're making it more affordable. with five one-dollar-off coupons... in specially marked boxes of cereal. wake up to breakfast... on kellogg's. the best to you each morning. time to deploy the chex mix boring potato chip decoy bag. now no one will want to steal the deliciousness. with five different taste and textures, chex mix is a bag of interesting... how about a swim? with five different taste and textures, i'm a little irregular today. don't you eat activia? for my little issues? they're not that bad. summer's no time to put up with even occasional digestive problems. believe me, once they go away, it's amazing how good you feel. announcer: activia is clinically proven to hp regulate your digestive system in two weeks. summer's a wastin'...

take the activia challenge now. it works, or it's free. ♪ activia the amazing always infinity. ♪ it's astonishingly flexible. ♪ unbelievably soft. ♪ and has an amazing material... that's 4x more absorbent than you may need. making fluids seem to... poof...

disappear. just like magic. ♪ always infinity. have a happy period. no surprises. no shocks. dulcolax stool softener provides stimulant-free constipation relief that's gradual and comfortable, like nature intended. dulcolax stool softener. feeling free to be. singers: feelin' free. all right, and we're back live on the island of key west, florida. and let's just take a quick shot. we've got a new anchor working for us. matt louer? yes, matt louer. i love matt louer. one of the biggest draws to this island are the pods of dolphins that come here. tourists flock to see them by the thousands. however, tiki barber came down

here, and he got to see them a whole different way. with a team of researchers that get a view that very few people do. ♪ >> reporter: they captivate with their acrobatic feats and charm us with the perpetual grin. but the seemingly innocent dolphins are not what most expect. they are, in fact, top predators, turning tricks to hunt and snatc their prey. >> they're strong. they're fast. they've so many amazing ways that they seek and catch fish. >> might be the worst job in the world. >> it's not bad. >> reporter: biologist laura studied marine mammals for over two decades. she agreed to take me deep into the florida bay at the edge of the everglades to witness a unique hunting tactic called mud ring feeding. >> it's kind of a rare opportunity to see this. dolphinsre in a very remote area. often they're in, you know, less

than three feet of water. and it only occurs here. >> reporter: it's white knuckle driving through shallow depths as we maneuver to track the animals. >> this is prime mud ring feeding habitat. in fact, sometimes we'll even see them hydro plane across the bay. >> reporter: after an hour of searching, a few curious guys come to meet us. left, left, left, left, left. oh. hello there. researchers are just beginning to understand the ingenious ways dolphins have adapted tohunt. in australia they've been spotted using sponges as tools to clear away debris. and dolphins in the caribbean burrow into the sand to nab their food. some chase their dinner. others force their prey ashore and then strike. they've even been known to bite fish from some unlucky fishermen. >> oh, no, no!

>> mud ring straight ahead. they're rushing in. see the one. there you go. you're going to see the ring, the white water and all the dolphins are going to line up. shoulder to shoulder. the ring's closing. dolphin flips around, joins them. >> reporter: so they get around the edge and wait? >> definitely, just like that. >> reporter: in precisely coordinated attack one dolphin swims in a circle kicking up a ring of blinding mud. you see the ring start to form. you actually see the mud corpsing up. while the others line up, poised for the kill. oh, man. that's awesome. as soon as the first dolphin joins the ring, they jump out of the water and the dolphins grab them. catching popcorn in midair. easy feeding. the osprey up here is hanging, waiting for his take. this is like an extended family getting together for a meal. and someone setting it down and everybody just digs in. >> what impresses me about mud ring feeding is how coordinated

it is. how do they synchronize that behavior? >> reporter: a spectacular sight that answers some questions but rais many more about one of the most intelligent and cunning creatures of the sea. >> that's pretty cool,'ll tell you. i think they're trying to threaten us. hey, get out of here! get out of here! out of here! get out of here! oh! whoa! whoa! we'll have more from new york and key west right after these messages! run! run away! run! the kenmore elite he5t washer?

how about enough water and energy savings... to pay for the dryer? another reason why more americans choose... energy star-rated kenmore appliances than any other brand. kids are hungry after school. that's why i always have totino's pizza rolls. big pizza taste. in a bite size roll. kids can't resist theidelicious pizza flavor.

totino's pizza rolls. the pizza way to snack. announcer: there's a place called hidden valley. where kids not only eat their vegetables, they can't get enough. hidden valley ranch, makes vegetables delectable. now rediscover the delectable taste that can only come from hidden valley, the original ran. fact. bleach doesn't get rid of stains. it just whitens them. with this stain-revealing dye, you can see the stains bleach leaves behind. lysol power toilet bowl cleaner removes stains better than bleach, while killing 99.9% germs. to give you a toilet that's completely clean. lyl. the number one pediatrician recommended brand. lysol. disinfect to protect.

also try lysol 4-in-1 bathroom cleaner. the best clean on soapscum. good. ( laughs ) ( gasps ) do you hear that sound? they're popping! - really?! listen. - ( laughs ) ahhhhh... mmm. where'd the sound go? even when they've stopped popping, is it in your tummy? they haven't stopped working. now, every box of kellogg's® rice krispies® cereal... has antioxidants and nutrients... that help support your child's immune system. ( laughter continues ) still to come, breaking the rules of style. is a chipped manicure the hot new look. >> and find out why this mother of three takes the cake when it comes to baking her way to financial freedom. raspberry cheesecake...

... yeah, every night is something different. oh, yeah yeah... ... she always keeps them in the house. no, no, no. i've actually lost weight... i just have a high metabolism or something... ...lucky. babe... umm, i gotta go. (announcer) 28 delicious flavors at around 100 calories each. yoplait, it is so good. as much calcium and vitamin d as milk, and so creamy smooth and bold, they'll love getting calcium and vitamin d to help bones grow. ♪ bigger (look at me) ♪ ♪ better (see me go) ♪ ♪ stronger(let it show) ♪ (announcer) new smoothies from sunny d! combines two powerful medicines for fast relief of your diarrhea symptoms, so you can get back out there. imodium.

good morning. i'm barbara harrison. it's tuesday, july 28th, 2009. the time right now 9:26. we'll check the forecast. we have chuck bell in with us today. >> good morning. the hazy, hot and humid summery day on the way for us in the washington area today. take a check of it outside. you can see a lot of hazy air. looks almost thick. could practically cut it with a knife. temperatures mid to upper 70s closing in on 80 degrees quickly. upper 80s and low 90s for highs today. not much of a chance of a shower today. >> july in washington. that's what it's always like. thanks a lot. om'll check traffic when we ce ba ck iicmemo n stay with us.

good morning. i'm jerry edwards. still loaded up struggling to recover along i-270 south out of german town past montgomery

villag down to the capital beltway. the problem was an accident earlier in the day at the american legion bridge that's been gone but the memory remains. elsewhere, south of town to the wilson bridge no hangups. southeast we're okay. barbara? >> thank you. tonight at 5:00 a skins sandwich. lunch with tell me what you see. two little birds wearing a couple little hats. that looks like my windshield... when i made my trip back from phoenix. yeah, that's it. wo n and men.w pe b n anmen.

you are a mighty fancy la. >> well, thank you. >> but i've got news for you. >> huh? >> we're going to work the fancy right out of you. >> that's gonna hurt. >> i'm scared of you. ♪ on the road again >> oh, my goness. hoda, kathie lee and a cowboy. and that is the beginning. >> on monday meredith and i were in lake george. today matt and al are in key west. tomorrow on "today takes a vacation," those two wild and crazy women take on a wild west day in san antonio.

and then, on thursday, it's going to be natalie and amy robach's turn to hit the road. they're going to be heading to the las vegas strip. so that's all what's going on, as "today takes a vacation". meantime, al is here to wrap things up in key west. are you sorry to say good-bye? >> oh, i am. i've been having a great time now that i've been made an honorary conch. it's not over yet. we have a little something special for all the hemingway fans out there. >> good, it' about time. >> what does that mean? >> hmm. >> well, only you will tell us, i'm sure. there we go. >> hmm. >> in fact he looks a lot -- they both look a lotike him. >> really? >> yeah. i think. >> you think they look like hengway? >> i just noticed that. >> ye. >> i look a lot like hemingway. don't have a beard, bald and a lot younger. yeah, i look exactly like hemingway. >> you're a literary genius. just like him. >> i look like hemingway! >> all right. >> we'll explain it all later.

>> and for all of your fashionistas from here, we've got something for you. coming up in "today's style," breaking the rules. yes, it is okay now to break the rules, ladies, from chipped nail polish to mixing patterns, fashions get easier. we're going to show you all the latest trends. >> also coming up this morning, we're meeting a really terrific woman, a nursing student, a mother of three, who two weeks ago did not know how she was going to pay her mortgage. but she knew she could bake and actually encouraged by her children she went into business and with the help also of a bakery, this story has a sweet ending. and hopefully it will inspire all of you. now let's get back to key west where al has got some doings. >> hey, guys, this past weekend more than 100 men with fluffy white beards invaded key west. no, not a santa claus convention, but the annual ernest hemingway look gentleman l.e.i. contest. this year's winner is david douglas. he's here with former hemingway

look-alike winner rick cushion. congratulations. this is your eighth attempt? >> this is my eighth attempt. >> what is it this year that did it for you? >> i think the sweater. >> you had the sweater? >> i had the sweater. what was that thing called besides uncomfortable? >> very uncomfortable. the oven. >> especially down here. now, david, is this your regular look, or did you grow the beard -- >> it's my regular look. >> do people stop you and go, you look like hemingway? >> all the time. it used to be kenny rogers and as i got older, he got a face-lift, now it's hemingway. >> wow, out of nowhere aenny rogers shot! nicely done, david. rick, you won back in 1999. you've been judging ever since. what was it about david this year that put him over the top? >> well, one thing that david did appear eight times. he couldn't win it in the first year. even hemingway would not win it in the first year.

after that, then you have to have a good presence. good people standing in front of him. we have a lot of things that the hemingway society does in addition to the contest. >> there's school areship money involved. >> yeah, we have given over $100,000 of college school areships at a local community college. >> and you don't have to be a key west resident to enter, right? >> i'm the only one who's ever won it who lives in key west. >> so start growing those beards, kids.j ç#ç#ç#ç# good morning. we have plenty of sunshine getting through our very humid air mass that we have outside this morning. temperatures are in the middle and upper 70s around town. still a few cool spots left out there but it will be a warm one today. no doubt about that. hazy sunshine. hot and humid today. uv index is nine in the high range. don't forget sunblock if you'll spend time outside. high today 91. tomorrow, 86 with a better chance of rain back in the area.

i love the slogan on the t-shirt, guys. who's your papa? papa hemingway. >> then we have a real contest on our hands. all right, al thank you so much. coming up next, how to stay in style by breaking the fashion rules. i like it. >> yea, finally. no more rules. announcer: it gives the world fewer smog-forming emissions. it gives you a 50 mile per gallon rating. the 3rd generation prius. it's harmony between man, nature and machine.

damage is most obvious at the tips. watch what happens when damaged hair... is repaired with dove therapy conditioner. convincing, isn't it? and research proves dove even repairs... better than the leading pante conditi er and research proves dove even repairs... the proof-- beautifully smooth hair... strengthened against damage from root to tip. next generation dove therapy conditioners. expertise for damaged hair.

as much calcium and vitamin d as milk, and so creamy smooth and bold, they'll love getting calcium and vitamin d to help bones grow. ♪ bigger (look at me) ♪ ♪ better (see me go) ♪ ♪ stronger(let it show) ♪ (announcer) new smoothies from sunny d! i'm working on my digestive health. whatcha eatin'? yoplus. it's a yogurt for digestive health. here... blackberry pomegranate. i can't find my hand.

(announcer) yoplus... a delicious alternative for digestive health... ...from yoplait. waking up to breakfast delicious. now, we're making it more affordable. with five one-dollar-off coupons... in specially marked boxes of cereal. wake up to breakfast... on kellogg's. the best to you each morning. this morning on "today's style," i love this, breaking the rules. this season, it is okay to stand out from the crowd and to shake up your fashion and beauty routine. lisa arbiter is the deputy managing editor of "in style." good morning to you. >> good morning. >> this is fantastic news for a lot of people because we've been following the trend and usually trying to be on trend. now the trend is to be off trend. >> it is. it's all about personal styles. adds what makes you look like you. >> there are a lot of a-list celebrities who are doing this,

rihanna, jennifer goodwin, they also break the rules of fashion. >> what they have in common is great personal style. >> you see that look on tilda swinton, she is ort of the iconic look. let's take a look at some of the styles or some of the rules you say you can break. the first is when it comes to jewelry. now it seems more is more, and glittery jewelry, the rule was it was usually left for the evening. but now you say, wear it during the day. and wear it all. >> that's right. right? as nikki is showing us here, the statement necklace is perfect for day, if you wear it with something that's just understated and subdued. the way that she has it worn, it actually looks like it's part -- >> i thought it was part of her t-shirt. >> it's just the focus of the outfit to give you a little sparkle during the day. >> the other rule was take off one accessory before leaving the house. >> right. >> s take a look at her arm and all the bracelets. >> the armful of bracelets. accessories are really the most personal part of a woman's

wardrobe. when you put them on together you get something totally unique in your own. she's mixed high and low prices. there's a piece on here, this piece is $5.95 and h&m. and she's mixed metals. it's totally her own thing. no one else will be wearing that. >> gold, silver, whatever jewel the. >> anything goes. >> doesn't matter. >> day, night. yes. gems with metals. whatever you want. >> i love that. okay, let's talk about theext rule that you can break and that's mixing patterns or clashing colors. used to be a no-no. but now, if you look at all the fashion magazines, including "in style" it's all over the pages. >> it's no longer a loud, obnoxious trend. as you can see on amanda, she's mixed a floral dress with a jacket that has a plaid piping. to unify the look, she picked up colors from one pattern and put it into the other. and just keeps everything sort of looking very tidy. >> are there certain rules, though, when it comes to breaking this rule that you should be aware of? >> you should pick up at least two colorsrom the pattern. >> okay. >> this is an easy way to do it,

to have part of the outfit be solid and just have a detail have some pattern on it. >> yeah. >> and you do have more of the solid looking blazer, even though it has the little piping. it pulls it all to the and it looks great. okay now here's one that i love, because not all of us get to a manicure or pedicure regularly, and you say to our nails, chipped polish used to be the rule was you had to remove it immediately. now it's actually okay to let it be chipped. >> we have a tip that's going to let you extend the manicure for a couple of days. i wear dark nail polish all the time. >> this is good for the economy, too. >> you just take your color and do a very light sideways stroke over whatever chip you have, then cover the entire nail with a topcoat and let it dry, and you've got another couple days. it's especially good, you know, for when it starts to wear at the end. >> and the dark colors, too, you notice immediately if you have a chipped nail. >> yes. you've got a couple more days. gives it new life. >> and then the other rule, when

it came to your lips, red, the color red, you only used to wear it on your lips or your nails. >> you're going to see it on your eyes. >> it's very dramatic. >> i know it sounds a little weird, red eye shadow is going to be big for fall. >> i thought that was blush. >> it's eye shadow. it's a bold, modern look. not something you're going to be wearing to work. you put it on your lid, a little bit over the crease, but on some black eyeliner a black mascara and keep the rest of the face nude and it's a really cool statement. so the rule is to accentuate the eyes, though, with that and keep the rest pale and nude? >> right. so this should remain on the eyes. >> there is still a little rule there with that one. the rule used to be couldn't pair denim with denim, but look how we've done it here. and it looks great. >> alexandra is wearing a light chambray shirt with dark jeans. the key here is contrast. you don't want to be matchy-matchy about it. you don't want the two pieces to be the exact same color. >> it looks fantastic. >> especially when you pair it with scrappy 1450us and a great 'sba it's a really fun outfit.

>> finally over here. this is hot for fall, i've seen already. used to be you couldn't wear open-toed shoes except in the summertime. now in the fall with the tights. this is the new trend. >> sandals with tights are going to be huge for fall. interesting one of the questions we get most at "in style" is can i wear hose with open toed shoes. if the hose are tight and the shoes are chunky with a thick strap and platform here, it's a resounding yes. the types that you see are great. they come in all these beautiful autumnal colors, great patterns. >> i love that look. >> it's an easy way to add personality into your look. >> lisa arbiter "in style" magazine. still to coming, a looming forecloesh europe of this new jersey house forced the owner to find fame. you're going to meet her coming up. ♪ mmm... hot fudge sundae. ♪

ooh! frosted blueberry?!? ♪ over 25 flavors of kellogg's pop-tarts®. and they're all for fun and fun for all. pop-tarts®. made for fun. with a look at the past 24 hours on royal caribbean's liberty of the sea. charles fuller enjoyed his first cup of the day on his morning swim. baby guitierrez and his dad jonathan pumped some iron. merle buckmire hung ten with a little help from a friend. and finally, erwin and edwin serenaded the ladies on deck 12. that's the news. i'm emily hill cruising with royal caribbean, why aren't you?

healthy hair is soft, silky. and you can get it. fabulous, healthy hair. all you need is pantene. salon names and fancy packaging are nice, but you don't need it. even experts agree. it's damage protection results leading salon brands can't beat. trust me on this, the blow dryer, the curling iron, and the flat iron, and my hair's still shiny. pantene moisture renewal. healthy makes is happen. you need listerine® whitening vibrant white™ rinse. the mouthwash that gets teeth four times whiter than the leading toothpaste. and kills bad breath germs. listerine® whitening vibrant white™.

but i've got a warm, fresh baked strawberry toaster sudel. see the difference? mmmm. i do. (announcer) pillsbury toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat. how about enough water and energy savings... to pay for the dryer? another reason why more americans choose... energy star-rated kenmore appliances than any other brand. as much calcium and vitamin d as milk, and so creamy smooth and bold, they'll love getting calcium and vitamin d to help bones grow. ♪ bigger (look at me) ♪ ♪ better (see me go) ♪ ♪ stronger(let it show) ♪ (announcer) new smoothies from sunny d!

(announcer) introducing new tums dual action. this tums goes to work in seconds and lasts for hours. all day or night. new tums dual action. bring it on. nearly two weeks ag angela logan's teaneck, new jersey home, was in danger of foreclosure and with just days to come up with the $2500 she needed to keep her home, she had a plan to bake herself out of financial ruin. it turns out her cakes, now known as the mortgage apple cake, has created a sensation. she's had troubleeeping up. so enter josh kay and bake me a wish, the owner of the new york bakery stepped in to help fill the orders and fulfill angela's dream. and both of us now join us this morning. angela logan, thank you so much for joining us. so first of all, tell us about what happened that put you in this spot? because i know that everybody around you, including your sons,

were trying to help you make this payment. >> yes. well, it started with a construction fiasco, thousands of dollars that started to put us in debt. and then one of my agencies closed and took several contracts, thousands of dollars, and that sort of thrust us into foreclosure. my son had been trying to help, and it just got overwhelming, and so we worked with mortgage counselors to help us get the making home affordable program. and it took a long time for this particular bank to come up with their program, so we were in limbo for a long time. then all of a sudden, bam, you have to have this amoun of money, and three months in a row, in order to have your mortgage. and i did not want to miss out on this opportunity to come out of foreclosure. >> right. >> so i went to family and friends, and i -- i -- i had this cake that i used to bake for the kids and for organizations, for events, and i asked the kids, i said what do you think about me selling this cake to pay the mortgage?

and the kids will usually say, no, that's a bad idea because mom said it. but they said yeah, we love your cake. i think it will be a great idea. so the kids, we said what will we call it? we'll call it mortgage apple cake, because it's going to pay the mortgage. and so, i set out to ask family and friends, i stood up in class and asked my classmates, and they just -- i told them about the situation and they just gave me money for cakes and they bought cakes. i went to my church, they gave me money for cakes. then my friends from organizations i had worked for doing nonprofit, you know, nonprofit fund-raising events, they told all their friends, and between the thursday that i started and the wednesday, or the next thursday i had 42 cakes from my home, with two -- four pans. one bowl, and one mixer. >> and then they got a hold of it and that's how you found out about it, josh. what made you -- bottom line is you ran out of space in your

kitchen to do it. so it was just in time that you showed up. how did you make the connection? >> bake me a wish dotcom is a company that gives back, its whole mission is to give back. we saw angela, i read the story and i said to myself, this is a person who really is in need, and we showed up at her house and said we're there. and she was staying up all hours of the night trying to bake cakes. i said we're going to come here and bail you out. we're going to help you pay your mortgage and we started to bake cakes, we started to bake cakes for her. >> so now what's happened is that you've got how many cakes would you say that you're doing? >> well, we got about 500 people called us for cakes. that was the problem. so, we had -- there was no way i could bake 500 cakes in my kitchen. so they came in and gave us their kitchen to bake in. then we said how are we going to distribute all of these cakes? that's when bake me a wish said we will distribute the cakes for you and we will take over the massive baking for you. >> can you believe this has happened? because now you get to keep your

home. >> it's all so fast. i cannot believe it. it's just like a dream come true. it's like i'm in a surreal -- it's just surreal in other words. >> what do you say to people in life who are in -- by the way we're going to have some of this cake because i can't stand waiting any longer. i'm going to go for it. what do you say to those people? >> well, i -- i -- first of all i thought of something that i could do. and it was a bad time and the first thing i did was say, well, what can i -- the hardest part, i think, was to admit i had a problem. and to admit it to friends. >> so that's the first. >> yes. >> angela logan the cake is fantastic. >> oh, thank you. thank you. >> and i think people will get the message there are other things they can do. >> we're going to be giving back, we're going to be giving a portion of all the sales we have to givin back to other people in need. and we're looking in negotiating with a charity right now to enable that to do that. >> thank you so much. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> and best wishes to you. >> thank you.

>> and this is a sweet "today" on nbc.

oh, the pirates from pirates soul and of course, look out. ha, ha, ha! all right. back to you guys. we want to thank the folks at the westin marina and resort and pirates soul. for helping us out. arrgh! >> yee-haw! >> arrgh. >> yee-haw! >> hoda and kathie

taking a live look outside. you can see the breeze flapping that flag around. you'll need to find a breeze today. hot and humid. more in just a moment. good morning, everyone. i'm kimberly suiters. it's tuesday, july 28th, 2009. our time is now 9:56. in the news for today, no word on what sparked a fair that destroyed the knights of columbus hall after 2:00 this morning. byrne manor was rented out to different events including a popular go-go night. no one was hurt. alexandria's police chief should find out next week if he'll keep his job following a drunk driving arrest. police arrested david baker

saturday night in arlington following an accident with another car. according to court documents, police smelled a strong odor of alcohol on baker who said he had two beers. the documents say he failed four field sobriety tests and had a blood alcohol level of .19 more than double the legal limit. some drivers are unfairly ticketed by speed cameras set up inside school zones but they're snapping pictures and issuing $40 tickets even though school isn't in session. police say the problem will be fixed when speed camera laws change in october. let's find out how the roads are doing this morning. jerry edwards is in the studio for traffic. >> good morning, everyone. we're struggling to recover from what has been pretty tough commute for folks along 270. the issue had been much earlier in the day at the american legion bridge with an accident. a couple extra minutes travel time.

headed for downtown looking fine right now. 395 across the 14th street bridge. lanes are open there. chuck, how about the forecast? >> well, plenty of heat and summerlike humidity out there. no doubt about it. it feels like july in washington. 77 degrees in town right now. 77 also in fairfax county. 81 in frederick, maryland. hagerstown at 76 degrees currently. everyone is headed to upper 80s and low 90s for highs today with plenty of hazy sunshine out there. finally a chance for rain showers comes back tomorrow. kimberly, back down to you. >> at 5:00 you will not find rice cakes here. lunch with lindsey and malcolm kelly and devin thomas. ac

captions paid for by nbc-universal television hey, everybody, it's tuesday, it's july 2th. only one day until we get on down to riverwalk in san antonio. >> i know people are waiting for that. >> we're excited. >> we are excited. we were there a couple weeks ago shooting some spots. the people there are just as sweet as they could. >> the kndest people you meet. i love watching "today takes a vacation." i especially love today's deal

with matt and al. >> yeah. >> you guys see, i don't know if you saw earlier, they wore these matching outfits. >> impressive. >> there they are. >> aren't they adorable? >> first of all, they went shopping together to get those shirts. >> yes, they did. >> and there seems to be a little bit of a history. >> there's a huge history with the two of these guys. >> they tried if you remember, in torino, the sport luge. you rember the luge? >> who can forget it? >> i know we've got some pictures. >> they did it as it's never been done before. >> matt is on the bottom, is that right? i can't remember. let's refresh our memories. >> how did he survive that? >> no al is on top. we've got the bird's eye view. >> i am trying not to say something so awful. >> because we don't know. >> the boys just play to the. >> and if you also remember, too, they did that rhythmic dancing. >> oh. >> memories! >> rhythmic dancing, that's what they call it? >> that's what they call it.

>> what some people call it. >> and of course, twirled around. >> this is my favorite. >> not only made sense today they were in key west with those outfits. >> it makes perfect sense they were in key west. they had a funny, funny bit. >> our entire crew, i don't know if we can show it, but our whole crew is decked out in the cowboy hats. >> a couple people. >> look at the whole crew. >> most everybody. >> there's tammy the tramp. she's all ready to go. >> oh! >> come on. >> you are so bad. >> there she is all tramped up and ready to go. >> our senior producer on the show. >> call them as we see them. all right? >> i'm just saying. >> all right. >> love her very much. you know what else i love very much? >> who? >> my mother. and guess what my mother is at the ripe old age of almost 80. she's still a beautiful, beautiful one. my mother is a cover girl. she's on the cover of "retirement living sourcebook."

boy, look at her. >> she's holding your book. >> she's holding my book. >> your book pops up everywhere. >> from raising daughter kathie lee gifford to smooth sailing at baywood. >> why did she mention -- >> oh, because it's your book. >> she talks about my sister on the inside. >> did you read the article? >> of course i did. i had to see what my mother was going to say about me. that is a very sweet article and i'm really proud of her. she's lke this -- she represents her retirement community just beautifully. >> she's gorgeous, your mom. >> pam, we've got to get more cooking segments on with her mom and my mom. >> yeah. >> they're polar opposites but they're the dearest, dearest women and people love to see mom. since you and i are not the world's greatest cooks. and they are. >> we're not. >> can we do that? have a little family spirit? >> how come they weren't able to teach you guys to cook? >> they taught me.

>> okay, tammy. >> my also taught me to find a man to cooks better than you do. that's what i did. >> why are you talking like that? >> it's because i've got the hat on. >> it changes your personality. >> you know what else changes your personality? when you get so buff from working out that you just don't -- i don't know. >> this picture. >> changes the way you walk around the world. >> a picture in the paper that was astonishing. so look closely. this is maonna. it was in today's -- i don't know if you can see the arms. but that's really what the focus is. >> the arms are every single vein is sticking out of her arms. you've got to work really, really hard to be that cut, right? >> i'd rather be 30 pounds overweight. i would. >> what do you think? >> let's hear from liz rosenberg? >> i'd rather be 30 pounds overweight than that, that, that muscley. would you? >> for me, it's not -- i don't like it on a man, either. i don't like that body building thing where they have no neck at all and every vein pops out.

>> ionder if you -- >> veins that pop out like that scare me. >> what are you talking about? >> veins. you know they go like this, and -- >> that is -- >> that's a scary picture. >> i'm going to take my hat off. >> no, i'm leaving mine on. >> i'm taking my off. there's michael jackson news today. --t doctor, who was >> conrad murray? >> conrad murray had apparently told police that he administered propofol, that's that anesthetic that they give to you in hospitals. >> that's also called. >> i can't remember. >> diprivan? >> yeah. but this -- so apparently he gave him this propofol through an iv. >> allegedly. >> and i think the doctor told, according to stuff i read, told police that he had done that. the question is -- >> but he said it was nothing that would kill him. >> and i think, if y think about it, you don't have an ekg machine in the house, you don't have something that monitors, you know, your heart rate as you're administering a drug. >> never, they say ever, to be used outside of a hospital. never meant for private use.

>> and we were reporting earlier that he may be charged with manslaughter because of the iv. the fact he wasn't as if he said, here are your pill take your pills when you want and then michael jackson took extra. >> he administered. >> if he did do it. we have a panel to talk about the news of the day. >> and the octomom is coming to a television near you. >> she signed a deal. >> i know you've been waiting for this. it's very disturbing to me. the whole story has been disturbing to me from day one. i think it's unfair to bring children into the world that you -- that you're not ready to care for. i know accidents happen. different things happen in life and then you do the best you can to care for your ildren. but there's a big, big discussion about what is the best thing for the children? because she has to make money through -- otherwise the state has to take care of the children. >> how could someone like her earn enough money to take care of those kids? it seems impossible when you try

to think of a way. >> without exploiting the children? >> right. >> i don't know. you have some ideas, we'd love to hear about it on our facebook. because i think it's an all-around loselose situation. >> but that poll out talked about the number of people who want to be famous. who want to be reality -- >> as opposed to being healthy? as opposed to being successful in relationships. as opposed to being more spiritual. >> so here's the breakdown. they polled 18 to 25-year-olds and they said the number one thing people wanted was to be rich. 81% wanted to be rich. 51% said they wanted to be famous. >> this is the generation's greatest goal. >> 30% said they wanted to help people in need. >> thank you. >> 22% said they wanted to be leaders in the community. and 10% said they wanted to be more spiritual. >> how many of them do you think want to be rich so that they can have more money to help people in need? >> no. yeah. >> doesn't work that way, does it? >> but they talked about the odds of being famous. remember that was in the saying? >> what are the odds of becoming as famous as hoda kotb? >> one in two.

>> hardly! >> okay. now the chances of being as famous as lindsay lohan. one in 1,500,000. >> because she's pret darn famou famous. >> chances of being as fame ouz as stephen baldwin, 1 in about 600,000. famous as heidi from "the hills" 1 in 110,000. >> i don't know how they figud that out. i guess that's what that index that celebrities have of how many mentions you get, how many videos are taken of you, how many news stories are about you. >> but all these reality shows, i know we talk about it a lot, but they are -- they're hot. i mean, they are hot. they're the hot -- >> number one, they're inexpensive to shoot. and the economy is going to see more and more of them. but the only way to get rid of them is to stop watching them. >> people have to stop watching them. >> and you don't watch any of them, do you? >> i don't. i don't. of course i don't judge anyone who watches them. that would be wrong. >> that would be terrible. >> no, that would be just wrong. >> okay. what else do we have?

>> thank you for telling us about this video of the swimmer. >> there was a guy, nobod was paying attention, they're doing all these swim trials and people arki bearng world records left and right. no one paid attention until this repieamectua c out. look at this picture of ts ag uy. okay. whilewimmgin his bathing suit split in the back. >> i thoht t thawas clethage.av that's not the only thing i lost, that's an ugly g-string. okay. >> so -- >> that is -- >> look at him. crack under pressure. >> he cracks under pressure. that is hysterical. >> he's a u.s. swimmer. >> how can that happen? >> i think he did it when he was stretching before and it was too late to change. >> can we go back to the first one? because i'm a little -- >> can you see he's diving int te pool. there's his feet. >> but those are quite tight buns, wouldn't you say? >> yes, they are tight. they are.

tight. >> pam, can we get -- can we get him on as a guest, any chance? >> we would love to have him on. >> we would love that. >> just for you, tammy. >> exactly. >> all right, there's a he said/she said survey. >>what is it? >> i don't know. >> askmen.com. 50,000 respondents. >> okay. and what are they saying? >> 39% of women believe that sarah palin set women back 20 years. they say only 5 see her as a great role model and a mother. this is women they say? >> that's what they say. i don't believe that. >> and 12% fewer women than men believe that marriage is a necessary institution that they will participate in and help preserve. >> this is what i think is interesting. 48% of men said they would dump their girlfriend if she became fat. 70% of women said they would keep their chubby boyfriend. >> so 30% of women would dump them. so it's not that much of a difference. >> 70% said they would keep them. >> the total opposite. >> 48% said -- half the men said

if their girlfriend got fat they would dump them. >> th's horrible! >> i think women innately know that about the guys they're going with. because they send little signals and stuff. >> what are the facebook people saying about that? >> mary wrote in after 39 years i'm the only investment that my husband made that has doubled in size and volume. >> and may i add, value. >> and value. mary wrote in, you know, been there, done that. these studies also show that once we settle with these men we get fat. so, like it happens naturally. >> and men do, too. >> it's called happy pounds. when you're in a relationship and you're happy, you are just -- you eat, and get happy. >> i get really, really thin when i'm happy. >> you do? >> for the most part. i'm just not interested in food i'm just so busy doing things i like. >> when you're depressed? >> i just tend to put on the weight then. neither hoda nor i agree with that sarah palin thing. we think she madehe choices she wanted to make, and women still have the same choices to make every day, and feminism is

about making them. so we should leteople make them. >> she's got four kids and ran for vice president. >> okay, up next, what are we going to do? >> open up some hot topics. we've got a great panel to talk with.

we're back with a segment we're calling "news flash" to bring you up to date on the stories everybody is talking about. >> dan abrams is nbc's chief legal analyst, willie geist is the most of mbs msnbc's way too early with willie geist. and nancy giles is a social commentator. welcome panel. >> so much to talk about. the michael jackson thing, we were talking about that earlier in the chat, and dan, this doctor may actually be charged with manslaughter. why? >> this finally explains why they got a search warrant with probable cause that the crime of manslaughter was committed. why? because now there is the allegation that he may have administered this drug. this isn't just like prescribing a pill. this is like -- >> like ambien.

>> this is like literally you use an iv. so that may explain it. that was an iv apparently found in his home, oxygen tanks, et cetera. i think that's why -- i've always been wondering, manslaughter. they've got probable cause to get a search warrant on manslaughter. hat do they have? >> but does he have a license to do that in the stat of california? >> that's another question, right? >> yes. and -- but the key question, though, is whether he has a license or not, let's even assume he had a license to do it in a hospital. >> we heard he doesn't in the state of california. >> even if he doesn't, then he's in even more trouble for doing it in a home. this is a hospital anesthetic. >> and it goes to the larger point, i think, of the danger of surrounding yourself with this sycophants. you get a doctor in your house who will give you whatever you want, whenever you want. dr. feelgood i want an injection because i can't sleep tonight. i'm paying you 100 grand a night. >> $160,000 being paid a month. >> it just goes to show the power of celebrity. like what willie is saying. i mean, it can override law. it can override health, you

know. i mean that he could be there administering these drugs at the drop of a hat. just whatever you want. whatever the traffic will allow you can buy for yourself. >> the story of the harvard professor and the boston police, and now it's all come down to a beer. i think that's thursday that they're sitting around and having the beer. it's turning into a comedy though. >> it's a tragedy to a comedy. >> you've got to each have a take on it. dan, what's your take on that story? >> my take is it wouldn't have been a story if obama hadn't used the word stupid and talked so much about it. it was very uncharacteristic obama moment. he's usually so careful. >> yeah. and very cool. >> right. and he had to come back and say, wait a second, a moment ago i guess i was talking about it as someone who knows him. and someone who feels passionately. now wait a minute, i'm president. i've got to be a little bit more measured in what i'm saying. >> yeah. and it did give us another reminder of how charged race is in our country. the minute it happened before we knew any of the facts, everybody had staked out their sides, they called the cop a racist. they said the woman who called the police was a racist. she said there were two black

men breaking into the house. >> she did not. >> now it turns out we hear the dispatch calls and the 911 calls, she never mentioned race. >> she said she's not sure. >> she said she was not sure. and sergeant crowley said there was a disturbance. >> she said the people maybe even could have lived there. which brings up a big question about people getting to know their neighbors. i mean, on west end avenue and i can't tell you how many times going into my own building people would panic, like who you are? and i'd have to shake my keys and say, i live here. learn who your neighbors are. >> did you feel offended? >> yes, of course i did. and i have to say -- i thought, it would not have happened had henry louis gates been white. it just wouldn't have. you can say a lot. but he wouldn't have been arrested. it wouldn't have happened. if he pulled a gun, maybe. if he assaulted a cap, maybe. but not from yelling this is my house. this is my house or any of that stuff. >> look at the picture of the neighborhood and the houses are quite close together. you would think that you would know. >> this was apparently a new,

older neighbor who had asked someone else to make the phone call. >> oh, okay. so sarah palin, she's been kind of kicked around in the news a little bit. she -- actually, what did that survey show? that many women feel that she has set women in general back 20 years by being a life force in the gop since only not even a year, it's hard to believe. >> you know, she's a really lucky lady. she's really more of a celebrity, i think, than a politician. the best story i heard about her is that there are already bumper stickers that say sarah palin 2012 to 2014 1/2. because she's not up to her job. >> even if everything else went right for you you wonder if that would be the nail in the coffin ultimately, to be -- >> they can't finish that job, i don't know how that gives you the idea to be president. >> it may not, before we write her off, look at the vacuum in the republican party right now. in the absence of other good

candidates, whether you're excited about mitt romney or mike huck abee, these people who have already failed -- >> talking about name values for -- >> there's no way she would have done this without consulting with a bunch of really senior republicans first, right? she's going to say, hey, guys, here's my plan. i'm thinking about giving up the job and i'm going to go national. and if they said, are you nuts? what are you doing? she wouldn't have done it. but instead, apparently, key people said to her, do it. we don't need you in alaska. no offense to alaska. >> i don't know. i have a feeling she made her own decision and just went with it. she s strong that way. even if they're weird decisions -- >> i don't believe it. >> youon't think so. >> no way. i don't think -- because i think if the party is going to aban done her, right, because it's not the republican party that's coming outaying what is she doing. we need o governor, our republican governor in alaska. there's a lot -- you listen to cable news, et cetera, and everyone who's on the right is supporting palin.

>> they're really not. thre is this mix right down just like the blue dog democrats with health care. it is right down the middle. >> i think health care will pass, yes or no? >> no. >> something but not what obama wants. >> it better and i could punch every blue dog democrat in the nose. and i a democrat. i could punch them i'm so annoyed. and iemd annoyed with harry reid. i better not find him in an elevator. >> i wouldn't want to get punched by nancy. i wouldn't. >> i don't think it's a good idea. i doubtany of them have even read it. >> we all got in trouble in iraq since we rushed it. why can't we take our time and do it bipartisanly? >> this is -- >> but the critics to take out particular elements of it and say this is what it's all about. and they can highlight it, because it's very hard to understand the totality of it and put knit context. >> put in a government option. that's definitely needed. >> we've got to roll. >> we should do it some more. >> never seen you so feisty.

>> okay, willie is on the 5:30 a.m. >> way too early with willie geist. >> the power of no, especially when they want to hear yes.

still to come, how hoda can learn to say no >>no. >> and ashley 'tisdale is going to sing for us.

it's quiet on the home front-- not a lot of activity. you read the news. and yet, some people need to sell and other people want to buy. this is a moment of challenge and opportunity. fortunately, re/max agents have the experience

to help you meet the one and recognize the other. thanks. because the future's counting on us. nobody sells more real estate than re/max. we're back with more of "today" on this tuesday and we're talking about the power of saying no. >> there are a dozen different ways to tell someone no, but we know it is not easy. so who is the hardest person to say no to? is it your family, your boss? we took to the streets to find out what you had to say. >> no to my kids. >> my children are the hardest people to say no to. >> definitely haest to say no to the kids. >> because they're very persistent and my children are very big negotiators. >> and then they say no, no, no, no. >> the hardest person for me to

say no to would be my mother and my sister. >> the hardest say no to is to my child, versus my employer. i think at the end of the day you will go through many employers. >> with work, if it's something that i don't believe in or something that i feel strongly about, it's pretty easy for me to say no. >> my boss is very understanding. there's a lot of leniency there. he knows family comes first. >> my wife. if she isn't happy, nobody's happy. >> he said the truth. if i'm not happy, nobody's happy. >> oh. >> so how can you tloern say no with ease. >> i don't know. for help we learn to beth warem, author of the power of no, how to keep blow hards and bozos at bay. and greg is the author of how to say yes to no. using the power of no to create the best in life, work and life. >> and robi ludwig is here to help us sort it all out. so what's the main reason that people have trouble saying no? i feel like women are -- >> people pleasers. >> we want to maybe everybody

happy. >> if you're in touch with your power and you're saying no to somebody, you want to be liked by, you're not going to be liked necessarily for that moment. and i think that's very hard for people to dea with. >> is it women who have trouble, do you guys think, more than men? >> i have, in my experience, what i've seen, i tink that men really, you know, just n-o, it's really hard for them. they want everyone to be happy, no friction. and i will give, and give and give. >> it's hard to say, is that newt your or nature or is it both? >> probably a combination of both. >> how can you throw it out? >> i think men and women have trouble saying no probably in different contexts. i think with relationships probably women have a little more difficult time with work and balance in life, probably men have a little more time. >> my husband has absolutely no trouble telling me no. no trouble. whre do you get these statistics? >> and i -- >> i want everybody to be happy. >> but you're strict with your kids. oh, you do say no. >> oh. >> i was surprised all those people on the street said their

kids, their kids, their kids. >> you weren't? >> because your kids are very persistent when they're asking. and you do want to give your kids the feeling that they can haveand there's maternal guilt, and you assuage that guilt when you say yes in the moment. having said that, though, it's really important, if your kids don't learn the word no from parents, it's going to be really hard for them to get that in life. >> you're setting them up for disaster. >> the world is going to tell them no. >> it's going to be a luge shock to their system and they're going to fail. they're going to get in a place where there's somebody like me or you and we're going to go, no. >> no is like a boundary. you know, it gives like a kite. it's like string or something. gives the kite the ability to fly. it's a string. and then no helps our kids to fly and really soar in life. >> a friend of ours told us the other day, surprised us, she said she wished with all her heart that her parents had been stricter with her. she knows her parents loved her, but my life would have turned out differently if my parents had the courage to tell me no. >> i think we live in a permissive society. and i think f parents that's a really difficult thing to say no

to the kids. >> so let's pretend you've got a bass issue. everyone right now is hanging on to their jobs so tightly and let'say you're completely overworked and you want to say no. how do you do that, and still maintain, you know -- >> you have to consider your boss first. so if you're a good worker, and i don't necessarily recommend saying no to a boss. i think you need to be intuitive about it. >> i got a problem. >> but i think what you need to do is say, i want what's best for the company here. i want to make you look good. i'm overloaded. and i just know my limits. so, either -- >> i will not be as productive for you. >> i can't do the job as well as you. >> you're going to mess it up if you don't have the time. >> you say no to something and there's guilt that follows later. >> it makes you feel guilty even if you don't have guilt. >> i think with a no, you don't want to have a naked no. it just stands there by itself. a negotiated, maybe a nurturing no. >> partial nos. like what? >> all of a sudden there's two things with no that's really

important with work. you want to say it with conviction and compassion. if you say no you want to really mean it. you don't want to live aback door for a yes. >> and give a reason for your no? >> always leaving a yes in mind. >> a possibility. >> but if you're going to say no to something, have a yes that you have in mind. and i think the compassion is you're probably going to let somebody down. i think of that more as volunteer work. like if somebody asks you to do the bake sale or the girl scout cookie sale, you may not be the right person. but you want to say, hey, i'm sorry to disappoint you but i've got another alternative for you but i'm going to have to say no. >>e need to redefine no. we're really protecting our relationships when we say no. we can't say yes to everything. if we do we're going to be really angry and we're going to end up either not doing a good job, or really acting out. >> being resentful. >> it builds up and builds up. >> humor. people are like, can you come to dinner? and i go, well i haven't been hitting my mouth so well lately. you don't want me around. you know. but you can use humor to defuse

the situation, and you know, it's to kid about yourself a little bit. >> i need to think about it. i need to check and get back to you. so if you're not good -- if you're not good at saying no right away, you know, give your safe time. >> or if you say yes and later you have to take it back, and then you have to say i'm so sorry, i have to say no, people will get mad. >> anyway. >> we could talk forever. >> we've got to go. >> how to say yes to the styles that flatter your figure. that's right after this.

we're back with "today's style." and fall fashions that flatter your figure. whether you're curvy, busty or voluptuous, finding clothes that fit you just right can be a challenge. the latest issue of "people style watch" shows off the styles that will play up your shape. laurie bergamatto is sty watch's contributing editor. always good to see you. >> playing up my body type. >> what do you think, laurie, is the biggest mistake that women make when it comes to dressing? >> you know, a lot of women don't know their body type. so what they wind up doing is hiding the parts that they should be flaunting. and covering up. >> exactly. >> and then they're flaunting the parts that maybe should be

covered. >> all right. let's start with lly. and she has a busty figure. >> yes. >> lucky holly. >> all right, tell us about her outfit. >> the busty figure is an interesting one, because your volume on top but not on the bottom. you have little, skinny legs. with holly, we put her in this ellen tracy dress. we gave her that black top which minimizes her bust. >> black always does, too. >> any dar color will minimize the part you want to minimize. and then the waist there, really cinches her in, and the a-line skirt gives her some volume so it creates an hour-glass. >> especially after 50. >> kathie lee, that's a great thing. you want it to be age appropriate. you want it to be age appropriate and venue appropriate. >> holly, you're you aadorable. >> 17, by the way, holly. >> all right. our next model is joie, right? and she has kind of a buoyish

figure. >> boyish figures, you put her in a french connection top. that's going to create volume, whenever you have tiers up top or ruffles. boyish figures are a little straighter. so you want some curves and that cheats it a little bit. the blazer is only $33. i love this blazer. >> and the jeans, not many people can wear those jeans. >> they're mode for a boyish type. those figures are straight up and down. so you're the same proportion in your waist as you are in your hips. >> okay. >> so what the blazer does, it hits right on her hips, carving out a waist, creating a curve. the skinny jeans round out your push. if you're curvy you don't need it rounded out but if you're boyish you do. >> all right. so up next we have our core very model. this is alexis. yes, alexis, the thing you want to remember if you're curvy is that you are just as big on top as you are with your hips and your bottom. so you want to create balance. the way to do that is to cinch

in at the waist. like this dress already has that bill-in cincher and it has darts around the bustline. so what it's doing is minimizing any lumps, any bumps, creating a smooth, sleek effect. >> and a solid color helps, too. >> a solid color does help. and so that dress is by laundry by shelly siegel and the shoes are nine west. adding any height also helps to really make it even sexier, give you thacht hourglass shape. >> should you always go for form fitting? >> yes. you want it to be fitted in the smallest part of your body. >> but not too tight because that accentuates. >> there's a big difference between fitted and tight. fitted to the smallest part. >> our next is laura. laura is petite. >> oh, there she is. >> hi, laura. >> so cute. so laura is here today, what we tried to do is create a little bit more volume because she has a smaller frame. we wanted to create curves in the bust and give her some hips. we did it with a gathered top by michael kors, and it's $89. and the french connection skirt

which is $89.50, super versatile. it's the tulip skirt. you see how it has that extra little fabric and the cut is very different. >> exactly. >> so what that's doing on a small frame it's creating a shape. it's creating a curvier silhouette for her. >> thank you, lawyer are. >> we have one more model the voluptuous look, this is janice, a skirt and top combination. >> now janice looks great. a lot of women who are voluptuous have a urge to hide their bodies. and we're saying this is a beautiful body type. and so what you want to do here is just accentuate it. what we've done with this top, which is from avenue, only $30, you see that bottom part where it's kind of cinched at the waist? it's all about cinching. we put her in a black pencil skirt, minimizing. pair of heels. she looks gorgeous. >> thank you very much. >> thank you, sweetie. >> coming up next we've got ashley tisdale. >> and she's going to sing for us. >> we're excited.

and this is your movies on demand screen.

oh cool. (cable guy) so what are you going to do next? who are you? who is he? it's okay. well, i'm going to... activate over 100 hd channels?

program his remote? it's like you've been watching him all day. have you been watching me all day? no. (announcer) want the ultimate upgrade for your home? switch to verizon fios. unlike cable, fios brings 100% fiber optics straight to your home for razor-sharp tv, america's top rated internet, and crystal-clear phone service, just... it's like 3 services for the price of 2. just sign up today. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v and, at no extra cost, we'll set up your wireless home network, remote and walk you through the features. with fios, finding movies is a snap. check traffic, weather and more on screen. even stream music and photos from your computer to your tv. it's just... our best price of the summer. don't wait. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v

"toyota concert series on "today"" brought to you by toyota. toyota, moving forward. >> if you fall in the kid category you either know ashley tisdale from the sweet life of zack and cody or the pop phenomenon. now she's morphed into a grown-up pop star with a new look, a new movie. a new album. the album is called guilty pleasure. >> welcome. >> great pleasure. >> i feel like you've grown up in my house because you have been watching you ever since. she was 3 years old when you started in this business? >> yeah. >> now a little bit older. more than 20 years in this business which is just extraordinary. a new album. must be happy to be doing something different. sometimes musical although it was fantastic for you. >> it was amazing. i had so much fun to be doing it. it's definitely cool to be doing other things. >> this new movie "aliens in the attic." >> it's an action comedy with aliens. >> did you enjoy doing it? >> yeah, it was so much fun. obviously i never worked with

cgi. >> is that kevin nealon? >> it is kevin nealon. andy richter was in it. a lot of comedians. >> and then the album. which just came out. >> yes, today. it released today. >> hello! we're honored you came to be with us. >> thank you. >> what are you going to sing for us. >> i'm singing it's all right, it's okay. >> my daughter is anxious to work with you some day. ashley tisdale. ♪ you told me there's no need ♪ ♪ to take it out 'cause it's too late ♪ ♪ to proceed and slowly ♪ ♪ i took your words and walked away ♪ ♪ no looking back i won't regret, no ♪ ♪ i will find my way i'm broken but still i have to say ♪ ♪ it's all right okay

i'm so much better without you ♪ ♪ i won't be sorry all right, okay ♪ ♪ so don't you bother what i do no matter what you say ♪ ♪ i won't return our bridge has burnt down ♪ ♪ i'm stronger now all right, okay ♪ ♪ i'm so much better without you i won't be sorry ♪ ♪ you played me betrayed me ♪ ♪ your love was nothing but a game portrait a role ♪ ♪ you took control i i couldn't help but fall ♪ ♪ so deep but now i see things clear ♪ ♪ it's all right, it's okay i'm so much better without you ♪ ♪ i won't be sorry all right, okay ♪

♪ so don't you bother what i do no matter what you say ♪ ♪ i won't return our bridge has burnt down i'm stronger now ♪ ♪ all right, okay i'm so much better without you i won't be sorry ♪ ♪ don't waste your fiction tears on me just save them for some someone in need ♪ ♪ it's way too late i'm closing the door ♪ ♪ it's all right it's okay ♪ ♪ i'm so much better without you ♪ ♪ i don't be sorry it's all right it's okay ♪ ♪ so don't you bother what i do ♪ ♪ no matter what you say i won't return our bridge has burnt down ♪ ♪ i'm stronger now all right, okay

it's so much better without you ♪ ♪ i'm so much better without you ♪ ♪ it's all right okay without you ♪ ♪ no matter what you say ♪ it's all right, okay without you ♪ ♪ i won't be sorry >> whoo. >> ashley tisdale "our guilty pleasure." wow. >> okay. >> i love you as a brunette. you look fantastic. >> thank you. >> that was terrific. >> and we'll be back with more of "today" on aó

so, sara, anything? >> from last week, jordin sparks signed some cds.

>> oh, what a doll. >> we've got the retirement magazine. >> oh. >> and check out my hat. this is also to go, so just write on our wall, i'm just sayin'. we're going to use that. where you're from and what you want and we'll pick it at random. >> we signed that hat and sara's going to sign it, too. >> and also my mom's magazine. >> your mom's magazine. >> i signed the magazine. and joanie's a babe. >> all right. san antonio tomorrow.